Surprising Things You Should Know to Keep Your Kids Safe Online
Episode Description
You will be shocked at the seemingly safe places predators can connect with your children online. In this episode of Mind Your Mind, Lucas Mitzel, a therapist at Dakota Family Services, talks about the things you need to know to keep your children safe. Learn the many websites and platforms used to target children, how to monitor their internet usage, and how to talk to your children about the dangers.What to Expect
- Learn about new websites and platforms used to target children.
- Learn how predators use Facebook, Instagram, and other seemingly safe sites, to reach children.
- Learn how to educate your children about the dangers of the internet.
- Discover tools to monitor your children’s online activities.
Resources: Learn More
- Bark
- Qustodio
- NetNanny
- WebWatcher
- ESRB
- Common Sense Media
- Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency
Things to Think About
- Ninety percent of children ages 8-16 have viewed pornography online.
- The dark web constitutes about 96% of the internet.
- Have you heard of Omegle or OnlyFans.com?
About the Hosts
Lucas Mitzel provides therapy for children, adolescents, and adults, ages 5 - 30. He believes building relationships with clients is the most important piece of successful therapy. He loves what he does, because it allows him to walk next to people he would never have met had he chosen a different profession, as they work to make amazing life changes. He has the honor of meeting people at their worst, all while watching them grow into the people they’ve always wanted to be.
Transcript
Surprising Things You Should Know to Keep Your Kids Safe Online
Featuring Lucas Mitzel, LCSW, Dakota Family Services
Tim Unsinn:
Welcome to Mind Your Mind, a podcast presented by Dakota Family services, an outpatient behavioral health clinic located in Minot, Bismarck, and Fargo, North Dakota. In this podcast, I will talk with our experts about understanding and nurturing our mental health and wellness. I'm your host, Tim Unsinn. Join me each episode as we explore the intricacies of our minds, decrease the stigma of mental illness, learn practical tips for managing our mental health and well-being, and recognize when it's time to ask for help. Join me now to Mind Your Mind.
Tim Unsinn:
Welcome to this episode of Mind Your Mind. Our guest is Lucas Mitzel. Lucas is a therapist on the Fargo campus and provides outpatient therapy for children, adolescents, and young adults. Lucas, it's great to have you on mind your mind. Our topic is internet safety. However, before we get to the topic, let's talk about why you do what you do. Why is this work important to you?
Lucas Mitzel:
Well, this work is important to me because I want to help as many people as I can. And so if I can assist one person and help them become a better version of themselves or be the person that they can be that makes everything worth it.
Tim Unsinn:
Again, our topic is internet safety. And first question up, I know internet safety has been a buzz for parents for a long time, just because with COVID and all the other stuff that's going on, it just seems like there's way more activity on the internet. So what are the dangers of the internet?
Lucas Mitzel:
Well, it's a really, really big topic. I did a talk on this for about three hours at the North Dakota Mental Health Counselors Association conference this spring. I'm going to try and keep it short for this, but I would, I like to start with just an analogy. If you take the internet and you think about it like a firearm, a lot of people are raised around firearms, especially in the North Dakota area. I was always taught that you respect a firearm. You learn what it can do, but you don't necessarily need to be scared of it. If you replaced firearm with the internet, you teach kids, you teach others, what the dangers are of it. That if you give it to somebody without any knowledge of how to use it, they could hurt somebody or themselves.
Lucas Mitzel:
Education is the biggest piece here that we need to work on with our families, with our kids. And that's what I hope to do. If you look at the percentage of pornography on the internet, there's astounding rates. 90% of children between the ages of eight and 16 have viewed pornography. Most of the time it's unintentional. Most of the time, it is from peer to peer. 90% of kids between the ages of five and 17 use computers. At age five, we have 25% of kids using computers. And that was in 2001. So, looking at what we use today, especially during this pandemic and the quarantine, I imagine that rates are probably upwards to a hundred percent all the time. The internet is...you have three types of internet, or three levels.
Lucas Mitzel:
When you look at the internet, it's kind of like an iceberg. So, you have the surface of the iceberg, which is a lot of the websites that we use such as Google, Facebook, the normal websites that everybody looks at. The deep web constitutes of medical records, databases things that you use a lot of times in college to get information. The dark web, that is where you would have a lot of illegal activities, such as drug trafficking or human trafficking. I actually have worked with kids who access the dark web. They buy drugs from like California and they ship them over here to North Dakota and then they will distribute them themselves. And they figured all of this out using the dark web. The dark web constitutes about 96% of the internet, which is insane. And a lot of it is stuff that we just don't even know about. Going back to pornography just a little bit. Age of first exposure is around 11. When you look at the top 100 sites visited in 2020, six of them were pornographic websites. And the top one was seventh overall. So 47% of families report pornography being a problem in their home. And it leads to significant family issues, whether that be between marriages or just conflict in the home in general with parents and kids.
