It's Donna in the Driveway

Send us Fan Mail A life-changing “yes” doesn’t always come with a plan or even a passport. Sometimes it begins with a dream...quite literally.   Jamie L. Nappi joins us in the driveway to tell the story of how an unexpected invitation to travel to Vietnam open her ideas about facing fear, leadership, and what it really means to learn from another community. Her guiding mantra from Thich Nhat Hanh...

Send us Fan Mail Your body keeps score long after your shift ends and sometimes it forces you to listen. I’m joined by Shantice Wright, a Trenton raised social worker, quality assurance analyst, doctoral candidate in social work and human rights leadership, and the founder of Wright Holistic Realms LLC, to talk about what it really costs to stay on autopilot in high stress helping professions. Sha...

Send us Fan Mail A lot of people assume that when the time comes, end-of-life care will simply be there: a safe place, the right meds, and someone to guide the family through. The reality can be far harsher. We’re joined by Alison “Ali” Kepple, MSW, LSW, ACHP-SW, a certified hospice and palliative care social worker, end-of-life doula, and psychopomp, to name what too many patients and families on...

Send us Fan Mail What if the most misunderstood diagnosis in mental health is also one of the most treatable when we get the language, skills, and alliance right? Today we sit down with Ivelisses Cooke, LCSW, SIFI, C-DBT, and doctoral candidate—who brings both professional expertise and lived experience to a candid, compassionate look at borderline personality disorder (BPD). We start by naming th...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, my mentor, colleague, and friend, Dr. Michael Kaufman, MSW, reflects on his journey as a helping professional and educational and organizational leader.  Dr. Mike has worked in psychiatric settings, schools, and clinics, with Veterans, with people with PTSD, abandoned children, and, of course, in special education, while mentoring many people along the way. His fo...