Hardcore Humanism with Dr. Mike

Hardcore Humanism Dr. Mike talks with Sydney and Noah Sierota of the indie-pop band Echosmith about their creative process. They uncover the powerful intersections of anxiety, outside expectations, and how their faith gives them a bigger purpose amongst these struggles which ultimately shapes their artistry. Together, they navigate the challenging emotions of feeling "cracked" and reveal how embracing their flaws has led them to discover the light in both their creative journeys and life as a whole. On the Hardcore Humanism Podcast, we talk with artists such as Noah and Sydney to hear their stories of their authentic life so that we can learn from their experience as we embark on our own purpose-driven journey. Hardcore Humanism Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUp Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanism Produced by Ars Longa Media Learn more at arslonga.media. Produced by: Erin McCue. Executive Producer: Patrick C. Beeman, MD Legal Stuff The information presented in this podcast is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only and is not professional advice.

Hardcore Humanism Dr Mike talks with Tom Higgenson of the Plain White T's about finding the magic in songwriting, specifically in relation to their new song "Spaghetti Tattoo" and renowned hit "Hey There Delilah." They discuss ways in which Tom is able to embrace the present moment and draw inspiration from his experiences, enriching the songwriting process. On the Hardcore Humanism Podcast, we talk with artists such as Tom to hear their stories of their authentic life so that we can learn from their experience as we embark on our own purpose-driven journey. Hardcore Humanism Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUp Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanism Produced by Ars Longa Media Learn more at arslonga.media. Produced by: Erin McCue. Executive Producer: Patrick C. Beeman, MD Legal Stuff The information presented in this podcast is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only and is not professional advice.

Hardcore Humanism Dr Mike talks with grunge legend Mark Arm about Mudhoney's new album Plastic Eternity and how Mark addresses existential issues in his life and music. On the Hardcore Humanism Podcast, we talk with artists such as Mark to hear their stories of their authentic life so that we can learn from their experience as we embark on our own purpose-driven journey. Hardcore Humanism Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUp Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanism Produced by Ars Longa Media Learn more at arslonga.media. Produced by: Erin McCue. Executive Producer: Patrick C. Beeman, MD Legal Stuff The information presented in this podcast is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only and is not professional advice.

Hardcore Humanism On the Hardcore Humanism Podcast, we talk with artists such as Brent to hear their stories of their authentic life so that we can learn from their experience as we embark on our own purpose-driven journey. Hardcore Humanism Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUp Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanism Produced by Ars Longa Media Learn more at arslonga.media. Produced by: Erin McCue. Executive Producer: Patrick C. Beeman, MD Legal Stuff The information presented in this podcast is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only and is not professional advice.

Hardcore Humanism Shaun Morgan of Seether talks about his struggles with early family relationships, people pleasing, depression and addiction. Shaun also shares what he means when he says that he's learned to "empty his marbles" as a way of building his emotional health and strong relationships. On the Hardcore Humanism Podcast, we talk with artists such as Shaun to hear their stories of their authentic life so that we can learn from their experience as we embark on our own purpose-driven journey. Hardcore Humanism Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUp Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanism Produced by Ars Longa Media Learn more at arslonga.media. Produced by: Erin McCue. Executive Producer: Patrick C. Beeman, MD Legal Stuff The information presented in this podcast is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only and is not professional advice.

Today we are talking with musician, singer and songwriter Adam Darski, otherwise known as Nergal, founding member of the extreme heavy metal band Behemoth about embracing our uniqueness and finding new ways to express our authentic selves. In the Hardcore Humanism therapy and coaching program, our goal is to utilize principles of humanistic psychology to empower you to find your purpose, work hard to achieve that purpose and build a supportive community so that you can lead a fulfilling and authentic life. And on the Hardcore Humanism Podcast, we talk with artists such as Nergal to hear their stories of their authentic life so that we can learn from their experience as we embark on our own purpose-driven journey. Hardcore Humanism Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUpInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanism

On the Hardcore Humanism Podcast, we talk with artists who have overcome obstacles as they pursue their authentic life so that we can learn from their experience as we embark on our own purpose-driven journey. And one of the most challenging issues that we can face on this journey is how we understand and develop ourselves as individuals, as compared to how we understand and develop ourselves as being part of a community.Today we are talking with singer, songwriter, guitarist and music Ph.D. Dr. Michael Bishop – otherwise known as The Berserker Blothar of the heavy metal band GWAR. Loudwire has rated GWAR as one of the greatest heavy metal bands of all time. And recently, the premium streaming service Shudder announced that it has acquired the rights to global distribution of the documentary film about the band called This is GWAR  which will go live July 21st.  During our conversation, Michael and I talk about one of the main themes of the This is GWAR movie, which is how the individual members of GWAR grappled with devoting themselves to the community that they developed while also trying to maintain a sense of themselves as individuals. Michael delves into how this struggle factored into his decision to leave GWAR and how he decided to eventually return to the band 20 years later. Hardcore Humanism Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUpInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanism

What's up Hardcore Humans! Max Cavalera talks with Dr. Mike about the effect that hardcore punk had on his life, particularly the concept of straight edge on his path to sobriety.  Max also shares how his passion for music motivated him throughout his life. It motivated him as a fan of hardcore and heavy metal music to go see shows. It motivated him and his brother to form a band that helped spawn a new style of music when thrash was not yet an established genre. And they worked to develop their band in the early 1980's without a record label, without a network or radio stations playing hardcore punk or metal, and even without a developed heavy metal or hardcore punk community in Brazil. It was that Do It Yourself approach of embracing these art forms and creating their space in it with others who share the same passion. And it is that DIY spirit that we are hoping people take away from these conversations to try to find who and what they love in their own life and build a sense of purpose and community around it.   ***** Hardcore Humanism Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUpInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanism

What's up Hardcore Humans! In today's episode, Dr. Mike talks with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Ann Wilson of the legendary band Heart about how to cope with feelings of emptiness. Prior to our discussion, Ann had posted on social media a quote from poet Anais Nin about not being able to live in any of the worlds offered to her – that she had to create one of her own. This concept is really at the core of the Hardcore Humanism philosophy which is about peeling away the layers of expectations and mandates that are imposed upon us so that we can explore and connect with our true values, priorities and selves. And during our discussion Ann shares how she uses techniques such as meditation and creativity to understand and cope with even her most painful feelings so that she can discover and connect with her authentic self. 

What's up Hardcore Humans! This is the first episode of Season 3 and we are talking with four-time Grammy-nominated musician, singer, songwriter, actress and author, Jewel.  In this episode, we talk about relationships and Jewel shares how she deals with those that are disappointing and sometimes damaging. Jewel is someone who has been very open about having faced extreme hardship in her relationships. She has talked about growing up with a father who was an alcoholic and physically abusive. She has also shared how her mother stole money from Jewel and caused her to be millions of dollars in debt despite having a thriving career. During our conversation, we talk about how she copes with the feelings of loss, loneliness and anxiety that can come from toxic relationships. And Jewel talks about her secret for coping – which is that she sees this pain and anxiety not as something that is wrong with her or something to be ignored but as something that is her ally and teacher that helps her grow as she continues on her journey of living her authentic life. In the Hardcore Humanism therapy and coaching program, our goal is to empower you to pursue your purpose and lead a fulfilling and authentic life. And on the Hardcore Humanism Podcast, we talk with and learn from artists such as Jewel who share how they have overcome obstacles on their own purpose-driven journey.  ***** Hardcore Humanism Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUpInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanism

What's up Hardcore Humans! We are wrapping up Season 2 of the Hardcore Humanism Podcast with a special bonus episode where we talk with Jerry Cantrell -- founding member, musician, singer songwriter of the rock band Alice In Chains.  In Hardcore Humanism therapy and coaching we want you to apply principles of humanistic psychology to your life so you can find your purpose, work hard to achieve it, and build a community around you who will support your most authentic and purpose-driven life. And what Jerry describes in our conversation is how he has been able to find his purpose in music, work hard towards building his career, and find the community that understood, supported and shared in his vision. He explained how his love of music gave him the determination to face the anxiety of playing live music. And he kept following his purpose no matter where it took him.  One of the key goals of humanistic psychology is to help pull back the barriers that people face so that they can self-actualize and lead an authentic, purpose-driven life. And one of the things that Jerry talks about in our conversation is how much of his art can be understood as “pulling back the clutter” to discover the best song.  Similarly, in our own lives it is that place where we can work hard without necessarily pushing the process in a specific direction – but rather have faith in the process as we develop and build a purpose-driven life.  *****Hardcore Humanism Weekly Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUpInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanism

Welcome to another episode of the Hardcore Humanism Podcast. Today we are talking with a fantastic and inspiring husband wife team, Rick Allen and Lauren Monroe. Many of you know Rick as the drummer for the legendary rock band Def Leppard. Rick is also a visual artist – check out his website RickAllen.com for his upcoming showcases in collaboration with the Wentworth Gallery. And Lauren is a spiritual healer as well as an artist and musician – you can check out her new album Under The Wolf Moon at LaurenMonroe.com. And together they have formed The Raven Drum Foundation, a non-profit that helps people heal through a variety of methods, including drumming. Within the Raven Drum Foundation Rick and Lauren have launched Project Resiliency, which utilizes holistic healing approaches to a range of populations, including mothers and children who have suffered domestic violence, wounded soldiers who struggle with PTSD and cancer patients.  Now for those of you who are not aware, Rick joined Def Leppard in the late 1970's when he was 15 years old. The band then went on to huge success with their 1981 album High ‘n' Dry (1981). Then they had even more success with their classic 1983 album Pyromania, with classic songs such as “Photograph” and “Rock of Ages.” Def Leppard's infectious blend of classic rock and heavy metal put them on top of the world. There was no stopping them.  But in December of 1984, Rick was in a car accident that ultimately resulted in the amputation of his right arm. This was a devastating shock to the rock community. As a human being, I felt for Allen. As a fan, I couldn't help but wonder if I would ever hear new Def Leppard music again. But then in 1986, what seemed like a miracle occurred. Def Leppard played the Monsters of Rock Festival held at Castle Donington in England. How could this be? During our conversation, Rick described how his friend Peter Hartley created electronic pedals so that rather than playing the drums the more conventional way, with two hands and one foot, Allen could play with two feet and one hand. As soon as Allen was out of the hospital, he tried out Hartley's creation. And in 1987, Def Leppard, with Allen on drums, released Hysteria, an album that went on to sell over 20 million records worldwide. The album included hits such as “Animal,” “Love Bites,” and the monster stadium rock anthem “Pour Some Sugar On Me.” Def Leppard was back and stronger than ever. And they have gone on to be one of rock's most enduring and productive bands, releasing albums and play shows for the past 30 plus years. In 2019, Def Leppard was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And now Rick has taken his personal experience and combined it with Lauren's experience in healing and the arts to form the Raven Drum Foundation and Project Resiliency. And one of the concepts that Lauren talks about is what they called “aggressive vulnerability.” This is the idea that vulnerability is not a weakness, it is a strength. When we can embrace vulnerability, we not only can build ourselves as creative and innovative people, but also develop our empathic capacity to help others.  *****Hardcore Humanism Weekly Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUpInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanismLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hardcore-humanism

