Harvesting Happiness

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From Algorithms to Intimacy: AI and Mating in the Digital Age with Dr. Justin Garcia, PhD Feb 25, 2026

Show notes

*This is part-two of a two-part conversation

Recent Kinsey Institute research highlights that nearly half of single Gen Z adults now utilize algorithms to optimize their online dating profiles. Yet, they say it erodes their trust if they discover the other person uses it too. This paradox reveals a growing tension in the science of love and relationships: while we crave the efficiency of technology, we remain biologically wired for raw, uncurated vulnerability.

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

To discover what lies ahead in the future of dating, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with Justin R. Garcia, an award-winning researcher, educator, and Executive Director of Kinsey Institute Research.

Justin continues the conversation with staggering statistics about AI usage in dating apps, expectations of Gen Z’ers when it comes to courtship, and the erosion of trust and transparency in the digital age.

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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.

The Biology of Bonding: Understanding Human Sexuality with Dr. Justin Garcia, PhD Feb 18, 2026

Show notes

*This is part one of a two-part conversation

In the field of human sexuality, understanding the bridge between primal drive and complex affection is a central challenge. While sex functions as a biological imperative for species survival, the science of love and relationships reveals that modern intimacy is actually a precarious cocktail of physical, cultural, and psychological factors. Despite this complexity, Kinsey Institute Research suggests we are hardwired to pursue these connections; the powerful dopamine payoff acts as a neurological engine, urging us past the hurdles of modern dating toward connection.

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

TTo better understand sex, love, and the future of dating, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with Justin R. Garcia, an award-winning researcher, educator, and Executive Director of Kinsey Institute Research.

In the first part of this conversation, Justin unpacks the provocative research behind his book, The Intimate Animal: The Science of Sex, Fidelity, and Why We Live and Die for Love. He candidly discusses compulsive sexual behaviors, unique challenges associated with polyamory, and the enduring benefits of coupledom.

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In Sickness and In Health: Exploring America’s Caregiving Crisis with Dr. Laura Mauldin, PhD Feb 11, 2026

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Sixty percent of American adults live with a chronic illness. Consequently, upwards of 53 million adults have assumed uncompensated caregiving roles—frequently alongside existing professional and personal obligations. As these demands intensify, the absence of mental health infrastructure and the persistence of social devaluation lead many toward the brink of caregiver burnout and compassion fatigue.

To better understand the state of spousal caregiver mental health, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with Laura Mauldin, PhD, an Associate Professor in the Department of Social and Critical Inquiry at the University of Connecticut

Laura draws from personal experience and years of research to share statistics and real-life examples of caregivers who find themselves at the intersection of their responsibilities and their human needs. Her book offers insights into those who provide essential support to those they love during a time of anti-ableism.

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Real Talk: How to Keep Your Relationship Thriving with Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C Feb 04, 2026

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Healthy relationships are not accidental; they are built on the foundational belief that we carry a personal responsibility to be our best selves. To keep a relationship thriving, we must develop the emotional vocabulary to process our discomfort. Real talk in partnership communications can help us translate our internal world to our partners, thereby boosting their understanding of what we are trying to convey.

For communication tips for how to keep a relationship thriving, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with Raffi Bilek, a licensed clinical social worker who helps couples hone their communication skills.

Raffi breaks down four essential communication skills for couples, offering a roadmap for fighting fair and using real talk in partnership communication to become better partners. By clearing the path to simple, straightforward conversation, he challenges conventional wisdom with a liberating truth: it’s actually okay to go to bed angry.

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From Trauma to Triumph: How Post-Traumatic Growth Restores Happiness and Resilience After Life’s Adversity with MC McDonald, PhD Jan 28, 2026

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Adversity and grief are universal aspects of life. Most of us will encounter a form of trauma that triggers a survival response, anchoring the mind in past pain. However, this physiological loop does not have to be a life sentence. By cultivating resilience, we can navigate through the overwhelm and move toward post-traumatic growth, where it is possible to rediscover a profound sense of happiness and joy.

To reframe how we think about trauma and post-traumatic growth, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with MC McDonald, a research professor and life coach specializing in trauma psychology and philosophy.

