Shows
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#131 - February Challenge: Start a Friendship Ritual with Rachel Steinman and Rachel WinterIt's time for the next Dear Nina Friendship Monthly Challenge! The January challenge was to see a friend in person, which meant reaching out to make a plan. The February challenge is to start a ritual/tradition with friends to strengthen new relationships or maintain existing ones.For accountability, report back in the Dear Nina Facebook Group, on Substack, or via email when you've made the plan. It's okay if the plan doesn't happen in February. Just get the planning going!To quote (myself!) from January, "In a healthy, robust, social life, or at least...2025-02-0334 min
Dear Family,The Rachels- Why Friendship is the New Marriage and Golden for Mental HealthRachel Winter and Rachel Steinman are best friends, co-authors, and co-hosts of this special collab between the Dear Family, Podcast with Stay Forever Gold. Rachel Winter is a writer, director, and an Academy Award®-nominated producer for Dallas Buyers Club. She produced LeBron James’ biopic, Shooting Stars, and produced and directed the audio drama, Supreme: The Battle for Roe starring Maya Hawke and William H. Macy. It’s a nine-part series weaving together the incredible story of the young female lawyer who argued Roe V. Wade in front of the Supreme Court and the Justice who wro...2024-04-091h 03
Dear Family,My So-Called High School Rank- Documenting Teenage Loneliness and College Admission Pressures through a MusicalMy So-Called High School Rank, premiering on HBO and HBO MAX, is a special documentary that gives an unfiltered view into the private loneliness and pressures of teenage life. This was especially true in March 2020 when students were forced to settle into new realities, feeling isolated and frustrated with so much out of their control. This timely documentary chronicles the creation of a musical theater production at Granite Bay High School in Sacramento, California, and is inspired by students’ stories of the constant pressures to achieve a top rank in every part of their lives to get ahead in to...2022-11-2947 min
Journey Forward with Joree RoseMoving Through Transgenerational Trauma with Rachel SteinmanWith 4 family suicides, Rachel Steinman had wondered, “why would someone who was seemingly healthy die by suicide?” In an effort to understand her family - and therefore understand herself - she delved into her family history with the intention of being able to break family patterns of trauma and mental health. After writing an essay about suicide that went viral, she is continuing to uncover the story that spans 5 generations of trauma and is writing a memoir, piecing together the family secrets left behind from a manuscript of her grandfather’s. Rachel now has become a mental health advocate, speaki...2022-10-1750 min
Dear Family,Kevin Hines- Golden Gate Bridge Suicide Jumper Saved by a Sea Lion Becomes Inspirational Storyteller and Filmmaker with Message of Hope and ResilienceKevin Hines is a storyteller, best-selling author, global public speaker, and award-winning documentary filmmaker. In the Year 2000, Kevin threw himself off the Golden Gate Bridge in an attempt to end his life. He needed his immense mental pain to end but regretted his decision the moment he jumped. Many factors contributed to his miraculous survival including a sea lion who kept him afloat until the Coast Guard arrived and an amazing team of doctors. Kevin now travels the world sharing his story of hope, healing, and recovery while teaching people of all ages the art of wellness and the...2022-08-2339 min
Dear Family,Dr. Ran Anbar- Pediatric Pulmonologist Addresses Health Challenges with HypnosisDr. Ran Anbar is a pediatrician board certified in pulmonology who offers hypnosis and counseling services in La Jolla, California, and Syracuse, New York. He’s past president, fellow, and approved consultant of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis. He’s here today to discuss the power of hypnosis, which has long been looked upon with confusion and skepticism. He shines a light on this underutilized field of medicine and why it should be the first line of defense before medication for mental health symptoms. With 25 years of experience, Dr. Anbar is a leader in clinical hypnosis who has successfully trea...2022-08-0244 min
Dear Family,Chris and Erik Ewers- Brothers/Co-Directors on Ken Burns Documentary about the Youth Public Mental Health CrisisErik and Chris Ewers are brothers and co-directors on a new Ken Burns PBS documentary, “Hiding in Plain Sight.” The two-part, four-hour film is about the mental health crisis our youth are facing. It follows the journeys of more than 20 young Americans from all over the country and all walks of life. The first-person accounts show the seemingly insurmountable obstacles faced by those who live with mental disorders. Erik Ewers, an Emmy Award-winning editor has worked with documentary filmmaker Ken Burns for more than 30 years, including nearly all of his single and multi-episodic films. He curren...2022-06-2849 min
Dear Family,Julian Sarafian- Harvard Law-Educated TikToker Redefines Success After his Mental and Physical BreakdownsJulian Sarafian was valedictorian and attended UC Berkeley at 17. He got an internship at The White House at 19 and at 20, was accepted at NYU Law before transferring to Harvard Law School. His high achievements and California license allowed him to practice law at what he thought was his dream job, something he’d worked his entire life for. But his mental health had other plans. His social anxiety and the intense stress from a high pressure work environment led to panic attacks and hyperventilating. His mental health also manifested into physical ailments, specifically gastro-intestinal issues lik...2022-06-0738 min
Dear Family,Tembi Locke- Food, Family, and Cooking From Scratch after Loss and GriefTembi Locke is an actor, an author, a screenwriter, and a producer who really knows how to connect with her audience. Her New York Times bestselling book, From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home was Reese Witherspoon’s 2019 Book Club pick. Reese loved it so much, she’s executive producing the adaptation for a Netflix series where Zoe Saldana will star as Tembi. Tembi’s memoir, From Scratch, is a sweeping, autobiographical romance that follows an American woman as she falls in love with a Sicilian man while studying abroad in Italy and then builds a life with hi...2022-05-1743 min
Dear Family,Dr. Jonathan Goldfinger- Nationally Recognized Pediatrician on the Need For and Right To Mental Health CareDr. Jonathan Goldfinger is a nationally recognized pediatrician and an advocate for mental health services for children and families, including in minority and low-income communities. His inclusive approach to health equity and policy has transformed countless lives. He joined Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, an 80-year organization, as the CEO just months after the pandemic began in June 2020. Didi Hirsch is a national leader offering free mental health, substance use disorder, and suicide prevention services. They’re pioneers in specialized therapy and support groups for children, adults, and families while also offering crisis residential facilities. Dr. Goldfinger’s pe...2022-04-2655 min
Dear Family,Jeanette Yoffe- From Foster Care to Adoption to Trauma-Informed Therapist Jeanette-ically SpeakingJeanette Yoffe believes family is so much more than our blood relations. Her strong desire to become a trauma-informed psychotherapist with a special focus on adopted and foster care issues began with her own experiences of moving through the foster care system and being adopted. Jeanette lived with her birth family for the first year of her life until she was put into foster care due to her mother’s schizophrenia. Her father was not willing to take care of his two young children and when he later had a new family, he never told them about his previous children, co...2022-04-081h 01
Dear Family,Dear Ukrainian Grandparents,Dear Ukrainian Grandparents, When I watch the senseless human suffering in Ukraine with tears in my eyes, it’s as if my dear Jewish-Ukrainian grandparents' history is being repeated. My family was the lucky ones who were able to escape as is evidenced by me, their granddaughter and great-granddaughter whose Ukrainian blood runs through me and is here today to be able to podcast/write this without fear of censorship. Seeing mothers rushing out of Ukraine with babies in their arms fleeing harm to find safety and peace to live freely is exactly what my gre...2022-03-1514 min
