Dear Family,

Rachel 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 wrote the opinion. She made her directorial debut with The Space Between, starring Kelsey Grammer, for which they both received awards from various Film Festivals. She's got a killer sense of design and a flair for life that always involves color.   Rachel Steinman is a writer, teacher, and mental health advocate who hosts the Dear Family, Podcast with inspirational guests who have overcome mental health obstacles to thrive. She received her Masters in Education and teaching credentials from UCLA, has taught every elementary school grade, and has even been the school librarian. She is a lead presenter for NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), going into middle and high schools to educate students, parents, and staff about warning signs while offering resources and hope. She's passionate about getting people to talk about mental health by replacing stigma, shame, and secrecy with love, compassion, and understanding. She loves to laugh and is a great audience.   The Rachels call themselves Friendship Ambassadors who believe we should celebrate friendship for how it benefits the community, connection, mental health, longevity, and overall happiness. It's why they wrote Stay Golden, Girls: Friendship is the New Marriage, a fun and bright hardcover gift book made up of light essays, poignant and fun celebrity quotes, and bold, joyful illustrations. We are in the midst of a Barbie/Female empowerment movement and a cultural shift and it's great to see women of all ages embracing "platonic romance.”   Together, the Rachels discuss:   *Their platonic romance- a best friendship that has lasted over three decades through the ups and downs of careers, marriage, kids, the loss of a parent, and more.   *How the pandemic changed how we view friendship.   *Why Galentine's Day is the best holiday.   *The benefits of mommunes.   *An article about seven young Chinese women who pooled their resources and bought a run-down mansion outside the city for their retirement but ended up using it as a gathering place- the inspiration for their book.   *The Rachels' amazing group of women friends, in addition to other groups of women worldwide, are starting to prioritize their relationships with their best friends and living healthier, happier lives.    *Studies (including The U.S. Surgeon General and the Harvard Happiness Study) show how friendship leads to happiness. Why married men live longer when they are married to women but the reverse is not true for women who are married to men.   *What makes old friends so golden.   *Why the Rachels partnered with Girls Inc., an organization that is 160 years old that mentors girls and young women.    *Why Rachel Winter, who has a full-time job as a producer and a director, puts so much time and effort into getting the book and the message out into the world.    *Why Rachel Steinman, a mental health advocate, believes friendship is the best medicine and therapy, and a way to combat the epidemic of loneliness so many are facing.   *Why friendship is the new marriage, why we should celebrate platonic romance, why there's a shift in prioritizing friendship, and why you can be intimate with a friend without sex.   *How friends can be soulmates and how the Rachels are happily married (to men) and have kids but are each other platonic soulmates.   *The Rachels' relationship is like a marriage in that they gave each other rings, opened a joint bank account, swirl each other around when they go dancing, and tell each other they love each other… among other things.   *How much fun it is to learn about all the women's friend group chat names.  *What happens when there is competition among friends, and how even women of a certain age can feel jealous and competitive with their girlfriends.  *What happens when you lose a friend because the relationship feels irreparable. *How to foster friendships and create community and connection.    *Examples of how to be a better friend.   *What happens when women work together and why we're so much stronger when we're together.    *Mother/Daughter relationships and how lucky you are if you can move into the phase of becoming close friends.   *Why the ritual of women all over the world getting together to imbibe beverages (coffee, tea, booze) is so important for stress relief, relaxation, connection, and celebration.    *Why Ladies' Night/Girls' Trips are so important and how much better we feel afterward.    *An example of a great friend date.   *The Rachels discuss the new brand they're building, Stay Forever Gold, all about friendship, community, and connection.   *The Rachels' letters to their younger selves.   *The Rachels' happiness habits. *****   SHOW NOTE LINKS:   Stay Forever Gold Website SGG on Amazon Shop SGG on Etsy Instagram- Stay Forever Gold Facebook- Stay Forever Gold TikTok- Stay Forever Gold Blog- Stay Forever Gold on Medium   CONNECT WITH DEAR FAMILY,! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel's Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.   Big Thanks and Gratitude to: Coordinator - Camille Stidham Cinematographer - James Bragg Editor - Connor D'Angelo Sound - Kyle Farmer Music- Ari Silberman Intro- Benjamin King  

My 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 today's fierce college admissions process. In an uncanny case of art anticipating real life, Granite Bay's musical “Ranked” was in the works weeks before Rick Singer and the “Varsity Blues” scandal made headlines in 2019. The play's apt timing and subject matter speak to a culture where many students feel driven to succeed at any cost. As news emerged of the production of a musical exploring these critical issues, other schools reached out to stage their own productions. High schoolers around the country connected with the show's themes as they themselves struggle to find their place in the world amid intense college admissions competition.    The film chronicles auditions and rehearsals at three high schools from Ripley, West Virginia to Cupertino, California to the Bronx, New York where students face similar challenges despite dramatically different life circumstances. It also charts the success of the musical and the first steps towards the realization of the creators' dream to mount the show on Broadway only to be sidelined by the global shutdown. Shot over two years in public schools representing vastly different communities,  My So-Called High School Rank reveals the remarkable resilience and similarities that bind this generation across economic and racial divides.    The award-winning producers and directors, Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg's films and series have been shortlisted for the Oscars and earned multiple Emmy and Peabody nominations, among other honors. They are joined by two fabulous and inspirational students featured in the documentary. Anvita Gattani who played the original role of Jordan in Ranked at Granite Bay High School is currently studying at NYU Tisch. Nahiely Urbaez Cruz is a former student at Fordham High School for the Arts and is currently at Cornell University. You are not going to want to miss this meaningful conversation.    SHOW NOTE LINKS: My So-Called High School Rank Trailer Ranked- Movie Link Break Thru Films NAMI- National Alliance on Mental Illness Rachel's Article About Becoming and Letting Go of a Newborn Adult Rachel's Podcast About Becoming Grown and Flown   CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel's Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group   WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe!   Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.  

Kevin 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 ability to survive pain with true resilience.  Kevin is in pre-production of his new Docu-Series The Journey and is working on a comic book version of his life in a cosmic and supernatural form called Hope Dealers. His fight has been long and arduous, beginning with being born into abject poverty, being put up for adoption, and having his biological older brother pass away as a child. His mental health was further challenged because he was bullied because of his unknown mixed race, his bipolar, and his suicidal ideation.  Kevin survived the unimaginable, jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge to see another day- a true miracle. He's determined to remain committed to life until its natural end. He reminds us all how much we have to live for. His motto Be Here Tomorrow and every day after that has touched and saved countless lives. You can't help but be moved by Kevin's strength and determination.    SHOW NOTE LINKS:   Kevin Hines YouTube   Kevin Hines Story- Website Kevin's Film- Suicide- The Ripple Effect Cracked Not Broken by Kevin Hines @KevinHinesStory across all socials   Text CNQR to 741-741 or dial 988 for crisis services    CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel's Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.  

Dr. 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 treated over 7,000 children. He's served as a professor of pediatrics and medicine and the director of pediatric pulmonology at SUNY Medical University in New York for 21 years. He's worked as an editor for the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis and directed more than 20 clinic workshops on pediatric hypnosis. He's trained more than a thousand healthcare providers, been the principal investigator in 10 published case studies of pediatric hypnosis, is involved in research trials of children with cystic fibrosis and other pulmonary disorders, and has lectured all over the world.  Dr. Anbar is a published author of more than 50 articles, abstracts, and book chapters on pediatric functional disorders and pediatric hypnosis. He's just published a book titled, “Changing Children's Lives with Hypnosis” to help parents, kids, and anyone interested in using hypnosis to increase their well-being.    SHOW NOTE LINKS: Changing Children's Lives with Hypnosis: A Journey to the Center CenterPoint Hypnosis 6 Ways to Use Hypnosis for Improved Well-Being | Psychology Today 988 Official Lifeline   CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel's Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group   WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe!   Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.  

