Fear Me Out :: A Psychology Podcast

Dr. Dana is pausing production of the Fear Me Out podcast until further notice. We're incredibly grateful to our family and friends who have tuned in to every episode so far. Thank you!

Dr. Steve Sherwin and Dr. Dana discuss the impact of chiropractic treatment in addressing trauma and other psychological challenges. Over many years of practice, Dr. Sherwin has developed a unique approach to his work. Quote: “I started as a massage therapist and eventually discovered my passion for being a chiropractor.”

Ms. Hendel is a family law attorney based in Santa Barbara, dedicated to helping individuals and families reach fair and positive legal resolutions. Her commitment to listening, analyzing, and clearly explaining even the most complex situations greatly benefits her clients. Quote: “I work hard to help my clients avoid going to war with their estranged partner.” Amy Shiffman Hendel and Dr. Dana have in-depth discussions on the pitfalls of contentious divorce. Amy's approach to family law focuses on achieving balanced outcomes for all involved, rooted in her belief that careful listening and thorough analysis of her clients' needs are the keys to effective support.

Join us for Dr. Dana & Dr. Chris Latham conversation around Menopause.

Dr. Roland Rotz and Dr. Dana discuss the diagnosis and treatment options for ADHD. Dr. Rotz specializes in helping both children and adults manage the wide range of symptoms associated with this complex disorder. Quote: "My goal is to provide clients with high-quality, compassionate support using the most effective interventions possible, tailored to the unique needs of each individual or family." Dr. Rotz is also the author of "Fidget to Focus," a guide designed to help children and adults navigate the challenges of ADHD.

Matt Morre and Dr. Dana delve into the differences between mediation and litigation in the divorce process. Matt, an expert in mediation, focuses on guiding couples through non-contentious divorces. He explains the mediation process from start to finish, with an emphasis on meeting the needs of both parties as they dissolve their marriage.

Jill James and Dr. Dana explore the concept of compassionate divorce, with Jill sharing her personal experience of ending her marriage. Despite the separation, she and her ex-husband have remained close friends and co-parents. Quote: "I deliberately chose to end my marriage in a non-contentious way." In their discussion, Jill reflects on her decision to approach divorce with the intention of maintaining a positive relationship with her ex-husband, focusing on mutual respect and friendship.

Dr. Chris Latham and Dr. Dana delve into the connection between nutrition and overall well-being. Dr. Latham, who holds a Doctorate in Clinical Nutrition, specializes in how the food we consume impacts both our physical and mental health. Quote:"My journey led me to pursue and achieve a Doctorate in Clinical Nutrition (DCN), focusing on nutritional biochemistry. I learned and now practice Integrative and Functional Medicine, an approach that considers lifestyle habits and the root causes of disease. Applying what I learned to my life, I started feeling better." In this episode, Dr. Latham provides numerous examples of how food influences both physical and emotional health, offering valuable insights into the powerful role nutrition plays in our well-being.

"At some point in life, everyone experiences the loss of someone they love—a parent, spouse, sibling, child, or friend. How does one move forward and rediscover a sense of purpose and joy?" In this in-depth discussion, Sissy Taran and Dr. Dana explore grief and resilience. Sissy's book, The Sun Will Shine Again, chronicles her own healing journey.

"Early intervention offers the best outcome for treating this disorder." Dr. Bob Nagy returns to join Dr. Dana in a discussion about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a challenging condition that affects both children and adults, regardless of gender. Dr. Nagy outlines a comprehensive, multidimensional approach to the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD, emphasizing the importance of early intervention. Dr. Nagy and Dr. Dana explore the critical role of timely diagnosis and treatment in managing ADHD, highlighting that early action is key to achieving better outcomes for those affected by this complex condition.

“Recovering from trauma is a lifelong, ongoing process.” Lauren Cantin and Dr. Dana discuss Lauren's harrowing experience during the Santa Barbara mudslide. Last week, her mother, Kim Cantin, was on the podcast, and now Lauren, her daughter, shares her story. Lauren's experience was incredibly intense and traumatic, but her recovery has been extraordinary. Her strength and resilience are truly remarkable and inspiring.