Welcome to another episode of the Hardcore Humanism Podcast. Today we are talking with musician, podcaster and activist Rain Phoenix. Rain is the founder of Launch Left – a creative space for artists which includes among other things a record label and podcast. The goal of LaunchLeft is to empower creative artists by providing them a platform and opportunity to shine. Rain is also a musician - her 2019 album River was inspired by the tragic death of her brother River Phoenix in 1993.  And that brings us to one of the topics that I talked about with Rain in our conversation – the universality of loss. Unfortunately, we all have experienced or will experience loss at some point in our lives. This loss can manifest in many different ways. It can be the loss of a loved one, the loss of job or career goal or the loss of our physical or mental health. In fact loss is such a certainty that it is crucial that we have an understanding of how to conceptualize loss and how to cope with it.  Yet, as common as loss is, it can often be something of a taboo topic. We are allowed to talk about our loss for a time. We are allowed to grieve for a time. But after that, we are expected to just move on and get over it. But that is often not how loss works. Our past is not just our past. It informs our lives as we move forward. And a loss, even if it was from decades ago, can still actively inform how we think, feel and what we do in the world. And one of the things that is so powerful about how Rain is approaching the issue of loss is that she is saying it's OK that we may struggle with loss in one form or another throughout our lives.  Rain's approach to loss and the universality of loss is part of a much larger concept that she discussed with me, which is the concept of what Rain calls “militant love.” In the Hardcore Humanism therapy and coaching program, we want you to apply principles of humanistic psychology to your life so you can find your purpose, work hard to achieve it, and build a supportive community around you who will support your most authentic and purpose-driven life. And one of the most important humanistic principles is the notion of unconditional positive regard. It's that idea that all human beings deserve to be treated with kindness, respect and dignity.  And Rain's concept of militant love takes that notion even a bit further. The term militant is often used in a negative way, implying that someone is violent. But as Rain describes it, it means that in order to really show our humanity, we need to be committed to loving ourselves and to loving others. And maybe some may view that as militant in that it's confrontational and extreme. But considering how easily we can be unloving to ourselves and others, and how confrontational and extreme we can be at times by being unkind, maybe it's OK that we get a bit more extreme and confrontational in how we love ourselves and others. And for many people, when we find our purpose in life, it is because we love something so much that we want to really put our heart and soul in it, just as Rain explains how she approaches militant love.*****Hardcore Humanism Weekly Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUpInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanismLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hardcore-humanism

This week on The Hardcore Humanism Podcast,  we are talking with Joe Mulherin, also known as nothing, nowhere. Joe recently released the album Trauma Factory, which has gotten great reviews, including a cool review from Pitchfork saying the album “glows with conviction and sometimes uncomfortable honesty.” And in October Joe hits the road with a tour of the United States, so check out shows near you. Now there are many physical and emotional health benefits to leading a purpose-driven life. And in order to understand and embrace our purpose, we need to be connected in with ourselves. We have to listen to ourselves -- what we like, what we don't like -- and how we tend to go about doing things in our life. When we can connect in with ourselves in this basic way, we then begin to understand ourselves on a deeper level and discover our purpose, and how to work towards that purpose. During our conversation, Joe talks about is how he connects in with himself. And the first and perhaps most important step we can take in connecting in with ourselves is to not be afraid of who we are – how we feel, think and do things. This may seem like it's easy – but it can be so difficult for so many of us. Many of us have been told that how we feel isn't valid, that we need to disconnect from ourselves in order to function and get what we want in the world. And so, Joe's simple resolution to connect with himself is so simple and yet so powerful. Joe talks about the fact that he has a very active and creative mind. This can be wonderful if our goal is to be a compelling songwriter and passionate performer, but it can feel scary when we are not sure if our mind will ever stop when we want it to stop. But Dr. Mike and Joe explore how important it is to still embrace and listen to that part of ourselves in order to discover our purpose in life.  One of the most powerful messages that we can draw from the conversation with Joe is that we all have something about us that we are convinced may interfere with our happiness and having the life we want. And oftentimes we will avoid whatever that part of us is at all costs in the hopes that we can overcome it by ignoring whatever it may be. But that rarely works. Even if there is something we want to manage – mental or physical illness, something about our past or fears about our future – we need to face it head on and understand it in order to fully accept and connect with ourselves as we pursue a purpose-driven life. *****Hardcore Humanism Weekly Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUpInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanismLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hardcore-humanism

What's up Hardcore Humans! This week on The Hardcore Humanism Podcast, we are talking with John Joseph. Many of you know John as the lead singer of the legendary New York Hardcore band Cro-Mags -- including their seminal hardcore album Age of Quarrel -- and more recently as the lead singer of Bloodclot! John is also an Ironman competitor and an author. In his book, Evolution of a Cro Magnon, he describes how he overcame abuse, incarceration, homelessness and addiction to build the life he wanted. John has written several other books, including The PMA Effect and his new books Unf*ck Your Health and Hardcore Kitchen.  And John has recently started his own coaching business where he focuses on the concept of discipline. In our conversation, John explains how with everything he has been through, he never stops grinding. One of the biggest risks we face when we experience mental or physical illness or extreme stressors like John has faced is that we stop moving forward because it is so difficult to just keep going. Many of us naturally take an all-or-none mentality that if we can't do things fully to the best of our abilities, it's a waste of time to do anything. And sometimes when we are at our lowest, we can try to think through even basic routines to connect to ourselves and to develop and maintain our discipline. And we have to give ourselves credit for just doing what we need to survive, before we can think of thriving. Later, when we are not undergoing so much stress, we can build on that discipline to work further towards our purpose. The other point that John made was that he always sought out mentors – people to whom he looked for guidance to build his life. And even if we don't have direct access to mentors, we can look to others that we see in the world as inspirations to help us work towards our goals. *****Hardcore Humanism Weekly Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUpInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanismLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hardcore-humanism

What's up Hardcore Humans! This week on The Hardcore Humanism Podcast we are talking with musician, singer and songwriter Amy Lee of Evanescence. Many of you know Evanescence for their powerful songs such as “My Immortal,” “Going Under,” and of course my favorite “Bring Me To Life.” Now one of the things that I've always enjoyed about Amy's music in Evanescence is how she has written about and explored darkness in her music. She's tackled difficult themes such as death, addiction and depression but she always seems to have one foot in the light. There is a striving, a hope for, as Rolling Stone put it, redemption. And many people feel that in order to have light in our lives – to feel happy, fulfilled and connected, we need to crush the darkness. But sometimes when the world doesn't feel good to us, we need to be able to experience darker emotions like fear, anger and sadness to accurately reflect our authentic reality. If we ignore our darkness, we risk avoiding and suppressing our feelings. And since we wouldn't be coping with our feelings in a more direct way, we would actually become more anxious, more depressed and more likely to turn to unhealthy substances as we struggle with how we feel. And we wind up feeling disconnected from our true and authentic selves because we tried to avoid or suppress our darkness.But at the same time, just as we don't want to fear darkness, we want to be open to embracing the light. Even if things aren't going how we want in our lives, it is critical that we allow ourselves to be in touch with the light – the happiness, the connection to others, the feelings of accomplishment – that we may feel as we pursue the life we want. This gives us hope, something to strive for – a reason to cope with the darkness. And we need that dynamic relation between light and dark in our lives to keep us moving forward.In our conversation, Amy talks about the importance of exploring darkness, particularly in her music. And one of the issues we particularly talk about is the concept of grief. Amy talks about her sense of spirituality and how it guides her in her exploration of darkness and using her music to find meaning. One of the most important things that we can do to lead a fulfilling and authentic life is to not be afraid of darker emotions or difficult times. As we pursue our purpose, these times will come and these feelings will emerge. If we are truly pushing ourselves to build an actualized and authentic life, there have to be tough times. But our goal is to learn from them as we pursue our purpose, rather than see them as signs of defeat. When we face difficult times like loss, it is critical that we learn how to embrace the darkness while also having an eye on finding the light. Leading a purpose-driven life means pushing ourselves in ways that may not always work out. And we have to embrace all aspects of our experience to become our authentic self.*****Hardcore Humanism Weekly Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUpInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanismLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hardcore-humanism

