Conversations with Toi

This season opener of Conversations with Toi is all about preparing your mind, your heart, and your emotional toolkit for fall therapy — whether you’ve been in therapy for years or you’re considering starting for the very first time As the days get shorter and the pace of life shifts, fall brings its own emotional landscape. In this episode, I’m breaking down the key themes you should bring into your therapy sessions this season: noticing early signs of seasonal depression, navigating holiday pressure, naming grief that resurfaces, slowing down with intention, and building a fall self‑care plan that actually supports you.I’m also sharing personal reflections on what I’m bringing into my own fall therapy work, because healing is seasonal — and we grow best when we grow honestly.If you’re ready to enter fall with more clarity, more grounding, and more emotional awareness, this episode is your starting point. Explore related themes • seasonal depression • holiday boundaries • emotional inventory • seasonal self-care Follow me on socials as Toitimblog and on the blog www.toitime.org

In this bonus episode of Conversations With Toi, we sit down with Dr. Susan Lloyd, retired Superintendent of Schools, whose extraordinary commitment to one student changed the way an entire community understood compassion, advocacy, and educational access. Her relationship with the Massi family began when their daughter, Makenna, was diagnosed with cancer in elementary school — and instead of treating her education as a logistical challenge, Dr. Lloyd made it her mission to preserve Makenna’s connection to her classmates, her learning, and her sense of normalcy. Long before virtual learning became part of everyday life, Dr. Lloyd collaborated with hospital staff, teachers, and administrators to create innovative educational pathways for Makenna during treatment. When Makenna returned to school with a feeding tube, Dr. Lloyd wrote a heartfelt letter to students and parents that helped ease her transition and foster understanding. And when Makenna’s cancer returned, she found another groundbreaking solution: a robotic device that allowed Makenna to attend classes remotely from her hospital bed — a cutting‑edge approach that kept her engaged with her peers through seventh and eighth grade. After Makenna’s passing, her father, Rich Massi, founded the Fight On Makenna Foundation, transforming grief into purpose and building a community-driven organization that supports families navigating pediatric cancer and loss. One of their signature events, the Bite for the Fight Food Festival, has become one of the region’s most anticipated charitable gatherings. This year’s festival takes place Saturday, September 19th, from noon to 4 p.m. at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks — bringing together restaurants, breweries, wineries, and hundreds of supporters to honor Makenna’s legacy and uplift families facing unimaginable challenges. We also take time in this episode to talk about self-love, especially the kind rooted in discipline — the daily choices, boundaries, and habits that reflect how deeply we value ourselves. As we prepare to shift into fall vibes and a new season of intention, this conversation is a reminder that showing up for yourself is one of the most powerful forms of love you can practice. For more wellness and mental health conversations, visit www.toitime.org and follow me on all socials at @toitimeblog. And if you’re local, make sure you grab your Bite for the Fight tickets for September 19th — your support truly makes a difference.

A cancer diagnosis can turn a young adult's world upside down in an instant. In this episode, we highlight the inspiring work of the Stephen E. Codella, MD Memorial Foundation and its mission to bring comfort, support, and human connection to young adults undergoing cancer treatment at Fox Chase Cancer Center. After the loss of Stephen E. Codella, MD, who was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma at age 31 and passed away in 2022, his family transformed their grief into meaningful action. Dr. Catherine Codella, Stephen's mother and Co-Founder and Vice President of the Foundation, partnered with her sister, Christie Nicolaides, the Foundation's Artistic Director, to create a unique initiative centered on thoughtfully curated comfort gifts for young adult cancer patients. Inspired by the sneakers Stephen loved when he was 14 years old, the Foundation created special slipper gift bags carefully assembled with personal touches, including yellow bags and ribbons recognizing sarcoma awareness and gift tags sharing Stephen's story. The goal was simple yet powerful: to let patients know they are not alone. We discuss how this initiative began, the impact it has had on recipients, and how a small gesture can make a meaningful difference during one of life's most challenging moments. From the first distribution of 60 slipper bags to the expansion into Wawa gift certificates and portable activity kits filled with watercolor sets, puzzles, and journals, the Foundation continues to honor Stephen's legacy through acts of kindness, dignity, and compassion. Join us for a moving conversation about resilience, family, community, and the importance of caring for the whole person, not just the illness. To learn more about the Stephen E. Codella, MD Memorial Foundation, support its mission, or make a donation, visit: Stephen E. Codella, MD Memorial Foundation As always you can follow me on the blog, www.toitime.org and on all socials as @toitimeblog

In this episode of Conversations With Toi, we’re sitting with a story that’s heartbreaking, infuriating, and deeply familiar to anyone who has lived through postpartum depression or supported someone who has. Hayden Panettiere’s death has reopened conversations about how poorly society responds to postpartum mental health — not just in the moment, but long after the headlines fade. I talk about the resurfaced clips of Hayden being fired from Neutrogena because she was struggling with postpartum depression, and how even now, the public response feels muted, sanitized, and disconnected from the real weight of what she endured. As someone who started my content creation journey speaking openly about postpartum depression, this hits close. The dismissal, the lack of care, the way her pain was treated as an inconvenience — it’s a pattern too many women know firsthand. We also get into the truth about “the village.” The village needs to tighten up. Not in theory, not in hashtags — in real, tangible ways. And yes, spouses are part of that village. Partners can be support, but they can also be triggers. We’re talking about accountability, emotional labor, and the responsibility to show up for someone who is drowning, not just when it’s convenient. This episode is a call for compassion, awareness, and action. Postpartum depression is not a storyline. It’s not a brand issue. It’s not something women should have to survive alone. Hayden deserved better. So do the women living this right now. Follow me across all platforms @toitimeblog and visit www.toitime.org for more conversations on wellness, intentional living, and the realities we need to stop whispering about.

In this episode of Conversations with Toi, we’re breaking down functioning depression — what it is, how it shows up, and why so many people miss the signs in themselves and others. We talk about emotional masking, over-functioning, the invisible load people carry, and accessible ways to begin supporting your mental health with intention. This is a reminder that even when you’re “doing it all,” you still deserve care. For more mental health and wellness content, follow me on Toitime.org and on all social platforms as @toitimeblog