Arash's World Podcast

Dr. Tiffanie Tate joins me here on Arash’s World as a true “multi-hyphenate” i.e. physician, author, playwright, veteran officer of the US Navy, ordained minister, soccer Mom referee, radio personality, and much more to discuss her children’s book Perfectly Perfect and the deeper message behind it. At the heart of our conversation is a powerful idea: children do not have to earn their worth. Dr. T...

What happens when a successful engineer with patents, promotions, and all the outward signs of achievement realizes he’s still deeply unhappy? In this episode, licensed experiential therapist, contemplative teacher, and founder of Unbreakable Inc., Joe DeNicholas , shares the powerful story of how a panic-inducing moment in the tech world became the catalyst for a complete transformation. His jour...

Bestselling author and former Canadian Army reserve medic Brent van Staalduinen joins me here on Arash’s World to discuss The Peace Thieves , his novel about a peacekeeping mission in Croatia and the personal fallout that follows. He explains the book’s dual narrative between Francis, a reserve medic deployed in 1993, and Viva, the daughter he never knew and how that structure helps reveal the gap...

In this episode of Arash's World Podcast, I have the great pleasure of speaking with the amazing Leslie Lee Sanders regarding the personal and cultural forces that inspired her memoir, Ready to Listen?: A Spiritual Self-Help Memoir . Leslie reflects on finding her voice as a Black woman in publishing, moving beyond silence and people-pleasing, and using spirituality as a path toward empowerment an...

In this episode of Arash’s World, I have the pleasure of speaking with Psychiatrist and Relationship Expert Dr. Laura Dabney and author of “ I Need You… Now Go Away!: Reclaiming Your Life When Someone You Love Has a Personality Disorder ” where she reframes personality disorders not as “types of people,” but as a core emotional conflict: an almost phobic push–pull between closeness and distance. D...

In this episode of Arash’s World, I have the pleasure of speaking with Ellis Scott , a debut novelist of sharing his unconventional path to publication, which includes beginning his writing career at 55 after early retirement due to illness following decades spent delivering humanitarian aid in conflict zones. Now 62, he is the author of Night Terminus, a novel that confronts one of our most devas...

In this episode, I’m joined by Poet Kathryn MacDonald to discuss her hybrid poetry collection The Blue Gate , a book-length lyric poem that moves from love into loss and grief, with its central section of a serendipitous month-long trip to Kenya shortly after her husband’s death. Kathryn explores recurring motifs of rain and water as bountifulness amid drought, and red-tailed hawks as a metaphor f...

In this episode, I have the great pleasure of speaking with University of Alabama Professor and Author of Sitting with Elephants: Lessons in Humility from the African Bush Dr. Ron Dulek who shares how a life devoted to teaching led him to an unexpected second classroom: the African Bush! In fact, he recounts how a desire to “squeeze the juice” out of life pushed him and his wife to buy a remote ho...

In this episode, I have the pleasure of talking to Stacey Nye , Co‑Creator of The Fix Code , for a deep and personal conversation about healing, consciousness, and lasting inner change. Stacey shares her journey from personal crisis to co‑creating a rapid, intuitive self‑healing method alongside her business partner, Daniel Flear, whose decades of study in hypnotherapy and NLP with a pivotal spiri...

In this episode, I have the great pleasure of talking to Hattie Myers and Aneta Stojnić , two key figures behind “ Room: A Sketchbook for Analytic Action ,” a psychoanalytic magazine and community as well as a recipient of the prestigious Sigourney Award . Our conversation explores the origins of “Room,” which was founded after the 2016 U.S. presidential election to provide a space for analysts to...

In this episode, I have the great pleasure of speaking with Kasia Van Schaik , a writer, professor, and artist, discusses the central themes of her book/memoir “ Women among Monuments: Solitude, Permission, and the Pursuit of Female Genius .” We explore what it means to live a creative life, especially as a woman, and the ongoing search for permission both societal and self-given to pursue artisti...

In this episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Darla Nelson , a Christian life coach and the author of “ I’m Fine. Really?: Moving from Stress and Anxiety to Peace and Calm .” We discuss how the phrase “I’m fine” often masks deeper struggles, and on the importance of being honest with ourselves and others about our true feelings. Furthermore, we explore vulnerability, especially in close re...