Dear Family,Clancey Cornell- World Traveling Archivist Heals Others through Collective Memory and ArtClancey Cornell is an artist, mental health professional, memory worker, and advocate for the arts who considers herself a very nostalgic person. She grew up in a family that was very much about expansion and exploration, the daughter of creatives who raised her in Los Angeles before moving her to attend high school in Italy. She’s traveled the world, volunteering in advocacy efforts to lift up the underprivileged where she always finds beauty mixed in the suffering. Clancey is keenly interested in the intersection of arts, advocacy, and memory. Since 2015, she’s mobilized arts-centered non-profit efforts in Los Angele...2022-02-2243 min
Dear Family,Michael and Gayle Zibilich- The Shocking Reality from their Only Child’s Suicide Leads to Life-Saving Conversations with College StudentsMichael Zibilich is a commercial real estate executive who resides with his wife, Gayle Zibilich, in Atlanta, Georgia. Michael and Gayle had their only child later in life, an astonishing blessing. Keller was a dream come true and as good a kid as you could imagine- a combination of strength and kindness, very mature, an athlete and expert white water kayaker, highly intelligent, and well-loved by everyone. After a very painful relationship issue with his girlfriend, and that information being broadcast through social media, Keller had an uncharacteristic anxiety attack during his second semester of freshman year in college...2022-02-0153 min
Dear Family,Dr. Raghu Appasani- Psychiatrist and Neuroscientist Bridging the Gap Between Western and Eastern Health Practices Including Microdosing and NutritionDr. Raghu Kiran Appasani is an Integrative Psychiatrist, Neuroscientist, and Social Entrepreneur focused on bridging the gap between western and eastern practices to create a wholesome society by taking a proactive approach to health. He was born and raised in the Boston area, living in rural India with his grandparents for two formative years when he was young. His father, a biochemist at Harvard Medical School, opened up his labs for him to do research before going to Wesleyan to study neuroscience. He graduated from The University of Massachusetts with his Medical Doctorate in 2018, where he received the Leonard...2022-01-1145 min
Dear Family,The Best Gift is Self-Love- 24 Ways to Get ItWhen my daughter was about five years old, she announced, “I love myself the most.” In generations past, her declaration may have been viewed as self-centered, selfish, or self-absorbed but I was beyond thrilled by her exuberant proclamation followed by her proud and genuine smile. The reason for my glee was because at her tender age, falling in love with herself would be the secret to her happiness and a fulfilled life. Her positive self-affirmation meant she would always put herself first, never let anyone walk all over her, and make sure she prioritized herself above anyone else. I can...2021-12-2116 min
Dear Family,Jennie Ostendorf- Millennial Orphaned by her Mother’s and Father’s Suicides Months Apart Finds her Life’s PurposeJennie Ostendorf refers to herself as a millennial orphan after recently losing her mother and father to suicide. She’s also a friend, a sister to a Buddhist monk, a future therapist, a present therapy client advocating for mental health, and so much more. Born and raised in Los Angeles to two native Angelenos, her childhood was idyllic as she grew up by the beach, surrounded by a loving family, and a successful entrepreneur mother as a role model. Jennie had a brief love affair with New York while attending Barnard College at Columbia University wher...2021-12-0754 min
Dear Family,Katie Hanus- Homesteader & Homeschooler Attains Comfort & Nourishment Through Hearth Medicine, Herbalism, Ritual, & CeremonyKatie Hanus is a mother and herbalist who some may say is not meant for our current modern cookie-cutter rushed world. She’s the founder of The Handmade Life which offers herbal traditions, small-batch goods, consultations, and workshops. She shares her wisdom with us all today and on her blog, The Nature Wheel where she discusses her suburban homesteading and her two daughters’ homeschool experiences with nature, food, ritual, and ceremony. Her connection with the natural world has played a key role in her most beloved life experiences. Both the Handmade Life and The Nature Wheel were born from a de...2021-11-1649 min
Dear Family,Newborn Adult- From Cradle to College to Care PackagesIt’s been said the two hardest days for parents are the first day home with their newborn and the first day home without their newborn adult. My oldest child has just flown the coop, left her nest, and started her own journey. She’s in a new city two thousand miles from home, an independent young adult no longer under my roof. After moving her in and hugging her goodbye on her new campus, I’m here to report I cried like a blubbering baby in the rental car on the way to the airport without her. I also w...2021-10-1917 min
Dear Family,10 Free Mood-Boosters for Mental Health and HappinessGood mental health does not have to be expensive but ignoring it can be. There's no denying mental health conditions can require therapy and/or medication but a majority of achievement is within our own hands. Listen to this short-solo podcast on how laughter, dancing, hydration, friendship, exercise, the outdoors, rest, love and more are mood-boosters. The following are 10 of the best things in life (plus bonuses)that are free, make us feel better, and make us feel happier. Good mental health does not have to be expensive but ignoring it can be. May you live life to the...2021-07-1311 min
Dear Family,Julie Lythcott-Haims- Former Stanford Dean Pens Groundbreaking Manual- Your Turn- How to Be an AdultJulie Lythcott- Haims is a Black biracial woman born to an African American man and a White British mother. Because her parents violated rules and policy by daring to love, she’s always questioned norms. She grew up knowing her existence was problematic in the eyes of some, which has stayed with her giving her the superpowers of compassion and kindness. She believes in humans and is deeply interested in what gets in our way. She is the New York Times bestselling author of the anti-helicopter parenting manifesto How to Raise an Adult. It gave rise...2021-06-2954 min
Dear Family,Aubert Bastiat- Stewarding a New Expression of Masculinity and Brotherhood with Men’s Circles and Man CampAubert Bastiat is a father, husband, ceremonialist, and facilitator of sacred masculinity circles. He was born in Taipei to a Taiwanese mother and a White American father who was an English teacher. He was five years old when his parents separated after moving to California to briefly live with his paternal grandfather. When his father left and moved to Japan, he felt abandoned. For most of his childhood, he was raised by a single mother who struggled financially to support him and his two sisters, one who would eventually die by suicide. Aubert lived a double life, t...2021-06-1552 min
Dear Family,Rachel Lily Campbell- Former Self-Proclaimed Malibu Barbie Reclaims Her Wellness to Become the Madam of Mom FitnessRachel Lily Campbell, or RLC to her friends, grew up in Los Angeles, an only child with older parents who were in the exclusive art world. Born into a life of affluence, private schools, world travel, and celebrities, what she really yearned for was love and attachment from her parents. Highly gifted and misunderstood, she got into a lot of trouble, pushing boundaries. She was sent to the same rehabilitation boarding school as Paris Hilton. You’ll want to listen to hear how eating biscuits and gravy in Utah County Jail was the best meal she’s ever had. 2021-06-011h 03
Dear Family,Carson Tueller- Paralyzed Queer/Disability Advocate Passionate about Giving People HopeCarson Tueller was raised in a religious Mormon and a military family. He and his five siblings moved from state to state across the U.S. every three years. He eventually established long-term residence in Utah, where he attended college before moving to New York City. Carson’s life took an unexpected turn in 2013. The same year he came out as a gay man, he injured his spinal cord in a trampoline-related tumbling accident. His broken neck paralyzed him from the chest down, shifting everything causing an identity crisis- the impetus for his major self-discovery and exploration. ...2021-05-1842 min
