Episodes

May 18, 2022

Psychology of Money: Finessing Financial Security with Michelle Singletary & Scott Nations

These days, more often than not, financial market headlines include the terms ‘market crash’, ‘bubble bursting’, ‘inflation’, or ‘downturn’. What do these terms mean for long-term investors or for those who don’t invest but are impacted by job loss or economic hardship? How can everyday Americans attain enough financial security to be happy? To get expert advice about staying financially healthy, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with two economic experts who talk about t...
May 11, 2022

Mythology of Otherness: Building Resilience, Forgiveness, and Connection with John Crowley PhD & Wendy Sanford MFA

When we take a moment to go through the thought experiment of putting ourselves in the shoes of another, the perceived lines of differences begin to fade and we gain a better understanding of the other person and ourselves. Being mindful of our feelings and emotions allows us to decenter and observe the mind’s automatic responses so we can preserve our well-being and make better choices. To discover the daily practices that help us open our minds to healing, Positive Psychology Podcast Host, Lis...
May 4, 2022

Human Healing: Restorative Practices for Real People and a Better World with Elena Mustakova EdD & Jason Gots

o get in touch with our spiritual side we must clear out, bypass, cleanse, and filter through all of the programming that has told us to be strong, get over it, and feel shame. For humanity to heal, we need to gather quiet moments, reflect on our experiences, and work together in a compassionate, understanding, and principled way. We have the unique opportunity to make the most of our one shot at this conscious life. To gather the tools needed to help us on our healing journey, Positive Psycholo...
April 27, 2022

More than Words: Interpersonal Communication and Well-Being with Kory Floyd PhD & Valerie Manusov PhD

As we begin to emerge from the pandemic-induced lockdown, many people are starved for human connection. Online social gatherings may not have been enough to regulate our emotions the way that pure, screen-free human touch does. It may feel uncomfortable to be in close proximity to others, shake hands, or embrace friends and family. And, when we do reach out, what do we say to those who are grieving the loss of social connection or the loss of a loved one? To delve deeper into how we can be bette...
April 20, 2022

Exercise the Wonder Drug: Move the Body, Heal The Brain with Dr. Jennifer Heisz & Caroline Williams

Plenty of information exists about how exercise can boost our immune system and add years to our lives. Emerging research shows that physical movement can also ward off dementia, increase creativity, and help us manage stress. To work out how movement and exercise may be the wonder drug to heal our brains and reduce the need for pharmaceuticals, Positive Psychology Podcast Host, Lisa Cypers Kamen, speaks with two authors whose work focuses on the connection between how moving the body can heal t...
April 13, 2022

Psychologically Speaking: Activating Empathy and Other Reward Winning Skills with Dr Adam Stern & Colter Ray PhD

A cancer or other life-threatening disease diagnosis is a difficult blow to the patient receiving the news. The next steps for the patient include sharing the weight of the news with friends and loved ones. For some, certain expectations of support accompany the disclosure. A response can be difficult because the right thing to say differs from person to person. Is it better in some cases not to say anything and just listen? Our individual personality traits make it difficult to apply a one-size...
April 6, 2022

Sparking Possibilities: Reigniting Purpose and Meaning with Darrin Tulley & Michael Clinton

The term retirement planning is often used by financial institutions to describe the means necessary to sustain a quality of life after a person’s primary career has ended. This antiquated way of thinking worked for a while, but times are changing. Longer life spans afford people new opportunities to recreate their lives and careers to be more aligned with their authentic selves and to nurture their desires. Healthy 50-year-olds often live into their 90s, so why would one career be enough if the...
March 30, 2022

Get Smart: Intellectual Humility and Critical Thinking with Mark Leary, PhD & Lee McIntyre, PhD

Research shows that most people believe themselves to be above average when it comes to most things. And, for some, being right has become less of a virtue and more of a defensive stance. Standing our ground on trivial issues may damage our relationships and make us more susceptible to disinformation campaigns. To discover the strategies that help us to increase our critical thinking skills and our intellectual humility, Positive Psychology Podcast Host, Lisa Cypers Kamen, speaks with two expert...
March 23, 2022

