Lisa - Not in Crisis Enough

Four months for an appointment can feel like a door slamming the moment you finally admit you need help.In this episode, we sit down with Lisa—a licensed clinical social worker, Army veteran, and trauma survivor—to talk about what breaks in the mental health system, and what it could look like if care actually met people where they are.If you’ve ever been told you don’t have the right insurance, you’re not in enough crisis, or you just need to fill out one more form… this conversation is for you.Lisa shares the vision behind the Wellness Collaborative, a nonprofit growing out of Peaceful Waters Retreat Center in LaGrange, Texas. Her approach is different: trauma-informed care in a park-like setting that supports the whole person—counseling alongside nervous system regulation, movement, yoga, nutrition, and other holistic modalities.We talk about why place matters in healing, how diagnosis-driven systems can miss the human in front of them, and what it could look like to expand access in rural communities through visiting providers, interns, and volunteers.And we go there, personally.Assault. Iraq. Grief.And the way anger can become the only emotion that feels survivable.Lisa shares what helps over time, what real self-care looks like for those who are always the helper, and tools like Alpha-Stim and VA virtual reality therapy that some people have found helpful for anxiety and sleep.If you’re trying to get help, have been turned away, or are supporting someone who is—this conversation offers perspective, possibility, and a reminder that the system may be broken, but healing is still available.Contact Valerie Support the showRemember YOU are loved and worthy of being witnessed!If today’s episode stirred heavy feelings, you are not alone. Please reach out to a trusted friend or a professional if you need support:National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) | rainn.orgSAMHSA Mental Health/Substance Use: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)988 LIFELINE: Call, Text or Chat https://988lifeline.orgVeterans Crisis Line: Dial or text 988, then press 1Help for Veterans suffering with CPTSD https://saveawarrior.org/https://www.scarsfoundation.org/*This podcast is not therapy. If you’re in immediate danger, please call 911 or your local emergency number.Want to tell your story? Send a DM or an emailFind us on IG @defiance_of_silence_podcast    [email protected]: https://www.instagram.com/defiance_of_silence_podcast?igsh=MWVxMHI3OXY1cm1paA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr