{"id":9521,"date":"2026-05-20T22:13:45","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T03:13:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=9521"},"modified":"2026-05-20T22:13:47","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T03:13:47","slug":"wellness-wednesday-returns-honest-conversations-about-mental-health-belonging-and-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=9521","title":{"rendered":"Wellness Wednesday Returns: Honest Conversations About Mental Health, Belonging, and Community"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--powerpress_player--><div class=\"powerpress_player\" id=\"powerpress_player_6769\"><audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-9521-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/blindabilities\/WellnessWednesday5126.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/blindabilities\/WellnessWednesday5126.mp3\">https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/blindabilities\/WellnessWednesday5126.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/div>\n<p><strong>Podcast Summary:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;This episode of Wellness Wednesday returns with an open and heartfelt conversation in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, focusing on the importance of community and connection. Hosts Beth Gustin, Robin Ennis, and Jeff Thompson reflect on how community can support emotional well-being, reduce feelings of isolation, and provide encouragement during life\u2019s struggles. Robin shares personal experiences from her doctoral journey as a blind student, while the discussion explores identity, belonging, loneliness, and the value of finding people who truly understand and support you. The episode gently challenges myths around mental health and reminds listeners that asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. Whether through friendships, support groups, hobbies, or online spaces, the conversation encourages listeners to start small, stay curious, and seek meaningful connections that nurture mental health and personal growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=532\">Check out all the Wellness Wednesday episodes.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Show Hosts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Robin Ennis on the web at&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.robinennislcsw.com\/\">www.robinennislcsw.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Beth Gustin, LPC, NCC, EMDRIA Approved Consultant, CAGCS, PLGS<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.transitioningthroughchange.com\/\">Www.transitioningthroughchange.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can message Beth and Robin by calling 612-367-6093. They are looking forward to hearing from you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks for listening!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?page_id=9518\">Full Transcript<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<!--powerpress_player--><div class=\"powerpress_player\" id=\"powerpress_player_6771\"><audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-9521-3\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/blindabilities\/WellnessWednesday5126.mp3?_=3\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/blindabilities\/WellnessWednesday5126.mp3\">https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/blindabilities\/WellnessWednesday5126.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/div><p>https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/blindabilities\/WellnessWednesday5126.mp3 Podcast Summary: &nbsp;This episode of Wellness Wednesday returns with an open and heartfelt conversation in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, focusing on the importance of community and connection. Hosts Beth Gustin, Robin Ennis, and Jeff Thompson reflect on how community can support emotional well-being, reduce feelings of isolation, and provide encouragement during life\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9311,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"audio","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[17,494,532],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9521","post","type-post","status-publish","format-audio","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bapresents","category-personalcare","category-wellness-wednesday","post_format-post-format-audio"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_0035.png","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6rcRg-2tz","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8257,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=8257","url_meta":{"origin":9521,"position":0},"title":"Wellness Wednesday: Redefining Mental Wellness: Media Influence and Workplace Solutions","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"May 15, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Podcast Summary: In this 33rd episode of Wellness Wednesday, Beth Gustin, LPC, and Robin Ennis, LCSW, CPC, address societies desensitization to mental wellness. They discuss the pivotal role the media plays in shaping public perception and outline actionable ideas for promoting mental health in the workplace. As part of Wellness\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;BlindAbilities Presents&quot;","block_context":{"text":"BlindAbilities Presents","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=17"},"img":{"alt_text":"BlindAbilities Logo A black square with white initials, B A.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8652,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=8652","url_meta":{"origin":9521,"position":1},"title":"Wellness Wednesday: AI or Not to AI, That is the Question That We Ask of Thee","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"April 16, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Podcast Summary: In this Wellness Wednesday episode, Beth and Robin explore the growing role of AI in supporting mental health. With a compassionate and grounded perspective, they weigh the benefits and limitations of AI tools like ChatGPT as supplemental resources for emotional support, especially when traditional help isn\u2019t accessible. While\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;BlindAbilities Presents&quot;","block_context":{"text":"BlindAbilities Presents","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=17"},"img":{"alt_text":"BlindAbilities Logo A black square with white initials, B A.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8483,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=8483","url_meta":{"origin":9521,"position":2},"title":"Wellness Wednesday: Disclosure and Belonging in the Workplace","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"November 20, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Podcast Summary: In Episode 45 of\u00a0Wellness Wednesday, hosts Beth Gustin, LPC, and Robin Ennis, LCSW, CPC, explore the complexities of employment as individuals with blindness or low vision. From job interviews to workplace dynamics, they discuss the emotional and social impacts of disclosure and the perceptions it may create. Sharing\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;BlindAbilities Presents&quot;","block_context":{"text":"BlindAbilities Presents","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=17"},"img":{"alt_text":"BlindAbilities Logo A black square with white initials, B A.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8229,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=8229","url_meta":{"origin":9521,"position":3},"title":"Wellness Wednesday: Chuckling to Wellness: How Giggles Turn into Gigawatts of Joy","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"April 10, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Podcast Summary: In this 31st\u00a0\u00a0episode of\u00a0Wellness Wednesday, Beth Gustin, LPC and Robin Ennis, LCSW, CPC, explore the therapeutic benefits of laughter. They discuss how therapists may use humor to improve client rapport and highlight laughter\u2019s role in fostering workplace camaraderie and overall mental health. Check out all the Wellness Wednesday\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;BlindAbilities Presents&quot;","block_context":{"text":"BlindAbilities Presents","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=17"},"img":{"alt_text":"BlindAbilities Logo A black square with white initials, B A.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8471,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=8471","url_meta":{"origin":9521,"position":4},"title":"Wellness Wednesday: From Isolation to Integration \u2013 Your Journey, Your Voice","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"November 6, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Podcast Summary: In Episode 44 of\u00a0Wellness Wednesday, hosts Beth Gustin, LPC, and Robin Ennis, LCSW, CPC, bridge the gap between communities we navigate daily. They dive deep into the art of self-advocacy, exploring how personal experiences can transform feelings of isolation into moments of connection and growth. Join them as\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;BlindAbilities Presents&quot;","block_context":{"text":"BlindAbilities Presents","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=17"},"img":{"alt_text":"BlindAbilities Logo A black square with white initials, B A.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8737,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=8737","url_meta":{"origin":9521,"position":5},"title":"Wellness Wednesday:\u00a0Belonging: The Power of Choice in Accessibility","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"July 16, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Podcast Summary: In this episode of Wellness Wednesday, Beth Gustin and Robin Ennis, joined by Jeff Thompson, explore the evolving landscape of accessibility through the lens of an upcoming all-inclusive hotel designed specifically with people with disabilities in mind. Inspired by entrepreneur Joe Morgan\u2014who previously created a fully accessible theme\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;BlindAbilities Presents&quot;","block_context":{"text":"BlindAbilities Presents","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=17"},"img":{"alt_text":"BlindAbilities Logo A black square with white initials, B A.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9521","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9521"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9521\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9522,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9521\/revisions\/9522"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9311"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9521"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9521"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9521"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}