PODCAST

Episode 3: Legacy of Love

In this heartfelt conversation, Marilyn Mejia-Peña, LCSW, and Vivian Phan, LMFT, reflect on the legacies left by grandmothers, exploring themes of grief, resilience, and the power of love. The discussion delves into personal stories of loss and the impact of ancestry on identity, emphasizing the importance of healing and the choices we make in life. The speakers celebrate the strength of their grandmothers and the lessons learned from their experiences, ultimately encouraging listeners to consider their own legacies and the values they wish to pass on.

Episode 2: Resilience in The Immigration Journey

In this conversation, sisters Marilyn Mejia-Pena and Nancy Mejia share their personal experiences of immigrating from El Salvador to the United States in 1987. They discuss the challenges of adjusting to a new life, the grief associated with leaving their homeland, and the social dynamics they faced in school. The conversation highlights the impact of perfectionism, the pressure to succeed, and the strengths they gained from their experiences. Ultimately, they emphasize the importance of validation and support in navigating the immigrant experience.

This episode's guest, Nancy Mejia, MSW, MPH, earned her bachelor's degree from UCLA and holds dual master's degrees in Social Work and Public Health from Columbia University. She recently took on the role of Program Officer at the Weingart Foundation, following 13 years as Chief Program Officer at Latino Health Access. We're grateful for her vulnerability in sharing her experience with us in this episode.

Episode 1: Early Childhood Wounds

Welcome to our 1st Podcast Episode! In this deep and heartfelt conversation, Marilyn and Vivian open up about their early trauma experiences, unpacking these memories live on air. Their goal is to offer understanding, validation, hope, and resilience to everyone listening.

Marilyn Mejia-Peña, LCSW, founder of Resilience Social Work Inc, and Vivian Phan, LMFT, Trainer and Therapist at RSW, together bring over 40 years of expertise in trauma work. Their heart-centered approach makes them incredible guides in this journey.

Videos

Esta meditación guiada está diseñada para mejorar el ánimo y promover un sentido de calma y positividad. A través de ejercicios de respiración, visualización y afirmaciones positivas, los oyentes son guiados para conectar con su interior y liberar tensiones, culminando en un estado de bienestar y tranquilidad.

Unresolved Grief... We are all in the middle of ongoing grief due to the pandemic and most of us have not had the time to process or even be aware of it. Service providers and caregivers especially have had to carry the grief of others and had to put their feelings and own processing aside. Thus, getting stuck in survival mode. Watch this replay to learn what unresolved grief looks like in our lives, how it's impacting our relationships, job, and well-being as well as tools for coping.

Resilience in Women and how it shows up in the field of social work is discussed in this IG Live with special Social Worker guests- Nancy Mejia, Chief Program Officer at Latino Health Access and Raquel Zamora, LAUSD Pupil Services and Attendance Counselor. I also share how it has shown up for me in my work in child welfare, domestic violence and mental health. It is a beautiful conversation I hope you enjoy it!

En este video 5 Factores Protectores que son esenciales para apoyar a nuestras familias a criar niños en hogares seguros son introducidos. Además, la plática trae conciencia a la importancia y la responsabilidad que todos tenemos en proteger a los niños y en disminuir el abuso infantil. Diferentes maneras en la cual podemos ayudar como individuos, trabajadores, y comunidad también son incluidas. Espero que la plática sea útil para Ustedes.

5 Protective Factors to help prevent child abuse and neglect are shared in this video, along with different ways in which we can all help support families thrive. It takes a village to raise a child and we are part of that village so let's take action by doing our part by getting informed and sharing resources with family, friends, clients, and anyone that needs them in our circle.

Únase a mí en esta charla informativa sobre el trauma en honor al mes de concientización sobre el cuidado de crianza y la salud mental.

Join me in this informative talk regarding trauma in honor of Foster Care and Mental Health Awareness month.

Self-Care Series

Part 1- How to Get Better Sleep

Sleep is essential to our wellbeing and functioning, therefore we have to ensure we are taking care of ourselves by letting our body rest. Tips on how to assess your current sleeping habits and identify the barriers along with ways to eliminated them to improve sleep are shared. Different tools and foods we can utilize to aid in sleeping better are also discussed. I hope they are helpful!

Part 2- Self-Awareness

In part 2 we discuss the importance of building self-awareness and recognizing how our feelings show up in our body to be able to identify them and increase coping skills. I walk you through an exercise to help strengthen awareness of body reactions to different emotions as well as how to utilize those as cues for emotional regulation. I hope you discover some helpful body cues!

Part 3- Mood-Boosting Foods

Let's nurture our body by letting food give our mood a boost! Learn what foods make us feel happier to make them part of your healthy habits. I share a couple of my favorite recipes (listed below). I hope you find them as delicious and nutritious as I do.

Viewers' Feedback

"I truly enjoyed listening to you, made me feel understood and not so alone. I tend to isolate, that started when I went mobile."

"Thank you for your work"

"It felt so natural and intimate...like we were having a conversation where you were teaching me something and normalizing my feelings."

"It was great! It was like sitting there with you. Informative and appreciated! Thank you!"

"I Really enjoyed and appreciated it. Thank you for holding space"

"You are so knowledgeable and you are so good at what you do!"