(light music) - Welcome to "Almanac North."

I'm Brett Scott, in for Maarja Hewitt while she is on vacation.

Tonight we are joined in studio by Mary Morehouse, Jacob Laurent and Daniel Rossow as we dive into the discussion around mental health in our region.

Following that, our "Almanac North" team visited therapist and yoga instructor, Kyle Leia Heyesen of Savalja Yoga, to speak with her about trauma-focused mental health and how yoga and mindfulness can help many reduce stress and manage anxiety.

Later on, we welcome actors Jen Burleigh-Bentz and Daylen Moore to "Almanac North" to speak about their upcoming play, "Next to Normal," and how the arts allow us to open conversations around topics like mental health.

That's what's in store on tonight's "Almanac North."

And we're going to dive right in.

Joining me at the "Almanac North" desk are Mary Morehouse, psychotherapist and frequent guest of ours, Jacob, the climate coordinator for Duluth Public Schools, and Daniel Rossow of Rossow Counseling.

Thank you all for joining us this evening.

- Thank you.

- I appreciate it.

So we have a lot to dive into, and we're gonna try and do it all tonight.

So how do you approach culturally competent therapy, particularly in a diverse community such as Duluth in the Twin Ports region?

- So I think it's, you know, kind of meet, make sure we meet people where they are, being very aware, being educated about the cultural differences in our community, and then just really trying to meet the clients where they're at, not bringing our own agenda to it, and just kind of letting that space be open for whatever they need.

- Right, and as we talked about earlier, before the show began, everyone's at a different stage, correct?

- Yes, absolutely.

- And what are some of the common misconceptions?

There's a huge stigma around mental health, it seems.

What are some of the common misconceptions about therapy that you encounter in your work, maybe on a daily basis?

- Sure, you know, I think sometimes people when they enter therapy, they think something might be wrong with them.

And I think there's a stigma and a struggle to that.

And I think it's just a lot of, they haven't had the modeling and exposure to some of the basic mental health awareness and symptom management techniques that we can offer to people.

So I think it's that initial gateway into the field that can be hard for people to get into.

But I've seen, as talking to Jake and Mary earlier, that the exposure is a lot more, you know, available these days.

And the stigma, it's lessening, it's decreasing.

There's still work to be done though.

- Jake, if you could speak to that point, even in the school system, how that has changed over the years.

- Yeah, I think, a couple of fold, the pandemic was a horrible experience for most, but if there's one kind of silver light out of that is mental health became at the forefront, and I think has become common vernacular, common language.

And I even think of it like if someone has a broken leg, they're not gonna just try to get through it.

They're gonna go get medical help.

And that leg is gonna heal and they're gonna be able to walk, run, do all the things they want to do again.

And I think sometimes with mental health, we think we're always gonna have these challenges.

And that in a lot of cases is a misnomer, right?

That when we get help that is meant for that, that we can go back and not always have mental health challenges in our lives.

That it can be fixable in a lot of cases.

And I think that has helped as well.

But even from our littles and pre-K and Head Start, like mental health and socio-emotional behavioral is one of the top goals.

And I think that is cool.

Starting little all the way till they kind of leave our Duluth schools.

- Definitely, and what is Duluth Public Schools doing to make sure each student who needs those services is being met?

- Yeah, so we're trying to do a lot of fold with that.

It's been probably our largest investment in the last few years.

One is what we try to do in-house, and we call that like what does every kid get in our schools?

And so we've brought in socio-emotional learning for our pre-K up to eighth grade, and that's the way to like teach kids skills, even friendship skills, how to cope.

And those are lessons integrated into the classroom.

And so that's kind of part of that preventative measure.

And then we also spend a lot of time on kind of school climates.

If kids are happy at school, adults are happy at school, we know all those things that we want to rise go up.

And so we've invested a lot in that.

We use what's called PBIS, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports.

And that's really where our framework comes from.

And then we have just wonderful staff, social workers, counselors that do such a tremendous job every day.

And then when we need help, we have community partners.

We partner with lots of agencies in Duluth for therapy or higher services, and that starts hitting that niche that we can't fill.

- And Mary, I'd like to start with you.

How do you use those evidence-based practices in a therapeutic setting?

- Yeah, everything that, you know, everything I do is evidence-based.

Everything that all the, you know, whether it's DBT, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, which is something that they teach at Amberwing.

