Podcasts about pet therapy

Naarm/Melbourne’s Pet Therapy join Crystal on The Hoist ahead of the release of their brand new EP 'Various Ways to See the Light'. Salvador and Ella chat through the creative vision behind the tracks, their dynamic approach to songwriting and what’s in store for their launch show at the Bergy Bandroom.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eithne Dodd reports on the launch of a new mobile unit for sick children to meet therapy dogs in County Westmeath.

First up is Tore's Telegram post from this morning about the election in Wisconsin. Then, tonight's TicTok chat is joined in progress. It's all about hand bags, sagging chins and an occasional hint of what's to come. There is a sea of tea around us, but none can be discussed. This isn't easy, so let's talk fashion. The reasons for tonight's discretion will soon be clear. Major events are pending, and no hints can be given. Karma experience teaches us to let things happen. Shit posting for fun and amusement. What is coming will not be for the timid. Things have transpired that cause delays. Everything is fluid but in motion. When they talk about USAID, why don't they ever mention NATO? Lots of people are hurting right now, so the future will be difficult. There are many who are running out of time. This also results in pants being pulled down. Stay focused on the future. Always remember the importance of keeping your faith for the future of humanity.

On this episode we talk with two experts on their cities have been successful with  pet therapy and mental healthcare in the workplace.GUESTS:Danny Zincke, Assistant City Manager, City of BoerneFaith Morse, Chief of Staff, City of MansfieldRESOURCES:Therapy Dogs InternationalAlliance of Therapy DogsTo be connected to one of our guests, send an email to our Social Media Coordinator at tcmadigital@gmail.com. 

Licensed mental health counselor and author Jill Sylvester discusses strategies and tips, along with trusting your own inner voice, to live your very best life.   Today's discussion: 25 Things I Have Enjoyed/Appreciated/Have Helped Me Personally This Year Contact Jill SylvesterFollow us on IG @jillsylvesterSend us questions or feedback at jill@jillsylvester.comFor more information or to check out our other products: www.jillsylvester.comThanks to Carl Sylvester for production, Jon Grabowski for sound engineering, McKenna Hickey (www.helloparasolco.com) for social media output, Tracy Colucci for newsletter creation, and Good Health Hanover Massachusetts for sponsorship. With their support, the TYI podcast is made possible for YOU to gain personal development strategies and live your best life. Thanks for listening!

Send us a textThis week, Kim talks with Caroline Rose, an author, speaker, and motivational storyteller. Caroline shares her incredible journey of battling stage four non-Hodgkin's lymphoma through three diagnoses and treatments, including a bone marrow transplant. She talks about the importance of hope, the challenge of managing anxiety related to her health, and finding grace in life's unpredictable twists. Caroline also introduces her book, 'Dear Riley Rose,' which is a heartfelt letter to her late rescue dog, Riley, who played a pivotal role in her recovery. Caroline encourages listeners to be compassionate to themselves and others, embrace different forms of hope, and live courageously.00:00 Introduction to Midlife with Courage Podcast00:43 Meet Caroline Rose: Author, Speaker, and Motivational Storyteller01:07 Caroline's Journey: From San Antonio to Battling Cancer02:44 The Battle Begins: Caroline's First Diagnosis08:15 Support System and Family Bonds09:40 Miraculous Pregnancies and Family Life12:44 Reflections on Hope and Overcoming Adversity18:12 Supporting Loved Ones in Difficult Times20:02 Introducing the Book: Dear Riley Rose20:24 The Story of Riley: A Life-Changing Rescue23:36 The Healing Power of Animals30:23 Future Plans and Reflections33:19 Final Thoughts and FarewellYou can get your copy of Dear Riley Rose and learn more about Caroline on her WEBSITE.Support the showKim Benoy is a retired RN, Certified Aromatherapist, wife and mom who is passionate about inspiring and encouraging women over 40. She wants you to see your own beauty, value and worth through sharing stories of other women just like you. WEBSITEFACEBOOK

Every Saturday morning, the Weekend Breakfast Show focuses on an area of 'wellness'—health, relationships, mental health, career, and home. It's all about practising healthy habits to attain better physical and mental health outcomes. Sara-Jayne Makwala King speaks to Sandy Kennedy, the Owner of Animal Play Therapy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For millennia, humans and horses have enjoyed a special relationship. Recent research shows that working with horses can improve human mental health and wellbeing. Professor Ann Hemingway is part of a multidisciplinary team that has demonstrated that equine-assisted services can improve outcomes for families impacted by domestic abuse and mitigate the conditions that fuel it, and believes that the benefits of such an intervention could be delivered through virtual reality technology.Read the original research : https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9060303Read more in Research Outreach

Have you ever wanted to share the joy of your cat with people in need but didn't know where to start? Pet Partners offers a Pet Therapy Certification Program for you and your cat. And for a limited time they are offering free training for cat teams - tune in to this episode for the code. Mary Margaret Callahan, Pet Partners Chief Mission Officer, joins Molly to talk about a recent study that shows cats can potentially possess more healing properties than dogs, what traits make a good therapy cat, and YAYABA! You have to tune in to decode that acronym!

Oggi è la giornata internazionale del cane. è scientificamente provato che la compagnia degli animali faccia stare meglio, non a caso è sempre più diffusa la cosiddetta "pet therapy". di cosa si tratta esattamente? ne parliamo con Simona Mazzucchetti, presidente dell'associazione cane terapia. Commentiamo le partite di serie a insieme al nostro Massimo Caputi. torniamo a occuparci di sport, questa volta parliamo di formula 1. Questo weekend si correva il gp d'Olanda. diamo il buongiorno a Carlo Vanzini, di Sky sport formula 1. Torna a trovarci il professor carlo cottarelli, economista. In diretta con noi c'è il vicepremier e ministro degli esteri, Antonio Tajani.

**Maria chats with Creature Comfort Pet Therapy's Executive Director Mary Beth Cooney and Board President/Volunteer Janice Tierney (who volunteers with her pup Mulligan!) about all that they do--they visit people in hospitals, nursing homes, rehabs, schools and more with a variety of pets:Dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and even mini-horses! Learn more at CCPETHERAPY.ORG**Please be patient listening to this interview as there were many technical problems which I realized after. I salvaged what I could...thank you for your patience and as always, thanks for listening!**

Originally Published May 06, 2022. If you're a regular listener, you know Larry Grogan—a dynamic entrepreneur, author, and speaker, renowned for his advocacy of pet therapy. For eight years, Larry and his dog Scrappy brought joy and comfort to children in a hospital through their pet therapy visits. Their incredible experiences inspired Larry to write a book and promote the benefits of pet therapy far and wide. Today, Larry is on a mission to significantly increase the number of certified pet therapy teams by educating college administrators on the profound impact of pet therapy and helping them establish full-time programs. Join us as we delve into Larry's inspiring journey and his new venture, Delta Omega Gamma, Campus Life Pet Therapy.   About Larry Grogan: Larry Grogan is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, and advocate for pet therapy. For eight years, Larry and his dog Scrappy formed a pet therapy team at a children's hospital, where he witnessed the profound positive impact Scrappy had on patients. Inspired by these experiences, Larry published a book to share their story and highlight the medical benefits of pet therapy. His mission now is to quadruple the number of certified pet therapy teams by educating college administrators on the importance of pet therapy and guiding them on how to establish full-time pet therapy programs. Larry's latest venture is Delta Omega Gamma, Campus Life Pet Therapy.   Social Media: Website: www.atailoflove.com  facebook: www.facebook.com/atailoflove Instagram: www.instagram.com/lifelessonsofscrappy   Thanks for listening to the show! It means so much to us that you listened to our podcast! If you would like to continue the conversation, please email me at allen@drallenlycka.com or visit our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/drallenlycka. We would love to have you join us there, and welcome your messages. We check our Messenger often.   This show is built on “The Secrets to Living A Fantastic Life.” Get your copy by visiting: https://secretsbook.now.site/home   We are building a community of like-minded people in the personal development/self-help/professional development industries, and are always looking for wonderful guests for our show. If you have any recommendations, please email us!   Dr. Allen Lycka's Social Media Links Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/drallenlycka Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr_allen_lycka/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/drallenlycka LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allenlycka YouTube: https://www.YouTube.com/c/drallenlycka   Subscribe to the show. We would be honored to have you subscribe to the show - you can subscribe on the podcast app on your mobile device

"It was all just about her," Lang explains. Her mom, Ann, was never  going to change. A mother who stuck to her routine whether it was taking a long bath, bike ride, going to the gym , it was all about he needs and wants and not her daughter's. Ann had a tough childhood, grew up in a strict household, so she was going to raise Diane the same way. There are so many layers to this story, including Diane saying "she has no fond memories of her mother and no other female role models in life." Diane even mentioned that she's blocked out many of her teen years because the family relationship was so bad.Diane Lang is the author of  3 books: “Creating Balance & Finding Happiness”, “Baby Steps: The Path from Motherhood to Career” and “Mindfully Happy- waking up to life.”Diane is such an inspiration. She's redirected her own future. She has a loving relationship with her husband and daughter-nothing of which she ever experience as a child living alone in a house with parents who didn't lover her or didn't know how to express their love.Many wonderful lessons learned from this conversation. You  control  your  destiny, don't blame everyone else if life doesn't turn out the way you expected and it's important to let go of the anger, hate or resentment. There are many upsides to Diane's journey and her years of studying.  "I wouldn't be the person that I am today. I'm completely grateful for that and I can see how far I've come and  grown.  I can be the person who's  empathetic and compassionate because of my childhood or despite my childhood," reflects Lang.People are on this planet to teach us for better or worse.Diane Lang Social media & Website:(11) Diane Lang | LinkedIn(6) FacebookWEBSITE:www.dianelang.org "Should Have Listened To My Mother" is an ongoing conversation about mothers and the roles they play in our lives. And my guests answer the question, 'are you who you are today because of, or in spite of, your mother'? You'll be amazed at what the responses are."Should Have Listened To My Mother" would not be possible without the generosity, sincerity and insight from my guests. In getting ready to launch my podcast, so many were willing to give their time and share their personal relationships with their mother.Some of my guests include Baritone Singer Christopheren Nomura, Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalist Tim Wacker, Activist Kim Miller, Freighter Sea Captain Terry Viscount, Film Production Manager Peg Robinson, Professor of Writing Montclair State University Dr. Bridget Brown, Tammy Steckler, attorney and family advocate @CUNY Law; NYC First Responder/NYC Firefighter Mark Heingartner, Child and Adult Special Needs Activist, Maryellen Valyo Cole and Roger Evens, Property Manager in New Jersey and so many more talented and insightful women and men.I've worked in the broadcasting industry for over four decades. I've interviewed so many fascinating people including musicians, celebrities, authors, activists, entrepreneurs, politicians and more.A big thank you goes to Ricky Soto, NYC based Graphic Designer, who created my logo for "Should Have Listened To My Mother".Check out my website for more background information: https://www.jackietantillo.com/Or more demos of what's to come at https://soundcloud.com/jackie-tantilloFind audio versions of the podcast here: https://shltmm.simplecast.com/Spotify Link: https://open.spotify.com/show/60j14qCcks4AP3JUrWrc2MLink to website and show notes: https://shltmm.simplecast.com/Listen wherever you find podcastsApple PodcastsAmazon MusicGaanaIHeartRadio RadioDeezerSpotifyPandoraItunesFacebook:Should have listened to my motherJackie TantilloInstagram:Should have listened to my motherJackietantillo7LinkedIn:Jackie TantilloYOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@ShouldHaveListenedToMyMotherShould have listened to my mother

Angela Gordon, MSW, Lead Coordinator in the Volunteer Services Department at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, discusses the Pet Friends Volunteer Program at the Hospital and how dogs can bring joy and comfort to patients, families, and staff in the hospital setting.

Hey, friends! Ever wondered why The Game seems to be shadowboxing with Rick Ross in a rap battle royale of his own making? Buckle up, because we're peeling back the layers of this hip-hop enigma, alongside the raw rivalry between Drake and Kendrick Lamar. It's a rollercoaster through rap's cutthroat playground, where the line between a fierce diss and pushing the envelope gets blurrier with every verse. And if you think fashion is just about the threads, think again. We're tearing down the stereotypes and owning our style narratives, from 70s flair to cowboy cool, and how our partners often mirror our fashion souls.This episode isn't just about beats and wardrobe feats; it's also an unflinching look into the struggles that black men grapple with daily. We're getting real about the societal pressures that can corner a man into choices others might not understand, and the conditional love that seems to come with the territory. As we unfold the harsh realities, from racial profiling to the weight of economic responsibility, I share my personal reflections on the roles women play in the sustainability of relationships amid financial instability. And because we can't pour from an empty cup, mental health takes the stage as I share the unexpected comforts found in poodle cuddles and the therapeutic power of a simple walk.Wrapping things up, we can't help but chuckle over Shaq's off-the-court antics, including his attempt to dunk in the rap game against Shannon Sharpe. We're handing out some low-key props to his DJ skills, while playfully jabbing at his rapping attempts and the legendary, or perhaps notorious, Shaq shoe line. Remember, folks, the S.H.I.T.T.S Podcast is where laughter meets thoughtfulness, and this one's loaded with both. So here's a hearty thank you for sticking with us, and get ready for an episode that's as insightful as it is entertaining.Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: The SHITTS Podcast. Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and iHeart Radio. Subscribe and comment.

