Mentally STRONG Academy: Embrace the Journey

Cristi Bundukamara

About Dr. B Dr. Cristi Bundukamara, Ed.D., PMHNP has been a psychiatric nurse practitioner since 2000, gaining extensive experience over the last several decades. Her medical career began as an Army Medic before attending nursing school and receiving a master’s degree as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner at Florida International University (FIU). She went on to receive a doctorate in Education at Nova Southeastern University. From there, she launched the first Mentally STRONG Clinic in Colorado Springs, CO which is committed to access and serves over 7,000 patients. She also founded the Mentally STRONG Academy. Today, when she’s not at the clinic attending to her patients, Dr. B dedicates a large portion of her time to speaking about mental health issues, sharing methods for processing grief, and providing tips for developing mental strength.

  1. 09/28/2025

    What Your Doctors DON'T Tell You About Depression

    🧠💪Start Healing with This Powerful Self-Reflection Tool: Think Organize Choose Worksheet:  https://mentallystrong.ac-page.com/thinkorganizechoose What if everything you’ve been told about depression only tells half the story? In this video, Dr. B—psychiatric nurse practitioner and founder of the Mentally STRONG Method—breaks down what most doctors don’t explain: 👉 Depression is not just a chemical imbalance. 👉 It’s not just negative thinking. 👉 It’s a whole-person experience—where biology, psychology, and personal meaning collide. We’ll unpack: The brain chemicals involved (serotonin, dopamine, GABA, glutamate—and more) The major psychological theories (Beck, Seligman, attachment, and beyond) Why true healing must go beyond pills or talk therapy alone How to start reclaiming mental strength through integrated understanding Whether you're struggling with depression or supporting someone who is, this video will give you a clearer, deeper view—and hope. 📘 Want to learn the Mentally STRONG Method? Visit https://www.mentallystrongacademy.com 🧠 Free tools and downloads:https://mentallystrong.ac-page.com/thinkorganizechoose 🗣 Subscribe for weekly insights on mental health, resilience, and living mentally STRONG. #Depression #MentalHealth #MentalStrength #WhatDoctorsDontTellYou #Serotonin #Psychology #Neuroscience #DrB #MentallySTRONG #PersonalGrowth #Empowerment #MentalHealthMatters #CristiBundukamara #PainandPurpose #MentalStrength #mentallystrong

    26 min
  2. 09/26/2025

    What Therapists DON'T Tell You About Trauma

    🧠💪Start Healing with This Powerful Self-Reflection Tool: Think Organize Choose Worksheet:  https://mentallystrong.ac-page.com/thinkorganizechoose What Therapists DON'T Tell You About Trauma  Are you stuck in your trauma story? You've likely heard that talking about it helps—but what if that's not the full truth? In this powerful video, Dr. B, founder of the Mentally STRONG Method, reveals what most therapists don’t tell you: repeating your trauma story without a strategy can actually re-traumatize you. It’s time for a different approach—one that empowers you to think clearly, organize your pain, and choose healing. ✅ Download the FREE Think, Organize, and Choose Worksheet This practical worksheet walks you through a 3-step mental processing framework so you can stop spinning in your story—and start breaking free. 👉 https://mentallystrong.ac-page.com/thinkorganizechoose 🎯 In this video, you’ll learn: Why trauma gets “stuck” in your mind and body How traditional talk therapy can keep you looping The Mentally STRONG way to process trauma without reliving it How to use the “Think, Organize, Choose” worksheet in your healing journey ⚡ Stop coping. Start choosing. Your trauma is real—but it doesn’t define your future. 👇 Watch now and take the first step toward authentic mental strength. #TraumaHealing #MentalStrength #TherapistTruths #MentallySTRONG #DrB #EmotionalHealing #CPTSD #ThinkOrganizeChoose#mentallystrong #PersonalGrowth #Empowerment #MentalHealthMatters #CristiBundukamara #PainandPurpose #MentalStrength #mentallystrong

