Relationships 2.0 With Dr. Michelle Skeen

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Guest: Carol Krucoff, author of Yoga Sparks: 108 Easy Practices for Stress Relief in an Minute or Less Nov 14, 2013

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About the book: Given the popularity of yoga in this day and age, you probably know about the benefits it can have on both the mind and body. An increase in positive mood, a decrease in stress, better sleep, and fewer aches and pains are just a few. Maybe you’ve been busy, and have been meaning to try it—or maybe you have tried it but still find it difficult to fit into your schedule. The most common excuse people give for not exercising is that they have no time. Between work, family, school, and social obligations, many of us are overbooked and scrambling to get things done in our daily lives. But what if there were quick, easy yoga exercises that could be integrated into your daily routine? Yoga Sparks offers 108 quick, practical, and accessible yoga exercises that you can practice anytime, anywhere—no matter how busy or stressful your schedule. In this book, you will learn how yoga in “bite-size” pieces can become a healthy habit that can relieve emotional stress, increase your physical strength and flexibility, and help you to lead a happier, healthier life. Whether practicing relaxed breathing while in traffic, sitting with proper alignment while working at your computer, or even balancing on one leg while waiting in line, the step-by-step, breath-by-breath practices in this book will help you bring the physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits of yoga practice into your daily life. About the author: Carol Krucoff, E-RYT, is a yoga therapist, fitness expert and author. As a yoga therapist at Duke Integrative Medicine – part of the Duke University Health System in Durham, North Carolina — she creates individualized yoga practices for people with health challenges. She also co-directs the Therapeutic Yoga for Seniors teacher training, designed to help yoga instructors work safely and effectively with older adults. Carol’s newest book is Yoga Sparks: 108 Easy Practices for Stress Relief in a Minute or Less. She is also author of Healing Yoga for Neck and Shoulder Pain and co-author, with her Duke University cardiologist husband, Mitchell Krucoff, MD, of Healing Moves: How to Cure, Relieve and Prevent Common Ailments with Exercise. She is creator of the audio home practice CD, Healing Moves Yoga and co-creator of the DVD Relax into Yoga. An award-winning journalist, Carol served as founding editor of the Health Section of The Washington Post, where her syndicated column, Bodyworks, ran for 12 years. She is a frequent contributor to Yoga Journal, and her articles have appeared in numerous national publications including The New York Times, Reader’s Digest, The Los Angeles Times, SELF, and Glamour. Carol is an experienced registered yoga teacher with the Yoga Alliance and is certified as a personal trainer by the American Council on Exercise. She is a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists and serves on the peer review board for the International Journal of Yoga Therapy. In addition to practicing yoga for more than 30 years, Carol spent a decade studying martial arts. As a second-degree black belt in karate and Sensei, she taught martial arts for four years. Visit her online at www.healingmoves.com.

Guest: Gabrielle Glaser, author of Her Best Kept Secret: Why Women Drink and How They Can Regain Control Nov 06, 2013

Show notes

About the book: What’s the first thing many women do when they go home? Make a dash for the white wine in the refrigerator. In Her Best-Kept Secret, journalist Gabrielle Glaser uncovers this hidden-in-plain-sight drinking epidemic—but doesn’t cause you to recoil in alarm. She is the first to document that American women are drinking more often than ever and in ever larger quantities. And she is the first to show that contrary to the impression fostered by reality shows and Gossip Girl,young women alone are not driving these statistics—their moms and grandmothers are, too. But Glaser doesn’t wag a finger. Instead, in a funny and tender voice, Glaser looks at the roots of the problem, explores the strange history of women and alcohol in America, drills into the emerging and counterintuitive science about that relationship, and asks: Are women really getting the help they need? Is it possible to come back from beyond the sipping point and develop a healthy relationship with the bottle? Glaser reveals that, for many women, joining Alcoholics Anonymous is not the answer—it is part of the problem. She shows that as scientists and health professionals learn more about women’s particular reactions to alcohol, they are coming up with new and more effective approaches to excessive drinking. In that sense, Glaser offers modern solutions to a very modern problem. About the author: Gabrielle Glaser grew up in Tangent, Oregon, the Grass Seed Capital of the World (pop. 440). She spent her teenage summers driving John Deere combines on her family farm, listening to an unusual mix of local radio programming: the BeeGees, Marvin Gaye, Johnny Cash, and NPR. She was an indifferent member of her local 4-H sewing club, and her nearest neighbors were her grandparents. After high school, she attended Stanford University, where she received a bachelor’s and master’s degree in history. She started her journalistic career as a news assistant at The New York Times in Washington, D.C.. She worked as a reporter at the Associated Press in Baltimore, Maryland, and Warsaw, Poland. From Eastern Europe, she also reported for The Economist, The Dallas Morning News, The Village Voice, and National Public Radio. Since the late 1990s, Glaser has examined social, cultural, and national health trends for The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, andThe Oregonian in Portland, where she was a staff writer. She worked as a “County Lines” columnist at The New York Times, and her work has appeared in many publications, including The New York Times Magazine, Glamour, Mademoiselle, and ScientificAmerican.com. She taught feature writing at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, and won the Missouri Lifestyle Journalism award for her groundbreaking work exploring international and interracial adoption, “Sending Black Babies North.” BeforeHer Best-Kept Secret, she wrote Strangers to the Tribe: Portraits of Interfaith Marriage, and The Nose: A Profile of Sex, Beauty, and Survival. She appears frequently as a commentator and a guest on local and national television and radio.

