Ruthless Compassion with Dr. Marcia Sirota

212 - Insights on Addiction with Dr. I. Michael Kaufmann

I. Michael Kaufmann MD Medical Director Emeritus, Physician Health Program, Ontario Medical Association Physician Health Consultant Author Dr. Kaufmann, a Fellow and life member of the College of Family Physicians of Canada, practised family and addiction medicine in rural Ontario for 14 years before becoming the founding Director of the Physician Health Program of the Ontario Medical Association in 1995. The PHP is a service to assist doctors and other health professionals with substance use problems, psychiatric disorders and other personal health challenges. He received certification in Addiction Medicine from the American and Canadian Societies of Addiction Medicine, and is a Fellow of the American and International Societies of Addiction Medicine. Dr. Kaufmann is the recipient of several awards for his work in physician health including a Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal, the Misericordia Award from the CMA and the Courage To Come Back award from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Dr. Kaufmann is also a life member of the Canadian and Ontario Medical Associations. Dr. Kaufmann retired as PHP Medical Director in 2017 and is now PHP Emeritus Medical Director and a physician health consultant, speaker, author and mentor. At home, he has turned his creative energies towards playing music and song-writing. In 2024 he published a book entitled Drugs, Lies & Docs: A doctor's memoir of addiction, recovery and more [https://imichaelkaufmann.ca/books]. He is also a contributing author to an anthology entitled When We Forgive [https://buy.bookfunnel.com/isij6z3lv0], published in 2026. Dr. Kaufmann and his wife, Judy, live in rural Ontario and together enjoy community volunteering, walks with their four-legged family members on their farm property and bringing people together for music and discussion in the barn that once housed their chickens and sheep. Website: https://imichaelkaufmann.ca/ [https://imichaelkaufmann.ca/]  LinkedIn @i. michael kaufmann [https://www.linkedin.com/in/i-michael-kaufmann-9344a833/] Book: Drugs, Lies & Docs - a doctor's memoir of addiction, recovery and more [https://imichaelkaufmann.ca/books]

211 - When Your Father is a Father with Tony Beadle

Tony Beadle grew up in a household full of music and pursued a career as a professional musician for sixteen years after which he enjoyed a career in performing arts administration for 30 years. He served in several positions at major US orchestras, including the Boston Pops, where he had previously performed. His upbringing was one that included a loving family life, but also was one of duplicity and hiding secrets to protect the reputation of the Catholic Church. myfatherthefather.com [myfatherthefather.com] His memoir: My Father, the Father [https://www.archwaypublishing.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/862392-my-father-the-father]

210 - Letting Go of the Shame of Addiction with Jowita Bydlowska

Jowita Bydlowska is the author of Unshaming [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/771472/unshaming-by-jowita-bydlowska/9780771020674] (March 2026). She is also the author of Monster [https://www.anvilpress.com/books/monster] (September 2024), Possessed [https://www.dundurn.com/books_/t22117/a9781459748071-possessed], the best-selling memoir Drunk Mom [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/220334/drunk-mom-by-jowita-bydlowska/9780385677806], and the best-selling novel GUY [https://bookstore.wolsakandwynn.ca/products/guy]. She's also a prolific short-story writer, journalist and a mentor. Her favourite review on Goodreads is a review of Possessed, which reads, "Jesus Christ." Her other favourite review is a one-star review of Monster, "If someone is interested in the sexual adventures of a mentally ill woman, this book is for them." Instagram: @jowitabot  [https://www.instagram.com/jowitabot?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==] www.jowitabydlowska.com [www.jowitabydlowska.com] The author of Drunk Mom continues her "bravely and beautifully told" story of alcohol addiction in this raw, unsparing memoir about shame and relapse (Lena Dunham) Honest and grimly funny—with actionable advice for readers of addiction memoirs like Brené Brown's Daring Greatly and Sarah Hepola's Blackout It's been over a decade since Jowita Bydlowska published her lightning rod of a memoir on overcoming alcohol addiction as a young mother. Both hailed and criticized for its no-holds-barred transparency, Drunk Mom was—and continues to be—refreshing and revelatory in its gritty exploration of addiction recovery and relapse in the context of new motherhood. But what happens after the last page is turned, after the "happy ending" of an addiction the world assumes is safely in the rearview? When Bydlowska relapses after the success of her book, her overwhelming sense is one of shame. She struggles to reconcile the knowledge that she's helped bring comfort and hope to countless readers with her own frustration and mounting fear that the truth will only let others down. In prose that's by turns harsh and beautiful, tender and devastating, she writes about her ensuing spiral into alcoholism—and the climb back up and out. With the same generosity and grim humor that made Drunk Mom a standout, Bydlowska uses her own story as a vehicle to interrogate and challenge the narrative surrounding addiction, exploring the ways in which the conversation has both evolved and stayed the same over the last decade.