Whether it's a comforting cuddle from a therapy dog or the gentle presence of a therapy cat, pets have a unique way of brightening patients' lives, reducing stress, and promoting overall well-being. Join us as we uncover the profound impact of pet therapy in healthcare. Julie Miller, BSN, RN, CCRN from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses shares insights into the science behind pet therapy and heartwarming stories of its effectiveness. Discover how therapy animals reduce stress and promote well-being, and gain practical tips for implementing pet therapy programs in clinical settings. Tune in to explore the transformative potential of pet therapy in healthcare.

In this episode, we explore the unexpected ways in which caring for a pet can provide purpose and comfort during difficult times. Our pets can help bring us release from suffering. We discuss how, amidst the business of death and the turmoil of grief, the presence of pets can deliver a comforting sense of stability and routine. Some days, the company of a pet offers comfort when human interaction may be too overwhelming. With a pet you always having someone to come home to - someone who is always excitedly awaiting your return. And if you're someone who often talks to yourself, like many of us do, having a pet around ensures that there's a listener on the other side - a vivid reminder that you're not alone. This episode also addresses the sentimental connection that pets can hold as a cherished shared memory of a departed loved one. We also delve into the fun, quirky, and sometimes humbling aspects of having a pet, discussing how they're quick to remind us that we are not the center of the universe - and that they, sometimes, need to be fed too! Finally, we talk about the unexpected joys and distractions our pets provide, whether it's dragging ribbons out from the hidden corners of the home or initiating a wake-up call. We conclude by reminding our listeners that while pets are a fantastic source of companionship and support, they can't replace professional help when it's needed. So, tune in and join us as we unravel the deep, beautiful bond between humans and their furry friends!

Midterms got you stressed? Unwind with some furry friends and hear about the various resources at USF! Also, Summer & Fall registration begins March 25th. Check your Degree Works Plan for recommended courses and touch base with your advisor to ensure seats in preferred Sum./Fall classes. Lastly, Pet Therapy will be back in April at USFSP in the Library!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Cabin is presented by the Wisconsin Counties Association and this week we're featuring Polk County: https://bit.ly/3OELsFN  The Cabin is also brought to you by Group Health Trust: https://bit.ly/3JMizCX   Campfire Conversation:  In this episode of The Cabin, Ana, Eric, and Jake welcome 2024 and divvy up some resolutions in the areas of giving, healthier living, and healthier eating, respectively. Ana focuses on giving more in 2024 and explores a variety of interesting charitable events and organizations. She goes to Lake Geneva to explore things like the Mr. Lake Geneva Pageant, where men compete pageant-style to benefit area nonprofits as well as charity events centered around golf, biking, and more. She explores Cycling Without Age, an organization that provides rides to elderly people in need - it started in Denmark and now has chapters in 39 countries, including the US and Wisconsin. DoorTran, a transportation service in Door County, does similar work in Wisconsin's most famous peninsula. Conservation alliances in Wisconsin advance the quality of life in communities as well as the environment, and Ana shares the one in Sauk Prairie, which is also active in revamping the former Badger Army Ammunition Plant grounds. Serving as a mentor is another wonderful way to “pay it forward,” and programs like the Outagamie County Mentoring Program illustrate these benefits. She also discusses a variety of walks and runs, galas, interesting contests, festivals and more that benefit communities across the state. VolunteerMatch.org provides a good resource for finding some of them.Eric dives into some unique Wisconsin workouts and ways to get in better shape for 2024(hey, he tries every year) and some of those workouts include yoga with goats or alpacas - oddly soothing for some reason; curling and ice skating in winter; pole fitness; bungee workouts at places like Swoop; TRX and cycle workouts at places like CycleBar, Spire, and Barre Code; and unique spots like Bounce Trampoline at Hometown Pilates in Fitchburg, which combines dance, music and bounce for a full cardio workout, and also helps with balance and coordination and studies have shown bounce is good for lymph circulation. More fun than your usual regular run or some sit-ups!Jake discusses food as part of his resolution, and covers examples of places around the state where you can eat healthier. Places around the state are now offering fresher and healthier grab-and-go meals and you can find them at markets like The Farmacy in Green Bay, co-ops like Willy Street in Madison, People's Co-Op in La Crosse, and Outpost Natural Foods, which has multiple locations around Milwaukee, and more. Farmers markets have greatly multiplied in number across the state where you can get fresh-grown food from area farms, bakers, and more; they're often a great way to kick off your weekend. Many of these markets take place in the warmer months, but more and more communities have winter markets indoors. Jake also drops some favorites across the state, including Downtown Grocery in Wausau; Thai Basil in Madison; Subhouse in Hudson, and Island Cafe in Minocqua, where you'll find a Mediterranean menu amidst an area primarily known for pub food and fish fries in the great North Woods. He provides a nice blueprint for places that offer that combination of tasty cuisine and better nutrition many of us want.Hope your New Year's resolutions work well and you have a happy, healthy 2024!   Inside Sponsors:Jefferson County: https://bit.ly/3gt0Nau   

Neil has a lot to share on how pet therapy found him and his rescued Beagle named Breezy.In this 99th episode of Therapy Dog Talk, I chat with with Neil to discuss his Beagle Breezy's extraordinary evolution. Starting as a rescue dog, Breezy rose to become an AKC Therapy Dog Distinguished (THDD), a journey that has not only changed lives, through his 700+ visits with Paws for Friendship, but also illustrated the profound impact and legacy of pet therapy.In this episode, we discuss …Neil and Breezy's impressive record of over 700 therapy visits and their lasting impact.Breezy's journey from a rescue to achieving the AKC Therapy Dog Distinguished title.The strong bond between Neil and Breezy, highlighting the essence of pet therapy.—I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I do. Give it a watch or a listen and then let me know in the community which part you found the most helpful!—How to get started as a Therapy Dog team:http://freeguide.therapydogtalk.comFollow us on Instagram:https://instagram.com/breezythetherapydoghttps://instagram.com/therapydogtalkEpisode show notes:https://sherrierohde.com/99Watch Neil's documentary:https://youtu.be/zBng-zujBA4?si=KHAYLt73ZX5dZlS-