Guest: Steven Stosny, PhD author of Living and Loving After Betrayal: How to Heal from Emotional Abuse, Deceit, Infidelity, and Chronic Resentment Oct 31, 2013

Show notes

Betrayal has many faces, including anger, abuse, deceit, and infidelity. These feel like betrayal because they violate the implicit promise of emotional bonds, that your loved one will care about your well being and never intentionally hurt you. If you’ve recently left a relationship where you felt betrayed by your partner—or if you want to repair one—it can seem impossible to view the world without the shadow of past betrayal hovering over you. As a result, you may struggle to create meaning in your life, find the strength to forgive, or build new, loving relationships. In Living and Loving after Betrayal, therapist and relationship expert Steven Stosny offers effective tools for healing, based on his highly successful CompassionPower program. He founded the CompassionPower agency on the belief that we are more powerful when compassionate than when angry or aggressive, and that true strength comes from relating compassionately to others and remaining true to your deeper values. In this book, you’ll learn practical strategies for overcoming betrayal-induced trauma and the chronic resentment and depression that result, using this innovative compassion-empowerment approach. Most books on betrayal only focus on the obvious issues, such as infidelity, abuse, or sex addiction. This book explores the effects of those kinds of betrayal, as well as less-talked-about types, such as emotional manipulation, dishonesty, deceit, and financial cheating. In addition, the book helps you regain a sense of trust in others so that you can eventually find another compassionate person to share your life with or, if you choose, to rebuild a relationship with your reformed betrayer. Recovering from the betrayal of partner isn’t easy, but Living and Loving after Betrayal offers potent ways to heal, grow, and love again. About the author: Steven Stosny, Ph.D., is the founder of CompassionPower in suburban Washington, DC. Dr. Steven Stosny’s most recent books are, Love without Hurt: Turn Your Resentful, Angry, or Emotionally Abusive Relationship into a Compassionate, Loving One and How to Improve Your Marriage without Talking about It: Finding Love beyond Words. He has appeared on ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show,’ ‘CBS Sunday Morning,’ and CNN’s ‘Talkback Live’ and ‘Anderson Cooper 360′ and has been the subject of articles in, The New York Times, The Washington Post, U.S. News & World Report, The Wall Street Journal, Esquire, Cosmopolitan, O, Psychology Today, AP, Reuters, and USA Today. He has offered hundreds of workshops all over the world and has presented at most of the leading professional conferences. A consultant in family violence for the Prince George’s County Circuit and District courts, as well as for several mental health agencies in Maryland and Virginia, he has treated over 4,500 clients for various forms of resentment, anger, abuse, and violence. He has taught at the University of Maryland and at St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

Guest: Micki Fine, author of The Need to Please: Mindfulness Skills to Gain Freedom from People Pleasing and Approval Seeking Oct 24, 2013

