Strong Mind, Soft Life with Dr. Topaz

Dr. Aldwin Ben Aziz Soumare

If you have been listening to Strong Mind, Soft Life with Dr. Topaz, you know she always shows love for the women. Dr. Topaz is intentional about showing lots of love for the men too, and on deck in this episode is Dr. Aldwin Ben Aziz Soumare a 2nd year psychiatry resident at UC Davis. Dr. Soumare is also the author of Tools of Excellence: From Hood to Hooded, A Guide to Becoming the Physician You Dream, which serves as a guide for black men and women from high school and beyond to find the confidence and conviction to achieve their goals. Listen as Dr. Topaz and Dr. Soumare delve into common themes related to Black men and mental health…with the intention of sending an energy to shift the dynamic for real, sustainable change. Just like we need help to strengthen our bodies, it is ok to need help to strengthen our minds. It is ok for Black men to show a full array of emotions. It is ok for Black men to seek health coping mechanisms. It is ok for Black men to share their voices. It is ok for older Black men to prioritize their mental health. It is more than ok for Black men to actually feel great! In the words of Dr. Topaz, “We need our brothers to be well.” Share this episode with a man who holds a place in your heart. It is ok not to be ok. And that is where community can provide the needed uplift. Let’s establish an interconnected community that is committed to creating strong minds and soft lives. Listening to this podcast is an investment in yourself. And when you are better, we are all better.  Join us, Sisters…and Brothers too!

Michael McClam, MD FAPA

If you have been tuning into Strong Mind, Soft Life with Dr. Topaz, you know she always shows love for the women. This month, Dr. Topaz is intentional about showing lots of love for the men too. June is Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month which is designed to raise awareness, eradicate stigma, and encourage a focus on mental wellness for men. The Spelman College/Morehouse College love runs deeps as Dr. Topaz chats with Michael McClam, MD, FAPA. In addition to his mathematics degree from Morehouse, Michael earned his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine. Listen as they discuss continuing societal standards the limit the views on what is acceptable in terms mens’ emotional expressions. There is still a common belief that stoicism is strength. It is ok for men to express anger, but not sadness or grief. Dr. McClam advocates for teaching our brothers to understand their emotions and how to use them in ways that are therapeutic and helpful to themselves. In tandem, our entire community must exercise more grace and allow our men to share emotions and not judge them as personality flaws. In the words of Dr. Topaz, “We need our brothers to be well.” Share this episode with a man who holds a special place in your heart.  Let’s establish an interconnected community that is committed to creating strong minds and soft lives. Listening to this podcast is an investment in yourself. And when you are better, we are all better.  Join us, Sisters…and Brothers too!

Mychal Riley, LCSW-S

If you have been tuning into Strong Mind, Soft Life with Dr. Topaz, you know she always shows love for the women. This month, Dr. Topaz is intentional about showing lots of love for the men too. June is Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month which is designed to raise awareness, eradicate stigma, and encourage a focus on mental wellness for men. This week, Dr. Topaz talks with Mychal Riley, LCSW-S. Mychal earned a Master of Social Work and a Bachelor of Science in brain, behavior and cognitive science from the University of Michigan. He completed a postgraduate fellowship with the University of Michigan's Institute for Human Adjustment and a postgraduate fellowship with the Menninger Clinic. Mychal is a proponent of client centered and wellness-based care that focuses on an individual's strengths, motivation and goals. He also enjoys live music, running, cycling, reading, poetry and spoken word, snowboarding, Chicago sports and Michigan sports. (Go Bulls!, Go Wolverines!) The topic of masculinity has been a hot one in the recent discourse. Listen as Dr. Topaz and Mychal share their thoughts on the subject, and its connectedness to mental wellness and burnout in men. In the words of Dr. Topaz, “We need our brothers to be well.” Father’s Day is coming up. Share this episode with a man who holds a special place in your heart.  Let’s establish an interconnected community that is committed to creating strong minds and soft lives. Listening to this podcast is an investment in yourself. And when you are better, we are all better.  Join us, Sisters…and Brothers too!

Justin Hyacinth LMHC

If you have been tuning into Strong Mind, Soft Life with Dr. Topaz, you know she always shows love for the women. This month, Dr. Topaz is intentional about showing lots of love for the men too. June is Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month which is designed to raise awareness, eradicate stigma, and encourage a focus on mental wellness for men. Listen as Dr. Topaz and Justin Hyacinth, LMHC, explore the intersection of mental health and the Caribbean culture, as it relates to the concept of masculinity. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), Justin has a particular passion for supporting men’s mental health and working with clients who feel overwhelmed, emotionally stuck, burned out, or disconnected from themselves. There is so much to take away from the conversation. We have to encourage our fathers, sons, husbands and brothers to tap into their physical AND emotional strength. There is power in saying, “I love you,” and “I apologize.”  In the words of Dr. Topaz, “We need our brothers to be well.” Father’s Day is coming up. Share this episode with a man who holds a special place in your heart.  Let’s establish an interconnected community that is committed to creating strong minds and soft lives. Listening to this podcast is an investment in yourself. And when you are better, we are all better.  Join us, Sisters…and Brothers too!

Dr. Bryant Keith

Dr. Topaz has a huge heart for women.  She celebrates our victories and empathizes with our struggles. Dr. Topaz views a strong mind as the capacity to think clearly, feel fully and choose intentionally- without abandoning yourself.  This belief supports a soft life which values peace, pleasure and presence without abandoning responsibility or self-respect. If you have been listening to Strong Mind, Soft Life with Dr. Topaz, you know she always shows love for the women. This month, Dr. Topaz is intentional about showing lots of love for the men too. June is Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month which is designed to raise awareness, eradicate stigma, and encourage a focus on mental wellness for men. Dr. Topaz kicks off the month with a powerful conversation with Dr. Bryant Keith, a Doctor of Psychology.  Dr. Bryant Keith is also a recording artist (yes, you read that correctly!) who fuses artistry and medical expertise to extend his ability to help others.  Listen to their very raw, real, relatable conversation about the mental health concerns of men, and how they present differently than those of women. In the words of Dr. Topaz, “We need our brothers to be well.” Share this episode with a man who holds a place in your heart. It is ok not to be ok. And that is where community can provide the needed uplift. Let’s establish an interconnected community that is committed to creating strong minds and soft lives. Listening to this podcast is an investment in yourself. And when you are better, we are all better.  Join us, Sisters…and Brothers too!