Libsyn Directory

S3E5: Beyond the Red Carpet: A Life Redirected to Service with Shanti Das

Release Date: 08/25/2022

S3E16: Empowering Gen Z to Explore Their Passions Featuring Morgann Noble

Couched in Color

In this episode, guest Morgann Noble, daughter of Dr. Alfiee and an intern at The AAKOMA Project, gives unique insights for parents about the challenges that children of color experience. With a passion for bringing ideas to life, Morgann calls herself “a dreamer” at The AAKOMA Project, with a long list of people of influence she would like to engage in the non-profit’s mental health initiatives. Topics covered in this interview: The anxiety that arose for Morgann growing up affluent as a person of color with well-educated parents in what was considered a progressive...

S3E15: Expanding the Narrative for Black Men Featuring Shaka Senghor

Couched in Color

In this episode, guest Shaka Senghor shares his inspiring story from incarceration to becoming a two times bestselling author, influencer and one of Oprah’s “SuperSoul 100” – teaching lessons of redemption and vulnerability to the masses. He grew up spending 19 years in prison, seven of them in solitary confinement. Through reflection and writing, he later came to understand his story of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). At age 17, he was shot multiple times, and also has two brothers who were shot, one of whom ended up paralyzed. At the same time, he takes full...

S3E14: Building Bridges Featuring Kheira Bekkadja

Couched in Color

In this episode, guest Kheira Bekkadja, a Muslim Algerian American college student making an impact in mental health, inspires listeners with her insights on grounding in self-care and positive affirmations. As an example, she shares the Muslim practice of praying five times, at set times during the day, as challenging as it can be to stay persistent. There are movements that go with the prayer, including putting the forehead on the floor, which helps release negative energy and connect with God. “My faith is what rejuvenates me,” Kheira says. Surrounding oneself with good people...

S3E13: Spreading Hope Through Content Creation Featuring Gigi Robinson

Couched in Color

In this episode, 24-year-old guest Gigi Robinson, a master content creator, graduate student and model, shares insights for living with chronic illness and addressing mental health issues, inspired to use her story to move the masses through her highly successful social media channels. She calls the Internet “an oyster” for Gen Zers to see beyond the corporate world and live their dreams, based on their unique passions and dreams. Topics covered in this interview: Sharing the vulnerabilities that come with chronic illness and mental health issues to help others (and letting go of the...

S3E12: When You Hear Me, You Hear Us Featuring Brooke Simpson

Couched in Color

In this episode, singer-songwriter Brooke Simpson, who just made her Broadway debut in the revival of 1776, shares the impact her culture as an Indigenous woman has had on her creativity. From her early days dressing and dancing for her tribe’s “pow wow” ceremonies, she learned “to bleed creativity” into the foundation of who she is today. She has been a finalist for both The Voice and America’s Got Talent, and she also represents Nike's N7 campaign for Indigenous youth, supporting their mental health by promoting movement. Brooke sees her style of movement as...

S3E11: Creating the Right Parenting Mindset Featuring Dr. Ann-Louise T. Lockhart

Couched in Color

Couched In Color | Season 3 | Episode 11 In this episode, guest Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart, a pediatric psychologist, parent coach and widely followed social media expert, shares profound insights on ways to create a healthy mindset that takes the blame off the child. This mindset empowers parents and primary caregivers. Many parents come to the role without a plan, based on what they saw growing up, not understanding that it is normal to experience both positive and negative sides to parenting. “If I knew parenting was going to be this hard, I wouldn’t have signed up for it,” is one...

S3E10: How Sneakers Saved and Ruined My Life Featuring Trent Out Loud

Couched in Color

In this episode, guest Trent Out Loud, founder and CEO of Exclucity, a multi-million-dollar footwear and apparel company, shares his story of seeking therapy after losing $2.3 million dollars in his sneakers’ business. That loss came when he forgot to tend to his own mental health during the ups and downs of his business, including the shifts occurring in the sneaker industry. As a result, he said started making wrong decisions. His therapist helped him deal with issues related to hypomania, mania and bipolar, and trained his brain to work in ways that benefited him. He continues...

S3E9: Mental Health Advocate, Mom, Veteran, Latina: A Hidden Healer Featuring Ayanna Kelly

Couched in Color

In this episode, guest Ayanna Kelly, an Afro-Latina advocate, disabled veteran and mom, shares an inside look at her mental health journey from burnout to standing at the White House as a leader of the Mental Health Youth Action Forum. () That forum, which took place in May 2022, was created in partnership with MTV Entertainment Group and coordination with the Biden-Harris Administration. In a “surreal” moment, Ayanna found herself standing next to President Joe Biden and U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, and other highly accomplished people. She saw herself as...

S3E8: Carson Daly Feels Your Pain: A Special Conversation on Couched in Color

Couched in Color

In this episode, Carson Daly, co-host of “The Today Show” and creator of its “Mind Matters” digital series, and producer/host of Emmy-award winning “The Voice”, openly shares his mental health struggles. He discusses the trauma of losing his father unexpectedly at age 5 and the subsequent night terrors he experienced. Later diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, Carson believes environment alone is not the cause of his mental health challenges. Rather, he sees them as a combination of both “nature and nurture.” Using his story to help others, Carson is...

S3E7: Phillip Schermer’s Mastermind Approach to Mental Health for the Masses

Couched in Color

In this inspiring episode Dr. Alfiee interviews guest Phillip Schermer, founder and CEO of Project Healthy Minds, a non-profit created for a new era of mental wellness. Phillip, who was previously a Vice President & Chief of Staff to the Vice Chairman at BlackRock, the world's largest asset management firm, was so moved by the story of Logic, a rapper and record producer, he started the non-profit to more impactfully bring together mental health resources. Logic shed light on mental health challenges by writing a song with the phone number of the US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline...

