The Broken Brain

Anton Wormon, @anton.injapan on Instagram, has gained a huge following online from his videos chronicling his experience renovating his home in Japan, in a place largely without renovation culture. His new book "Free Houses in Japan," tells his story of immigrating from Sweden and creating  a home in a new community.  Anton's story is an example of turning a dream into a goal, pursuing that goal a...

Comedian Paul Morissey joins the show today to discuss the importance of laughter, comedy, and the ways we connect through humor. He also shares his own philosophy of living and working as an artist.  Among Paul's professional appearances are his work on Dry Bar Comedy, The Late Show with David Letterman, Craig Ferguson, and headlining the 4th of July Armed Forces Entertainment Tour for US Troops...

The use of psychedelic substances in mental health treatment has been studies for many years. Modern use of Ketamine, explored in past episodes, has become common enough to be evaluated as a best practice treatment and is beginning to gain ground with insurance reimbursement. The use of MDMA and Psilocybin mushrooms in treatment of Depression, PTSD, and other disorders is showing fascinating resul...

What will it be like when I walk into my first session of Eye-Movement-Desensitization-Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy? Why would I look for this? How can it help me?  This episode is a theoretical and practical description of how EMDR is conducted, what issues it addresses, and what you should expect from this powerful technique in healing from trauma.  Kathleen Brennan is a trauma-informed psychothe...

Karly Beaumont returns to the show to discuss the ins and outs of working in the Nonprofit field. We discuss how nonprofit organizations identify, address and solve problems, tips about working in a challenging field, and the way that Karly brings her talent for filmmaking and podcasting to help in her specific work. This episode is ideal for anyone curious about how nonprofit agencies work, those...

This is a segment that was pre-recorded for the live event for Opioid Awareness on 8/31, but was not used that day due to a time crunch.  You can also view the full video of this interview on the Broken Brain YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/brokenbrainpodcast Ryan Luis Rodriguez, friend of the show, is here to talk about the depiction of addiction in movies, specifically when it is done respectfu...

Attachment theory and understanding our own styles of attachment are foundational to mental health, and one of the most important elements of our psychology. At the same time very few people outside the mental health field talk about it, and unfortunately does not come up in treatment circles often enough.  Thais Gibson is a Pastoral Counselor, Therapist, and expert in Attachment Theory. She provi...

Part 2 of our efforts to provide more meaningful diagnostic information for Batman's Rogue Gallery. We dive right into it this time and ask questions like: Is this villain even mentally ill? Are the stories using bias and public perception of mental illness, sometimes in an exploitive way?  What's Arkham's deal anyway?  And more. Christian and Dwight Hurst take a deep dive and consider some lesser...

Happy Batman Day! Every September 16th we all (at least those who observe) celebrate the creation of Batman in 1939. Christian Hurst, widely known as Dwight's brother, joins to talk about the use of psychological disorders in the Batman stories. This leads to chatting about the basis of diagnosis, representation of mental illness in media, bias, and a lot of side stepping into other superhero and...

It's Batman month on the Broken Brain! Watch for new Batman Mental Health episodes and video clips on social media links. To start us off, this episode is a replay of an episode from June 2022, around the release of the film "The Batman."  Sharon Blady is the perfect CoHost for this episode. We take a look at this representation of Batman, which above all is a story of trying to discover hope in t...

This is a Patreon Exclusive episode, released in July on the Patron-Only feed. Become a supporter on Patreon to hear this and other special episodes like this one.  Dalin & Dwight return to talk about the third episode of the Netflix series, and newest iteration of Anne of Green Gables, "Anne With An E." The discussion covers acceptance, trauma, social anxiety, social change, feminism, and more!

Did you love Marvel's miniseries Secret Invasion? Based on online reactions you may not have... BUT that couldn't stop Sharon and Dwight from taking it apart and analyzing the psychological factors of this Comic-Book, Sci-Fi, Spy-Thriller, Character-Study of our old pal Nick Fury. Specifically we found a lot of interesting elements of relationships, betrayal, and surprisingly healthy conflict mana...

