Turning Point: Tim Graves on Confronting Addiction and Embracing Change Join us as Tim Graves, a Navy Veteran and neurodivergent individual, shares his powerful story of overcoming a traumatic past and 33 years of alcoholism. Tim’s journey to recovery, marked by resilience and a deep commitment to healing, has led him to become a guiding force for …

My Mental Health Journey: Open-mindedness, Willingness, Patience, and Persistence Join us for our meaningful discussion with Josh Pogonitz, a 21-year-old college undergrad student at the University of Maryland, as he shares his personal experiences and insights into mental health struggles. Josh lives with obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, an…

Growing through Grief: Rena Rosen's Journey of Healing and Acceptance Meet Rena Rosen, who lost her father to illness as a teenager. Rena shares how her grief journey has evolved over the years and the ways she has managed her loss during life's ups and downs. She is on a mission to normalize grief and embrace it as an important part of every human…

Join us as we have an insightful conversation with Amy Sewick. In 2020 after almost 20 years of working alongside young people in various capacities, Amy had to step back from her profession due to the tragic passing of her sister to suicide and the needs of her children. She is now self-employed as she owns her own photography business. Additional…

How to be a Trusted Adult: Navigating Difficult Conversations with Your Young Person Talking with your young person about difficult topics can be tough! Join us for a discussion with two experts from JCFS Chicago to navigate these challenging discussions. Today, we spoke with two professionals. Alyssa Robbins (she, they) is a sexuality and reproduc…

Bipolar General; My Forever War with Mental Illness Today, we talk with author and retired Major General Gregg Martin. Gregg F. Martin, PhD, Major General, US Army (Retired), served on active duty for 36 years, until May 2015. He is a combat veteran, Bipolar Survivor, Airborne-Ranger-Engineer qualified soldier, and Army Strategist. General Martin r…

By Wendy Singer

Welcome to No Shame On U’s 45th Podcast! Today we spoke about early childhood mental health with expert Jen Streicher. Jen Streicher is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the Assistant Director of Social Services for JCC Chicago, where she has worked for over 17 years in various capacities. Jen holds a master’s of Social Work degree from Loyola …

Welcome to No Shame On U’s 44th Podcast. Today, we are meeting with Samantha Kolkey, the Executive Director of Options for College Success. Listen as Samantha describes her personal journey with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and how it fuels her passion and work for Options for College Success. Options for College Success’s missio…

Welcome to No Shame On U’s 43rd Podcast! Edie Freimark has had a long career in business management and is a pending certified Recovery Support Specialist. Edie works for Josselyn Center as a Peer Support Specialist in the northern suburbs of Illinois. She was recently awarded the 2023 NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) support Group facili…

Welcome to No Shame On U’s 42nd Podcast! In this episode, we have the incredible opportunity to talk with Aleksandra Muller, as she opens up about her profound journey through grief, having lost her father unexpectedly at the age of 19. Aleks is now a 22 year old grief educator on grief.com, grief advocate, and podcaster. Aleks is dedicated to help…

Welcome to No Shame On U’s 41st Podcast! Today we are meeting with mental health advocate Daniel Warshawsky. Daniel is very special to No Shame On U as he has served on our board of directors for the last several years. Enjoy our conversation about Daniel’s journey, his passion for mental health, and his experience as an individual in the LGBTQ+ co…

Welcome to No Shame On U’s 40th Podcast! Today we are meeting with author Kenneth Nixon. Kenneth just came out with an intense and meaningful memoir called Born into Crisis. Kenneth knows firsthand the impact trauma can have on a person's life and takes us on a power-powerful journey of his life. He does it uniquely where he shares tips, tools, and…

Welcome to No Shame On U’s 39th Podcast! For close to 40 years, the Jewish chaplains and staff of the HINDA INSTITUTE have dedicated themselves to helping individuals and their families navigate the criminal justice system and re-entry to society with faith, community, and dignity. Today we speak with Abigail Rabinowitz Scheiman, Program Coordinato…

Welcome to No Shame On U’s 38th Podcast with Certified Meditation and Yoga Teacher, and Health Mentor, Mara Zimmerman! Mara is a Certified Meditation and Yoga Teacher and Health Mentor. She has a degree in Rehabilitation Counseling and Psychology. She offers Mind-Body Centered Therapy, Holistic Counseling, and Health and Spiritual Guidance, with Mi…

Welcome to No Shame On U’s 37th Podcast with Mental Health Advocate Marc Fein! Marc Fein is a facilitator, educator, and mentor. Marc has spent the past ten years creating experiences, workshops, and events that helped thousands of people across North America develop the skills and confidence to reach their true potential. Workshops are grounded in…

Welcome to the No Shame On’s 36th podcast! Today, we are talking with Robyn Sabel, who runs a meaningful business called Buttercup & Joy - Jewelry with Meaning. Robyn is a married mother of two (grown) children. With an empty nest on the horizon, Robyn has been trying to figure out what’s next. So far, it seems that what’s next is reconnecting with…

By No Shame On U

Join us for No Shame On U’s 34th podcast! We are honored today to interview the founder of a Chicagoland nonprofit called The Balance Project, Agi Semrad, and two middle school students who created a short mental health documentary called The Stigma, made possible through the support of the balance project. Ari Braun and Eden Gunsberg …… are here w…

Join us for our 33rd episode of the No Shame on U PodCast with No Shame On U's head blogger and mental health advocate Michelle Cohen! Michelle has been NSOU's head blogger for the last 3.5 years under the alias Ellie. Today, Michelle shares her mental health journey, advice and strategies for those who struggle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, …

For our 31st Podcast, we met with Heather Bodie. Heather is the Executive Artistic Director of Erasing the Distance. Erasing the Distance is a non-profit arts organization based in Chicago that uses the power of performance to disarm stigma, educate, spark dialogue, and promote healing surrounding mental health. Since 2005 the organization has been…

For our 29th podcast No Shame on U is thrilled to speak with 22 year old college student and mental health advocate, Haley Epstein. Haley has been speaking for the past 3 years sharing her journey with mental health. As founder of the "It's Okay to Not Be Okay" Movement, Haley has spoken to thousands of teens, parents, educators, and communities ab…

For our 28th podcast, we had the privilege of talking with Anouschka Bechtolsheim and Bela Duffy. Anouschka and Bela are the creators and hosts of a teen podcast called Safespace Stories. Their podcast features mental health stories about teens, by teens, and for teens. Learn about their podcast and their organization Safespace. Safespace is a yout…

For our 27th podcast, we are honored to have a conversation with Rabbi Avram Mlotek. Avram is a rabbi, cantor, actor, writer, and a current graduate student in social work. In 2015, he co-founded Base, a new model for Jewish practice that reaches out to unaffiliated young adults, now operating in nine cities. He worked as the Manhattan rabbi for Ba…

For our 26th podcast, we were thrilled to go international with guests Sophie Traube and Max Hobhouse, both originally from England. We discuss their summer of biking to raise mental health awareness across the U.S. from Portland, Oregon to New York City. They share why they are so passionate about mental health, some great stories and reactions fr…