Internal Chatter

Psilocybin Treatments with Nora Stevens, Licensed Psilocybin Facilitator

Internal Chatter welcomes Nora Stevens, Licensed Psilocybin Facilitator from Portland, Oregon. Wondering how psychedelics work on the brain, what a facilitator does, what the experience can be like, the benefits for mental health, how the safety of the product is monitored, or who shouldn’t take it?. We facilitate the facilitator to take you on an audio journey around all things psilocybin.

Menopause with Dr. Cynthia McNally, Board Certified Gynecologist

If you missed her at the Vancouver Kiggins’ Theatre panel on Menopause in May 2025, Dr. Cynthia McNally is dropping by the chat for an encore! Staci leads up this interview and gets into all the good stuff with Dr. McNally: comparing peri vs. post menopause symptoms, Dutch testing drawbacks, a breakdown of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), and supplement efficacy, anxiety, night sweats (and why she calls it being uncomfortably hot), anxiety and rage, the WHI study that started the HRT panic, testosterone replacement and methodologies, and caps it all off with a robust discussion of libido. Given Staci’s history of breast cancer, they also discuss the intersection of breast cancer and HRT risks. Basically all the physical changes in peri-and post menopause that might start off in the physical health sphere, pretty quickly cross into everything to do with your mental health, so we’re lucky to have her. Welcome Dr. McNally!

The Physical Health and Mental Health Connection with Brandon Shewbert, Staff Trainer for Vancouver Direct Primary Care

Joining us on the chat today is everybody’s favorite strength coach, Brandon Shewbert. Brandon talks about his Know Pain, No Gain (and No Pain, Know Gain) philosophy in strength coaching and sustainable development. Staci discovers that there is something she dislikes more than exercise, and she and Melissa both get educated around Myokines and how they affect your mental and physical health. Along the way, we talk about pole vaulting, blue zones, crossfit, and juicing with Jack LaLanne. There’s something for every - body, even if you only remember exercise as dodgeball in gym class. Welcome, Brandon!

Police Work and Mental Health with Sgt. Kevin Allen, Public Information Officer (PIO) with the Portland Police Bureau

In this episode we cover topics such as: What is the PPB doing in regards to officer wellness? Has the wellness program improved outcomes for officers? What is the Crisis Negotiators Team vs. the Enhanced Crisis Intervention Team - and when do these specialists get called in? What happens in the police Crisis Intervention Training? How does the Portland Police Bureau work with Portland Street Response? What is the PPB Behavioral Health Response Team (BHRT)? Who staffs it? What are Kevin’s thoughts on the Defund the Police movement? Are there 3rd locations to divert people (besides jail and the ER) a police officer can bring someone?  What options are available? What coordination exists to link these providers together?

Suicide Prevention and Mental Health through Belonging with Curtis Miller of Connect Ed

If you’ve heard any of our other shows, you know how often belonging comes up as a critical piece of mental health across all topics we have covered. So, today we get into belonging in detail with Curtis Miller of Connect Ed. Lest you think it’s all woo-woo and esoteric, let’s cut through that right now and get practical as we do. He talks about how he got started in Battle Ground, why blaming teachers and parents is a false dichotomy, utilizing non-violent communication, the systemic connections that we all need, enneagram types, and why suicide’s metaphor is really the canary in the coalmine. It’s not the canary that has the issue, it’s the coalmine and how to begin to adapt systems to better serve us all.