Listen to ASCO's Journal of Clinical Oncology essay, “Pet Therapy: How the Cat I Never Wanted Saved My Life” by Dr. Fumiko Chino, Radiation Oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.. The essay is followed by an interview with Chino and host Dr. Lidia Schapira. Chino describes how she became an unlikely cat owner and how her "pet therapy" allowed her to move forward with life as a widow. TRANSCRIPT Narrator: Pet Therapy: How the Cat I Never Wanted Saved My Life, by Fumiko Chino  My husband and I adopted our cat, Franklin, on a cold November day. It was one of the last days that Andrew felt well enough to leave the house to go anywhere other than to chemotherapy or a doctor's appointment. Our news at these appointments had shifted toward the negative, with disease progression on scans, low blood counts, and fluid accumulating in places it shouldn't be. After a year of aggressive treatment, his body was tiring out, and treatment options were becoming limited. Andrew had always wanted a cat, but I was resistant; I knew that I would be taking care of both of them and wasn't sure that I was ready. At a certain point, though, if your dying husband wants a cat … you get a cat, right? Franklin was a rescue—a scrappy orange boy with stripy legs and a spotted belly. He played with my husband's oxygen tubing, batting the plastic back and forth. He adapted quickly and would sit in Andrew's lap in a warm furry ball, signaling his comfort with loud, full-throated purrs. He would play fetch with my husband, who often wasn't strong enough to leave the bed. There was a large bowl of wrapped candy in the living room, and Franklin would bring one to the bed. Andrew would throw it from his propped-up perch in the bed; if the angle was perfect, he could fling it from the bedroom, through the slight zig-zag of the hallway, and into the large open living room. Franklin would race off to chase the candy and then trot back to deposit it one more time in Andrew's lap. They could do this for hours, it seemed, until one of them tired and then they would nap. They both napped a lot. After Andrew died in March, it was hard to keep a schedule. Days and nights would drift into each other; it was the gray days of late winter before spring showed any promise of life. Franklin was my constant companion and followed me around the house, sitting in the living room to watch a movie or on a kitchen chair to stare at my meals, even into the bathroom. He slept at the foot of the bed and woke me up in the morning to feed him; he made it hard to sleep in all day and forced me to keep at least a semiregular schedule. I walked everywhere, trying to make simple tasks last all day; walking to get Franklin's food from the pet store was a triumph of activity. We did, of course, take a lot of naps; sleep was an easy escape from my purposeless existence. He would fit his furry warmth in the crook of my knees or sprawl across my lap, mitigating the cold emptiness of a lonely day. He was a living presence when all I could see around me was death. Grieving is no simple process but, with time, I was able to return to some semblance of a normal life. I found focus in singular steps: researching school options, studying for the MCAT, interviewing for and ultimately entering medical school. One step at time (one application, one class, one shelf) is how I progressed from grieving widow to oncologist. Franklin would sit on the kitchen table where I worked, putting his paw occasionally on my papers or resting his chin on the warm edge of my laptop. He kept me company through grueling hours of studying and welcomed me home from the hospital at all hours of the night, greeting me with a small noise halfway between a squeak and a meow. Franklin was a welcome constant as I reinvented myself as a physician, a comforting touchstone as I shed my former life as an artist and wife and gained new footing as a clinician and researcher. I am now in my first year as an attending physician in a world-leading cancer center; Franklin has moved with me to a glorious, light-filled apartment in New York City. Looking back over the decade since Andrew died, I know that Franklin was the last gift that he gave me. I was so depressed and lonely; I don't think I could have survived that first dark winter without his presence, much less made it through medical school and residency. That's the thing about pets; you care for them, but they also care for you. Franklin provided that extra layer of support that allowed a desperate present to turn into a hopeful future. When I meet with patients and families struggling through treatment now, I try to highlight these simple support goals: physical company, a routine, love and warmth. We talk about who is available to help and what comfort they can provide. And for those struggling alone, I sometimes recommend they consider a trip to the animal rescue. I tell them, they may find that they get rescued too. I know I did. I moved out of that first house a couple of months after Andrew died. It was too big for just a lady and her cat. When I pushed our bed out from against the wall, I discovered a small pile of candy that had slipped behind his pillow down the back side of the bed. After he was gone, Franklin had continued to bring candy to my husband's side of the bed and it had been piling up. I sat down on the floor of our big, empty house and cried big, ugly tears while staring at that stale candy. Then, like a gift, Franklin came over and sat in my lap, a small, warm presence, purring. Dr. Lidia Schapira: Hello and welcome to JCO's Cancer Stories: The Art of Oncology, which features essays and personal reflections from authors exploring their experience in the field of oncology. I'm your host, Dr. Lidia Schapira. I'm an Associate Editor for Art of Oncology for JCO and a Professor of Medicine at Stanford University.  Today we are joined by Dr. Fumiko Chino, a Radiation Oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. In this episode, we will be discussing her Art of Oncology article, "Pet Therapy: How the Cat I Never Wanted Saved My Life."  At the time of this recording, our guest has no disclosures.  Fumiko, welcome to our podcast, and thank you for joining us. Dr. Fumiko Chino: Thank you so much for having me. I'm happy to be here to talk about my pet Franklin, but also to talk about how our animals care for us just as much as we care for them. Dr. Lidia Schapira: That's a beautiful thought. Let me first start by just expressing my sincere condolence over the loss of your husband. We have met so many times at medical meetings and have had a chance to talk about work, but this is really personal, so I just wanted to start our conversation by acknowledging that very important part. Dr. Fumiko Chino: Thank you. I think a lot of us are drawn to the field of oncology for one reason or another. Sometimes we're anchored by the experiences of our friends or our family members, or that one patient that you couldn't get out of your head in medical school. Mine, obviously, I think, started a little earlier than most with my husband's death, and it kind of drew me kicking and screaming into medicine and then into oncology. But against my sort of better angels, I ended up in oncology. The roots of this tree are strong, basically. Dr. Lidia Schapira: So let's talk a little bit about that and the experience of being a care partner, a caregiver, a caretaker. As a very young woman, I think you were an artist at the time, not in medical school. Can you bear to share with us a little bit about that part of your life, those years or months? Dr. Fumiko Chino: Sure. So I always say that caregivers are kind of the unpaid glue that keeps the US healthcare system together, functioning, working. And the caregiver experience and the burdens that caregivers have are sort of just barely being explored now within research. And I can certainly tell from my own personal experience that being a young caregiver was very challenging. My husband and I were both in our 20s. We were trying to establish our careers. We had a significant battle about his health insurance, which is a very common problem for young people. And even after he died from cancer, I actually was uninsured because I was on his health insurance. So it's hilarious for me now as a researcher who does research on access and equity and insurance that I myself was uninsured for, I think, about two years, actually.  But those burdens of caregiving, they're sort of physical exhaustion, they're mental exhaustion, but they're also emotional exhaustion. And it's sort of all of the above, all hands on deck when someone you love is sick. And I think it's part of when I shift into research mode or patient centered care mode, I always try to think about the complete picture for the person in front of me, which is also their spouse, their parent, their sister, sometimes their friend, who are also, I think, part of the journey of cancer, but often sort of unacknowledged. Dr. Lidia Schapira: Let's talk a little bit about that, the sort of the emotional side of caregiving. Yes, you talk about burdens and exhaustions, but what I read in your essay is also about the love and connection that you experienced during your husband's illness with him. And then this third party, the story is this adorable cat. Can you talk a little bit about that? All of the positive side, not the burdens of caretaking and caregiving, but the love and connection. Dr. Fumiko Chino: It's sort of shocking when you go through something critical together, how much that bonds you, how much it deepens your connection and your capacity for communicating effectively and making hard decisions. I always say my husband and I were only married for a year, essentially before he died. But it's like dog years. One year of cancer is sort of like seven normal people years. And so we had so much love and humor and insider jokes going through the experience. It's certainly never recommended for anyone. But I will say that it made me realize how much I did love my husband, how deeply connected we were.  And then this introduction of a small, fuzzy animal was something that I never realized that would make a difference for me personally, but that would carry me forward through my husband's illness and his death and kind of help me become the full me that I didn't even know I was supposed to be at the time we adopted Franklin. And then again, the love that we had together, our little tiny family unit, a cancer patient, a cancer caregiver, and a rescue cat. We were quite a cohort for as long as we lasted. Dr. Lidia Schapira: And the other incredible theme that emerges from your essay is the grief and the deep, deep grief that you experienced. How long did it take and how did you manage to climb out of that? Dr. Fumiko Chino: I mean, I'm still grieving, right? So that's the thing about grief, is that it changed shape and color, but it never really goes away. There's this phrase, time heals all wounds, and that's certainly not true. I think that the wound is different. It's not quite as raw, but I'm still grieving. But in terms of pulling myself out of the deep depression that I was in, it was years. I'll be honest. I was sort of groundless. I had no purpose. I feel this sometimes as an oncologist too, which is we feel that when our patient dies that we failed. I only had one job. It was to keep my husband alive, and I didn't do it. And so it took a long time to kind of rebuild myself and my personality when I had quit my job to take care of him. So it really was my only purpose. And then when that went away, it took a long time.  It's interesting to be on the other side of it now and to sort of think about, well, what are the lessons I can take away from that? To try to practice for myself truly patient centered care and to think  about everything that our patients and their caregivers really need to continue on because it's not an easy thing. Dr. Lidia Schapira: Let me just say this and that is that it is absolutely amazing that you have constructed sort of a professional persona from this experience, but it's also your experience and your story. And what I'm so deeply moved by and a little curious about is you're taking it to a story and bringing the narrative side to your professional community. It's not as if you wrote a story or journaled about this and shared it with your friends and family. You actually made yourself vulnerable in a way. And I just want to pick up on that a little bit more because clearly from where I sit, this makes a huge contribution to the discourse in oncology as well, to acknowledge the personal side, the emotional side, and make it a story. And so with that, I just wanted to ask you this. How long did it take or what was the process for this series of experiences that are so intense and emotional to become a story and something you could write? Dr. Fumiko Chino: That is such a good question. I will be honest to say that I didn't tell any stories at all about my husband having cancer until long after I decided to become an oncologist. And it was only when I was doing the research that I was doing in financial toxicity where I realized that story could make the message of the research more powerful. I knew always why I was doing the research. But having that deeply rooted, personal, let's be honest, terrible story, it could make it more meaningful, it could make it more understandable for people who hadn't personally experienced it. And so I think, similarly, realizing that the larger story of love and loss and of caregiving but also of how these funny things like pets that can make a difference for individuals and families, to develop that into a story that you could tell, again, a decade, to think about how that could turn around essentially into something that is not just a feeling, but is words and paragraphs.  Dr. Lidia Schapira: Yes. And it was obvious to me when I first read it, the beauty of the position that I have as an editor is that I'm the first reader, is that I felt that I felt the enormous amount of years that went into processing these feelings and then how skillfully you introduce the humor and through the character of the cat. And the cat going to fetch the candy wrappers and bringing them back. I mean, it's beautiful. One of the things Fumiko that I've so admired also about your work is your advocacy, your advocacy for trainees, your advocacy for inclusion and diversity, and your advocacy for pets. Tell us a little bit about how those strong commitments you have to bring people up and to sort of change things for the better are also deeply rooted in your lived experience. Dr. Fumiko Chino: I have in my life been incredibly privileged. I know this deeply. And I know that even the turning of round of my life from being a grieving cancer widow into being a physician today is deeply rooted in my privilege, from being from a medical family, from being from an educated family, from being from a family where everyone was expected to go to college and succeed in one way or the other. And so realizing that not everyone has that privilege of being able to overcome these obstacles because it's just a pile on. I think sometimes being able to provide that sponsorship and mentorship for other people has been just a strong pillar of my personal mandate for the physician that I wanted to be, for the researcher that I wanted to be. It's rooted from the fact that there's been some bad things that happened in my life, obviously, but my capacity for moving forward and reinventing myself is deeply rooted in my own privilege. Dr. Lidia Schapira: To bring this short conversation to a close, I wonder if you can reflect a little bit on the role of art. I mean, every time I just see you, I think of art. There's a sort of an artistic aura about you, just the way you accessorize yourself and how you present yourself and all of the images that you choose to post. It's a very deliberate image. So tell us a little bit about both visual art but also stories and how you feel in your role as an academic oncologist they can humanize our culture, they can inspire, they can help, they can even inform research questions. I'd love to hear your thoughts about that. Dr. Fumiko Chino: Whenever I was in high school, I had these two great loves, and they were science and they were art. And unfortunately, I think I grew up in an era where you really did have to go one way or the other. And so for me, I chose art. And so I had a Bachelor's of Fine Arts. I was immersed deeply in the art world as a young adult and as a growing faculty. It was only cancer that kind of brought me into the science again. But having been immersed in art for so long, when I transitioned over to the more medical school residency, now as an attending, I never wanted to leave the art behind because it so deeply informs how we view the world. And I think that perspective, that shift that comes with looking at a new piece of art, it makes us all stronger observers and, I think, stronger communicators.  And we all approach art very differently. The example I'll give is that my husband was really into jazz, and I hate free jazz. It just drives me insane. Because for me, my question always is for a piece of art - so in this case, free jazz - what are they trying to communicate to me? And he said, “Well, that's not how I take it. I say, how would it feel to make this music? It's the actual mechanics of making the music and absorbing the music.” And that's how he interpreted that form of art. And I was just always like, “Oh, but I don't get what are they trying to tell me?” And I think that is also just incredibly amazing, that art communicates different things to different people. And it reminds me to take a break and to say, you know what, I feel so steadfast in my opinion that this is the right way of doing something and it could be that someone is going to take it in a totally different direction. Dr. Lidia Schapira: Let's end on a note on Franklin. Is Franklin still with you? Dr. Fumiko Chino: So I was happy to be recording this podcast now. So Franklin died last month.  Dr. Lidia Schapira: I'm so sorry. He died in my home with a home hospice vet. And it was really beautiful. It was exactly what I would want for myself if and when I go, to be surrounded by love and comfort. He was with me for 17 years. Obviously, got me through a lot. And it was a message to me how we could be doing better for our patients as well. He did have cancer, and he had cancer that was rapidly growing. And so that way of putting a bookend in our experiences with cancer, I feel like it was the last message that he gave me that that's the gift I could give to him. Dr. Lidia Schapira: Well, take care of yourself, please. Again, my condolences on losing Franklin. Thank you for your openness and for your willingness to share. So we are so fortunate to have you in our ranks. I'm very glad that you're doing what you're doing. Dr. Fumiko Chino: I appreciate the time to talk to you again. This message about a silly cat and his human, I think, certainly it's my story, but I know that many of our patients also have this deep connection with their animals and it really does carry them through some very dark nights.  Dr. Lidia Schapira: So until next time and thank you for joining me today in this very moving interview. Thank you for listening to JCO's Cancer Stories: The Art of Oncology, and for our listeners, don't forget to give us a rating or review and be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode. You can find all of the ASCO Shows at asco.org/podcast. Until next time. The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. This is not a substitute for professional medical care and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of individual conditions.  Guests on this podcast express their own opinions, experience and conclusions. Guest statements on the podcast do not express the opinions of ASCO. The mention of any product, service, organization, activity or therapy should not be construed as an ASCO endorsement.   Show Notes: Like, share and subscribe so you never miss an episode and leave a rating or review.  Guest Bio:  Dr. Fumiko Chino is a Radiation Oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

My guest, the founder of Delta Omega Gamma is a national organization whose purpose is to design and implement full-time pet therapy dog programs on all college campuses.Their programs engage students, faculty, and staff to educate, train, and certify them with their dogs to become pet therapy teams.The primary purpose of his program is to provide colleges with an inclusive and resolute team of pet therapists on the college campus to address the mental well-being of students, faculty, and staff. My guess is the author of “A Tail of Love, Life Lessons from Scrappy, a Pet Therapy Dog” which chronicles many of her life saving stories. https://www.atailoflove.com/http://www.yourlotandparcel.org

My guests this week are Drs. Kelly Yanek and Michel Kinderman. I was truly excited to learn more about their dual therapist model where they see each client together—two therapists with a single client. They described how this approach keeps them interested and engaged at work, and makes them look forward to Monday mornings. I think you'll find this conversation as fascinating as I did. Topics we discussed included: Kelly and Michele's unique Dual Therapist Model (DTM) of psychotherapy What led my guests to the DTM Burning out as a therapist The advantages of the DTM Having a real-time witness to the best and hardest moments in therapy The finances of doing therapy with two therapists The very different experience of having another therapist in the room The rewarding aspects of practicing with a fellow clinician Important considerations when choosing a co-therapist The continual work of being open and honest with one's dual therapy partner Navigating the complex relational dynamics in DTM My own interest in a dual therapist approach How to get started in the DTM Kelly and Michele's DTM training program Michele Kinderman, PhD, is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and co-founder of Wellness Outside the Box. For nearly two decades, she's been successfully treating children and adults struggling with trauma, depression, anxiety, relationship conflict, parenting issues, and the stresses of everyday life. Michele combines the more traditional therapies (cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, insight oriented therapy) with music, movement, and nature to assist clients in building their strengths and achieving their goals. She also loves animals and offers Pet Therapy. To maintain balance and serenity in her own life, she enjoys hiking, rock climbing, skateboarding, dancing, and spending time with her husband, two sons, and the family dog Zippy. Kelly Yanek, PsyD, is a nationally certified School Psychologist and the other founder of Wellness Outside the Box. Kelly has had a love for the outdoors since she was a little girl climbing trees and exploring nature, and she's been incorporating this passion for nature and adventure into her work since her career began. In addition to her certification as a school psychologist, Kelly has specialized training in adventure-based counseling and the technical skills of high and low ropes/adventure courses. She's also a certified yoga instructor. She takes great pride in the progress and success of her clients, and looks forward to helping you. In her free time, you can find Kelly traveling, enjoying the beach, practicing yoga, running, cycling or swimming, and most of all, spending time with her family and friends. Discover more about Kelly and Michelle and the Dual Therapist Model by visiting their website.

Angela Gordon, MSW, Lead Coordinator in the Volunteer Services Department at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, discusses the Pet Friends Volunteer Program at the Hospital and how dogs can bring joy and comfort to patients, families, and staff in the hospital setting.

Amber Miller from the Hillman Cancer Center joins Larry and Marty to discuss their pet therapy program and what kind of events they have.