In this episode, I have the great pleasure of speaking with behavioral expert, certified dementia practitioner and trainer Lisa Skinner about her book “ Truth, Lies, and Alzheimer’s: Its Secret Faces .”  We dive into the complexities of Alzheimer’s and dementia, challenging the common myths that surround these conditions while also acknowledging that Alzheimer’s and dementia are often misunderstoo...

In this episode, I have the great pleasure of speaking with veterinarian, author, surfer, and lifelong wellness advocate Dr. Doug Coward as he shares his remarkable journey from wildlife medicine to holistic pet care. We talk about his book, Healing Both Ends of the Leash , and how real food, compassion, and individualized care can transform the health of both pets and their humans. In fact, a sim...

In this podcast, I have the great pleasure of speaking with Siri Hustvedt , a best-selling writer, novelist, and scholar who has received the 2025 Sigourney Award for her innovative and outstanding contributions to the field of psychoanalysis. We explore how psychoanalytic concepts, particularly those of Sigmund Freud and D.W. Winnicott, inform Hustvedt's work and personal life as well as the role...

In this episode, I have the great pleasure of speaking with Silvana Rea, associate editor of the Latin American psychoanalytic journal Caliban , which has been one of the recipients of the prestigious 2025 Sigourney Award . As Silvana explains the journal’s mission is to advance Latin American psychoanalytic thought through a multilingual platform balancing Portuguese and Spanish and embracing div...

In this episode, I have the great pleasure of talking with bestselling author and forensic psychologist S. A. Stolin who shares insights into her personal journey and creative process as an author. At 82, Stolin emphasizes the importance of lifelong contribution and transformation, drawing from her experiences as an actress, psychologist, and writer. Moreover, she discusses how her background in f...

In this episode, I have the great pleasure of speaking with Sean Paul Bedell , whose experiences as a paramedic and fire service captain deeply inform his writing. Sean discusses how his novel " Shoebox " captures the gritty realism of a first responder’s life, blending personal and professional challenges with moments of hope and resilience. Through our discussion, we recognize the emotional comp...

En nuestra entrevista del ganador del Premio Sigourney 2025 , María Luisa Silva relata la transformación de la revista Calibán , órgano oficial de la Federación Latinoamericana de Psicoanálisis, que en 2012 adquirió una identidad editorial propia y una voz distintiva y creando una nueva personalidad. De hecho, el nombre "Calibán", inspirado en el personaje de Shakespeare, simboliza el impulso de d...

In this episode, I have the great pleasure of speaking with award-winning filmmaker Nick Davis about his fascinating and moving documentary This Ordinary Thing . Nick Davis shares the inspiration behind the film’s title and its focus on the everyday heroism of ordinary people who risked everything to help others during one of history’s darkest chapters. Through vivid storytelling and personal anec...

In this episode, I have the great pleasure of talking to world-renowned social psychologist, professor, and bestselling author Dr. Roy F. Baumeister about his book, The Science of Free Will: Bridging Theory and Positive Psychology . Dr. Baumeister explains that while philosophers have long debated whether free will can exist in a deterministic universe, psychology approaches the question different...

In this episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with lawyer, judge, and Professor Brian Muldoon about his fascinating novel, The Luminous One: The Making of a Messiah . We talk about the so-called "lost years" of Jesus, the 18-year gap in the Gospels between Jesus’ childhood and the start of his ministry. Brian’s novel imaginatively fills this gap, following a young Yeshua (Jesus) as he journeys...

In this episode, I have the great pleasure of speaking with my friend and fellow writer Pat Sullivan about her witty workplace satire In the Frame . Her book is set in a fictional Toronto Art Gallery called Toronto Art Gallery (TAG) and offers a behind-the-scenes look at the art world. Instead of the usual and commonplace art world tropes of heists and forgeries, Pat’s book draws on her own galler...

In this episode, I have the great pleasure of speaking with Brad Buchanan , a retired English professor and now a full-time writer, who has faced significant personal challenges, including surviving two bouts of blood cancer and a difficult stem cell transplant. These experiences have profoundly shaped his perspective and writing, leading him to manage a chronic illness while continuing to pursue...

In this episode, I have (yet again!) the great pleasure of speaking with licensed therapist and pilot Michaela Renee Johnson on her book 7 Primal Wounds: Break the Patterns Keeping You Stuck  and its connection to aviation. Michaela recounts the challenges and emotional highs she experienced during her 13-day journey across the country for her aeronautical book tour in a vintage warbird by the nam...