The Broken Brain

Jane Fischer is a Teacher, Special Educator, Learning Consultant, and the Author of "If You Knew Suzy: Pushing Past the Boundaries of Never." Jane's daughter Suzy was diagnosed at a young age with rare brain abnormalities and Joubert Syndrome. The book tells the story of what types of acceptance, grieving, and hope can exist when a parent and a child have to decide how to respond to a long list of...

It is hard to navigate day-to-day with all of the bullshit going on in the USA right now. How. dowe stay informed, do our part to help, advocate, and avoid burnout, avoidance, or self-destructive coping mechanisms?  Go to www.lavenderrightsproject.org to get aware and involved with this month's highlighted nonprofit. Lavender Rights Project helps Black Trans people with community advocacy, increas...

With Black History month I have been looking into some of the underreported Black pioneers in the field of education and psychology, and was very impressed with the impact of Dr Inez Beverly Prosser. An educator, researcher, psychologist, she is the first Black woman to earn a PhD in the United States, in 1933. Her research into the emotional, cognitive, and psychological effects of segregation on...

Garrett Wood, Clinical Hypnotherapist and National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach, joins to talk about the role that hypnotherapy can play in treating burnout, anxiety, chronic pain, and overall health management. He discusses the difference between medically sound, best practice ways hypnosis is used to find solutions to health problems. Check out his practice, Gnosis Therapy, at www.gno...

Patreon sample: the first half of the true story of the bungled, ridicolous kidnapping of Frank Sinatr Jr in the sixties, and the role that scrupilosity. grandiosity, and delusion played in this scheme.  This month's charity is Stand In Pride, a nonprofit helping LGBTQ+ individuals to establish friends and found family, especially when facing rejection from their family of origin. Go to  www.stand...

Salima Adelstein is the first woman to become a Murshida, a spiritual guide in the Shadhiliyya Sufi Tradition, the mystical dimension of Islam. She has 35 years guiding people in meditation, spirituality, and using the Shadhiliyya principles. Follow her and her work at www.sufi.net   The highlighted charity this month is Stand In Pride, a nonprofit organization helping members of the LGBTQ+ commun...

This week for Monday Mental Health Tip I want to share the use of action as a form of self-care and service, finding ways to support and help during times of political  and social injustice, targeting of immigrants and marginalized populations, violation of civil rights, and even public executions. Anxiety can be managed through purposeful action, here are some ideas about funneling the emotional...

In 1770 a weird and amazing machine known as "The Chess Machine," or "The Mechanical Turk," was created by Civil Servant and Engineer Wolfgang von Kempelen. He claimed it could play chess as an automated machine, and indeed it played and defeated many talented players and well-known people, including Napolean and Benjamin Franklin. This device kicked off the type of thinking that influenced the de...

Psychiatrist Joel Gold & Philosopher Ian Gold wrote "Suspicious Minds: How Culture Shapes Madness," examining the effects of culture and social media on delusions. Cue the creation of Artificial Intelligence, with quickly increasing presence and impact. The brothers teamed up with Award Winning Filmmaker Sean King O'Grady to create the docuseries "Suspicious Minds," interviewing researchers, AI en...

How does technology and culture impact mental health?  Today's Monday Mental Health Tip is focused on finding a healthy balance in how we embrace new tech, Particularly AI (more to come on that tomorrow) Our highlighted charity is Stand in Pride, helping LGBTQ+ individuals to discover found family and build new support systems, especially if they have faced rejection in response to coming out. Go...

Isabel Tehran returns for another Christmas Special, talkign about...a Christmas Special. This year we are focused on Rankin-Bass' "The Year Without A Santa Claus." Along with a BUNCH of other stuff, Christmas Special related and otherwise.  Go to www.dwighthurst.com/santa for a free gift, the TTRPG A Bunch Of Santas.  Happy Holidays to all! 

Being healthy is one of the difficult challenges of being a human person. So PJ Glassey joins us today to help us. A trained physiologist, Glassey shares guidance on physical and cognitive techniques for well ronded health, using tools like cognitive behavioral interventions, gratitude, and meditative practices along with physical exercise. Follow his work at www.xgym.com We are continuing to supp...