Dear Family,Chrissy Blumenthal- Modern Warrior Glam-Ma with 5 Biological Kids (2 from her Egg Donation) Creates Chords2Cure to Battle Son’s & Others’ Pediatric CancerChrissy Blumenthal grew up in Arvada, Colorado. She describes her childhood as pretty normal and uneventful until her parents divorced when she was nine years old. Her mother struggled to make ends meet and tried to provide the best she could for Chrissy and her older brother Gary. After high school, Chrissy took on a number of odd jobs to support herself, including a stint in mud wrestling. At age 20, she gave birth to her first son, Cody, and shortly after his birth, she put herself through art school earning an associate’s degree in the music busine...2021-05-0445 min
Dear Family,Taun Hall- Call for Help During her Son, Miles Hall's Mental Health Crisis Turns Into a Tragic Police ShootingThe day Taun Hall’s son Miles was shot and killed by the Walnut Creek Police, she stepped into her life’s work: creating change to protect families from a system that failed her son. On June 2nd, 2019, Miles Hall was having a mental health crisis because of his schizoaffective disorder. Because our mental health system is deeply flawed and doesn’t support families whose adult children have a mental illness, she had no option but to turn to the police to get Miles help. She did everything right- sought guidance on how to maneuver through the mental health system...2021-04-2036 min
Dear Family,Jessica Lahey- The Addiction Inoculation- Raising Healthy Kids in a Culture of Dependence and the Gift of FailureJessica Lahey is a mom who believes every substance abuse story begins at home but can be prevented with an addiction inoculation. She uses her Bachelor's in comparative literature and her law school degree in juvenile education as a teacher and a writer. For over twenty years, she’s taught every grade from sixth to twelfth in both public and private schools as well as New England’s most addicted children in an inpatient drug and alcohol rehab. Jessica writes about education, parenting, and child welfare for The Washington Post and the New York Times, among...2021-04-061h 06
Dear Family,Dear Friends, You’re Like Family- What a Group Chat Taught Me about the Importance of Friendship on Our Health and HappinessAre you ready for some really great news? Getting together with a friend is not only fun, but it’s also great for your health and happiness. We all know how important our Dear Family, is but our friends might prove to be even more important, especially as we age. Research published in the journal Personal Relationships studied more than 270,000 people in nearly 100 countries. What it found was both family and friend relationships were associated with better health and happiness but the benefits remained over a lifetime for people who reported strong friendships. This means our...2021-03-2339 min
Dear Family,Jaycee Gossett- Dancing Around the World and Creating a Mental and Emotional ToolboxJaycee Gossett is a dancer, model, teacher, podcaster, and wanderlust who believes the limitations we experience, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual are tied together- a true mind/body connection. Jaycee shines a light on how movement connects us and brings us so much joy bringing her years of competitive Latin ballroom dancing into schools, to wedding couples, and in her wildly popular exercise classes. Jaycee has worked in front of and behind the camera. She produced and starred in a show for the Travel Channel called “Dance the World” highlighting how people move their bodies in di...2021-03-0950 min
Dear Family,Christine Koh- Music and Brain Scientist Turned Multimedia Creative on Enjoying Life by Doing LessChristine Koh thinks we should all enjoy life by doing less- and this comes from a woman with many businesses and kids who are still at home. She’s a music and brain scientist turned multimedia creative who spent a decade in academia and was awarded prestigious fellowships at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and MIT. On the verge of becoming a professor and after her first baby, she decided to change her career path to focus on creating content to help people live better, happier, and with elevated purpose and intention. She’s the founder of Bo...2021-02-2336 min
Dear Family,Celebrating and Owning my 50th Birthday- Just Like Oprah Did- Only During a Worldwide PandemicSeventeen years ago, I was 33 and the year was 2004. A highlight of my day was watching the Oprah Winfrey Show. Sitting cross-legged on my couch, I’d give my full attention to my hero on the small screen. Oprah was my teacher who loved teachers and I was a teacher. She made me think, feel inspired, consider possibilities, smile, be moved to tears, and dream big. She showed me by example, how one person can make an enormous difference and to believe in the goodness of (wo)mankind. I don’t remember where my baby was when I wat...2021-01-1916 min
Dear Family,Susannah Cahalan- Reporter’s Brain on Fire with Extreme Psychiatric Conditions from Medical Causes Uncovers Great Pretender StorySusannah Cahalan tells the astonishing true story of her descent into madness, her family’s inspiring faith in her, and the lifesaving diagnosis that nearly didn’t happen. Her New York Times bestselling book “Brain on Fire” was adapted for a movie starring Chloe Grace Moretz as her. It’s an unforgettable exploration of memory and identity, faith and love, and a profoundly compelling tale of survival and perseverance. She was a healthy young person working at her dream job, The New York Post when she began having grand mal seizures and babbling. Her increasing paranoia and...2021-01-1248 min
Dear Family,Jay Jay and Antoine Patton- Father/Daughter Duo- Connecting Kids to their Incarcerated Parents with Photopatch & Teaching the World to CodeWith over 5 million children in the U.S. with an incarcerated parent, Antoine Patton came up with a vital tech business while going to college behind bars. His daughter, Jay Jay was just three-years-old when he went to jail six hours away for gun possession. Jay Jay’s mom became a single parent raising two children on her own and couldn’t afford to take her kids to visit their dad. The letters and photos Antoine relied on getting from his family to keep communication and a bond alive were costly to print and send and there was always a de...2021-01-0541 min
Dear Family,The Time My Mental Health Advocacy BackfiredI was excited to give my first mental wellness presentation Zoom lesson to middle schoolers since the pandemic started. I’d presented to high schoolers, parents, teachers, and staff virtually before, but this was different. My new audience was made up of a classroom of impressionable 8th graders joining me during their health class period. Thirty-two students from a charter school in Los Angeles would watch me present from their home computers, unable to have let off steam during recess, unable to socialize and run around with their friends. My goal that October 2020 morning was to rid th...2020-12-2917 min
Dear Family,Dani Klein Modisett- Laughter as Medicine- Laughter On Call for a Mother with Alzheimer’s Becomes a Global BusinessDani Klein Modisett is a comic who could not make her mom who had Alzheimer's laugh so she hired a professional to do it. It worked so well and changed her mom’s life in such remarkable ways that she decided to launch Laughter on Call, a company that now helps people all around the globe. Her business also does corporate events like Zoom Happier Hours and kids' comedy classes. Dani tapped into the value of laughter as medicine because she understood how shared laughter deepens connections. Considering many people are afraid to be around or...2020-12-2241 min
Dear Family,Twinpowerment- Nell & Tish- Identical Twin Trauma Specialists, Writers, & Crafters on Empowerment to Heal Your Body, Mind, & SpiritNell Dardie and Tish Granville are Twinpowerment- identical twin sisters who empower others to get past trauma. They’re both licensed professional clinical counselors in the state of Ohio where they practice. They specialize in the treatment of most clinical disorders mainly focusing on trauma and inner child wounds. They treat depression, anxiety, eating disorders, substance abuse, anger. They discuss how therapy is seen in the Black Community, the benefits of faith-based therapy, the study of epigenetics, our family origin stories, and so much more. You’ll be fascinated to learn how trau...2020-12-0853 min
Dear Family,Heather Vickery- Success Coach on Intentional Bravery- Everything You Want is on the Other Side of UncomfortableHeather Vickery grew up with very conservative Republican parents. When she came out of the closet after a decade-long marriage, she became a single mom with four daughters. She also unearthed her authentic self and began a transformational journey to create the life she always wanted by being brave. Heather took her award-winning Chicago-based event-planning business and her global leadership with over 20 years as an entrepreneur and leveregaed it to become a success and leadership coach. She guides individuals towards greater personal and professional fulfillment by helping them turn their fear into intentional bravery. Heather say...2020-12-0144 min
