Kelly Corrigan Wonders

Dr. Leanne Williams is determined to spare people the suffering she’s endured. Her partner of many years died by suicide after fighting a depression that resisted all treatment. She has devoted her life as a scientist at Stanford to applying the principles and tactics of precision medicine to depression, which she has categorized into sub-types (much as was done with cancer decades ago). Joining m...

Nancy Brown, a military spouse of 19 years, wrote this loving tribute for her two best deployment buddies. It honors the way the three friends formed one great big family while living through several deployments in Eastern North Carolina. Three women, no husbands and nine children all dressed in each other's hand-me-downs. On paper, they were more different than alike but maybe that's a more accur...

I’ve done it again. I accidentally saw the world through my own lens and forgot all the other ways life unfolds for the people who listen to this show. Thanks to a listener named Micah Boyett who sent a lovely piece of unmistakable feedback — coated in genuine kindness — I learned the lesson again. We really respect our listeners and find your emails invaluable as we steer this ship we’ve built. W...

How much can we blame DNA for our depression and anxiety? Is something about our mental health pre-written into our genetic code? How much trauma carries over from one generation to the next? How should we think about epi-genetics? These were 4 of the 20 questions I brought to Dr. Francis Collins, the guy who let the team that mapped the human genome. There’s two things I want to say about this ep...

Writer Courtney Martin wrote this loving, humorous tribute to her mother for her 75th birthday. Along with detailing some of her mom’s quirks that used to drive her crazy (but which at age 43 she now appreciates), Courtney also lovingly describes her many incredible qualities. (Previously aired) To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-po...

When my girls were young, I must have told them a hundred times: you get what you give. I believe it like I believe the sun will rise tomorrow. Chris Anderson, the genius do-gooder behind TED, believes it too. And with good reason. He’s seen generous giving pay off in big ways — giving his brand to TEDx conferences around the world, giving away TED speeches to anyone who wanted them online, giving...

Here’s why I had to sit with Dr. Dima Amso, who teaches and runs a lab that studies developmental cognition at Columbia: in a sea of hyperbole, she offers the voice of sanity and moderation, clarifying basic ideas like “good enough parenting.” For anyone who wonders how well-being is affected by our earliest childhood environments and relationships, this is the conversation for you. Please share w...

Michelle Hurst celebrates her husband and their marriage on the occasion of their 20th Anniversary. From 23 year-old newlyweds finding their way in the world to 43 year-old’s who have shared a puppy, kids, a mortgage and decades of meaningful memories - they have navigated it all together. (Previously aired) To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.c...

There is a lot to know about what makes love last. People like John Gottman and Helen Fisher have been studying sex, love and connection for decades. Here’s a few excellent ideas to hold on to as you live out the day to day of your core relationships. Very good episode to share with your partner. Will start a valuable conversation! (Previously aired.) Kelly mentions that our episode with Dr. Helen...

Is it nature? Is it nurture? Is it daily choices or the contexts we live in? What are the drivers of well being? This conversation kicks off a 10-part series of Being Well where we talk to the best researchers and scientists in the country about how to feel good about our lives and in our lives — what’s true and trustworthy and evident in the data … and what’s a bunch of Tik Tok nonsense. Today, w...

Kelly recently found an old letter (hidden away in a closet in Bozeman) that she had written to her mom, way back in 1991. It’s good to look back sometimes at old letters and half-finished journal entries and be reminded of who we were - and who we wanted to become. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad...

Observations on what cancer made visible to me. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kelly talks with New Yorker staff writer Jia Tolentino about identity, culture and the irresistable manipulation of the internet. Jia is a 32-year old intellectual phenom who just came out with her first book of essays called Trick Mirror. She's part feminist, part radical thinker and part cultural critic, and she has a lot to say about what it means to be human in today's world. (Previously aired...

Keith Romano wrote and delivered this eulogy for his father Patrick Romano, a lover of sports who believed that teamwork was always more important than talent. Keith honors his father’s uncompromising values and beliefs, his sense of humor and the example he set for his family…illustrated by the “no look pass” something Patrick always felt was the perfect intersection of teamwork, skill and grace....

Intuition. Wisdom. Time. These are just some of the assets the Badass Grandmas bring to their bipartisan work. This one is for anyone who needs a kick in the pants and a reason to believe tomorrow will be better than today. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/a...

There’s so many people who claim to be experts about family life. Dr. Lisa Damour is the real deal. This is one of the most useful conversations I have ever had on the podcast. Listen. Share. Listen again. It’s loaded with gems. (Previously aired) Check out Lisa’s book: The Emotional Lives of Teenagers - Raising Connected, Capable and Compassionate Adolescents. To learn more about listener data an...

Heather Clay submitted her magical, beautifully written essay “Elephants”, after a two-week trip to Africa. Part travelogue, part reflective journal entry, Heather details the sights, sounds and emotions from the trip of a lifetime. As much a trip to experience the beauty and majesty of Africa, it was also a chance for ten female friends to interrupt their normal, everyday, work/family lives and d...

Here’s a word that everyone is saying these days: mindfulness. I don’t totally know what it means, officially, but I have jerry-rigged a little process to help me mind the moment, to see the day for the small miracle that it is and enter it with intention — and it’s working for me. So, see what you think. And let me know if you have ideas or tweaks on Instagram. (Previously aired) To learn more ab...

Though we dream of big overhauls, national change often comes after many states and cities sprinkled across the country come to the same conclusion about what’s best. I loved talking to Josh Graham Lynn, who co-founded the bi-partisan organization Represent.us to fight corruption and fix America. In the decade they’ve been up and running, their work has focused on matching public support for a giv...

A letter from Kelly to honor the many special nurses who have provided care to her and the people she loves. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Here’s something I know for sure, as Oprah would say…the more specifically you can communicate, the more deeply you can connect. Today’s Go To is my case for reading more, taken from a TEDx Sonoma talk I gave 10 years ago. I stand by every word. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https:...

Every so often, Kelly Corrigan Wonders will make space in our feed for someone else’s podcast. In this case, Kelly is sharing an episode of To The Best of Our Knowledge. It’s a beautifully produced and fascinating episode about time - specifically about how the Earth keeps time and how we as humans relate to it. Enjoy. To receive a short set of our weekly takeaways in your email, sign up here. To...

Renowned educator Wanda Holland Greene joins Kelly to dig into finding common ground with absolutely anyone, even people we think we hate. They discuss the transformative power of discovering the many things we all share. To receive a short set of our weekly takeaways in your email, sign up here. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-p...

Three decades after graduating, Martha Zeeman wrote this letter of gratitude to Marsie, her randomly-selected college suite-mate at the University of North Carolina. After a bit of a rough start to her freshman year, Martha finally found her way thanks to the kindness and support of Marsie. This is the story of an enduring friendship and the magical surprise that was born of it 33 years later. To...

This is a counter intuitive idea that might not land for everyone but deserved to be shared for group consideration. I am very curious what you think so please write us at hello@kellycorrigan.com with your reactions. The concept here is at odds with recent conventional wisdom. I found it surprising but potentially powerful. For more, listen to episodes with Dr. George Bonanno and Dr. Samantha Boar...