Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is one of the most misunderstood mental health conditions—often reduced to stereotypes about cleanliness, organization, or “quirks.” In this episode of our Behind the Label series, we break down what OCD actually is: a brain-based disorder driven by fear, uncertainty, and a misfiring threat system. We explore the difference between obsessions and compulsions, how OCD shows up neurologically, emotionally, and behaviorally, and why insight alone isn’t enough to make the thoughts stop. From chronic doubt and hyper-responsibility to time-consuming rituals and mental compulsions, we unpack how OCD can quietly take over daily life.

We also discuss evidence-based treatments like Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), medication options, and how therapy helps people build tolerance for uncertainty rather than chasing reassurance. For loved ones, we cover what’s genuinely helpful—and what unintentionally keeps OCD in the driver’s seat. Along the way, we challenge common misconceptions, clarify misused OCD language, and offer a compassionate framework for understanding the difference between OCD-driven behaviors and personal preferences. This episode is about replacing shame with clarity, and judgment with understanding.

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Website - www.embracementalhealthnsc.org

Instagram - @embrace.mental.health

Facebook - www.facebook.com/emh.nsc/

Email - embracementalhealthnsc@gmail.com

Bet you never thought your favorite TV show and your favorite podcast would cross paths, did you? But Stranger Things is bursting at the seams with powerful mental health metaphors and parallels—so many, in fact, that we decided to make it a mini-series!

In this first episode, we explore how some of the stories, characters, and even monsters from Seasons 1 and 2 reflect real mental health experiences, including trauma, anxiety, recovery, and being a caretaker. We also explore the power of belief, connection, and community—and why healing isn’t a single heroic moment, but a long walk through the Upside Down with people who keep the lights on for you.

Connect with us!

Website - www.embracementalhealthnsc.org

Instagram - @embrace.mental.health

Facebook - www.facebook.com/emh.nsc/

Email - embracementalhealthnsc@gmail.com

If you’ve ever wondered why you tend to pull away, cling tightly, or feel uneasy in close relationships, this episode explores how Attachment Theory can help make sense of those patterns. Attachment styles aren’t diagnoses or personality flaws — they’re adaptive responses formed in early relationships to help us survive and stay connected. In this episode, we unpack what attachment is, how it develops, and why everyone has an attachment style shaped by their relational experiences.

We walk through the four main attachment styles — secure, anxious, avoidant, and disorganized — and explore how they show up in adult relationships, from romantic partnerships to friendships, family dynamics, and even work environments. Most importantly, we talk about why attachment is not a life sentence. Healing and earned secure attachment are possible through awareness, nervous system regulation, safe relationships, and therapy. Attachment styles explain how we learned to protect ourselves — not how we’re required to connect forever.

Resources:

• Quiz Link: https://quiz.attachmentproject.com/

• https://link.springer.com/rwe/10.1007/978-3-319-15877-8_513-1

• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3855268/

• https://archive.org/details/sim_developmental-psychology_1992-09_28_5/page/758/mode/2up

• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/247946864_Patterns_of_attachment_A_psychological_study_of_the_strange_situation_Mary_D_Salter_Ainsworth_Mary_C_Blehar_Everett_Waters_and_Sally_Wall_Hillsdale_NJ_Erlbaum_1978distributor_HalstedWiley_New_York_xvi

• https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/development-and-psychopathology/article/abs/children-classified-as-controlling-at-age-six-evidence-of-disorganized-representational-strategies-and-aggression-at-home-and-at-school/2A8C2B7A7350A024CC6341D8E3530171

• https://srcd.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1540-5834.00037

• https://www.jstor.org/stable/1127388?origin=crossref

• https://www.jstor.org/stable/1128475?origin=crossref

• https://books.google.com/books?id=WzHIfiCXE8EC&pg=PA121#v=onepage&q&f=false

Connect with us!

Website - www.embracementalhealthnsc.org

Instagram - @embrace.mental.health

Facebook - www.facebook.com/emh.nsc/

Email - embracementalhealthnsc@gmail.com

Bipolar disorder is often misunderstood, oversimplified, or reduced to stereotypes that don’t reflect the lived reality of those who experience it. In this episode of our Behind the Label series, we take a grounded, compassionate look at bipolar disorder — what it is, what it isn’t, and how it actually shows up in the brain, body, and daily life. We explore the statistics and basics, the neurological systems involved, and the emotional, cognitive, and physical symptoms across depressive, manic, and hypomanic episodes.

