My reflections on being a counselor with experience in community mental health, and how systems impact helping work and our possible approaches to advocacy.

I cover:

• some background about me
• what is community mental health and how are systems involved
• what types of systemic issues are present and what are contributing factors
• barriers to political activism and change
• who is involved in helping, what is working, how are communities and people supporting each other
• a call to join the conversation

Thanks for listening! As always please reach out with any thoughts or experiences you may be willing to share related to this topic.

Join my old friend Ruben and I as we discuss his experience working in the field of child and adolescent education. Ruben is starting a high school teaching job in the 2023/2024 school year and we discuss how he came to this point, including his teaching experiences in different school settings, states, neighborhoods, etc. Topics such as school funding, how to get people to care about and advocate for education, how kids can advocate for themselves, current problems such as poor school conditions, teacher burn out, ongoing impacts of systemic racism and poverty, polarization in society around school curriculum, etc., and more are covered.

This conversation goes in all sorts of directions, and we are curious along with you about how we can best improve the education system so please share any thoughts, information, or feedback. Thanks for listening!

Alexx Sans is a musical artist, fashion designer, works in stone masonry, and shares his authentic self with the world! He identifies as androgynous and in this interview opens up about his journey of self-discovery and self-expression, including who his influences have been. We discuss gender, sexuality, Alex’s music and fashion careers, androgyny, the queer community, masculine and feminine energies, building a brand, being yourself, going after your goals, and self-love.

I am grateful to Alex for being vulnerable and willing to have a conversation about topics that can be difficult to talk about. I know I learned a lot from talking about androgyny, as well as other aspects of Alex’s life. Tune in for some inspiration!