A great conversation about parenting, talking to teens, and confronting our own fears and limitations. Sean Donohue brings his knowledge and infectious excitement to the show. Super fun episode! Sean is a coach and educator for all things Parenting and Family. He is also the creator and host of the Sean Donohue Show, a podcast for parents. Follow him on Instagram @the.familycoach or go to www.pare...

Diagnosis of ADHD can lead to both hope and fear. Hope in the form of knowledge, self-acceptance, and increased understanding of ourselves. Fear due adjustment, new self-concept, and social stigma aimed at neurodiverse individuals, especially when there is a lack of useful information.  Alice Gendorn joins the show to help those diagnosed with ADHD and increase understanding of this form of neurod...

Shari Corbitt returns to the show to discuss ongoing research into the dangers of chronic long-term use of Marijuana. With the legalization of recreational and medical cannabis, and the positive impact that it can have, some have leaned into chronic or daily use of high concentrate THC. In some cases individuals with high levels of long-term overuse are experiencing a psychotic break from reality,...

How should we go about picking a treatment program? For problems such as addiction, behavioral health, services for youth, adults, and so on...it can be intimidating to find a therapy or treatment option that meets our needs. Dwight and guest Marsha Stone are here to help.  Marsha Stone is CEO and Founder of Foundation Stone, a network of highly focused programs for individuals and families strugg...

David Rosen is a friend, a podcaster, musician, and about to release a comedy album where he sings with his pets. So naturally he is here, because we love fun people. They are fun after all. David's podcast, Piecing it Together, is focused on the elements of stories that are repeated and inspire new creativity, where he and his guest watch a new movie and highlight things that remind them of other...

David Richards joins the podcast to discuss his novel The Lighthouse Keeper, a  journey through memory, mindfulness and trauma told from the point of view of a creative young man apprenticed to a lighthouse keeper. David's writing focuses on healing from trauma, confronting the past, and ultimately accepting ourselves. Please consider supporting the program by becoming an official Brainiac at www....

Briana Daniels is the Nursing Supervisor for the Spokane Regional Stabilization Center, a Crisis Center operated by Pioneer Human Services. She is here to tell us how her program follows through with mental health treatment for those at need, and as a diversion program to help those at risk for criminal justice involvement.  Participate in The Broken Brain Annual Overdose awareness LIVE broadcast...

Across The Spiderverse is sweeping the multiverse due to great storytelling and groundbreaking artistic style. Now Sharon & Dwight give it the Broken Brain treatment, analyzing elements of internal strife, dysfunctional coping patterns, control issues, and of course our old friend: Trauma. Enjoy this movie with us and break your brain around our discussion.  Support the program by joining the Brai...

Depictions of weight in media are notoriously unhealthy, from unrealistic body-image to negative characterization of people who are larger or heavyset. Dallin Rowell joins the show to discuss the role of heavier weights in story and characters, the fat-advocacy movement, and specific examples of movies & television and how they present "fat" people. Dalin Rowell is a film writer for Slash Film, an...

Marian Wilson, RN, PhD, joins the podcast to discuss her research into chronic pain, cognitive behavioral pain management strategies, and the interaction that pain patients have with opiate medication and opioid dependancy.  If you would like to join the Broken Brain Patrons, help support the show and get cool bonus materials, hop on over to www.patreon.com/brokenbrain to sign up today!

Dr Akeem Sule is a Psychiatrist in Essex, UK, and founder of the Black Psychiatrists Culture Club, and is a specialist in medication, treatment, and the application of psychological theory to popular culture. He has done tons of work in the use of Hip-Hop as a tool to educate patients about their own mental health, and is now using TV & Movie storytelling to understand our own mental health. We di...

Sophie Edwards is a returning guest to The Broken Brain. She is an author, vocal coach, and the creator of  "We Have Always Existed," a YouTube series focused on historical accounts of Gender-Fluid and Transgender individuals throughout history.  Sophie joins me today to share stories from her research Transgendered people through history. Although open dialogue about Gender may feel new for many...

Sharon Blady joins to talk about the psychological elements of Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3. We discuss personal community building, trauma, the dynamic of found family and the tricky balance of improving relationships and self while still accepting things as they are.  Please share and rate the podcast, and consider becoming a patron of the arts (specifically this show) by setting up your don...