Show notes

Do you have a hard time saying no to others, no matter how outrageous their requests? If so, you might be a chronic people-pleaser. Unfortunately, because we live in a society that praises putting the needs of others before ourselves, it can be difficult to break this bad habit. And while thinking of others is always commendable, there is a fine line between sacrifice and senseless approval seeking. In The Need to Please, a leading mindfulness expert and psychotherapist provides compassionate, mindfulness-based techniques that will help chronic people-pleasers like you address and overcome your fears of failure, inappropriate self-sacrificing, loss of personal identity, and voracious need of approval. In addition, you will learn to put an end to the codependent behaviors that lie at the heart of being a people-pleaser. Change is hard—especially when it means going against years of social conditioning. But if you’re ready to “Just Say No,” to others’ demands and start saying, “Yes” to your own needs, this book can help. You can find out more about these mindfulness techniques atlivingmindfully.org. About the author: Micki Fine, MEd, LPC, is the founder of Mindful Living in Houston, TX and a certified mindfulness teacher. She was awarded this credential from the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, where Jon Kabat-Zinn founded the renowned Center for Mindfulness. She holds a master’s degree in counseling psychology and is licensed as a professional counselor. She has been in private psychotherapy practice since 1990, and currently teaches mindfulness in her private practice, The Jung Center, and Rice University. To find out more about Fine, visit livingmindfully.org.

Guest: Michael A. Tompkins PhD, author of Anxiety and Avoidance: A Universal Treatment for Anxiety, Panic and Fear Oct 17, 2013

Show notes

Do you suffer from panic, anxiety, and fear in your day-to-day life? Do you often avoid social situations, activities like driving, or even going to the store because of a fear of being overwhelmed or triggering a panic attack? You might be interested to know that anxiety disorders are the most common mental health disorders in the United States. In Anxiety and Avoidance, psychologist and anxiety disorder expert Michael Tompkins presents a universal protocol to help you cope with anxiety, panic, and fear, regardless of your particular mental health diagnosis. This universal protocol is based on David H. Barlow’s “unified protocol,” and is a cognitive behavioral approach. Tompkins also draws on mindfulness-based therapies such as acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) that have been used successfully in the treatment of anxiety disorders for years. The book includes present-moment awareness (mindfulness) techniques, motivational tools for overcoming experiential avoidance, and cognitive tools for reframing anxiety and fear. In addition, you will learn how to use your personal values as a vehicle for lasting change. While most anxiety treatments have focused on symptom reduction, this book teaches you the skills needed to better handle the underlying emotional reactions that lead to anxiety and panic in the first place. If you are ready to stop avoiding situations that cause you to panic and get back to living a full life, this book is a powerful resource that can help you make a lasting change using an innovative, transdiagnostic approach. About the author: Dr. Michael A. Tompkins is the author of six books. His latest book for anxious adults is Anxiety and Avoidance: A Universal Treatment for Anxiety, Panic, and Fear available in September 2013. He is a founding partner of the San Francisco Bay Area Center for Cognitive Therapy and a Diplomate of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy. His book for anxious teenagers, My Anxious Mind: A Teen’s Guide to Managing Anxiety and Panic is a Magination Press/American Psychological Association bestseller and received the 2011 Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Self-Help Seal of Merit Award. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, two daughters, and two cats.

Guest: Stephanie Moulton Sarkis, PhD author of Making the Grade with ADD: A Student’s Guide to Succeeding in College with Attention Deficit Disorder. Oct 09, 2013

Show notes

In college, independence, fun activities, and new friendships abound. But if you have attention deficit disorder (ADD), these new opportunities also present new challenges. To adjust to college life, you’ll need to learn to harness your disorder in new ways in order to plan your time effectively, become a successful student, make friends, and take advantage of everything campus life has to offer. This easy-to-use guide will help you create study habits that work with your ADD in productive and positive ways. You’ll learn how to: • Set up a class schedule with your ADD in mind • Get along with roommates and establish a comfortable living situation • Stay focused, take notes, and study when surrounded by distractions • Get help at your campus health center when you need it • Make time for socializing and extracurricular activities Written by a licensed mental health counselor who has ADD herself, this guide will be a valuable resource through your college years and beyond. Visit the author at her web site: www.stephaniesarkis.com. About the author: Dr. Sarkis is a National Certified Counselor (NCC) and Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) based in Boca Raton, Florida. She provides counseling and coaching to children and adults with ADHD/ADD. She is also an adjunct assistant professor in Counselor Education at Florida Atlantic University. She is internationally recognized for her work in treating ADHD/ADD, Autism, Aspergers, and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Dr. Sarkis has won national awards for her research on ADHD and brain function. Dr. Sarkis has been published in the Journal of Attention Disorders and she has been featured on CNN’s “Health Minute,” Fox News, ABC News, Sirius Satellite Radio, First Business Television, and numerous other networks and stations. She is featured in the book The Gift of Adult ADD by Lara Honos-Webb Ph.D.

