Harvesting Happiness

Latest Episodes:

Wired for Desire: Attachment Style, Emotional Safety & the Truth About Intimacy Sep 23, 2026

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Growing up, very few of us had kitchen table conversations about how vulnerability builds intimacy. Instead, most of us were handed a survival guide that taught us to "never let them see you sweat" and to "be strong." As a result, walking into adult relationships and talking intimately about our attachment styles and desires can be terrifying. Yet, finding the courage to share our true desires—free from shame or fear—transforms not just our sex lives, but deepens the connection with our partners and ourselves.

*This episode explores human sexuality and is intended for mature listeners.

For tips on how to bring attachment theory into the bedroom, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with two emotionally focused therapists and co-authors, Laurie Watson, PhD, LMFT, and George Faller, LMFT.

Laurie and George dive into what it takes to stay vulnerable and keep the spark alive for the long haul. They share expert strategies to help couples break free from the exhausting pursue-withdrawal cycle and reconnect on a deeper level.

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WANT MORE SOUND IDEAS FOR DEEPER THINKING? Check out More Mental Fitness by Harvesting Happiness bonus content available exclusively on https://harvestinghappiness.substack.com/ and https://medium.com/@HarvestingHappiness.

Elections Aren’t Enough: What Real Democracy Actually Requires Sep 16, 2026

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Do elected officials actually represent you? Once they take office, governance often seems to turn into a black hole where democratic accountability disappears. And, depending on your perspective, we may be living through the most frustrating political climate in U.S. history, leaving many citizens feeling unheard. Democracy thrives not on passive observation, but on everyday people’s enduring commitment to make their voices heard. Do you know what actions your generation must take to spark change?

For expert insights on overcoming political anxiety, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Vermont, Minh Ly, PhD.

Minh highlights the rights and responsibilities of democratic citizenship, reminding us that every historical advance in justice and inclusion has relied on mass political action. True democratic responsibility goes beyond voting; it includes adult civic education, grassroots organization, and active cooperation to keep authoritarianism from festering.

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An Anthropologist Rethinks Addiction, Community, and the Cult of Self-Control Sep 09, 2026

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Reflect on the judgments your culture holds regarding addictive behaviors. Do you proudly broadcast your intense gym workouts while quietly judging those on a smoke break outside the office? What makes their addiction different from yours? Many strive to amplify the habits our culture praises simply because they validate our commitment. When culture drives people into the shadows through shame and exclusion, it deepens the wound. Does healing begin not by policing willpower, but by replacing judgment with human connection?

To frame addiction through the lens of harm reduction psychology, Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with Elizabeth F.S. Roberts, anthropologist and author.

Rethinking addiction and shame, Elizabeth’s book In Praise of Addiction: Or How We Can Learn to Love Dependency in a Damaged World draws on her first-hand experience of living in Latin culture. In this addiction anthropology podcast, she explains how these communities handle dependency and human connection, revealing how isolation, rather than the addiction itself, is considered the true danger.

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Cognitive Hygiene 101: Protecting Your Mind From Conspiracy Theories Sep 02, 2026

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Individual beliefs empower us. They embolden us with confidence and assuredness about issues we deem important. But what if some of our beliefs aren’t really ours? What if we are merely hosts to mind viruses that enter quietly and opportunistically, exploiting our trust and open-mindedness? No one is immune to misinformation. We all need to understand our vulnerabilities to protect ourselves and each other.

To better understand our vulnerability to misinformation, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with philosopher, cognitive scientist, author, and founder of the Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative (CIRCE), Dr. Andy Norman.

To promote mental immunity, Andy examines signs of mental immune disorder, what makes some groups more susceptible to mind ‘bugs’ and mental hijacking, and how to talk to someone who believes misinformation. His cognitive hygiene habits offer mental immunity to those who prefer to think rationally and want to protect themselves from conspiracy theories.

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Sex Talk: Why Men and Women Communicate So Differently Aug 26, 2026

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Do you wish your partner communicated better? Have you considered that they may not be wired to do so? Biology and chemistry play important roles in how we communicate. Testosterone and Estrogen play a major role in gender communication and social behavior from an early age.

*This episode explores human sexuality and is intended for mature listeners.

To better understand why men and women communicate differently, and the chemistry behind gender communication, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with sex and biology expert and author Dr. Stephen Furlich.

Dr. Furlich shares the scientific findings at the core of his book Sex Talk: How Biological Sex Influences Gender Communication Differences Throughout Life's Stages, strategies for how both genders can communicate with each other effectively, and why men and women are the way they are.