Do you let your pets lick your dishes when you're done? Ever wonder if you and your pets share gut bugs? What's the best food to support your pet and their microbiome? Recent research has confirmed this phenomenon and it's benefits.  Dr. Chris Bessent is a veterinary doctor, owner of 2 pet food companies and a pet supplement company. In this episode of The Health Fix Podcast, Dr. Jannine Krause and Dr. Chris Bessent talk all about pet microbiomes, the gut health axis and what's really in your pet's food. What You'll Learn in The Show: Why it's common for dogs to have GI issues How your dog's microbiome reflects yours Why Milk Bones are like Snickers Bars for dogs Freeze dried duck necks and beef livers are great snacks for dogs What's really in your dog's food? Why chemicals found in spoiled meat are allowed in higher amounts in dog food & these chemicals aka biogenic amines can be tested! If dog food says any type of “meal” it could have meat from diseased and dying animals Anxiety in your pet can be a microbiome issue Excessive carbohydrate consumption causes pancreatitis in dogs because they don't have pancreatic amylase   Resources from the Show: Microbiome of dog reflects owner's microbiome - new study on Elderly pet owners  List of Pet Foods that are safe - Susan Thixton - The Truth About Pet Food - https://truthaboutpetfood.com/ - https://truthaboutpetfood.com/the-list/ (It's a paid list - proceeds go to pet consumer advocacy- Dr. Chris's products are on this list.) Medicus Veterinary Diets - whole foods for pets with illnesses Simple Food Project - Food & Treats for Cats & Dogs Herb Smith Inc - Herbs and supplements for your pets

We all love our furry friends, but did you know that pet therapy is actually supported by science? We sit down to chat with Dr. Mark Sullivan, the handler of therapy dog Stella, as well as senior Grace Phillips about what pet therapy is, what kind of traits make an animal good at animal therapy, who benefits from pet therapy, and what Grace's research about animal therapy has found.Make sure to visit the Wellness Center on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11am to 1pm to visit Stella, and keep posted with other pet therapy events around campus!

Do you love animals and pets? You're not alone! A 2021-2022 survey conducted by the American Pet Products Association (APPA) 70% found households own a pet. Among the 70%, there are 69 million U.S. households that own a dog compared to 45.3 million households that own a cat. According to Forbes 78% of pet owners acquired pets during the pandemic compared to only 17% of pet owners adopting a new pet before 2020. Why do we love our pets so much? Animals serve as a source of unconditional love, support, and comfort. They reduce loneliness, increase feelings of social support, and boost mood. Plus, pets decrease stress and anxiety, improve heart health and help children with emotional and social skills. On today's episode I'm talking with two animal experts who will share their passion for pets. My first guest is animal communicator, psychic, and medium Nancy Mello. Then I'll be talking with pet therapy dog advocate Larry Grogan. They are going to help you learn how to better understand and connect with your pets and even inspire you to learn how to work with your pet to help others.

Do you love animals and pets? You're not alone! A 2021-2022 survey conducted by the American Pet Products Association (APPA) 70% found households own a pet. Among the 70%, there are 69 million U.S. households that own a dog compared to 45.3 million households that own a cat. According to Forbes 78% of pet owners acquired pets during the pandemic compared to only 17% of pet owners adopting a new pet before 2020. Why do we love our pets so much? Animals serve as a source of unconditional love, support, and comfort. They reduce loneliness, increase feelings of social support, and boost mood. Plus, pets decrease stress and anxiety, improve heart health and help children with emotional and social skills. On today's episode I'm talking with two animal experts who will share their passion for pets. My first guest is animal communicator, psychic, and medium Nancy Mello. Then I'll be talking with pet therapy dog advocate Larry Grogan. They are going to help you learn how to better understand and connect with your pets and even inspire you to learn how to work with your pet to help others.

From guide dogs to petting farms - there is such a wide choice for those who want to learn about animals and maybe have one as a pet. Studies show that individuals who have pets tend to show lower stress during tests. But how does a pet help a person to feel safe, secure, and calmer? We are going to talk just about that in this short and sweet episode. Do you have a pet? What do you like doing with your big or little pet? Can you suppress a smile and an 'awww' when you see a cute baby animal? Maybe this is what you need to feel better! But remember: a pet is not an object and it's for life. As long as you are capable of looking after it, giving it love and attention, your pet will be glad to stay very close to you and (depending on the type of animal) enjoy your cuddles, just like the burrowing owl in the photo!

Pet Therapy, Part 2, Show NotesIn this episode of the Motor City Hypnotist Podcast, we are talking about animal therapy.And I'm also going to be giving listeners a FREE HYPNOSIS GUIDE!  Stay tuned!INTRODUCTIONFIND ME:My Website: https://motorcityhypnotist.com/podcastMy social media links: Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/motorcityhypnotist/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCjjLNcNvSYzfeX0uHqe3gATwitter: https://twitter.com/motorcityhypnoInstagram: motorcityhypnoFREE HYPNOSIS GUIDEhttps://detroithypnotist.convertri.com/podcast-free-hypnosis-guidePlease also subscribe to the show and leave a review.(Stay with me as later in the podcast, I'll be giving away a free gift to all listeners!)WINNER OF THE WEEK;  NFL player helps domestic violence survivors with petshttps://www.msn.com/en-us/health/health/nfl-player-helps-domestic-violence-survivors-with-pets-they-have-nowhere-to-go/ar-AA12G4WzTOPIC INTRODUCTIONWhat is Animal Therapy?Animal-assisted therapy is known to have many positive effects on patients of all ages.  Research shows that animal therapy can lower stress and anxiety levels, improve blood pressure, increase patient mobility, and provide an alternative focus from pain.HistoryBenefitspet therapy can decrease:•        stress levels•        BP•        pain•        fatigue•        anxiety•        fear•        isolation•        loneliness.Pet therapy has also been shown to improve patient satisfaction, energy levels, self-esteem, and mood, as well as decrease depression. Pet therapy can also be beneficial for family members and other visitors. Therapy Dogs vs. Service Dogs vs. Emotional Support AnimalsTHERAPY DOGSTherapy dogs are trained to provide social or therapeutic interaction with various populations in need of emotional, physical, or psychological support. Therapy dogs are not included under the American Disabilities Act. Petting and contact are what therapy dogs are all about.SERVICE DOGSService dogs are trained to perform specific behaviors to assist an individual owner with activities of daily living. These dogs have access to public places and transportation under the American Disabilities Act. Petting service dogs are discouraged while they are assisting their owners.EMOTIONAL SUPPORT DOGSEmotional Support Dogs provide affection and companionship for individuals with various mental or emotional conditions. An emotional support dog is not trained to perform specific behaviors to assist with a disability. Emotional Support Dogs are not included under the American Disabilities Act.Top 4 Therapy Animals1.        Dogs2.        Horses3.        Cats4.        RabbitsNEXT EPISODE: Animal Therapy, Part 2Change your thinking, change your life!Laugh hard, run fast, be kind.  David R. Wright MA, LPC, CHTThe Motor City HypnotistNEXT EPISODE: Change your thinking, change your life!Laugh hard, run fast, be kind.  David R. Wright MA, LPC, CHTThe Motor City Hypnotist

Pet Therapy in the Post Pandemic World Have a Question for the Show? Or post on FB Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roarworks/ http://www.laurarowleyhealer.com For readings or workshops: Office number 352-369-5993…Assistant, Karen

Ever wondered what it would be like to use your cat as a therapy animal? Pet Partners works to improve human health and wellness through animal assisted therapy. There are thousands of registered teams, making more than 3 million visits annually. The pets visit patients in recovery, people with intellectual disabilities, seniors living with Alzheimer's, veterans with PTSD, people approaching end of life, and more. Tune in to learn how to get certified with your outgoing cat.

Ever wondered what it would be like to use your cat as a therapy animal? Pet Partners works to improve human health and wellness through animal assisted therapy. There are thousands of registered teams, making more than 3 million visits annually. The pets visit patients in recovery, people with intellectual disabilities, seniors living with Alzheimer's, veterans with PTSD, people approaching end of life, and more. Tune in to learn how to get certified with your outgoing cat.

You don't think of puppy kisses and wagging tails as medicine, but it can be! Studies show Fido is not only a distraction for patients in pain, but a way to ease stress and lower blood pressure. We'll take you inside the hospital's pet therapy program.