Guest: Jason B. Fischer, MA, LPC author of The Two Truths About Love: The Art & Wisdom of Extraordinary Relationships. Oct 02, 2013

Show notes

Some relationships last, others fall apart, and still others seem to thrive and grow as the years go on. The Two Truths About Love is a guide to creating this third type of relationship—an extraordinary partnership wherein each partner feels fully accepted and loved as they are. Designed over the course of thousands of hours conducting face-to-face counseling sessions with clients, psychotherapist and former Buddhist monk Jason B. Fischer’s unique approach has already improved the lives of countless individuals and couples. The two secrets to creating extraordinary relationships are simple: partners must 1. Give permission for the other person to be who they truly are while also 2. Taking responsibility for their own reactions, behaviors, assumptions, and expectations of their partner and the relationship. This book gives readers the tools to start giving permission and taking responsibility in their own relationships and offers strategies for letting go of dissatisfaction and habitual conflicts. In short, accessible chapters, readers learn how to put these seemingly simple rules into practice to regain balance and peace in their partnerships. About the author: Jason B. Fischer, MA, LPC, is a licensed psychotherapist who has a thriving counseling practice in Austin, TX. He is the clinical director and owner of Plumeria Counseling Center, which he founded with the underlying mission of providing quality, affordable counseling to all those who desire it. His innovative approach to therapy has helped countless individuals and couples learn how to gain command of their lives and relationships. His self-designed philosophy—The Art of Giving Permission or The Permission Principle—is a graceful blend of Western psychology and Eastern thought which teaches how all human beings have the ability to transform personal and interpersonal suffering through practicing “the art of giving permission”. His teachings articulate exactly what this skill entails and explains why it is so essential for achieving lasting harmony and intimacy, not just with others, but within ourselves and in relationship to each aspect of the ever-changing world in which we seek fulfillment. He additionally spent time as a fully ordained Theravadin Buddhist monk, before reentering conventional society to “walk the middle path.” His lifelong ambition is to help foster a global community free from suffering and interpersonal disharmony. “I’m a therapist. There, I said it. No single word comes closer to encompassing the entirety of my being than this one word. At various points in my past I would have relied upon others: student, teacher, writer, seeker, cab driver, acupuncturist, Buddhist monk. It took some time to discover that which I had been all along. In retrospect each step of the journey makes sense, for I would not be the therapist I am today without each contributing experience that has brought me to this moment–the many hours of meditation, my collegiate studies in Buddhism and Taoism, my visits to temples and monasteries in India, Thailand, China, Tibet, and the United States. Nothing I have ever experienced has been without its relevance.” — Jason B. Fischer

Guest: Deesha Philyaw, co-author of Co-Parenting 101: Helping Your Kids Thrive in Two Households After Divorce. Sep 25, 2013

Show notes

A successful co-parenting relationship is as vital to your child’s well-being and health as nutritious food or proper exercise. Research, anecdotal evidence, and plain common sense all point to the fact that children are happier, healthier, and better adjusted when both of their parents play an active role in their lives. Studies also show that the trauma children experience in the wake of a divorce or separation can be lessened when they see their parents getting along. Kids whose parents successfully co-parent feel more secure than those who have limited or no connection to one of their parents post divorce. Co-Parenting 101 is based on the premise that co-parenting is a must, not an option. The involvement of both parents—not just the primary guardian—is the cornerstone of successful co-parenting. This is the first book written by a formerly married couple for whom co parenting is central to their day to day lives, and it offers a comprehensive, personal, and upfront look at how to effectively raise kids with an ex-spouse. Authors Deesha Philyaw and Michael D. Thomas, the creators of the popular co-parenting website, co-parenting101.org, share their own experiences raising their children together, as well as provide professional advice from co-parenting experts. Through practical tips combined with expert parental strategies, this book a great resource for divorced parents with children. For parents, less time stressed out about legal wrangling means more time to be fully present and engaged with the children. By learning to put their animosity aside, parents can focus on putting their kids first. About the co-author: Deesha Philyaw is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Essence and Bitch magazines, as well as The Washington Post. Her writing has been anthologized in several collections including Literary Mama: Reading for the Maternally Inclined; When We Were Free to Be: Looking Back at a Children’s Classic and the Difference It Made; and The Cassoulet Saved Our Marriage: True Tales of Food, Family, and How We Learn to Eat. She is the co-founder of Co-Parenting101.org

