OnTopic with Empathia

What happens when a life-altering medical crisis forces you to completely reinvent who you are? In part two of our conversation with author John Sebald, we dive deep into the emotional aftermath of trauma and the surprising burden of survival guilt. John shares how he shifted his mindset from being a victim to embracing a new identity as a guide for others as we explore the profound, brain-wiring...

Life can change in an instant. For John Alan Sebald, that instant came on Valentine’s Day in 2021 when he tragically choked and suffered a non-shockable form of cardiac arrest right on his kitchen floor. Minutes away from being gone for good, a series of extraordinary miracles and fast-acting first responders brought him back to life. But as John quickly learned, walking out of the hospital was on...

Wellness is often treated as a destination we "arrive" at, but in reality, it is a practice built through small, consistent actions. In this episode, host Kelly Parbs continues her conversation with Robert Biggs to explore how sustainable wellness is achieved by bridging the gap between physical health and emotional resilience. Tune in to hear Robert's share his personal 'renaissance' story when h...

In a world where the word "wellness" is thrown around as a marketing tagline for everything from apps to spiritual retreats, it’s easy for the true meaning of health to get lost in the noise. Join host Kelly Parbs, a licensed clinical social worker, as she sits down with Robert Biggs, wellness expert and account manager at Wellworks, to strip away the jargon and uncover what it actually takes to b...

In this follow-up to our heartwarming sit-down with Jess and Paige, we dive deeper into the logistical and emotional hurdles that define the surrogacy journey. While their story resulted in the birth of sweet baby Dawson, the path was paved with high-stakes medical prep, ethical dilemmas, and a literal blizzard. From spicy confrontations with hospital triage teams to a three-hour dash through a sn...

Life rarely follows the script we’ve written for ourselves. In this moving episode of OnTopic with Empathia, host Kelly Parbs sits down with Jess and Paige, two women whose lives became inextricably linked through an extraordinary surrogacy journey born out of resilience and faith. Following Jess' stage four triple-negative breast cancer diagnosis, the odds of giving her daughter a sibling were as...

Forgiveness isn't just a choice - it's a daily exercise. That's how Dr. Buck Blodgett sees it anyway - the founder of the LOVE>hate project, Dr. Buck and his team have been working in prisons all over the country to offer inmates a new lease on life. In Part Two of their conversation, Buck reveals a few key stories from real inmates inside the program, and how just two simple steps in practicin...

Everybody deserves a second chance... right? It's easy to say mistakes happen when it comes to the little things, but some times events transpire that can often feel unforgivable. Just take it from Dr. Buck Blodgett - keen listeners may recall his last appearance on OnTopic when he and Kelly talked about the tragic events that led to him starting The LOVE>hate Project, an organization dedicated...

How do you take care of an aging parent? What about your own future? As we age our bodies tend to break down, unless we start to take the steps necessary to keep us going. In Part Two of their conversation on aging and elder care, Kelly and Carrie Crawley reveal a few key methods to ensuring you can take care of your loved ones in an affordable, accommodating manner regardless of their situation,...

Caring for aging loved ones is one of the most meaningful, and often one of the most challenging roles any of us will take on. It raises questions about health, independence, finances, and how to balance caregiving with the rest of life. And while every family's journey looks different, the need for support and good information is universal. Just take it from Carrie Crawley, an elder care and agin...

Are you a born leader? Alan Mikolaj isn't sure anybody is. In fact, he's got the research to prove that NOBODY is born to be a leader, because leadership isn't a genetic trait - it's a learned skill that anybody can manage, if taught under the right conditions. Alan returns to the podcast to talk about what leadership researchers James Kouzes and Barry Posner discovered in their findings to help d...

Being a leader is harder than it looks. It's a demanding and isolating job, with immense pressure and a constant need to adapt. Just take it from Alan Mikolaj - he's a leadership and organizational development consultant, executive coach and the author of “Stress Management for the Emergency Care Provider” and “The Change: Insights into Self-Empowerment," who works with people in high impact roles...