Three years ago, I was nervous to put myself out so publicly with a brand new mental health podcast about family and secrets. I didn't know where it would take me or if anyone would listen or even care. All I knew was I wanted to cut generational trauma from family mental illness, I had a story to tell, and I wanted to hear others' stories. I never predicted a disruptive worldwide pandemic would shine a blinding spotlight on the priority of taking care of our families' wellness. 100 episodes later, I learned more than I ever could imagine in what I'm calling the Dear Family Wellness Graduate School. The teacher and mental health advocate in me wants to share the knowledge with you. As the Beatles say, “I got by with a little help from my friends,” some old, some new, all amazing guests. Every Generation- from Alpha to Z to Millenials to X to Boomers- shared with generosity. Our enlightened dialogue was sometimes one-on-one like a dear friend, others like our dear family between a parent and child, siblings, or with three generations of one family. Every time I stopped recording, I was more confident than ever that my guests' undeniable truths and their awesome vulnerability were healing not to just themselves but to countless others. There was no denying every family had a story involving mental illness and that it was shame and stigma standing in the way of achieving wellness. Dialogue was key.   What an absolute privilege it was to speak to so many inspirational guests- (in alphabetical order) actors, art archivists, best-selling authors and memoirists, brain scientists, comedians, cookbook authors and Food Network stars, COVID patient zeros, creatives, dancers, disability advocates, documentary filmmakers, egg donors, fine artists, first-generation college students, fitness experts, former Stanford deans, hair stylists, homeless shelter organizers, homesteaders, hospice nurses, lawyers, men's circle facilitators, musicians, neuroscientists, parent coaches, party planners, pediatricians, performing artists, presidential speechwriters, professional organizers, professors, psychiatrists, reporters, researchers, sex coaches, success coaches, teachers, therapists, TV and movie producers and writers, yogis, to youth mental health pioneers. What an absolute gift it was to delve deep into so many fascinating topics- (in alphabetical order) ableism, addiction inoculation, ADHD, adoption, anxiety, bipolar, burnout, ceremony, collective memory, consent, creativity, Crohn's Disease and IBD, culturally sensitive care, depression, diet culture, disastrous police response to mental health crisis, discrimination, disordered eating, divorce, Eastern and Western medicine, electroconvulsive therapy, empowerment, epigenetics, family secrets, forgiveness, foster care, friendship, genealogy, healing, healthy sexuality, herbalism, hoarding and decluttering, homelessness, homeschooling, hope, how to stay close as a family, incarceration, inheritance, intentional bravery, intergenerational trauma, laughter as medicine, LGBTQ mental health, marriage, meaningful failure, mental and emotional toolboxes, microdosing, mood-boosters, natural stress relief, needs and rights for mental health care, nutrition, OCD, pain and humor, pain into power, pandemic lessons, panic attacks, parenting topics (like newborn adults leaving the nest, how to stay close as a family, sharenting, and how to be an adult), pediatric cancer, physical conditions causing mental conditions, porn addiction, power of storytelling, psychosis, PTSD, schizophrenia, screen time, self-care, self-love, silver linings and new perspectives, single parenting, sleep paralysis, sobriety, special education system, spouse relationships, stigma, suicide in families, suicide survivors, toxic masculinity on men's mental health, trauma, underserved communities, the value of expression, war trauma, and youth mental health. In celebration of the 100th Dear Family, Podcast, I bring you 40 OF THE MOST BENEFICIAL UNIVERSAL MENTAL WELLNESS TRUTHS!!!   SHOW NOTE LINKS: Read the Corresponding Article-The Dear Family, Wellness Graduate School- 100 Podcasts Later- 40 Wellness Universal Truths   CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast  *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel's Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.  

Erik 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 currently serves as Ken's senior editor and as co-director and editor of Ewers Brothers Productions, a preferred collaborative company in the co-creation of Ken's films. He's an expert in all aspects of filmmaking, having served as music producer, writer, director, film producer, picture editor, and sound effects, music, and dialogue editor. He's open about his own mental health struggles.   Christopher Loren Ewers, Erik's younger brother, has been working behind the camera for over 20 years and has traveled the world exploring the human experience through the lens. His eclectic work includes a variety of subjects, formats and collaborators, however, it's the unique mix of Chris's film and journalism backgrounds that puts documentary filmmaking at the center of his work. His cinematography has been featured in each of Ken's films since The Vietnam War.   The Ewers Brothers' timely documentary, “Hiding in Plain Sight” confronts the issues of stigma, discrimination, awareness, and silence helping to push the ongoing shift in the public perception of mental illness today. You will understand why Erik and Chris refer to the youth they interviewed as “heroes” and you will leave feeling hopeful with insight as to how to change the narrative to find wellness and community.   SHOW NOTE LINKS:   Film website with trailer: wellbeings.org/plainsight Website for the Well Beings initiative: wellbeings.org Well Beings social media Twitter @wellbeingsorg Instagram @wellbeingsorg Facebook @wellbeingsorg YouTube - WellBeings   Mayo Clinic Documentary Priscilla Molina on the Dear Family, Podcast- Daughter of Guatemalan Immigrants on the Importance of Culturally Sensitive Care CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel's Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.

Julian 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 like gagging. After medical procedures that went nowhere, Julian decided to see if his own mind was worsening his stomach issues. When he threw himself into learning about mental health like it was the most important subject he'd ever studied, his life and his health began to get better. He quit his job and began to share his journey publicly, doling out great wisdom, for example becoming your own best friend as opposed to your own worst enemy. Julian's content focuses on the importance of mental health both in and out of the legal profession and has gone viral on Tiktok, Instagram, Youtube, LinkedIn, and Twitch, where his cumulative following is over 300,000.    Currently Julian is  the Chief Partner of his own law firm - For Creators, By Creators PC - with the mission of protecting creators in the digital age. He is a co-CEO of the startup Nest Mode - a company on a mission to reinvent shower storage. His advocacy work has been covered by Bloomberg Law & Newsweek.  He's just shared his story in a TEDx and he's working on a book about his mental health journey. Julian is engaged to his girlfriend who he credits for pushing him to follow his new dreams. SHOW NOTE LINKS:   Julian Sarafian's Links   Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers   CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel's Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.  

Tembi 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 him in the United States. When she unexpectedly loses her young Italian chef husband to illness, she's challenged to pull herself through grief so she can raise their adopted daughter as they would have raised her together: with hope, joy, and infinite love. Cooking becomes a way for her to be close to Saro both in Los Angeles and in his mother, Nona's kitchen, and why mourning food (morning with a “u”) offers comfort and sustenance. It's why a bowl of pasta always makes us feel better. Tembi has over sixty film and television credits under her belt as an accomplished actor and is currently recurring on Never Have I Ever, a comedy created by Mindy Kaling. Offscreen, Tembi is a nationally recognized speaker for her keynotes on resilience, loss, and motherhood with her TEDx talk viewed by individuals and nonprofits worldwide. Tembi is here to remind us to embrace resilience, love, and the power of community.   SHOW NOTE LINKS: Tembi Locke's Website Tembi Locke's Instagram Jeanette Yoffe on the Dear Family, Podcast about Adoption and Foster Care   CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel's Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.

Dr. 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 personal connection to Didi Hirsch's mission stems from his own intergenerational trauma, including behavioral health challenges in family and friends, experienced from a young age. With the support of nurturing grandparents, parents, and other adults, he developed strength and resilience that gave him hope and a desire to help others by combating structural stigma, poverty, and racism. With a BA in Philosophy from Columbia University, Dr. Goldfinger completed his MD and MPH (Masters in Public Health) at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and did his residency and fellowships at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. He brings his expertise in intergenerational trauma, integrated care, and health technologies into a more humane, team-based, digital age. As Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Innovation at the Center for Youth Wellness, he oversaw national and statewide collaborations and research addressing childhood trauma, including parent mental illness and substance use, child abuse, domestic violence, and discrimination. Before that, as Chief Medical Officer of ZERO TO THREE, he led a National Office to scale HealthySteps integrating behavioral health and primary care for parents and young children through transformative partnerships with health systems, communities, government, and philanthropy. Dr. Goldfinger currently serves on the California Office of the Surgeon General and Department of Health Care Services' Trauma-Informed Primary Care Advisory Committee, has published with the CDC among other publications, and has won numerous awards and honors for his advocacy and public health research. Dr. Goldfinger lives with his accomplished, beloved wife and two adorable boys.     SHOW NOTE LINKS: Didi Hirsch SAMHSA Mental Health Coalition  Suicide Hotline- 800-273-8255 or 988 (starting July 16, 2022)     CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel's Twitter *Facebook *Instagram     PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.

Jeanette 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, continuing the cycle of secrecy and shame surrounding adoption. After living with a few foster families, Jeanette was adopted at seven and a half years old. Although she feels lucky to have joined a loving family who adopted more children, she still suffered trauma that led to mental health challenges.  In 1999, Jeanette took her New York theater background and wrote a one-woman play about growing up in foster care and adoption called, “What's Your Name, Who's Your Daddy” which was later turned into a book and audiobook. With a desire to create what she wished she could have received as a child, she began to work tirelessly to help other families. Now with over 20 years of experience, she provides mental health education and support as a psychotherapist, foster care social worker, clinical director, and trainer for L.A. County Child & Family Services and the Department of Mental Health. She teaches parents, social workers, and therapists all about adoption and foster care challenges, trauma-informed parenting, the impact of pre-adoption trauma, grief and loss, and open adoption.  Jeanette provides support to adult adoptees searching for long-lost family members as well as assists in family reunification. She is a Court Appointed Reunification Expert for Los Angeles Superior Court in cases involving children at risk for separation. She is also the Executive Director and Founder of Celia Center (named after her birth mother), a non-profit support center that meets the critical needs of all those connected by Foster Care and Adoption and all those who serve the community of Foster Care and Adoption in Los Angeles and beyond. She's just published her first children's book, “What is Adoption? For Kids.” Her YouTube channel, Jeanette-ically Speaking (with a J) is a fabulous resource for adoptive parents, biological parents, adoptees, and anyone looking to learn more about the foster care and adoption challenges and joys. SHOW NOTE LINKS:  Jeanette-ically Speaking YouTube Channel Jeanette Yoffe's Website Children's Book- What is Adoption- For Kids Celia Center What's Your Name, Who's Your Daddy- A One Woman Play About Growing Up in Foster Care and Adoption Jeanette Yoffe on Twitter  Jeanette Yoffe on Instagram   CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel's Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.  

