Black & Brown Mountain Town copertina

Black & Brown Mountain Town

Black & Brown Mountain Town

Di: Paulina Mendez & Philip Cooper
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Black & Brown Mountain Town is hosted by community health worker Rev. Philip Cooper, CCHW IV, CHW-VPP, CPSS, and therapist Paulina Mendez, LCSWA, LCASA.

Together, we explore mental health through both clinical and communal approaches to healing. Drawing from our professional and lived experiences, we have honest conversations about identity, belonging, community, systems, and the many ways people heal.

This podcast grew out of years of working together and asking the same question: What conversations about mental health are we missing?

We're professionals, but we're also friends. So expect thoughtful conversations, plenty of laughter, and the occasional tangent.

Welcome to Black & Brown Mountain Town.

All rights reserved. Igiene e vita sana Psicologia Psicologia e salute mentale
Episodi
  • Who Decides What's Normal?

    Who Decides What's Normal?
    Oct 23 2026

    Who decides what's normal?

    We don't live in culturally neutral spaces. So whose values shape what we consider healthy, successful, or normal, and what happens when those values become the standard for everyone else?

    In this episode of Black & Brown Mountain Town, Paulina and Philip explore cultural humility, liberation psychology, and the ways culture, history, and power shape our understanding of mental health. Through personal stories, humor, and reflections on faith, identity, and community, they invite us to question our assumptions, stay curious, and recognize the many ways culture can support healing.

    Reflection: What's something you've been taught is "normal" that you've come to question?

    Resources

    • Writings for a Liberation Psychology - Ignacio Martín-Baró
    • White Supremacy Culture - Tema Okun


    If you or someone you care about needs additional support, crisis, mental health, community, and culturally responsive resources are included below.

    YOU DON’T HAVE TO CARRY IT ALONE

    If today's conversation brought something up for you, know that you don't have to carry it by yourself.

    If it feels safe to do so, consider reaching out to someone you trust; a friend, family member, neighbor, faith leader, therapist, or another supportive person in your community. Sometimes simply letting someone know you're struggling can be an important first step.

    If you don't know who to reach out to, or you need support right now, the resources below are available.

    IF YOU NEED IMMEDIATE SUPPORT

    Emergency

    • Call 911 if you or someone else is in immediate danger.
    • If the emergency involves a mental health crisis, you can ask the dispatcher if a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) officer or other specially trained crisis responder is available. Availability varies by community, but CIT-trained officers have additional training in responding to behavioral health crises.
    • Or go to your nearest Emergency Department.

    988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

    • Call or text 988 (available 24/7)
    • Español: Press 2 when calling or text AYUDA to 988.
    • You do not need insurance, identification, or immigration documents to contact 988. Most people who reach out are connected with a trained crisis counselor, and the vast majority of conversations are resolved without involving emergency services.

    Crisis Text Line

    • Text HOME to 741741
    • Español: Text AYUDA to 741741

    BlackLine

    • Call 800-604-5841
    • Peer support centered on Black, Black LGBTQ+, and Black femme communities while welcoming BIPOC callers.

    The Trevor Project (for LGBTQ+ young people)

    • Call 866-488-7386
    • Text START to 678-678

    Trans Lifeline

    • Call 877-565-8860
    • Peer support run by trans people, for trans and questioning people.

    LGBT National Hotline

    • Call 888-843-4564

    WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA RESOURCES

    View From Here WNC

    Looking for other mental health resources? View From Here WNC connects people across Western North Carolina with local mental health services, crisis resources, and wellness organizations by county.

    https://www.wnchn.org/view-from-here-wnc-mental-health/

    Mobile Crisis Management

    888-573-1006

    A mobile crisis team can come to you if you're experiencing a behavioral health crisis and need in-person support.

    Behavioral Health Crisis Center (C3)

    356 Biltmore Ave.

    Asheville, NC 28801

    Walk-in behavioral health crisis services for adults experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis.
    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    1 ora e 21 min
  • Who Knows When You're Not Ok?

