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NEIL PAREKH'S
LENS ON LIFE BLOG
Thoughts and observations on mental health, technology, social media, photography and more.


Therapy is a Journey
In the years since my formal diagnosis, I have come to realize how anxiety and depression have always been present.

Rev. Byron Tyler Coles
Jul 31, 2024


Ep. 12 Rev. Tyler Coles | Shining Light on Shadows: Getting Help (Therapy) Takes a Lot of Work and Some Courage
This episode will focus on the challenges of getting help when we need it, specifically mental health therapy.

Neil Parekh
Jul 30, 2024


Thriving as an Advocate with the Support of Other Survivors
Survivors CAN be thrivers. They just need the help and support of people around them: other survivors, people they can trust.

Neil Parekh
Jul 23, 2024


The Personal and Community Benefits of Advocacy Work
I knew that my voice could be a tool to make change in the systems that failed me. So that is what I did. I spoke up and I spoke out.

Dawn Helmrich
Jul 23, 2024


Thriving and Surviving by Soaring Beyond the Ashes
My biggest flex and healing skill has been to rise beyond the ashes and soar, while helping others.

Samantha Collier
Jul 23, 2024


Ep. 11 Samantha Collier | Shining Light on Shadows: Surviving and Thriving After Rape and Sexual Abuse
Samantha, Dawn and Neil are all survivors of sexual abuse / rape. They've each used advocacy to not only survive, but to also thrive.

Neil Parekh
Jul 23, 2024


A Candid Conversation With My Daughter About Mental Health
It’s never too early to talk about difficult issues with your child. You may be surprised at how well it goes.

Neil Parekh
Jul 9, 2024


The Negative Self-Talk Started in High School as a Teen; It Continues to This Day
Finding the right way to love yourself should definitely begin between the ages of 13 and 23 and certainty shouldn’t wait until you are 52.

Dawn Helmrich
Jul 8, 2024


Navigating the Rollercoaster; Themes that Teen Girls Explore in Therapy
The years between 13-23 are a whirlwind of emotions, social pressures, and self-discovery; no surprise that many young women seek therapy.

Sara Wilson
Jul 8, 2024


Ep. 10 Sara Wilson, LMFT | Shining Light on Shadows: Teen Girls and Therapy
This episode will focus on teens and young adults ages 13-23. We'll explore the reasons behind teenage mood swings, risky behavior, etc.

Neil Parekh
Jul 8, 2024


“All or Nothing” Thinking Has Not Served Me Well
I’ve thought of mindfulness as being intentional, deliberate and/or calm. I’d never thought of it as the opposite of me.

Neil Parekh
Jun 27, 2024


The Benefits of Mindfulness Over “All-or-Nothing” Thinking
Stay on the path of the middle way with mindfulness, which at its core is: present-moment awareness without judgment.

Ambrose Wilson-Brown
Jun 26, 2024


My Mindfulness Practices Look Different and That’s OK
Mindfulness can be baking cupcakes or cooking a meal. Mindfulness can be writing a poem or working on a blog.

Dawn Helmrich
Jun 26, 2024


Ep. 9 Ambrose Wilson-Brown | Shining Light on Shadows: How Mindfulness Can Help With Anxiety and Depression
The idea of mindfulness doesn’t have to be maddening. This week’s show will focus on a practical approach to mindfulness.

Neil Parekh
Jun 25, 2024


Ep. 8 Tiffany Westerfield | Shining Light on Shadows: Is There Still a Stigma Around Mental Health?
Our conversation will focus on the question of whether there is still a stigma around mental health.

Neil Parekh
May 22, 2024


My Whole Life I Have Been Dealing with the Word Stigma
For people in the Gen X and Boomer age groups, mental health is still swept under the rug and not dealt with in a positive manner.

Dawn Helmrich
May 22, 2024


A Lifetime of Being Judged
I don’t want people to know about my challenges because I do not wish to be perceived as weak or incapable.

Tiffany Westerfield
May 22, 2024


Ep. 7 Kate Easton | Shining Light on Shadows: Parenting a Child with Mental Health Challenges
We'll focus on the challenges of parenting a child with mental illness. Kate’s son: bipolar disorder. Dawn’s son: social anxiety.

Neil Parekh
May 6, 2024


My Son’s Struggle With Social Anxiety and the Difficulty of Getting Help
I think my son was 12 or 13, a new middle schooler, when I realized that he was more than just a kid having a bad day at school.

Dawn Helmrich
May 6, 2024


When Your Child Struggles with Bipolar, Everyone Struggles
My son, at the age of 16, was grappling with challenges that seemed to grow more daunting by the day.

Kate Easton
May 6, 2024
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