Trust-Falling into the Universe: A Transformational Adventure with Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati

If the cells that make up our bodies regenerate completely every seven to ten years why is it that we hold on to and perpetuate trauma? And, if in every moment of our lives we have a choice about how to feel and how to react, why do some choose to be a victim? Suffering based on someone else’s actions is living amid that person's karmic drama. It disempowers us and eliminates our agency. To discover the transformational practice of spirituality and how we are able to consciously create our lives...
March 16, 2022

Lives of Relationship: Field Notes from the Journey with Mark Nepo & Dan Millman

Many believe that embarking on a spiritual journey requires leaving a previous life behind and setting off to a monastery for years until enlightenment is revealed in the wind. And, while it is true nature can offer powerful inspiration, our daily lives and relationships are more efficient conduits for fulfillment than major life upheavals. Being in service to others and offering our full presence are keys to spreading love in the world. To discover how to become aware and start a spiritual ques...
March 9, 2022

Deconstructing Discord: The Rewards of Effective Communication with Amy Herman & Ed Tronick PhD

Have you given any thought to your problem-solving abilities? When discord arises in personal relationships or business affairs, what strategies do you employ to bring about amicable resolutions? Communication issues can be overcome and in many cases, the resolution can solve problems and reward those involved by building deeper, more intimate relationships. To deconstruct how to build better relationships through effective communication, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks...
March 2, 2022

Logging Off: Life, Death, and Caretaking Our Digital Footprints with Abbey Schneiderman, Gene Newman, Adam Seifer & Cianna Stewart

Are you one of the many people who stray away from talking about your death? If so, you may be making the grieving process more difficult for those you love. From the minutiae of notifying friends and extended family to logging off your myriad of internet accounts the people managing your affairs and assets after you die, have a big responsibility. To put to rest which details are necessary for the death process and what information benefits the overseers of your estate most, Positive Psychology...
Feb. 23, 2022

Women’s Wellness: Taking Charge of Our Health Naturally with Dr. Aviva Romm MD & Dina Falconi

The research of women’s health issues is an underserved area of study. Many women resort to becoming citizen scientists to sort out their symptoms in an effort to put the puzzle pieces together to achieve wellness. Conventional medicine rarely uses natural methods or plants to help women achieve proper wellness, opting instead for pharmaceuticals, which normally only serve to hide symptoms. To get to the root of women’s wellness, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with two...
Feb. 16, 2022

The Grieving Brain: Love, Loss, and Healing with Mary-Frances O’Connor PhD & Daniel Shapiro JD

Losing people we love is a universal human experience. Yet, how we deal with the loss, and grieving comes in different forms for each individual and often it is an extension of the love we felt for the departed. Some may take solace in the company of others to help them cope while others grieve for years in solitude. There is no right or wrong way to grieve and there is no specific length of time it takes for grief to wane. Neuroscience shows that our brains change during grief and after certain...
Feb. 9, 2022

Suffering and Searching for the Sweet Spot of Meaning with Paul Bloom Ph.D. & Whitney Goodman LMFT

The best things in life may be free, but they are not necessarily easy. The value a thing has for us increases, to some degree, based on how difficult it was for us to pursue and acquire. The more we suffer, willingly or unwillingly, sets us apart from other animals and can even enhance our social status. Why? Because being ‘happy’ all the time is boring. Voicing our grievances and in more extreme cases, self-harm solicits acknowledgment from our fellow human beings. If we are always content wit...
Feb. 2, 2022

Practicing Peace: Contemplative Rituals for Health and Happiness with Agapi Stassinopoulos & Dr Valentina Onisor MD

Eliminating disease and healing ourselves with positive thoughts sounds like a science-fiction movie to some but to those who are seeking enlightenment, peace, love, and happiness are the next medical frontier. Beyond the world of fad diets, supplements, and fear-based incentives there is a holistic approach to wellness, which many believe is too simple to be true. Whether it is a short prayer of gratitude, a mindful breath in the morning, or a Reiki session with an energy healer, mind over matt...
Jan. 26, 2022

