Resilience and Resistance Podcast

Rosemary Rodriguez was the State Director for Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado. She also served as a commissioner on the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, and chaired the commission in 2008. Prior to that, Rodriguez served on the Denver City Council for three and a half years, and was council president from 2005 to 2006. She also chaired the 2001 Colorado Reapportionment Commission, a constitutional body that was responsible for redrawing legislative districts after the 2000 Census. Rosemary is a Colorado native and attended Metropolitan State College (now Metropolitan State University), where she studied Political Science.

If you are interested in Marisol Solarte-Erlacher supporting your business or organization by speaking or training on topics such as Work Trauma for BIPOC women, Racial Battle Fatigue, supporting mental health in traumatic times, and building resilience in employees and resilient leadership in BIPOC women.

Contact her directly at [email protected] if you want to learn more

Follow the podcast on Instagram @Resilience_and_Resistance

Music: Inte-Gritty by Bianca Mikahn

Art: Maite Nazario | http://www.maitenazario.com

Podcast Production: https://www.theplug-agency.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We’ve all had those times when we feel crushed and exhausted by emotionally draining times. And in those times, we might seek professional help from a therapist. But have you ever wondered how therapists process their internal struggles? How do they help solve another person’s problems when they’re fighting their own battles simultaneously?

Dr. Cynthia Chen, my guest for today’s episode, comes out openly about dealing with one of the most challenging times of her life: losing her elder brother to lung cancer and how she’s chosen to process the various emotions that came with it. She shares how she managed her work – sometimes, taking some time off work and sometimes, immersing herself in it to stop her mind from wandering – to let her mind feel and heal. A loss as significant as that could shake your whole world; Cynthia goes back in time to reveal how she privately processed her feelings.

In this episode, Cynthia narrates her journey in life so far: the experience growing up in a Chinese household, pursuing a doctorate in psychology, her approach to the work she does, and dealing with the challenges that have come her way in life. Our discussion gets deep into being comfortable with your emotions – both positive and negative, emotional regulation, resilience, and revival. Listen in!

Episode Lessons:

• Finding a balance between how much to reveal and not reveal about yourself to your clients: While giving away too much could feel like a risk, being extremely private could also be very draining.
• The processing of grief looks different for everyone. It all comes down to being comfortable around even your most negative emotions.
• Emotional regulation isn’t about regulating your emotions as much as it is about regulating your reaction to those emotions.

ABOUT DR. CYNTHIA CHEN

Dr. Chen's experience in education, pediatric hospitals, and mental health settings spans over 20 years. Her clinical training and work has focused on working with children and families impacted by trauma, as well as those experiencing acute and chronic medical conditions. She currently works part time in private practice providing individual and family counseling, maintains a clinical faculty position at a local children's hospital with their Solid Organ Transplant Team, and conducts social justice focused consultations to schools and organizations.

CONNECT WITH DR. CYNTHIA CHEN

Website: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/cynthia-chen-denver-co/339979

Links:

Marisol’s website: https://www.marisolerlacher.com/

LinkedIn: Marisol - www.linkedin.com/in/marisol-solarte-erlacher

Instagram: @Resilience_and_Resistance

We have partnered with US Bank to support our communities like this one through responsive and humbled actions focused on addressing racial and economic inequities and creating lasting change through our Community Possible Grant Program,

https://www.usbank.com/about-us-bank/community/community-possible-grant-program.html

If you are interested in Marisol Solarte-Erlacher supporting your business or organization by speaking or training on topics such as Work Trauma for BIPOC women, Racial Battle Fatigue, supporting mental health in traumatic times, and building resilience in employees and resilient leadership in BIPOC women. Contact her directly at [email protected] if you want to learn more.

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Production Credits

Art: Maite Nazar...

Marisol’s mom, Blanca, joins the podcast to talk family history, growing up in poverty along the US/Mexico border, teenage pregnancy, hard work, her love of Kool-Aid, and finding joy regardless of the circumstances.

Blanca’s story includes being born and raised in Mission, TX in a three-room home without running water. Largely raised by her grandparents who were field workers, her parents met one another while also working in the cotton fields of the Rio Grande valley in Texas. Blanca’s mother gave birth to her at age 16 and became a single mother soon after as Blanca’s father José left the family when Blanca and her brother Joe (José) were still toddlers.

The neighborhood where Blanca was raised was a tight-knit community where outgrown shoes that no longer served one family were given to another family equally in need. It was also the location of a factory that previously manufactured toxic pesticides that are now illegal to use. The danger of the site was unknown to the surrounding community, and when the plant closed the neighborhood used the empty, contaminated structure to hold mercados. The neighborhood children regularly played in the toxic dirt and abandoned pesticide containers. As a result, many residents still struggle with cancers, birth defects, and other illnesses related to the toxic exposure.

Blanca tells the story of finding and reuniting with her father at age 14. With the help of her tia, Blanca finds her father and grandmother living in nearby Progreso, TX. She continued to have a relationship with her father since that time and encouraged her brother Joe to have a relationships with him as well.

Blanca’s mother Guadalupe left for Illinois for work when Blanca was eight, leaving her with her grandparents until she made the move to Illinois at 13. It was moving to a mostly white community that she first experienced prejudice. It was in Carpentersville that Blanca met Marisol’s ‘nerdy jock’ dad after he recently immigrated to the US from Colombia. Blanca became pregnant with Marisol at 15 and gave birth to her at 16. Marisol’s father was 17. Being a single mom, Blanca was forced to drop out of high school but earned her GED when she was 20.

Marisol was four when her parents got married, and she was the flower girl—and ring thief! The family moved in together for the first time and saved for a house before they got pregnant with another child. To be able to have a home and be able to provide for her children, as opposed to her childhood, brought Blanca great joy.

The loss of her grandfather, also named Guadalupe, who was a loving father figure throughout her life, is the most difficult experience Blanca has faced.

Finally, Marisol and Blanca also reminisce about the old neighborhood. And, no, Blanca will never leave Carpentersville—which she affectionately (and correctly) calls the ‘hood. They also talk through how being a young mom has impacted their mother-daughter relationship.

Watch this episode here - https://youtu.be/6hNgkMCod90

Instagram: @Resilience_and_Resistance

Links:

Marisol’s website: https://www.marisolerlacher.com/

LinkedIn: Marisol - www.linkedin.com/in/marisol-solarte-erlacher

If you are interested in Marisol Solarte-Erlacher supporting your business or organization by speaking or training on topics such as Work Trauma for BIPOC women, Racial Battle Fatigue, supporting mental health in traumatic times, and building resilience in employees and resilient leadership in BIPOC women. Contact her directly at [email protected] if you want to learn more.

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