    Who Knows When You're Not Ok?
    Sep 25 2026
    Tell me more.What happens when someone finally tells us they're not okay?Paulina and Philip talk about what makes it easier, or harder, to tell the truth about mental health, including stigma, culture, gender, faith, institutional mistrust, confidentiality, and fear of what might happen after we ask for help.They also introduce a simple way of thinking about our own well-being: knowing when we're green, recognizing our yellow, and building support before we reach red.At the center of it all is a question about how we care for one another: can we stay curious long enough to say, tell me more?Reflection: Who can you tell the truth to when you're not okay - and do the people you love know what your "yellow" looks like?Resources: Soul Shop - Suicide prevention education and training for faith communities Know Your Yellow Worksheet - A reflection worksheet for identifying what green, yellow, and red look like for you and who is in your support systemKnow Your Yellow One Pager - A more concise version of the worksheetIf you or someone you care about needs additional support, crisis, mental health, community, and culturally responsive resources are included below. YOU DON’T HAVE TO CARRY IT ALONEIf today's conversation brought something up for you, know that you don't have to carry it by yourself.If it feels safe to do so, consider reaching out to someone you trust; a friend, family member, neighbor, faith leader, therapist, or another supportive person in your community. Sometimes simply letting someone know you're struggling can be an important first step.If you don't know who to reach out to, or you need support right now, the resources below are available.IF YOU NEED IMMEDIATE SUPPORTEmergencyCall 911 if you or someone else is in immediate danger.If the emergency involves a mental health crisis, you can ask the dispatcher if a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) officer or other specially trained crisis responder is available. Availability varies by community, but CIT-trained officers have additional training in responding to behavioral health crises.Or go to your nearest Emergency Department.988 Suicide & Crisis LifelineCall or text 988 (available 24/7)Español: Press 2 when calling or text AYUDA to 988.You do not need insurance, identification, or immigration documents to contact 988. Most people who reach out are connected with a trained crisis counselor, and the vast majority of conversations are resolved without involving emergency services.Crisis Text LineText HOME to 741741Español: Text AYUDA to 741741BlackLineCall 800-604-5841Peer support centered on Black, Black LGBTQ+, and Black femme communities while welcoming BIPOC callers.The Trevor Project (for LGBTQ+ young people)Call 866-488-7386Text START to 678-678Trans LifelineCall 877-565-8860Peer support run by trans people, for trans and questioning people.LGBT National HotlineCall 888-843-4564WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA RESOURCESView From Here WNCLooking for other mental health resources? View From Here WNC connects people across Western North Carolina with local mental health services, crisis resources, and wellness organizations by county.https://www.wnchn.org/view-from-here-wnc-mental-health/Mobile Crisis Management888-573-1006A mobile crisis team can come to you if you're experiencing a behavioral health crisis and need in-person support.Behavioral Health Crisis Center (C3)356 Biltmore Ave.Asheville, NC 28801Walk-in behavioral health crisis services for adults experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis.
    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    1 ora e 21 min
  • What If You Didn’t Have to Earn Rest?

    What If You Didn’t Have to Earn Rest?
    Sep 11 2026

    What if you didn’t have to earn rest?

    Paulina and Philip unpack self-care beyond productivity, consumption, and one more thing to add to the to-do list. They talk about rest, boundaries, capacity, honoring the seasons we move through, and finding small openings for care in the middle of real life.

    Because maybe caring for ourselves isn’t separate from caring for our communities. Maybe it’s part of how we remain present for them.

    Reflection: What would it look like to trust that caring for yourself isn’t separate from caring for your community, but one of the ways you remain present for it?

    Resources:

    • Audre Lorde, A Burst of Light: And Other Essays
    • NAMI Western Carolina

    

    YOU DON’T HAVE TO CARRY IT ALONE

    If today's conversation brought something up for you, know that you don't have to carry it by yourself.

    If it feels safe to do so, consider reaching out to someone you trust; a friend, family member, neighbor, faith leader, therapist, or another supportive person in your community. Sometimes simply letting someone know you're struggling can be an important first step.

    If you don't know who to reach out to, or you need support right now, the resources below are available.

    IF YOU NEED IMMEDIATE SUPPORT

    Emergency

    • Call 911 if you or someone else is in immediate danger.
    • If the emergency involves a mental health crisis, you can ask the dispatcher if a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) officer or other specially trained crisis responder is available. Availability varies by community, but CIT-trained officers have additional training in responding to behavioral health crises.
    • Or go to your nearest Emergency Department.

    988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

    • Call or text 988 (available 24/7)
    • Español: Press 2 when calling or text AYUDA to 988.
    • You do not need insurance, identification, or immigration documents to contact 988. Most people who reach out are connected with a trained crisis counselor, and the vast majority of conversations are resolved without involving emergency services.

    Crisis Text Line

    • Text HOME to 741741
    • Español: Text AYUDA to 741741

    BlackLine

    • Call 800-604-5841
    • Peer support centered on Black, Black LGBTQ+, and Black femme communities while welcoming BIPOC callers.

    The Trevor Project (for LGBTQ+ young people)

    • Call 866-488-7386
    • Text START to 678-678

    Trans Lifeline

    • Call 877-565-8860
    • Peer support run by trans people, for trans and questioning people.

    LGBT National Hotline

    • Call 888-843-4564

    WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA RESOURCES

    View From Here WNC

    Looking for other mental health resources? View From Here WNC connects people across Western North Carolina with local mental health services, crisis resources, and wellness organizations by county.

    https://www.wnchn.org/view-from-here-wnc-mental-health/

    Mobile Crisis Management

    888-573-1006

    A mobile crisis team can come to you if you're experiencing a behavioral health crisis and need in-person support.
    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    59 min
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