Our guest today, Kim Cohen, refers to herself as a Nerdy Lit Professor. Mom.  Neurodiversity, DEI, & UDL advocate. Like many people, it took time for Kim to discover that she was a person who possessed ADHD. While you get to hear Kim's story of the discovery of this characteristic, what is more, important is how she decided to handle her life.   In every way, Kim is what she calls a perpetual learner not only about things around her but also about herself and her abilities.  Dr. Cohen not only traversed the corridors of education, but now she gives back as a teacher helping others to discover the value of unstoppable learning.   About the Guest: Nerdy Lit Professor. Mom.  Neurodiversity, DEI, & UDL advocate.  Dogs over cats, always. Gryffindor rules!  Chocolate above all else.  Recovering perfectionist and unapologetic introvert. As a child, Kim Cohen lost entire days reading books and dodging her mom's pleas to play outside.  Her voracious love of learning and books meant she had seven different majors in college and didn't stop there.  She earned a Ph.D. in Literature, focusing on the intersections of culture, class, gender, and food.   She believes in the power that stories of all kinds have to heal, connect, and inspire.    Dr. Cohen currently teaches elementary education and special education teacher candidates and graduate students at Western Governors University, but her start in the field of education was as a paraprofessional and a writing tutor.  She works across the college and university to support faculty development, especially around areas of DEI, reduce institutional inefficiency, and champion inclusive curriculum and differentiated instruction.  She has published work academically and creatively.   Dr. Cohen also serves on multiple school district committees in her community, including the Home Learning Committee and Health & Wellness Committee, bringing her deep commitment to ensuring education meets the needs of 21st-century diverse learners.    After a long stint in the midwest, she returned to live in her home state of New York, setting down roots in the Hudson Valley with her husband, her teenage son, her rescued dog, and a small flock of chickens.  She spends her spare time crocheting, cooking, trying not to kill the plants in her garden, and falling down random learning rabbit holes. Her theme for herself this year is “accommodate” (building accommodations for herself in the ways that she does for others).  Her bedside table always has at least one Brené Brown book on it.         About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.   Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is an Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards.   https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/   accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/       Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!   Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app.   Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.     Transcription Notes Michael Hingson  00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i  capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson  01:20 Well, hi there. Welcome to another episode of unstoppable mindset. Yep, we're back. Once again. We appreciate you being here. Thanks very much. Hope you enjoy what we have to talk about today. We are meeting with Kim Cohen and gee What can I say about Kim? Well, let me tell you what she says the first thing in her bio says she's a nerdy lit professor. I don't think it gets any better than that. She's a mom. She also says dogs over cats. I suspect that you'd get some disagreement on that Kim but especially from the cats. But Kim, welcome to unstoppable mindset.   Kim Cohen  01:59 Thank you so much, Michael, I'm really appreciate you inviting me on.   Michael Hingson  02:03 All right, what is this about a nerdy lit professor?   Kim Cohen  02:06 Well, I mean, I think I always loved stories. I mean, I grew up with my nose in a book, every single day, I think of my life. And just found you know, that there was always, you know, a place to discover. And, you know, when I went to college, ultimately, you know, my degree I focused, you know, in English, and then I just kept going by masters and my PhD and every time I have a chance to connect someone with a good book, I always tell   Michael Hingson  02:45 nothing like reading good. Nothing like reading good books.   Kim Cohen  02:49 Right? Yeah, nothing like reading good books. And I'd love to play a book matchmaker like that is my that is one of my joys of my job.   Michael Hingson  02:57 I remember growing up and probably didn't play outside with other kids nearly as much as maybe I would have liked to. But I also just got very much involved in reading both fiction and nonfiction. Although I do like to read a lot of fiction. I think that fiction writers get to demonstrate a lot of imagination that sometimes we don't see a nonfiction in the same way. But reading is so much fun.   Kim Cohen  03:26 Yeah, agreed. I mean, I feel like there are stories that, that just change our lives. And there's just there's such magic in that, in that process, whether that story resonates with us because we feel seen, or because we get to see into something that maybe we didn't understand. I know, as an adult, I read a book. I was in my early 40s. And it was the first time I had really seen a character that was like me that had a similar background in terms of, you know, coming from an interfaith family and where they're the one side of the family was Sephardic Jew, and the other was, you know, not and it was, it was this odd. Like I was bawling. I was crying because I had never, as a kid seen a story like that, and it had the power to heal even, even then, even in my early 40s, which I which I think is is part of the magic of have a great story.   Michael Hingson  04:42 So you say that you had a diagnosis and there was a journey to get there. Can you tell me about that?   Kim Cohen  04:50 Yeah, absolutely. So I think you know, like a lot of women. Sometimes some of the diagnoses don't happen because we don't always follow the textbook, as as well as other ways that sometimes things get defined. I also was a definitely a child of the 80s. So a lot of things were just like, she has a nervous tummy. But once the sort of pandemic hit, I think a lot of the the carefully structured plans, I had my systems that kept me organized all fell apart. And I didn't really understand what was going on. But sort of at the same time, I was learning a lot about my child's diagnoses. And a lot of things felt super familiar. Like, I was like, wow, I've really resonate with this meme from this ADHD group, or I'm really feeling some of these, these strategies or struggles that I'm reading about. And it really was this, like, almost parallel path of me learning about my kiddo, and then starting to have this dawning resolute realization about my own journey. And where, you know, I, I definitely have that neurodiverse neuro divergence brain where things get super sparkly, but you know, there were things where I just thought I just didn't have my act together, and realize later, no, it's, it's not that, like, I don't need to kind of see that as a source of shame. My brain just works a little differently. And I need to, I need to learn how to exist with it, not in a constant struggle, trying to make it work in a way that it doesn't, it doesn't want to work, it's just not how it was. And that's not how it's wired. And I found myself, you know, saying things to my kiddo that I wanted him to embody, like, don't beat yourself up over this, like, this isn't, you know, this is just, we just need this fix, or just need to think about it in this way. And started to really think about how I could you know, also kind of take my own advice, and not beat myself up for losing my keys again, or my glasses again. And that it's definitely been a journey, you know, and and same with, you know, better understanding my anxiety and how that impacts me and what I need to do to kind of just, you know, generally stay healthy and not let it overtake.   Michael Hingson  07:32 So your ADHD?   Kim Cohen  07:35 I, yes, I have ADHD, I have anxiety. I definitely struggled with depression, I noticed. My anxiety is at its worst, when my ADHD is not under control. There's there's definitely an intermingling there. What?   Michael Hingson  07:53 What does it mean, I guess, or what are the manifestations of ADHD that you recognize? And I guess that's what your your son also has? Sort of the same? The same kind of experiences?   Kim Cohen  08:05 Yeah, I mean, I think, you know, I mean, I think there's, it manifests, I think, slightly different. And everyone, as you know, any diagnosis, um, you know, for me, I always describe myself as having a super sparkly brain. So I have a lot of ideas. I'm always somebody who, like, if you ask for, like, hey, what's the way to figure this thing out? I have, like, at best, like, 13 different plans to get there. But but it can also mean that like, when I'm excited about something, I'm hyper focused, and I will work on that project much too, and let a lot of other things fall away. And if I'm not interested in it, I will put it off, you know, so I have a hate hate relationship with laundry, because there's no part of me that likes it. No part of me that finds it interesting. And I would rather be doing anything.   Michael Hingson  09:09 You're probably pretty normal in that regard. But yes,   Kim Cohen  09:11 yes. But like, you know, it's, it's, it's, uh, it definitely has an has an impact, you know, losing things for me is, you know, my glasses, my keys, for getting my keys in weird places, I think is definitely a part of it. But also, I think one of the things that I didn't realize was a, like, a part of the whole way in which attention works and focus works is, you know, when you call and you have to listen to the message, and I'll say like, press one for this, press two for this. And while I'm waiting, my brain starts to do other things and starts to think on other ways of, you know, I don't know maybe it's what's for dinner. or maybe it's like what I'm going to do later, maybe it's what, you know, a call I have later on in the day, and, and then all of a sudden I hear press Star to repeat this message, and I've missed everything. And it's a pretty much, it's a guarantee that that's going to happen every single time. So just learning to, you know, be gentle with myself that those are the kinds of things that I'm regularly gonna kind of have to just repeat and not to beat myself up over it.   Michael Hingson  10:30 So you have learned, or working out learning not to beat yourself up and to recognize kind of what's going on.   Kim Cohen  10:41 Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I think that has been the biggest journey for me, is really giving myself some grace, you know, really thinking about okay, would I give my kiddo grace in this situation? What I give someone else grace, who, you know, is telling me this story, then what, what can I do for myself? And so one of the things that I'm really strong at as an educator, as a parent, is differentiation, which is essentially like, hey, let's take this thing we're trying to teach someone, but make it work for them. Like, what what, how can we switch things up in the way we talk about it, or the way that we do it, or a tool or a process, so that it's equally accessible by all, and I'm great, I'm making accommodations for my students, for friends for my kiddo. And this year, I'm like, Okay, let's, let's try to extend that accommodation to yourself. So that I'm not constantly setting myself up for feeling like, um, you know, I'm not doing what I should be doing. And instead, just building those accommodations into my life, so that I don't, I just, I'm not beating myself up, or I'm not like doubting myself or, you know, creating some friction, that's just completely unnecessary. When I could just put in a tool or a process or another notification for myself, or whatever it is, so that I can stay on track.   Michael Hingson  12:21 I have maintained for many years, that we are always our own worst critics. And we tend not to, we tend not to allow ourselves, as you would call it, the grace of making mistakes. And learning from the mistakes, we beat ourselves up. But then we don't tend to take the next step. And look at, well, what, what was really the problem? What did I do wrong? What could I do better? Or even if I did it exactly right? And not dwell forever? On my gosh, how could it have been better, but at least look at? How might I have improved it? Okay, I see what else I could even do to make it better and then move on. And the moving on part is what's really always a problem.   Kim Cohen  13:11 Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I think one of the, I suppose, unintentional gifts of something like ADHD is like you fail a lot. You're dropping the ball. And so you have so many learning opportunities to figure out what's working. And I know that something I bring with me in my teaching, it's something I bring with me in my parenting. And I'm really trying to give that to myself to like, okay, hey, you have this plan, and it didn't work. What can we do next time? What? What's a different way to set this up? What's the time when it did go? Well, why did it work then? And not? You know, today, but that that powerful piece of self reflection is so critical?   Michael Hingson  14:03 Yeah. And that's probably the hardest thing to do. Because your brain is going in so many different directions. But for everyone, it's the most important thing we can do.   Kim Cohen  14:12 Right? Yes, absolutely. I mean, I think that there's a there's a power in that, in that self reflection, especially if we can move past the self reflection that's berating like, there you go, again, doing XYZ forgetting your best friend's birthday. And instead, really thinking about well, yep, that happened. And I let this person down. What can I do next time? Can I put it in my calendar right now for next year? What can I do to you know, maybe not make that or maybe it's not that big of a deal? You know, maybe my best friend knows I'm always going to forget her birthday. And she does. Yeah,   Michael Hingson  14:55 which still would be great if you if you didn't, and I hear exact Do what you're saying. I know that it is sometimes easy for me to forget, it's out of sight out of mind, right. And my favorite example of out of sight out of mind, which is a little different, but we buy lots of boxes of Thin Mints every year from the Girl Scouts, which is, of course, as good as it gets. But we put them in the freezer. And I have had boxes of Thin Mints in the freezer for over a year, people would say that sacrilegious, but hey, no, there's more for next time. But But the issue is they're, they're out of sight. Mm hmm. And so for me out of sight of courses, and just out of visual sites, and since I'm not going to see them anyway, but they're not where I can touch them necessarily. And unless I go hunt for them in the freezer, remember them, they're, they're really not there. But other things, as you said, like events and so on. For me, the Amazon Echo device has become a wonderful thing, because I've made it a habit, and I've had to work at it. But I've made it a habit, that when I schedule something, or if something occurs, and I want to be reminded of it in six months, I'll create a reminder right now, just to make sure that I don't have to well, and that's the the operative part, I then I don't have to worry about it. Because I know I'll get reminded,   Kim Cohen  16:20 right, and I think there's there's I mean, I I've use the echo device a lot for those reminders in our family. Because it's, it's, it's so helpful. And then also as a parent, like then it's not me making the reminder, it's this external voice. And so that I can remove a little bit of power struggle sometimes. But anytime I can build that accommodation in is a is a real win, because the weight of being afraid that I'm going to forget something. And being afraid that yet again, I'm going to forget something can can be sometimes more debilitating than the actual forgetting of it. And so really trying to when I can, you know, build those accommodations in and not and not judge myself, you know, for needing you know, multiple reminders or, you know, it needs to have something on the calendar plus I need to write it down. Plus, you know, the Echo has to remind me, and so all of those things might need to be, you know, in place for me to just keep keep on track.   Michael Hingson  17:34 Yep. And it works. How old is your son?   Kim Cohen  17:37 He is 14 and a half. Yes. So he's a ninth grader right now in high school, which is, you know, it's a whole journey. Parenting a teen there are no, there are no manuals, unfortunately. For that stage.   Michael Hingson  17:54 Yeah, no one has written the book.   Kim Cohen  17:57 No, not at all.   Michael Hingson  17:59 But it's a great age. I remember High School and, and had a lot of fun. I had some great teachers, I even keep in touch with one of them regularly and even even today, and definitely enjoy it. So it's really a lot of fun.   Kim Cohen  18:17 Yeah, I mean, I think that it's being a teenager now is really complex in ways that I certainly don't remember. It was complex. I know as a, as a kid, I was really shy, painfully shy, painfully introverted. And I didn't kind of come into my own, you know, for some time, I took a long time to blow. And so I you know, I think sometimes that's, that's challenging. And for my kiddo, he's autistic is ADHD couple of learning disabilities. And so there's definitely challenges, you know, it's hard enough to pick up on social cues. And then sometimes when you you know, have these other factors, it can be even more challenging in those in those spaces, and then you know, thinking about you know, all the things that you're learning all the different subjects and keep this test in mind or that test in mind on top of it all, it's just it can be a lot.   Michael Hingson  19:21 Well, yes, but on the other hand, nothing a dog won't help right.   Kim Cohen  19:26 Rest. Yes, absolutely. Absolutely. Pet Therapy and we have a couple of chickens as well and they are there. They are there to assist as well.   Michael Hingson  19:38 Do they interact much?   Kim Cohen  19:40 My son is the primary caregiver of the chickens so we keep the dog separate for the chickens. Um, but for for my kiddo, the chickens have been great. You know, we got our chickens when he was about five or six And, you know, thinking it would be, you know, not only something he's really great with animals, but but it was also really nice to support him in developing some of those executive functioning skills in a real real world way like the so remember to take them out, he has to make time for that in the morning, he has to remember to collect the eggs. And then it's also a little business for him on the sides, we collect the eggs, he sells the eggs to Yeah, to our neighbors and things like that. And so that's definitely been, you know, a really nice confidence booster, I think for him and in a way for him to kind of build some of those build some of those skills.   Michael Hingson  20:44 Nothing like learning responsibility the hard way. Just doing it.   Kim Cohen  20:49 Right. Yes, yes.   Michael Hingson  20:52 What kind of dog   Kim Cohen  20:54 is she is a rescue dog. So we got her, our previous dog had passed away in the kind of early on in the pandemic. And so we had got a rescue dog. She's a mix, probably some sort of mixed Shepherd on the smaller side. But she came with a lot of trauma, as many rescue dogs too. But you know, she is she's really coming into her own now, which is really great to see. And she's so much more confident and has so much less anxiety but I think she she landed in the perfect family because we're we all have our all of our things here. And so we're super accommodating of you know, whatever it is that she that she needs and her little you know, her quirks and things like that.   Michael Hingson  21:45 Now, my dog, my guide, dog Alamo would love to meet your chickens. I am sure he would, he would go up and make friends. The chickens may not like it, but he would love to go make friends.   Kim Cohen  21:56 Yeah, our previous dog Sadie, her and the chickens got along just great. You know, she was a pretty low key dog, especially as she got older. Our current dog Luna still has a very fierce prey drive. And so she's you know, we're we're working on at least you know, her thinking that they're, you know, friends not food. In   Michael Hingson  22:24 alimos case, you just don't want to get the eggs near his tail, they'd go flying. Yes. For sure. Yeah, he's, he has never met a stranger no matter what it is. And, and that's, that's the kind of dog I would always like to have. I think that that the dog does take on somewhat the and should take on somewhat the personality of the person who is its primary caregiver. And it's always good to set rules. And so that works out pretty well. Well, in your case, you went on to college, though, and I guess that all went well. So you're still here?   Kim Cohen  23:04 I am. Yes, yes. I mean, I, in many ways. I feel like I'm like the perpetual student. I love learning new things. I'm, I think that's like part of that ADHD brain. I always am, you know, never far away from like, obsessing on some new learning that I can do, whether it's like, I need to learn everything about this new crochet technique, or, like everything I need to know about planting fruit trees, or everything I need to know about, you know, some home maintenance thing. So I mean, I am kind of like that perpetual student, I always tell my students, so I have I teach at a university and all my students are teacher candidates that you're, you know, my rule for myself is I know, I'm done with teaching when I don't love learning anymore. Because I can't, I can't teach others to love learning if I stop my love of learning.   Michael Hingson  24:11 So you, you definitely have gone through a process. And so you, you did you go straight into advanced degrees and get a master's in a PhD?   Kim Cohen  24:24 I did. Yeah. So I, my undergraduate I had a lot of majors before I settled in seven majors. Before I settled in creative writing, and my creative writing and Fine Arts degree was made with a promise to my parents. I'd go for a graduate degree. And so I I knew kind of right away that I would go into a program I didn't actually get accepted initially when I applied for PhD programs. And so I had to kind of quickly read like retarded path and went into a master's program. Got that and then was able to go on to a PhD program.   Michael Hingson  25:12 And how did you get involved in starting to teach?   Kim Cohen  25:17 Well, I mean, I think, you know, after I had my master's that was, you know, I always knew that I wanted to teach. I started off, you know, always either being a tutor or one of my first kind of jobs that paid well, in college was as a paraprofessional, so I knew I wanted to be, you know, a teacher. And one of the things that I really enjoyed in college was just some of those deeper conversations that that we can have. And part of my degree programs were, you know, like, they're like, Okay, well, you're here, you're, you know, we're paying for part of your tuition or part of your package. So you teach as well. And so I just, I kind of haven't looked back, I did take a little bit of a break, after graduating, because I just couldn't frankly, find full time work. There was so many hiring freezes. And I served as an instructional designer, which was great, because that's a huge passion of mine. So really designing learning paths for students, and working with, you know, different departments and programs for those things. But then, you know, when WSU really started hiring, I just kind of fell in love with their mission and who their students were, and haven't looked back since.   Michael Hingson  26:50 Well, tell me a little bit about W GU, what it is, and anything you can about the program? Well, W GU is Western Governors University.   Kim Cohen  27:00 Yeah, Western Governors University. So I, when I started looking for, you know, full time work full time teaching work. And I saw that they were remote, which really appealed to me at that time, like, my commute was an hour, both ways over a mountain and a bridge. And I really was not happy with that commute. So I'm not commuting. It was a huge appeal to me. And then as I started to really learn more about it, who their students were, most of them are, you know, adult learners. returning to school, they might have had some college credit, most of them are working, they have families. And I just, I was hooked instantly. I remember as a kid, that was in like fifth grade, where my mom went back to school when she went back to college. And I remember that kind of family meeting we had. And, you know, she had told my brother and I that her goal was to graduate college before I graduated college. And I couldn't, you know, as a little fifth grader couldn't conceive of someone having a goal, like that far into the future. And she did end up graduating one semester before I graduated high school. But I thought, gosh, you know, if mom would have had a school like this, where she could have gone at her own pace, you know, in her own home where she wasn't bound by, oh, I can only do this, you know, two nights out of the week, because I've got my kids and I've got, you know, work and I've got this and I've got that, how life changing that would have been. And that really was such a draw. For me, I had, I had always done a lot of work with adult learners, but really being able to dedicate my entire career focus to them, meant meant a lot. And so, right now, at Western Governors, I'm in the teacher's college. So all my students are, you know, going on to get either, you know, they're trying to be their elementary teachers or special ed teachers. And, and I just, I love it, I have such a big teacher heart, and I just could always talk to students about, you know, learning and how do you how do you foster that love of learning? How do you help kids to write and read and that's, that's been one of my, you know, really, really proud things that I've had is really being able to kind of, I don't know, just like help help form the next generation of teachers.   Michael Hingson  29:49 So the, the question that the question kind of that comes to mind is, there are a lot of students at WVU.   Kim Cohen  30:00 And it's all online. Right? Yes. 100% Online, and it   Michael Hingson  30:04 goes from? Well, it's a four year college and does graduate work also? Yes. So it means that the students have to be disciplined enough to undertake the studies. And yes, they do it at their own pace. But it still is a discipline that, that they have to learn to make sure that they do the classes and do the homework and all the other things, as opposed to being in a in an environment where you're a little bit more forced to do it. Because you're in a physical location, don't you think?   Kim Cohen  30:42 Right. Yes, no, absolutely. And I think, you know, I think one of the challenges in any remote program is, you know, how do you build community, so folks stay engaged and connected and motivated? How do you build in supports, so that if a student is struggling, they have pathways to you know, get assistance, and, you know, all of those things, and especially, you know, in the midst of a pandemic, those factors are even, you know, more exacerbated when we think about, you know, a lot of my students, for example, are their paraprofessionals, their aides, classroom assistants, they're their bus drivers, they're in the school system. And right now, you know, even still, you know, there's a lot of shortages, teacher shortages, sub shortages, Bus Driver shortages. And so you know, they're stretched to the max. And so really helping them to find those support structures, and to get the assistance that they need. Is is a challenge. I think one of the things that I really love about Whu Oh, is that it does have a very student centered approach. And we're constantly asking ourselves, what can we do better? What does it look like to leverage this technology, this system to better support our students, and whether that's, you know, we, we have this new initiative for study halls, so students can come into a, it's effectively like kinda like a quiet Zoom Room, like a study hall where they can just get work done, they can share out each other's goals, celebrate each other. But it's, it's this space that allows adult learners to throw it on their calendar and say, Yes, Mom is studying right now, from seven to nine, and close the door. And it it feels now like secrets, anytime that they can commit to where before, it's like the dishes might be calling, or this kiddo needs a snack? Or what about this, or all these other competing demands that they might have in their life. And I think that's the part that I've always really loved about Wu is that it's, it's just constantly looking for ways to meet our students where they're at, and build the structures so that they can so they can shine.   