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 great-grandmother had to do with her son, my grandfather more than a hundred years ago. My beloved grandfather was born in a shtetl, a village on the outskirts of Kyiv. Think of Fiddler on the Roof and you'll get a good idea of the life his family led. Grandpa's family was forced to flee because of the Russian pogrom, creating a stream of refugees looking for a home, displaced people looking for a safe place to lay their heads at night without fear of massacre. The Ukrainians are living through a crisis that shocks the system like no other. Reports of young children and even animals in zoos hearing sirens going off puts them into a state of pure fright, a heightened state of stress. As a mental health advocate, it goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway, war is very bad for everything, especially mental health. Plain and simple it's traumatic with a future of PTSD.  It's impossible to equate the experience of living through war to that of watching it unfold on a screen but the people in Ukraine and around the world are watching the crisis unfold through traditional news outlets and social media. The stream of information is powerful because it forces us to pay attention and it gives us a window into the experiences of the people there- but it's a lot to process and it is especially harmful to our youth. With footage and photos from Ukraine flooding social media and misinformation spreading rampantly, the implications for public health continue to grow and continue to need to be addressed.  As a granddaughter, daughter, and mother I know one thing for sure… family is everything. My heart is with all the grandparents, parents, and children of Ukraine. I can not begin to imagine the fear and grief gripping the families on both sides of this conflict and so I will continue to pray that this chaos stops and that one day the Ukrainians and Russians will know peace and be able to have children who all can write their own stories or letters without censorship.  Please listen to this short solo-podcast to hear what I'd like to tell my dear Ukrainian grandparents and great-grandparents and the current grandparents, parents, and children of Ukraine.   SHOW NOTE LINKS: Rachel's Family Photos and Corresponding “Dear Ukrainian Grandparents” Personal Essay Ways to Help the Ukrainians Now Ways to Help the Ukrainians Now CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel's Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.

Clancey 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 Angeles and collaborated with grassroots initiatives advocating for more access to art spaces in the Skid Row neighborhood, the largest homeless population in America. She manages archival projects for the Los Angeles Poverty Department's Skid Row History Museum, an organization that creates artworks and exhibitions connecting the experiences of people living in poverty to the larger forces that shape their lives.    While remaining connected to community initiatives, Clancey is pursuing a Master's of Social Work with a focus on Adult Mental Health and Wellness. Since the start of her program, she's provided group and individual therapy for individuals living with co-occurring psychiatric and substance use challenges in both outpatient and hospital settings.    Clancey loves training in Capoeira (a Brazilian martial art form), dancing, and making music with her fiancé. Her enthusiasm is contagious.   SHOW NOTE LINKS: Clancey Cornell Website Clancey Cornell on Instagram Studio 526 Skid Row History Museum & Archive ~ Walk the Talk Archive  Lost Angels Documentary Los Angeles Poverty Department Skid Row History Museum & Archive Women's Voices Now- Films by Women   CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel's Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group   WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.  

Michael 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 being humiliated by a girlfriend's social media post, Keller had an uncharacteristic anxiety attack during his second semester of freshman year in college at LSU. Keller attempted to call five hospitals to get help with no luck. An hour after helping out a friend and hours before going to a wedding with his parents, Keller died by suicide, completely shocking his beloved family and friends.   Devastated by their inexplicable loss, Michael and Gayle have dedicated their time and resources to promoting suicide education and awareness to college students throughout America. With the help of family and friends, they partnered with the Sigma Chi Foundation to create a suicide prevention hotline and an in-depth suicide education and prevention curriculum, called Strong Arms, for all 17,000 active Sigma Chi's across the nation. Ridding shame and stigma, especially among men who are in fraternities, sports, and the armed forces who may consider talking about feelings as weak, has been an important topic of discussion during Michael's speeches. Michael is also a speaker for Active Minds, the nation's premier nonprofit organization supporting mental health awareness and education with young adults.   Losing a child is the hardest thing a parent can ever go through, pushing Michael and Gayle into a state of post-traumatic growth, where their world was rocked so profoundly they can't help but make the world a better place so others don't have to experience the same heartache. They've found comfort and new friendships with the young adults who are the recipients of a scholarship they've formed to honor their son, Keller's legacy. Michael and Gayle remind us we all must consider ourselves as first responders, in our own lives, and in the lives of those we know and love and that our mental health is so important.   SHOW NOTE LINKS: Michael Zibilich at Greek Talks- Georgia Tech Michael Zibilich with Active Minds Tracy Hargen on Dear Family,  Suicide Prevention Hotline-1-800-273-8255  CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel's Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group    WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.  

Dr. 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 Tow Humanism in Medicine Award.  He is currently the Chief Resident of Integrated Care Services at LA County + USC Medical Center and in private practice taking a holistic integrative approach to care. Dr. Appasani is the Chief Medical Officer at PYM Health, which stands for Prepare Your Mind. Partnering with Robin Williams' son, Zak Williams, PYM is the first neurotransmitter company focused on nutritional psychiatry through mood chews that target the body's neurotransmitter and amino acid levels to decrease anxiety and stress.   Dr. Appasani is CEO of The MINDS Foundation, a mental health nonprofit he founded that has been globally recognized. Through his extensive scientific research, he's published over 35 peer-reviewed articles, edited five books, and is a sought-after speaker and writer on mental health, entrepreneurship, global health, and consciousness. Throughout his medical career, he's focused on the impact of mental health in physicians, developing initiatives at medical institutions to combat suicide and build resilience, working extensively with Graduate Medical Education leadership.    Clinically, Dr. Appasani is trained in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy for Trauma, Motivational Interviewing, Group Therapy, and Exposure Response Prevention. He's currently a Health Equity Scholar in the MAPS MDMA Psychotherapy Program. His clinical interests lie in mood disorders (depression, bipolar), addiction, anxiety disorders, OCD spectrum, eating disorders, trauma, and personality spectrum conditions.    His passion lies at the intersection of mental health literacy, consciousness, global psychiatry, mindfulness, digital health, personalized medicine, psychedelics, wellness, and social entrepreneurship. Dr. Appasani believes that we all have mental health and therefore believes that healing occurs through the integration of psychotherapy, medication management, supplementation with natural sources, nutrition, and physical fitness. Above all else, he believes building community is very important in his own and everyone's healing journey.   SHOW NOTE LINKS: MINDS Foundation  PYM- Mood Chews Dr. Raghu Appasani on Instagram Dr. Raghu Appasani on Facebook CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel's Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.      

When 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 honestly say she is not and has never been self-centered, selfish, or self-absorbed and in fact, is just the opposite. She continues to love herself into her young adulthood, attracting like-minded loving people into her life, perpetuating a self-love cycle. She understood then, and she still does, that practicing self-love is the best gift she can give herself for a life well-lived. Self-love is a state of being where you appreciate yourself. It grows from actions that support your physical, psychological, and spiritual growth. Self-love means having a high regard for your own well-being and happiness. Self-love means taking care of your own needs and not sacrificing your well-being to please others. Self-love means not settling for less than you deserve. Self-love, like self-care, is not selfish. Self-love means accepting yourself as you are in this very moment and putting your physical, emotional, and mental well-being first. Self-love motivates you to make healthy choices in life because when you hold yourself in high esteem, you're more likely to choose things that nurture your well-being and serve you well, especially when it comes to having healthy relationships with others. There's a reason self-love, self-respect, and self-worth all stall start with the word “self.” You can't find them in anyone else. You, yourself have to do the work, but it's always worth the effort and the dividends pay off. If you were never allowed the space to grow up where self-love was encouraged and appreciated like my daughter was, when you start exercising self-compassion and self-love for the first time, you may experience some discomfort and grief. You may come to the realization of how much you've missed, how certain people failed you, and what the younger version of you actually deserved. I'm here to remind you, it's never too late and YOU DESERVE SELF-LOVE! Self-love can mean something different for each person because we all have many different ways to take care of ourselves. Figuring out what self-love looks like for you as an individual is an important part of your mental health. To practice self-love (notice the word practice), start by being kind, patient, gentle, and compassionate to yourself. Self-love is a journey. Enjoy the ride. Listen to Hear 24 Free Gifts to Practice Self-Love. SHOW NOTE LINKS: Read the Corresponding Article- The Best Gift is Self-Love- 24 Free Gifts to Give Yourself CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel's Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.

Jennie 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 where she studied economics, dance, and leadership. After graduation, sunshine and family called her home to California where she began her career in entertainment, media, and marketing. Most recently, Jennie led community and partnerships for the consumer health and biotech start-up Seed Health.    Shifting gears and finding purpose after losing both of her parents to mental illness, Jennie is now pursuing a Master's in Social Work at USC in the Adult Mental Health and Wellness department. She looks forward to continuing to advocate for mental health and bringing therapy practices to areas where mental health is often neglected. She champions the idea that mental health is health and that humanity depends on it being treated as such.    Jennie is deeply passionate about cultivating community and takes pride in her ability to connect people, places, and things with thoughtful care. She loves her family, big friendships, yoga, spending time in nature, pollinator spotting, neighborhood walks, breathing in the ocean air, pizza nights with friends, musical theater, the radio program This American Life, and watching all genres of television (but is especially into reality at the moment).     Jennie is dealing with the grief and loss of her parents by not being afraid to ask for help, to cry in public, and to turn to her community for support whenever she needs it. She is an incredible example of vulnerability mixed with strength to get through even the hardest of times by putting one foot in front of the other, being self-aware, and giving back. SHOW NOTE LINKS: Jennie Ostendorf on Instagram   Jennie's Article on the Local Optimist- Surviving Suicide Loss   Seed Health on Instagram   Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services/ Suicide Prevention   Rachel's Mom's Episode- Laurie Kallen Schwent- My Createive and Eccentric Bipolar Mother Whose Parents Both Died by Suicide on Why Life is Worth Living in Color   Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255)      CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel's Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.  

