Ariza Inspire Podcast

408: Understanding Healing Through Stories: Taylor Moran

June 2nd, 2026  |  Season 4  |  52 mins 56 secs

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In this episode, we’re joined by Taylor Moran, Associate Director of Prevention Academy and a passionate advocate for mental health, substance use prevention, and student well-being. Drawing from both lived experience and clinical training in mental health and addiction counseling, Taylor shares her insights on reducing stigma, building resilience, and empowering young people through education, connection, and community support.

407: Understanding Healing Through Stories: Muzna Mahmood

May 26th, 2026  |  Season 4  |  53 mins 40 secs

ariza inspire, ariza inspire podcast, healing, interview, mental health, muzna mahmood, samantha ariza

In this episode, Muzna shares her journey navigating identity, culture, and mental health as a Muslim immigrant growing up between Pakistan and the United States. Opening up about anxiety, depression, family conflict, and the struggle to belong, she reflects on healing through therapy, self-acceptance, and learning to honor every part of who she is.

406: Understanding Healing Through Stories: Jon Anderson

May 19th, 2026  |  Season 4  |  57 mins 41 secs

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Season 4 of The Ariza Inspire Podcast is all about stories. Stories of people's mental health journeys and the lessons they learned along the way. This week, I sat down with Jon Anderson to discuss his mental health journey.

Today, Samantha sits down and chats with Jon Anderson about his own mental health journey growing up and now as a mental health professional.

405: Understanding Healing Through Stories: Dr. Sarika Agarwal

May 12th, 2026  |  Season 4  |  54 mins 45 secs

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In this episode, Sarika shares how surviving physical and emotional abuse led her to tie her self-worth to perfection and the approval of others. Now a clinical psychologist specializing in anxiety, depression, and trauma, she uses both her personal and professional experience to encourage others to seek help, embrace self-compassion, and believe that healing can lead to a truly fulfilling life.

404: Understanding Healing Through Stories: Tiffany Guerriero

May 5th, 2026  |  Season 4  |  57 mins 10 secs

ariza inspire, ariza inspire podcast, mental health, samantha ariza, tiffany guerriero

In this episode, Tiffany shares her powerful journey through trauma, mental illness, and recovery—from surviving abuse and loss to struggling with anxiety, depression, and self-harm. Through therapy and diagnosis, she began breaking cycles and healing, offering an honest, hopeful message for anyone navigating their own mental health journey.

403: Understanding Healing Through Stories: Brooke Marie Bridges

April 28th, 2026  |  Season 4  |  58 mins 2 secs

ariza inspire, ariza inspire podcast, brooke marie bridges, mental health, samantha ariza

In today’s episode, we’re joined by Brooke—an author, speaker, and holistic coach dedicated to blending ancestral wisdom with modern, evidence-based practices. Through approaches like herbalism, nature immersion, and somatic and cognitive therapies, Brooke helps people reconnect with themselves and the natural world in a deeply restorative way.

402: Understanding Healing Through Stories: Colin Quinn

April 21st, 2026  |  Season 4  |  56 mins 6 secs

ariza inspire, ariza inspire podcast, colin quinn, healing, mental health, samantha ariza

In this episode, Colin shares the truth behind the image of having it all—from being a standout athlete to privately struggling with anxiety, depression, and substance use. After reaching a breaking point and choosing help over harm, he now advocates for mental health, reminding others that it’s okay to struggle, to speak up, and to keep fighting.

401: Understanding Healing Through Stories: Kristen Harootunian

April 14th, 2026  |  Season 4  |  55 mins 3 secs

ariza inspire, ariza inspire podcast, kristen harootunian, mental health, samantha ariza

In this episode, Kristen shares her powerful journey from childhood trauma and substance use to recovery and resilience. From believing she wouldn’t live past 18 to becoming a Penn State graduate and national speaker with Minding Your Mind, her story highlights the life-changing impact of therapy, support, and learning to ask for help.

400: Season 04 Teaser

April 10th, 2026  |  Season 4  |  2 mins 44 secs

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The Ariza Inspire Podcast is back for a new season. This time around, Samantha is bringing a different guest on each episode to share their mental health stories and journeys. Join us each Tuesday at noon for a new episode, a new guest with a new story.

308: Micro Stressors & Shrinking Stress Tolerance

March 3rd, 2026  |  Season 3  |  38 mins 53 secs

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In this episode, we explore how micro stressors—small, repeated demands—quietly erode your stress tolerance over time. We break down how chronic low-level stress impacts the nervous system and share practical ways to rebuild resilience without simply pushing yourself harder.

307: Emotional Burnout vs. Workplace Burnout

February 24th, 2026  |  Season 3  |  40 mins 49 secs

ariza inspire, ariza inspire podcast, emotional burnout, emotional labor, mental health, mental health burnout, nervous system exhaustion, samantha ariza, workplace burnout

In this episode, we explore the difference between workplace burnout and emotional burnout—how chronic stress, emotional labor, and invalidation can exhaust the nervous system beyond your job. We explain why rest isn’t always enough and what actually helps rebuild emotional capacity and resilience.

306: Allostasis vs Homeostasis: Why Your Body Wants Thresholds, Not Balance

February 17th, 2026  |  Season 3  |  36 mins 29 secs

allostasis, ariza inspire, ariza inspire podcast, burnout science, chronic stress, homeostasis, mental health, nervous system adaptation, samantha ariza, stress physiology

In this episode, we explore how the body adapts to stress through allostasis—not just balance through homeostasis—and why this explains burnout and chronic fatigue more accurately. We break down how stress builds over time and how focusing on thresholds, not perfect balance, can change the way we approach recovery and self-care.

305: The Science of Resentment & Rumination

February 10th, 2026  |  Season 3  |  44 mins 19 secs

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In this episode, we explore why resentment and rumination stick around—how unmet needs, unresolved boundaries, and lack of repair keep the brain looping painful experiences. We explain why “just letting it go” doesn’t work and share what actually helps reduce mental replay and emotional burnout.

304: The Brain as a Prediction Machine: The Anxiety Error

February 3rd, 2026  |  Season 3  |  27 mins 35 secs

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In this episode, we explore anxiety as a prediction error in the brain—how threat-biased forecasts make anxiety feel physical, persistent, and real. Using modern neuroscience, we explain how uncertainty and body signals shape anxiety and share ways to help retrain the brain when those predictions go off track.

303: Why Some People Can’t Cry: Shutdown & Emotional Blunting

January 27th, 2026  |  Season 3  |  31 mins 18 secs

emotional blunting, emotions

In this episode, we unpack emotional blunting and shutdown—why the body sometimes dampens emotions to cope with stress, trauma, or overwhelm. We explain the difference between blunting and dissociation, how factors like chronic stress or medication can contribute, and what helps emotions return safely.

302: Emotional Vocabulary & Mislabeling

January 20th, 2026  |  Season 3  |  30 mins 7 secs

emotions, labels

In this episode, we explore how the words we use for our emotions shape how we actually experience them. Backed by neuroscience, we unpack why accurately naming feelings improves regulation and reduces overwhelm—and offer practical strategies for building emotional clarity, especially for those who feel things intensely.