Jessica Baum is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor specializing in relationships, particularly the role of attachment. She is also the author of "SAFE: Coming Home to Yourself and Others,"  a look at building more secure relationships by understanding ours and our partner's patterns of attachment.  We are continuing the focus on The Because Organization as our nonprofit of choice for the remainder...

Oswald Newbold is a Certified Mediator, specializing in conflict resolution for individuals, groups, and organizations. He has been managing conflict and communication since 2008, when he mediated disputes between incarcerated individuals in the Florida Criminal Justice system, reducing tension and violence within the prisons. Oswald talks today about the mediation process, communication, and soci...

Dr Christine Silverstein believes that young people are strong, and that their strength increases the more the believe in themselves. As a Behavioral Health RN, author, and clinical hypnotist she specializes in helping children to find empowerment through healthy self-talk, academics, and strong relationships. Follow her work at www.idealperformance.net and www.drchristinesilverstein.com   The Bec...

Debbie Ausburn is a social worker and the author of "Raising Other Peoples Children: What Foster Parenting Taught Me About Bringing Together A Blended Family." She shares her experiences as a Foster and Step Parent, and the lessons learned from successes and mistakes connecting and parenting children in situations where trust must be earned instead of assumed. Donate, participate, and promote The...

What kind of scary movies do you like? What type of storytelling do you find to be smart and compelling?  It's Halloween time, a time for spooky, scary stuff, and I am joined by two movie and Halloween experts, Dalin Rowell of "It's Reely a Podcast, and Isabel Teran of "Hearsing Around," and "That's Bodacious Dude! 80 Radical Movies from the Eighties." Visit www.becauseorganization.org to visit th...

Marcia Holt & Bill Cottringer return to the show to share details about the virtual walk/run fundraising event for The Because Organization, a nonprofit providing virtual and in-person services for survivors of Human Trafficking, and helping them to stabilize their lives vocationally, psychologically, medically, and in whatever other ways needed. Less than 8% of Human Trafficking related nonprofit...

The way in which we diagnose mental health conditions has been key to the treatment world. Much of this has historically been done through patient report and observable behavior. As time has gone by assessment instruments and tools have been developed to help, but the individual assessment will always be important. Dr Barry Herman, medical director for Mentavi, joins today to share information abo...

Dr Mary-Catherine (MC) MCDonald is a Research Professor, Trauma Recovery Expert, and the Author of "The Joy Reset." Her expertise is in the use of joy to combat the effects of trauma. Going deeper than just the philosophy of joy, she shares actionable techniques to reduce trauma symptoms. We also like & dislike some of the same trends in therapy.  Follow her work @mcphd on Instagram. Go to www.bec...

Remember "Harold and the Purple Crayon"? So does Dr Ross Ellenhorn, our guest today and the author of "Purple Crayons: The Art of Drawing a Life." Dr Ellenhorn uses the framework of the world of Harold and the Purple Crayon to showcase the importance of individuality and creativity when dealing with mental illness, addiction, and health.  The charity of focus this month is The Because Organization...

What kind of women characters do we find in Batman stories? How do they interact with Batman, The BatFamily, and the world of Gotham? Dalin Rowell, host & creator of "It's Reely a Podcast," joins me to discuss this year's Batman episode, where we focus on Characters such as Catwoman, Batgirl, Talia al Ghul, Baby Doll, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, and more! Including the under-discussed Andrea Beaumon...

Frank Forcich is a biologist and health educator. He teaches people to understanding life through the lens of what attributes human beings have as animals within the natural world, and to assess how we are influenced by health and habitat. His perspective helps to break down the things that influence the way we form culture, community, and how we make decisions on a group and individual level. Lea...

Shyam Madiraju is the writer & Director of "55," a modern Dickensian story set in Mumbai, India. It tells the story of a young pickpocket who faces hard decisions about survival, morality, and what power we have over our own lives. Look for the film streaming on Video On Demand, and follow Shyam's work on Instagram @mad_n_shy The highlighted nonprofit this month is Akshaya Patra, an NGO based in I...

Bill Combs is the Author of the novel, "The Quantum Gate," (and its upcoming sequel). An adventure story in the spirit of Indiana Jones, Da Vinci Code, Stargate, this novel is a story of trauma and redemption, with riddles, treasure hunting, and mystical elements. He joins the podcast to share this story and his approach to creating realistic characters facing mystical situations, and how people r...