Kim Cantin and Dr. Dana have an in-depth discussion about Kim's experience during the Santa Barbara mudslide. Her journey, marked by profound loss and resilience, is both heartbreaking and inspiring. She shares the details in her book, Where Yellow Flowers Bloom. Quote: "My experience was both traumatizing and led me to my strength." In their conversation, Kim Cantin and Dr. Dana explore Kim's courageous path to recovery after losing her husband and son in the Santa Barbara mudslide. Her story is detailed in her book, Where Yellow Flowers Bloom.

Lisa Moschini, a leading expert in the diagnosis and treatment of schizophrenia, joins Dr. Dana for an in-depth discussion on this challenging condition. As the Clinical Director of Sanctuary Centers, a facility dedicated to treating the severely mentally ill, Lisa shares her insights on the importance of early intervention, stating, "Early intervention is essential for a positive outcome." Their conversation sheds light on the complexities of schizophrenia and the critical steps needed to support those affected by it.

This method of healing trauma is both effective and powerful, targeting the resolution of stress, shock, and trauma that build up in our bodies and nervous system. According to Amy Rideg, an expert on Somatic Experiencing, "The SE approach releases traumatic shock, which is key to transforming patterns that get stuck and impact people's daily life." Amy Redig and Dr. Dana discuss how Somatic Experiencing is designed to effectively address and resolve these symptoms.

Treva Brandon Scharf and her husband, Robby Scharf, engage in an in-depth discussion with Dr. Dana about finding love later in life. Treva, an ICF-certified dating and relationship coach, is the author of "Done Being Single: A Late Bloomer's Guide to Love." She also maintains a blog on successful relationships and, together with Robby, hosts a podcast about love and relationships. Treva shares valuable insights, including the quote, "You can't control what life throws at you, but you can control how it affects you."

Julian's Book: How The Leopard Changed Its Spots Julian Gresser is an international environmental and public interest lawyer, professional negotiator, and recognized expert on Japan. "It's important to have the ability to turn adversity to advantage" Julian Gresser and Dr. Dana discuss the principles of mastering the skill of integral resilience..The organization he co-founded, the Broadband International Legal Action Network (BBILAN), is dedicated to restoring reasonable balance and sanity in the face of global corporate interests intent on blanketing our planet with harmful radiation emitting wireless devices and a mesh of constellations that will pollute the skies and set the stage for coming conflicts with China and Russia in space. Julian is also an avid explorer of new frontiers of consciousness and ethics, and an inventor.

"I have a voice that was taken away from me as a child" Claudia Chotzen and Dr. Dana discuss Claudia's heroic journey overcoming severe childhood abuse.  Claudia published a book "The Dark Room"  This book is a detailed account of severe emotional and sexual abuse that she suffered at the hands of her mother.

Catherine Weissenberg and Dr. Dana discuss the transformative power of self-love and its role in healing. Confronting his mortality, Dr. Dana relies on faith and self-love to recover from a severe medical trauma.

"I believed that I deserved to be physically and emotionally abused because I was a bad person" Gemma Serenity and Dr. Dana discuss in detail Gemma's experiences of physical and emotional abuse during her childhood and young adulthood. She attributes her courage to leave her first and second abusive marriages to her faith in God. Now, Gemma is in a healthy relationship and dedicates her time to helping other abuse survivors find the strength to heal.

Resilience is a combination of faith and courage. Justine Hamilton and Dr. Dana explore the concept of resilience and where it comes from.  Facing a serious medical issue, Dr. Dana describes how resilience plays a part in his life.

"People with OCD often feel embarrassed and shamed by the symptoms of this disorder" Dr. Bob Nagy returns to the podcast to discuss Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.  He defines the behaviors that characterize OCD and the treatment options.  Dr. Nagy and Dr. Dana site patient case examples that illustrate the link between trauma and OCD.

