Peak Mind Psychology
We have a new wellness crush! The women behind Peak Mind Psychology, April Seifert and Ashley Smith, have blown us away with their insightful approach to mental health. We discovered them through their podcast, Building Psychological Strength, and we are now bringing them on the road with us as we continue to provide corporations with mental health workshops to help employees feel happier, healthier and more productive. We were keen to hear more about how Peak Mind Psychology evolved and had the chance to chat with these inspirational ladies.
Food + Mood NYC: What motivated you to launch Peak Mind Psychology and what is your mission?
April Seifert and Ashley Smith: Both of us know first-hand that it is possible to thrive through adversity and grow in spite of life’s challenges. Ashley has a rare, degenerative vision condition. She is legally blind, and her vision continues to degrade over time. April lost her father to colon cancer at a young age and has been living with Multiple Sclerosis for over 25 years. The key thing that allowed both of us to thrive in spite of challenges and adversity was our training in Psychology.
Ashley and I met while both of us were pursuing our doctorates in Psychology, and after seeing how impactful our training was in our own lives, we knew we had to help push this valuable information and these powerful techniques out into the world. Peak Mind was born out of that mission.
We like to say, your mind can be your most valuable asset or your biggest barrier, and you get to choose. We want to help people turn their minds into a powerful asset.
F+M NYC: What types of programming do you offer?
AS + AS: We offer a number of programs for individuals available on our website. From our mini-course Self-Care [by design] to our signature program Ascend, people can find resources to meet their needs on our website.
We also work with corporate clients offering in-person and virtual workshops, custom content, assessment, and program development.
F+M NYC: We are huge fans of your podcast. What topics do you explore?
AS + AS: Thank you! *blush* The Building Psychological Strength podcast is a passion project. We’re just finishing up our 5th season, and we explore the nature of our minds, how they work, and how they help shape our life experience. Our goal is to bring real, evidence-based, effective tools to people in a way that helps them live their lives more fully and experience true joy and less suffering.
April Seifert and Ashley Smith
F+M NYC: Is there anything in your personal lives, particularly adversities, that you have learned to use as a tool to maximize your psychological strength?
AS + AS: Ashley’s experience with increasing blindness has been an ongoing process of learning to cope with uncertainty and adversity. Each time her vision shifts, she has to learn new ways to move through her personal and professional life.
April’s experience with Multiple Sclerosis is also a lesson in accepting the unpredictable nature of life. She has gone blind twice (both times her vision came back), been paralyzed multiple times, and has experienced many other difficult symptoms.
In both of our cases, our health conditions have allowed us to grow in our ability to accept uncertainty. We both have a much deeper appreciation for the joy in life, because we know it isn’t guaranteed.
F+M NYC: Besides your focus on mental health, how do you take care of yourselves holistically?
AS + AS: Wow, do we love this question! Ashley has been on a multi-year quest to try one new thing each and every week. No joke! Whether it’s a new food, a new location, or a new form of martial arts, Ashley makes it her mission to try one new experience each week and has kept it up for over 3 years now!
April’s passion lies in the yin and yang of a daily mindfulness/meditation practice coupled with pretty serious weight-lifting. Did you know that she’s a former competitive powerlifter? (Story for a different day). It’s true that the body-mind connection is a strong one, and April’s physical practice supports her overall wellbeing.
To learn more about Peak Mind Psychology visit https://www.peakmindpsychology.com/ and click HERE to listen to their insightful podcast.
