Mentally STRONG with Dr. B
About Dr. B
Dr. Cristi Bundukamara, Ed.D., PMHNP has been a psychiatric nurse practitioner since 2000, gaining extensive experience over the last several decades. Her medical career began as an Army Medic before attending nursing school and receiving a master’s degree as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner at Florida International University (FIU). She went on to receive a doctorate in Education at Nova Southeastern University. From there, she launched the first Mentally STRONG Clinic in Colorado Springs, CO which is committed to access and serves over 7,000 patients. Today, when she’s not at the clinic attending to her patients, Dr. B dedicates a large portion of her time to speaking about mental strength, sharing her proprietary Mentally STRONG Method, and providing tips for developing mental strength.
Episodes
291 episodes
Beyond Grit: How to Build Capacity, Organize Thoughts & Choose Clarity with Dr. B
For years, many of us believe that showing up means using every ounce of grit we have to keep pushing forward. But grit alone just keeps you holding your breath, waiting for the next storm to pass. Real strength isn't about enduring constant ov...
Real Bravery, Cognitive Capacity & Peak Performance: The Mentally STRONG Method
Real bravery is not the absence of fear—it is knowing exactly why you are afraid and systematically organizing your mental load to make effective choices under pressure. Built specifically for high-performing leaders, the Mentally STRONG Method...
Maintaining Internal Calm, Breaking Reactive Patterns & The Mentally STRONG Method
It is one thing to hold it together in front of the world, but another to maintain internal calm behind closed doors. After navigating profound loss, Dr. B shares why you cannot simply throw away the heavy pieces of your story, but instead must...
Structural Grief, Stored Trauma & The Mental Health Flywheel: Dr. B's Healing Strategy
As a psychiatric nurse practitioner for over 25 years, Dr. B had all the academic knowledge and coping mechanisms in the book. However, navigating profound loss, family health trials, and the weight of traumatic grief revealed that conventional...
Overcoming the "Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop" Feeling, Sobriety & Facing Grief: Mary Going’s Story
When everything in your life finally goes right, do you find yourself waiting for something to go wrong? In this deeply honest conversation, Dr. B sits down with Mary Going, founder of Bicycle Accounting, to discuss her 22-year journey of sobri...
Overcoming Caregiver Burnout, Toxic Resilience & Chronic Depression: Pam Sandler’s Story
When we go through heavy trauma or the continuous, exhausting cycle of caretaking, people love to throw clichés at us claiming "everything happens for a reason" or "this will just make you stronger." But the truth is, we all have an absolute br...
Reprogramming Your Mind for Success, Overcoming Early Anxiety & Young Entrepreneurship: Julissa Bruzon’s Story
When you look at someone experiencing massive success at a young age, it’s easy to assume they have it all figured out. But behind the business metrics is often a very real, exhausting battle with anxiety, self-doubt, and the pressure to perfor...
Chemical Imbalance vs. Survival Response: Navigating C-PTSD, Bipolar & Self-Agency
Have you ever looked at the anxiety, depression, or chaos in your mind and wondered if it’s a chemical imbalance or a survival response to what you’ve been through? In this Q&A episode, Dr. B addresses a letter from a high-functioning survi...
Overcoming Burnout, Rebuilding After Loss & Becoming the CEO of Your Life: Hülya Kurt’s Story
In this conversation, Dr. B sits down with global career coach Hülya Kurt, who built her career from secretary to corporate manager before completely reinventing her life following redundancy and the sudden loss of her husband.Together, ...
Why "Time Heals All Wounds" Is a Lie (And What Actually Works)
We’ve all been told the lie that time heals all wounds, but if you are carrying a deep emotional wound, you know that simply letting days pass doesn’t stop the pain. After losing her three children and her husband, Dr. B learned firsthand that ...
Overcoming Severe Loss, Healing Trauma & Reclaiming Self-Love: Dr. Ava Cadell’s Story
When life hits you with profound loss, deep trauma, or the lingering impact of childhood shame, it’s easy to lose your identity in the chaos. While we are often taught how to perform in our daily roles, we rarely learn how to cultivate mental s...
Navigating Divorce, Rebuilding Identity & Processing Betrayal: Dr. B's Recovery Framework
Whether a divorce hits like a sudden shock or follows a slow breakdown, the pain of navigating a split is real and deep. In this episode, Dr. B strips away generic relationship advice to address what it truly means to cultivate mental strength ...
High-Functioning Anxiety, Overcoming "Freeze" & Generational Healing: Amy Jackson’s Story
In this conversation, Dr. B sits down with Amy Jackson, founder and CEO of Talesplash, to address the heavy, silent burden of carrying high-functioning anxiety while building a successful career and family. So many of us are experts at "white-k...
Overcoming Burnout, Trauma Recovery & Vision Crafting: Allison Maslan’s Story
When everything in your life or business feels like it’s falling apart, how do you find the mental strength to keep going? In this deeply raw conversation, Dr. B sits down with serial entrepreneur and Wall Street Journal bestselling au...
Overcoming Survival Mode, Capacity for Grief & Community Support: Amanda’s Story
Do you ever feel like you’re just trying to keep your head above water, constantly living in "survival mode" and waiting for the other shoe to drop? In this episode, Dr. B sits down with Amanda (MA in Professional Counseling) to explore how we ...
Raising Resilient Kids & Managing Parental Anxiety: Dr. B's Guide to Authentic Parenting
Raising kids who are authentic, resilient, and comfortable in their own skin feels like a massive, complicated task especially when you’re navigating your own hardships. Having raised seven children (five adopted and two biological) through per...
Navigating Grief, Trauma & Fighting Through the Weight of Loss: Dr. B's Reset Framework
I’ve had many moments where I just wanted to run times when the weight of the "fight or flight" response felt like it was going to swallow me whole. After losing my three children and my husband over the course of 20 years, I had to learn how t...
The Myth of Grit, Healing from Abuse & Financial Wellness: Edija Šaripova’s Story
In this episode, Dr. B sits down with Edija Šaripova (CPA and Financial Advisor at Denver Wealth Management) to explore the deep connection between mental, physical, and financial well-being. Born in Latvia and migrating to the U.S. in 2001, Ed...
Finding Your Authentic Self & Overcoming Rock Bottom: Frank’s Story
I’ve spent my career helping people navigate the darkest corners of their minds and the heavy weight of grief, but every so often, I meet someone whose journey reminds me exactly why we do this work. Frank Sinclair is one of those people, and h...
Bipolar Diagnosis & Finding Your Authentic Self: Sean’s Story
Whether we’re in front of the camera or behind the scenes in a high-pressure job, many of us carry an internal dialogue telling us we aren't enough. In this episode, Dr. B sits down with filmmaker and clinical social worker Mari Moxley to peel ...
Bipolar Diagnosis & Finding Your Authentic Self: Sean’s Story
Register for our free training today: join.mentallystrong.com/mentallystrongtrainingDBSA Colorado Springs - www.dbsacoloradosprings.orgDBSA national - www.dbsaliance.orgSean Sindler is a retired Air Force veteran. He was med...
Bipolar Diagnosis & Finding Your Authentic Self: Sean’s Story
Register for our free training today: join.mentallystrong.com/mentallystrongtrainingDBSA Colorado Springs - www.dbsacoloradosprings.orgDBSA national - www.dbsaliance.orgSean Sindler is a retired Air Force veteran. He was med...
Why Your Brain Stays in "Survival Mode" (And How to Stop It)
🧠💪join.mentallystrong.com/mentallystrongtrainingI’ve spent years in the mental health space, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that we often confuse "grit" with simply burying our pain. Today, I’m sitting down with Nicole Weis...