Michael Hingson  33:15 So do you think that the whole experience of doing such a tremendous amount of online education and online work, perhaps helped you and helps your students, in some ways deal with what's been going on during the pandemic, when now suddenly, everyone was thrust so much into doing things online?   Kim Cohen  33:39 Yeah, I mean, interestingly, like, I had a lot of conversations with students about that, you know, were there they would say, like, you know, we wouldn't just talk about what the course was about, you know, that I was helping them with through whatever content or concepts, but directly to about, you know, managing Google Classroom, or how do you share this out? Or how would you handle, you know, this issue? Or how can I make this more accessible to more of my students? And I think one of the things that I really tried to do is draw a straight line, an explicit line for students, do you see this thing I'm doing right now, this is how I'm modeling to you this process. So when you're in the classroom, you can do something similar? And so you know, I mean, I think good teaching, especially of teacher candidates, we're not just teaching content, we're always modeling what is it to, to do good teaching, what are the best practices in the field and trying to mark those moments for them? Is is critical.   Michael Hingson  34:50 Yeah, it's, it's really interesting to listen, for me, at least to all the people who complain about zoom fatigue. and having to spend so much time on Zoom, they can't be in the office. When, in reality, yes, I understand that. And I understand the value of personal contact, close physical contact, if you will, but still doing what we can do with all the technological advances that we have today offers us so many opportunities to go in different directions that can enhance our lives. And we sort of missed some of that, I think,   Kim Cohen  35:34 yes, you know, I mean, I think that's the thing that I, you know, come come back to a lot is that, it, it gives so many of our students the opportunity to come back to school, when their lives, or frankly, their location, they might be to rural, there might not be a school nearby them. And, and so it really gives them the opportunity to come back to school, and allow that, and I know even from, you know, our own family experience, my son loves remote loved it, preferred it, he felt like he could actually learned because he wasn't getting as distracted by whether it's, you know, some of the social things, peer conflicts, or like the 1000, little noises and distractions that happen in a classroom. And I think it really gave him a little bit of a break, to learn how he learns, and reset and think about, oh, this is the strategy that I wasn't picking up on before. And now, you know, he's been able to, you know, he's like, made high honor roll almost, you know, for the entire time during, you know, on Zoom. And so I think it it gave him gave him a window into what he could do, and gave him some time to learn in a very focused way without some of those other, you know, distractions, whatever, you know, those like typical kids stuff, peer conflicts, bus drama, things like that.   Michael Hingson  37:12 Is he is he back to learning in the classroom? Is he back to physical school?   Kim Cohen  37:16 Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Our district is back, you know, in person. And so, you know, I mean, of course, then that means, you know, all those, all those typical kid dramas are, are definitely there, but he's been able to carry with him, you know, that learning, that learning about learning that he did, and, and he's been very successful. But I I'm so I'm ungrateful, you know, I know, not every kid did well, during the pandemic. And I know, in my district, we we were very attentive to, you know, making sure that, you know, some of the kids who maybe had some technical technology barriers, who maybe needed hotspots, and things like that we already have a pretty much a one to one for technology for our kids already. But, you know, really making sure that everyone's needs were met. I know, not every kid did well, in the pandemic, it happened to be, you know, my kid did, but I'm also very privileged and that I work from home. So if he was struggling, I was right there. I mean, I was working, you know, but I was still home. And it's not like he was, you know, 100% on his own.   Michael Hingson  38:31 Again, we're kind of learning to write the book on how to work more in an online virtual world. And I think it's a little bit unfortunate that probably too many people are just emphasizing the downsides of it, and not looking at some of the advantages that it can bring to help him in not only learning but just doing work in general,   Kim Cohen  38:56 right? Yes, absolutely. I mean, I think even even for myself working in a, in a remote way, like I, I don't, I'm not a confident driver, you know, I, I just I have a lot of traveling xiety. And so, you know, being able to just work from home is then one less kind of weight on me, because I can just, I can just go to work and I can focus on working, I don't have to worry about all of the things that go into traveling to a workplace. And so, you know, I think there's there's a lot to be said for it. But I think there's also a lot to be said for knowing what you need. If you're the kind of person who really gets a lot of energy from working in close proximity to others, like it's not going to be your jam, you probably shouldn't look for that in a job. Or make sure that you've got other plans outside of that to get that you know that input and fill your bucket in that way. For me, it's like the opposite. So I need to make sure I've got, you know, more quiet time to fill my bucket. And certainly, you know, being remote allows allows for some some of that,   Michael Hingson  40:17 well, there's some value in simply taking more quiet time. And I think that most all of us never take enough quiet time, even if it's maybe going to bed 10 minutes earlier and lying and meditating and just thinking about the day and then again, getting back to introspection about what worked, what didn't work, and so on. It isn't that hard to do. But it's a habit that seems to be very difficult to make really happen in most of our lives. But, you know, here's a question. If you could give every student a posted note to put on their desk, what would it say?   Kim Cohen  41:00 Yeah, so I am a big fan of the post it notes. First small little   Michael Hingson  41:05 work for me, but that's okay.   Kim Cohen  41:07 Well, yeah, I'm, I'm, I'm a big fan of as a as a as a as a way to remind myself of small things that I that I never want to lose sight of.   Michael Hingson  41:17 I wish I had been the inventor of the posted note. But yes, that's a different story.   Kim Cohen  41:22 Right? I mean, I think I would, I would have, you know, one thing that I would definitely put on there is, you know, never underestimate the magic of stories. I think sometimes we can get into the habit of maybe relying on books that we enjoyed as kids, but really seeing the power of story and, and looking for stories that can reflect the diversity in our classrooms, and giving students a window into other ways of being. So definitely never understand. Never underestimate the magic of stories will be one. Another thing that I always tell them, which would fit nicely on a post it is differentiation is the work of teaching. So sometimes folks can get into thinking that it's like extra, like, well, I have to do this extra thing for this learner who has this, you know, disability or this need? And, you know, I think we need to remember always that. It's always it's, they'll work there isn't anything other than that. And, and I would say, you know, the last piece that I always come back to is, you know, kind of like the secret sauce to being a good teachers, you just keep learning, keep reflecting. Always like never stop that. I always tell my students when they, you know, they'll sometimes apologize to me and say, Oh, I'm you know, I know, I'm overthinking. I'm overcomplicating it, and I just remind them like, well, you know, you got sorted into the right house here in Teachers College. We all kind of overthink and overcomplicate, but it actually serves you well in the field. And so you need to always be examining what went well, what didn't? Why did I fall on my face? Why did this not go as planned? How can I improve it for next time? And so you know, just remembering like, that is the secret sauce to   Michael Hingson  43:23 getting into the but at the end of those questions. Why was this successful? Why did it work this time?   Kim Cohen  43:29 Yeah, exactly. Yep, exactly what went well, why were more people engaged? How did this student who normally checks out check in what was it about this lesson or this, this assignment or this reading that we did all of those things, and helping them the students to make those connections and remind them like, oh, will remember last time? You? You did whatever it is. And you found that the problems were much more straightforward. So let's try that. So that we're modeling for the students how to build those. Those that recognition of how they learn of how they can, you know, regulate how they can own their own learning process.   Michael Hingson  44:23 Yeah, it isn't always where did we go wrong? Just like in the producers, where did we go, right?   Kim Cohen  44:28 Mm hmm. Yes, yes. But yes, but we are going to fall on our face, like Oh, sure, sure.   Michael Hingson  44:35 But it's also but it is also good to recognize the positives, and also use that recognition to say, can I even do better? Or did I do it right, and and that's as good as it gets. And that's okay, too.   Kim Cohen  44:51 Yeah. And I think the other thing too, is like not it's it's, it's recognizing the positives and recognizing also that like, sometimes your positives are going to be different. Like your milestones are going to be different than somebody else's milestones. And, you know, I think one of the greatest gifts that I have as as you know, being my kiddos parent is just like, his milestones were way different. Like, I remember texting friends, like, oh my gosh, like, he lied to me, this is such a huge thing for him. He's never lied to me before. Because for a kid who is honest to a fault, you know, and, and, realistically, socially, we all need the ability to do some little white lies, so we don't hurt people's feelings. It was a, it was a milestone, and I think we can, I think we can celebrate that sometimes our milestones might look different, and that's okay. And it's, it's, there's no, that, you know, what, what is a celebration for me as a teacher might be very different than for someone else with same as a parent or, you know, as an employee or something like that.   Michael Hingson  46:04 But on the other hand, if you had a big lie, what did you do about that?   Kim Cohen  46:10 We have a rule in my house that if my kiddo says to me, I have something to tell you. And don't get mad, that, that that is, that is the rule, I don't get mad. And so it gives me a little bit of time to center myself, and then we work on kind of figuring out, like, what happened, why what field that that piece? Like? Was, was he trying to solve it on his own? What can we learn from that process? But, you know, that being said, you know, I mean, sometimes there's consequences. Some, some lies, you know, me it's not, it's, it's not, um, you know, especially now at 14, we're not dealing with like, little things anymore. No problem. So.   Michael Hingson  47:01 But I like what you said. And I assume as some one of the things that you would say about, or to incoming teachers, or to anyone, never stop learning. I think that's extremely important. I learned early on. No, I've heard it several times. But I learned early on in a sales course that I took that as a person in sales, you you should always be learning. And the day you decide, you know, it all, that's the day you go to failure,   Kim Cohen  47:32 right? Yes, yes. Because they think it there's, there's always more to learn. And I think the the moment, we're stuck in that where we feel like we're done, then, you know, we're making assumptions. We're not, we're not fully treating maybe the other people in that we're interacting with as full people anymore. We think we've got it all figured out. And especially as teachers like you, you never, you never have everybody figured out.   Michael Hingson  48:07 And that's okay.   Kim Cohen  48:09 Yes. Yeah. And we shouldn't I like, I think that would probably be too much. Too much responsibility. For any one person to have all those parts and pieces and hold all of it, I think it would be probably pretty parallel, you know, pretty pretty, like I would be stuck. I wouldn't know what to do with all that information.   Michael Hingson  48:29 Yeah. That's brain overload. Yes, for sure. Well, well, as a teacher and as a as an online teacher that I would think gets to know their students well, and allows their students to get to know them very well. What's one thing that your students are surprised to learn about you?   Kim Cohen  48:48 I mean, definitely, it always takes them off guard when I tell them that I had seven majors in college. Because, you know, they see me, you know, as a, you know, as a, someone who has a PhD like, boy, I must have had my life always together. And that's, that's helpful for them to know. Because, because I think it just normalizes, you know, for a lot of my students, like, this isn't their first time in college, they might have, you know, tried going to college a few times, and, you know, now they're, they're really trying to make another go of it. So I think that's always something that is, is interesting to them. I think the other thing that that always surprises them as to learn how long it took me to get my PhD, I had, you know, had some health things going on. I had a baby, my baby had a lot of very intense needs. And I was working I was you know, I had multiple like adjunct gigs, working part time. And so, that degree took took some time and I think again, you know, that it really normalizes that, that part of it. And I think You know, the other thing, too, that I share with them is like, Hey, you're always going to have people who doubt you. And, you know, I did have faculty in college who felt like, you don't have what it takes to go and get your graduate degree, like, straight up, you're not smart enough. And I am one of those people that's just super stubborn. And so I was like, well, I'll show you. And so that you have a challenge, right? Well, I'll prove you wrong. And so I think, you know, giving them some stories, you know, that, that help them to, you know, normalize their path. And, and one thing I always try to tell them is, like, you know, you have to own your path, like you own your story. And don't see it as a source of, you know, shame or something, you need to make an excuse for. So what So you had a non traditional path, okay, but it brings a strength, you know, to that classroom, so you were in it first great, like, now you're going to be a, you know, a social studies teacher, fantastic, like lean into that is a strength, it's not a weakness. But I think we can we can get trapped in into those narratives that we tell that that, you know, they're, I don't know, we call them in our house, doubt bunnies, like, they just they can sometimes get really loud, and cause us to doubt ourselves, and they're not always telling us the truth.   Michael Hingson  51:34 My freshman geography teacher in high school, I remember once told us that we'll probably take aptitude tests in our lives, and people will always try to tell us what they think we should do and what we can and can't do, which is kind of what what you're saying, some people said about you. And he said that he took an aptitude test once that said, he should be a plumber. And he said, for a while, I believed it. And then I realized I could teach and I became a geography teacher. And he was a good teacher, by the way.   Kim Cohen  52:09 Yeah, and I mean, I think, you know, I think we, we have a lot open to us. And I think, you know, really, figuring out what, what we want to do what, what drives us, what makes us excited? I always, I'm always surprised and some of like, the, like, well, what jobs do you think are good for someone, you know, with, with, you know, ADHD, or in some other groups, you know, you know, if you're autistic, what jobs are good, and it's like, ultimately always comes down to, well, what interests you what motivates you, if you're interested in teaching, you will make it work, if you're interested in law, you will make that work. Because, you know, your, your focus will be on it, your attention will be on it. And, and there's, you know, rarely a path, I think that can't be done. You know, it's about finding ways that make it work for you.   Michael Hingson  53:11 That's exactly it, you may need to find an even create new tools, or find innovative ways to use old tools. Exactly. But blindness, for example, does not define me as much as people want it to and ADHD isn't what defines you. Although, too many people try to put everyone in little boxes. Well, that just doesn't work.   Kim Cohen  53:38 Right, right. Yes. And I mean, I think that's, that's something, you know, I try to impart to on my students that there's, they really need to think about all the students that are going to be in their classroom, so that they don't do that. Right. Like, you don't want to pass that on like, well, you can't do this, because instead, like, well, what's the path that they can do it? Because that's, that's our job, right? So everyone should be able to do? Everyone should be able to learn. So how are you going to get them there? You know, that's, that's the heart of teaching. That's the That's the call to service. How are you going to? How are you going to make that that happen for all of your students?   Michael Hingson  54:23 Well, speaking of learning, you said you had seven majors, did you graduate with all of them?   Kim Cohen  54:29 No, I graduated with a creative writing degree. My minor was in fine arts and I was a couple of credits shy also like an anthropology minor. And I may be one other one. But yeah, formally, it was creative writing with a minor in fine arts. works. It does. I mean, I'm a very creative person. Like if creativity exists. I'm like, kind of a I now I don't you know, I'm not an artist. I I don't regularly do art I crochet all the time, like, so it comes out in other ways. You know, often it's really beautiful slide decks for my online course, or things like that, but it works for me, you know, I mean, I really do enjoy it enjoy fiddling with it, it gives me my little creative design space. Without, you know, having, you know, without feeling like, I don't have a space for it, because I'm always unhappy, I'm always a little itchy. If I if I can't be creative in the things that I'm doing.   Michael Hingson  55:42 So you we talked a little bit about you having something that surprised your students? Has any student ever been sort of outstanding in your mind that has affected you or changed you?   Kim Cohen  55:56 Yeah, I mean, I feel like that's the gift of teaching. Like, we always have students who give back to us, you know, it's always it's, it's always our students always impact us. But I did have a student who really changed how I presented myself with students. And, you know, I think it was it was that W GU, and so, you know, it's online, we don't really can't see our students. So it does just make things a little bit different. But I had a student in, in, in conversations with her, we were talking about a children's book that she wanted to bring into her class and, and over the course of that conversation, something in me said, like, it's okay, share a little bit more. And I, in the conversation, we both realized that she had lived in the same city that my father grew up in, in Morocco. And I was like, man, wow, this is a one of those small world kind of situations. And as we were, you know, talking further about it, you know, she, this was like, kind of during, you know, anti Muslim ban. And so, you know, things were very difficult for Muslims across the United States. And, you know, my student, you know, was was definitely going through it at that time. But she paused for a moment, and, and she's like, you're like me? And I was like, okay, you know, and I felt very, like, Okay, I'm glad that she, you know, she, she sees herself here. But she's like, No, you're like me, and you're teaching at the greatest teacher's college in the United States. She's like, Now, I know, anything is possible. And I thought, wow, you know, I didn't have to share that story. Like, I didn't have to tell her about anything about my family. I didn't, I didn't have to. But in that moment, I realized, you know, here I am, I'm always telling students like the power of story, the magic and story. And I was talking about storybooks. And I hadn't considered the power of our own story, and what it means to represent, especially as a faculty member, and how that might impact, you know, my students and, and really, after that, I, I really tried to share a little bit more of my story, whether that's, you know, sometimes in some of my online classes, I'll talk about how, you know, some of the challenges that my son has had in learning about, say, inferencing, which can be difficult for some Autistics, and so, but I'll share that out as a as a parent, and the amount of, you know, emails or calls I get from students, who then tell me, Oh, my kiddos, autistic or my kiddo has, you know, a similar diagnoses and they feel seen, and I think that's the power you know, of it. And, and I'm grateful for that student for that lesson, because I don't know that I think I felt like it maybe it was too personal. Or, or, and I just would keep it a little bit too close. You know, but but but she, she helped me feel like that power, and how I can share that with my students. And then they feel seen and then they feel empowered, and it creates a much more inclusive space.   Michael Hingson  59:45 So have you ever considered publishing your own book telling your story?   Kim Cohen  59:51 I haven't. I have written a couple of children's books. None of them, you know, got to a place where they were picked up by an agent's or anything like that. But I think it's a great experience. And I do love telling, you know, stories. But it's it's a whole different. I don't know, it's a whole different drama.   Michael Hingson  1:00:15 It is it is. But now today in in our world, the other thing that we have is the ability to self publish. And, and that opens a lot of opportunities for people to more easily tell their stories.   Kim Cohen  1:00:31 Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely.   Michael Hingson  1:00:35 So it's it's something to think about. What are the platforms? I'm just curious, being technological? What are the platforms that W GU uses to teach? Like zoom or? Yeah, so   Kim Cohen  1:00:50 we primarily with our students, we use WebEx, which is very similar to zoom. And then, so that's typically if we're having like an online class of some kind, that's going to be over. Over WebEx, the majority of my interactions tend to be one on one interactions with students. So that's just over, you know, over a call, or phone call. And then, internally, for us, the majority of our like, our meetings are one on ones with colleagues and things like that are over Microsoft Teams, which I really like because it's, it's really reduced the amount of email, we can just kind of quick connect with each other. Yet another email, which anything that reduces email is a good thing in my mind,   Michael Hingson  1:01:44 right? Yeah, some of those tools are not as from a blind person's perspective, access as accessible as others, WebEx has had some, some challenges and Microsoft teams took a while. It's ironic, Microsoft talks about accessibility a lot. But it took them a while to really make teams pretty accessible. And none of them are, from my perspective, at least as accessible and as usable assume, from a standpoint of just being able to really interact with the technology and others. But have you ever taught any blind students,   Kim Cohen  1:02:20 I'm trying to think I'm sure that I have, because I know I've had to push, you know, make sure certain things you know, had appropriate captions and transcripts and things like that, that could then be modified by the students. In a WG we don't get a lot of information always about our students, because the accommodations, so much are built into the system. In terms of my time in the classroom, I think I probably had one or two low vision students. But it wasn't, that wasn't the typical, you know, student that came through my classroom. But I have impairments. And so it's always been super interesting to me to kind of learn, you know, about all of the different ways to interact with the technology. And even my son has some visual processing things and watching those two kids together, you know, show each other like the different features have their, you know, their Chromebooks or their iPads to make it work for them. has, you know, has been a great gift because I'm like, Oh, I hadn't even considered that feature. I didn't even know that feature existed. And so I do get really jazzed kind of learning about all of those different things, because I never know when, you know, when I might need to use it, or recommended or, you know, something like that.   Michael Hingson  1:04:02 Yeah. You know, it's always an adventure. And we, we always be it goes back to we always learn more as we go along.   Kim Cohen  1:04:15 Yes, absolutely. Absolutely. Well, this   Michael Hingson  1:04:18 has been absolutely fun. I hope you have found it enjoyable and helpful. We've been going for quite a while so I don't want to overstay our welcome with our listeners. I'd love to keep going but probably should stop. But how can people maybe reach out to you or learn more about you and what you do and maybe learn about WVU a little   Kim Cohen  1:04:40 bit? Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I think you can always find me on LinkedIn. So that would be a great way to connect. And then   Michael Hingson  1:04:50 in turn, how do they how do they find you?   Kim Cohen  1:04:52 Oh, gosh, I don't think I have my what I think they can look me up under Kim Cohen and then they'll find The Chem CO and that's affiliated with Wu. And that'll be me. And then I think, you know, in terms of learning about the vgtu, I would always recommend, you know, our website, which has got such great stories and information. I know I talked a lot about teachers college, but we have a fantastic it program and a business program and a nursing program. And all of them are, are fantastic. I talked my cousin into going back for school. And so it's definitely a place where, you know, if you're interested in remote opportunities, I would always check out, you know, our employment page. And if you're interested in   Michael Hingson  1:05:42 school, I'm assuming it's W G. u.edu.   Kim Cohen  1:05:46 It sure is, yes.   Michael Hingson  1:05:47 See what a guest. Well, Kim, thanks very much for being here. And I think inspiring us and giving us a lot to think about, and I hope people have enjoyed it. You've definitely shown, and I don't mean, it is a cliche, but the you're unstoppable. I think the biggest issue is that you always are learning and that that's always a good thing.   Kim Cohen  1:06:14 Right? Absolutely. I mean, I think we, we, when we're when we're not learning, then we're, we're stopped. And that's not the place to be.   Michael Hingson  1:06:25 Well, again, thank you for being here with us. And we appreciate you and your stories. Tell your son to keep moving forward. And that's as good as it gets.   Kim Cohen  1:06:36 Yeah. Thank you so much, Michael. Well,   Michael Hingson  1:06:39 thank you and everyone who has been listening. Thanks for being here today. I hope that you've enjoyed it and that you have been inspired a little bit. I'd love to hear your comments, please feel free to reach out to me my email address is Michaelhi M i c h e l H i at accessibe A C C E S S I B E.com. Or go to our podcast page, www dot Michael Hingson m i c h A E l h i n g s o n.com/podcast. And when you're there, and now that you've listened to this particular episode, I hope that you'll give us a five star rating. We appreciate it very much. We value you You are the people who make us a success and and we love to hear what you think about all of our shows. And I know that Kim will love to hear what you think about all that she has had to say today. So, again, Kim, thanks for being here. And we look forward to the next time that we get to chat on this topic, the mindset.   Michael Hingson  1:07:43 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com. accessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for listening. Please come back and visit us again next week.

