In 2006, Steph found herself somewhere she never expected to be—a mental hospital. Steph had been using Non-Suicidal Self-Injury as a coping mechanism for a couple of years, but when a roommate issue escalated, her coping mechanism did too. All of the frustration Steph felt about the ways her roommate repeatedly disrespected her space and her wishes poured out in a cutting session that left her arm looking like “raw hamburger meat.” She was ushered to a mental illness clearinghouse and then to a mental hospital where she was fed medication with little regard for her actual needs. The experience altered her in surprising ways. When she finally sought help, she realized she needed to deal with the pain and confusion of her time in the mental hospital before she could deal with what sent her there in the first place.
​
In this episode, Steph talks about her trip to the mental hospital, including what landed her there, how it felt to be there, and what she wishes had been done differently.

• Steph’s Book: Discovering My Scars
• What is Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI)?​

Each episode we offer you a few prompts to think about how that day's conversation applies to you. You might pause the podcast and answer them right then and there, but if you keep a journal (Steph and Beth both do) you might want to use one of these PDFs. Choose the orientation that fits best in your journal.

Steph and Beth take the first step—they introduce themselves! But as you’ll hear in this episode, taking things one step at a time is a great tool for getting things done. 

Beth and Steph talk about how they first became friends and share about the big pivots they’ve made in their lives in the time since they first met. How did Steph go from Lead Creative with Apple to working at a church to launching Mother Daughter Projects? How did Beth go from being a lawyer to writing a blog and becoming a pastor? 

You’ll also get a preview of Steph’s book, Discovering My Scars, and hear these friends have an honest conversation about why they are entering the world of podcasting.

Steph's Website
Beth's Website

​Some of the things we mentioned in this Episode:

• Pre-Order Steph’s Book
• Celebrate Recovery
• Killearn United Methodist Church

At the end of each episode, we offer you some Questions for Reflection. You can pause the show and reflect on the questions right then and there, or you can download one of these PDFs and journal your reflections.