Katie 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 desire to share the abundance of joy and healing the natural world offers. Katie loves helping empower people as they build or refine their own unique paths to thrive.   Katie has trained to date with Sacred Journey School of Herbalism in Austin, Texas and with The Herbal Medics Academy in San Antonio, Texas with an emphasis on empowering healthy lifestyles in women and children. She's been supporting her own family's complex health, learning, and developmental needs for the past fourteen years through a variety of modalities and therapies. She holds certificates in permaculture design and nature-based coaching.    She practices sit spot, a sense meditation where you sit outside every day in the same spot and notice nature. It can be as little as five minutes a day and it has proven to be a true gateway to her emotional and mental well-being. Katie reminds us to notice, incorporate, and be grateful for the natural world and bring it into our homes and our everyday lives.   SHOW NOTE LINKS: The Handmade Life Website The Nature Wheel Blog The HandmadeLife on Instagram The Handmade Life on Facebook Katie Hanus/ The Nature Wheel on Instagram The Nature Wheel on Facebook Mother's Quest Podcast Fearless Farmers CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel's Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.

It'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 wouldn't want and can't imagine her being anywhere else. Understanding the power of community, I organized a Care Package Party with thirty other families who had new freshmen who'd just left home. Knowing college kids love getting packages from home, they'd be even more excited to receive one with different items from so many families. The party was a success, mostly because all of us parents had time to be together, connect, and share. Before sealing up my daughter's box with a few things she needed from home, I wrote her an inspirational note I share on this podcast, initially hoping it would make her feel better but now also hoping it makes you feel better too. It sure made me feel better.  How bittersweet it is a parent's job is to teach their children not to need them anymore. The hardest part of this parenting gig is accepting your success. The moment my newborn's umbilical cord was cut, my goal was for her to create autonomy and have her need me less. It doesn't mean I can't remind my newborn adult I will always be there for her when she needs to rest her wings.  SHOW NOTE LINKS: Corresponding Article- Newborn Adult- From Cradle to College to Care Packages Grown and Flown Article on Care Package Parties Project Dorm Room Website Lisa Heffernan on the Dear Family, Podcast- Grown and Flown- How to Stay Close as a Family and Raise Independent Adults    CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel's Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.    

Good 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 fullest with good mental health and happiness.   SHOW NOTE LINKS Read 10 Free Mood-Boosters for Mental Health and Happiness (Related Dear Family, Podcasts): In a Sea of Worry an All-Natural Stress Relief Life Preserver   The Importance of Friendship on Our Health and Happiness   Dancing Around the World and Creating a Mental and Emotional Toolbox   Laughter as Medicine- Laughter On Call for a Mother with Alzheimer's Becomes a Global Business   I'm a Failure and Proud of It   Trauma Specialists on Empowerment to Heal Your Body, Mind, & Spirit   CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel's Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.

Julie 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 to a TED Talk that has more than 5 million views. She's just published a new book, Your Turn: How to Be an Adult that speaks directly to the heart and mind of people coming into their adulthood. It's an inclusive, candid, and comprehensive guide for young adults and for those who love them.   Julie is a former corporate lawyer and a Stanford dean. She holds a BA from Stanford, a JD from Harvard, and an MFA in Writing from California College of the Arts. She serves on the board of Common Sense Media and on the advisory board of LeanIn.Org, among other roles.   Julie identifies as queer and bisexual. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her partner of over thirty years, Dan Lythcott-Haims, their two itinerant young adults, and her mother who moved in with them 20-years-ago, the subject of her next book.   SHOW NOTE LINKS: Julie Lythcott-Haims Website Your Turn- How to Be an Adult by Julie Lythcott-Haims Julie Lythcott-Haims Instagram Julie Lythchott-Haims Twitter Julie Lythcott-Haims Facebook The Trevor Project Rachel's Dear Family, Podcast on the topic of Sharenting Rachel's Article on Sharenting CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel's Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.  

Aubert 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, the yearbook editor and in all the AP classes while selling drugs to fuel and pay for his habit. He'd end up in jail, his life spiraling downward.   An atheist on the verge of taking his own life, he prayed to God who spoke to him. His spiritual awakening initially translated into him becoming a hermit for the next year, praying, meditating, and studying different world religions. He would rewrite the script of fatherhood in his lineage to give his young sons a new expression of masculinity, basking in the new glow of fatherhood and feeling inspired to be the best man he could be. He co-founded Sacred Sons, an emerging voice in the collective movement of healthy masculinity facilitating men's gatherings and circles to find brotherhood, wellness, connection, community, healing, and love.   SHOW NOTE LINKS: Sacred Sons Website Sacred Sons on Instagram Aubert Bastiat on Instagram Rachel's Mom, Laurie Kallen Schwent's Dear Family, Podcast Episode   CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel's Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.

Rachel 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.   An early success in the beauty industry as a stylist, it was her love for fitness that pushed her into the wellness industry. A self-proclaimed Jewish Malibu Barbie with arm tattoos and blonde hair extensions, she tried to find stability by marrying a Baptist, Republican Texas Cowboy. Her marriage would not survive the conventional life her husband’s family expected of her.    Rachel’s disordered eating began when she was young as a means of control and followed her until she was pregnant. She finally decided to not just find wellness reformation but deliverance for herself and for her son, Deuce. Only recently has she been diagnosed with OCD, helping her reign in her immense energy and focus to build her business and thrive.   Rachel is the founder of Break a Sweat- a company birthed after she saw the dire need for a wellness community for moms, after becoming a mom herself. Her combination of fitness and wellness expertise, plus her own personal mental health journey has placed her in a position of inspiration to so many. Her clients come for the exercise but stay for the mom tribe. She uses her platform to elevate and educate with transparency about nutrition and motivation hacks, body strengthening, regaining energy, getting through the emotional highs and lows of parenting, and more. She knows the collective healing lies in the personal testimony and wants you to step into your own power and space to feel great!  SHOW NOTE LINKS: Break a Sweat with RLC RLC on Instagram Break A Sweat Facebook Group   CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.    

Carson 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.  Now an LGBTQ+/disability advocate, he shares his experiences as a gay disabled man, including his journey with grief, loss, and worth. He quickly generated interest on Instagram, training and speaking to international leaders on topics like worth, inclusion, and suicide prevention. He coaches across the U.S. to universities, corporations, and nonprofits about how individuals can experience power, happiness, and fulfillment in any circumstance in life. He believes consciously creating our personal narratives can result in massive changes in our quality of life and the results we produce. Carson is passionate about giving people hope. SHOW NOTE LINKS:   Carson Tueller's Website   Carson on Instagram   Carson's Blog Carson's "Ask Men" article about Disability and Sex CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.

Chrissy 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 business.  After graduation, she moved to Los Angeles with her then, 2-year-old son, Cody, and she began her professional career at Columbia Pictures. She was a single mother for 12 years until she met and married her best friend, a successful film producer and writer, Jason Blumenthal in 1999.  Together they had two kids, Jax and Calli.   Life felt like a fairy-tale until the summer of 2013 when her world came to a screeching halt.  Four words forever changed her life:  YOUR CHILD HAS CANCER.  Jax was just 11 years old when he received the devastating diagnosis. Her son had stage 3 hepatoblastoma (cancer of the liver).  Chrissy immediately jumped into the most important role of her life, caretaker, healer, medical advocate, and research fanatic.  After a very long, turbulent, and uncertain road that included a liver transplant, lung resections, and chemotherapy, Jax is finally cancer-free. During their journey, Chrissy became passionate about raising funds and awareness for pediatric cancer research, which is profoundly underfunded by the government.  She now serves as President at Chords2Cure, a non-profit centered around live music events which benefit pediatric cancer research. Chrissy currently lives in Brentwood, California with her husband, two teenagers, two dogs, and a French lop bunny. During Covid, Chrissy was thrilled to finally get a message that she had been waiting over 2 decades to receive.  It was from the mother of Chrissy’s biological children, who were conceived via IVF with the eggs Chrissy donated 27 years earlier. The pregnancy resulted in twins, who have now grown into an awesome young man and wonderful young lady.  Her family has welcomed them all into their homes and into their hearts.  The family continues to grow because her firstborn son, Cody recently had an adorable baby girl named Arrow- officially making Chrissy a proud Glam-Ma.   SHOW NOTE LINKS:   Chords2Cure Website Chords2Cure on Instagram Chrissy’s Email The Wolf Connection     CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.

The 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, was strategic and deliberate in her efforts to protect and support Miles by letting her mostly White neighbors know her Black son was harmless and non-violent but that his schizoaffective disorder made him hallucinate and believe he was Jesus.  After working with the police for two years to protect Miles during his mental health episodes, the police responded to her call for help with lethal force. On a sunny afternoon in their quiet neighborhood, the Walnut Creek Police shot and killed Miles within a block from their home before making any efforts to de-escalate the situation. Miles was not a criminal. He was ill. He had mental illness. Miles should be alive today. ​Since Miles’s death, Taun and her husband, Scott and their daughter, Alexis have been fighting to create change and protect families from a loss like theirs- creating The Miles Hall Foundation to continue and expand their work. They recognize how black and brown communities are disproportionately affected by police violence and want to change police responses to mental health crisis calls, restrict use of force by police, and adopt anti-bias and de-escalation training. They are also sponsoring the AB988 Bill, The Miles Hall Lifeline Act to create a new three-digit phone line, 988 for suicide prevention and immediate, localized emergency response for individuals in mental health crisis by trained mental health professionals. Taun’s message is mental health conditions should not be criminalized, Black lives matter, Black minds matter, her son Miles matters, and change is possible and inevitable. We are all connected to someone who is suffering from mental illness and we all have the power to create change to protect and support them.   SHOW NOTE LINKS:   Justice for Miles Hall- Website Help Pass AB-988- The Miles Hall Lifeline Act Justice for Miles Hall- Facebook Justice for Miles Hall- Instagram Justice for Miles Hall- Twitter Suicide Prevention Hotline- Website Suicide Prevention Toll-Free Phone Number- 1-800-273-8255 CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.

