Episodes

Dec. 30, 2025

Joy and Hopefulness in Difficult Times: Positive Political Action from The Hannah Arendt Center at Bard College

When we agree to practice joy through community, connection, and belonging in its own powerful way, it is an act of defiance to what's going on around us. We must ask ourselves, particularly in these difficult times, what we ...
Dec. 23, 2025

Loving the World in Dark Times: Fearless Thinking from the Hannah Arendt Center at Bard College

Current research indicates that despite unprecedented levels of global connectivity, societies are experiencing an unparalleled state of metaphysical loneliness. This condition is a potent catalyst for political instability, ...
Dec. 16, 2025

Building Secure Attachment: Healing Emotional Baggage for Healthier Relationships with Jessica Baum, LMHC

Connection to others is our emotional lifeblood. The quality of our earliest connection determines how safe we feel in our bodies and how safe and secure we feel in the world. Healing emotional baggage is a crucial first step...
Dec. 9, 2025

The Tao of Chill: Finding Inner Peace Without Woo-Woo with Diane Dreher, PhD

To explore the exercise of finding calm without religion, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with bestselling author and award-winning professor, Dr. Diane Dreher. Diane presents statistics detailing...
Dec. 3, 2025

Happiness Factor: Keys to Unlocking a Satisfying Life with Paul Ollinger

Achievable contentment isn't found by relentlessly chasing some massive, shimmering happiness jackpot; it's a series of practical keys you turn every day. A proven factor in unlocking a satisfying life is to prioritize experi...
Nov. 25, 2025

Healing Loneliness: Learn to Love Yourself with Dr. Margaret Paul, PhD

Feeling alone in a crowded room is a hallmark of today's loneliness epidemic, proving that company alone isn't the answer. Healing loneliness starts by looking inward rather than outward. By cultivating self-love, you nurture...
Nov. 12, 2025

Communication Fix: Relationship Skills for Better Conversations and a Happy Life with Patricia Timerman Barbosa da Silva, PhD

Cultural differences profoundly impact our ability to communicate in relationships, often leading to misunderstandings when interpreting nonverbal cues, directness of speech, or emotional expression. To have better conversati...
Nov. 5, 2025

The Altruistic Brain: Architecture of Connection and Community Amid Chaos with Nicole Karlis

Research studies reveal there are neurological, emotional, and physical rewards to acts of altruism. We experience awe, most often, when we witness acts of human kindness, no matter how small. Volunteering offers a powerful a...
Oct. 29, 2025

Well-Being and Post-COVID Recovery: Exploring U.S. Consumer Pessimism Amid Economic Growth with Carol Graham, PhD

Well-being science reveals that, despite signs of economic growth during the post-COVID recovery, a widespread "vibecession" phenomenon of U.S. consumer pessimism persists. This challenges the traditional economic assumption ...
Oct. 22, 2025

Public Perception: The Psychology Behind Public Acceptance of Misinformation & Political Rumors with Adam Berinsky, PhD

Misinformation is aggressively injected into the information ecosystem, and it is readily consumed and adopted by those who are too busy to fully pay attention, leveraging cognitive bias in a distracted society. This media ma...
Oct. 15, 2025

How Memory Works: The Science of Information Processing and Recall with Gillian Murphy, PhD

Many people liken recalling memories to accessing mental filing cabinets, but our memories are actually more disjointed. Memory science defines how memory works as a dynamic form of complex information processing, which relie...
Oct. 8, 2025

Reawakening Sexuality After Trauma: Healing, Recovery, and Sober Sex for Survivors with Stephanie Covington, PhD, LCSW, and Vanessa Carlisle, PhD, MFA

In the journey toward healing, survivors often find that intentional practices like sober sex foster a deeper emotional and physical intimacy, essential for their trauma recovery. This emphasis on connection stands in stark c...
Oct. 1, 2025

Joy and Hopefulness in Difficult Times: Positive Political Action from The Hannah Arendt Center at Bard College

When we agree to practice joy through community, connection, and belonging in its own powerful way, it is an act of defiance to what's going on around us. We must ask ourselves, particularly in these difficult times, what we ...
Sept. 24, 2025

Loving the World in Dark Times: Fearless Thinking from the Hannah Arendt Center at Bard College

Current research indicates that despite unprecedented levels of global connectivity, societies are experiencing an unparalleled state of metaphysical loneliness. This condition is a potent catalyst for political instability, ...
Sept. 17, 2025

Wise Enough to Be Happy with Brendan Barca

Tired of feeling tossed around by your thoughts and emotions? By embracing the impermanence of all things, including anxious thoughts, and accepting that suffering is a part of life, difficult emotions can be navigated with w...
Sept. 10, 2025

Blueprint for Joy: Planning Happiness and Fulfillment with Mark Fabian, PhD

Humans are perpetual seekers, as contentment is not part of our evolutionary design. We can move toward happiness by actively planning for fulfillment, leading us toward purposeful and satiated lives. By creating a blueprint ...
Sept. 3, 2025

On the Spectrum of Humanity: Thriving in a Neurodivergent World with Sol Smith

A diverse world is a happy world. It may seem that neurodivergent people are more common now, but the increase in diagnoses is attributed to awareness and diagnostic tools, not a rise in the population. Neurodivergence is a d...
Aug. 27, 2025

Belief, Bias, and Behavior: Rational Thinking and Behavioral Economics with Dan Ariely PhD

Most people who practice rational thinking are susceptible to bias, a key concept of behavioral economics. Beliefs can be swayed by our social environments—from our online networks to our family gatherings. This vulnerability...
Aug. 26, 2025

Belief, Bias, and Behavior: Rational Thinking and Behavioral Economics with Dan Ariely, PhD

Most people who practice rational thinking are susceptible to bias, a key concept of behavioral economics. Beliefs can be swayed by our social environments—from our online networks to our family gatherings. This vulnerability...
Aug. 20, 2025

Love That Lasts: Expert Tips for Happy and Healthy Relationships with Amy Morin, LCSW

In long-term relationships, maintaining a healthy connection is one of life's most fulfilling achievements. However, even the happiest couples can fall into bad habits that hinder growth. A commitment to open, honest communic...
Aug. 13, 2025

Philosophically Dealing with Depression, Anxiety, and Disappointment with Samir Chopra, PhD

A philosophical approach to overcoming disappointment involves accepting that setbacks are a normal part of life. This strategy allows us to navigate challenges with greater resilience. Philosophical inquiry invites us to exa...
Aug. 6, 2025

Digital Detox for Your Neural Networks: Brain Health in the Technology Era with Carl D. Marci MD

Prioritizing brain health in children is crucial, as their brains continue to mature until around age 20, making them particularly susceptible to manipulation before reaching full cognitive development. In our present technol...
July 30, 2025

Embracing Mature Sexuality: Passionately Thriving in Our Wisdom Years with Justin Garcia PhD

From the blush of first loves to the mature sexuality of later years, intimacy adapts to our changing bodies, shifting priorities, and the various life stages we traverse. Whether it's rediscovering a partner in a long-term r...