Lauren: 0:03

Welcome back to You're Always Fine a space to show up for yourself and embrace the mess that lives underneath. Because, let's be real, it's exhausting always being fine. So grab your headphones and allow yourself to listen, laugh and even cry, because you are not alone and we aren't always fine, and that's okay

Kristine: 0:27

Welcome to You're Always Fine. I'm your host, Kristine, and I'm Lauren, and we are your new Bounce Besties. Let's get started, okay. So I'm Christine and I'm a licensed clinical social worker and the head of mental health here at Even Health. I've been a therapist in private practice for about 15 years now which quite honestly feels weird to say because I still feel 16. And I've worked in a variety of settings, such as family services, schools, law firms and content creation.

Kristine: 0:52

I actually got my undergraduate degree in pre-medical science, and I was all set to be a PI, but life had other plans for that, and, with a quick, emotional decision, I went ahead and went to social work school, and I promised to get into that decision in another episode. It's a good one. The good thing is is that I do believe that going to school for social work saved my life. I have been in therapy for most of my life and really struggled to make effective progress. Going to school allowed me to see things through a different lens, and it almost made it more digestible, because it was like distance between the concept and my life.

Kristine: 1:32

Really, though, if I'm digging deeper, I would say that it wasn't until I got sick and diagnosed with a rare autoimmune condition that I truly started to heal, and that was because I let go of the need to be anything other than me. I truly then started to understand my internal world. I'm excited to continue to heal and help others through this podcast. There's so much power and vulnerability and I hope others will feel empowered to embrace all that makes them beautifully rare. Lauren, what about you? What is your mental health journey and what made you want to co-host this mess with me?

Lauren: 2:01

I've been a nurse since 2011 and, if I'm being honest, I went into it rather naively.

Lauren: 2:07

I assumed everyone wanted to be helped and healed, so imagine my shock when, at times, this was not the case. Furthermore, I started to become intimately aware of the barriers and obstacles in place, whether self-imposed or externally placed upon, that prevented people from arriving at their unique destination of fine air quotes inserted. After tripping and falling through some of my own challenges and whilst tumbling down the mountain of bullshit, I realized that I was, and have always been, drawn to people who aren't afraid to show their battle scars, let alone openly discuss them. It made me feel more comfortable in opening up but, more importantly, asking myself what I needed first before asking how I could help others. I'm excited to be a part of this podcast because it's my hope that in tripping and tumbling together, we can also get back up, bandaid those skinned knees and move towards what is fine and what that means to us on a personal level, and recognizing that, if we aren't fine, how to seek out those resources to get us back on top of the mountain.

Kristine: 3:15

I will say I now know why you like me, because I am a full-on tornado, all the time hot mess express. So here's what you can expect from us Each week. We will show up in your feed twice On a Tuesday, we'll be taking deep dives into topics like resilience, self-love, self-care, and sometimes we'll even let it all burn to the ground in order to rise from the ashes. Then, later in the week, we will bring you a bite-sized follow-up to help you get through. These short, actionable episodes will provide the perfect blend of humor and real talk.

Lauren: 3:46

With every episode you will also get our recommendations for content, live groups and other resources that may help you on your path to peace. So step out of the comfort zone of fine with us. A life of balance, peace and contentment is in your reach. If you still haven't pressed that follow button, let me tell you why. We are going to be your new favorite mental health podcast. This podcast seeks to banish or at the very least ameliorate a silent suffering and lend support through candid discussion and sometimes humor. We seek sharing the not-so-pretty side of mental health struggles and discuss them openly and candidly. We're here to shed more light on the loaded response of I'm fine in the face of the spinning plate balancing act that is life.

Kristine: 4:33

So go ahead and do it, press that follow button and buckle up, because healing isn't for the faint of heart. Until next time, mind your health. Seriously, you're fine. You're fine because you have the power to access your place of peace anytime you need it. However, if you get stuck, we're right at the palm of your hand to help. Check out our show notes for this week's source list, recommended content and cabana live group schedule. We'll catch you next week for a brand new episode of You're Always Fine.