Jessica 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 other publications. She’s the New York Times bestselling author of The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed.     After years of her own alcohol abuse recovery, she was determined not to pass on the most dangerous inheritance to her sons. She’s just published The Addiction Innoculation: Raising Healthy Kids in a Culture of Dependence.  This hybrid memoir and science-based research approach discusses how anxiety and substance abuse are bedfellows. The European drinking age myth, zero tolerance, and the idea of “delay, delay, delay” are all examined. It’s an important read for all teachers, parents, counselors, and coaches.   Jessica hosts a podcast called #amwriting with advice on the craft, productivity, and creativity for writers and journalists in all genres. She loves living in Vermont with her husband, an infectious disease specialist who has been very busy this year, her two sons, and her three dogs and two cats. During her free time, she loves to knit and garden. SHOW NOTE LINKS: Jessica Lahey Website Jessica Lahey on Twitter Jessica Lahey on Facebook Jessica Lahey on Instagram The #AmWriting Podcast Rachel’s Brother, Adam Kallen’s Dear Family Episode- Success Story of Overcoming Addiction to Owning Hottest Motorcycle Apparel Brand and Hosting All-Men’s AA Meeting   CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.  

Are 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 friendships are more predictive of our day-to-day happiness and ultimately how long we’ll live, even more so than spousal and family relationships. Let’s break that down. Friendship is really good for you. You can’t choose your family, but you can choose your friends. When your friends are a source of support, you are happier and healthier and live longer. To have a friend be a friend. Friendship makes life worth celebrating. Over a year ago some of my oldest friends and I started a “Pandemic Group Chat” as a means of support during such an anxiety-producing time. I never expected it would become a lifeline proving my closest friendships were even more important than I had ever imagined. Wanting to see if my girlfriends felt as I did, I was thrilled when seven out of ten of them were able to hop on a Zoom and let me ask them questions about our friendship with a day's notice. Yes there were husbands and kids coming in and out of our rooms and dogs were barking and texts and emails were dinging and phones were ringing and dinner needed to be made…but it didn’t stop us from making time for each other and feeling all the feels. When we hung up, or I should say “left the room,” we felt lighter and happier and more connected…just some of the many benefits of friendship. I want to thank my phenomenal friends, Allison Bronson, Jill Chizever, Lauren Rojany, Jessica Sacks-Davimos, Deborah Singer, Denise Snanoudj, and Kim Gursey-Wills for sharing so openly and jumping in headfirst to help support a friend. You know what they say, “Old friends are the best friends.”  Make sure to listen to hear why we are each others’ Crockers and learn so much more as we answer: *What is a friend? *What’s your favorite thing to do with a friend? *Do you consider your closest friends to be your chosen family and if so, why? *What is it about old friends? Tell us about a friendship that has survived the test of time? *What’s the nicest thing a friend has done for you? *What did our pandemic group chat show you about friendship? How have your friendships fared during the pandemic? *Like in the movie “When Harry Met Sally,” can men and women be friends? *Some of our friendships are going on 45 years now (granted we were 5 when we met). What’s it like to grow old with your friends? What are the benefits? *What’s the first thing you want to do with your friends once we’re all vaccinated? SHOW NOTE LINKS: Corresponding Article- Dear Friends, You’re Like Family CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.

Jaycee 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 different ways. After growing up around many brothers and their friends, she shares why women need other women. Her unforgettable goddess retreats celebrating divine femininity in Costa Rica and Brazil were named one of the best retreats by Well and Good.    She’s a founding teacher and the VP of Training at The Class, a cathartic workout for the body and mind started by Taryn Toomey. Jennifer Aniston, Christy Turlington, and Gisele among many others say it is their favorite workout because it not only is great exercise, it is a spiritual release through music, movement, and breathwork where you are pushed to get uncomfortable in order to change. Jaycee continues the conversation in her new podcast, The Class where she creates a mental and emotional toolbox using the same three pillars discussed in The Class: Curiosity, a desire to learn, Vulnerability- a state of openness, and Authenticity- showing up in a genuine way.    Before marrying my awesome brother, Adam Kallen (DF Podcast episode one), she dated Val Kilmer for three years who she credits for her introduction into spirituality and a love for nature. A true wanderlust, Jaycee shares how her first year of marriage went during a pandemic in a Brooklyn apartment she shares as a newlywed with a cute but rambunctious puppy. Jaycee opens up about her infertility journey and the challenges she’s been through. She rids the shame and stigma around a topic many of us are often too fearful to bring up, in the end helping so many others to see they are not alone.   SHOW NOTE LINKS:   Jaycee Gossett’s Instagram   Jaycee Gossett Website   Jaycee’s Sizzle Reel for Dance Around the World   Jaycee- The Class- Movement   Jaycee- The Class- Podcast   My brother, Adam Kallen’s Dear Family, Episode- #1   My Mom, Laurie Kallen Schwent’s Dear Family, Episode #50   Chili’s Instagram   Jaycee’s Photo Credit: Rachael Dunville    CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.   Jaycee is a dreamer who inspires others to dream and find the power within themselves. She encourages us to overcome limitations through movement and guided self-exploration. 

Christine 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 Boston Mamas, a pioneer in the hyperlocal lifestyle niche. She co-hosts Edit Your Life, a podcast about making room for awesome, and Hello Relationships, a podcast she co-hosts with her husband that helps people stop small relationship aggravations from becoming big problems. She’s the co-author of Minimalist Parenting, a book to help parents enjoy modern family life more by doing less. She’s the designer and co-owner of Brave New World Designs, a stylish collection of advocacy-oriented designs where 20% of each sale goes to a different charity related to the design. And she’s also the creative director at Women Online, a communications firm specializing in using social media for good.  With the ability to juggle her many businesses and edit her life to get rid of the unimportant, she makes time for baking and decorating gorgeous cakes and spending time with her husband, two daughters, and her pandemic puppy.    SHOW NOTE LINKS:   Christine Koh Website   Boston Mamas   Edit Your Life Show- A Podcast   Hello Relationships- A Podcast   Christine’s Book- Minimalist Parenting   Brave New World Designs   Women Online Video of Christine cutting her hair Rachel’s Blog Post- The Time My Mental Health Advocacy Backfired CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.

Seventeen 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 watched Gayle King surprise her BFF, Oprah with a 50th birthday party on national TV. She was likely climbing on and off my lap because I couldn’t wait to put her to sleep to watch this special and very hyped-up episode without commercials. Oprah’s star-studded, highly produced surprise “50th Birthday Celebration in Style” began with John Travolta toasting his friend with her favorite Cristal Champagne. Stevie Wonder serenaded with a backdrop of walls of roses. Oprah reflected by saying, “To deny your age, to lie about your age, to pretend to be something else that you are not is to deny the essence of your life. Every moment is worth celebrating with candelabras, with your heart, with your sincerity.”  As I watched Oprah take this outpouring of love all in with gratitude, I told myself I too would one day have a big blowout celebration. I too would feel the gratitude from being surrounded by my dear family and friends with great music and great food, everyone I loved there to celebrate my milestone birthday.  Let me backtrack a bit to 1997, the year my mom turned 50. I’d just turned 26, was dating my future husband for almost a year at that point and was teaching my third kindergarten class. Mom was about to be divorced for a second time and rather than wallow in sorrow, she threw herself a party at a Greek restaurant. When I looked at my full-of-life mom who was still so young at heart and had the wonderful audacity to throw herself a big party to celebrate, fifty didn’t seem old. Yet those 24 more years felt a lifetime away.  The year is now 2021 and it’s my turn to cross that imaginary threshold of turning fifty. This was going to be the year I’d celebrate in style like Oprah, a birthday blowout party so full of love and celebration all the guests’ cheeks and their abs would hurt from all the smiling and laughing. Only I can’t gather with my dear friends and family because we are in the darkest days of this worldwide pandemic.  When I realized I only had one month left in my fourth decade and I would not be able to party in style as I’d always hoped, I realized there was so much to celebrate anyway. By reflecting on the big and important life lessons my Mom and Oprah taught me, I was claiming the life I was meant to live and sharing it with a countdown to turning fifty gratitude reflection. Forty-nine years from now, I’ll be 99, the age the iconic Betty White just turned. Her sense of humor and mischievous spunkiness is wildly endearing and worth celebrating. She reminds me to stay young at heart, not take things too seriously, smile, and laugh, and then all will be golden. Honor and celebrate all the days of your life. Thank you for celebrating with me.   SHOW NOTE LINKS: Rachel’s Essay- Celebrating and Owning my 50th Birthday- Just Like Oprah Did   Eckhart Tolle’s Books   “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne   Los Angeles Times article on Betty White’s 99th Birthday   CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.  