Tim Unsinn:
I would Google dark web because I have no idea, but younger generations, those that are more adept at getting online and doing different things pretty easy. So that brings me to what websites do I need as a parent to be aware of.
Lucas Mitzel:
I would argue you need to be aware of all of them, but if you take even the most, but seemingly benign websites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, it is really important for parents to be aware of everything that you can do on those platforms. Facebook is known as the largest social media platform. I mean, almost everybody has a Facebook nowadays. But a lot of people don't realize that you can do video chatting on Facebook, that you can add almost anybody. There's a phenomenon known as mass ads where, and a lot of people have experienced this, where you get an invite from somebody who you don't know. And if you were to do some digging and look into that, that person who added you, they have very few friends, and it makes no sense how they would even know you.
Lucas Mitzel:
Lot of times, kids don't know this. And so, they'll just add people to add them. And this can cause a lot of issues. And that's where you have people who are looking for kids, who are wanting to hurt kids, or just have followers for whatever reason, adding people. And so kids need to know about these things in order to prevent these people from having contact with your children. A lot of people don't realize that you can message anybody on Facebook and if you message back, they can actually see your profile. So, telling kids that, you know, you need to, you can only talk to people that, you know, be careful with who you're adding. With Instagram, a lot of the same stuff. But there's also a thing called Finstagram with an F and that's a fake Instagram account.
Lucas Mitzel:
This is where kids will make an Instagram, that they're okay with their parents seeing and that's the one that they'll add their parents on and their relatives. And then they'll have an actual Instagram account where they will share things that they don't necessarily want their parents to see. So making sure you are aware of what your kids are doing, what websites are on, what email addresses they're on. It takes 30 seconds to make a new email address. Just being aware of what's going on with that. Twitter you can message people too. A lot of people don't realize this. You can find anything on Twitter and just follow them. You don't even have to follow a lot of people to be able to view the material. There's a lot of pornographic material on Twitter, along with Instagram and Facebook, that people aren't aware of.
Lucas Mitzel:
There's a website known as onlyfans. And that is where people will take pictures of themselves typically in a pornographic way. And will sell that to people. And that website is advertised everywhere. People will advertise their only fans accounts on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, which we'll get to in a little bit, Tik TOK Snapchat, which are some of the most popular, some of the most popular apps that kids use nowadays. Only fans is everywhere right now. This is a really big thing. It's joked a lot about and the parents don't know that this is what's going on. If you look at Reddit, as I mentioned earlier, they call themselves or they used to call themselves the front page of the internet. And Reddit is basically a website where you have a bunch of small communities known as subreddits, and it's just people sharing their shared interests.
Lucas Mitzel:
It's a great way to connect with like-minded individuals. So there's a really great resource out there. So if you're really into crafting things or specific hobbies, you can find a whole community of people that share your passion or share your hobby. And so then you can get more information and more resources that way. It's fantastic. However, there are pages and pages and pages and pages of inappropriate material on this website. And it's not moderated. Well, they say that it's moderated, but it's moderated by volunteers of each subreddit. So it's not really. If it violates a rule of that subreddit, those moderators in air quotes can take it down. But a lot of people don't. There's a chat slash message feature that allows you to communicate with anybody on the site, as long as you know, or have seen, their username.
Lucas Mitzel:
And this is pretty unfiltered. So, there's pretty much anything that you can do on there. Omegle is having a resurge right now, and that's a free online video chatting service. You can get matched with random people online and you can video chat with them face-to-face. You have no idea who you're going to be matched with. You have no idea what they're going to do. It's considered anonymous, but on the website, this is a direct quote from their website. It says, "Predators have been known to use this site. Please be careful." So, the website itself tells you that it's dangerous. These chats are unmoderated. Nudity is often shown. People who just show up on the video chat are naked, performing sexual acts, and the highest population of users are typically kids just trying to be goofy or silly.