Dear Family,Gabe Howard- Bipolar Writer and Speaker on Why Mental Illness is an AssholeGabe Howard refers to himself as a literal red-headed step-child because he was adopted by his mom’s second husband after his father abandoned him when he was just a baby. His childhood was fraught with depression, anxiety, mood swings, and suicidal ideation because of his yet-to-be diagnosed mental illness. In 2003, when Gabe was committed to the psychiatric hospital at 25 years old, he weighed 550 pounds, was delusional, suicidal, and had just come off a manic phase that lasted about a year. His first wife had left him and he’d rented an apartment to carry out h...2020-11-2453 min
Dear Family,Nina Cudney- Real Talk with Certified Sex Coach Shining a Light on Taboo Subjects with Humor Including her Inappropriate OCD ThoughtsNina Cudney is a certified sex coach, speaker, and writer on mental health and sexuality. She also writes erotica and sex toy reviews. She’s unfiltered, unashamed, and willing to show how completely imperfect she is which allows her clients to open up and have the important uncomfortable conversations surrounding sex and sexuality. The shame and guilt that can come from body image issues, religious beliefs, media images, past trauma, and toxic messages are replaced with radical self-acceptance to live authentically, especially in intimate relationships. Our mental health and sexuality are closely related. Nina shines a light on...2020-11-171h 05
Dear Family,Dr. David Steinman- Just Relax- In a Sea of Worry an All-Natural Stress Relief Life PreserverDr. David Steinman is here to offer a life-preserver to anyone drowning in an ocean of worry and stress using all-natural methods. After studying psychology at UC Berkeley he got his Ph.D. in clinical psychology at The University of Texas at Austin. He went on to practice clinical neuropsychology. He directed the biofeedback program at Austin Neurological Clinic in Austin for nearly thirty years where he became intimately familiar with how people learn to relax, the obstacles they encounter, and methods for getting past them. Dr. Steinman has taught relaxation and stress management to th...2020-11-1046 min
Dear Family,Feeling Political Fatigue and Pandemic Burnout? The Antidotes are Hope, Action, and Gratitude.*A short solo minisode- The most important election of our lifetime is happening during a once in a century worldwide public health crisis. Scarlett red, electric blue, or a shade of purple in between, one thing we can all agree on is the value of HOPE, ACTION, and GRATITUDE in moving us forward in the right direction. For four years a shocking news cycle has not let up. Anxiety and stress due to the Coronavirus add a whole other complicated layer. Reports of Election Day fears of outbreaks of violence are resulting in people stocking...2020-11-0318 min
Dear Family,Yasmin Irfani- Pakistani-Muslim-American Speaks Up about Mental Health in her South Asian Community that Doesn’t Value Expressing EmotionsYasmin Irfani is a Pakistani-Muslim-American woman who is passionate about speaking up about mental health awareness in her community. Growing up, she was told she was too emotional and sensitive which led her to believe she was broken. After all, South Asian girls like her did not speak up or express their emotions. Whether directly or indirectly she was taught to keep the problems that come along with her community’s high expectations to herself, like getting married and having kids by a certain age, being financially successful, going to a great college, and having an amazing job, among ot...2020-10-2740 min
Dear Family,Jason Schneidman- Venice Beach’s The Mens Groomer to the Stars and the Homeless- on Sobriety and How a Haircut Can Literally Change Someone’s Life Jason Schneidman grew up on the beaches of Southern California surfing and seeking the fun, care-free lifestyle it offered. His partying continued into his thirties until his life unraveled completely when he found himself homeless and addicted to crack cocaine. Sixteen years ago, he knew he had to do something otherwise he’d end up in jail or dead and so he asked for help and began the hard word of getting and staying sober. Jason’s rehabilitation taught him the importance of giving back. He decided to go out onto the streets with co...2020-10-2035 min
Dear Family,Lisa Klein- Granddaughter, Daughter, and Sister of Suicide Makes Touching Documentary about the Taboo Subject- The S WordLisa Klein grew up in Michigan. When she was in college she got a call to come home because she was told her dad died from heart failure. Months later, her brother would take his life in the car in the garage and die by suicide which eventually she’d find out was the same way her dad and her grandmother had also died. She learned from her mother to never discuss suicide out of shame and so she didn’t. Until one day, Lisa realized she not only wanted to talk about suicide openly, she wanted to make docu...2020-10-1342 min
Dear Family,John Lehr- Geico Caveman’s Cold Sober Comedy and the Fine Line Between Pain and HumorJohn Lehr is a comedic performer, writer, and producer who works in television, film, and theater. He grew up in Kansas and made his way to Chicago for college. He began to substitute teach while moonlighting as an improvisational comic all the while abusing drugs and alcohol. He made his way to Los Angeles and got roles on TV shows like Friends and Jesse, among others. He is one of the original Geico Cavemen from the wildly successful commercial campaign. He hit his rock bottom when he got arrested and spent the night in jail hi...2020-10-0640 min
Dear Family,X. Ari- Performing Artist with Anxiety, Depression, PTSD, Psychosis, Sleep Paralysis, Bipolar, and ADHD Turns Pain Into PowerX. ARI is a singer-songwriter-artist and mental health advocate from Toronto currently living in Los Angeles. X. ARI comes from a family who has substance abuse and mental health issues. She herself has dealt with anxiety, depression, PTSD from psychosis, insomnia, sleep paralysis (a very interesting disorder which she will explain in this episode), bipolar, ADHD, and even anorexia when she was a competitive figure skater. Her motto is to turn pain into power using art to do so. Musically, the songstress deftly dances in and out of genre lines, moving from entrancing alternative pop t...2020-09-2941 min
Dear Family,Adam Frankel Obama’s Speechwriter on Identity Crises, Family Secrets, Intergenerational Trauma and HealingAdam Frankel’s maternal grandparents survived the Holocaust and built new lives, with new names, in Connecticut. Although they tried to leave the horrors of their past behind, the pain they suffered crossed generational lines- a fact most apparent in the mental health of Adam’s mother. When Adam sat down with her to examine their family history in detail, he learned another shocking secret. His beloved dad was not in fact his biological father and no one knew. At just 25 years old, Adam was a senior speechwriter for President Barack Obama when he discovered he was only...2020-09-2236 min
Dear Family,Terri Cheney-Lawyer to the Stars-Turned Best-Selling Author’s Adventures with Mental Illness- An Owner’s Manual for Modern MadnessTerri Cheney was a successful entertainment lawyer who represented some of the biggest names in the business, like Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones. All the while, she hid her mental illness and the slash marks on her wrist from a suicide attempt. She bravely started writing about her experience living with bipolar disorder after several horrific suicide attempts, encounters with the law, broken relationships and, eventually, a stint in a mental hospital and several rounds of electroshock therapy. The writing led to her first memoir, Manic, which went on to become a bestseller and the basis of an episode...2020-09-1548 min
Dear Family,Dani Shapiro- Best-Selling Memoirist on Uncovering Family Secrets, Inheritance, Genealogy, Paternity, and LoveDani Shapiro is a national treasure and to anyone who loves memoir, she reigns supreme. Dani has a way with words and a way of moving you to stop everything and consider what it is that makes you who you are. I can honestly say she has been a guiding light for me when it comes to writing and podcasting. Her writing, whether fiction or nonfiction, examines our memory, history, biology, experience, spirit, and soul. Dani has spent her entire life questioning who she was, a single child growing up in an Orthodox Jewish community. Af...2020-09-0856 min
