The Matt Townsend Show

Matt Townsend specializes in energizing and involving audiences with his unique approach to building and maintaining successful relationships. Known as one of America’s top presenters in the field of Human Relations and Development, Matt blends humor and story telling with interactive, real-life solutions that motivate and inspire his listeners.

Latest Episodes:

Don’t Blame Trump, Raising an Adult, Parent Previews Sep 02, 2016

Show notes

Don’t Blame Trump: Heal Thyself (16:14) Dr. Peter Coleman is a Professor of Psychology and Education at Columbia University. He is the author of The Five Percent: Finding Solutions to Seemingly Impossible Conflicts. While many feel like Donald Trump is less than competent to run our country and possibly a dangerous leader, it is important to look towards the infamous despots throughout history. These men include Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini, and Kim Jung-il. Although we might tend to focus on their individual reigns of terror, it might prove more conducive to learn how they were in a position to reign in terror and what led up to it. How to Raise an Adult (1:02:10) Julie Lythcott-Haims studied law at Harvard and then practiced law in the Bay Area in the 1990s before returning to Stanford to serve in various roles including Dean of Freshmen, a position she created and held for a decade. As summer closes and September officially gets underway, over a million students will be attending college for the first time. And while college marks the beginning of independence for some, other students are having their parents come along for their first year of college. Mrs. Lythcott-Haims is author of the book: How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success. She disccuss over parenting. Liana Tan - Labor Day (1:27:49) A lot of people around this office are looking forward to this coming Monday when the building will be pretty desolate and everyone will be on vacations! You probably have some nice barbecues planned for the four day weekend as well all thanks to Labor Day. But what is Labor Day actually celebrating? Our producer, Liana Tan, is going to show us how Labor Day for many Americans might mean just moving their leisure time to their living rooms instead of their office. She’ll teach us some ways we can be more productive at work. Parent Previews - The Light Between Oceans (1:52:00) Rod Gustafson from Parent Previews joins the show to review The Light Between Oceans

Louisiana Floods, Exhaustion, Kids and School Sep 01, 2016

Show notes

Louisiana Floods (16:53) Dr. Craig E. Colten is currently a professor at Louisiana State University. Dr. Colten studies the geography of hazards and focuses on the range of urban flood hazards as well as community resilience. The damages in Louisiana have been all over the news after a storm dropped two feet of rain on the local residents. This amount of precipitation was heavy and certainly a rare event. Professor Colten has spent some time studying this disaster and is here to speak with us today about how the suburban sprawl and poor preparation worsened the flood damage in Louisiana. History of Exhaustion (1:04:30) Dr Anna Katharina Schaffner is a Reader in Comparative Literature and Medical Humanities at the University of Kent in England. Her current research interests are situated in the fields of the medical humanities, cultural history, the history of psychiatry and psychoanalysis, and mind-body theory. Her book, Exhaustion: A History charts the forgotten history of exhaustion from classical antiquity to the present day, examining the role of exhaustion symptoms in syndromes including nervousness, depression, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and burnout. Dr. Schaffner shares her research. Ways We Sabotage Our Children's Success in School (1:51:54) Heather Johnson, M.S., has been an adjunct faculty member at Brigham Young University for nearly 10 years. She is passionate about teaching students the principles behind successful families and the importance of families spending time together. Heather shares with Dr. Matt how we can help and hinder our childrens success in school.

Woodpeckers and Football, Child Apologies, Mothers Voice Aug 31, 2016

Show notes

How Woodpeckers Will Save Football (16:31) Dr. David Smith has been practicing medicine for 27 years and has spent the last 9 years studying Traumatic Brain injuries. He is a Visiting Research Scientist at Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center. He is the President and CEO of Traumatic Brain Injury Innovations LLC, overseeing all their operations. Traumatic Brain injuries (TBI) also known as concussions, are a major cause of death and disability in the United States and contribute to about 30% of all injury deaths. With Will Smiths starring role as a Nigerian Forensic Pathologist, the movie Concussion has brought nationwide attention to the negative effects of TBIs. What can we do to prevent these types of injuries and how can Woodpeckers help? Dr. David Smith with some ideas. Should Parents Ask Their Children to Apologize (1:03:31) Dr. Craig Smith is currently the director of the Living Lab project at the University of Michigan. The Living Lab is a research/education model that brings developmental research into community settings such as museums and libraries. Your child is playing with another child while you watch from across the playground. Suddenly your child lashes out and hits their friend. What do you do? Do you demand an “I’m Sorry”? Do you apologize to the other parents? What’s the best thing to do to teach your child? Dr. Craig Smith explains his research. Coaches Corner - Self-Worth and Your Children (1:31:08) Dr. Matt Townsend talks about not attaching your self worth to the behavior of your kids. Power of Mothers Voice (1:51:53) Dr. Daniel Arthur Abrams is an Instructor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. he earned his PhD at Northwestern University, in Auditory Cognitive Neuroscience. He authored the study Neural circuits underlying mother’s voice perception predict social communication abilities in children. Dr Abrams shares his research into what happens when children hear their mother's voice.

