Brewing Wellness

Brewing Wellness is a podcast created by the UFT Member Assistance Program to support the well-being of public school educators and the social-emotional health of their students.

Brewing Wellness is all about brewing the conversation with fellow educators. We cover everything from mindfulness meditation to confronting substance use – either your own, your students or a loved one — to navigating interpersonal relationships in challenging times.

A new episode is released on the final Monday of each month.

Listen to Brewing Wellness wherever you get your podcasts. It’s available on iTunes, Spotify, YouTube Podcasts and SoundCloud.

Seasonal Affective Disorder: How to Identify and Cope With It

Dec 30, 2024

Do the short winter days leave you feeling down? Join Dr. Gail Brightwell, a licensed school psychologist with the Positive Learning Collaborative, to learn about the impact of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and how the changing seasons can affect our mental health. In conversation with the UFT Member...

Understanding & Managing Perfectionism

Nov 25, 2024

Do you always sweat the small stuff? Hold back until everything is just right? Let small flaws ruin the big picture? Listen in as Debbie Missud, licensed mental health counselor and owner of the Manhattan Psychotherapy Collective, discusses perfectionism with the UFT’s MAP team. Missud explains why people tend to...

Literature as Healing: The Art of Bibliotherapy

Oct 28, 2024

Happy National Book Month! Celebrate with the Brewing Wellness Podcast as we discuss the power of literature in healing and personal growth. Sherry Reiter, LCSW, a “poetry therapist” and founder of the Creative Righting Center, talks with Vincent Corletta, an ELA teacher from Queens, about practical strategies...

Navigating Seasonal Changes

Sep 30, 2024

In the Season 6 premiere of the Brewing Wellness podcast, Jessica Torres, a licensed master social worker with the Victim Support Program, talks with District 11 Representative Dana Falciglia about navigating the transition into a new season. Listen in as they discuss both the highs and the lows in the change of season...

UFT + Vibrant: About our 24/7 mental health helpline

Aug 26, 2024

We chat with Carleton Archer, the vice president of operations at Vibrant Emotional Health, about the UFT’s exciting new partnership with Vibrant. This collaboration has launched a 24/7, year-round mental health support line for UFT members. Listen in as we discuss the importance of this new initiative and...