Dear Family,Oona Hanson- Educator and Parent Coach on Diet Culture and her Common Sense Camp to Teach Kids Practical Life Skills Oona Hanson is a parent coach who has been in education for over twenty years and supports parents of teens and tweens going through the rough stuff and challenges of life after her child dealt with an eating disorder. Passionate about helping parents raise kids who have a healthy relationship with food and their body, Oona writes and gives talks on fostering body image resilience and lowering the risk for eating disorders. During the pandemic summer of 2020, she launched her Common Sense Camp, offering a framework for teaching kids essential life skills at...2020-09-0147 min
Dear Family,Priscilla Molina- Daughter of Guatemalan Immigrants is Inspired to Become a Psychiatrist so Underserved Communities Receive Culturally Sensitive CarePriscilla Molina is the voice of a new and diverse generation, someone we all need to pay attention to. Growing up, she frequently went to work with her parents who immigrated from Guatemala, doing homework while her mom cleaned houses or her father fixed someone’s leaky pipes. While some may have seen her parents as laborers, she saw leaders, inspiring her to lead her community and help those in need. When Priscilla was in middle school, she became very interested in why her brother became homeless, was thinking about conspiracy theories, was very paranoid, and...2020-08-2547 min
Dear Family,24 Ways to Be the Happiest and Greatest Parent-A Counterintuitive ListParenting is a 24-hour gig you don’t get paid for but at least it’s priceless!!! This solo-podcast is sure to boost your happiness and create a more blissful family life. We discuss things like: *Putting yourself first and being selfish *Being an open-book role model *Letting your kids be a little bit naughty *Discussing sad and tragic stories *Encouraging them to talk to strangers and handle dangerous tools *Leaving your kids is good for the soul *Allowing them to fail, fall, stumble...2020-08-1828 min
Dear Family,Tracy Hargen- When Your Son Asks, “Mom, Can We Talk?” Stop & Listen- Helping Your Child Get Out of the Darkness of Depression & Feel the Light AgainTracy Hargen is a born and bred Southern girl. Even though she did a stint in New York and New Jersey after meeting her Yankee husband, she currently lives in Georgia. She finds it hilarious when her gigantic Harlequin Great Dane and her tiny black and white Chinese Crested run through her office when she’s on an important client call. Tracy has worked in Corporate America for over 30 years, but her passions are writing and removing the shame and stigma around mental health issues. Look for her work on GrownandFlown.com, The Mighty.com, Love...2020-08-1152 min
Dear Family,Barbara, Dedan, and Ella Bruner- One Family/Three Generations on Healthy and Loving Single Parenting and Co-Parenting and the Beauty of DiversityToday we have three generations of one amazing family, Barbara Bruner, a mother and grandmother, Dedan Bruner, a father and son, and Ella Bruner, a daughter and granddaughter. The Bruner’s are here today to discuss healthy single parenting and co-parenting and to dispel any myths about Black parenting while shining a light on the power and positivity of diversity. Ella Bruner is 9 years old and attends school in Washington DC. She loves dancing, singing, fashion, sports, and helping others. Her perfect day includes great weather, spending time with friends on the playground, and an aft...2020-08-0448 min
Dear Family,Laurie Kallen Schwent-My Creative and Eccentric Bipolar Mother Whose Parents Both Died By Suicide on Why Life is Worth Living in ColorImagine eavesdropping on a mother and daughter’s most intimate, honest, and raw therapy session where they hash out the past and share family secrets in hopes of coming to a life-changing understanding. Also, imagine laughing at some truly wild and unbelievable stories. Imagine no further because this 50th Dear Family, podcast episode is all of that and more! Laurie Kallen Schwent is a creative and eccentric self-proclaimed comedian and empath, an artist who dabbles in watercolor and photography, a restaurant owner, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a loyal friend, and a dog lover. Laur...2020-06-301h 19
Dear Family,Janice Hayes Kyser- Biracial Writer Navigates the Mental Health & Special Education System for her Adopted Black SonJanice Hayes Kyser is a biracial woman who grew up with a front-row view of race relations. Born to a Black Alabaman father and to a White British mother, she saw firsthand how her mother’s White allyship educated others in the 60s and how her father was not treated as an equal in both the air force and in life in general. Janice adopted a Black son from the foster care system when he was just three years old. She became a mental health advocate when dealing with her son’s PTSD and his specia...2020-06-2338 min
Dear Family,George Floyd Summoned All Mothers When He Called for His Mama“Mama!” we heard George Floyd call to a woman who died two years earlier, a sacred invocation, like a prayer invoking God’s presence because mothers are our first protectors. When George called for his Mama, he called on me too. After our newborn wails after inhaling its first breath, we exhale with relief. We instantly begin to consider their safety with the underlying desire for them to inherit a bright future. Instinctually we become Mama Bears who will do anything in our power to protect our beloved cubs. George Floyd laying prostrate and gasping for air...2020-06-1612 min
Dear Family,Gregg Garfield & Anneliese Johnson- COVID Patient Zero Medical Miracle Survives 64 Days in the Hospital with Support from his VillageGregg Garfield is the owner of CardConnect E.V. and Chip In, a credit card processing company. His girlfriend, Anneliese Johnson (AJ) is a mother of two teenage daughters and a wealth manager. Gregg and AJ heartedly support the peaceful protests for Black Lives Matter, but they’re concerned about the spread of coronavirus as large groups stand elbow to elbow with many civilians, cops, and firefighters not wearing masks. They know first hand the horrific effects of this novel virus that flourishes in crowds. When Gregg Garfield left for a ski trip adventure in Ita...2020-06-0953 min
Dear Family,Pirie Jones Grossman- It’s Never too Late to Own Your Own Throne, Find Love from Within, & Heal a Community from SuicidePirie Jones Grossman was born and raised in South Texas. She grew up with a bipolar and schizophrenic mother who struggled with drugs and alcohol. When Pirie was just five years old, her mother put a gun to her head and was later institutionalized. Pirie developed a depth of self-loathing and a need to be loved that would follow her into multiple marriages. Despite it all, Pirie went on to become a model, actress, and TV host for E!, Fox Television, NBC, CBS, and ABC interviewing visionaries like Maya Angelou. Pirie has firsthand experience about ho...2020-06-021h 04
Dear Family,“Condom With a Conversation”- Sex & Consent Teen-Owned Business with Luca Wheeler, Charlotte Sedaka & Jed SiegelUnder state law, teenagers aren’t legally old enough to have sex, but that didn’t stop three teens, Luca Wheeler, Charlotte Sedaka, and Jed Siegel from forming a condom company and consent initiative called Condom With a Conversation. This amazing trio sourced a 100% FDA-approved condom and designed a package that includes questions encouraging a couple to make sure both parties are on board and feel positive about their decisions. At the height of the #MeToo movement, Luca came up with the idea for Condom with a Conversation after a meaningful talk with his g...2020-05-2651 min
Dear Family,Wally Lamb- “I Know This Much Is True” Author & Executive Producer of HBO Series about Paranoid Schizophrenia, Forgiveness, & the Power of Storytelling to HealWally Lamb is the author of not one, but six New York Times best-selling novels that speak to generations of readers who recognize their own struggles within his characters. He was twice selected for Oprah’s Book Club with She’s Come Undone and I Know This Much Is True, a current HBO limited series starring Mark Ruffalo as identical twin brothers, one with paranoid schizophrenia. The human struggle and the power of story to heal inspire Wally, a former high school English teacher. The work he’s done teaching writing to women prisoners in Connect...2020-05-1947 min