And I believe that they do some of that in the public schools also.

And so everything that we do is a foundation on evidence based.

So it's been, you know, I know that even though I deal with a lot of anxiety and depression, and so it's kind of a similar diagnosis, what the tools that I use are very, very different depending on what the needs are.

So I kind of, again, meet people where they're at, and, you know, kind of just whatever their needs are.

But everything we do is based on evidence.

It's not, you know, psychobabble stuff.

It's not something that I just read on TikTok or saw.

You know, not that there's anything wrong with that, but, you know, everything that we do is based on evidence.

- And Daniel, I'm sure you work with other professionals throughout the community to collaborate on your work as well.

- Yeah, you know, the collaboration, the networking piece is super important.

I also, I am a professor at University of Wisconsin-Superior, and I do a lot of work in their internship program.

And even working with the interns, I get a lot of insight from them, a lot of collaboration.

You know, the more people you can get together to discuss a problem, to work through something, you get more ideas on how to proceed in a treatment plan.

I think that's, you know, super important to do.

Collaboration, consultation, gaining supervision from people.

Those are all really important pieces of kind of the mental health treatment of a person.

- In your work with UWS, are you seeing more students taking courses that you're offering?

- Sure, you know, UWS recently started an online program approximately three years ago.

And I think now there's over 400 students in the program.

It's really increased access to the field.

Before it was just an on-campus program.

And I was talking to Jake who, we actually went to school together back in the day, and our cohorts were maybe 15 or so students.

And now it's, you know, really increased access for people who may have not been able to get on campus to study the field of counseling.

- And what are some of the challenges that you all face working in the mental health field?

- I think, I'll just start for schools, you know, I think some of our largest work is that, my goal is that we can get socio-emotional, behavioral, and mental health just in the same galaxy as academics, right?

I think we're charged as public schools to holistically look at the whole child, but education was, you know, founded in academics.

And what we're seeing and what we're hearing from our teachers and staff is that we need more for mental health and socio-emotional, behavioral.

And so one is that awareness piece.

One is how do we better train our staff in our response, as well as, you know, we have teachers that, and societies change and we can name a lot of different things for causes, but we're dealing with a lot more behavior than we did even a decade, two decades ago.

And so these teachers have to have the skill set that is superman-, superwoman-esque, right?

You have to be a great teacher.

You also have to manage that classroom.

And if we don't have managed classrooms, then the academics aren't met.

So that's at the forefront of how we can become just a better holistic kind of institution.

- Dan, maybe this question could be for you.

What would you say about medication versus therapy services?

- Sure, you know, I think there's a good combination of both for a lot of people.

A lot of people will come to us for therapy, for me to therapy, and they might be hesitant to try medication and they want a strict therapy.

And, you know, we have to remember our scope of practice too.

We don't prescribe medications, and we can't really give a lot of education on medications other than referring them to their provider, and then going through that journey with them about the medications and stuff like that.

But there really is a connection at times for medication.

Sometimes medication can help stabilize a person, and then they can start doing some of the deeper processing and the thought reframing techniques that we might work with them on.

- Great.

Thank you for breaking that down.

And Mary, I'd like to ask you, off the top of your head, what is one of the biggest success stories that you've seen in your practice?

- I think one of the success stories, like just kind of overall, is when I don't see 'em anymore.

- [Brett] That's good.

Actually, you know, with all due respect to everyone that I see, one of my favorite things is when people don't need me anymore.

So that's one of them.

And then I think the other kind of other part of that is when I don't see people for five or six years and then they come back.

And that just happened a couple of weeks ago.

Someone I hadn't seen in five, it was either five or six years, and they came back and I knew who they were.

I knew their story.

I knew their history.

You know, I hadn't known what had happened in the intervening years, but it was just, it was just so wonderful to see them again.

And yeah, it was great.

And so I think being able to let people go, to teach 'em, and that's always one of my goals is get 'em in, hit it hard, and then let 'em go and figure it out.

But either kind of letting them go, but then I have to admit, I like it when they come back.

It's kind of fun.

- And that's okay to come back too.

- Oh, absolutely.

Absolutely.

You know, the number one predictor of a good outcome for mental health is the connection with the therapist.

And so if you have that, and if I have that with my client, yeah, go away, do your thing.

And then if you're having some struggles, come on back.

It's always good to see you again.

- Definitely.

- Yeah.