Lucas Mitzel:
And then they see things that they just can't unsee. People's ASL is often asked on here. So, when you go on the chat, they'll say ASL question mark. And that means age sex location. So, they'll say, 15 slash M, which means male, or F means female, and then their country. And if you're in the United States, typically they use their state. So right away, predators are asking where like, how far away are you, what sex are you and what age you are. And a lot of times, if you're a female, cause it's typically male-dominated on these websites looking for females, if you're a female, they'll stick with you and they'll want to chat with you. If you're male, they'll press next. At any point during the chat, you can press next and end the call. But that's just a taste of some of the websites that are out there that are popular right now, among kids.
Tim Unsinn:
As a parent, listening to this podcast of Mind Your Mind with Lucas Mitzel, you're like we're just pulling the internet. We're pulling the plug at home. We're just not going to be, be a part of that. So as a parent, are there apps that I could use that would help me alert me as to what my kids are doing? You know, like they have stuff to hide it from me as a parent. Are there things that I can use to kind of subvert that and get around it and know what they're doing?
Lucas Mitzel:
Yeah. There's a lot of different monitoring services that you can use. Some of the big ones right now are...there is one called Bark. This has got really good reviews. It monitors internet access on the computer and on your phone. I'm going to mispronounce these, quiz studio, Q U S T O D I O. Net nanny. Those are two other internet monitoring services. For phone monitoring, you have bark, kid bridge and web watcher. These are some of the higher rated ones. Most of them take a subscription, but like with bark, a lot of them can actually monitor what kids are typing too. So they can, you can put in key words, such as suicide or self-harm, and you will get a message notifying you that that was typed which allows you to really pay close attention to what's going on. I will urge parents though, that just because you have a monitoring device does not mean that you need, you get to be lazy because I promise you that there is a way to get around every single one of these things. And kids are really smart and they have friends that are really smart and they want to get around these things sometimes. So don't stop asking questions. Don't stop talking, don't stop having conversations with your kids, and providing them education. Educate them about just general internet safety, who you share information with, which should be typically nobody, t be suspicious of people that you don't know on the internet, teach kids to follow their instincts. I would download the apps or go on the websites that your kids are going on so that you can see for yourself what it's like. That's the best way in my mind.
Tim Unsinn:
And don't just have the one and done conversation. It should be a continuing monologue, continuing conversation with your kids, because things are changing. I mean, you were talking about stuff and I'm like, I was up on some of that and the rest of it, I'm just lost. So, I'm glad I have an adult child now and not have so many worries that many of the parents do well. That was just a lot of great information about internet safety and really appreciate you sharing this with us. It's an episode of Mind Your Mind that you can go back and listen to over and over, pause it, write down information. If you need to just get to know this stuff as a parent, because it's so important to protect our kids, even when they don't know they need protection, they need protection. So, before we wrap up, though, I always had that one last question for all of our guests. And that is what do you do Lucas personally, to mind your mind?
Lucas Mitzel:
Yeah, I think that that's a really important question that we need to continue to discuss especially as COVID continues. One of the best things is to have a routine. And so making sure that you take the time during your day for yourself to do what you need to do to be the best version of yourself for your, for your family, for your work. And that looks different for everybody, but I try and take as much personal time as I can from work, or I try and just do things that I find fun around the house
Tim Unsinn:
As a new parent that is taking care of a child. Good job. All right.
Tim Unsinn:
Thank you, Lucas. I appreciate your time. Thank you for joining us for Mind Your Mind, a podcast presented by Dakota Family Services. You can't have health without behavioral health. Remember to Mind Your Mind. For more information, links to additional resources, contact information, and much more go to Dakota Family Services.org.