Dear Family,Elsa Mora- Cuban-born Artist, Curator, & Paper Sculptor- Our Most Precious Possession is Our Mind & Creativity Can Solve Any ProblemElsa Mora is an artist and curator born and raised in Cuba. In her culture, mental illness is not a secret and she would know because she grew up surrounded by family members who had bipolar, depression, schizophrenia, autism, and alcoholism. Elsa moved to Los Angeles to pursue art in 2001 and then to Upstate New York with her husband and two children in 2014. She continues to make art, now focusing on unique paper sculptures while also curating the Art Yard, an alternative contemporary art gallery, theater, and residency program. Elsa’s art h...2020-05-1258 min
See Life DifferentHealing Your Mental Health and Generational Trauma with Rachel SteinmanRachel Steinman is a mother, wife, teacher, podcaster, and mental health advocate. Rachel’s beloved grandfather jumped to his death. She later found his incomplete manuscript revealing dark family secrets. She decided to become his ghostwriter and ended up rewriting his story and realizing that she had a story as well to tell with understanding generational traumas and forgiving her bipolar mom. With a burning desire to change the legacy, her daughters would genetically inherit, Rachel began to soul search and research. Rachel started Dear Family, the Podcast because she realized every family has someone de...2020-05-0823 min
Dear Family,Robert Kolker- Hidden Valley Road Author & Oprah’s Book Club Pick about The Most Mentally Ill Family in AmericaROBERT KOLKER’s book Hidden Valley Road is currently Oprah’s Book Club pick and already at the top of the New York Times Best Seller’s list. He’s also the bestselling author of Lost Girls, now a Netflix movie and named one of the New York Times 100 Notable Books and one of Publishers Weekly's Top Ten Books of 2013. As a journalist, his work has appeared in New York magazine, Bloomberg Businessweek, The New York Times Magazine, Wired, GQ, O magazine, and Men's Journal. He is a National Magazine Award finalist and a recipient of the Guggenheim Award for Exce...2020-05-0543 min
Dear Family,Dr. Sam Fink & Sarrica Fink, RN- Father/Daughter Duo Giving Factual and Realistic Answers about the Current Situation of Covid-19Dr. Sam Fink is an internal medicine specialist in private practice in Tarzana, California. He’s currently treating patients with coronavirus and has been on the frontline of educating the public on COVID-19 on KTLA, CNN, FOX, and more. Dr. Fink’s daughter, Sarrica Fink is a registered nurse who practiced at Cedar Sinai Medical Center in LA. She’s currently working at a Digital Health Innovation Nonprofit in Tel-Aviv, Israel. Following in her father's footsteps, she too is passionate about educating others. You'll love this father and daughter, doctor, and nurse du...2020-04-2859 min
Dear Family,I'm a Failure and Proud of It- And Why #40 is so Meaningful! Because this episode is about owning our failures, I'm celebrating my 40th Dear Family, podcast episode, something a year ago I thought impossible. We'll discuss why #40 is meaningful in history, science, religion, & pop culture & why you should fail and fail often. Let's look at our failures the way the Japanese look at broken pottery. In Kintsugi pottery, broken pieces are bonded with precious gold. It’s the unique character flaws, the scars that add to the beauty & depth of the piece. Fall 39 times, get up 40. SHOW NOTE LINKS: See Kintsugi pottery images in the...2020-04-2116 min
Dear Family,Dwana White- Professional Funny Girl and Storyteller on Wellness and Mental Health in the Black Community Dwana White is dangerously provocative, loves dinner parties, is a fan of the dialectic, and is a professional funny girl who believes in the mind-body connection. She’s here today to discuss systemic racism, white privilege, and how in the black community, mental health is not always discussed because of stigma. Dwana grew up in Austin and San Antonio. She began modeling as a child, continuing to do so off and on even through law school. She’s a former attorney with a background in criminal prosecution and business litigation. She’s now writing and producing in Los Ang...2020-04-1451 min
Dear Family,Family Together ApartSheltering at home for the better good of mankind is shifting our perspectives to focus on what is most precious in life- our health and our family. Family support is more critical now than ever and yet we’re being asked to celebrate Easter, Passover, or Ramadan together but apart. These spring holidays remind us of rebirth and growth, like the symbolic egg on the seder plate or in an Easter basket. Just like the egg does when boiled and under pressure, it hardens and gets stronger. This is an opportunity for self-awareness and introspection, like spring it...2020-04-0716 min
Dear Family,Jen Gotch- The Upside of Being Down- How her Mental Health Struggles Led to her Greatest Successes in Work & LIfeJen Gotch is co-founder and chief creative officer of the multi-million dollar business ban.do. The brand’s goal is to make you feel better with their bright, optimistic products. Her 250K Instagram followers love her mental health advocacy as she bears her heart with a lot of spunk, humor, and personality. Jen’s just written her first book, a memoir called “The Upside of Being Down,” about how her mental health struggles led to her greatest successes in work and in life. Although she was raised by loving and attentive parents in Boca Raton, Florida, h...2020-03-311h 05
Dear Family,A Pandemic Pep Talk We All NeedYes, we need to stay informed with facts about this novel virus. Yes, we need to social distance and stay home. Yes, we need to flatten the curve to keep our health care workers safe and supplied. But we also need to stay positive and mentally healthy to boost our moods and our immune systems. Because this is a pep talk, let’s remember, fear and panic can pass from person to person, like a virus, but the good news is kindness, calmness, and correct information can also be contagious. We need to remain positive by...2020-03-2420 min
Dear Family,David Katz- First Responder at the Kobe Helicopter Crash- Attorney by Day/Hero After HoursDavid Katz is a mergers and acquisitions lawyer by day and an unassuming hero by night and on the weekends. For the last 30 years, he’s been a first responder search and rescuer who has been awarded multiple valor awards, including one for taking the Robert Blake trial shooter down with his own bare hands outside of a courthouse. As the team leader of the L.A. County Sheriff’s search and rescue unit in Malibu, Calabasas, Lost Hills, and Agoura Hills, his territory spans from the Pacific Ocean through the Santa Monica Mountains. He’s no str...2020-03-1755 min
Dear Family,15 Silver Linings & Strategies to Manage Anxiety During the Coronavirus PandemicThe word pandemic in of itself sounds scary, maybe because it has the word panic in it. Now that the coronavirus pandemic has been declared a national emergency across the nation, this once remote virus no longer feels like someone else’s problem. We’ve all been put on high alert so it’s no wonder we’re feeling anxious about protecting ourselves and our families. But let’s take a deep breath, manage our anxieties, and collectively flatten the curve so we can get through this pandemic. The effects of social distancing changed our lives over...2020-03-1413 min
Dear Family,What Do You Value Most in LIfe?What do you value most in life? I posed this profound and open-ended question to my Dear Family Members private Facebook group as a crowdsourcing experiment. Unsurprisingly to me, the top answers were FAMILY and HEALTH. Listen to this short solo-podcast to hear why we are so deserving of being in alignment with our universal values to find love and abundance. SHOW NOTE LINKS: Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group What Do You Value Most?- Essay on Medium CONNECT WITH US! *D...2020-03-1008 min
Dear Family,Lisa Heffernan- Grown and Flown- How to Stay Close as a Family and Raise Independent AdultsLisa Heffernan has an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management. She is a New York Times bestselling author who has worked as a financial trader and as former vice-president at Goldman Sachs. When her son went off to college she burst into tears in the produce aisle and came to the conclusion there was very little support for soon-to-be empty-nester parents like herself. Lisa understood high school and college are when kids are making some of the most consequential decisions in their lives and that parenting never ends. She partnered with a fellow mom and fr...2020-03-0346 min