We also discuss causes, evidence-based treatments, and how therapy and medication work together to support long-term stability — not by suppressing personality, but by creating space for consistency, insight, and functioning. Finally, we talk directly to loved ones about what’s helpful versus harmful, how to offer steady support without trying to control the illness, and we address some of the most common misconceptions that contribute to stigma and shame. This episode is about clarity, understanding, and moving beyond labels toward informed compassion.

Connect with us!Website – www.embracementalhealthnsc.org
Instagram – @embrace.mental.health
Facebook – www.facebook.com/emh.nsc/
Email – embracementalhealthnsc@gmail.com

Just about all of us carry emotional bruises from childhood—some subtle, some deeply painful. As adults, those old family dynamics don’t magically disappear; they often resurface in moments of stress, conflict, or closeness, pulling us back into roles we learned long ago. In this episode, Rowan and guest host Lawana explore why family-of-origin wounds run so deep, why we can feel “smaller” or more reactive around the people who raised us, and how early attachment patterns continue to shape our relationships today.

Together, we’ll unpack common family roles, unspoken rules, and survival strategies that once protected us but may no longer serve us. Drawing from family systems theory, differentiation of self, and parts-based approaches, we’ll talk about how to show up as your adult self—setting healthier boundaries, regulating your nervous system, and choosing which patterns you want to carry forward. Whether you’re navigating difficult family gatherings, considering emotional distance, or learning how to reparent yourself with compassion, this conversation offers both understanding and practical tools for creating healthier relationships and a freer inner life.

Connect with us!

Website - www.embracementalhealthnsc.org

Instagram - @embrace.mental.health

Facebook - www.facebook.com/emh.nsc/

Email - embracementalhealthnsc@gmail.com

Music isn’t just background noise — it’s one of the most powerful tools your brain has for emotional regulation, memory, connection, and healing. In this episode, Autumn and guest host Myka break down the research behind why a single song can shift your mood, unclench your chest, or transport you back in time. From dopamine boosts to cortisol drops, to the way music activates both memory and emotion centers at the same time, we explore what’s actually happening in your brain when you hit play.

We also talk about how listening, creating, and experiencing music in community can shape your mental health. Whether it’s the comfort of sad songs, the grounding ritual of replaying the same track, the belonging found in music communities, or the emotional release of live shows — music is deeply human. And yes, we even get into the downside: when playlists become rumination loops or emotional crutches. This episode is all about harnessing music as a tool for healing rather than staying stuck.

Connect with us!

Website - www.embracementalhealthnsc.org

Instagram - @embrace.mental.health

Facebook - www.facebook.com/emh.nsc/

Email - embracementalhealthnsc@gmail.com

In this episode, we reframe forgiveness as a well-being practice — not a moral obligation. Many of us replay painful interactions, feel stuck in old stories, or carry anger far longer than we want to. Today, we’re drawing on the work of Dr. Frederic Luskin, Director of the Stanford Forgiveness Project, to explore what forgiveness really is, why it matters for our mental health, and how anyone can begin practicing it.

We break down Luskin’s research on stress reduction, resilience, and emotional healing. We clarify what forgiveness is (an internal shift toward peace) and what it’s not (forgetting, excusing, or reconciling). We explore why we get stuck — rumination loops, “unenforceable rules,” and the way unprocessed hurt becomes chronic stress.

We also walk through Luskin’s 9-Step Forgiveness Model, a practical and research-backed guide anyone can try. From grounding techniques (like PERT) to letting go of impossible expectations to rewriting your personal story, these steps help us create safety in the nervous system and move toward freedom rather than continued suffering.

Resources:

• https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/nine_steps_to_forgiveness

• https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/what_is_forgiveness

• https://a.co/d/2pygWHN

• https://www.virtuesforlife.com/qa-on-forgiveness-with-dr-fred-luskin/

• https://www.phoenix-society.org/resources/the-practice-and-power-of-forgiveness-with-fred-luskin

Connect with us!

Website - www.embracementalhealthnsc.org

Instagram - @embrace.mental.health

Facebook - www.facebook.com/emh.nsc/

Email - embracementalhealthnsc@gmail.com

In this bonus episode, in honor of Men's Mental Health Awareness month, Rowan and Mark open up an honest, compassionate conversation about the realities of men’s mental health. Together, they explore why so many men feel pressure to appear strong, capable, and unfazed—while quietly carrying heavy emotional burdens. Through personal stories, cultural reflections, and gentle reframing, they unpack the stigmas that keep men silent and the supports that help men heal. This episode invites listeners to rethink what real strength looks like and how vulnerability can become a pathway toward connection, resilience, and wholeness.

Connect with us!

Website - www.embracementalhealthnsc.org

Instagram - @embrace.mental.health

Facebook - www.facebook.com/emh.nsc/

Email - embracementalhealthnsc@gmail.com