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Mental Health: Hope and Recovery

Mental Health: Hope and Recovery

By: Mind Body Spirit.fm
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 Helen Sneed and Valerie Milburn have both fought and overcome severe, chronic mental illnesses, and offer an insider’s approach to mental health. They share inspirational true stories and a host of recovery skills. Episodes examine conditions such as depression, anxiety, substance use and eating disorders, self-harm, suicide, and other major illnesses. You’ll learn about treatment options, coping skills, goal setting, relationships, and mindfulness. Helen and Valerie are your peers. They are not a substitute for qualified counseling or other mental health resources. They are not professionals, but they are experts through their own lived experience with multiple mental health conditions. Please join them on their journey.Helen Sneed Valerie Millburn Hygiene & Healthy Living Psychology Psychology & Mental Health
Episodes
  • How Valerie and Helen (Mostly) Outsmart Negativity

    How Valerie and Helen (Mostly) Outsmart Negativity
    Jan 30 2026
    Mental Health: Hope and Recovery Episode Title: How Helen and Valerie (Mostly) Outsmart Negativity Episode 63 | Duration 47:45 Hosts: Helen Sneed & Valerie Milburn EPISODE OVERVIEW On the brink of the new year, Valerie and Helen do a deep search into the reasons why new year’s resolutions so often end in failure and negativity. From their exploration, the ways to outsmart negativity and to pursue something better with a positive outcome become clear and doable. They discover that the strongest course for outsmarting negativity is to replace resolutions with goals. As they bring their insights and examples to the table, the path forward with strategic goal-setting becomes clear. The objective of the episode is to educate and equip the listener with a large body of information that informs and inspires the creation of a manageable path to achieving a heartfelt goal. Included are strategies, skills, methods, and examples from their own lived experiences. Particular focus is on the mechanics of goal-setting: how to build and sustain a feasible plan with manageable steps. How to overcome procrastination, self-doubt, and setbacks. Mindfulness, acceptance, flexibility, and relationships are critical building blocks to outwitting the negativity and doubt that can stop all forward action. For our hosts, the single greatest way to outsmart negativity is to develop a brain that can create optimistic thoughts, nurture the positive, and develop new techniques to dismiss negative expectation. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN · Why resolutions often fail and goals often lead to real progress · How SMART goals can be a conduit to commitment and success · How skills such as mindfulness and acceptance keep you on track and engaged in the positive · How to navigate setbacks without abandoning your goals or the capacity to fight negativity TOOLS AND TAKEAWAYS · Resolutions vs. Goals: Resolutions are strict decisions without structure; goals require action, planning, and flexibility · SMART Goals provide a framework for effective goal setting with the following criteria. The goal should be: o Specific o Measurable o Achievable o Relevant o Time-bound · Dialectical Behavior Therapy: DBT provides a wide range of goal-seeking skills · Mindfulness and Acceptance: They offer many options and activities for overcoming negativity and the positive pursuit of goals. · Relationships: Support through individuals and community provides accountability, encouragement, and improved self-image. MEMORABLE QUOTES “Big ambition without an achievable plan is a setup for failure.” – Helen “Acceptance is not endorsement—it’s simply recognizing reality as it is.” –Valerie “Goals bring values from theory into practice.” – Helen RESOUCES AND LINKS MENTIONED Mental Health: Hope and Recovery Podcast, Episode 9: Goal Setting: A Necessity for Recovery https://mentalhealthhopeandrecovery.com/episode/goal-setting-a-necessity-for-recovery Mindfulness exercise adapted from https://MindfulnessExercises.com Website: https://MentalHealthHopeAndRecovery.com CONNECT WITH US Website: https://MentalHealthHopeAndRecovery.com Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major platforms RELATED EPISODES Mental Health: Hope and Recovery Podcast, Episode 9: Goal Setting: A Necessity for Recovery https://mentalhealthhopeandrecovery.com/episode/goal-setting-a-necessity-for-recovery Mental Health: Hope and Recovery Podcast, Episode 60: Dialectical Behavior Therapy—The Journey from Pain to Purpose https://mentalhealthhopeandrecovery.com/episode/dialectical-behavior-therapy-the-journey-from-pain-to-purpose DISCLAIMER This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not provide medical advice. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any health-related questions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    50 mins
  • Navigating Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) with an Expert Therapist

    Navigating Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) with an Expert Therapist
    Dec 21 2025
    In this in-depth and hope-filled episode of Mental Health: Hope and Recovery, hosts Helen Sneed and Valerie Milburn welcome DBT expert Penny Kruger, LCSW-S, for a powerful conversation about Dialectical Behavior Therapy and why it continues to change lives. Building on their previous DBT episode, Helen and Valerie explore how DBT works in real-world clinical settings, why it is more than just a therapy model, and how it provides practical, life-saving skills for people struggling with intense emotions, impulsive behaviors, and chronic despair. With over 30 years of clinical experience, Penny shares her knowledge and insight on DBT treatment, why validation and transparency matter, and how people can stay engaged in treatment even when they feel demoralized or ready to quit. The episode closes with a guided mindfulness and opposite action exercise led by Valerie. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN What Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is and why it works The core goals of DBT: balancing acceptance and change How DBT helps manage emotional dysregulation and impulsive behaviors What “life worth living” means in DBT Why DBT skills are action-oriented and practical Why validation and transparency are central to healing How DBT fosters long-term hope and recovery Find us on Facebook RESOURCES AND LINKS Crisis Support: Call or text 988 (U.S.) for immediate mental health help or dial 911. Building a Life Worth Living by Marsha Linehan Available at https://mentalhealthhopeandrecovery.com Listen/Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Audible Find Helen and Valerie here : Mental Health Hope and Recovery Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    58 mins
  • 2025 Mindfulness Exercise Favorites

    2025 Mindfulness Exercise Favorites
    Dec 9 2025
    In this special solo episode, Valerie shares her favorite mindfulness exercises from the past year—practices that support calm, clarity, and emotional balance in recovery. She explores what mindfulness truly is, how to build a simple and successful meditation habit, and four guided exercises drawn from listener-favorite episodes of 2025. You’ll learn how to: Personalize your meditation practice Use breath + intentional words to shift your mindset “Raise your sail” by reconnecting with inner strengths Accept thoughts without judgment using mindfulness Combine DBT reality-checking with present-moment grounding Find Valerie and Helen at https://mentalhealthhopeandrecovery.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    33 mins
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