Today on The Hardcore Humanism Podcast we are talking with the musician, singer-songwriter, entrepreneur and philanthropist Linda Perry. Now, many of you know Linda as the leader of the band Four Non-Blondes and their big hit “What's Up.” And for years, Linda has also been a prolific songwriter for other artists, writing hit songs like “Get The Party Started,” which was performed by Pink and “Beautiful” performed by Christina Aguilera. Linda has been such an accomplished songwriter that in 2015 she was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Most recently, Linda has partnered with the Repost by SoundCloud marketing and distribution platform to develop independent artists. And she just helped curate the Rock and Relief concert series to raise money for CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort), a non-profit organization dedicated to crisis response, including providing access to COVID vaccines and testing during the pandemic.Over the years, as I heard about everything Linda is doing, the word that always came to my mind was empowerment. It was always so impressive to recognize that she just kept working and in so many different ways, on so many different levels. And in the Hardcore Humanism therapy and coaching program, our goal is to empower you to find your purpose, and work hard to achieve that purpose so that you can lead a fulfilling and authentic life. And when I hear about someone like Linda, I think, that's exactly the type of person we want on The Hardcore Humanism Podcast, so we can learn some of the nuances of how someone like Linda is able to be so consistently be productive and purpose-driven over the course of decades in her career.There's so much that we can take away from the conversation with Linda, but there are three major things I wanted to highlight. The first is that Linda describes how regardless of whatever barrier she faces, she is determined to keep going. And this is so important when we are pursuing a purpose-driven life. The results we want may or may not always happen, but we have to keep putting in the effort to give ourselves the best chance to achieve our goals. Second, we talk about how even though Linda is a hard charger, and really kicks ass in her career, she tries not to lose sight of one of the most important things that drives an artist and philanthropist, which is empathy.  And so, we hope that as people become the Hardcore Humans they want to be, they are understanding and empathic rather than critical and judgmental of others wherever they are on their journey.And finally, and perhaps relatedly, Linda talks about one of the unfortunate downsides of being a driven and high achieving person. As we push ourselves to succeed, we can run the risk of that enthusiasm and drive turning into self-criticism and despair if we don't achieve our goals. But we hope that just as you are understanding and empathic with others, you are similarly gentle and kind with yourself as you pursue your life goals.*****Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUpInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanismLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hardcore-humanism

This week on The Hardcore Humanism Podcast, we are talking with the man, the myth, the legend, George Clinton of Parliament Funkadelic. It is hard to overstate Clinton's influence on music. With a music and stage show so innovative and with an impact on so many genres -- everything from Hip Hop to funk to psychedelic and rock music - it's easy to see why they were given the 2019 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition to Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic keeping the funk rolling by playing shows this summer and fall, Clinton is also an accomplished visual artist, including his recent work “Lockdown Series 01.”I was absolutely thrilled to get a chance to talk with him about how he has approached his life and his career. Naturally, I was curious to try and understand the creative mindset of someone who has had, and continues to have such a prolific artistic career. And one of the main things that George and I talk about is the concept of obsession. Unfortunately, there has generally been a negative connotation to the term obsession. It's seen as a mental health problem – where you can't get unwanted thoughts out of your mind. And for many people, especially people who suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder, this type of obsession can be painful and interfere with our leading a healthy and fulfilling life.But the term “obsession” can actually refer to a very invigorating and energizing process by which one is consumed by their purpose. This type of obsession feels like as Clinton describes it, when people are “in the zone” or what has been described as “flow.” It's more like a life affirming drive in which there is something that is so important to us that we throw ourselves into it, and continue to work to make progress – whether it's our work, art, music, a sport or family and friends. And if we embrace this form of obsession, it can help achieve our life goals as we embrace our authentic selves.During our conversation, Clinton talks about his obsession with phenomena and the concept of phenomena – remarkable cultural events that go beyond momentary popularity or interest. These are things that seem to transcend and drive our culture and society forward. And it was fascinating to hear Clinton describe his obsession with phenomena since he then went on to create a phenomenon in Parliament Funkadelic that is still contributing to the development and evolution of our culture. And we talk about a concept that I feel is particularly important now: the notion of One Nation Under A Groove – which is one of Parliament's album titles. It's that vibe that he describes as connecting to the mothership, where we are all invited into the artist's obsession and can get that good feeling together, if only for a moment.  We can learn so much from George about how we can connect with our own mothership or obsession, be in the zone and live a purpose-driven life.*****Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUpInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanismLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hardcore-humanism

What's up Hardcore Humans! This week on The Hardcore Humanism Podcast we are talking with musician, singer songwriter Tim Booth of the band James. James has a new album out now called All The Colours of You. And one of the themes addressed in this album is how we understand and cope with existential angst or fear of death. And this fear can be such a powerful force in people's lives, to the point where it's overwhelming. In the worst cases it can cause us to worry constantly, panic and even fall into depression as we struggle with the concept of death. During our conversation, Booth talks about this issue in a couple of ways. First, he talks about managing existential angst in terms of pursuing his music. And one of the things Tim describes is the importance of improvisation and getting into a state of flow as he and his band create new music and perform. Tim also discusses how he has spent a great deal of his life exploring different methods of coping with feelings like anxiety or depression that may emerge from existential angst. Tim shares his experiences using therapy, meditation, dance and psychedelic drugs under the guidance of a shaman as ways of exploring his emotions and beliefs in his ongoing process of evolving and growing. One of the most important takeaways that we can have in our own exploration of a fear of death is that there are many possible ways that we can cope. There are medications, therapies, thoughts and behaviors that all may play a role in our unique exploration and management of our fear. And this can be an ongoing process in our life as we pursue our purpose. The key is to be open-minded to different options and see which approach works best for each of us, and which makes us feel that we are living our best and most authentic life. *****Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUpInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanismLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hardcore-humanism 

This week on The Hardcore Humanism Podcast we are talking with musician, singer and songwriter Tim McIlrath of the punk rock band Rise Against. Rise Against is known for being very outspoken on a range of social justice issues such as animal rights and environmentalism. One of the themes of their new album Nowhere Generation is the disparities that exist in our society.  There are intense disparities that exist in this world for people based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religion and economic resources. So not everyone gets the same access to education, health care, jobs, healthy food and clean air among other things. One of the core principles of humanism and humanistic psychology is that all people have value, and it is our job as individuals and as a society to help people realize their potential in life. So these disparities that exist run counter to what we hope for in a humanistic society. And then the question is when we face these types of disparities – and we see that there are systems in place that interfere with our ability and the ability of others to achieve purpose in life, what do we do?McIlrath talks about addressing the issue of disparity on two fronts. The first is the concept of agency – empowering people to find their purpose in life and work to achieve it no matter what obstacles they face. This is a very core tenet of punk rock – the idea that our ideas, hopes and dreams matter, even if we are marginalized in some way. And the second front McIlrath talks about is taking on the system – identifying and challenging the structures that exist that interfere with people having equal opportunity to live the lives they want. And what’s particularly important is that we can do both. We can work both to find the agency to build the life we want and to change the system and structures that hold people back. And these concepts that McIlrath discusses are so very much in line with core humanistic principles – that everyone has value. And it is our goal as individuals to work towards our purpose in life and to help others do the same.*****Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUpInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanismLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hardcore-humanism

Today we are talking with Grammy Award winning musician, singer and songwriter Shawn Colvin. You may know Shawn from some of her hit songs such as “Sunny Came Home.” And Shawn has a new live album out called Dragon Clouds, a recording of a 1994 Los Angeles show. Shawn will also be touring in 2022 to mark the 30th anniversary of her debut album Steady On.Now on a personal note, it was wonderful to get the chance to talk with Shawn again. Shawn was actually one of the first artists I ever interviewed for Psychology Today who was open about her struggles with mental health. The first time we spoke was back in 2014 where Shawn shared her struggle with depression and alcoholism. What was so striking was Shawn’s openness about how depression interfered with her engaging in basic life functioning. Just getting up in the morning could be an all day task if it ever happened at all. And the feedback I got on the interview was so powerful. People talked about how the stigma of mental illness had held them back from sharing their mental health issues with others, in some cases so much so that people didn’t get treatment for their depression and addiction. And Shawn’s sharing her story gave people hope that they could reach out and get the help and support they needed. And that feedback was ultimately one of the reasons my wife Aylin and I decided to eventually launch The Hardcore Humanism Podcast. We saw the power of someone like Shawn to not only change people’s lives through their music, but also through sharing personal stories of how they overcame barriers such as depression and addiction to pursue their authentic lives.A core goal of humanistic approaches to therapy is to help people remove barriers in their lives so that they can self-actualize. And one of the barriers that many people face in pursuing and achieving their best, actualized selves is mental illness.  In our conversation today we talk in depth with Shawn about how depression and alcoholism interfered with a central core feature of her purpose in life, which is to be a creative artist. And Shawn talks specifically about the regimen that she uses for her ongoing recovery from both depression and alcoholism. *****Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUpInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanismLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hardcore-humanism

This week on The Hardcore Humanism Podcast we have Grammy Award winning musician, singer, songwriter and producer Paula Cole. You may know Paula from some of her greatest hits such as “Where Have All The Cowboys Gone” and “I Don’t Want To Wait.” And Paula has a new album out May 21st called American Quilt that you can preorder now.One of the most important principles of humanistic psychology is the fundamental value of human beings and the hope that they will self-actualize, meaning that they find their authentic purpose and achieve it. And one of the most important things that we try to do as humanistic therapists is to remove the barriers that interfere with someone finding their authentic self. And unfortunately, a very powerful force that interferes with people pursuing their purpose in life is stereotyping. Over the course of her career and life, Cole has consistently written and spoken out about the harmful effects of sexism in our society. And in our conversation, Cole talks in particular about how sexism has interfered with her ability to find her authentic voice both personally and professionally. Cole explained how she understands and confronts this bias. And one of the things that was really interesting to hear about was what Paula refers to as her “jazz self.” And that is something that is a deep and enduring yearning to be improvisational. It is a drive to explore new forms of expression and ways of looking at the world. It’s the exact opposite of the limits that stereotypes and bias have put on her. And if we can take a cue from our favorite artists like Cole and think about how we can be open-minded and creative in our own life, we can challenge the biases that others have for us as we shatter barriers and pursue our purpose in life.*****Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUpInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanismLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hardcore-humanism