"I never realized how much the experiences of my childhood affected the way I felt about myself" Steve Francis gives an in depth interview with Dr Dana and his co host Sean Saperstein.  Sean and Steve, both good friends and business associates, discuss the feeling of low self worth that result from physical abuse and alcoholism. Steve describes working very hard to redeem himself from childhood abuse and neglect, resulting in great business success and a new marriage. 

Sean: "I compare my performance with others far too often"  Anthony: I'm slowly getting less critical. I wish I wasn't so hard on myself" Sean Saperstein (Dana's son) and Anthony Kar have an in depth discussion with Dr. Dana about "imposter Syndrome"  They both describe the negative, self-critical voice in their heads and how they are trying to overcome them.

Bruce Giffin and Dr. Dana talk a length about Bruce's healing journey. After surviving a difficult childhood with a self centered mom, Bruce and his business partner ran a very successful building company.  Overcoming imposter syndrome, allowed Bruce to survive and thrive.

"I realized that I was sabotaging my success because of how I felt about myself." Idan Shpizear and Dr. Dana have a stimulating discussion about Idan's path to success. Idan realized that he was  sabotaging his success because of the way he felt about himself.  He spent time in psychoanalysis and dream interpretation to facilitate his healing.  Idan is a published author and helps people reach their business and personal healing goals.

"My faith has helped me through the darkest times" Miri Offer and Dr. Dana have an in depth discussion about the miracle that changed her life. She started at 911 Restoration and eventually became the CEO of this successful company.  Changing the culture of this company to include emotional support for the people that lost their homes or business made all of the difference.

Cary Meadow and Dr. Dana have an in depth discussion on miracles and how to trust your inner voice. Cary describes a potential life saving feeling that changed the course of his life..Trusting his inner voice made all of the difference.

Teri Malinowski and Dr.Dana have a very inspiring discussion about the effect that meeting a baby elephant had on Teri's life.  She never imagined that a trip to Thailand would be so meaningful and introduce her to love in such a powerful way.

Dr. Dana describes a length , both the miracles that he has experienced and those that he has witnessed. Are these true miracles or just coincidences?  It's up to you to determine...

"I feel a strong calling to be of service.  This workshop is the beginning of a much more deliberate plan to help women heal" Justine Hamilton and Dr. Dana speak at length about Justine's upcoming women's workshop.  She is making a devotion to help women resolve trauma and lead more fulfilling lives.  Justine describes a lifetime of feeling the need to be of service to others.

"Most people don't understand what it's like to have bi-polar illness" Cole Napoli bravely discusses the difficulties of having bi-polar disorder.  He and Dr. Dana have an in depth discussion of the disorder itself and the prejudice he has encountered.  His experience being bi-polar is both inspirational and enlightening.

"It's important to start medication as soon as possible when diagnosed with bipolar illness." Dr. Robert Nagy, an expert in Bipolar disorder discusses the diagnosis and treatment of this serious illness.  Dr. Nagy has years of experience in helping his patients manage the ups and downs of this diagnosis.

Josiah Hamilton and Dr. Dana discuss Josiah's journey watching his mother die from cancer.  He describes at length the sadness and difficulty he experienced going through this process.  He left us with: Don't every let words go unspoken

Gwen's advice: "Do not argue, reason or explain in the moment when you are working with someone with dementia." Gwen Dawson and Dr. Dana have an in-depth discussion about dementia.  Gwen lost her mother and is losing her husband to this debilitating condition.  She provides both practical advice and emotional vulnerability in the podcast episode.

"Family dynamics in caring for the elderly can be very complicated." Dr. Dana interviews Erica Victor, a licensed clinical social worker, about the psychological issues that families face when caring for the sick and elderly.  She describes in detail the common problems that she encounters in her role as a caregiver.

"I grew up not believing that I mattered to anyone" Justine Hamilton and Dr. Dana discuss the lies that Justine learned to tell herself as a child.  Two of these lies were very damaging to her self-esteem.  The first lie was that she didn't matter to anyone.  The second was that she had to take care of everything in her life.

