In today’s episode, I’m joined by mental health counselor and advocate, Taylor Nolan.

Taylor is a Seattle native who appeared on Season 21 of The Bachelor, where she popularized emotional intelligence, and then was on Season 4 of Bachelor in Paradise. 

Since appearing on The Bachelor franchise as a reality TV personality, Taylor has expanded and transitioned her brand into being a podcast host. In December 2017, Taylor launched the Let’s Talk About It with Taylor Nolan podcast. 

As an alumna from Johns Hopkins University with an M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Taylor is helping spread awareness and breaking the stigma around mental health and taboo topics.

Through both her time as a reality TV personality and hosting her podcast, Taylor has connected with America and her followers with her courage to tackle uncomfortable and controversial topics, and her passion for mental health advocacy. Taylor’s other passions include environmental sustainability and animal rescue.

I first heard of Taylor when I listened to her on another podcast and I was so excited to reach out to her. As you’ll hear in the conversation, we share a lot in common and it was really fun to share insights and experiences and learn more about all that she’s done and continues to do.

In today’s conversation, we talk about how Taylor creates boundaries between other people's emotions, experiences, opinions and her personal energy or professional work; how she’s learned to let go of other people’s opinions of her and show up as her authentic self; and her experience of growing up biracial in a white family.

We also talk about:

• Her psychotherapy practice and what drew her to the work in the first place
• Why she applied to be on The Bachelor and why it ended up actually being a traumatic experience — and why she decided to go back for Bachelor in Paradise
• What she posted during Black History Month that had me in tears, and the work she’s done to accept the parts of herself she’s rejected
• How we’re both reconnecting with our naturally curly hair and why that’s been such an important journey
• . . . and so much more!

This is another conversation that was recorded back in early April and, as all we know, so much has changed in our country and in the world in the months since then. 

But even back in April, this was a really special conversation where we touched on topics that still feel relevant and important today. Our conversation around being biracial was especially important and impactful to me.

Taylor is an incredible advocate and resource of information and insight, as both her podcast and her Instagram consistently feature the sometimes uncomfortable, but always important conversations around what’s happening in this moment and what it’s like to be human through all of it. 

After you give today’s episode a listen, I hope you’ll go follow Taylor and her work, because she really is doing incredible things in the world and I feel grateful to have shared this conversation with her.

Thank you, as always, for listening — I hope you enjoy the show!

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Follow Taylor:

• Instagram
• Let’s Talk About It Podcast

Other Notable Links:

• Daring Greatly by Brene Brown

CREDITS

Editing & Sound Engineering: Jordan Johansen

Music: “Kenton” by Dr Crosby (Licensed via Marmoset)