This week on The Hardcore Humanism Podcast we are talking with musician, vocalist and songwriter Myles Kennedy. You may know Myles best as the lead vocalist and guitarist for the hard rock band Alter Bridge, as well as the vocalist on all of guitar legend Slash’s solo records. And now Myles has his own solo album out on May 14th called The Ides of March.One path to leading a healthy and happy life is the ability to identify and pursue our purpose. And ideally, a purpose-driven life can be fulfilling in and of itself, even if we don’t achieve all of our tangible goals. The fulfillment and satisfaction come from having a purpose and putting a process into place to strive for it so that we can live a life that is authentic to us.That being said, we are still human beings and if we have a specific goal in mind, it can be frustrating if we don’t see results immediately. In fact, one of the biggest barriers to achieving our purpose in life is when we assume that it should take a specific amount of time, or happen in a certain way. But oftentimes it can take years, or even an entire lifetime to achieve our specific goals. And we need to accept that while our effort to pursue our purpose must remain strong and consistent, the attainment of a specific goal may take longer than we’d expected or hoped.Which brings us to Myles Kennedy. What was interesting about my conversation with Myles is that he exudes rock star – he’s a handsome guy, has a fantastic voice and is a great guitar player. So, to be honest I naturally assumed that things worked out for him kind of quickly. But in our conversation, Myles explained how it took him years to build a career in music. And during that time, he often questioned whether things would work out for him as he had hoped professionally.But Myles talks about how he was able to work through his self-doubt to pursue his purpose in music -- a really interesting and exciting concept that he calls “soul investing.” And what Myles is talking about is the perseverance that we need when we pursue our purpose – that investment we make in our authentic self over time. And this is not easy, as the tangible rewards don’t come immediately. But we have to constantly be asking ourselves as Myles did, “How badly do we want it?” And that soul investment will not only make it more likely that we will achieve our purpose-driven goals, but also give is a feeling of fulfillment no matter what the outcome.*****Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUpInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanismLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hardcore-humanism

Today on The Hardcore Humanism Podcast, we are talking with musician, vocalist and songwriter Nancy Wilson - founding member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted band Heart. Heart gave us such amazing songs as “Magic Man,” “Barracuda,” “Crazy On You,” “Never,” “Alone” and “These Dreams.” And now Nancy is coming out with her first solo album titled You And Me.The title track on the album, “You and Me,” is Nancy’s tribute to her late mother, Lois, who struggled with Alzheimer’s. During our conversation, Nancy recalled her family's wartime experiences and drew similarities between this past year with the pandemic and life during a war. She spoke with great admiration and love for her mother. In one story, she shares how her mother took Nancy, at age 2, and her siblings, both 4 years old, on a ship to Taiwan where her father was stationed as a Marine. She described how the ship had no rails and this became a metaphor for Nancy in understanding the strength of her mother and the safety she always provided. One of the most difficult things about life is that at times it feels like there are no rails. And when we feel that vulnerability, we often turn to people we love to provide that comfort and security as they help us pursue our purpose in life. A core principle of humanistic psychology is that to find fulfillment we must seek to self-actualize or become the best version of ourselves as we pursue our purpose. Albert Maslow hypothesized that in order to reach self-actualization, we must first satisfy our “love and belonging” needs. Ironically, as we build connections to gain that sense of love and belonging, we must also simultaneously risk losing them whether through breakup, distance or death. However, in this album, Nancy shares with us how her relationship with her mother is still something that comforts her and drives her in her life, music and purpose. During our conversation, Nancy describes how she still feels her mother’s presence in her life. She talks about how a loved one’s energy never stops and is not gone, but rather continues like “ripples on the water.” And those ripples reverberate throughout time and our lives, still providing us that comfort in a life with no rails.*****Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUpInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanismLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hardcore-humanism

Today on The Hardcore Humanism Podcast, we are talking with Adam Weiner – vocalist, musician and songwriter for the band Low Cut Connie. During quarantine, Adam and Low Cut Connie have been live streaming a show called Tough Cookies, a combination of a talk show, concert series and support group for people during the pandemic. And the show has been so successful and had so many great performances that they are putting out an album of the cover songs they performed during the broadcast called Tough Cookies: The Best of the Quarantine Broadcasts. The album will arrive May 19th, and is available to preorder digitally and on CD and vinyl.One of the reasons that Low Cut Connie’s music so compelling is that Weiner will often write songs about or from the perspective of people who have been marginalized or “forgotten” in our society. Weiner points out in our discussion that much of our society seems to glorify celebrity, wealth or mainstream social status at the expense of people who do not fit into one of those exalted categories. And this process emerges at a very young age, where it feels as though the world is made up of “cool” kids and not so cool kids. The cool kids get rewarded with popularity and having the attention and admiration of other kids and maybe even teachers and parents. They get the benefit of the doubt if they do something wrong. And there’s a sense, either implicitly or even explicitly that we should all try to be one of the cool kids, or at least participate in the admiration.One of the key goals humanistic psychotherapy is to provide people who may feel marginalized with the unconditional positive regard that they need in order to push back against those societal pressures. And by pushing back, people can often come to understand who they really are and what they want to do in their life. One of the biggest barriers that we face is trying to be authentic in the face of so many pressures to be otherwise.And what Adam talks about was how he recognized that he didn’t want to conform and be cool in that sense of the word. And when choosing his friends, he gravitated towards people who were more on the fringes. As Adam got older, he was able to dig deeper into the ways that he felt uncool and marginalized. He not only expressed this in his art and performances, but he also found a community of likeminded people who similarly rejected conventional notions of cool in favor of more individuality and authenticity. And Adam’s lesson is crucial for anyone who has felt marginalized, stigmatized or "uncool."*****Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUpInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanismLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hardcore-humanism

This week on The Hardcore Humanism Podcast  we are talking with Marc Labelle, vocalist of the hard rock band Dirty Honey. In 2019, Dirty Honey became the first unsigned band ever to be #1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart with their song “When I’m Gone.” In our discussion, Labelle talks very specifically about his purpose and what has guided a lot of his decision making, which is a passion for music. There is mounting evidence that people who have a strong sense of purpose experience improved physical and emotional health. A strong sense of purpose can also be the key to self-actualization – or the complete realization of one’s potential -- a concept that humanistic theorists such as Albert Maslow feel represent the essence of thriving as a human being. Thus, understanding how we can discover and nurture a strong sense of purpose may be an important pathway towards optimal health and well-being.Labelle shares the story of how he went to California with no job, no home, and no band to pursue his passion for music. And for a long period of time, he lived in his car or on friends’ porches to get by. During this time, he was able to build a schedule that reflected his needs not just to survive but also to pursue his music career, including songwriting, band practice and playing shows. What makes Labelle’s and Dirty Honey’s accomplishments thus far even more impressive is that they are doing everything without a record label, which means that he and his band are engaged in a great deal of the business of the band that is often handled by a record label. They are an independent band that is building from the ground up – and having great success so far.And all the while, what guides Labelle’s decisions – including who he wants in his band and as supportive people around him -- is a passion for music. That is the glue for him. He needs to be in a band with and surrounded by people who support that passion he feels and his purpose in music. And when we have that purpose – that commitment to something that feels bigger than ourselves – it can help us overcome adversity whether living in our car or trying to become rock stars as an independent band.*****Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUpInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanismLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hardcore-humanism

This week on The Hardcore Humanism Podcast, we talk with musician, vocalist and songwriter William Duvall. Many people know Duvall as a member of the legendary rock band Alice in Chains. Duvall has been in the band for over a decade, during which time they put out albums such as Black Gives Way To Blue, The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here, and Rainier Fog. But before he joined Alice In Chains, Duvall was in several previous bands, including being a founding member of the Atlanta hardcore punk rock band Neon Christ. And Duvall has just revealed that Neon Christ is reissuing a deluxe release of the band’s material from 1984 – a co-release between Southern Lord and DVL Recordings to celebrate Record Store Day (June 12th).This deluxe release was a wonderful opportunity for Duvall to share the story of how Neon Christ was formed and the obstacles he, his friends and band mates faced to realize their dream. And one of the most notable features of that story was the sheer determination that Duvall and Neon Christ showed in order to achieve their goals. The term “determination” can be defined as being resolved to carry out one’s purpose in life. Research suggests that people who have a stronger sense of purpose have increased longevity and healthier behaviors as well as increased work productivity and improved emotional coping. TDuvall pursued his hardcore punk purpose with Neon Christ in 1980’s Atlanta Georgia when there was barely any kind of punk rock scene. Duvall discovered his need to express himself authentically. And despite having no initial support, Duvall shares how he pursued this purpose through a singular focus on working hard to form Neon Christ and build a broad community of like-minded people. And while Duvall is now a full-fledged rock star in a legendary band, achieving both commercial and critical success, one of the most notable things about his journey with Neon Christ was how he dedicated himself to his purpose before having any sense that it would be “successful” in the conventional sense. We may not all become big-time rock stars. But if we pursue our passion, work hard to achieve it and build a supportive community around us, we can find excitement and fulfillment like we heard from Duvall.*****Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUpInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanismLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hardcore-humanism

What’s up Hardcore Humans! Today on the Hardcore Humanism Podcast we are talking with Sean Long – guitarist and founding member of the metalcore band While She Sleeps. Metalcore is an intense genre of music that combines heavy metal and hardcore punk. While She Sleeps has been making fantastic metalcore music for 15 years, and they have a new album coming out called Sleeps Society. The album includes the track, “You Are All You Need,” a song that Loudwire just raved, “is more proof that While She Sleeps are defining the current era of metalcore.”The theme of the song “You Are All You Need” and the topic of the conversation with Long is validation. Specifically, how we can provide ourselves with the validation we need in our life rather than rely on other people to provide that validation. When we feel validated we feel more centered and sure of how we feel and who we are. Emotional validation becomes a strong basis upon which to build a sense of purpose and work for the life we want. But if we do not receive the validation we need, over time we start to doubt our sense of our own reality, become disconnected from who we are and our purpose in life. In extreme cases it gets to the point where we feel nullified – like we don’t matter as human beings.During my conversation with Long, we explore the dangers of relying on external validation. And he shares the story of one of their shows where the attendance was far less than expected or hoped for. He was able to validate his feeling of being disappointed. It’s natural as you’re building your career in music to want as many people as possible at a show. And by validating his feelings, Long talked about how he was able to then connect to his music in that moment and just concentrate on playing the best show he could, regardless of how many people were there. So, take the external validation when it comes – allow yourself to feel good about it. And always do your best to build a community to support you. And always remember that your emotions and purpose are your own – it can neither be fully validated by others, nor can it ever be taken away. Connect with yourself, your purpose, and how you want to work hard to build the life you want no matter who is in your corner at a given point. And give yourself that internal validation you need to build the life you want.So, let’s check out what Long has to say!*****Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUpInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanismLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hardcore-humanism