Dear Family,Bipolar Rocket Mothership- The Earth is Bipolar and so is my MomA short solo podcast and a moving spoken poem about my mom and my hero about polar extremes. The earth is bipolar and so is my mom. “Bipolar is a family affair...a celestial radiance sparked from passed down traumas and shared hopes.” Warning- This is a highly emotional and sensitive topic that may trigger some, so please listen with caution and care. ****** Wishing you love, happiness, and mental health. SHOW NOTE LINKS: The Written Poem with Beautiful Images- Bipolar Rocket Mothership CO...2020-02-2510 min
Dear Family,Terry & Rachel Winter- (Part 2) Award-Winning Master Storytellers Share their Real-Life Marriage StoryAn Unforgettable Two-Part Series- Here's Part TWO Terry and Rachel Winter aren’t just my Dearest Friends turned Dearest Family members, they’re also the second married couple in history to ever be nominated for Academy Awards during the same year but with different movies. Terry was nominated for writing The Wolf of Wall Street and Rachel for producing Dallas Buyers Club. Terry loves to tell a good story and Rachel loves to envision and bring it to life- a match made in Hollywood Heaven. Terence Winter grew up in a working-class family in Brooklyn, New Y...2020-02-1831 min
Dear Family,Terry & Rachel Winter- (Part 1) Award-Winning Master Storytellers Share their Real-Life Marriage StoryAn Unforgettable Two-Part Series- Here's Part ONE Terry and Rachel Winter aren’t just my Dearest Friends turned Dearest Family members, they’re also the second married couple in history to ever be nominated for Academy Awards during the same year but with different movies. Terry was nominated for writing The Wolf of Wall Street and Rachel for producing Dallas Buyers Club. Terry loves to tell a good story and Rachel loves to envision and bring it to life- a match made in Hollywood Heaven. Terence Winter grew up in a working-class family in Brooklyn, New Y...2020-02-1846 min
Dear Family,#GirlDad- A LOVE Story about Kobe Bryant, Fathers and Daughters, and Girls SportsThis is a very personal and touching solo-podcast episode about the love of the game of basketball, of Kobe, of our daughters, and of the importance of girls sports. Kobe’s intense drive, work ethic, athleticism, and Mamba Mentality made him our hero. His pure love for his daughters made him human and relatable. After Kobe and his beloved Gigi’s tragic passing, the hashtag GirlDad reminded us how a father taking the time to teach the small and big life lessons is not just a gift to his daughter, but even more so to himsel...2020-02-1112 min
Dear Family,Tim & Ryder Davis- Father & Son- Different Generations, Perspectives & Challenges but Same Mental Health AdvocacyToday we are doing something different, but perfectly aligned with Dear Family’s mission. We are having a father and son together as Dear Family, guests. Tim Davis was just 11 when he lost his mother. Never properly dealing with the trauma, he ended up struggling with substance abuse throughout high school and got into a lot of trouble. But high school wasn’t all bad because Tim fell in love and married his high school sweetheart and had two children before getting divorced. Tim is sober now and has an amicable relati...2020-02-041h 02
Dear Family,Is Creativity Linked to Mental Illness?If you knew your baby would inherit bipolar disorder would you gene edit or consider abortion? It’s a tough ethical question. We could risk making the world a blander, more homogenized place if we get rid of the genes for manic-depressive illness. I’m the daughter and granddaughter of creative bipolars. My grandparents took their lives and Mom has considered it. My daughter is a born creative. Bipolar is highly heritable. When I think of how my mom and grandparents suffered from mental demons, I question if I’d wipe mental illness genes off the face of...2020-01-2811 min
Dear Family,Brit Bronson-Out of My Mind & Sick & Tired of Being Sick & Tired Brit Bronson, the oldest of three sisters, was just eight years old when her mother died suddenly while on vacation in Mexico. Brit developed an eating disorder as a means to cope. At nineteen years old she was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Bipolar 1. Brit was extremely lost because her illnesses felt like a death sentence. She never could have imagined her disorders would one day become her superpowers. Brit struggled for years and attempted suicide. After a long hospitalization from a manic episode, she finally accepted her diagnosis and used tools t...2020-01-2149 min
Dear Family,Prince Harry and Princess Meghan’s Royal Family Split- It's Complicated & All About Mental HealthLet’s face it, we love stories of epic family feuds and family dramas. Just think of Romeo and Juliet, The Sopranos, Greek tragedies, The Godfather, Cain vs. Abel, Dynasty, Succession, and the list can go on and on. By now, you are likely aware Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are involved in a real-life family saga as they publicly declare they are stepping back from the stronghold of the Royal Family and all the expectations required of them. Search #megxit on Twitter and your head will spin from the vast ar...2020-01-1409 min
Dear Family,Catherine McCord- Keeping Our Families Healthy & Happy with Delicious & Nutritious Meals & SmoothiesHappy New Year! Catherine McCord is here to inspire and motivate us to get and stay healthy and happy all year long. Catherine has the Midas touch. She’s a successful entrepreneur, food blogger, writer, TV personality, wife, and mother to three. On top of all of that, she’s beautiful and one of the nicest people you will ever meet. I honestly don’t know how she does it all, but she does and with grace and humility often in front of a camera. Catherine was born in Louisville, Kentucky. By the time...2020-01-0739 min
Dear Family,2020 Vision for Inner Peace in 2020- and 20 Resolutions to Get You ThereForget the empty promises of the get rich and skinny resolutions of the past. The goal for this new decade is to strive for inner peace, a most worthy objective and the new definition of happiness and success. A resolution is a decision you make on the first day of the year about things you intend to do or stop doing that year. It’s been proven most people don’t keep their resolutions past January. 20/20 vision is a term used to express the clarity or sharpness of vision measured at a distance of 2...2019-12-3114 min
Dear Family,Jonathan Leeper- Homeless Drug Addict Becomes a Beacon of Hope Helping the HomelessJonathan Leeper’s life story is extraordinary because he’s overcome major obstacles to become one of the most compassionate, strong and inspiring people you will ever meet. Jonathan was born in Yakota, Japan as a result of being a military brat before moving to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. He spent 8 years in the navy, with his last tour in Port Hueneme, which is located in Ventura County, California. Jonathan would become addicted to crack and end up homeless. While living underneath a freezing basement in North Carolina, and so his family wouldn’t have to see his depe...2019-12-2453 min
Dear Family,Dear Family, I Used to Dread Holiday CelebrationsIt’s the holiday season, a time some of us look forward to celebrating with our families, whereas others, and I used to be in this camp, dread it. Even during the best of circumstances, there are expectations, longings, guilt, people keeping score, and past hurt feelings to get in the way. Behind the camera of those picture-perfect holiday cards and Instagram posts of family vacations is the messiness of life; the beauty within the chaos, we need to not just accept but embrace. After all, quality time with our loved ones is the best gift of all. ...2019-12-1709 min
Dear Family,Stephen Hinshaw- Award-Winning Author and Psychology Professor’s Very Personal Journey through the Stigma and Hope of Mental IllnessDr. Stephen Hinshaw grew up in Columbus, Ohio with Quaker roots. He went on to attend Harvard and UCLA, becoming a professor of Psychology and the Department Chair at UC Berkeley, in addition to becoming a professor at UC San Francisco and the Vice-Chair. Professor Steve is an international presence in clinical psychology and mental health whose work focuses on developmental psychopathology, clinical interventions for youth, especially around ADHD, and the important work of ridding mental illness stigma. He’s authored over 350 articles and chapters, plus 12 books. Steve’s appeared in the New...2019-12-1049 min
Dear Family,Rachel Steinman Discusses Sharenting- When a Child has to Teach their Parent About Consent and the Implications of a Digital Footprint She Didn’t CreateSharenting (or oversharenting)- noun- When parents overshare photos and other data of their children on social media. Sharenting is the overuse of social media by parents sharing content based on their children, such as baby pictures or details of their children’s activities. It’s related to the concept of TMI, or “Too Much Information.” Pediatricians are starting to consider how sharenting affects childhood well-being and family life. I have a podcast called Dear Family, and it’s all about our complicated and wonderful families, parenting, and finding mental wellness. I also have a beautiful...2019-12-0313 min