"My father believed that we had to make a choice between being a victim or a perpetrator. I figured out that he was nuts to have this perspective" Justine Hamilton and Dr. Dana finish a two part series on how Dr. Dana learned to lie to himself.  The episode describes lies that Dr. Dana received from the men in his life.  Most of the lies came from his father...

"I started to lie to myself in utero based on my moms fear of being ugly" In this two part series, Dr. Dana and Justine Hamilton discuss how we learn to lie to ourselves based on our relationship with the important women in our lives.  Dr. Dana uses his life experiences as an example about how these deceptions get formed. Early in life, Dr. Dana formed a pattern of loneliness and low self esteem that followed him through his teen years through young adulthood.

"Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom." - Aristotle Dr. Dana and Josiah Hamilton discuss Josiah's relationship to drugs & alcohol, which for a big part of his life, felt like the only way to survive.  He relied on his daily journaling to bring clarity over time and ultimately the choice to become and stay sober.

Being an HSP is purely a biological phenomenon. Dr. Dana finishes his series on being a highly sensitive person.  He discusses at length the biology of this phenomena. Being a HSP is biologically driven and strongly influenced by the environment.

"It's really important to understand the relationship between PTSD and being a highly sensitive person" Dave and Dr. Dana discuss how being HSP makes childhood trauma much more damaging to a person.  Understanding being a HSP has allowed Dave the ability to heal his trauma.

"As a child, I never realized why I felt my emotions so deeply" Amy Zimmerman and Dr. Dana talk at length about how she has spent years healing her trauma and embracing being a highly sensitive person.

"I've always been a highly sensitive person.  I realized this about myself as a very young child". Dr. Dana interviews his good friend and colleague, Jen Vogel about her learning to thrive as a HSP.  Jen recognized this trait at a young age and has been helping people her whole life.  This eventually resulted in Jen's choice to become a mental health professional.

"As a child I never understood how being a HSP was affecting my life in such a dramatic way." Dr. Dana interviews John Kamps regarding how being a highly sensitive person has affected his life.  John describes how important it was for him to understand and accept being a HSP. This was a necessary step in healing his trauma and thriving as an unusual person.

"Being a HSP or Empath is a gift not a liability." Dr Dana discusses the characteristics of being a "Highly Sensitive Person".  This episode is the beginning of a series about how to thrive as an Empath or HSP.

"I can't believe that I've done over 100 episodes of  the fearmeout podcast! So much fun!!" Justine Hamilton interviews Dr. Dana about what it's been like to do over 100 episodes of the fearmeout podcast. 

"My mother was a holocaust survivor.  Obviously this affected my life growing up" Gwyn Lurie, the owner and CEO of the Montecito Journal and related publications, discusses her experiences  with antisemitism and growing up with a mom that was in the Holocaust.  Justine Hamilton and Dr. Dana are both long term admirers of Ms. Lurie and her publications.

"I was constantly shamed and humiliated during the process of religious conversion therapy" Seth Showalter is a licensed clinical social worker, esteemed clinical supervisor, and talented therapist who has dedicated his career to providing compassionate care to individuals facing mental health challenges. He and Dr Dana discuss his journey to sexual self acceptance. Seth's Book: FINALLY FREE A surrender to Authenticity.

"I'm not retiring, I'm transitioning to a new life phase." Dr. Dana and Doyle Hollister have been friends and colleagues for almost forty years.  Doyle has decided to transition from his clinical practice to writing poetry.  He is excited to shift from working with clients to spending time in nature and becoming a proficient poet.

Dr. Dana interviews his friend and colleague, Dr. Rob Permut. Coming back from summer camp as a ten year old changed Rob's life. From that day forward he learned how to defend himself after experiencing anti-semitic comments directed towards him.

"ANTI-SEMITISM IS RAMPANT AND DESTRUCTIVE. THE WAR IN ISRAEL IS SAD AND FRIGHTENING" Dr. Dana & Justine interview Ben & Or. They openly discuss their experiences with anti-semitism in this revealing and passionate conversation.