What’s up Hardcore Humans! Today on The Hardcore Humanism Podcast we talk with Hip Hop artist Hopsin. As an artist he has written, performed, and produced many singles, mixtapes and albums, including the “Ill Mind of Hopsin” song and video series. Hopsin is also the founder of the record label and merch line Undercover Prodigy. During this conversation, we talk with Hopsin about how he charted his own path to becoming an independent artist and entrepreneur.And specifically, we talk with Hopsin about how he needed to be an independent thinker in order to find his unique path to pursuing his professional goals. Unfortunately, sometimes having an independent mind isn’t necessarily easy or comfortable. Often, people who are independent and divergent thinkers – whether they are innovative in art, science or business – are discouraged from their path because it clashes with familial expectation or norms in a society. Unfortunately, many of us succumb to this pressure and do in fact become discouraged from pursuing our purpose in life.During our conversation, Hopsin focuses on how he was able to chart his own path by being artistically creative and innovative in his business model. In order to do so, Hopsin had to do something which is often very difficult – keep focused on his sense of purpose – which was to make great music and reach his fans, rather than on only achieving an intermediate step such as being signed to a major label. And as Hopsin was developing his music and stage performance, he was also examining which business models worked best to connect with his fans. Ultimately, Hopsin decided to create his own independent label – Undercover Prodigy – to serve as the vehicle for sharing his music and developing his other entrepreneurial ventures. Further, Hopsin explained how he was able to build a business culture around him that supported rather than hindered his professional goals. Whatever our career and personal paths may be, musician or not, we can learn lessons from Hopsin’s experiences that we can apply to charting our own unique life course.*****Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUpInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanismLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hardcore-humanism

This week on The Hardcore Humanism Podcast we talked with Neil Fallon – founding member, vocalist and songwriter of the legendary rock band Clutch. In a review of Clutch’s album Book of Bad Decisions (2018), Rolling Stone describes Clutch’s music as “bluesy, riff-centric hard rock with hints of psychedelia and punk, topped off by the gravelly roar of wildly charismatic front man Neil Fallon.” And yet as compelling as Clutch’s music is, one of the most striking qualities of the band is that Clutch has not only retained the same band members for thirty years, but they have also built one of the most passionate and devoted fan bases in rock music. When people talk about Clutch it goes way beyond music they love. They talk about Clutch as the soundtrack of their lives – and remember some of the most important moments in their lives as they relate to Clutch albums and shows. Even for those of us who are not in a band, there’s a lot to be learned from Fallon and Clutch about how to build a supportive community around us. Because one of the most important things that we can all do in our quest to develop a fulfilling and purpose-driven life is to build a culture around us that supports our hopes, our dreams – our vision of who we are and what we want to achieve. Hardcore Humanism therapy and coaching has its foundation in Humanistic psychology. And humanistic psychologists such as Albert Maslow have posited that in order to lead a self-actualized life, we must build strong social connections. And decades of research supports the notion that having a strong social support network predicts improved physical and mental health. And yet while we have ample evidence that a strong support network improves our health and well-being, most of us aren’t sure of how to go about building a community around us that is optimal for our needs. And while Fallon acknowledges that he and the band did not consciously orchestrate the connection the band has with its fans, he was able to retrospectively point to some possible factors that contributed to their unique and loyal relationship. We hope that as you check out what Fallon has to say, you can apply lessons from his life to yours and learn to build strong, supportive social networks that will help you achieve your own life’s purpose!*****Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUpInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanismLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hardcore-humanism

What’s up Hardcore Humans! This week on The Hardcore Humanism Podcast I was thrilled to talk with Jacoby Shaddix – founding member, vocalist and songwriter of the band Papa Roach. Papa Roach has been making great music for over 25 years and have sold over 30 million albums. Papa Roach’s music has been classified as “nu metal” – a sub genre of heavy metal music that combines metal with other genres, including Hip Hop, Emo and Alternative Rock. Not only is Papa Roach considered one of the best nu metal bands of all time, but also their album Infest (2000) is considered one of the greatest nu metal albums of all time, and their song “Last Resort” is considered one of the greatest nu metal songs of all time. Pap Roach is celebrating their career with their greatest hits album Greatest Hits Volume 2 – the Better Noise Years.One of the core goals of humanistic approaches to psychotherapy is to provide a safe space for an individual to identify the various internal and external forces that interfere with their ability to self-actualize and live an authentic and purpose-driven life. Oftentimes, one such force is the negative judgment that we put on ourselves and that others put on us as we struggle. When we are self-critical, we judge ourselves with harsh negative thoughts that are demeaning rather than supportive. Predictably, this self-criticism can be harmful, in part because people who are self-critical may not feel they deserve the care they need to treat their mental illness. Shaddix has been a strong and consistent mental health advocate, challenging the stigma of mental illness and supporting compassionate and kind treatment for people. And in our discussion, he explains his long history of struggling with depression and substance dependence, as well as the harsh self-criticism he engaged in that worsened his condition. Shaddix then also explained an alternative approach that he has been using where he engaged in more acceptance and forgiveness rather than harsh judgment and self-criticism. As we struggle to break through barriers on our purpose-driven path, we need to be respectful of ourselves and make sure we don’t lose sight of how difficult that struggle can be. This is what humanistic psychologists referred to as unconditional positive regard – whereby we don’t think of people as less human or less worthy of respect and support during difficult times.Once Shaddix was able to approach his depression and addiction with kindness rather than judgment and criticism, he was able to then take the next action steps that he needed to take care of himself during this tough time. This includes being open and honest with his bandmates, letting them know he needed some time to take care of himself. And he committed to a self-care routine that included prayer, reading, writing and meditation to help him stabilize.*****Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUpInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanismLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hardcore-humanism/

Today we are thrilled to be talking with Alan Robert, whom many of you know as the bassist/songwriter for the heavy metal band Life of Agony. And a few years back, Rolling Stone rated Life Of Agony’s River Runs Red album one of the greatest heavy metal albums of all time, which I appreciated as the song River Runs Red is one of my favorite songs of all time. And Alan is also the creator of the best selling coloring book series The Beauty of Horror and just announced the newest edition of the series, The Beauty of Horror 5: Haunt of Fame. Now at Hardcore Humanism, our goal is to help you apply some of the core principles of humanistic psychology so that you can break free from the conventions and expectations that others may put on you, or that you may put on yourself, find your purpose in life and work hard to achieve it. Alan has dedicated himself professionally to a lifetime of artistic expression and has had great success in different mediums. But one of the themes that cuts across much of Alan’s work is the exploration and embrace of horror. And so I wanted to talk with Alan about the psychology of horror as a genre and theme. And one of the reasons this concept is so important to Hardcore Humanism is because horror, whether in art, music, or film, is often dismissed as frightening, harmful and ultimately damaging, because it explores terrifying themes. And thus people who enjoy this art form are often stigmatized as somehow being damaged or dangerous. But for fans of horror, it is in fact the extreme nature of the art that ultimately can be a safe and healthy form of emotional validation, exploration and expression. And Alan’s ability to bring the energy and thematic content of horror into a very new medium – coloring books – gives perhaps an entirely new population an opportunity to safely understand and experience challenging emotions, while also challenging the stigma that horror and horror fans sometimes carry. *****Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUpInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanismLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hardcore-humanism/

This week we welcome singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and visual artist, Mod Sun to the Hardcore Humanism Podcast. Mod has a new solo album out called Internet Killed The Rockstar which can be preordered now and is set to release February 12, 2021.Now as a child of the 80’s, when I heard about Mod’s album, I immediately harkened back to my youth and watching the first video ever to appear on MTV - The Buggles song “Video Killed The Radio Star.” And what was so compelling about that song was that it was signaling to the world that there was a new era of how we think about and relate to music and our rock stars. Specifically, through the use of visual imagery and story-telling, musicians were now able to think of and present themselves in a more complex, multi-dimensional way. And this was another step in the ongoing evolution of how artists related to the world.And it was that same revolutionary spirit that drove the conversation Mod and I had, where he talked about how his own artistic path involves deconstructing and reconfiguring the definition of what it means to be a rock star. Specifically, Mod explained how the predominant definition of what it means to be a true “artist” was to push oneself – physically, emotionally – to the very edge in order to explore the outer limits of one’s creativity. As Mod points out, this lifestyle would often be done at the expense of one’s health and well-being, including drug use and working for days on end with little sleep. But Mod then went on to described expanding the concept of what it means to be a “rock star” to one where health and creativity are not at odds but are rather synergistic in building a sustainable and productive artistic career. Now at Hardcore Humanism, we try to apply the principles of humanistic psychology to help people find their purpose and work hard to achieve it. And one way of understanding Mod’s path is to consider it in the context of a theory of one of the founders of humanistic psychology – Albert Maslow. Maslow’s motivational theory called the “hierarchy of needs” often depicted as hierarchical levels within a pyramid. From the bottom of the hierarchy upwards, the needs are: physiological (food and clothing), safety (job security), love and belonging needs (friendship), esteem, and self-actualization. Needs lower down in the hierarchy must be satisfied before individuals can attend to needs higher up. Often, artists will bypass “safety” needs such as health and well-being in the pursuit of creativity. And consistent with Maslow’s theory, what Mod is saying is that for him, true self-actualization cannot be attained without first taking care of his safety needs through sobriety, sleep and exercise, as he simultaneously pursues his creative path. And just as there are many ways to be a rock star, there are many ways to be a spouse, parent, friend, family member, artist, entrepreneur, athlete or worker. Whatever your authentic path is, don’t let the expectations of others or the limits you may put on yourself dictate who you can be. *****Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUpInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanismLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hardcore-humanism/