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It can be difficult knowing how to recognize and treat depression in children and adolescents. In this special community chat episode of Mind Your Mind, Psychologist Megan Spencer and Therapist April Morris discuss signs of depression to look out for, including both behavioral and physical signs that your child may be depressed. They also touch on the influence of environment, physical illnesses or diagnoses, and genetics on children’s mental health.;
How to Fit In While Staying True to Yourself
Humans are hardwired for social connection, but it can be difficult knowing where to fit in as unique individuals. In this episode of Mind Your Mind, host Tim Unsinn and therapist Christy Wilkie talk about the importance of using your strengths, interests, and relationships to figure out where you belong. They also touch on signs that you might not be staying true to yourself, as well as how to handle feelings of being left out.;
PTSD: Signs, Symptoms, & Treatment (Community Chat Series)
While often perceived as only relating to those who’ve experienced warfare, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can affect anyone. In this special Community Chat episode of Mind Your Mind, Psychologist Dr. Hannah Baczynski and therapist Lucas Mitzel explain what trauma is, how it affects each person differently, and when to seek treatment for trauma-related symptoms. They also discuss different treatment options for PTSD, touching on the pros and cons of each.;
Autism in Children & Adolescents (Community Chat Series)
Though autism is one of the most commonly discussed mental health diagnoses in the community, it is often one of the most misunderstood. In this special Community Chat episode of Mind Your Mind, therapists Lucas Mitzel and Falan Johnson discuss what autism is, how it appears in children and adolescents, and how it may look different between individuals. They also touch on how autism can show up differently in boys than in girls and offer intervention tips for parents and caregivers.;
Autism in Adults (Community Chat Series)
Autism is sometimes perceived as a disorder that only affects children and adolescents, but it is actually a lifelong diagnosis. In this special Community Chat episode of Mind Your Mind, psychologists Dr. Hannah Baczynski and Dr. Megan Spencer explore the symptoms and nuances of autism in adults, touching on the history of autism spectrum disorder, the research surrounding it, how autism commonly presents in adults, and more.;
Spirituality & Mental Health
Though spirituality is often associated with religion, it can mean much more than simply attending religious services or praying. In this episode of Mind Your Mind, host Tim Unsinn and psychiatrist Dr. Wayne Martinsen define spirituality and discuss its relevance in daily life, touching on ways people experience, express, and cultivate spirituality. They also talk about the link between spirituality, religion and meaning in life.;
Setting Healthy & Realistic Goals
Setting goals is easy. Working towards them is hard. In this episode of Mind Your Mind, host Tim Unsinn talks with Dakota Family Services therapist Christy Wilkie about how to set healthy, realistic goals, as well as the importance of managing your expectations and staying persistent. Whether you’re starting an exercise routine, writing a book, trying a new diet, or building your career, keep these tips in mind when setting your next big goal.;
Facing Your Fears
Fear is powerful. It can cause us to avoid problems, people, and even opportunities in our life. But it can also be overcome. In this episode of Mind Your Mind, host Tim Unsinn speaks with Falan Johnson, a therapist at Dakota Family Services, about the function of fear and how to face it. Learn where fear comes from, how to identify it, and how to calm down and build confidence when you’re feeling afraid.;
The Three R's: Regulate, Relate & Reason
In this episode of Mind Your Mind, our host Tim Unsinn talks with Dakota Family Services therapist Jessie Mertz about the “3 R’s”—Regulate, Relate, and Reason. They discuss what each term means, how they build upon each other, and how this approach can help you calm others who are experiencing distress.;
What is Schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a chronic, complex mental health disorder that affects around 1% of people in the United States. In this episode of Mind Your Mind, host Tim Unsinn and psychiatrist Dr. Wayne Martinsen discuss the symptoms and implications of schizophrenia, touching on its many effects on individual and family life. Learn about how schizophrenia is treated, how it affects physical health, when it tends to develop, and how it is perceived between cultures.;
How to Have a Conversation About Mental Health
Although the stigma surrounding mental health is gradually disappearing, it can still be tricky knowing how to talk about it. In this episode of Mind Your Mind, host Tim Unsinn and psychologist Megan Spencer explore how to have a conversation with someone about their mental health, including signs that you should talk to them, how to start the conversation, and some possible reactions to expect from the other person.;
The Benefits of Being Outside
Are you feeling cooped up indoors? Join host Tim Unsinn and therapist Lucas Mitzel in this episode of Mind Your Mind as they discuss the importance of getting outside on your mental health. Learn about the benefits of green and blue spaces, activities you can do while outside, and how being outside can help improve symptoms of different mental health diagnoses.;
Dealing With Burnout
