Harvesting Happiness Podcasts

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Medical Journeys: Kinder Doctors and Resilient Patients with Adam Stern MD & David Richman Nov 23, 2022

Show notes

A staggering statistic of today’s medical care is that in the average doctor-patient interaction, the doctor interrupts the patient within 18 seconds. This quick interruption offers very little time for a connection to be formed between a doctor and their patient. This transactional approach hinders the clinicians’ ability to provide solutions to patients who may not feel as if they were unable to express their true needs. To discover the steps being taken to raise the bedside manner bar, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with two authors about medical journeys, kinder doctors, and resilient patients. Dr. Adam Stern is a psychiatrist and author of Committed: Dispatches from a Psychiatrist in Training . He is back on the program to share how he teaches the softer side of medicine to doctors in training and the therapeutic power of listening. David Richman is an author, public speaker, and endurance athlete who interviewed hundreds of people about their medical journey and the impact of cancer on their lives. His book, Cycle of Lives: 15 People's Stories, 5,000 Miles, and a Journey Through the Emotional Chaos of Cancer shares those stories and offers insights into how caregivers can find relief from the pressure of compassion.

Brain Boosting: The Art of Mental Muscle-Toning with Elaine Fox PhD, Amit Goswami PhD & Valentina R Onisor MD Nov 16, 2022

Show notes

There are many facets of the human experience we have yet to fully comprehend. While we have mapped out the systems and attributes of our physical bodies, very little is understood about the intuitive and spiritual aspects of our complex selves. Quantum physics offers us a glimpse into our connection with the universe. To help us navigate the widely uncharted territory of the ethereal, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with three authors who write about mental agility, mental hygiene, and spiritual practice. Elaine Fox is the Head of the School of Psychology at the University of Adelaide, Australia, and the author of Switch Craft: The Hidden Power of Mental Agility. She describes the concept of Switch Crafting and how to increase longevity and satisfaction in life. Quantum Physicist, Amit Goswami, and Valentina Onisor, a pioneer of quantum integrated medicine discuss the essence of the book they co-authored, The Quantum Brain: Understand, Rewire, and Optimize Your Brain. They also explain the role of the chakras and preconscious in determining health and happiness.

The Virtues of Love and Morality with Dr Stephen G. Post & Phil Zuckerman PhD Nov 09, 2022

Show notes

What navigates your internal moral compass? Do you subscribe to a religion or belief in supernatural power to guide you? Or do you allow innate love, compassion, and empathy to steer you toward a better earthly experience for all? To examine the moral weight of religious obedience, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with two professors about their books that address the virtues of love and morality. Prolific author Dr. Stephen G. Post discusses the virtue of love and unpacks the Eight Pathways of Positive Achievement and Goodness from his book, Give and Live Better. Executive Director of the Humanist Global Charity, Phil Zuckerman explains the virtue of morality and the research behind his book, What it Means to be Moral: Why Religion is Not Necessary for Living an Ethical Life.

Our Field of Dreams: Reimagining the Future with Karen Cerulo, Janet Ruane & Michael Clinton Nov 02, 2022

Show notes

From the famous ‘I have a dream’ speech by Martin Luther King to referring to America as the land of dreams, society often guides us toward creating a dream, or aspiration, to attain. Studies show that those dreams may change over time due to age, race, gender, and societal factors. To get the low down on higher intentions, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with three authors about what we dream of and why we have longer to acquire our aspirations. Co-authors Karen Cerulo and Janet Ruane share the findings from their book, Dreams of a Lifetime: How We Imagine Our Future and discuss how dreams differ based on a person’s lot in life. Former president and publishing director of Hearst Magazines, Michael Clinton shares statistics gleaned from his research while writing his inspirational book, Roar: into the second half of your life (before it's too late). Micheal contends that life after 50 is the perfect time to expand our horizons and nurture and develop what is important to us.

The Secrets of Good-Enoughness and The Good Life with Professors Andreas Elpidoru & Avram Alpert Oct 26, 2022

Show notes

There is a wide gap between feeling not enough and good enough. The secret to feeling good enough is using boredom and frustration to propel us forward toward achieving our goals. We become frustrated when we face obstacles to getting things we care about and it forces us to try another way of something new. By embracing our imperfections, and relinquishing our need to be right, we can all lead a good-enough life. To discover how to use our emotions in a way that creates a greater good for ourselves and our community, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with two professors and authors about how to live a good life. The author of Propelled: How Boredom, Frustration, and Anticipation Lead Us to the Good Life, Professor Andreas Elpidorou describes how boredom and frustration are often misinterpreted and can be real opportunities for improving life experiences. And, the author of The Good-Enough Life, Professor Avram Alpert shares his secrets for good-enoughness and how being a part of the social construct offers a greater good for all.