What’s up Hardcore Humans! In this episode, we are thrilled to be talking with John Carter Cash. John is music royalty – the only child of the legendary Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. John himself has worked for years as a music producer and has his own band, The Cash Collective, which recently put out a new album in 2020 called Hey Crow! Now for many of us, one of the first places from which we draw a sense of who we are as people is from our family. There are many ways that our family may influence how we see ourselves. That is because as we are figuring out who we are in the world. We are also figuring out who they are, how we feel about them and how they feel about us. Often, we feel that our parents represent a framework for understanding our own lives. And this framework can be constructive as our parents create the context for us to learn about ourselves, grow and thrive. But our parents can also be the first place where we feel that there are barriers in our life as they may have different ideas about who we should be and how we should live our life. As an example, a discrepancy between how we want to live our lives and what our parents want for us may manifest in criticism or even hostility. These processes can be very damaging and even leave us at risk for relapse if we struggle with mental illness. And so, it’s often a balance to figure out how to appreciate, learn from and emulate our parents while also recognizing the ways that we want to live our lives that may be different from their expectations. Now this process can be complicated enough under more conventional circumstances. But when your parents are music legends it can become confusing as to how you see yourself in the world when they are such a huge part of it. And so, I was curious as to how this process played out for someone like John in his personal development as he explored and carved out his own identity. One of the interesting insights that emerged from the conversation with John was how he feels that his parents helped him balance having humility while striving for success. There has been increasing interest in the role of humility as a construct that is associated with improved well-being. As an example, one nationwide survey of 3010 participants suggested that humility serves as a buffer – protecting us in part against the negative effects of stress on well-being. Now in developing our own identity and sense of purpose, many of us feel like we have to make a choice – be humble and limited in our ambitions or be somewhat arrogant – even if just privately -- and want to take over the world. And John really talks about another option, where one can continue to remain humble and grounded while having aspirations to do great things. In some ways that’s one of the best ways we can connect with ourselves – stay grounded in who we are while at the same time have an eye on using that very humility as an engine for striving to better ourselves and our lives. *****Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUpInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanismLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hardcore-humanism/

This week on The Hardcore Humanism Podcast, we talk with Jake Luhrs, vocalist of the band August Burns Red. August Burns Red has a new album out called Guardians. In their review of the album, Kerrang! raves, “An explosion of airtight technicality gouged with deceptively infectious grooves … every moment maintains a pulse-pounding high. And they just dropped a brand-new video for the song “Standing in the Storm” which Loudwire called “hard hitting but heartfelt.”In addition to his music, Luhrs has launched YourLife Gym. It’s the first I’ve ever heard of this concept, which is a gym that focuses on both physical and mental health. So, in addition to the equipment, classes and trainers found in traditional gyms that focus on physical fitness, there are classes and trainers that focus on mental health including mindfulness classes and mental health coaching sessions. This is a really exciting innovation because we know that exercise is effective in helping to improve both physical and mental health. But we may be missing more of an opportunity to improve one’s well-being by not giving people who come to a gym the opportunity to work out their mind as well as their body. There is so much to take away from the conversation with Luhrs. One of the main issues that Jake discusses is that struggling with a mental health issue such as depression can spark a spiritual crisis. We can lose faith in everything – in ourselves, our friends, our family, the world around us and our higher power because nothing feels right and we have no hope that it ever will get better. And we lose faith in a world that could allow us to be in such severe emotional pain. As an example, one study of 122 participants from a sample of adult patients in an urban primary care clinic found that lower levels of spirituality such as belief in a higher power and importance of prayer were associated with higher levels of depression. And it was really inspiring how with all of the stressors that Jake faced in his life, he never gave up trying to find his path to spirituality and purpose. He looked to music and his faith in a higher power and these helped him during his dark times. And he’s now living out that purpose with the YourLife gym where he helps people who also may be struggling. Jake’s path is consistent with a growing focus on the potential benefits of adding spiritual components to more conventional treatments for depression.A practical takeaway from Luhrs’ story is that sometimes when we feel that we are consumed by darkness, a way to let in a little light is to do one tangible kind thing for ourselves. Maybe talk with a trusted friend about our struggles, listen to music that helps us feel better or take up exercise to strengthen our body and boost our mood. And we can also look outside ourselves to be kind and helpful to others. That kindness may be what gets us through and what keeps our faith in ourselves and humanity. *****Sign up for the Hardcore Humanism Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUpFollow Hardcore Humanism: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanismLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hardcore-humanism/

Dr. Mike talks with Heidi Shepherd and Carla Harvey of Butcher Babies about how they overcame marginalization in the form of sexism and racism. They also discuss overcoming the judgments of others about who they were and who they should be. Check out their new song, “Sleeping with the Enemy,” to be included in their fourth studio album scheduled for release in early 2021.*****Sign up for the Hardcore Humanism Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUpFollow Hardcore Humanism: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanismLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hardcore-humanism/

Dr. Mike talks with Dennis DeYoung, solo artist and former front man of the progressive rock band Styx. Dennis recently released a new album 26 East Volume 1, and pandemic permitting will be touring to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the classic Styx album The Grand Illusion. Dennis talked about the hard realities of becoming a professional musician, how he was driven by a fear of failure, and whether success ultimately cured him of that fear. Sign up for the Hardcore Humanism Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUpFollow Hardcore Humanism: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanismLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hardcore-humanism/

This week on The Hardcore Humanism Podcast we talked with singer, songwriter and musician Des Rocs. Des was originally in a band Secret Weapons, which was signed to Epic Records. Secret Weapons put out an album in 2016 and toured with bands such as Panic at the Disco, Fall Out Boy and Weezer. Des has now gone out on his own as a solo artist and has already toured with bands such as The Struts and Muse. And Des has a new EP out called This Is Our Life released on the 300 Entertainment record label.One of the most prominent themes of the conversation with Des was the transformative power of music in people’s lives. Des talked about how important music has been to him both on a personal level throughout his life, and more recently on a professional level in his chosen career path. And it’s not just any music; Des unabashedly embraces the power of big stadium rock music to inspire and motivate people.So Is Des right? Can big stadium rock change our lives for the better? Well for starters, Des describes how big rock star dreams have inspired him personally and professionally. For example, Des described how even when he was a new artist playing small venues, he approached the shows “thinking that I'm Bruce Springsteen playing to 80,000 people.” And that big stadium mentality seems to have paid off; none other than The Rolling Stones tapped Des to open for them at one of their shows on their stadium tour in 2019.To be sure, the power of music seems to be that it can be appreciated across many genres and in different ways. You can connect with music by listening to it, playing it, dancing to it, even talking or writing about it. So, what value does big stadium music have to offer? One possible line of research that may help elucidate the answer to that question is research on “awe.” Awe has been defined as a feeling of reverence and respect, mixed with a feeling of wonder. Research is investigating whether awe suggests that it might improve one’s sense of well-being.As stadiums are often described as “awe-inspiring,” we can begin to wonder whether the sense of awe that comes from large shows mimics the feeling that people have with experiences of nature and spirituality. Sign up for the Hardcore Humanism Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUpFollow Hardcore Humanism: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanismLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hardcore-humanism/

What’s up Hardcore Humans! This week on The Hardcore Humanism Podcast we talked with Shaun Morgan, founding member, singer-songwriter and guitarist of the hard rock band Seether. Seether has been rocking for over two decades and just released their eighth studio album, Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum-- which translates to mean, “If You Want Peace, Prepare for War.” This is a perfect title to capture the discussion with Morgan, who talked about his struggle with his mental health and self-concept during the pandemic. Morgan explained that he has suffered from depression and has struggled with his self-concept over the course of his life. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated depression and poor self-concept worldwide. One meta-analytic review of 12 community-based studies found that as many as 25% of people suffer from depression during the COVID-19 pandemic, as compared to roughly 5% prior to the pandemic. And one study of two random samples of adolescents taken prior to and during the pandemic found a significant drop in overall self-concept in participants assessed during the pandemic.There are several reasons why self-concept and overall mental health may be suffering during the pandemic, including fear of sickness or death for oneself and others, disconnection from loved ones and lack of access to enjoyable activities. Further, during the pandemic many people do not have access to individual one-on-one therapy that helps them manage their mental health. But Morgan talks about how he is coping with his depression through therapy and readjusting his thinking about his life and priorities, particularly in terms of having more time to spend with his family. Listen to the conversation to hear more of what Morgan has to say about coping with his mental health and self-concept during the pandemic. ***If you enjoy this episode, we’d love for you to subscribe to the Hardcore Humanism Podcast, leave a rating and write a review to help us gain more visibility and reach more people. Sign up for the Hardcore Humanism Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUpFollow Hardcore Humanism: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanismLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hardcore-humanism/

What’s up Hardcore Humans! On this week’s episode of The Hardcore Humanism Podcast, we talk with Lzzy Hale – founding member, guitarist and singer-songwriter of the rock band Halestorm. Halestorm has been playing hard hitting rock music for the last twenty years, earning a Grammy Award in 2012 for Hard Rock/Metal performance for their song “Love Bites,” and snagging another Grammy nomination in 2018 for Rock Performance for their song “Uncomfortable.” And now Hale is breaking out into television by being a judge on a new music competition show called No Cover.Which brings us to the focus of the conversation, which is how Hale understood and coped with marginalization. Marginalization can be defined as a group of people who are treated as though they are insignificant or trivial in a given sociocultural context. And Hale has faced down the history of marginalization that women experience in the music industry. Anecdotal evidence of women facing sexism and discrimination in music has been mounting for years. But now research is starting to quantify the problem. For example, one recent study of country music stations found that only 13-15% of records played were by female or female-male ensembles between the years 2000 and 2018. Research examining gender bias in the Australian music industry found similar trends, with female artists earning less money for their songs. Further, the percentage of songs played on the radio by female solo artists (21%) was much lower than the percentage played by male artists (52%).Unfortunately, the evidence is overwhelming that what we witness with women in music is just part of the bigger societal trend of marginalization of women in society. The prevalence and potential damage of marginalization of women in the form of bias and discrimination is severe and demands attention and change. This is why it is so important when people like Hale step up and share their story of how they have confronted and overcome this type of bias. Hale will be taking this fight to a bigger stage when she hosts the 2021 She Rocks Awards that celebrate the achievement of women in the music industry. And during our conversation she discusses how she is determined to take her experience and use it to inform and empower all people who feel marginalized so that they can cope with bias and discrimination.***If you enjoy this episode, we’d love for you to subscribe to the Hardcore Humanism Podcast, leave a rating and write a review to help us gain more visibility and reach more people. Sign up for the Hardcore Humanism Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/GBmf0iU/HardcoreHumanismSignUpFollow Hardcore Humanism: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardcorehumanism/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHumanism/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardcorhumanismLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hardcore-humanism/

