The Broken Brain

Debbie Ausburn is a social worker and the author of "Raising Other Peoples Children: What Foster Parenting Taught Me About Bringing Together A Blended Family." She shares her experiences as a Foster and Step Parent, and the lessons learned from successes and mistakes connecting and parenting children in situations where trust must be earned instead of assumed. Donate, participate, and promote The...

What kind of scary movies do you like? What type of storytelling do you find to be smart and compelling?  It's Halloween time, a time for spooky, scary stuff, and I am joined by two movie and Halloween experts, Dalin Rowell of "It's Reely a Podcast, and Isabel Teran of "Hearsing Around," and "That's Bodacious Dude! 80 Radical Movies from the Eighties." Visit www.becauseorganization.org to visit th...

Marcia Holt & Bill Cottringer return to the show to share details about the virtual walk/run fundraising event for The Because Organization, a nonprofit providing virtual and in-person services for survivors of Human Trafficking, and helping them to stabilize their lives vocationally, psychologically, medically, and in whatever other ways needed. Less than 8% of Human Trafficking related nonprofit...

The way in which we diagnose mental health conditions has been key to the treatment world. Much of this has historically been done through patient report and observable behavior. As time has gone by assessment instruments and tools have been developed to help, but the individual assessment will always be important. Dr Barry Herman, medical director for Mentavi, joins today to share information abo...

Dr Mary-Catherine (MC) MCDonald is a Research Professor, Trauma Recovery Expert, and the Author of "The Joy Reset." Her expertise is in the use of joy to combat the effects of trauma. Going deeper than just the philosophy of joy, she shares actionable techniques to reduce trauma symptoms. We also like & dislike some of the same trends in therapy.  Follow her work @mcphd on Instagram. Go to www.bec...

Remember "Harold and the Purple Crayon"? So does Dr Ross Ellenhorn, our guest today and the author of "Purple Crayons: The Art of Drawing a Life." Dr Ellenhorn uses the framework of the world of Harold and the Purple Crayon to showcase the importance of individuality and creativity when dealing with mental illness, addiction, and health.  The charity of focus this month is The Because Organization...

What kind of women characters do we find in Batman stories? How do they interact with Batman, The BatFamily, and the world of Gotham? Dalin Rowell, host & creator of "It's Reely a Podcast," joins me to discuss this year's Batman episode, where we focus on Characters such as Catwoman, Batgirl, Talia al Ghul, Baby Doll, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, and more! Including the under-discussed Andrea Beaumon...

Frank Forcich is a biologist and health educator. He teaches people to understanding life through the lens of what attributes human beings have as animals within the natural world, and to assess how we are influenced by health and habitat. His perspective helps to break down the things that influence the way we form culture, community, and how we make decisions on a group and individual level. Lea...

Shyam Madiraju is the writer & Director of "55," a modern Dickensian story set in Mumbai, India. It tells the story of a young pickpocket who faces hard decisions about survival, morality, and what power we have over our own lives. Look for the film streaming on Video On Demand, and follow Shyam's work on Instagram @mad_n_shy The highlighted nonprofit this month is Akshaya Patra, an NGO based in I...

Bill Combs is the Author of the novel, "The Quantum Gate," (and its upcoming sequel). An adventure story in the spirit of Indiana Jones, Da Vinci Code, Stargate, this novel is a story of trauma and redemption, with riddles, treasure hunting, and mystical elements. He joins the podcast to share this story and his approach to creating realistic characters facing mystical situations, and how people r...

The second half of the 4th Annual Live Stream for International Overdose Awareness Day. In this segment of the stream Dwight and Isabel Teran are joined by the Reels of Justice Podcast hosts to discuss addiction, engagement with life, and cultural/societal elements of health. Ryan Luis Rodriguez, Robb Maynard, Ben Haslar, and Dylan Schlender have a vulnerable and open discussion about their own ex...

This is the first half of the Annual Live Stream for International Overdose Awareness Day, 2025. Join hosts Dwight and Izzie as we look at how Engagement & Avoidance factor into addiction. In Part one we are joined by Chris Revill and Mike Lundsford.  Please support & share our highlighted charity of the month, Akshaya Pahtra, a NGO in India providing hot midday meals to provide incentive and supp...