[box] Listen to Smart Talk every weekday at 12 p.m. and 8 p.m. on WITF 89.5 & 93.3. You can also stream WITF radio live on our website or ask your smart speaker to “Play WITF Radio.” [/box] Middletown Public Library has partnered with Caring Hearts Pet Therapy to present a program that encourages the love for reading and provides therapy from a furry friend. Tales with T.A.I.L.S., which stands for Therapy Animals Increase Literacy Skills, is a program that allows kids from Kindergarten to 5th grade to engage with therapy dogs and cats while reading to them individually or in small groups. With the guidance of  literacy mentors from Caring Hearts Pet Therapy, children read books to the animals, which act as non judgmental and attentive listeners to support the development of their reading and communication skills. According to the Caring Hearts Pet Therapy website, this program helps to increase relaxation and lower blood pressure. John Grayshaw, Director of the Middletown Public Library, said this program becomes more important during the school year because it provides an opportunity for kids to destress and apply skills that are learned in school. "I hope that this finds the kids that are struggling the most and helps to improve their reading skills because it's one of the necessary skills for life," said Grayshaw. To participate in this program visit the Middletown Public Library at 20 N Catherine St. on Tuesdays from 6 to 7 p.m.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm sure many of us have heard of dogs being brought into colleges to help reduce anxiety during finals, but never saw them ourselves. Well today you're going to hear all about these special Therapy Animals. My guest today is Larry Grogan. Larry Grogan is actually less well known than his lovable therapy dog Scrappy, and that's exactly how he prefers it. This is honestly a really interesting topic that I could see growing from the rare occurrence it is now, into something truly huge. Final reminder that I'll be in San Jose, California August 4th to 8th if any listeners want to hang out while I'm down there. If you want to help the show grow, rate it five stars on iTunes, Spotify, or Audible. If you have not already, please tell someone you know to listen to this show.  I'm always looking for new topics, guest ideas, and questions from the audience. To reach out to me email DumbEnoughPodcast@Gmail.Com or send a message on any of the show pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or wherever else.