What’s up Hardcore Humans! This week on The Hardcore Humanism Podcast we talked with Jamey Jasta, lead vocalist of the Grammy nominated metalcore band Hatebreed and host of The Jasta Show. Hatebreed -- with their blazing combination of extreme metal and hardcore punk -- has been churning blazing music for over 25 years and is considered one of the greatest metalcore bands of all time. Their debut album, Satisfaction is the Death of Desire (1997) is typically rated as one of the best metalcore albums of all time, with Loudwire saying, “Jamey Jasta refused to be held down by anyone, his words giving the music an empowering tough love spin.” And they are about to release their highly anticipated eighth studio album, Weight of the False Self.Which brings us to the topic of the conversation – how we understand the dangers of a false self. The term “False self” was originally developed by David Winnicott and is used to describe a distorted portrayal of one’s thoughts, feelings and behaviors – either to oneself or others – that was thought to interfere with a true authentic connection with one’s identity and emotions. In theory this discrepancy between the false self and true self is maladaptive, as the efforts to suppress one’s true self in order to maintain the façade of the false self is stressful and inherently suppresses authentic thoughts and emotions. One of the consequences of a false self that Jasta discussed during our conversation is emotional suppression, whereby we feel that we have to avoid our negative feelings to present our false self. This can be a pivotal moment for people that leads them away from being authentic. When we feel anger, sadness, loneliness and emptiness, and feel forced by ourselves or others to hide those emotions it can be harmful emotionally and physically. For example, one study of 625 participants aged 14–19 years who were seeking emergency room services were evaluated on measures of adverse life events, coping strategies, and suicidal ideation and attempts. The results indicated that adverse life events were more likely to engage in emotional suppression, which in turn increased risk for suicidal thoughts and attempts. This suggested that emotional suppression in the face of adversity may be harmful, increasing risk of suicidality.When we are connected in with our true self, we are much more likely to be motivated to achieve what we want in life. And even if we don’t achieve everything we want in life, it feels good living in an authentic way. Unfortunately, there are many reasons why we may live in a false way. Maybe we are afraid of how others will react if we live our most authentic life. Or in some cases, we may live out someone else’s plan for us – whether family, friends, teachers - just because we assume that’s what we were supposed to do. And that false self can be devastating because even if we live that false life well, we’re not going to feel connected to the person we’ve become. If you like the podcast, please subscribe, give us a rating and write a review. And if you’d like to take the next step and make change in your life, check out the Hardcore Humanism therapy and coaching program at HardcoreHumanism.com.

On this week’s episode of The Hardcore Humanism Podcast, we talk with mental health advocate Lily Cornell Silver. Silver is the daughter of the late Chris Cornell of Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog and Audioslave, and music industry manager Susan Silver. On July 20th, in honor of what would have been her father’s 56th birthday, Silver launched the Instagram Television (IGTV) interview series Mind Wide Open, which tackles the difficult topic of how we understand, cope with and challenge the stigma of mental illness. Her show includes guests from varying backgrounds, including rock stars such as Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam and Duff McKagan of Guns and Roses, academic scientists such as Marc Brackett and David Kessler, and leaders of charitable organizations such as Harold Owens of MusiCares and Laura Lipsky of The Trauma Stewardship Institute, all sharing their experience struggling with and/or working with mental illness. One of the most powerful things that we as a society can do is be willing to share our personal stories and talk about mental illness in a public forum as Silver is doing with Mind Wide Open. Having people from all walks of life, including our most famous rock stars talk about mental illness humanizes the experience, and models the types of open and in-depth conversations we need to be having in order to learn from each other about the causes and treatments of mental illness. And by doing so, Silver is helping us all challenge the stigma of mental illness and tear down one of the biggest barriers to efficacious treatment. In our discussion we talk about why she chose the path of becoming a mental health advocate, the barriers she has faced in pursuing this path, and where she sees Mind Wide Open and her advocacy work going in the future. We hope you find this discussion informative and helpful as you chart your path to purpose. If you enjoy the podcast, we would be so grateful if you’d leave a rating and write a review!

This week I had the pleasure of talking on The Hardcore Humanism Podcast with none other than the legendary Jello Biafra. Many people know Biafra – born Eric Reed Boucher -- as the front man of the seminal hardcore punk group Dead Kennedys. Dead Kennedys are generally considered one of the greatest punk rock bands of all time, and both Rolling Stone and Revolver have called their album Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables one of the greatest punk rock records of all time. And Biafra is considered by many to be one of the greatest punk rock vocalists of all time, with Far Out Magazine succinctly concluding, “…Jello Biafra was truly one of a kind.” More recently Biafra has been working with his band, Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine, on their new album Tea Party Revenge Porn. For many people, Biafra was not only a great vocalist, songwriter and performer, but also the living embodiment of the confrontation of authority. Confronting authority artistically and politically often revealed one of Biafra’s gifts -- to be able to take complex issues such as racism and censorship and point us in a direction that seemed ultimately straightforward: racism is wrong, free speech is important. And yet, not all confrontations of authority can be so neatly divided into right and wrong, or good and evil. So, I was very grateful to discuss with Biafra what is for many of us the most complicated confrontation – our understanding and connection with our parents. For many of us, our parents are our first authority figures and how we resolve the confrontation with our parents’ authority can have an impact on how we see ourselves, the world, and how we approach future conflict. Biafra and I spent a great deal of our conversation talking about his relationship with his father, the late Stanley Boucher. Stanley Boucher was a psychiatric social worker who among other things was truly committed to working towards improving community access to mental health care. And one of the interesting things that emerged from that conversation was that even for someone as bold and strident as Biafra, how we understand our parents can be confusing and complicated. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Jello Biafra and find some insights that can be helpful in your life and in your relationships with your parents! If you enjoy the podcast, I’d be so grateful if you’d leave a rating and review!

This week on The Hardcore Humanism Podcast we had the pleasure of talking with Dr. Michael Bishop, otherwise known as The Beserker Blothar from the band GWAR. GWAR is a heavy metal band hailing from Richmond, Virginia known for their outrageous music and live shows. GWAR confronts the audience with their larger than life personas as well as their stinging satire and social commentary. GWAR is a circus, cabaret, amusement park, intergalactic spaceship and wrecking ball all rolled into one. And their enduring success speaks for itself. This week GWAR is celebrating the 30th anniversary of their classic album Scumdogs of the Universe. To celebrate, GWAR has announced the Scumdogs Triple X Live live streaming concert event that will no doubt be welcomed by their adoring fan base. Many people may not know that the lead vocalist of GWAR (which Bishop has been since the death of the late GWAR founder David Brockie) also holds a Ph.D. in music from University of Virginia. When considering GWAR’s persistent examination of our cultural norms and societal patterns through their music, Bishop’s expertise is clearly evident. And one only has to listen to Bishop’s TED Talk on the concept of musical and regional identity to get a sense of the depth of his curiosity and understanding of human nature. In our conversation, Bishop talks about being from Richmond and explains how GWAR’s emergence and development can be understood in part as a reflection of the culture and socio-economics of Richmond. To a certain degree, many of us understand ourselves based on where we live and what music we love, and in some cases, both. But beyond it being a fun topic of discussion, understanding the connection between our regional and musical identity holds a great deal of potential to improve our health and well-being. There is already substantial evidence that music therapy – whether listening to or playing music, can have mental health benefits, including reduced depression and anxiety. And yet these studies do not focus on how, in addition to the basic enjoyment of interacting with music, a connection with one’s musical and regional identity could be harnessed to influence well-being. When considering the more general importance of identity in our physical and emotional health, the potential of advancing our understanding of musical and regional identity and how they may interact to promote a healthy self-concept is worth further study. So, check out our conversation and hear what Bishop has to say about musical and regional identity. If you like what you hear, please consider leaving a rating and review – we would appreciate it so much!

On this week’s episode of The Hardcore Humanism Podcast we had the pleasure of talking with singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright. Wainwright has been making rich, textured “Baroque Pop” music for over twenty years and recently released his seventh studio album, Unfollow the Rules(2020). Rolling Stone calls the album “a stately pop throwback full of his signature vocal grandeur” And The Guardian says “…sumptuous…a lush, engaging study …”During the conversation, we talk about a frequent topic of Wainwright’s music – experiencing, contemplating and expressing feelings of “darkness.” Wainwright also discusses his struggle with severe depression and addiction, as well as the suicides of contemporaries such as Kurt Cobain and Elliott Smith.Learning about how Rufus understands and connects with these darker emotions can help us explore ways to manage and cope with our own struggles with darkness. If you like what you hear, please consider leaving a review or rating - we would be so grateful!

On this week’s episode of The Hardcore Humanism Podcast, we had the pleasure of talking with musician and activist Bob Mould. Many people know Mould from his seminal work with Hüsker Dü, a band that came out of the hardcore punk scene and was incredibly influential on music in general, but particularly what later became “alternative rock.” Rolling Stonehas called Hüsker Dü’s album Zen Arcade one of the greatest punk rock albums of all time. Legend has it that Kim Deal joined alternative rock gods Pixies by responding to an ad in a Boston newspaper that said, “band seeks bassist into Hüsker Dü and Peter Paul and Mary.” And Dave Grohl perhaps put it best when he said, “No Hüsker Dü, no Foo Fighters.” Mould has also gone on to have a long solo career following Hüsker Dü, recently releasing a new album Blue Hearts (2020) as well as a 24 CD box set Distortion: 1989-2019 that documents his 30-year post-Hüsker Dü career, including his solo albums and work with the band Sugar. Mould’s enduring and influential career is not only impressive artistically, but it also puts him in a unique position to share a historical perspective. During our conversation, Mould talks about the lessons we can learn from his experience of the United States during the 1980’s as it applies to the current sociopolitical climate. Specifically, during the 1980’s the country faced HIV/AIDS, political tension centered around the Reagan administration and suppression of underground art - including those in the hardcore punk community - from being heard in mainstream culture. These parallel experiences put him in a unique position to comment on current events as we struggle with Covid-19, tensions regarding the Trump administration and difficulties of performance artists being able to ply their trade due to lockdown restrictions. Overall, what Mould discusses in our conversation is both the emotional experience of and coping with marginalization – or the treatment of a person, concept or group as though they were inconsequential. Mould shares his insights into how he coped with marginalization in the 80’s and how his experience can inform how we cope with present day stressors and marginalization.If you like what you hear, we would be so grateful if you'd give the podcast a rating and leave a review.