- I'd like to thank each and every one of you for being on the panel tonight.

We really appreciate it.

- Thanks, Brett.

- Thanks for having us.

- Thank you.

- Now our "Almanac North" team visited Savalja Yoga to speak with owner and therapist Kyle Leia Heyesen about the intersection of therapy and yoga and how mindfulness and being present can help lower anxiety.

- Hi, my name is Kyle Leia, and I'm the owner of Savalja Yoga Studio in Downtown Duluth.

(chimes resonating) So yoga and mindfulness are incredibly profound and powerful tools to manage stress and transform trauma.

Basically, when we are amidst stress, right, there's a stress response that happens in our bodies.

Cortisol is released in all kinds of different hormones and chemicals.

Our nervous system can go totally out of whack.

We can be in fight or flight, or total shut-down fawn mode.

All of those things can happen just as a result of regular, everyday stress, right?

And if you've experienced trauma, often what can happen is you can get stuck in one of those states on a perpetual basis.

And so yoga and mindfulness are really incredible tools that can help us regulate our nervous system and come back to center, find that sense of calm and peace, be more anchored, and be able to connect with others and ourselves, and be in our more rational brain so that we can see things more clearly and respond instead of react to the things that are happening in our lives.

I personally am a trauma survivor.

I live with complex PTSD.

However, yoga and mindfulness have really helped me function and be able to reclaim my life and my wholeness and myself in ways that I never imagined possible.

And I say yoga saved my life.

I really had debilitating mental health and anxiety, to the point where at one point I had really severe panic attacks and I almost became agoraphobic, which means that you are afraid to go out in public.

And coming into yoga, I felt so broken.

And, you know, like I used to say I'm a mental case.

You know, like I did not feel whole, stable, settled, connected in my being.

And I even struggled with suicidal ideation at different times, and considered, you know, attempting suicide.

And through the practice of yoga, as well as other wonderful interventions such as therapy and mindfulness, I finally recognized I am not broken, I am whole.

And I rediscovered that connection within myself.

So yoga means to yoke or to unite, and it's mind, body, spirit.

And it's a science of self-liberation as well, like liberation from suffering.

And so all of the different practices which span far beyond just like the physical practices, the asana we call it, it's philosophical, it's ways of seeing the world and understanding our human experience.

Through all of this, I finally had the inner experience, the felt sense of peace and calm.

And this essence, which is what we believe in yoga and other traditions as well, is like self with a capital S. It's our true self, it's our essence.

It's who we are, our wholeness, we are whole beings, is our birthright.

And it's about a remembering, a reclamation of that.

And so through these practices you can, you know, access that.

And I like to say the more we practice, the more we can access.

Meaning like the more you have that felt sense or experience of oh, I don't feel totally stressed out and dysregulated and angry and anxious right now.

I'm feeling a sense of peace and calm.

The more we do that, we build those pathways and the easier it is for us to go to that place, especially when we're confronted with difficulty and challenges.

So powerful, profound tools that can be really transformational.

And I believe and know that this is life or death stuff.

We need this.

It's critical in our world to have these kinds of tools and ensure access to people who are especially struggling.

You know, like a lot of yoga studios, and everyone has a business and they need to run the business, are not necessarily accessible.

It can be 20 to $25 to just take a class, right?

And so that can be really hard for people to access.

So what we're really about is going into the community and making those connections.

We offer free sliding scale just so that people can access.

The most powerful things is we often, if we're tied up in our stress and trauma and in this nervous system state that's really dysregulated, we miss so much about what's beautiful about life and the real good things that are present right now.

So it gives us more access to joy and pleasure and happiness that is possible, even in really dark and sad times.

- We are now joined by Jen Burleigh-Bentz and Daylen Moore to speak about the upcoming musical they will soon appear in called "Next to Normal," and how it opens dialogue about mental health.

Welcome to "Almanac North," both of you.

- Well, thank you.

- Thank you so much.

- Happy to have you here this evening.

So "Next to Normal," quite the production.

It first made its Broadway debut in 2009.

And then it actually won a Pulitzer Prize for drama in 2010.

It's an internationally known production.

What does it mean to bring it here to the Northland?

- Well, we were just talking about this earlier today, about the effects of musical theater, and kind of how they've been used throughout the years since, you know, as a very young type of theater, only really started in the 1940s to '50s to really get into everyone's homes and on the radio and that sort of thing.

