Welcome to the Reality Check podcast. Psychosis is Real, so is Recovery. On this episode, Ashley Weiss and Serena Chaudhry speak with Tonya Boyd-Cannon.

Tonya is Mississippi born and Louisiana bred vocalist, songwriter, host, community educator, and a standout performer on NBC's The Voice.

Tonya will be performing at In My Mind 2026 - a Benefit bringing awareness to Psychosis at Margaret Place in New Orleans on Friday, November 13th. https://calmnola.org/events/

Aside from being a passionate supporter of mental health issues Tonya is also the executive director for the “Rise My Child” Foundation. This foundation has programs for children, ranging from ages 3-18 years old. When Tonya is off stage, she directs the “New Orleans Citywide Youth Choir” and facilitates vocal music workshops worldwide. https://risemychild.org/

Subscribe for more episodes of Reality Check, where we uncover the truth behind mental health, one story at a time.

For more information about Clear Answers to Louisiana Mental Health (CALM) and the Early Psychosis Intervention Clinic (EPIC-NOLA), visit: https://calmnola.org/

🔴 Podcast produced by Red Rock Branding – https://redrockbranding.com/

Welcome to the Reality Check podcast. Psychosis is Real, so is Recovery. On this episode, Ashley Weiss and Serena Chaudhry speak with Dr Ann Conn.

Dr Conn is a triple board-certified neurologist in Neurology, Interventional Pain, and Headache Medicine with 25 years of experience. She also co-founded Neuroglympse, a technology company that detects concussions by analyzing subtle changes in eye movement and supports recovery through remote therapeutic monitoring.

This is part 1 of 2 episodes with Dr Conn.

Subscribe for more episodes of Reality Check, where we uncover the truth behind mental health, one story at a time.

For more information about Clear Answers to Louisiana Mental Health (CALM) and their Early Intervention Psychosis Program (EPIC NOLA), visit the website: www.calmnola.org

🔴 Podcast produced by Red Rock Branding – www.redrockbranding.com

Welcome to the Reality Check podcast. Psychosis is Real, so is Recovery. On this episode, Ashley Weiss and Serena Chaudhry speak with International Mental Health Activist Matthew Jackman.

Matthew identifies as a Mad person and is an International Mental Health Activist. They received Australia's National Mental Health Advocate award from the Mental Health Foundation of Australia in 2020 and is a current Commissioner on Lived Experience in Mental Health Research, in collaboration with Kings College London, Traumascapes, Wellcome Trust and Lancet Psychiatry.

Matthew is the Founder/Principle Consultant of The Australian Centre for Lived Experience (TACFLE), an international peer lead consultancy and advisory practice. They have been a global mental health activist promoting human rights, social justice, and lived experience perspective from public health, critical sociology, and Mad studies disciplines.

Matthew previously represented the Western Pacific Region on the Global Mental Health Peer Network and was a Global Shaper with the World Economic Forum. They consult the World Health Organisation on lived experience mental health perspective and peer work practice. Furthermore, they have worked for the United Nations in Disability Inclusion for the Economic and Social Development Asia Pacific Region.

After studying in Australia in undergraduate and postgraduate social work, they trained internationally in certified peer specialist practice at Project Return in Los Angeles. They have been a social work lecturer in mental health and trauma for a decade.

Matthew is an open service user, participant, consumer, and family/carer of various systems. They are passionate about dismantling and reconstructing systems of justice driven care.

Subscribe for more episodes of Reality Check, where we uncover the truth behind mental health, one story at a time.

For more information about Clear Answers to Louisiana Mental Health (CALM) and their Early Intervention Psychosis Program (EPIC NOLA), visit the website: www.calmnola.org

🔴 Podcast produced by Red Rock Branding – www.redrockbranding.com

Welcome to the Reality Check podcast. Psychosis is Real, so is Recovery. On this episode, Ashley Weiss and Serena Chaudhry speak with Dr Irene Hurford.

Irene is a psychiatrist with over 14 years of experience treating people with mental health needs. She was faculty at the University of Pennsylvania for ten years, and she continues to be volunteer clinical faculty in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Hurford was founder and clinical director of the Psychosis Education, Assessment, Care, and Empowerment (PEACE) program at Horizon House, Inc, which has become a leading First-Episode Psychosis (FEP) program across the United States.

She was the founder and director of HeadsUp at the University of Pennsylvania, where she led Pennsylvania-wide efforts at FEP services program evaluation and programmatic training in FEP Coordinated Specialty Care service implementation and delivery.

Dr. Hurford is the recipient of multiple awards, including the 2017 NAMI National Exemplary Psychiatrist award, and 2017 NAMI Montgomery PA Impact Award. Since 2021, Dr. Hurford has been pursuing intensive psychoanalytic training at the Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia, where she also teaches a course on psychotherapy for psychosis. Dr. Hurford is interested in the power of narrative to transform lives, and the ability of therapy to understand and reshape a person's life story.