In this episode of Mind Your Mind, Tim Unsinn talks with psychologist Dr. Hannah Baczynski about the signs of burnout, how to prevent it, and how to know if your burnout is related to general life stressors or a mental health disorder. They also talk about the difference between fatigue and burnout, as well as how to support yourself and alleviate burnout when you’re experiencing it.;
Living with Chronic Illness
Many of us know someone who has been diagnosed with a chronic illness, or have been diagnosed with one ourselves. In this episode of Mind Your Mind, host Tim Unsinn talks with therapist April Morris about how chronic illness can impact daily living and mental health, as well as how to seek support if you have been diagnosed with a chronic illness.;
Bipolar Disorder: Understanding the Highs and Lows
Although the term ‘bipolar’ is sometimes used as slang to describe someone who is moody or indecisive, true bipolar disorder is a complex and sometimes severe mental health disorder that affects the way a person thinks, feels, and behaves. In this episode of Mind Your Mind, host Tim Unsinn discusses bipolar disorder with nurse practitioner Amanda Daggett, touching on what the disorder is, what its symptoms look like, and how it can be treated.;
Social Media: Managing Emotions & Setting Boundaries
How much time do you spend each day looking at your phone? An hour or two? Multiple hours? In this episode of Mind Your Mind, host Tim Unsinn meets with therapist Christy Wilkie to discuss how social media use can impact our mental health, relationships, and behavior. Learn tips for monitoring your child’s internet use, as well as how to manage your own time spent on social media.;
Understanding OCD
While OCD is sometimes perceived as simply a desire to keep things neat and organized, it can actually have much more severe symptoms for those who experience it. In this episode of Mind Your Mind, host Tim Unsinn meets with psychologist Dr. Megan Spencer to talk about who Obsessive Compulsive Disorder affects, what its signs and symptoms are, and how to seek help if you or a loved one has been diagnosed with OCD.;
Breaking Bad Habits
Bad habits can be easy to start but sometimes very difficult to stop. In this episode of Mind Your Mind, host Tim Unsinn and therapist Falan Johnson talk about breaking bad habits, including where habits come from, how to know if a habit is bad, and steps you can take to stop it.;
Finding a Therapist
Are you looking for some help on your mental health journey? In this episode of Mind Your Mind, host Tim Unsinn and therapist Jessie Mertz talk about how to find a therapist, including what you should know when searching and what questions to ask when you meet a therapist for the first time. They also touch on what the letters after a therapist’s name mean, and how they apply to the type of services or treatment you might be looking for.;
Coping with Rejection
Whether it’s from asking someone on a date or applying for a job, we all experience rejection at some point in our lives. In this episode of Mind Your Mind, host Tim Unsinn talks with therapist April Morris about how to cope with rejection, including the common coping stages, the importance of acceptance, and how rejection can impact people differently.;
Borderline Personality Disorder
Like other personality disorders, borderline personality disorder is a commonly misunderstood and stigmatized mental illness. In this episode of Mind Your Mind, host Tim Unsinn talks with Lucas Mitzel, a therapist at Dakota Family Services, about what BPD is, how it affects someone’s behavior, and where to seek treatment if your child has been diagnosed with BPD.;
Psychological Assessments: What to Expect
Do you think you might be suffering from an undiagnosed mental disorder? If so, a psychological assessment might be able to help. In this episode of Mind Your Mind, psychologist Dr. Hannah Baczynski and host Tim Unsinn talk about what to expect from a psychological assessment, including what an assessment might include, what information you might receive from the psychologist, and what you should communicate with your psychologist before and after receiving an assessment.;
Supplements in Psychiatry
In this episode of Mind Your Mind, host Tim Unsinn and Amanda Daggett explore the topic of using supplements for mental health. In addition to talking about some of the most commonly used supplements like melatonin and St. John’s Wort, they also discuss the benefits, the risks, and the research surrounding various supplements.;
Seasonal Affective Disorder (Community Chat Series)
Feeling like you’ve got the winter blues? If you’re noticing symptoms of depression with the change of seasons, it may be a sign that you’re suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. In this special Community Chat episode of Mind Your Mind, therapists Christy Wilkie and Lucas Mitzel discuss the common symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder, how it can affect other mental health disorders, and some useful tips, tricks, and resources for managing symptoms of SAD.;
Trying New Things With Confidence
Join Christy and Lucas, therapists at Dakota Family Services, as they share practical tips for building confidence when trying new things. From managing self-doubt to building resilience, this episode will empower you to approach new experiences with a positive mindset.;
Relationships are Hard
In this episode, Christy and Lucas explore why relationships can be so hard. Join them as they discuss the characteristics of both healthy and toxic relationships, talk about the difference between normal conflict and abuse, and help you discover your love languages so you and your partner can best express your love to each other.;
Is Everybody Anxious?
