The Broken Brain

Monday Mental Health Tip: Shrink your goals to help get started in new behavior, habits, Hobbies, or even Hobbits. But don't shrink Hobbits too much...they're already quite small.    www.baketheirday.org is our highlighted charity this month, providing birthday cakes and a humanizing feeling to youth in custody in Guam. 

Megan Wennberg is a Filmmaker and Director who joins to talk about her documentary "Dances With Cranes," which tells the story of the innovative way in which a team of conservationists and scientists managed to bring the Whooping Crane from the brink of extinction to a thriving species. You may be surprised how they did it.  This is the monthly Thursday Thistory available to all listeners, our loo...

Filmmaker & journalist Nick Beaulieu talks about his documentary "My Omaha," where he recorded communication with his father while Nick covered racial equality issues in West Omaha. Very much opposed in their politics, Nick and his dad face the challenges of holding different political & ethical beliefs from someone deeply close and loved.  Follow Nick's @nick.beaulieu on IG The highlighted charit...

What are the most important things you would like to do? We often have a difference between our philosophical values and our behavioral priorities. Today's quick tip is about how we can use things (like Mario Day) to put the highest value activities first. Oh yeah, and HAPPY MARIO DAY! The highlighted charity this month is www.baketheirday.org , a nonprofit bakery in Guam that makes birthday cakes...

Tiffany Kim Stevens is the Director and Co-Writer of the film "Trigger Happy," an indie film set in an alternate society where gender roles are reversed, gun ownership is required to qualify for health insurance, and a murder is being planned. Tiffany describes the process of telling a quirky story with many unlikeable characters and balancing the humor and the darkness of the tale.  Visit www.bak...

David Rosen is a composer, musician, and the creator of the Piecing It Together Podcast. He and I sat down to discuss a strange new sub-genre of Biopic: Musical Artists with the surname Williams who are portrayed as a nonhuman. In the case of "A Better Man," Robbie Williams is portrayed as a CGI Chimp Man (think Planet of the Apes), while "Piece by Piece" presents Pharrell Williams and his surroun...

What's with all of these weird science experiments? Waste of money and time, right? wellllllll.......probably not. This week history dive looks at 2 examples of when science sounded crazy but delivered something cool. A full half of the episode this week is available to non-subscribers, the rest is on the Patreon feed for you super-cool supporters of the show. Check out www.dcoffeyfoundation.org f...

Benjamin Cohen & Max Strand are the Writers and Directors of " Rocky 's" a new coming-of-age film focused on the lives of several young adults spending time in the local hangout, Rocky 's Deli. They joined me to discuss their film, character development, growing up, and storytelling. Check out our February Nonprofit-of-choice: The D Coffey Foundation, which helps youth in need to find athletic sch...

Telling inspirational stories about disabled people is all over the internet, which raises the question: do we treat them as individuals, listening and learning from them? Or do we fall into the trap of identifying people by their disability, or as an inspirational meme? 

Sharon & Dwight are reacting to the teaser trailer for the upcoming Marvel movie, "The Fantastic Four: First Steps," focused on the psychological and cultural aspects of the project. Visit www.dcoffeyfoundation.org to support this month's highlighted charity.

Following the Civil War in the USA, during what became known as the Reconstruction Era, freed Black Americans fought hard to establish communities and defend their rights. None of these struggles were more important than access to education, and the efforts of Black American pioneers of public education helped to form the model of publicly funded school for children in the US, as well as codify th...

Elio Zarmati is a retired filmmaker, journalist, and author of the new memoir "Goodbye Tahrir Square: Coming of Age as a Jew of the Nile." He tells the story of his  life, aged 7-14, growing up in war-torn Egypt. It is a message of growing up during societal unrest, and how our life is not defined by outside conflict.   Go to www.dcoffeyfoundation.org to support this month's charity of focus. The...

Don't Give Up!

In 1925 Hugo Gernsback invented the "Isolation Helmet," a device to limit distraction, and a wild device at that. Gernsback also pioneered many things in the area of radio, television, and Science Fiction. This is a sample of the weekly history episode, available in full for all patrons of the show. 

In his new book "The Sexual Evolution," Biologist and Professor Nathan Lents shares the diverse examples of sex, sexual orientation, and flexible gender roles in the animal kingdom. A look at what truly is natural as well as how we learn about the world around us and the important role that sex and gender play in our lives.  At a time when issues of sexuality and gender Identity are controversial,...

Author Dr Lakeysha Hallmon discusses her book "No One is Self-Made," and the myth of self-made success. As a Social Entrepreneur she uses the strength of community to create success for local business, and teaches others to do the same, with her mantra: "Support is a Verb." Dr Key is the founder of Village Market, connecting Black-owned businesses, and Our Village United, a nonprofit focused on pr...

Self-Care is often defined as a fun or special experience, but that is only one form. Here are 2 ideas for Self-Care that go beyond bubble baths.  The D Coffey Foundation is the highlighted charity for this month. Founded by former Broken Brain guest Dr Delice Coffey, this nonprofit helps young people to pursue education through Athletics and Scholarships. Visit www.dcoffeyfoundation.org to learn...

This is a sample of the first few minutes of this week's History dive for Patreon supporters. Go to  www.patreon.com/brokenbrain to learn how to access these weekly bonus episodes in full.  Nathaniel Branden was an interesting individual, a pioneer in the idea that Self-Esteem is important for mental health functioning. A little about him, his life, and his theories is the subject of this week's e...

Chad Foster is an Author, Trainer, and Experienced Leader in the Corporate & Programming field. He is the first blind executive to graduate from the Harvard Business School Leadership Program. Since loosing his sight at age 21, Chad has helped create assistive software for the visually impaired, excelled at skiing and jujitsu, and trained companies in strategies of inclusion and innovation. You ca...

We experience a crash because our body tells us it is time to rest, often forcing the issue. Purposeful, proactive rest can be difficult. Luckily our crash can provide information to help plan healthy breaks.  Visit www.whitebirdclinic.org to support this month's highlighted nonprofit.

A look into the history of jewelry and art made of hair of a loved one. In the Victorian Era these were used for purposes such as bereavement, spiritual connection, or communicating affection. This is the monthly history episode available to all listeners. Weekly dives into the history of psychology & culture are available to patrons, through www.patreon.com/brokenbrain   Visit www.whitebirdclinic...

Cathy Heller is a teacher, podcaster, and author. Her book, "Abundant Ever After," describes her belief and use of principles of Jewish Mysticism in helping people restructure their approach to stress management and realizing their goals. Often difficult to define or measure, Cathy provides tools and a grounded approach to philosophies such as manifestation and abundance. Follow her work at www.ca...

Is today a tough day? Here are a few ideas of ways to survive and function on a tougher day.  Hang in there, everybody!

Kathy Bjork is the Author of "My Mother is Loosing Her Memory, and I AM LOOSING MY MIND," the true story of caring for her mother with Dementia. A raw & vulnerable window into an experience filled with grief, tragedy, fear, strength, and hope. Follow her Blog at www.kathleenbjork.com   Our highlighted charity this month is White Bird Clinic, helping with mental health crisis response and bringing...

Regret is something we are taught to fear. But it can be very helpful. If we combine this principle with the DBT definition acceptance then we can find a healthy use for our regrets