OnTopic with Empathia

Everybody has to present themselves appropriately in order to succeed, but in the modern age it's increasingly difficult to. Pendulum PR Co-Founder Chris McCloud is here to tell us how everyone can benefit from good Public Relations strategies and the importance of having a brand. Whether it's delivering a high-value employee assistance program, student support, or responding to a crisis in your o...

Serving the public can often take a toll on police officers and other first responders' mental stability. Thankfully there are many programs and resources available to help with the burden, that is, if they choose to participate. Many don't feel comfortable doing so and Police Captain Adam Meyers is here to explain why. Join us as we continue our conversation about stopping the stigma and encourag...

First responders are at a much higher risk of experiencing trauma, but sadly are less likely to reach out for mental health support. Adam Meyers experienced this firsthand and is determined to make a change with Stop The Threat - Stop The Stigma, a platform to promote Law Enforcement and Public Safety Professionals' mental wellness, encouraging them to talk about their mental health and not suffer...

Going home for the holidays isn't the same for everyone, and some of us, whether by choice or by circumstance, are spending the holidays alone. But don't fret! Whatever holiday experience is awaiting you, Christina Eggebeen has some advice for you. The holiday season is filled with a lot of emotions, both good and bad, and being prepared and knowing how to process them will help you avoid the holi...

Though flying through the air at high speeds sounds dangerous, thanks to years of improvements and technological advances, airplanes are one of the safest ways to travel. Learn more about why as we continue our conversation with Philip Chard, psychotherapist and author who himself suffered from flying anxiety. Phil is here to share what he's learned from his career and personal therapy experience...

Flying on an airplane often gives people anxiety, but for some, it induces panic and prevents them from traveling abroad, or even visiting family. To help address this, Philip Chard joins us again to lend his expertise, as well as personal experience with aviophobia, or the fear of flying. Phil shares with us common causes of flying anxiety, how to identify them in ourselves, and some techniques t...

Since the events of the Boston Marathon Bombing in April of 2013, Manya Chylinski's been helping guide others past the stigma of victimhood by raising the awareness of the mental and emotional effects of violence and tragedy. In her follow-up conversation with Rick from last week's Part One, Manya digs into where she's been since, and reveals the immense value of compassion and inclusiveness.  Whe...

It's been over a decade since the Boston Marathon bombing, but many are still suffering from the trauma they endured. Today we talk to keynote speaker, advisor, and advocate Manya Chylinski about her experience witnessing the attack and how that has changed her. Since the event, Manya has learned valuable skills to take control of your mental health and is here to share them with you. Whether it's...

Election season can be stressful on even the most experienced of voters. Tensions are high and political disagreements can drive a wedge in our personal relationships. Dayna Smith-Slade is here with us to share her strategies on how to ease election anxiety and have healthier communication with family and friends who share different views. Whether it's delivering a high-value employee assistance p...

A healthy body is the ideal home for a healthy mind. Often times the activities we do to maintain physical health releases endorphins that will promote good mental health. Our guest today is Fitness and Wellness expert Linda Spaulding. She's here to share what she's learned from her career and show us how beneficial movement can be for your mental wellbeing. It doesn't matter if you're dancing, wa...

Checking credit scores, looking for discounts, and budgeting can be a lot to process, but you're not alone. Shellye Carpenter returns to share more of her personal finance tips to help build toward your goals. Try different techniques and find what works best for you, but whatever you choose, stay consistent! Whether it's delivering a high-value employee assistance program, student support, or res...

Mental health, and even physical health issues can often start as a financial problem. This week we tackle the issue at its source and learn to be preventative and more communicative about our finances. Listen as personal finance expert Shellye Carpenter shares her tips and methods to staying financially healthy, so that we have a good foundation to keep our mental and physical wellbeing stable. K...