Dear Family,Tracy McCubbin- Decluttering and Ridding Our Dirty Laundry to Make Space for What MattersOne-click ordering, free delivery, storage units, sentimental stashing, hand-me-down furniture…Our families are dealing with a clutter crisis. Enter Tracy McCubbin to the rescue, as she jokes, “You can’t scare me with your junk. I throw away dead people’s sex toys.” Tracy grew up with family members who hoarded and knows firsthand the effects of living amongst too many possessions goes far beyond the home’s walls. So much of what we hold onto is charged by family dynamics and emotions. Tracy has a unique understanding of the mindset of the organiz...2019-11-2645 min
Dear Family,Turning The Tables: Rachel Interviewed & Shares Her Family’s Secrets Of Mental Illness, Suicide, Addiction & MoreRachel Steinman, the host of Dear Family, becomes the guest as her Dear Friend, Benjamin King flips the tables to interview her about her family’s legacy of mental illness, suicide, addiction, and more. Rachel was a psychology major who received her Masters in Education and multiple subject teaching credential from UCLA. She’s taught every elementary school grade, K-6 and has even been the school librarian. Rachel is a writer, essayist, and memoirist who can’t help but self-examine her own life as well as others’. She’s become a fierce and avid mental health advocate and educat...2019-11-1957 min
Dear Family,How a Family Dog Became the Ultimate Therapist and Master Teacher- Story by Rachel SteinmanWe consider pets part of our Dear Family. This is a story about how a family dog became the ultimate therapist, the wisest master-teacher, and the best birthday present I thought I never wanted. I’m doing something different this episode by sharing the very first essay I ever published publicly. A year and a quarter later I’m still walking down the path of finding love, healing, connection, and good mental health by sharing inspirational and touching stories. With a family history of severe mental illness, I know anxiety and depressi...2019-11-1223 min
Dear Family,Ross Szabo- From Class President & Varsity Basketball Player- to Being Called Psycho after Ending Up in the Mental Hospital- to Pioneering the Youth Mental Health MovementRoss Szabo was his high school student body president, played varsity basketball, and he volunteered for the Special Olympics and Students Against Drunk Driving. He looked perfect on the outside. Ross didn’t dare tell anyone he was diagnosed as bipolar with anger and psychotic features at 16 years old out of shame and pride because he was a scholar-athlete. But on the inside, he couldn’t hide behind his happy face anymore and at 17 he was hospitalized for attempting to take his own life. Ross is here today to talk about his ins...2019-11-0543 min
Dear Family,Rachel Steinman- If You Don’t Come From a Healthy Family, Make Sure a Healthy Family Comes From You.Rachel is here to let you know regardless if you grew up in a family shrouded in secrets or if you or a loved one experiences mental health conditions, you are not alone and there is real hope. Rachel shares her thoughts on how podcasting and writing about her family secrets saved her and her mother, and how she was able to find mental wellness to create a healthy family. Rachel shares some timely inspirational content on the same subject of finding wellness in spite of and because of our complicated families: *The He...2019-10-2923 min
Dear Family,Tami Strezelecki- From Savior in the ER to Letting her Patients Go- How Hospice Nursing Saved her Own LifeTamara Strzelecki, aka Nurse Tami, is a blue-haired mama, wife, nurse, and creative entrepreneur. She's worked in the ER, NICU, Pediatrics, HEDIS (stands for Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set) and long term care. Currently, the fierce and awesome Nurse Tami is a hospice nurse. Tami survived postpartum depression, bullying, nursing burnout, disordered eating, early-onset osteoporosis with multiple rib fractures, depression and anxiety. She utilizes her social platforms and her ambassador position at Cherokee (the scrubs uniform company) to normalize mental health disparities and to discuss bullying and lateral violence in nursing. She wants everyone to k...2019-10-2247 min
Dear Family,Rachel Steinman's First Solo Musings- Real Talk about Mental Wellness Dear Family and Friends, This is Rachel Steinman and in less than three months we will be in a new decade- The Roaring 20’s. So let’s seize the day and make bold resolutions. One of my resolutions is to connect with you. It’s why I’ll be podcasting weekly. And it’s why I want to invite you to PLESE JOIN MY PRIVATE FACEBOOK GROUP- “Dear Family Members.” (Link in bottom of show notes.) I’ve been saying a lot lately how I could literally...2019-10-1615 min
Dear Family,Rena Sofer- A Bold and Beautiful Actress Survives Her Mother's Abandonment and Falls in Love with Her Ex-Husband In Real Life- A Soap Opera Storyline with a Surprisingly Happy EndingRena Sofer is a brilliant, bold, and beautiful actress, best known for her striking blue eyes. She was born in Arcadia, California. Her mother was a housewife who walked out on her family when she was just two years old. Her father picked up the reigns of being both parents to her and her older brother, David. Rena was discovered at age 15 by a New York talent agent and started modeling before turning to act. Rena made her first mark on television on the soap opera, Another World. She went on to win an Emmy o...2019-10-081h 07
Dear Family,Zack McDermott- Gorilla and the Bird- A Mother’s Unconditional Love for her Bipolar Son Whose Psychotic Belief He's the Star in His Own TV Show Lands Him in Bellevue HospitalZack McDermott is the author of Gorilla and the Bird. His witty, intimate and personal memoir is the tale of a mother’s unconditional love for her bipolar son. Zack grew up working-class, hovering above the poverty line and witnessing crime in Wichita, Kansas. His mother was a schoolteacher who tutored Crips and Bloods, giving Zack the desire to give back by becoming a public defender for the Legal Aid Society of New York. The story of Gorilla and the Bird begins with a bang when 26-year-old Zack suffers his first major psychotic break, complete with...2019-09-2454 min
Dear Family,Screen Time Confinement or Liberation- Growing Up with Digital Media, Porn, and Video GamesDevorah Heitner is not just another mom concerned about raising a digital native. She uses her Ph.D. in Technology to research, teach, write, and lecture about how families everyday lives are affected by digital media, smartphones, and video games. She’s the author of Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World. And her work has appeared in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and TIME magazine. Devorah did a great TEDx talk about cultivating a culture of empathy and social/emotional literacy around kids and technology. She recently wrote a fantastic article for th...2019-09-1054 min
Dear Family,Millennial Musician Writes a New Love SongS. Wills is a millennial musician and songwriter running a successful music entertainment business booking bands for big events. In his adolescence, he felt coerced into participating in what he describes as a vitriolic divorce that lasted years and followed him into his college days. The divorce shaped his experience of love, his values, his ambitions, and his analytic nature. He is here today to discuss his thoughts on attachment theory and how to reframe one's mind. He’s able to look back at his parents' divorce and find not just sympathy for them but for himself. He wants to...2019-08-2745 min
Shameless Leadership304: Rachel Steinman: Inherited...A Memoir of 4 Family SuicidesRachel Steinman is the debut author of “Inherited: An Insane Family Memoir,” coming out soon. Described as a literary Jackie Collins, Rachel’s writing is steamy and confessional while remaining poignant and inspirational. Rachel received her Bachelor's in Psychology from UC Santa Barbara and her Masters in Education from UCLA. She’s written a treatment for a TV series based on her book and is working on adapting the story to become a serial podcast. When she’s not writing personal essays, she's writing editorial copy part-time for a luxury lifestyle business. Rachel lives in Los Angeles with her Internet ma...2019-01-2350 min