Traumatic Legacies: Reconciling Our Emotional Baggage with Galit Atlas PhD & Elizabeth Rosner Oct 20, 2022

Show notes

Even though humans grasp the double-helix-shaped chain of our DNA strands, very little is understood about the information that is passed down from generation to generation. Physical attributes can be decisively attributed to the traits of our ancestors but what about the memories, and traumas that make up our emotional inheritance? To discover the ways emotional inheritance can nurture us, and cause grief, secrets, and confusion, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with two female authors about their findings about the legacy of trauma. Galit Atlas is a psychoanalyst whose book, Emotional Inheritance: A Therapist, Her Patients, and the Legacy of Trauma, explores how multigenerational trauma is held in our minds and body. Author of the bestselling, Survivor Cafe: The Legacy of Trauma and the Labyrinth of Memory, Elizabeth Rosner reveals the importance of unearthing the path, and atrocities of our ancestors so we may move into the healing phase.

Urban Alchemy: Restoring Joy in Our Cities with Majora Carter & Molly Rose Kauffman Oct 12, 2022

Show notes

With many US cities falling into disrepair following the pandemic, business downturns, and brain drains, the term ‘Hometown Proud’ has become almost non-existent. Young talent looks elsewhere for opportunities to make their mark leaving once vibrant towns uncared for. What will it take to empower inhabitants to restore our beautiful cities and rekindle once thriving communities? To merge architecture, positive psychology, and what it means to create a better and just life for all, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with two women who invest their home and work life into their communities. Majora Carter is a real estate developer, urban revitalization strategist, and author who strives to inject joy back into the South Bronx and other established communities like it. She shares key concepts from her book, Reclaiming Your Community: You Don’t Have to Move Out of Your Neighborhood to Live in a Better One, and her strategies for getting residents to reinvest in their communities. Molly Rose Kauffman is the co-founder of the University of Orange, a free people’s university centered in Orange, New Jersey. She describes the major strides the university is taking to reignite people’s passion for enlivening public spaces and further enriching the existing culture.

Meaning-Making: Loss, Love, and Life Lessons with Susan Lax & Barbara Becker Oct 05, 2022

Show notes

Most people in our society celebrate life once a year with lavish birthday parties, happy songs, and sweet gatherings. But, when it comes to bereavement, grief, death, and loss we tend to tiptoe around the subjects. If we followed the philosophy of our ancestors we would appreciate life more by having meaningful conversations about our mortality. To traverse the normally taboo territory of loss, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with two authors who have written about life, death and loss in their newest books. In her book, A Heart's Landscape: An Invitation to the Garden of Moments, Susan Lax shares a collection of her morning inspirations. She explores how we all experience grief differently and how being a greater part of a loved one's death offers us a greater life experience. Barbara Becker studied with Zen monks to learn more about life, death, and dying. During the publishing of her book, Heartwood, in which she shares stories from her time as a hospice volunteer, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Psychological Fitness: Managing Our Minds with Dr Gregory S. Brown MD & Dr Joan Rosenberg PhD Sep 28, 2022

Show notes

Self-care has become a diluted term thrown about by many who only intend to sell beauty care products. But, true self-care is so much more than physical relaxation. Complete self-care encompasses mental and emotional health and psychological fitness. With over 40 million Americans struggling from some level of anxiety or depression, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen questions the experts about how we can regain balance and manage our minds. Integrative Psychiatrist Dr. Gregory S. Brown shares the Five Pillars of Self-Care from his book, The Self-Healing Mind: An Essential Five-Step Practice for Overcoming Anxiety and Depression, and Revitalizing Your Life. And, Dr. Joan Rosenberg describes the Rosenberg Reset method that guides people through their feelings and offers relief for those in the grips of anxiety.

Voices Carry: Stories of Power, Equality, and Respect with Elizabeth Lesser & Donna Freitas PhD Sep 21, 2022

Show notes

Throughout human history, men have been the storytellers and the scribes. How might our cultures have changed if we also had versions of herstory to study and learn from? Who might we be today if matriarchy guided our dreams, ambitions, and basic needs? To ponder these questions and understand how women can lean into their power, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with two authors who research stories of power, equality, and respect. Elizabeth Lesser shares stories of women in history who have had their voices quelled in her book, Cassandra Speaks: When Women are the Storytellers, the Human Story Changes . Donna Freitas discusses the years of research she assembled which led to her book, Consent: A Memoir of Unwanted Attention .

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