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Narcissistic Abuse: Healing, Navigating, and Ending the Drama Aug 19, 2026

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Understanding and navigating complex interpersonal dynamics is essential for building healthy relationships. In environments characterized by narcissistic abuse, with one or two narcissistic parents, children are denied the emotional safety needed to develop an independent identity. Instead, they learn to survive the abuse by stepping into predefined roles that serve the narcissist's needs.

To define narcissism and discover how to navigate relationships involving narcissistic personality disorder, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who has forty years of experience in public and private practice, Dr. Karyl McBride.

Dr. McBride has focused on private research regarding parental narcissism, and the debilitating effects of narcissism in relationships. She describes the 5-step recovery process from her book, "Will the Drama Ever End? Untangling and Healing from the Harmful Effects of Parental Narcissism" and shares stories of the family drama experienced by clients on the road to recovery.

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Procrastination: Skills to Overcome Fear of Failure and Anxiety Aug 12, 2026

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Do you have a chronic procrastinator in your life that just can’t seem to finish their task list? It’s easy to write it off as pure laziness or a lack of drive, but procrastination isn’t a time-management problem. At its core, the fear of failure and discomfort triggers a deep sense of shame, causing people to hit the brakes before they even start. To move past the cycle, we have to understand what is driving the behavior.

In this productivity and mental health podcast, Harvesting Happiness Podcast host Lisa Cypers Kamen interviews Dr. Patricia Zurita Ona, a psychologist, author, coach, and TEDX speaker, about key ‘how to stop procrastinating’ skills.

In Dr. Z’s book, “Acceptance and Commitment Skills for Perfectionism and High-Achieving Behaviors”, she lifts the veil of procrastination, demonstrating that it is not laziness but the fear of failure that inhibits people from completing tasks.

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LGBTQ+ Kids: Gender Identity and Well-Being Aug 05, 2026

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*This episode explores human sexuality and is intended for mature listeners.

As the percentage of young people openly identifying as LGBTQ+ continues to rise, social media has become a vital catalyst for empowering youth who previously did not feel safe expressing who they are. Still, being seen is only the first step toward true acceptance. How can society shift the narrative from bullying to active allyship?

To glean guidance from a researcher studying real-world experiences with LGBTQ+ identity development in adolescents, Harvesting Happiness Podcast host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with a Developmental Psychologist and Associate Research Scientist with the Kinsey Institute, Dr. Myeshia Price.

Dr. Price describes the stages of identity development throughout the human life cycle with a focus on adolescence and offers guidance on parenting LGBTQ+ children during their gender identity development.

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Humanity: Why AI Will Never Replace Connective Human Labor Jul 29, 2026

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Many have come to believe that AI is a universal solution for managing repetitive tasks and improving productivity. But, is it realistic to think that machines can replace humans in a world built on connection and belonging? Our soul, or life force, is the essence of who we are and cannot be replicated by a machine; instead, it relies on social architecture, human connectivity, and interdependence to thrive and flourish. As we navigate AI and the future of work, the question of human-machine coexistence looms. We are living in rapidly changing times in which AI is altering the way we learn and work, but it cannot replace the magic of human-to-human relational engagement.

To explore loneliness in the digital age, and AI and the future of work, Harvesting Happiness Podcast host Lisa Cypers Kamen interviews Dr. Allison Pugh, a professor of sociology at Johns Hopkins University and the 2024-25 vice president of the American Sociological Association.

Allison discusses the research that led to her latest book, The Last Human Job, including the dilemma at the crossroads of AI and mental health, the impact of prioritizing data collection on human connective labor, and what is lost in technology and human relationships.

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Changing Minds: The Neuroscience of Storytelling & Connection Jul 22, 2026

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From early childhood, our experiences shape a personal narrative that helps us make sense of the world; far from being an escape, story is how we navigate reality. Because our primal wiring compels us to defend this worldview as the only valid perspective, challenging our beliefs triggers us into action. Overcoming this defensiveness requires recognizing that vulnerability isn't a liability, but the ultimate strength in expanding our understanding — and in building real human connection.

To discover the art of changing someone's mind through brain science, Positive Psychology Podcast host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with author Lisa Cron.

Lisa shares key insights from her book, Wired for Story, exploring the neuroscience of human connection and communication. Through raw storytelling, she shows how narrative can bridge the gap between conflicting worldviews, and reminds us that while changing minds is notoriously difficult, especially when deep-seated beliefs are at stake, narrative gives us a way in. For listeners navigating their own difficult experiences, she also points to the role mental health resources can play alongside this kind of self-understanding. .

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