Guest: Dr. Bernie Siegel, author of The Art of Healing: Uncovering Your Inner Wisdom and Potential for Self-Healing Sep 19, 2013

Show notes

In these pages, renowned medical doctor and spiritual teacher Bernie Siegel demonstrates how science and spirituality interact — and how you can tap your body’s potential to heal. After studying the use of crayon drawings by patients facing life-threatening disease, Bernie founded Exceptional Cancer Patients to facilitate self-induced healings, which were often called miraculous. Bernie realized our bodies actually want to heal, and we can aid this innate propensity through what are currently seen as unconventional practices, including drawing, visualization, dreams, love, and laughter. You’ll learn how to use these practices to help with everything from diagnosing and understanding your illness to making the correct treatment decisions to sharing your experience with loved ones and caregivers. Filled with inspiring true stories and suggestions for traveling your own healing journey, this book offers hands-on, patient-proven techniques that can create miracles.

Guest: Dr. Ricki Pollycove, OB-GYN and an expert on women’s health. Dr. Pollycove will talk about the latest research and news on women’s health and sexual well-being–information that will assist you in improving your relationship with your body. Sep 13, 2013

Show notes

About my guest, in her words: My career is focused on healthy aging in women, including hormone replacement therapy using primarily bio-identical hormones, and reducing risks for functional loss and dependency. I specialize in the endocrinology of menopause and disease risk reduction as reflected in individual patient care options and clinical management decision-making, with an emphasis on breast cancer early detection, diagnosis, treatment options and ongoing cancer survivor care. Further insight into the depth of our need to nurture ourselves throughout a woman’s life is fueled by having delivered over 1,500 babies in addition to being a mother myself. From babyhood to adulthood, we all deserve compassionate, kind and patient attention to our individual needs. I have committed to becoming more active in the politics of medicine, hoping to preserve the very special nature of the physician patient relationship as well as promoting greater collegiality through all sectors of health care. I am a member of the following professional organizations: American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG). Fellow, 1984 to present. American Society for Reproductive Medicine, 1983 to present North American Menopause Society, 1992 to present American Society of Breast Disease, 1994 to present California Medical Association: San Francisco Medical Society, 1981 to present. Editorial Board, 1998-present. Editor in Chief, 1999- 2001. The American Medical Writers Association, 1994-2000. My academic appointments include: Volunteer Clinical faculty at UC San Francisco (Women’s health, gynecology and female sexuality courses) former faculty at the University of Arizona School of Medicine (associate professor for the “Current issues in women and children’s health” course) and adjunct teaching in the Integral Health Studies Program of the California Institute of Integral Studies (see www.CIIS.edu master’s program in Integral Health). As part of community outreach, I enjoy appearing on television, as a regular women’s health guest expert on local and national television and radio programs as well as public lectures. Professional continuing education seminars for doctors, nurses, physician assistants and psychologists continue to be a regular part of my professional activities I serve on the non-profit Sophia Project Board of trustees, devoted to caring for near-homeless mothers and children in West Oakland and the larger Bay Area. I also serve on the Board of the California Institute of Integral Studies, a University offering bachelor’s degree completion, Masters and PhDs (see www.CIIS.edu). For 15 years I served on the board of the Patient Assistance Foundation whose job it is to raise money for health education, social services and financial counseling for those in need. My hobbies include savory cooking and baking, having held a job as pastry chef assistant during college and never losing my enthusiasm for good organic home cooking. I also enjoy music (when I can practice, I play viola in chamber music groups and sing soprano), reading a diversity of philosophical and historical writers, bike riding and hiking to explore nature and the world. My books include The Pocket Guide to Bioidentical Hormones, Alpha Press 2010, and Mother Nurture, with Rick and Jan Hanson, Penguin, 2002.

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