Mental Notes From My Minivan

My awesome friend Doug Lang and I chat about how to be a helpful support to people when they reach out to us in crisis. Doug was such a stalwart, creative super support to me during the worst phase of my PTSD. We also talk about the importance of taking care of ourselves, and how to create boundaries to avoid helper burnout. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kirsty-sayer/support

Holly Hinckley and I have been acquainted for years but our relationship really became cemented as I became increasingly public and even vitriolic on social media about the Mormon faith after I left it. I lost most of my Mormon friends during this time which was not unexpected nor surprising but it was and continues to be painful. I was increasingly intrigued though as I watched Holly remain steadfast in her affection and interactions toward me. She didn't unfriend, she never unfollowed. She never had an angry retort. What was weird is that nobody I knew had higher personal stakes in the Mormon church than her. Her beloved grandfather was world famous and popular LDS Prophet Gordon B.Hinckley, Mormonism's equivalent of Pope Francis. Her great grandfather was head of LDS Business College. Her father has always held prominent positions in the church. Holly herself is a returned missionary and devout member of the faith. I reached out to express my gratitude for her friendship and ask her how she managed to main

In this episode I cover some major points of progress for me recently in my recovery from C-PTSD. I’m also talking about how my debilitating and abject phobia of facing the reality of my abuse has been replaced with the ability to observe it objectively and cope with it fearlessly and constructively. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kirsty-sayer/support

A conversation with my friend Jen about our opposite experiences starting and ending in Ohio respectively with us meeting in the middle in the African Kingdom of Swaziland when we were 18. We talk about the gift of travel, it can change the entire trajectory of your life no matter what your age , surviving and enjoying parenting by becoming accepting of pain and discomfort and how going to a college dive bar together fulfilled one of my lifelong ambitions. This conversation covers it all and was so much fun. Jen is wit and wisdom personified and I know you will find a nugget to enrich and enhance your life in this one! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kirsty-sayer/support

A conversation with my new friend Diane Nielsen, who was perfectly happy and unquestioning in her role of being a devout, believing “perfect Mormon wife and mother” until her husband (also a devout member from a highly prominent Mormon family), decided to brush up on his study of church history. As Diane joined him in that quest she found a lot that didn’t add up. She was also told by her Bishop to divorce her husband rather than be “led astray by him”. This is her story of navigating her sudden loss of faith free-fall, falling out of grace with the Mormon community (where they had been shining stars) and finding themselves happy and whole at the end of it. Do not miss Diane’s poignant and hilarious Hop on Pop Conference talk parody at the end. Never Mormons, faithful Mormons and ex-Mormons alike should find this one enlightening and fun. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kirsty-sayer/support

Abuse victims are often subject to secondary abuse when they reveal the truth to a source they should be able to trust. My experience with the devastating consequences of that over the years, and why I ultimately felt forced to expose my abusive parents publicly. This is an important episode for survivors and allies alike. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kirsty-sayer/support

Childhood development expert and one of my best friends Cindi Baum talks to me about how she creates a peaceful, intentional classroom. I modelled much of my home environment with a batch of little kids and my child rearing ethos on her methods after watching her introduce 4/5 my kids to the wonderful world of learning! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kirsty-sayer/support

I received confirmation of my resignation from the LDS (Mormon) church this week and it stirred up some stuff. I think this is a very balanced podcast and it has messages for those in and outside of the faith. Please check out ProtectLdsChildren.org. It's so important to support these changes! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kirsty-sayer/support

Raw and uncut. YOU ARE WARNED. The story of my families deportation (they did everything legally) and why it took me 20 years to get my citizenship even though I was married to an American all that time. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kirsty-sayer/support

My luminous friend Lucia joins me from Dubai and talks about her colourful past, growing up in extreme poverty in a Mormon/Catholic household, dealing with acute rheumatoid arthritis as a young mom of four kids aged 6 and under, her struggles with profound depression, finding herself in her 30’s pursuing her musical career with fresh gusto and even singing on the same stage as Ricky Martin. She will have you laughing, crying, in awe and absolutely uplifted and inspired. What the world needs now, is Lucia, sweet Lucia. This is a long one but it goes so fast! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kirsty-sayer/support

Carolyn and I met as newly weds and young moms while living in the SF Bay Area 20 years ago. We have remained friends ever since. In this episode we chat about her slow exodus from the LDS (Mormon) faith, her activism with LDS (and all) LGBTQI youth, parenting a child through a cancer diagnosis and so much more. Her upbeat outlook and genuine love for all of humanity is inspiring, uplifting and infectious. We laugh a LOT in this one. It’s a must listen! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kirsty-sayer/support

By the time C.J was 13 he had been held against his will by the police for the crime of playing basketball, by the time he was 15, he had a gun pressed to his back by the police while standing in line to buy ice cream. At the age of 26 he's had 4 such encounters with the police. He has never broken the law. He's hilarious and thoughtful and his story is one every American needs to hear. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kirsty-sayer/support

A fun and fascinating chat with my long-time friend, Dr.Nathan Richardson regarding his insights into where we are going wrong with organised youth sports, specifically soccer and how it is affecting our children and families. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kirsty-sayer/support

Young entrepreneur Isaac Rogers talks about his journey from being kicked out of church at the tender age of 6 to living a full, present, joyful and authentic life. He’s chosen to be refined rather than defined by Cystic Fibrosis, We talk about the glorification of Disabilities (his pet peeve), shaking free of the toxic trap of comparison (he’s a twin), his spiritual journey and travel dreams. Don’t miss this one! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kirsty-sayer/support

In this incredibly inspiring episode Joe husband, father of three young kids, high school teacher who has been fighting stage 4 cancer for the last seven years talks about living with the “Terrible Privilege” of a diagnosis which puts his future in a constant state of uncertainty and how he has embraced it and made every moment count. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kirsty-sayer/support

May is mental health awareness month and Spring in general is a tough time for many people including myself. Here are some strategies for surviving periods of times when PTSD is particularly bad or we tend to experience cyclical depression. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kirsty-sayer/support

A conversation with Maddie Ross of C’est Madeleine fame on overcoming orthorexia, finding your purpose and becoming a well adjusted internet mogul before graduating High School. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kirsty-sayer/support

In this episode we will chat about a couple of micro epiphanies that have had a major difference on how I approach my relationships, tips on surviving and thriving Winter’s last gasps, and how choosing to be choked (by taking up Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) has taught and helped me in my PTSD recovery and life in general. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kirsty-sayer/support

A Meandering Introduction To Mental Notes From My Minivan including one anecdote involving using Ritz crackers as a survival tool. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kirsty-sayer/support