The Longing Lab

Send us Fan Mail Episode 15 Author Laura Carney reflects on how years of longing to belong restricted her, but learning to say, “yes,” to completing her late father’s bucket list, set her free from a false narrative. In this intimate interview, Carney discusses luck, spirituality, grief, true love, and trust.  When author Laura Carney discovered her father’s bucket list 13 years after he’d been ki...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 14: Known in New York City circles as "The Wedding Doctor," Dr. Jocelyn Charnas describes how she helps clients navigate wedding planning and maintain the focus on their relationship/marriage while wading through decision fatigue, feelings of loss, and the unrealistic expectations set forth by social media. Dr. Jocelyn Charnas is a clinical psychologist in privat...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 13: Award-winning neuroscientist Zoe Donaldson explains her research on how romantic bonds in prairie voles are encoded in the brain. She specifically looks at what happens the moment a prairie vole decides to reunite with its partner over another. Dr. Zoe Donaldson is an Associate Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Colorado Boulder where she is the recipient o...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 12: Center for Prolonged Grief founder, Dr. Katherine Shear untangles the differences between prolonged grief disorder and more typical integrated grief. She explains why longing is at the heart of grief and the importance in accepting a changed relationship with the lost loved one.   Dr. M. Katherine Shear is the Marion E. Kenworthy Professor of Psychiatry and the foundin...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 11: Award-winning science journalist & author Florence Williams shares insights she learned during her journey through the heartbreak of her divorce and writing a memoir about it. She discusses the physical impacts heartbreak has on our bodies and how our openness to beauty aids in our recovery.   When her 25-year marriage ended, Florence Williams said she felt “axed i...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 10: Cassie Fulmer Brown discusses longing in relationship to her five-year battle with breast cancer and why it’s important to “Go small and go now!” Five years ago, Cassie Fulmer Brown got her first mammogram at age 40 despite having no signs or symptoms of cancer. She was diagnosed with ERPR-positive and HER2-negative breast cancer. Following the diagnosis, Cassie and he...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 9: In this Valentine’s Day special, Dave speaks with Amanda about how their relationship developed from meeting to getting married, the pivotal moments during their 11-month-courtship, and the importance of seeing a couple’s therapist.    Dave  Butler is my husband, life partner, and the father of our child Moorea. He is also an environmental scientist, project manager, an...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 8: Hillary Allen explains how longing, through the lens of perfectionism, can positively fuel athletes or destroy them. Hillary Allen is a professional ultra trail runner for Brooks and a gravel cyclist for Scuderia Pinarello. Hillary has raced all over the world excelling in a discipline known as Skyrunning. She earned the nickname "Hillygoat" for her ability to...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 7: Nika Kabiri speaks about the role longing plays in decision-making in both healthy and unhealthy ways, how to deal with anticipatory regret, and when to address inaction inertia.   Nika Kabiri has spent over 20 years studying how people make decisions in a variety of contexts, from relationships to business to politics. She is an author and speaker who’s written for The...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 6: Veterinarian Bob Irmiger talks about mourning a sick pet before they're even gone, the agonizing decision to euthanize a pet, the process of euthanasia, and how you know when it’s time to let go.   Dr. Bob Irmiger intimately knows the longing pet owners experience before and after euthanizing a loved one. I know from personal experience. Last May, Dr. Bob came to o...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 5: Writer Tawny Lara speaks about her own sobriety journey, how she became known as the Sober Sexpert, and the benefits to booze-free sex, dating and relationships.   With the help of yoga, meditation, therapy, and writing, Tawny Lara quit drinking in 2015 right before her 30th birthday.  But she says she found that she didn’t know how to date without alcohol. The now 36-y...

Send us Fan Mail   Episode 4: Executive Coach Vivian James Rigney speaks about the loneliness and negative inner dialogue he encountered during his two-month climb of Mount Everest and what it taught him about vulnerability, authenticity, and legacy. Vivian James Rigney is President and CEO of Inside Us LLC, an executive coaching consultancy. He is known for building strong rapport with people and...

Send us Fan Mail Cecilia (name changed for privacy) is a writer, gardener, and competitive runner. She is currently exploring recovery from her eating disorder and how that relates to her desire for food and other desires she has long considered forbidden weaknesses. At the age of 14, she became blind as a result of a car accident. She says she had to learn to be tough and live without many things...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 2: Melissa Lockman, LCSW: Marshall Fire survivor speaks about her family’s experience processing the loss of their home and neighborhood, how everyone grieves differently, and the importance in validating loss and taking time to pause Melissa Lockman is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, and maternal and infant mental health expert. She s...

Send us Fan Mail Romance novelist Rachel McMillan discusses the intersection of sex-positive feminism and celibacy, the joys of traveling solo, why women want the slow-burn romance, and how longing fuels her creativity and cultivates gratitude. Rachel McMillan is a Toronto-based Valentine Day-born romance novelist, avid traveler, literary agent, and history buff. When she’s not writing romance or...

Send us Fan Mail  Welcome to The Longing Lab podcast trailer!  I'll share how my personal story led me to start this podcast, the types of guests you'll have the opportunity to hear, and why I believe it will help many listeners.