    19 min
  3. 09/22/2025

    Tyler Perry's STRAW : Grieving Mother's view on triggers

    🧠💪Start Healing with This Powerful Self-Reflection Tool: Think Organize Choose Worksheet:  https://mentallystrong.ac-page.com/thinkorganizechoose Sometimes, a movie can hit you harder than you ever expect, unearthing emotions you thought were buried. That's exactly what happened to me with Tyler Perry's new film, Straw. As a grieving mother, it brought up so much, and I want to share my raw, honest experience with you, hoping it helps you feel less alone in your own journey with triggers and loss. In this video, I talk about: Triggers & Confronting Pain The movie Straw was a huge trigger for me. I teach that we need to learn to respond to our triggers, not run from them. How do we confront our pain? Triggers are just a reminder of our pain. I didn't think Straw would trigger me. I wasn't a single mother, which is how the film was presented. But it delivered a huge punch to my gut, physically, mentally, and emotionally. We all feel overwhelmed by life sometimes, like we could snap. A Grieving Mother's Perspective As a psychiatric nurse practitioner, and more importantly, a mother who has lost three children and my husband, my experience comes from real life. When I watched Straw, I empathized with the single mother, but I didn't realize it would be a trigger.  Running Into the Storm  You can't control grief triggers; they will come at you. But you can learn to expand and confront that pain.  Dissociative States & PTSD When our pain is intense, like losing a child, we can experience dissociative states – moments of lapsed time, where we don't know what's real. For a year after finding my child had died, I'd relive it every morning. This movie is a powerful example of a dissociative state, and the separation from reality that can happen when you break.  My Healing Journey & Helping Others  I reach out to others who have lost children, like a beautiful girl named Michaela, who died in her sleep, just like my Miah. By pouring my heart into that mother, I'm confronting my own grief and hoping she can find some of the healing I have found.  The Work is Yours Just like a caterpillar pushes through the cocoon to become a butterfly, the muscles gained by pushing through pain allow us to fly. No one can rescue you from your pain. While a strong support system is vital, the actual work of confronting and working through your pain is yours. If you can work through that pain, you can find beauty and joy in it. My journey led to a new spiritual awakening, a realization that time and space aren't real, and that my loved ones are still with me. Don't Run From Your Triggers  Don't run from your triggers. If you know they're coming, prepare for them, just as I do when connecting with a mother who lost her child in the same way I lost mine. This movie was an unknown trigger, but that's life. It hit hard because I wasn't expecting it. This film's power comes from its unexpected reveal of a dissociative state – that feeling of having snapped, a reality for many who have experienced profound loss. Please don't give up on yourself or your purpose. It is possible to find joy and purpose through the pain. If you're navigating loss and seeking to understand your triggers, I hope my story resonates. You can learn to build strength and find purpose, even in the deepest pain. #mentallystrong #PersonalGrowth #Empowerment #MentalHealthMatters #CristiBundukamara #PainandPurpose #MentalStrength #mentallystrong  #Straw #StrawMovie #StrawTylerPerryMovie #StrawEndingExplained #StrawMovieReaction #StrawMovieReview #StrawTwistExplained

    15 min
  4. 09/21/2025

    How I Keep Going After Losing Three Children : 2 Things You MUST DO

    I’d love to share a free worksheet I created to help with reflection  during hard moments: 👉 https://mentallystrong.ac-page.com/thinkorganizechoose When you're a grieving mother, the world can feel completely upside down. People often ask me how I manage to keep going, to find the strength to continue living when a piece of my heart is missing. The truth is, there's no magic answer or quick fix for the immense pain of child loss. But there are choices we can make, even in the darkest moments, that can help us navigate this incredibly difficult journey. In this video, I'm sharing my personal story of grief and healing after losing my son Johnny, then my son Reggie, and most recently, my daughter Miah. Each loss presented its own unique challenges and depths of despair, but through it all, I've clung to two core principles that have become my anchors. This isn't about pretending the pain isn't there, or being "over" your loss. It's about finding a way to choose life and purpose, even when every fiber of your being wants to give up. My hope is that by sharing my vulnerability, you'll feel seen, understood, and a little less alone on your own path of healing from loss. If you're a grieving mother or someone navigating profound loss, I hope my story resonates with you. Remember, you're not alone, and even small choices can make a difference. Please subscribe to my channel for more honest conversations and practical guidance on navigating grief and building mental strength. And if this video spoke to you, please leave a comment below and share your thoughts.   #PersonalGrowth #Empowerment #MentalHealthMatters #CristiBundukamara #PainandPurpose #MentalStrength #mentallystrong

    13 min
4.6
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

About Dr. B Dr. Cristi Bundukamara, Ed.D., PMHNP has been a psychiatric nurse practitioner since 2000, gaining extensive experience over the last several decades. Her medical career began as an Army Medic before attending nursing school and receiving a master’s degree as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner at Florida International University (FIU). She went on to receive a doctorate in Education at Nova Southeastern University. From there, she launched the first Mentally STRONG Clinic in Colorado Springs, CO which is committed to access and serves over 7,000 patients. She also founded the Mentally STRONG Academy. Today, when she’s not at the clinic attending to her patients, Dr. B dedicates a large portion of her time to speaking about mental health issues, sharing methods for processing grief, and providing tips for developing mental strength.