Hospice can be scary for many families, but it's also a time for deep connections and emotional healing. In this episode, Rory Bolton continues sharing his experiences as an end of life music therapist and shows us what a powerful emotional force music can be. Every patient is unique in their journey, and it takes a lot of sensitivity and creativity to create the proper atmosphere for each situati...

End of life care is a truly difficult and emotional experience that often leaves us feeling disconnected from our loved ones. Our guest, Rory Bolton, uses music to bridge that connection and encourage emotions to flow during a time when it's needed most. In this episode of OnTopic with Empathia, Rory shares his beautiful singing voice and wisdom he's learned from working as a music therapist in ho...

Deborah Needham returns to continue emphasizing the importance of empathy in healthy communication. This time we dive deeper into the tools you can use to help others through traumatic experiences, as well as regulate ourselves. We learn more about why we react to others the way we do and how we can use that information to better understand and communicate with others. Deb shares improved techniqu...

Knowing how to use and control empathy is a powerful tool in both your professional and personal life. Empathy holds our relationships together and helps us better understand others, as well as ourselves. Founder of Crisis Optimist Coaching and Consulting, Deborah Needham, expands on all the ways empathy can help others and the importance on controlling your empathy in order to properly assist tho...

Leadership can often be an isolating position - as the sole decision maker, you don't often have all the variables in front of you to make the best decision for you and your team. Kelly sits down with Erin Peterson for Part Two of their conversation about finding self-confidence in leadership by diving into methods for generating more confident decision-makers and the six key takeaways every leade...

Being a confident leader is a difficult task. It's not always clear which direction is the right way to go, and many leaders tend to struggle with balancing the expectations of success against the passion of their employees. Professional Leadership Coach Erin Petersen joins the podcast to talk about the value of self-confidence in leadership, and how learning to communicate more effectively with e...

Service Dogs are highly-trained canines that are taught to performs specific tasks for individuals or groups of poeple with various types of disabilities. Few know them better than Jeff Anderson - as the founder and CEO of Rebuilding Warriors, a 501(c)3 non-profit that provides service dogs to veterans all across the country, Jeff has been handpicking, evaluating, and training service dogs for ove...

It takes more than good intentions to overcome an addiction - just ask Dr. Ted Carroll. Today, he's a practicing licensed mental health counselor and a national certified counselor with a Ph. D in Counselor Educationa and Supervision, but he's also a recovering addict - an ongoing journey that he says he'll be on for the rest of his days. But believe it or not, it's not all downsides. In Part Two...

Imagine your brain being hijacked. Your actions, thoughts, and cravings are out of control. You crave something so badly that you'll do whatever you can to quench it, but you can never have enough willpower to overcome this urge. You may be an addict.  It takes more than good intentions to overcome an addiction - just ask Dr. Ted Carroll. Nowadays, he's a hypnotherapist, licensed mental health cou...

If you or a loved one are struggling, help is available. Speak with someone today by dialing 988 in the United States or by contacting your respective Suicide Crisis Hotline. UPLIFT is a yearly work-out day that strives to raise up the CrossFit community so that those who have lost, those who have survived, and those who want to support one another can have an outlet to come together. In Part Two...

If you or a loved one are struggling, help is available. Speak with someone today by dialing 988 in the United States or by contacting your respective Suicide Crisis Hotline. Suicide is a challenging topic. Each year, millions are affected by it around the globe, but the stigma around it proves challenging. In Part One of a two-part conversation, Mark and Sarah Moss sit down with Rick Hoaglund to...

Keeping your mental health in check can be difficult in any profession, but it's particularly challenging in the emergency services and first responder communities. Often it's not the trauma that may be experienced on the clock, but rather the lingering effects of those traumas that can truly damage the toughest employees in any organization. Following up from last week's discussion on First Respo...

First Responders can suffer a variety of on-the-job hazards, but some of the most dangerous effects may not be visible to the naked eye. Dr. I. David Daniels is a life member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs and served over 30 years in Fire Rescue Emergency medical and emergency management organizations in three states. He also served two terms as a member of the National Safety Cou...