More Episodes

In episode 5 of Couched in Color, Dr. Alfiee celebrates the comeback/reinvention of Shanti Das and her “Silence the Shame” mission.

Shanti, well known in the entertainment industry for her work with some of music’s top talent –like OutKast, Usher, Prince, TLC, Toni Braxton, and Erykah Badu, to name a few–shares a different type of success in this intimate interview.

Shanti tells the story of the night she contemplated suicide, with pills nearby, and ended up reaching out for help. That night changed her life forever, as she was redirected to self-care and to teach others the same, especially encouraging others to open up about their mental health challenges.

“That I am here is a blessing from God and I don’t take that for granted,” Shanti shares.

Hence, starting with a hashtag of the name, she founded Silence the Shame, a non-profit foundation dedicated to eliminating mental health stigma, reducing health disparities, and improving rates of suicide among vulnerable populations.

Through community conversations, compelling content, and culturally responsive programs, the foundation aims to normalize the conversation, peel back the layers of shame, and promote mental wellness for vulnerable and disparate population groups, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer or Questioning (LGBTQ+), individuals in high-stress jobs, older adults and those living in rural communities.

Silence the Shame has received a prestigious award, national recognition and global awareness as a mental health movement.

The beginnings:

Looking back at her young life, Shanti says she was “introduced to mental health as a baby.” Her father died by suicide when she was seven months old, leaving her mom alone to raise her and two older siblings.

Now, as an adult, who has faced her darkest moments and continues to heal, she shares her “toolkit” of resources that helped her move forward. Combining her faith journey with therapy is key, as is having a life coach, being outdoors, and traveling.

Topics covered in this interview:

–Walking away from a half-million-dollar per year job, with a corner office, and life on “the red carpet” supporting music celebrities.

–Balancing the faith journey, that is often so important to people of color, sometimes exclusively, with the benefits of therapy.

– Expanding Silence the Shame to include more major events such as the second annual, My Life is a Gift: Suicide Awareness Summit, on Sept. 14, 2022 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., livestream online and limited in-person seating at The Gathering Spot in Atlanta, GA:

https://silencetheshame.com/mlg-suicide-awareness-summit/my-life-is-a-gift-suicide-awareness-summit.html

–The event is geared to youth and young adults, with a performance by a young rapper. It also will feature “an authentic hybrid opportunity of youth and young adult lived experience,” behavioral health and suicide prevention professionals, and family support.

–A pilot “campus ambassadors program” at colleges.

–May 1st being declared “Black Children’s Mental Health Day” in the state of Georgia, and wanting to spread that concept to other states.

–The launch of her new mind- body related company.

Dr. Alfiee: “I’m so grateful that you’re still here. And that night when you almost weren’t going to be here anymore, that God put the right people in your place and in your space, and that you had that hotline to call.”

Quoting one of her mentors, Dr. Alfiee commends Shanti for “turning learned helplessness to learned helpfulfuness.”

Background on Shanti Das | Founder of Silence the Shame non-profit; accomplished entertainment industry veteran

Shanti is an accomplished entertainment industry veteran (for more than 25 years), speaker, author, and philanthropist.

Her music industry career (from intern to executive vice president) included positions at Capitol Records, LaFace Records, Columbia Records, Sony Urban Music and Universal Motown where she worked directly with some of music’s top talent like OutKast, Usher, Prince, TLC, Toni Braxton, Erykah Badu, and more.

As a result of Shanti’s extensive community work in the 2000 decade, she established her own nonprofit, The Hip Hop Professional Foundation, Inc. The foundation was later rebranded under the name Silence the Shame, Inc., which received global awareness and has become a commonly used hashtag to normalize the conversation in America.

Shanti’s foundation curates community conversations, offers wellness training, creates content and broadens awareness and education around mental health and wellness. In 2019, Silence the Shame was awarded one of five awards by the American Psychiatric Association Foundation for advancing minority mental health.

Shanti has suffered from depression/anxiety over the years and has also experienced loved ones affected with mental health disorders.

In addition to running her nonprofit, Shanti is a public speaker. She has presented live at companies/universities sharing her inspiring story and is now also facilitating virtual webinars around mental wellness with licensed mental health clinicians. Companies include: Warner Chappell Publishing, National Geographic, SB Projects, Translation agency, NBA, Sony ATV, EA Sports, LVMH, Sony Music UK, Warner Media, Warner Music Group, Def Jam records, Freddie Mac, Dillard University, Syracuse University, Alabama A&M and more.

Awards and Honors:

2019- Shanti was named a Top Changemaker in the World (#7 out of 100) by a UK publication called The Big Issue!
2019- The American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) has named Shanti Das as the recipient of the 2019 Media Award for Silence the Shame.
2020- NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Health) awarded Shanti Das their 2020 Multicultural Award.
2020- Named an ESSENCE Magazine Essential Hero in Mental Health.
2021- Culture Creators Health and Wellness Award.

EVENT:

My Life is a Gift: Suicide Awareness Summit

Sept. 14, 2022 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Livestreaming & limited in-person seating at The Gathering Spot in Atlanta, GA

Follow Shanti Das:

Website: https://www.shantidas.biz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shantidas404/

Silence the Shame:

Website: https://silencetheshame.com

Instagram :https://www.instagram.com/silencetheshame/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SilenceThShame

Podcast: https://silencetheshame.com/podcast.html