Susannah 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 seizures were misdiagnosed by a neurologist as partying too hard combined with stress. Eventually, she’d become catatonic, trapped in her body unable to speak, write, or get thoughts out.    Susannah was diagnosed with a schizoaffective disorder with video of her in the hospital heartbreakingly capturing her real panic as she hallucinates she’s on the news while using the remote to try to call for help. After many misdiagnoses and on the verge of being “locked up” in a psych ward, a miracle doctor, Dr. Najjar comes along and asks her to draw a clock. The lopsided image opened up clues leading to a brain biopsy and spinal tap, she’s diagnosed with autoimmune encephalitis, a medical explanation pretending to be psychiatric.    Her personal experience leads her deeper into the study of other “Great Pretenders,” the same name as her second New York Times best-selling book. She’d blow the lid on a groundbreaking 1973 study called “On Being Sane in Insane Places” that rocked the psychiatric world and still does. Susannah lives in Brooklyn with her husband and twin toddlers.   SHOW NOTE LINKS:   Susannah Cahalan Website   Video of Susannah When Her Brain is On Fire   Rachel's List- Fourteen Incredible Memoirs about Mental Illness and Addiction   Rachel's List- Four MORE Insightful Memoirs and Non-Fiction Books about Mental Illness and Addiction   The Angel and the Assassin by Donna Jackson Nakazawa   Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chobsky   I’m Telling the Truth, but I’m Lying: Essays by Bassey Ikpi   My Age of Anxiety by Scott Stossel   CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.  

With 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 delay.    Antoine enrolled in the Bard Prison Initiative and was able to get a liberal arts college education, an opportunity he didn’t have growing up in Buffalo, New York. He learned how to code on his own before being released in 2014. With the help of his cousin, he launched the Photopatch Foundation, a non-profit, so inmates could stay in touch with their children without putting any additional financial burden on them, sending close to a million photos.    Wanting to spend as much time with Antoine as possible now that he was in her life, Jay Jay learned how to code from her dad. She launched a Photopatch mobile app, making it easier and more accessible for kids like her to send letters and photos to their parents. At just fifteen-years-old, Jay Jay was just named one of Teen Vogue’s 21 Under 21 this year for changing the world by teaching hundreds of kids the fundamentals of coding, a business she continues to run and fundraise with her dad.   Jay Jay and Antoine Patton understand the importance of keeping the family connected and stopping people from being incarcerated again by developing tight family bonds that turn into safety nets through communication. Together they continue to help others better their lives by not allowing a financial deterrent to get in the way of learning. Their coding lessons are affordable and accessible to all communities, especially people of color who may lack exposure. You are going to absolutely love this most dynamic father/daughter duo who will make you feel so incredibly inspired, hopeful, and proud, and remember the importance of second chances.   SHOW NOTE LINKS:   Photo Patch Foundation   Bard Prison Initiative   Jay Jay Patton on Instagram   Antoine Patton on Instagram   Antoine Patton on Facebook   Unlock Academy   Jay Jay in Teen Vogue with photo by Vikki Law   CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.      

I 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 the shame and stigma against mental illness. My intention was to spread love and compassion by sharing my family’s stories to make the presentation more meaningful and to help the students find their own connections. I was there to educate them with correct vocabulary, show them warning signs and red flags to look out for while offering resources and most importantly hope. Clearly, I had good intentions. I had no idea how my act of kindness would backfire. Instead of being a positive influence and helpful, I was making a student, and possibly more, feel worse than before I began my presentation- not at all what I signed up for. Listen to hear how my ego pushed me to go too far and what happened next. SHOW NOTE LINKS: Read- The Time My Mental Health Advocacy Backfired- on Invisible Illness Adam Kallen, my brother on Dear Family, Episode #1- Success Story Overcoming Addiction, ADHD, and Homelessness NAMI Ending the Silence Dear Family Podcast- I’m Still a Failure and Still Proud of It Write Now Rachel article- I’m Still a Failure and Still Proud of It Write Now Rachel- original article in The Startup- I’m a Failure and Proud of It   CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.    

Dani 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 at the very least uncomfortable with Alzheimer’s, she trains her comics and the memory care specialists dealing with seniors on how to find those connections that are often made all the more difficult because Alzheimer’s blurs mental and physical health.   Dani is a graduate of Dartmouth College studying theater and went on to work on Broadway for many years before moving West. She taught the art of stand-up comedy at UCLA for over a decade and has produced numerous live comedy shows all over the U.S. Her writing has appeared in The NY Times, The LA Times, AARP, Parents’ Magazine, and dozens of websites. Her work addresses some of the biggest changes in a person’s life—from marriage and parenting to caring for aging parents—and how humor can help.    Her positive, upbeat personality encourages everyone who comes in contact with her. She lives in Atwater Village with her husband, two teenage sons, and Pepe, the dog.   SHOW NOTE LINKS: Laughter On Call Dani Klein Modisett on Instagram Laughter on Call Instagram John Lehr’s Dear Family, Episode- Geico’s Caveman and Cold Sober Comedy- The Fine Line Between Pain and Humor   CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.    

Last year, as we celebrated not just a new year but a new decade, we never could have predicted just how tumultuous and life-changing 2020 would be. We never could have conceived or truly understood what we were about to be in for:  A once in a century black swan event in the form of an airborne novel Coronavirus that would put us all on lockdown and change life as we knew it as it crossed every continent and affected every single human being on this planet. 2020 has taken a lot out of us. It will undoubtedly go down in the history books as a year full of unprecedented unpredictability and uncertainty, a year that felt more like a decade.  As we look forward to 2021 with the promise of effective vaccines to eradicate Covid-19, we can acknowledge all we have lost while also appreciating what we gained. Instead of seeing 2020 as the worst year ever, what if we choose to see it as a true reset, a time not wasted but rather gained? What if we come out of 2020 all the wiser with priceless insight to bring into not just the new year but over our lifetime? I took an informal poll with dear family and friends to get multiple perspectives on whether 2020 felt like it was all but a waste. I asked the same three questions I’d been reflecting on: What was the hardest part of 2020?  What were the silver linings?  And  What is the biggest lesson learned this year to bring with or leave behind in 2021?    18 Life Lessons Learned from 2020 that are Worth Bringing into 2021 (Listen to hear why.)   Don’t take anything for granted, count your blessings, and be content with what we already have.  We need so much less than we thought.  Our mental health is just as important as our physical health.  Essential workers are true heroes.  Freedom is not free and social justice reform and equality are still necessary to fight for.  Many appreciated the time gained from not having to commute but it was hard to balance work-life separation and balance.  Nature is healing and with the decrease in air and car travel, mother nature had a chance to heal and breathe.  The importance of being flexible and letting go.  The forced slow down is a better change of pace than being on a frenetic hamster wheel.  Self-care should be a priority and it’s not selfish.  There is a pandemic of loneliness but social distance doesn’t mean social isolation and alone doesn’t have to mean lonely.  The importance of hygiene, which begs the question- what were people doing before Covid-19?  Hug your children tight and let them know how much you love them. When we finally get to hug our family and friends, keep expressing your love. Home can and should be a refuge. Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home. We’ve been able to connect through technology like never before, creating many new traditions, like Zoom holidays and “Girls Night In/Cocktail Hours.”  We need to be kinder and more patient and see everyone as a unique person living in a unique time and space and honor that.  The acceleration of income inequality is something to note and work towards changing.  This pandemic has taught us how interconnected we all are. It’s always darkest before dawn. In the spring of 2021, when the days become longer, flower buds begin to sprout, and the vaccines are rolled out to a wider population, I have to believe our gratitude will amplify the sweetness of the light until we reach the day when the threat of the pandemic is in the past. Until then, let’s consider another cliche that takes on new meaning. Hindsight is 2020 becomes a reflection on what is most important in life, something that only a massive, once-in-a-lifetime collective lived-experience that shifted all of our perspectives could teach us.   Wishing you love, happiness, good mental health, Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year. May 2021 bring you all your heart desires. SHOW NOTE LINKS: Corresponding Article- What 2020 Taught Us by Rachel with Fabulous Images Cover by Artist, Paula Noah- Self-Portrait, 2020   Dr. David Steinman on the Dear Family, Podcast- Just Relax  GUEST LINKS: Dedan Bruner: On Fathering On Fathering Instagram Dad Genes Podcast on Instagram On Fathering on Facebook Dad Genes Podcast on Facebook   Julie Lieberman Neale: A Special Mother's Quest Podcast Episode- Choose Yourself   Brit Bronson: spaceMVMNT  Brit’s Instagram   Steve Seidel: Steve on Twitter Steve on Instagram   Noah Kirshbaum: Noah's Instagram   Laurin Mayer: Laurin’s Instagram   Kim Thalkin: Love First- Where Life Transformations Happen CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group   WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.    

Nell 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 trauma roots in our body and how we need to use our five senses to root it out. Their somatic holding videos on their Twinpowerment Instagram and TikTok channels have gained them a loyal following.    Nell, a former teacher, is married with a five-year-old daughter. Her twin, Tish is married with two boys. They love crafting, practicing self-care, and healing through nature. Nell Dardie & Tish Granville of Twinpowerment Email Twinpowerment on Facebook Twinpowerment on Instagram Oona Hanson on Dear Family- Parent Coach Discusses Diet Culture and Teaching Kids Practical Life Skills Dr. David Steinman on Dear Family- Just Relax- All Natural Stress Relief for Trauma Adam Frankel on Dear Family- Discussing Intergenerational Wounds and Post-Traumatic Slavery Syndrome It Didn’t Start With You- How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle by Mark Wolynn Peter Levine on the Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute Heidi Hanson on the Art of Trauma Healing CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.      

