It's More Complicated Than You Think

Episode 16: Healing a Nation - Part 2: How to Fix It

This week, Phyllis Leavitt rejoins the show to cover part two of our conversation on "Healing a Nation." She has been a psychotherapist for 30 years, and the Co-Director of a sexual abuse treatment program before going into private practice treating children, adults, couples, and families. She also has a new book coming out, “America in Therapy.” The answers to the country’s turmoil are already known and used effectively in psychotherapy – and most of it contradicts the beliefs and interactions that dominate our country today and continue the cycle of abuse, discrimination, violence, and war. We talk about this and many other interesting things on this episode so tune in! Find Phyllis on social media: Website: https://phyllisleavitt.com/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRMX8JYZZm4wpzFbcFIV13w Twitter: https://twitter.com/PhyllisLeavitt2

Episode 15: Breaking the Stigma of Mental Health

In this episode, I'm joined by mental health advocate, Momma Foxfire. She is the host of the live show, “Even Tacos Fall Apart,” promoting honesty and support for mental health. The show is inspired by Momma’s own experiences with depression, anxiety, and PTSD from an abusive marriage. Momma is a single mom, maintains a full-time job, and spreads non-toxic positivity through various social media, mental health and gaming communities. More than focusing on psychiatric conditions, Momma mostly helps people with self-improvement issues: anger management, chronic pain, domestic violence, grief/loss, low self-esteem, parenting, etc. And she came to the show today to talk to us a little bit about her journey and her experience. Find Momma on social media: Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/mommafoxfire Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mommafoxfire/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MommaFoxFire/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/momma-foxfire-3667a1262

Episode 14 - Consult with Erin Riley

This episode's guest, Erin Riley, worked in the music industry for 40 years, choosing hit records for America’s #1 rock & roll radio station, WMMR-FM, serving as Executive Director for the GRAMMY organization, and hanging out with rock stars like Keith Richards, Steven Tyler, James Taylor, and Jon Bon Jovi. But her colorful, raucous, rock & roll life hid dark secrets. Growing up with an alcoholic father and fashion model mother, Erin was an emotionally neglected child. She had no experience with love and healthy relationships. The marriage she thought would be her happily-ever-after led to 20 years of confusion, heartbreak, anger, and betrayal, which she describes in a compelling book, A Dark Force: 20 Years with A Covert Narcissist. Erin never saw herself as vulnerable to an emotionally abusive partner. But the reality is there is no profile to the type of person who ends up in an emotional, verbal, and/or physically abusive relationship. We talked about how that can happen and how to avoid these relationships.

Episode 13: What Unites Us

The Covid pandemic reminded us that, regardless of where in the world we come from, we are all human. We need air to breathe, and food and water to sustain us. And there's one other thing all human beings have in common: emotions. Unfortunately, we live in a society that minimizes mental health, so most people go through life driven by emotions they’re not even aware of. When you acknowledge your feelings, you can be proactive rather than reactive. This is how you make healthy decisions. Wesley Jackson is a phenom of the human condition. At a relatively young age and without any formal training in psychology, Wesley Jackson has pinpointed the source and solutions for our individual and collective suffering. He is now channeling his knowledge into “Surviving Humanity: A Self-Help Podcast,” which he co-founded with Andrew Gillie. The podcast helps listeners overcome obstacles in their lives through what they call “authentic narrative.” Quoting the podcast, “Humanity has never been more connected yet divided.” Exactly. Thanks to the internet and digital devices, we can educate and collaborate across the globe. However, digital devices also isolate and distract us, and unconsciously impair our mental health. In this episode, we talk about the power of connection, authenticity, and shared humanity. Wesley shares his personal story and how, through self-exploration, ancient philosophy and therapy, he began to heal.

Episode 12: The Science of Feelings

Society tends to treat feelings as a nuisance or weakness – something to talk yourself out of or “overcome.” Rarely do people stop to think about where feelings come from. After all, we know there aren’t little people in our heads telling us what to do. In fact, how you perceive the world around you and how you respond is determined by chemicals, circuitry, and electrical impulses: that is, the brain. If you doubt this, I have a question: have you ever had a dream so vivid you woke up thinking, “Wow that felt so real?!” That’s bc you believe whatever your brain tells you. Feelings are more complicated than you think. Ignoring the neurobiology of feelings is like trying to teach a class of students who speak a foreign language you don’t know. You will misinterpret and mismanage them. The more we understand the science behind feelings, the more empowered we are to make good decisions, personally and culturally. Our guest, Dr. Mark Williams, is a cognitive neuroscientist with over 25 years of experience conducting behavioral and brain imaging research on emotions, learning and human interaction. He runs programs on the neuroscience of learning and emotions, how our brains create our reality, and the impact of digital devices on our brains. He has a book coming out in August, called “The Connected Species: How understanding the evolution of our brain can change the world.”