Use Your Words Wisely: Idioms, Expression, and Meaning with Martha Barnette and Beth Kobliner

There are approximately 6,500 languages spoken in the world. In each of those, there are multiple dialects, meanings, and expressions. While some Cincinnatians may say ‘Jeezle Petes’ when they are confused by someone’s behavior. Our friends across the pond say ‘for Pete’s sake’ with a similar connotation, even though both groups are both speaking English. Consider some of your favorite words and expressions. Where do they originate? Did your grandparents create it out of thin air or is it a turn...
Jan. 26, 2022

Amazon Presents: Daigle Bites

On today’s inaugural Season two episode, Lauren is inviting on psychotherapist and New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, Lori Gottlieb! The two dive in right away as Lauren asks Lori if she always envisioned being a counsellor and how to create incredible connection with others through storytelling and music. The pair also chat about: what Lori believes drives the narrative of isolation, Lauren’s personal story with counselling and mental health, how to identify ...
Jan. 19, 2022

Complicated Connections: Mind Games and Broken Bonds with Deborah Vinall PsyD and Kristina Sharp PhD

The widely-used adage ‘you can’t pick your family’ generally translates in to making the best of what you have when you have no choice in the matter. People rarely have the option to choose who provides their mental and physical nourishment, especially children. How we handle relationships with relatives once we reach adulthood is up to us. But, if we have been subject to years of gaslighting or mental manipulation, it can be difficult to discern between what we believe is good for us and what w...
Jan. 12, 2022

Redefining Home for the Unhoused, Unsheltered, and Underserved with Marybeth Shinn & Rusty Smith

What do you think about when you pass a homeless encampment or homeless shelter? Do you assume most of the people living there have substance abuse or mental health issues? It is a common myth. The truth is the age at which people are most likely to find themselves in a homeless shelter in the US is in infancy. To shine a light on important initiatives and programs currently available to reduce homelessness in the US and how we all can make a positive impact, Positive Psychology Podcast Host, Li...
Jan. 5, 2022

Get Rested: Solid Sleep for Health and Well-being with Dr. Seema Kholsa & Julie Wright

Being sleep-deprived leaves us vulnerable to sickness and disease, both physical and mental. Plus, during the pandemic protecting our immune system is of the utmost importance as it is the surest way to stave off a sometimes deadly, long-haul virus. Most of us know the benefits of getting more and better sleep but few of us know how we can achieve it. To uncover the key components of how to sleep more solidly and become more rested, Positive Psychology Podcast Host, Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with...
Dec. 29, 2021

Listener Favorite Returns: Transforming Suffering to Freedom: Gain Greater Resilience with Dr Elizabeth Stanley & Blake D. Bauer

When we are children, unbeknownst to us, neural pathways are being wired together in our brains. This neural-biological wiring colors all our future decisions, how we deal with stress and trauma, and our level of contentment. If we experienced trauma as children, shifting how we interact with the world is not always easy. To discover strategies and concepts that help us heal, Positive Psychology Podcast Host, Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with two authors who have their own personal, transformational...
Dec. 22, 2021

Designing a Life of Meaningful Work at Any Age with Katharine Brooks PhD & Dr. Amber Fossey

For most people, finding happiness and meaning isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when they think of work. But what if it was? What if individuals funneled their creativity and a little of their personal magic into designing a new work-life that was meaningful and fulfilling? To extract advice about designing a life of meaningful work, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with two authors who have channeled their creativity into new careers and serve others through the...
Dec. 15, 2021

Redefining Spiritual Practice for Skeptics and Seekers: Contemplating Ethics, Evolution and the Divine with Rabbi Wayne Dosick & Jan Phillips

According to Pew Research, about one-quarter of Americans identify as spiritual, but not religious. It is becoming apparent that communicating with the divine need not be done in a church or a place that identifies with one religion, as many have done in the past. As universal consciousness awakens, how will our relationship with God transform? Will we be able to embrace stillness and quiet moments to allow God, the Divine, Source, or the Universe to speak to us in a way that lights the way towa...