GUEST- Larry Grogan is the author of A Tail of Love, which details his experiences in the world of pet therapy with his special friend Scrappy the dog as we prepare for Pet Therapy Month in August! Plus the new segment Yeeeeeeah, I Don't Know About That explores the idea of Texas seceding. And in the news: JLo and Ben get hitched in Vegas buit is there a legal issue with the King of Rock n Roll? Santa Claus is real... and they've found his tomb! Check out Eric's articles on Substack including his recent piece on Joe Biden and is his age a factor in the election? Find Eric's books including "Ascension" and "How To Start A Podcast In Less Than a Day" here! FOLLOW THE OPEN HIGHWAY ON IG!  A Viking Dog Production  

Episode Summary: In this Off da Fence with Finch episode, Finch, and his friends JB & Meka have a candid conversation with author Larry Grogan, about his love for pets, the unknown benefits of pet therapy, and tips on how a pet can assist you with your self-esteem. Show Overview: Off da fence with Finch, the intoxicating, liberating, and inclusive podcast where Finch, his friends, and special guests share tips and insight to help you enhance your life, careers, relationships, and finances. If you love this podcast, please like, comment and subscribe, and share it with your friends. Jump Straight Into: (:12) – Introduction of Guest: Larry Grogan. (1:06) – What Is Pet Therapy? “Pet Therapy is really about comfort and truly helps with happiness.” (5:32) – What Classifies an animal as a Pet Therapy animal? - “Do they have to go through 4yrs of Pet College, Night School or a few Community College Classes?.” (8:52) – How Does Pet Therapy Help People?- “Oxytocin released through petting an animal helps with tension.” (16:00) – Can Pets Help with Anxiety? - “Although a pet is not medicine having one helps with anxiety”. (20:21) – Tips On How Pets Can Assist You With Your Self-Esteem - “Love is a responsibility”. Resources & Credits: Follow Finch on Instagram (@itsfinchofficial) and visit his website itsfinch.com Follow Finch's Friends Meka & JayBee Connect with Larry Grogan: Website www.atailoflove.com Instagram Handle https://www.instagram.com/lifelessonsofscrappy/ Facebook URL https://www.facebook.com/atailoflove

Calming music to put your dog to sleep Wondering how to support our show? For merch click https://emotionalwear.com/ Follow our host on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trappingstyles/ Follow our main page: https://www.instagram.com/huggiesnbear/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://comfortsounds.supportingcast.fm

The independent film festival Dances with Films is underway and we had the pleasure of watching one of the festival's feature documentaries Rewilding.  Rewilding follows Anthony Dejesus, a 27-year-old budding artist and former Rikers Island inmate, as he leaves New York City for the first time with avid rock climbers and wilderness guides Jesse Spiegel and Vitek Linhart, determined to field test a program to take formerly incarcerated men into the wild. The documentary pushes all participants in ways they never imagined and also opens them up to hard conversations with each other and themselves as they travel in a van for 7 weeks around the country. We had on one of the rock climbing leaders who also was the planner of much of the road trip - Vitek Linhart as well as the participant, all the way from the Bronx, Anthony Dejesus. We talked with the duo about the word privilege and what it meant to them before and after the film was finished, pet therapy, how the discussion of race is at the forefront of this film, and more. Rewilding is a thought piece film. Even while you watch the hardest parts of the test program and how it unfolds, we hope this inspires more adventures that push conversations about race and privilege  and what it means to be a brown or black person in nature spaces. If you're in the LA area on June 19, head to the world premiere of this special film. We're whole heartedly rooting for these guys. --Grab your ticket to the world premiere of Rewilding HEREFollow Rewilding on IG, FB, and their website--Thanks for listening and for your support! We couldn't have reached 600 episodes without your help! --Be well, stay safe, Black Lives Matter, AAPI Lives Matter, and thank you for being vaxxed and masked!--SUPPORT US HERE!Subscribe to our channel on YouTube for behind the scenes footage!Rate and review us wherever you listen to podcasts!Visit our website! www.bitchtalkpodcast.comFollow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.Listen every other Thursday 9:30 - 10 am on BFF.FMPOWERED BY GO-TO Productions 

Potremmo rileggere il proverbio: "Più conosco i millennials, più amo ogni bestia del mondo". Persino i cinghiali, che hanno di certo più dignità. Vee Tridente e Veronique, vestali del Disagio, conducono una nuova puntata dedicata al rapporto - dolcissimo ma a volte singolarmente morboso - dei trentenni coi loro pet, adorabili bestiole pelose spesso e volentieri vittime dell'ansia, e del disagio, di chi li tiene in casa. Animali come figli, come amici, come analisti mancati. Ma un cane problematico è comunque più stimolante dei padroni con la sindrome dell'impostore... Ospite speciale della puntata: l'educatrice cinofila Lia Begani.

April is National Parkinson's Awareness and National Autism Awareness Month and April 30th is National Pet Therapy Day. One thing that ties all three of these together is the healing power of pets whether real or robotic. Our expert guest this episode is Ted Fischer, CEO of Ageless Innovation which makes Joy for All Companion Pets, a line of robotic cats and dogs. Ted will talk about the therapeutic effect of animal companionship and how robotic pets help those with dementia and mobility issues and he debuts their newest pet – the Walker Squawker bird! For Caregiver Wellness News, Sherri shares the latest research, programs and workplace training to support those with autism and Parkinson's disease. She also shares resources to help older loved ones keep their pets at home even if it's harder to care for them and some senior living communities such as Silverado Senior Living, that integrate pets into their care culture. In Pop Culture, Sherri shares her favorite animal movies that help caregivers catch a break and escape into a feel-good animal film. For our Well Home Design News, Sherri talks about how to design for pets in the home and services that come into the home to help older loved ones care for their pet including Meals on Wheels. We finish the episode as always with our Me Time Monday Wellness Hack on the healing power of pets.

HMM correspondent Sarah Abraham speaks with Patty Reksc from the Schenectady Chapter of Therapy Dogs International about the mental health benefits of pet therapy, her own personal journey with therapy dogs, and more! Here is their contact information for their national office and local chapter! Therapy Dogs International TDI-dog. org Therapydogsinternational@gmail.com Schenectady Chapter #74 Therapy Dogs International tdichapter74@gmail.com

Today, akaRadioRed welcomes four prolific Creatives. Keenan Johnston is an actor, known for The Pine Tar Incident: Making of Tar Wars (2017) and Blackmark (2018), and producer of the Hollywood from Home podcast. Larry Grogan is the author of A Tail of Love, Life Lessons from Scrappy, a Pet Therapy Dog, and founder of a private wealth management firm. Alma Robinson is an attorney, Executive Director of California Lawyers for the Arts, and recipient of the Michael Newton Award for Americans for the Arts. Craig Berkman co-founded medical device and Internet software companies, is a lyricist and jazz and big band recording artist, and organized talent shows while incarcerated. Join akaRadioRed for Read My Lips: Tapping Into Creativity!

Our next guest is Larry Grogan! For 8 years, he and his dog Scrappy were a pet therapy team at a local children's hospital. But when Scrappy passed away, Larry turned to writing as his personal therapy. Two years later, he published “A Tail of Love, Life Lessons from Scrappy, a Pet Therapy Dog” which chronicles many of her life saving stories. Their mission is to share with the world the power of pet therapy dogs so that more people can live their lives as Scrappy would want them to. In episode 229 of the Fraternity Foodie Podcast, we find out why Larry chose North Carolina State University, what made him and his dog Scrappy decide to get into pet therapy, how Scrappy became his EVP of Sales and Marketing, conversations you can have to help family members when you're grieving over the loss of a family pet, how Scrappy taught him that exploration is the key to life learning, the reasons why every college should have a pet therapy program, the mental health benefits of having a pet therapy program, difference between therapy dogs and a service dog, rules and regulations on college campuses about pet therapy, and where to go to get more information on pet therapy. Enjoy! Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gds21qZ-ylA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gds21qZ-ylA    

Episode 47: When someone with PTSD pushes you away, you need to know what to do because it is so painful. Dr. Daniel Williams, MD discusses this difficult topic, as it is the most often asked regarding PTSD. How to Help Someone with PTSD when the Push You Away Don't chase them. Your story is safe. Start with Your Strength. Many prefer a non-threatening course like the Sex Therapy or Pet Therapy courses that come with membership. Don't feed into unhealthy behavior. Don't be an enabler. What Not to do after PTSD This is an entire chapter in the very first book I wrote (Combat PTSD in America: Toward a Permanent Solution) as Chief Resident at Baylor Scott & White, which is available as PDF in the Mental Component course. Put a time limit on grief. Assume anything, especially that someone will be better if they talk about it. Stick exposure therapy up your assessment.    

Episode 47: When someone with PTSD pushes you away, you need to know what to do because it is so painful. Dr. Daniel Williams, MD discusses this difficult topic, as it is the most often asked regarding PTSD. How to Help Someone with PTSD when the Push You Away Don't chase them. Your story is safe. Start with Your Strength. Many prefer a non-threatening course like the Sex Therapy or Pet Therapy courses that come with membership. Don't feed into unhealthy behavior. Don't be an enabler. What Not to do after PTSD This is an entire chapter in the very first book I wrote (Combat PTSD in America: Toward a Permanent Solution) as Chief Resident at Baylor Scott & White, which is available as PDF in the Mental Component course. Put a time limit on grief. Assume anything, especially that someone will be better if they talk about it. Stick exposure therapy up your assessment.