209 - One Man's Experiences with Psychedelics with Mark A. Michaels

Mark A. Michaels identifies as an uncontrolled experiment. He belongs to the first generation of test tube babies, as so-called sperm donor offspring were known in the 1950s. He has published in a variety of fields, from law to ornithology to self-help, and has written for theater and film. He came of age at CBGB and Max's Kansas City in the 1970s. He is coming of age again at 66. Recent work has appeared or will be appearing in The Brussels Review, The San Antonio Review, Bitter Melon Review, Closed Eye Open, Quarter(ly) Review, and TrashLight. https://instagram.com/markamichaels/ [https://instagram.com/markamichaels/]

208 - A Simple Technique for Calming an Angry Person with Doug Noll

Doug Noll, JD, MA is a Distinguished Fellow of the International Academy of Mediators, the world's most prestigious mediation organization, and recipient of IAM's Syd Leezak Award of Excellence. Named California Lawyer Attorney of the Year (2012) and Best Lawyers in America Lawyer of the Year (2013), he was as a Purpose Prize Fellow for pioneering the Prison of Peace program, teaching emotional literacy to violent offenders in maximum security facilities over 10 years (2010-2020). As Adjunct Professor at Pepperdine University's Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution (ranked #1 in the nation), Doug teaches graduate courses on decision-making under stress and conflict resolution. Doug is the author of four books, including the bestselling De-Escalate (45,000+ copies, translated into five languages). Doug will be delivering a TEDx talk entitled "How to Listen Someone into Existence" at TEDxApex in Apex, North Carolina on April 18, 2026. Website: https://dougnoll.com/ [https://dougnoll.com/]  YouTube: @DouglasNollPeacemaker [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtAHXdBT1Y0Pl7SGrM_HcFw] ( https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtAHXdBT1Y0Pl7SGrM_HcFw )  Facebook: @doug.noll.52 [https://www.facebook.com/doug.noll.52] ( https://www.facebook.com/doug.noll.52 )  Instagram: @douglasenoll [https://www.instagram.com/douglasenoll/] (https://www.instagram.com/douglasenoll/) Promoting: Doug is promoting his book "De-Escalate: How to Calm an Angry Person in 90 Seconds or Less [https://a.co/d/00XUX0l1]" Link to Book: https://www.amazon.com/Escalate-Calm-Angry-Person-Seconds/dp/1582706557/ref=sr_1_1?crid=26I0P2YY0VUN8&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.KVkOHqUANXteSdM0uyY0ufzI4KVTqesyn86T82LqWa_UOEgcJz-hr7gOJp9_nICswaH9J3gDieAovc_Ju_JXUyFbbGGjAwxCTd6QaPK4CqWqxjIR9JgIpJqy4htL2b88NBRXmnPq4d9tTduIPOYRgMGW_fcdR-MbS-P1Ro13GfU.fiZO4TYsSTU80FsM2Dc1q9b0vKN3T2t_egkekaWoy4M&dib_tag=se&keywords=doug+noll&qid=1735287953&sprefix=doug+noll%2Caps%2C323&sr=8-1 [https://www.amazon.com/Escalate-Calm-Angry-Person-Seconds/dp/1582706557/ref=sr_1_1?crid=26I0P2YY0VUN8&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.KVkOHqUANXteSdM0uyY0ufzI4KVTqesyn86T82LqWa_UOEgcJz-hr7gOJp9_nICswaH9J3gDieAovc_Ju_JXUyFbbGGjAwxCTd6QaPK4CqWqxjIR9JgIpJqy4htL2b88NBRXmnPq4d9tTduIPOYRgMGW_fcdR-MbS-P1Ro13GfU.fiZO4TYsSTU80FsM2Dc1q9b0vKN3T2t_egkekaWoy4M&dib_tag=se&keywords=doug+noll&qid=1735287953&sprefix=doug+noll%2Caps%2C323&sr=8-1]