We have an unfortunate societal tendency of talking about mental health in all-or-none terms. People are either “sane” or “crazy,” “normal or “abnormal,” “grounded” or “unhinged,” “accurate” or distorted.” Our predilection for this type of strict categorization is perhaps understandable on one level. Struggling with mental health issues still feels like a relatively unknown world as compared to other physical health conditions. We can’t see mental health conditions on a clear medical test like a CT Scan or MRI. Further, mental health issues are common and can have a sudden and unpredictable onset, often with devastating consequences to our functioning and well-being.And so, it would be understandable if we were terrified of developing mental health issues and did anything we could to reassure ourselves that we fall into the “sane” and “normal” category. The obvious problem with this approach is that this type of all-or-none thinking creates a stigma around mental illness. Rather than people having characteristics that are organically connected to who we are and how we live and can have pros and cons, we have qualities that are simply either “healthy” or “unhealthy.” This rigid conceptualization and associated stigma make struggling with mental health much worse, as it increases stress and interferes with people being willing to seek care for fear of being labeled.There are many ways that we can open our minds to novel approaches to our experience and challenge the stigma of mental health issues. The first is by having people who struggle with mental health share their stories. The other is by offering an alternative to the “all-or-none” thinking to our experience inherent in mental health stigma. This week on The Hardcore Humanism Podcast we spoke with Dez Fafara, founding member and vocalist of the heavy metal band DevilDriver, who is doing both.During our conversation, Fafara shares his struggles with both agoraphobia and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). As Fafara himself points out, most people do not assume that a rock star would suffer from agoraphobia because the very nature of his work requires being in front of thousands of people at a time playing live shows and spending significant time with fans and press. And yet, Fafara has overcome his agoraphobia to build an impressive career as a musician. As Blabbermouth puts it, “Dez Fafara’s crew have weathered two decades with credibility intact and a sturdy catalogue backing up their ferocious reputation as a live band.”Fafara also challenges stigma by talking more generally about not only the struggles he’s facing but also the positive outcomes of his “volatility.” On the one hand, Fafara struggles with volatility as a destabilizing force when it manifests as anxiety or ADHD. And yet his volatility can also be an animating and dynamic force driving his business ventures, including managing several bands in addition to his work with DevilDriver. As an example, DevilDriver’s new album Dealing with Demons I takes on Fafara’s struggle with mental health issues. The album is resonating in part because of its raw look at mental health with Kerrang! reporting, “…this is an exorcism that’s truly compelling.” By discussing volatility as something that can be embraced as useful if harnessed properly, Fafara is also challenging our all-or-none thinking about mental health.So, check out my conversation with Dez Fafara!

This week on The Hardcore Humanism with Dr. Mike Podcast, we had the pleasure of talking with comedian and actor Bob the Drag Queen. Bob was the Season 8 winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race, and star of the Emmy nominated HBO series We’re Here. Bob has been an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ rights as well as a strong supporter of Black Lives Matter.In the conversation with Bob, one of the most important issues to emerge was the notion of self-concept. How do we see and understand ourselves? There is vast literature that examines and measures the term “self-concept.” One of the noteworthy and fascinating aspects of this literature is the numerous ways that we can understand what self-concept means. For instance, self-concept can be conceptualized as a more general measure of self-worth or self-esteem. As an example, one longitudinal study of 201 adolescents aged 13-18 examined the relation between baseline self-esteem and depression and anxiety symptoms at a three-year follow-up evaluation. Results showed that higher baseline self-esteem predicted fewer depression and anxiety symptoms at follow-up, even controlling for factors such as gender and treatment for mental health issues.Now in talking with Bob, we examine and consider a different aspect of self-concept whereby self-concept doesn’t refer to a global sense of self-worth, but to a more nuanced description of the different facets of an individual’s identity. We may understand ourselves in terms of physical, emotional, social, intellectual and spiritual terms. These aspects of self-concept can also be conceptualized as part of one’s “identity” and may include constructs such as race, gender and sexuality. In talking with Bob, we come to understand the range of constructs that he uses to understand his identity including being from the South, being black, gender non-binary and queer.The notion of our having many sources of identity and how they blend together is called intersectionality. This notion is critical to understanding self-concept and identity because how we see ourselves plays a large role in how we see the world in which we live. In particular, we can understand issues of discrimination from the perspective of intersectionality – or “intersectional stigma.” How an individual understands identity may influence how they experience discrimination or stigma in the world. For example, some people may experience discrimination for being transgender but feel less discrimination for being White. The complexity of how we understand intersectional identity and how it interacts to predict health and well-being is an emerging field that will hopefully shed light on this complex process. Bob talks about identifying as a “black queer” person, and how he has experienced discrimination in the context of both identities.In listening to the conversation with Bob, our hope is that it provides another opportunity for representation so that people feel more comfortable to understand and embrace their identity and build a healthy self-concept. Every time a strong role model and advocate like Bob steps forward it is another step towards challenging discrimination and reducing stigma.So, listen to Bob and see what you can learn about self-concept and identity! If you like what you hear, we'd be so grateful for a rating and review!

Al Jourgensen is the founder of the industrial band Ministry. Industrial music is a raw and provocative music style that blends electronic music with more traditional rock music. What is most notable about this particular genre is that it employs a range of sounds including not only more traditional electric guitars and synthesizers, but also more unconventional sounds such as car gear shifting or steam engines. Any sound that exists in the industrial or electronic world is fair game. Ministry is considered one of the greatest industrial music bands of all time and a pioneer in a sub-genre of industrial music called industrial metal, which also includes bands such as Nine Inch Nails and White Zombie. They have been making music for almost four decades and show no signs of slowing down, working on their 15th full length studio album, including a newly released song “Alert Level.”In my conversation with Jourgensen for The Hardcore Humanism with Dr. Mike Podcast, what emerged was that the underlying foundation of Jourgensen’s approach to both his creativity and his life is an openness to experience. Openness to experience is a personality trait that generally refers to a more curious, imaginative and open-minded style of relating to oneself and the world. Perhaps not surprisingly, openness to experience is hypothesized to be associated with increased creativity. The theory is that imagination and curiosity naturally lead people to see the world in novel ways and express that in their artistic expression.Research has supported this hypothesis, as studies show that openness to experience is consistently associated with creativity. For example, one study of 831 primary school participants were assessed on measures of creativity, openness to experience and intelligence, with the results indicating a strong positive correlation between openness to experience and creativity. Jourgensen’s career has involved both artistic and professional success, and one can see the connection between his openness to experience and the creativity in his music. Many people assumed that industrial music’s reliance on machines and more electronic sounds would disconnect the art form from the human experience as compared to genres that rely more heavily on non-electronic instrument such as folk rock or Americana. And yet Jourgensen was open to a very different approach to the creative process. He made it very clear that he views electronics and machine-generated sounds as a facilitator of human experience – particularly human emotion. He sees these sounds as a connection rather than a barrier to understanding our experience and the world around us.Further, Jourgensen describes his novel creative method in which he builds upon ideas, thoughts and images he had when he was asleep. This method is based in scientific evidence – theory and research suggest that our brains are active and can push our thinking forward when we sleep. Jourgensen feels that during sleep his mind is most attuned to and connected with the world around him, and therefore the best vehicle for his creative process.So, check out what Jourgensen has to say about his life and creative process, and see if you can apply any of his experience to being more open and creative in your own life!

This week on the Hardcore Humanism with Dr. Mike podcast, we got the chance to talk with Mark Greenway, the vocalist of the band Napalm Death. Napalm Death is considered one of the originators of a style of music called grindcore, which is a fusion of two already intense genres – hardcore punk and extreme metal. Not only is Napalm Death considered a grindcore pioneer, but also perhaps the greatest grindcore band in history.One of the most notable aspects of grindcore in general, and Napalm Death in particular, is the content of the lyrics, which often directly confronts and challenges societal issues. For example, in describing their 2015 album Apex Predator/Easy Meat, Pitchfork described Greenway’s vocal delivery as akin to, “Big Bad Wolf’s cousin from a nuclear dystopia,” as the album took on the damaging effects of capitalism and animal agriculture. And their new album Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism continues in that tradition, examining the very human costs of our current political strife.In previous conversations with Greenway, we have talked about the importance of humanity and individuality to one’s personal well-being. During this discussion, he expands the conversation to address the socio-political implications of those concepts. On a political level, Greenway advocates for what is known as peaceful anarchism – which can be defined as moving away from governmental control of society that favors compulsory laws to a more voluntary organization that relies on cooperation. From Greenway’s perspective, separate governments and nationalist agendas have made people more vulnerable to exploitation and war, whereas peaceful anarchism will help unite people who may otherwise be at odds over governmental allegiance.When Greenway talks about humanity, he is particularly talking about being humane, or having compassion and benevolence towards others. There is substantial interest in how compassion can affect us as individuals and as a society. There is evidence to suggest that compassion is a distinct emotion that can impact moral judgment and behaviors such as altruism. For example, in one experimental study, 132 participants witnessed a simulated unfair financial exchange. Those with higher levels of compassion were more likely to help the victim of the unfair interaction. In another study using the same sample, participants were trained in either a compassion-based meditation or control group. Two weeks later, those in the compassion-based meditation group were more likely to help the victim. The potential clinical implications of compassion are captured in the recent development of compassion-focused therapy, which is designed to help focus on enhancing self-compassion as a method for reducing shame within patients.So, let’s listen and learn from mark Greenway about his approach to being more humane on a personal, creative and societal level!For more information about Hardcore Humanism, please visit our website: hardcorehumanism.com.