Chai Break Shwetha and Rema

4 women, 4 unique experiences - this episode is unlike anything we've done in the past.
To begin, Shwetha hadn't even heard of peri-menopause until Rema, who's actively in the throws of it, mentioned it to her. It was then that it occurred to us that this is yet another swept-under-the-rug, rarely talked-about phenomenon and that we need to hear from more women.
In this episode, we feature:
The lovely founders of the very popular NRI Woman Podcast, Bettina Tauro & Ninorah Fernandes Brookshire, volunteered to join our #chaiversation and share their raw, real experiences.
Arti Dussane Rao, a finance professional who's on a much-needed career break
They, each share their unique journeys with peri-menopause and its effects on their mental health.
Our hope with this episode is for you to experience the warmth of sisterhood, unwavering support, and a space where judgment is left at the door.
You can join the #chaiversation on Instagram or email us at chaibreakpodcast@gmail.com

We're in #chaiversation with Seema of the Mindful Parent and Child Journals. Seema shares with us why she started this venture, her self-publishing journey, and how the journal can benefit you, your child, and the overall harmony of your home and family dynamics.
You can find The Mindful Parent and Child
On Instagram
On Etsy

Chaiversations.org

Meet, Mrinal Gokhale, an Indian-American writer who began her career as a freelance journalist in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the most segregated city in the United States. She reported on Mental Health Awareness Month events for Hispanic and African-American publications as part of her work. She realized that these conversations were lacking in Asian and South Asian representation. To increase education and acceptance of mental health among South Asian generations, while also showing non-South Asians how intersectionality looks in the diaspora, she went on to author 2 books, both anthologies, the first one in 2021, called “Saaya Unveiled” and “Taboo: South Asian Mental Health Stories” published in 2023.
Chaiversations.org
You can purchase her books on Amazon

So far in this season, we have been talking about normalizing conversations around mental health and we’ve also talked about the fact that seeking professional help isn’t always tied to big life events.
In this episode, we talk to Shruthi Bharath about one of the biggest life-changing times in a woman’s life - motherhood. We delve into those vulnerable, often loney moments of early motherhood and the challenges it presents.
Here are some of the topics we discuss
Early motherhood challenges and how it impacts mental health and well-beingWe’re 3 women on this episode, all of us mothers, each of whom have had their unique, yet common struggles being new mothers - we discuss identity crisis, feeling lonely in those early months of motherhood and so much moreAs a platform, what are the various elements of early motherhood that you envision on the platform, and where does maternal mental health fit in?Chaiversations.org

Dr. Monica Shah is a licensed psychologist and certified school psychologist based in
Manhattan. She specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy
(DBT), and rational-emotive behavior therapy (REBT).

Chapter 1: What is Good Girl Syndrome? How the phrase "good girl" is ingrained in the vocabulary of our Indian culture and where it stems from? Shwetha & Rema share anecdotes from their personal experiences.
Chapter 2: The personality and mental health implications of "good girl syndrome"
Chapter 3: Shwetha & Rema answer a series of questions to find out if they have Good Girl Syndrome and you can play along too.
chaiversations.org