In this episode, Christy and Lucas explore anxiety. Join them as they discuss the signs and symptoms of an anxiety disorder, what you can do to decrease your anxiety, and how to best help loved ones struggling with anxiety.;
Is Everyone Feeling Sad
In this episode, Christy and Lucas explore depression. Join them as they discuss the signs and symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder, what you can do to help yourself feel better, and what you can do to help your loved ones. They will talk about coping strategies, therapy interventions, and ways to help you identify when your child might need extra help.;
Change is Hard
Change is inevitable. Join Christy and Lucas as they explore big and small changes and how they impact you. Learn why change can be so hard, even good change, and discover ways to manage it effectively.;
We Need to Talk About Suicide
In this episode of "Is It Just Me," Christy and Lucas discuss the very important topic of suicide. Listen to learn about risk factors, warning signs, and what you can do to help a loved one who is struggling. Remember, you are not alone. If you need immediate assistance, call 911. If you need to talk to someone, call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.;
Do We Need to Get Outside?
Join Lucas and Christy as they explore the power of spending time outdoors on mental and emotional well-being. Discover practical tips, personal anecdotes, and expert insights on the benefits of getting outside and reconnecting with nature.;
Exploring ADHD
In this episode of "Is It Just Me?" Lucas and Christy discuss ADHD, shedding light on its prevalence and impact on daily life. Learn practical strategies for managing symptoms and understand why your friend or loved one with ADHD does the things they do.;
Internet Safety and Mental Health
In this episode of "Is It Just Me?", join our hosts Christy and Lucas as they delve into the complex relationship between the internet and mental health. With the digital age bringing information and social connections to our fingertips, it also presents unique challenges and opportunities for our safety and psychological well-being.;
Boosting Self-Esteem: From Marathons to Daily Triumphs
In this episode of "Is It Just Me?", Christy and Lucas discuss how common it is for people to see themselves differently from others. Using their own personal triumphs and challenges as examples, they outline the things that shape our self-esteem. Additionally, they share simple daily practices to help listeners recognize and celebrate their own personal victories. This episode is filled with tips and engaging stories aimed at encouraging listeners to undertake challenges that foster self-growth and personal confidence.;
Therapy Unveiled: What to Know Before You Go
In this episode of "Is It Just Me," Lucas and Christy talk about what it's like to begin therapy. Feeling apprehensive about starting therapy is normal, but surmountable. Together, Lucas and Christy unravel common myths about therapy and emphasize the role of therapy in disrupting negative life patterns and routines that are no longer serving you.;
Coping with the Back-to-School Blues
In the latest episode of “Is It Just Me?” Christy and Lucas tackle the transition from leisurely summer days to structured school schedules with warmth and wisdom. This episode is a must-listen for parents seeking guidance and strategies to help navigate the shift with confidence. Learn how to handle changes in routine, the importance of communication, and strategies to help the entire family adjust to and embrace the new normal. Listening to this episode can be your first step toward making back-to-school a season of growth and positive change for all.;
The Art of Overcoming Trauma
In this month’s episode of the "Is It Just Me?" podcast, Lucas Mitzel and Christy Wilkie, Dakota Family Services, dive into the complexities of trauma and its therapy. The episode sheds light on Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and the importance of creating a trauma narrative as a cornerstone of healing. The thoughtful discussions aim to educate listeners on the intricacies of trauma, the innovative methods used in therapy, and the role of caregivers in the recovery process. Through expert insights and compassionate storytelling, Lucas and Christy provide practical advice and real-world examples for individuals who have experienced trauma.;
Navigating Life Through Mindfulness
In this episode of “Is It Just Me?”, Lucas and Christy delve into the world of mindfulness and relaxation techniques. From body scans to mindfulness exercises, they provide a soothing experience to help you unwind and distress. Discover practical tips and advice on incorporating mindfulness into your daily routine and learn how to prioritize mental well-being in today's fast-paced world.;
Mindfulness: Body Scan
In this special additional episode of “Is It Just Me” join therapist Lucas Mitzel as he gives listeners a transformative journey within their own body and mind. In this episode, Lucas guides listeners through a soothing body scan to promote calm, mindfulness, and inner peace. This episode offers a unique mixdown of gentle narration, and relaxation techniques, leaving you feeling refreshed, rejuvenated, and more connected to yourself.;
Beyond the Labels: Dismantling Myths About Mental Health
In this podcast episode of “Is It Just Me?” Lucas Mitzel and Christy Wilkie delve deep into the prevalent stigma and myths surrounding mental health. Through personal stories and insightful discussions, they aim to challenge misconceptions, break down barriers, and promote greater understanding and empathy towards people dealing with mental health challenges.;