Monday Mental Health Tip Time, talking about the human tendency to wait to act until we feel sure of success, and what that can cost us in experiences.  Big thank you and shout out to the folks who appeared on and helped the Live Stream for Overdose Awareness yesterday. That audio will be showing up in the feed soon.  Thanks to: Isabel Teran, Ryan Luis Rodriguez, Robb Maynard, Ben Haslar, Dylan Sc...

Tomorrow will be the Broken Brain's 4th annual Live Stream for Overdose Awareness! Go to www.dwighthurst.com/live to WATCH live, on YouTube FB or Linkedin, or you can JOIN the live stream with me! Links and details all at that page. 

Dr Alessandra Seggi is a Professor of Sociology and Crimonology for Villanova University, and Author of the book "Youth and Suicide in American Cinema: Context, Causes, and Consequences." She talks about the ethics and effects of depictions of suicide, the possible positive applications, processing emotions, as well as the risks. With suicide being such a huge risk for youth, this is an important...

Author, educator, and Behavioral Psychology expert Dr John Demartini is a survivor. Faced with literacy & academic challenges, physical injury, and a period of homelessness as a youth, he learned to overcome obstacles by finding opportunities within struggle. He teaches others how to reframe traumatic events to aid personal development, to "send us ON the way, not be IN the way." Learn more about...

MJ Renshaw is a breathwork trainer, podcast host, and author of the book "How To Cry." She helps individuals use spirituality, breath, and somatic techniques for emotional regulation and healing. Drawing from her own experiences with Trauma, she shares her experiences of trauma, healing, and learining to help others. Follow her work at www.beingmethod.ca and check out her podcast "The Being Method...

Over 30 million people in the USA have a diagnosable eating disorder, with many going undiagnosed, and even more having distorted thoughts about food and body issues. Mallary Tenor Tarpley is the author of the new book "Slip: Life in the Middle of Eating Disorder Recovery," (RELEASED TODAY!) where she shares information about the genetic influences on eating disorders, how our brain changes both w...

Holy cow! The upload on Monday didn't work, so this is now a mid-week mental health tip! This episode is setting the stage for the Live Event coming up on 8/31, for International Overdose Awareness Day. Go to www.dwighthurst.com/live for the sweet details.  Last chance to sign up and have 50% of your Patreon donation each month go the Learning Works of Maine. www.learningworks.me will take you to...

Shai Tubali is a specialist in meditation, mental flexibility, and the modern application of ancient philosophies. He is also the author of the new book: Your Chakra Personality, in which he details ways that people use the philosophy of Chakras in healing. He also shares the dangers of comparison and how to find healthy tension in our lives. Follow his work at www.shaitubali.com Learning Works of...

Ann Russo is a clinical social worker, therapist, and founder of AMR Therapy & Support Services. She specializes in healing religious trauma, client empowerment, and inclusivity in mental health. Ann is a strong advocate for all survivors within marginalized communities. Follow her work at www.amrtherapy.com Visit www.dcoffeyfoundation.org to support this month's highlighted nonprofit, helping you...

Dr Jo-Ann Finkelstein is a Psychologist and Author. Her new book, "Sexism & Sensibility: Raising Empowered, Resilient Girls in the Modern World," helps parents and young women to face toxic messages about body image, femininity, and sex. Follow her work at www.joannfinkelstein.com .  Our charity of focus this month is Learning Works, a delightful nonprofit aiming to help adults & youth in Maine wh...

Anxiety magnifies and distorts worries, making them seem even more urgent than they are. One technique to mitigate this is to look at underlying assumptions and expectations about our lives and duties.  The highlighted charity this month on the podcast is Learning Works, a nonprofit dedicated to providing academic assistance to those who might otherwise fall through the cracks of the educational s...

Psychology is primarily a study of understanding why we do things. This is an important part of measuring, predicting, and providing treatment for aspects of behavior. The question of how to accurately study this behavior and how to use it ethically is the work of today's guest.  JonRobert Tartaglione uses social and psychological research to help decison-makers in political movements, nonprofits,...

Dr Steven Lazar is a pediatric neurologist specializing in detection, diagnosis, and management of neurodevelopmental disorders. He is also the Medical Director of Neonatal Developmental Follow-Up Clinics for Texas Children's Hospital, and is here today to teach us about modern understanding and study of ADHD and Autism, and his focus on individualized and strength-based treatment.  With so much m...