Subscribe for more episodes of Reality Check, where we uncover the truth behind mental health, one story at a time.

For more information about Clear Answers to Louisiana Mental Health (CALM) and their Early Intervention Psychosis Program (EPIC NOLA), visit the website: www.calmnola.org

🔴 Podcast produced by Red Rock Branding – www.redrockbranding.com

Welcome to the Reality Check podcast. Psychosis is Real, so is Recovery. On this episode Serena Chaudhry and Dr Ashley Weiss speaks with Aaisha Alvi, a Postpartum Psychosis Awareness Advocate & Author.

Aaisha is author of 'A Mom like That?' and you can purchase the book on Amazon and all good bookstores: www.amazon.es/Mom-Like-That-Postpartum-Psychosis/dp/1459754506

Synopsis:

Early motherhood is supposed to be joyous, but for Aaisha Alvi, those early days were ruined by terrifying, delusional thoughts about her baby and family. Far beyond the trials of breastfeeding and getting her baby to sleep, Aaisha’s experience was the antithesis of everything she had ever been told about motherhood.

When her second pregnancy ended in miscarriage, Aaisha’s psychosis returned. This time, however, she was blindsided by the unimaginable: voices urging her to stab her daughter and to harm innocent people. Aaisha felt evil, worthy of taking her own life. But each time she sought medical help, she was turned away.

With unflinching honesty, Aaisha takes readers beyond the vitriol and blame flung at women — particularly women of colour — suffering from postpartum psychosis. Her story is a clarion call to increase awareness of a condition that need never result in tragedy and to build support for those affected by it.

More Information:

Aaisha Alvi: www.aaishaalvi.com

Subscribe for more episodes of Reality Check, where we uncover the truth behind mental health, one story at a time.

For more information about Clear Answers to Louisiana Mental Health (CALM) and their Early Intervention Psychosis Program (EPIC NOLA), visit the website: www.calmnola.org

Podcast produced by Red Rock Branding – www.redrockbranding.com

For Podcast bookings please contact: Claire Edwards through the Red Rock Website

Welcome to the Reality Check podcast. Psychosis is Real, so is Recovery. On this episode Serena Chaudhry speaks with Joshua Hughes from EPIC Federal Credit Union.

Joshua is the Community Outreach and Engagement Coordinator for EPIC Federal Credit Union works at the Center for Ethics and Economic Justice at Loyola University.

Join us as we find out more about his financial literacy outreach work and the vital educational impact it is having.

More Information:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/epic-federal-credit-union

EPIC Federal Credit Union: www.epicfcu.com

Loyola University: www.loyno.edu

Subscribe for more episodes of Reality Check, where we uncover the truth behind mental health, one story at a time.

For more information about Clear Answers to Louisiana Mental Health (CALM) and their Early Intervention Psychosis Program (EPIC NOLA), visit the website: www.calmnola.org

Podcast produced by Red Rock Branding – www.redrockbranding.com

Welcome to the Reality Check podcast. Psychosis is Real, so is Recovery. On this episode, Ashley Weiss and Serena Chaudhry speak with Laura Berlinger.

Laura is a LCSW at The Children's Bureau in New Orleans.

The Children’s Bureau of New Orleans is an organization dedicated to strengthening children, families, and communities through advocacy, support, and essential services. Laura brings valuable insight into the challenges facing families today and the work being done to create brighter futures for children across the region.

Find out more about her experience and the mission of the Children’s Bureau, and the impact this work is having in New Orleans and beyond, on this latest episode.

Subscribe for more episodes of Reality Check, where we uncover the truth behind mental health, one story at a time.

For more information about Clear Answers to Louisiana Mental Health (CALM) and their Early Intervention Psychosis Program (EPIC NOLA), visit the website: www.calmnola.org

Podcast produced by Red Rock Branding – www.redrockbranding.com

Welcome to the Reality Check podcast. Psychosis is Real, so is Recovery.On this episode, Ashley Weiss and Serena Chaudhry speak with Dr Michael Garrett.

In 2003, Dr Garrett moved to SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, where he was formerly the Vice Chairman of Psychiatry for Clinical Services, and where today he is currently Professor Emeritus of Clinical Psychiatry.

Join us as we take a deeper dive into his long-standing interest in the provision of care to chronically psychotic individuals in the public sector. His academic interests include an effort to relate psychosis to ordinary mental life, and the importance of psychotherapy in the treatment of psychosis.

Subscribe for more episodes of Reality Check, where we uncover the truth behind mental health, one story at a time.

For more information about Clear Answers to Louisiana Mental Health (CALM) and their Early Intervention Psychosis Program (EPIC NOLA), visit the website: www.calmnola.org

Podcast produced by Red Rock Branding – www.redrockbranding.com