Choose Love Movement

Scarlett’s guest is Garrett Lavallee, principal and director of special education at Spaulding Academy & Family Services in Northfield, NH. Garrett wanted to go into social services to help children in need and carry on his family legacy at Spaulding which has been serving children who have dealt with child abuse and neglect for 150 years. His dad worked there for forty years so this school ha...

Scarlett and her mom, Maureen Lewis, Jesse’s Nana, discuss a powerful tool Maureen used with her kids consistently when they were growing up. ‘Here’s what you could have said,’ or done differently when you are in a reactive mode, and feeling angry or sad. This provides an opportunity for a thoughtful response and a positive resolution rather than escalating a conflict. The Choose Love Movement tea...

Scarlett’s guest, Rick Osborne, is a former gang member who spent 25 years in the penitentiary and the past decade working with at-risk youth. Though he grew up in a loving family, one poor decision led him down a path of heroin use, gang involvement, incarceration, and trauma. Today, Rick speaks to young people about the real dangers of drugs, gangs, and prison, using a unique approach that incor...

Scarlett Lewis speaks with Nadine Miles, who introduces Functional Medicine and explores what it means for our overall wellness journey. Together, they discuss how this approach can transform the way we understand and support our health—shifting from reactive care to intentional, preventive living. They also explore the importance of taking personal responsibility for our wellbeing in all aspects...

Scarlett Lewis and her mom, Maureen Lewis, Jesse’s Nana, talk about how people come in, and out of your life, and how it’s similar to being a bus driver watching people get on and off your bus. It is a loss when people leave your life and there is a period of grieving, but it is important to appreciate the ride that you had with them. We are responsible for our own life and making ourselves happy....

Scarlett Lewis and Shannon Desilets, program director of the Choose Love Movement for the state of NH, speak with Dan Jewiss, founder and president of The RAK Academy, about school safety. Dan Jewiss is a retired Trooper and Detective of the Connecticut State Police. Dan and his co-instructors teach audiences easy to understand strategies to save lives in Active Killer incidents.  The RAK Academy’...

Scarlett Lewis’ guest is her childhood friend, Kristen Deitz, who discusses candidly and openly about her journey with her daughter and her early diagnosis of autism. Researching and advocating, she found a community and opened the doors, literally, and figuratively, to help others. Kristen discusses the methods she used and incorporated to produce incredible outcomes that can help many other pare...

“Healthy brains means a healthy humanity.” Scarlett Lewis is joined by Dr. Kate Truitt, clinical psychologist, applied neuroscientist, and internationally recognized expert in the fields of stress, trauma, and resilience. She is the author of “Healing in Your Hands,” a groundbreaking book about trauma. Dr. Truitt has dedicated her life to advancing the treatment of trauma and stress-related disord...

In this episode, Scarlett Lewis speaks with Aaron Stark, a mental health advocate who planned but did not follow through with a school shooting in 1996. Aaron’s TED Talk, ‘I Was Almost A School Shooter,’ has over fifteen million views. In this episode, Aaron gives valuable insight on the pain that turns children into cold blooded killers. He talks with Scarlett about his childhood, being homeless,...

Scarlett Lewis reflects on the past ten years of the Choose Love Movement which was started to honor her son, Jesse. Jesse was murdered in the Sandy Hook tragedy. Since that day, Scarlett has dedicated her life to keeping our kids safe in schools and advocating for their health and wellbeing. Listen to the key points Scarlett has learned during the last decade spent researching ways to be part of...

Scarlett speaks with Lisa MacKenzie, our Choose Love CA ambassador and one of our curriculum writers for the Choose Love for School Program. While piloting the original Choose Love Enrichment Program several years ago, Lisa discusses how she has taught Choose Love programming to her students with 'Nurturing, Healing, Love.' Lisa has used choose love to successfully stop the school to prison pipeli...

"I'm in my office chair upside down and they are screaming. Another bomb! Another bomb! And I think that I am going to die." Scarlett Lewis speaks with Amy Downs, author of Hope is a Verb: My Journey of Impossible Transformation. Amy was one of the last survivors to be pulled from the rubble of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing in which a total of 168 people were killed including 18 of her 33 co-work...