And so talking about mental health being brought into the musical world, and that not really happening until the 2000s is kind of an extraordinary moment in musical theater.

So to be able to bring that here and to be able to talk about mental health, just one-on-one, let's talk about our disorders, let's talk about our challenges, is really amazing to be able to do with other artists, and now with audiences who are able to see themselves on stage.

- It really is such an important topic.

And how do you approach portraying characters with mental illness?

It can be difficult.

- Absolutely.

I mean, there's a level of self-defense you kind of have to put up when you're stepping into characters like this.

And a level of patience you have to have with yourself and self-awareness as well.

And you have to be able to strip down out of the character when you're not in the rehearsal room, and check in with yourself and with your fellow castmates as well.

- Wow, that's inspiring to hear that.

How do you think the relationship dynamics with the family reflect real-life experiences that many of the families maybe here in the Northland experience?

- Well, we were lucky enough to work with Michelle Sherman, who is a mental health specialist.

And she came in and talked to us about how families are informed by mental health disorders, how they have to deal with the challenges, day in and day out, whether or not they're the person dealing with it, or the family member that is working with someone who does have a mental health disorder.

And so being able to kind of dig into that with a mental health professional has been amazing for us.

Because it's diverse, it's multifaceted.

No person with bipolar disorder is the exact same as another.

So the challenges within that are actually really amazing to dig into, and also eye-opening to those of us who haven't lived with someone who has a mental health issue.

As an actor, it's a challenge that I've never really been able to have before.

And I think emotionally it's opened me up in an entirely different way than any role ever has.

- So it's also been a trying production for you as well, to learn.

- I mean, trying, challenging, it's probably the most challenging role I've ever had.

I don't know how you feel about it, Daylen.

- I feel similarly.

- Yeah, and Daylen plays my daughter, and I play Diana, who is the gal who does have bipolar disorder.

And so it's definitely the most challenging role I've ever had in that way.

And being able to dial back emotions that we might automatically have, a reaction to something that might happen, and try to relay that into who the character is that we're playing, the disorder that they have, the level of their disorder, where they are in their mania versus the depression.

It's extremely interesting.

And it's hopeful and it's funny and it's invigorating.

And to be able to create that here at the North Shore is crazy.

And people say you shouldn't say crazy, but if you have the disorder you can.

And so in our show we say crazy, we say insane.

We say all of the things that are not PC, because that's what people who live with these disorders oftentimes are not.

They don't get nonplussed by it.

It's very interesting.

It's kind of a slightly different universe to be allowed into.

And I feel extremely honored to be a part of it.

- I do like that you said fun.

It's not just a serious production.

You're also having fun.

- Yeah.

It's funny.

Daylen's role is crazily funny.

- So what do you hope the audience will take away from this production when they go and see it?

We're all gonna go see it, right?

- Please do.

We'll be excited to have you when you come.

- What will they take away from it.

I mean, we're talking about this location in Duluth specifically.

I think it's really important that we're doing it here, because this culture that we have in the Midwest of bottling the things that are troubling us and not talking to the ones that we love, I think something like this shows the sometimes chaotic consequences of doing that.

- Sure, the Minnesota nice, if you will.

- Right.

- Yeah.

- So I really think there's something that everybody can take out of it.

I mean, we tackle so many themes that are so taboo that so many people experience, whether they want to admit to themselves or others.

- Yeah, and how people can deal with that.

And not always in the best way.

And so it's funny, it's hopeful, it's rock and roll, like it's a rock musical.

I'm belting for- - You got me.

- Yeah, belting for the ceiling quite a bit.

But also, we were just looking at some of the information today about how in 2009 when it won the Tonys, it was up against "Billy Elliot," it was up against "Shrek," "Rock of Ages," and "9 to 5."

And the North Shore is familiar with all of those shows.

And so this one won.

- And now it's right here.

- So if you liked those shows, you should come and see this show.

- We are looking forward to it.

Thank you, Jen and Daylen, for being with us.

We appreciate it.

- Thank you so much.

- Thank you for having us.

- And if you or a loved one may be suffering from mental health or substance use disorders, please call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration's helpline.

It's at 1-800-662-HELP, or 1-800-662-4357 for 24/7-365 treatment, referral, and information.

Thank you for joining us on "Almanac North."

Maarja Hewitt continues her vacation next week.

I will see you another time.

Until then, have a wonderful evening.

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