Walk the talk! It's a simple phrase, but what does it really mean? And more importantly, does it apply to you or the leadership at your organization? This idea of aligning your actions with your words is one that executive Coach Ken Jenkins was introduced to early in his career, and it's a principle he's lived by ever since. Today, we continue our conversation with Ken, diving deeper into what it...

Think back on your career. Have you ever worked under a leader who struggled to communicate clearly? Maybe you found it difficult to follow their direction because the direction itself wasn't clear. Or perhaps you are the leader facing a major organizational change, feeling uncertain about how to guide your team through it. If any of this sounds familiar, it might be time to consider working with...

Social Media companies have all but perfected the art of the infinite scroll. On average, every time you pick up your phone you'll end up spending upwards of 20 minutes, mindlessly sacrificing your time - and your sense of accomplishment - with just a single tap. Natural Empathic doctor Heather Dreske returns to the podcast to reveal a few key ways you can ground your senses, plant your feet, and...

A recent Harvard study found that 73% of Americans experience loneliness. What's got everybody down? Heather Dreske might just have the answer - she's a natural, empathic doctor with expertise in family medicine, psychology, and holistic wellness. Heather and Kelly dig into the number one source of loneliness, anxiety, and depression in America - technology, and more importantly, our phones and th...

Grief isn't something you just 'get over', and it's not something you can expect people to move past. It's an emotion that deserves understanding - one that lies under nearly every aspect of our world today. For some it can be more affecting than others. Just take it from Natalie Sanchez - picking up where they left off last week, Natalie and Kelly dig into the support systems Natalie's built into...

Grief is an intense and complex emotional response to loss, but its impact extends far beyond mental and emotional distress. Just take it from Natalie Sanchez - the author of 'The Language Of Loss' and 'Becoming Human', Natalie developed a deep relationship with grief after losing her father in 2018. Kelly and Natalie dig into that relationship - and how Natalie managed to find joy in her journey...

Laughter isn't just a reaction - it's a resource; one that can go a long way, especially when life feels heavy. And the best part is, we can choose it. Just ask Kody Green - known online as the Schizophrenic Hippie, Kody's amassed over a million followers on TikTok and Instagram by sharing his story and advocating for just a little more lightheartedness when times are tough. Kody and Kelly pick up...

It's a phrase we've all heard before - "Laughter is the best medicine" - but how does one go about finding the humor when tragedy strikes? Kody Green might have the answer - having been diagnosed with undifferentiated schizophrenia at 21, Kody's built a platform on apps like TikTok and YouTube by sharing his experiences through a comedy lens. He's also the author of "Minds Over Meetings: A Persona...

Getting a college degree has always been difficult, but in the age of COVID, smart-phones, and bubble-wrap parenting, some might say it's harder now than ever before. Just take it from Meghan Becker - she's the Director of Student Care and Well-Being at Baylor University, where she heads up the Care Team, Baylor's unique departmental solution to providing mental health resources to over 20,000 col...

It can't be easy to go to school nowadays. Just take it from Meghan Becker - she's the Director of Student Care and Well-Being at Baylor University where she heads up the Care Team, Baylor's unique departmental solution to providing mental health resources to over 20,000 college students across it's in-person and virtual campuses. To hear Meghan tell it, Baylor's students struggle with anxiety, de...

The path to recovery isn't always obvious and straightforward, and finding the right resources for your situation can be difficult when you're already at your lowest. Returning is our guest, Tom Farley, who works with Recovery.com, a website dedicated to finding treatment and guiding those in need - be it Mental Health issues, Addiction, or struggling loved ones. Tom uses his own experience recove...

Losing a loved one to addiction is tragic and often leaves a family in shambles. Some develop or lean on poor coping mechanisms, others self reflect and attempt to improve themselves. Just take it from Tom Farley - brother of famous Saturday Night Live alum Chris Farley, Tom knows all too well about the pains of an unexpected loss. Join us as we talk through Tom's journey of processing the grief o...

Addressing a crisis as a company is a complicated and challenging task - that's why Chris McCloud is back with us to share the importance of preparing for such an event. Chris draws on his experience in public relations to share vital tips on how to keep consistent messaging and avoid common pitfalls when managing bad news. Whether it's delivering a high-value employee assistance program, student...