Heather 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 says “When we choose bravely, on purpose, we choose bigger, have bigger successes and it’s contagious.” A celebrated public speaker, Heather inspires audiences and empowers attendees with the tools they need to live bold and successful lives through creating balance, time management, mindfulness, as well as countless systems, strategies, and boundaries.    She’s the author of Gratitude Journal: Shift Your Focus and Grow Grateful: A Gratitude Journal for Kids and Families. Heather is also the host and executive producer of The Brave Files Podcast. You can’t help but be moved to be brave.     SHOW NOTE LINKS:   Heather Vickery Website   The Brave Files Podcast   The Brave Method Workshop Brave On Purpose- Facebook  Heather Vickery on Instagram Rachel’s Essay- Divorced Parents Don’t Have to Suck Listen and Subscribe to Molly Sierra on YouTube   CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.  

Gabe 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 his suicidal plan because, in his words, he “didn’t want to stigmatize the house he owned and lower its resale value.” It was in the psychiatric hospital that he finally received the proper diagnosis of bipolar disorder.    Now in recovery, Gabe is a prominent mental health activist who makes mental illness less scary with his entertaining articles like “Anxiety Says Everyone Hates Me” and “I Have Bipolar and I’m a Hypocrite.” He’s also a national speaker and the author of Mental Illness is an Asshole and Other Observations. Gabe hosts two different podcasts- the award-winning Psych Central Podcast and another called, Not Crazy, a podcast he co-hosts with his ex-wife. He’s proud to be a 2017 Everyday Hero, an honor given to him in a proclamation by Governor John Kasich of Ohio.    Gabe makes his home in Central Ohio with his wife, Kendall and a mini-schnauzer he never wanted but now can’t live without.    SHOW NOTE LINKS: Gabe Howard's Website Gabe Howard's Podcasts Rachel Steinman on Gabe’s Psych Central Podcast- Not Crazy Gabe Howard on Instagram Dear Family, Podcast with Andy Behrman- Electroboy Bipolar Sensory Overload   CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.    

Nina 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 the most taboo aspects of being human that our culture continues to perpetuate.  Her non-judgment and open-mindedness come from decades of dealing with her own emotionally paralyzing intrusive thoughts from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder that began in her childhood. Years of therapy, the right medication, and compassion for herself have helped her get past the fear and embarrassment surrounding her OCD allowing her to be fearless when she speaks unabashedly open about sex while getting others to do the same. You will appreciate the practical advice Nina offers to kindle and rekindle any relationship and to increase self-esteem in the bedroom and beyond because sexy is an attitude.  You will love how she opens up and tells for the very first time a truly personal family story about the immense impact her parents’ divorce had on her as an adult and the happy ending with her officiating their wedding years later.  Nina lives in Connecticut with her husband and two children and absolutely loves what she does for a living. Anyone who is lucky enough to get real with Nina knows that the uncomfortable conversations she may push you to have will give you the courage to not only find pleasure but happiness.   SHOW NOTE LINKS:   Real Talk with Nina -Website Nina Cudney- Real Talk on Facebook Nina Cudney- Real Talk on Instagram Dear Family, Episode-Rena Sofer Remarries her X-Husband  Dear Family, Episode- Rachel Winter on her Adult Parents Divorce Dear Family, Episode- Condom with a Conversation- Sex and Consent- Teen Owned Business    CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.

Dr. 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 thousands as well as multiple university classes and to civic groups. Using a science-based approach rooted in understanding how the body and mind respond to stress, Dr. Steinman created a step-by-step training program to learn how to calm the body’s stress reaction. His clinical work helps a broad range of stress-related health problems, like anxiety, insomnia, headaches, back pain, and chronic pain. His audio recordings help his clients perform a variety of relaxation techniques at home, allowing anyone to discover what is most effective. His new book, Just Relax: Your Guide to All-Natural Stress Relief allows virtually anyone to develop this valuable life-enhancing skill.   Dr. Steinman lives in Austin with his wife, Lydia who is a professor at UT. Their adult sons have just gotten married and they are thrilled to have gained two new daughters.   SHOW NOTE LINKS:   Just Relax Book Website   Amazon Link- Just Relax: Your Guide to All-Natural Stress Relief   Rachel interviews Dr. Stephen Hinshaw- UC Berkeley Dean of Psychology on his Personal Journey through the Stigma and Hope of Mental Illness     CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.  

*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 up on basic supplies with fears of a Civil War breaking out in our streets resulting in an increase in gun sales. It’s no wonder we’re all on edge. Cases of anxiety and depression have quadrupled since COVID19 became a household name. We’re fatigued with restrictions, worried about our kids and seniors, and feeling very restless. We don’t want to cancel our holiday plans with our loved ones and yet we’re being warned it’s about to be a very dark winter.  The American Way, the American Dream, and our American Exceptionalism are ideals we will never give up on. We stand on the shoulders of people who came before us and we will continue to fight for a better future for those who come after us.    SHOW NOTE LINKS: Corresponding Article- Feeling Political Fatigue and Pandemic Burnout? The Antidotes are Hope, Action, and Gratitude. The Census Bureau Statistics on Americans with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder Good News Movement on Instagram Positively Present on Instagram Humans of New York on Instagram The Dodo on Instagram March for Our Lives Sunrise Movement Rachel Steinman’s article- 15 Silver Linings & Strategies to Manage Coronavirus Anxiety During a Pandemic     CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe! Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.

Yasmin 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 other things.   Not until Yasmin went to college and studied psychology did she begin her own healing process. She went on to receive her Masters in College Counseling and is now a suicide prevention instructor as well as a mental health first aid instructor. She is also the Youth Programs Director at the National Alliance on Mental Illness in the San Fernando Valley.   Through her experiences working with high school and college students, Yasmin realized the importance of modeling vulnerability and truly listening to others so they can come up with their own insight and empower themselves. She’s also grateful to be the face of hope so more people can openly speak up about emotional and mental health challenges, especially within the South Asian and Muslim community.      SHOW NOTE LINKS: Yasmin Irfani's Links   Yasmin Irfani’s Instagram   NAMI SFV (San Fernando Valley)     CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe!   Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.

  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 cordless clippers and treat homeless individuals as though they were his celebrity clients. He was able to connect with them because he’d been through what they had. With a friend nearby to video his encounters, hundreds of thousands of Instagram viewers would get to see first hand his motto, “A haircut can change a life.” You can’t be helped but be moved to see how a haircut and kind human interaction not only helps people gain self-confidence and see their value, but also seek treatment for their addiction and gain employment.     Since Jason was a young teen he’d been cutting hair, but not until he got sober did his fierce work ethic lead him to make a name for himself creating fully unified looks for press tours, red carpets, music videos and editorial gigs. After apprenticing under Jennifer Aniston’s hair stylist, Chris McMillan, Jason was soon being asked to fly off to the the Super Bowl to cut Bruno Mars hair, and style and cut other big celebrities like Rob Lowe, James Corden, Hugh Jackman, Jonah Hill, Robert Pattinson, and Jay Shetty to name a few. His editorial work has appeared in magazines such as Rolling Stone, GQ, Entertainment Weekly, and Billboard.   Jason branched out on his own creating an entire salon and product line upon the fundamentals of men’s hair care. Aptly named “The Mens Groomer,” his Venice Beach, Lincoln Boulevard headquarters is part barbershop, part coffee shop, and part surf/skate shop. With his motorcycles and hot rods parked in front and his shop next to the iconic Dogtown Skateboards, it’s the epitome of California cool. Don’t be surprised if the legendary surfer, Laird Hamilton stops by for a cut and coffee.   Jason donates a percentage of his styling products and his haircuts to his foundation he started to give the homeless the second chance they need and deserve. Jason is married and has two adorable kids. He’s grateful every day for his family and friends and for the devoted group of clients he continues to gain and keep.    SHOW NOTE LINKS:   The Men’s Groomer Shop The Men’s Groomer on Instagram The Men’s Groomer Foundation Rachel’s Essay- Homelessness is More Than Lesshomeless Jonathan Leeper on Dear Family,- Homeless Drug Addict Becomes Beacon of Hope Helping the Homeless Adam Kallen on Dear Family,- Success Story Overcoming Addiction to Owning Hottest Motorcycle Apparel Brand & Hosting All-Men’s AA Meeting   CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe!   Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.

Lisa 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 documentary films about the taboo subject by humanizing the topic.   Lisa is an award-winning director and writer dedicated to crafting groundbreaking documentary features. Her current project, THE S WORD, is a documentary that tackles one of the most cloistered issues of our time through the emotional stories of suicide attempt and loss survivors. In 2012, Lisa co-directed the award-winning film OF TWO MINDS, a journey into the lives of bipolar disorder. She tours the country speaking and using her films to raise awareness of mental health issues. Lisa is co-founder, with her husband Doug Blush, of MadPix Films, an LA-based production company dedicated to producing character-driven stories that create global impact and social change.    Lisa is a graduate of the University of Michigan and received an M.F.A. from the University of Southern California. Her daughter is now a University of Michigan student. She’s picked up a pandemic hobby of painting and creating art projects, which besides her family, her dog, and running and tennis, brings her a lot of joy.    SHOW NOTE LINKS: The S Word Movie Mad Pix Films The S Word on Facebook The S Word on Twitter The S Word on Instagram The Suicide Prevention Lifeline Terri Cheney on Dear Family, the Podcast Robert Kolker on Dear Family, the Podcast   CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe!   Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.