Scarlett Lewis speaks with Melanie Hempe, founder of ScreenStrong. Melanie shares the journey of her son’s screen addiction to video games and why she started this foundation to empower parents to delay toxic technology. She educates parents on helping kids to break bad screen habits and how to reclaim your kids from screens. Parents need to know which screens are okay for kids and which are toxic...

Lt. Col. Dave Grossman is the founder of a new field of scientific evidence termed ‘killology’ which has made contributions to not only our understanding of killing in war, but “the root causes of the current ‘virus’ of violent crime that is raging around the world and the process of healing the victims of violence, in war and peace.” Dave and Scarlett discuss children’s access to violent video ga...

Scarlett Lewis speaks with actress Eva LaRue about navigating grief after the loss of her ex-husband, John Callahan during the pandemic and helping her daughter, Kaya, process her own grief. Scarlett talks with Eva about how to move through and process grief. Scarlett and Eva talk about the Choose Love Formula (Courage+Gratitude+Compassion-in-Action=Choosing Love) and how forgiving yourself and fe...

Scarlett Lewis speaks with Lenny O’Keefe about his Cops and Canines program. Lenny and his dog, Liberty, visit schools for special events, classroom visits or stopping by to read a book. Lenny has a message that goes along with Liberty’s visit and that message is Choose Love. Lenny knows that the unconditional love we receive from our pets is something that fits right in with the pillars of the Ch...

Scarlett Lewis and Kristine Carlson discuss loss and the importance of moving forward, carrying our loved ones with us and returning to joy to experience life. Kristine is the co-author with her late husband, Dr. Richard Carlson of the New York Times bestselling Don't Sweat the Small Stuff books. She was featured as the subject of a biopic Lifetime movie based on her book, Heartbroken Open: A True...

"Bullying is not acts of cruelty; it's the omission of kindness."  That is a powerful statement from Jodee Blanco, activist, widely respect expert on bullying and author of the New York Times Bestseller Please Stop Laughing at Me: One Woman's Inspirational Story. Scarlett Lewis and Jodee have an eye-opening conversation on the subject of bullying.  As the  first survivor o...

In honor of Autism Awareness Month, Scarlett has a candid conversation with her friend, Judy Thomas, who is an advocate for autism.  Judy shares her son Lyle's journey after he was diagnosed with a pervasive development disorder.  She defines the disability disorder, shares Lyle's experiences in school, and points out the need for change in the school system to better serve children who...

Scarlett chats with Lyle Vetare, a young man with Autism, who works at a local hotel.  They have an honest conversation about his experiences in school, both the good times and the bad. Lyle shares how he was bullied by other students and how it made him feel a lot of sadness. With insight and intelligence, Lyle explains ways people can make life better for people like him. The biggest piece...

"Love Wins."  That's Julia Richter's mantra in life.  After discovering the Choose Love Movement, Julia says her life was transformed, and now as Director of C.A.R.E.S. (Cultivating Authentic Relationships in the Education System), she's helping educators improve their well-being, cultivate authentic connections, support the needs of their students, and create a safe and loving environme...

Scarlett and TJ Stevens, author of Once a Shooter: Redemption of a High School  Gunman , continue their riveting conversation on this second part of their podcast.  They share insightful personal stories and discuss effective ways we can help kids take responsibility for their lives through music, religion, love, hope, and essential coping skills. They agree that children...

Last year, Scarlett had a compelling conversation with TJ Stevens, author of Once a Shooter: Redemption of a High School Gunman. Stevens talks openly and honestly about how he was a high school shooter at a Virginia high school in 1982 and recounts the events of the hostage standoff where no one was injured except himself.  This very emotional discussion delves into the inner turmoil Stevens...

The importance of compassion in our lives. This is just one compelling topic Scarlett Lewis delves into with Dr. Spyros Smith in this extremely informative podcast. Dr. Smith, a former Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, has been practicing hospital internal medicine for 20 years at Danbury Hospital in Connecticut where he served as its Chief of Hospital Medicine, and is now Medical Director...

"Believe in your dreams and rise above obstacles."  Those are inspiring words from Steve Pemberton, best-selling author of "A Chance in the World" and "The Lighthouse Effect," a visionary youth advocate, acclaimed speaker, and Chief People Officer for Workhuman.  Scarlett has a powerful conversation with Steve about their shared experiences through trauma. Growing up in the foster care s...