MC describes the physiological survival mechanisms at the core of the body’s trauma response and the benefits of post-traumatic growth. She offers insights about the in-depth research that is the foundation of her book, The Joy Reset: Six Ways Trauma Steals Happiness and How to Win It Back.

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From People-Pleasing to Purpose-Driven: Breaking Love Addiction Patterns to Build Authentic Leadership and Self-Worth with Britt Frank, LCSW Jan 21, 2026

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Through purpose-driven, self-honoring choices, we can reclaim our autonomy and replace old love addiction patterns with the self-love we truly crave and deserve. Empowering ourselves with the gift of a solid foundation, we build a life that’s defined by our own rules, not someone else’s.

To unsheath the sword that slays people-pleasing and love addiction patterns, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with Britt Frank, a clinician, speaker, and trauma specialist, and the author of The Science of Stuck.

Britt describes a powerful approach to taming the inner critic and ending the cycle of people-pleasing. She shares strategies from her corporate work to describe the purpose-driven process of gaining authentic leadership over doubt about our self-worth.

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Intelligent Communication Skills: How to Listen Better with Haru Yamada, PhD Jan 14, 2026

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Listening is a profound gift that honors both the speaker and the observer. By understanding our individual communication style, we offer others validation and sharpen our communication skills. This commitment to intelligent communication builds deeper trust and serves as a gift to ourselves. Learning how to listen better expands our perspective and fosters genuine connection.

To gain a deeper understanding of how to listen better, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with Haru Yamada, a sociolinguistics researcher and a writer with a PhD from Georgetown University.

Haru describes the physical and contextual differences between hearing and listening, and the intricacies of listener-led cultures and speaker-led cultures. From her book, Kiku: The Japanese Art of Good Listening, Haru offers strategies for creating stronger personal relationships by strengthening our listening muscles..

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Nihilism vs. Existentialism: Is Life Meaningless or Full of Purpose? with Mark Fabian PhD Jan 07, 2026

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Cultivating happiness requires an active investment, yet some believe true personal growth only follows a "dark night of the soul." By navigating the tension between nihilism and existentialism, we transform an existential crisis into a search for fulfillment. Is discovering the meaning of life an individual pursuit, or is metaphysical life devoid of a moral truth?

For a thoughtful exploration of meaning, happiness, and the human search for fulfillment, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with public policy professor, author, and thought leader in the science of wellbeing, Dr. Mark Fabian.

Mark describes the existence of nihilism and existentialism within the social and political spectrum as well as the key differences in how they translate into happiness and personal growth. He highlights the beneficial effects of being of use in one’s community.

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Joy and Hopefulness in Difficult Times: Positive Political Action from The Hannah Arendt Center at Bard College Dec 31, 2025

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When we agree to practice joy through community, connection, and belonging in its own powerful way, it is an act of defiance to what's going on around us. We must ask ourselves, particularly in these difficult times, what we are fighting for? We fight for a meaningful world that yields joy. This commitment to fostering shared happiness becomes the ultimate evidence of resilience and a deeply healing public force.

To discover how to find joy and hopefulness in difficult times, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen continues her conversation with Roger Berkowitz, Founder and Academic Director of the Hannah Arendt Center at Bard College and coordinator of the upcoming JOY: Loving the World in Dark Times conference..

Roger shares his intentions for the JOY: Loving the World in Dark Times conference, which are rooted in Hannah Arendt's philosophy that freedom is not a private endeavor but is best found in the public sphere.

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Loving the World in Dark Times: Fearless Thinking from the Hannah Arendt Center at Bard College Dec 24, 2025

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Current research indicates that despite unprecedented levels of global connectivity, societies are experiencing an unparalleled state of metaphysical loneliness. This condition is a potent catalyst for political instability, making populations vulnerable to authoritarian and separatist movements. Political theorists explore the implications for democratic governance and social cohesion through Hannah Arendt’s freedom theory.

To discover how to recover joy in a loving world, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with Roger Berkowitz, Founder and Academic Director of the Hannah Arendt Center at Bard College.

Roger shares what led him to Bard College and Hannah Arendt. And how one of the most read political thinkers of the twentieth century might interpret freedom in today’s political landscape. His forthcoming book, A World We Share: The Power of Friendship in a Time Without Truth, is scheduled for release in 2026.

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