John 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 high on LSD with the threat of a prolonged incarcerated stay. He’s been sober for over two decades and calls himself a recovering alcoholic and drug addict who regularly attends AA meetings, meditates, and found spirituality by converting to Judaism. He performs his “Comedic Lectures” about his twenty plus years of sobriety at fundraisers, nonprofits, and sober communities under the banner Cold.Sober.Comedy. He connects with his audience, now virtually through Zoom, by sharing his personal and career struggles, his continuing sober journey, and the importance of an authentic sense of humor. John and his producing partner, Nancy Hower have created multiple projects, most involving their unique improvisationally-based “hybrid” style found with their Howler Monkey Productions. John is married to author Jennifer Lehr with whom he has two children and is grateful every day for the life he has created.   SHOW NOTE LINKS:   John Lehr's Website Howler TV John Lehr's Facebook Fanpage John Lehr on Twitter John Lehr's Instagram Generation Gab Podcast John’s wife, Jennifer Lehr’s book, “ParentSpeak- What’s Wrong With How We Talk to Our Children and What to Say Instead John’s wife, Jennifer Lehr’s Book, “Ill Equipped for a Life of Sex: A Memoir” Caron Treatment Centers Rachel interviews her brother, Adam Kallen- Success Story Overcoming Addiction to Owning Hottest Motorcycle Apparel Brand & Hosting All-Men’s AA Meeting     CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe!   Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.  

X. 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 to gritty hip-hop under a cover of electronic elegance. At the same time, the visceral lyrics transmit messages of hope as often as they ponder tragedy. Her sound comes to life in the middle. Trained in the art of Reiki, a physical, spiritual, and mental healing through the transfer of energy through the hands and a student of psychology, X. Ari has a wealth of information on how to best take care of ourselves, regardless if we have mental health challenges. She’s not only singing about her mental health journey, she’s sharing her story to destigmatize mental illness by being a spokesperson for NAMI,  giving back, and serving as a role model of how someone who struggles can live a productive, happy, and purposeful life.   SHOW NOTE LINKS: Ari Website   Ari on Instagram Ari on Facebook Ari on Twitter Ari on SoundCloud  Ari on Youtube  Ari on Spotify Ari on AppleMusic    NAMI- National Alliance on Mental Illness   Rachel interveiws her mom on the Dear Family, Podcast   Jack.org Tara Brach Guided Meditations Shawn Achor- On Happiness   CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe!   Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.  

Adam 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 half of who he thought he was. This new knowledge created an identity crisis Adam tried to push down but manifested in panic attacks because he couldn’t speak to his dad about it for fear it would break his heart. Adam goes on a journey to define his family’s bond and ultimately rewrites his family’s story in truth to build a life for his own young family. In his book, The Survivors- A Story of War, Inheritance and Healing we come to see the nature of our families’ traumas may vary but each of us is faced with the same choice. We can turn away from what we’ve inherited or we can confront it in the hope of moving on and stopping that trauma from inflicting pain on future generations.  Adam is a graduate of Princeton University and the London School of Economics and Political Science, where he was a Fulbright Scholar. Currently, he is an advisor to Emerson Collective, a social change organization, and Fenway Strategies, the communications firm founded by Jon Favreau and Tommy Vietor. Adam lives in Arlington, Virginia with his wife and two children.   SHOW NOTE LINKS:   Adam Frankel’s Website The Survivors: A Story of War, Inheritance, and Healing Borderline Personality Disorder    CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and Subscribe!   Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.

Terri 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 of Netflix's Modern Love where Anne Hathaway did a phenomenal job capturing Terri’s mania and depression.   In Terri’s new book, Modern Madness- An Owner’s Manual, she combines clinical research with her own lived experience- stories like her manic highs accompanied by extreme drinking, driving, and dating. Her new book brilliantly bridges the gap between the one-size-fits-all approach of modern medicine and makes it relatable and valuable for everyone. Those dealing with mental health issues and their family and friends who are often left to pick up the pieces will undoubtedly appreciate her humor and her insight.   Terri lives in Los Angeles, teaches personal essay writing workshops, and keeps up her blog, The Bipolar Lens for Psychology Today.    SHOW NOTE LINKS:   Terri Cheney’s “Modern Madness”   Terri Cheney’s “Manic”   Terri Cheney’s “Dark Side of Innocence”   Terri Cheney’s Blog, “The Bipolar Lens” on Psychology Today   Fourteen Insightful Memoirs about Mental Illness and Addiction Rachel interviews her mom, Laurie Kallen Schwent    CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and ***Listen and Subscribe via iTunes!!!  ***Listen and Subscribe via Stitcher!!! ***Listen and Subscribe via Spotify!!!   Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.

Dani 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. After four memoirs and five novels that always revolved around family secrets and identity, she discovers mid-life she is not who she thought she was. After a paternity test proves her beloved dad, who never looked anything like her blonde self, was not in fact her biological father, she questions everything she knew. Today, we delve deep into why family secrets are so incredibly harmful as we discuss her New York Times bestselling memoir Inheritance, a most masterful work.   Besides being the author of multiple best-selling books, Dani is also an essayist and a journalist whose short fiction, essays, and journalistic pieces have appeared in The New Yorker, Elle, Vogue, The Oprah Magazine, The New York Times Book Review, the op-ed pages of the New York Times, and so many more. She’s taught in the writing programs at Columbia, NYU, the New School, and Wesleyan University. She is the co-founder of the Sirenland Writers Conference in Positano, Italy, a conference high up on my bucket list. Dani is the host of 2 hit podcasts, Family Secrets and The Way We Live Now, a look at how others are dealing with the pandemic. Dani lives with her family in Litchfield County, Connecticut.   It truly was my honor to speak one on one with my writing and podcasting idol. She does not disappoint as she moved me to my core and made me think deeply, like the seasoned storyteller she is.    SHOW NOTE LINKS: Dani Shapiro’s Website Dani Shapiro’s “Inheritance- A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love” Dani Shapiro on Instagram   CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and ***Listen and Subscribe via iTunes!!!  ***Listen and Subscribe via Stitcher!!! ***Listen and Subscribe via Spotify!!!   Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.

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 home, like kitchen confidence, DIY, personal finance,  laundry and cleaning, safety and emergency preparedness, being city savvy, social skills, and even anti-racism. Oona holds a Master's Degree in Educational Psychology and a Master's Degree in English. Her work has been featured widely, including on CNN, Good Morning America, Good Day LA, Today, Grown & Flown, PopSugar, and Maria Shriver's "Sunday Paper." She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two children. Oona holds a Master's Degree in Educational Psychology and a Master's Degree in English. Her work has been featured widely, including on CNN, Good Morning America, Good Day LA, Today, Grown & Flown, PopSugar, and Maria Shriver's "Sunday Paper." She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two children.   SHOW NOTE LINKS: Oona Hanson's Website Oona Hanson on Instagram Oona Hanson on Twitter Oona Hanson - Parent Coaching- Facebook Parenting Without Diet Culture- Facebook Common Sense Camp Parent Guide Fearing the Black Body by Dr. Sabrina Strings Grown and Flown- Dear Family, Podcast Episode Oona Hanson’s Article on Family Rituals  CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and ***Listen and Subscribe via iTunes!!!  ***Listen and Subscribe via Stitcher!!! ***Listen and Subscribe via Spotify!!!   Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.  

Priscilla 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 became violent towards himself after learning he was schizophrenic, a term her family had never heard of. It became her responsibility at a young age to accompany her parents to the psychiatrist to translate the English for them, pushing Priscilla to mature early on and to become interested in the mental health field.   Priscilla is the first generation in her family to go to college and she’s just graduated from UCLA this summer with a Bachelor in Science in Psychobiology and a Minors in Latin American Studies and Public Health. She is passionate about bridging the gaps between underserved communities and mental health resources. She’s worked as a research assistant in the Culture and Anxiety Lab for Mental Health Advances looking at the relationship between barriers to mental health care and intent to seek services. She’s interested in health literacy tools to engage depressed LatinX adults. She’s worked with first-generation college students leading large scale programming and academic and emotional counseling for the ChicanX/LatinX communities.   Priscilla is a student leader within Global Medical Missions Alliance where she’s developed culturally sensitive training and has served as a translator for the medical teams who provided aid abroad to Mexico, Cambodia, and other underserved countries in regard to health care. In her free time, Priscilla enjoys playing the piano at her church, shooting hoops with friends, and adventuring to new places with loved ones. Her desire to help others is infectious and there is no doubt her leadership skills will continue to make her community stronger and better. SHOW NOTE LINKS: UCLA Newsroom- Thanks to Family, Graduating Senior is Driven to Bridge Cultural Gaps    Priscilla’s Podcast- Covid19 and Suicidality   Priscialla Molina on Instagram   CONNECT WITH US! *Dear Family, Podcast Page *Write Now Rachel Website *Rachel's Blog @Medium *Rachel’s Twitter *Facebook *Instagram   PLEASE JOIN: *Dear Family Members, the Private Facebook Group     WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST: *PLEASE Leave a 5-Star Review and ***Listen and Subscribe via iTunes!!!  ***Listen and Subscribe via Stitcher!!! ***Listen and Subscribe via Spotify!!!   Thank you! Your support means the world to me. Wishing you love, happiness, and good mental health always.