Original Underclass, 10 Laws of Trust, Tobacco Kills Aug 30, 2016

Show notes

The Original Underclass (16:53) Alec MacGillis is a journalist who covers politics and government for ProPublica. MacGillis is the recipient of the 2016 Robin Toner Prize for Excellence in Political Reporting and received a Pulitzer Prize in 2008. In the 2008 and 2012 Presidential elections, the term “white working class” was often associated with integrity and virtue. “White Working Voters” were a key demographic the democrats were trying to hit. The demise of the underclass white American is mimicking the past trends of African Americans decades before today. They are seeing a rise in drug abuse and addiction, and in mortality and suicide rates. Should this be a surprise? Alec MacGillis discuss his article "The Original Underclass" The 10 Laws of Trust (1:03:33) Joel Peterson is the Chairman of the Board of Overseers at the Hoover Institution at Stanford as well as the Chairman of the Board at JetBlue Airways. He is on the faculty at the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University and has been since 1992. Peterson is the Founding Partner and Chairman of Peterson Partners, a Salt Lake City-based investment management firm. Joel Peterson shares insights from his book The 10 Laws of Trust: Building the Bonds That Make a Business Great. Liana Tan - Happy Mornings (1:31:04) Have you ever met someone who just always seems to be happy? Why does it seem like there are people in this world that are happier than the rest of us? You might be asking, “what did they have for breakfast?” Well, maybe that is just the right question. It could be that happy people start their mornings off differently than others. So our producer, Liana Tan, is going to share with us 5 ways happy people start their mornings. Tobacco Kills (1:49:23) Dr. Ron Hager is an Associate Professor of Exercise Sciences in the College of Life Sciences at Brigham Young University. His area of expertise is Chronic Disease Prevention. Dr. Hager discusses the dangers of tobacco use.

Immigration Reform, Mind in the Making?, Children and Anxiety Aug 29, 2016

Show notes

Immigration Reform (16:24) Joe Cannon is our Washington Insider. Joe served as an assistant administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 1983-1985. Was a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1992. He served as the Chairman of the Utah Republican Party from 2002 to 2006. He was named editor of the Deseret Morning News on December 8, 2006. Joe currently is the CEO of Fuel Freedom Foundation. Joe and Dr. Townsend discuss Donald Trump's recent comments about immigration and Hillary Clinton's email/Clinton Foundation issues Mind in the Making (1:02:40)? Ellen Galinsky is President and Co-Founder of Families and Work Institute. She helped establish the field of work and family life during the time she was at Bank Street College of Education, where she was on the faculty for 25 years. Her more than 100 books and reports include the best-selling Mind in the Making: The Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs. Ellen Galinsky shares skills you can teach your children the skills they need for success. She is author of Mind in the Making: The Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs Lauren Simpson - Women's Equality (1:27:57) This week marks the 96th anniversary of women receiving the right to vote. One of our producers, Lauren Simpson, spoke with women in the community about the strides women are making. Helping Children with Anxiety (1:50:48) Kim Giles, President and founder of Clarity Point Life Coaching. Named one of the top 20 advice gurus in the country by Good Morning America in 2010. Writes a regular column on KSL.com every Monday in the Happy Living Section. Author of the Book Choosing Clarity: A Path to Fearlessness. Kim Giles shares her latest article on Helping Children with Anxiety.

Rise of Finance, Foster Care Crisis, Music and Anxiety Aug 26, 2016

Show notes

Makers and Takers: The Rise of Finance (9:53) Rana Foroohar is the Assistant managing editor at Time and the magazine’s economics columnist. She is the author of Makers and Takers: The Rise of Finance and the Fall of American Business.The presidential race has brought to light the country’s frustration with the current economic state. While wages are up and the slow growth of the economy looks promising, many are still feeling left behind. Rana Foroohar tells us more about our nation’s trend towards financialization and the damage it has caused. Foster Care Crisis (50:39) Mike Hamblin is the Director of Recruitment at Utah Foster Care Foundation. Utah Foster Care is a private non-profit with a contract with the State of Utah to do all of the recruitment and training for state licensed foster families. As of 2014 there were 415,129 children in foster care in the United States with 39% 5 years old or under. 46% of those 400,000 children are living in a Foster Family Home which means they are living with non-relative caregivers. In 2014 only 238,230 children exited foster care. Many problems exist in the Foster Care system including the overuse of group homes, kids aging out of the system without proper support, and Foster Parents need more support to deal with the many challenges they face in caring for these children. Mike Hamblin discusses the many issues in the foster care system and how we can help. The Use of Singing to Treat Anxiety and Depression (1:29:43) Dr. Steven Hayes is the foundation professor of behavioral analysis at the University of Nevada Reno. Dr. Hayes has authored 38 books, he is the developer of the Relational Frame Theory and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Have you ever had a strange or wild idea that you had to force out of your mind? For those who suffer from OCD, pushing out intrusive thoughts can be an overwhelming battle. But turning your worries into a catchy tune might be a solution for those who suffer from intrusive thoughts. Dr. Steven Hayes discusses intrusive thoughts a 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:09:53 - Makers and Takers: The Rise of Finance 00:50:39 - Foster Care Crisis 01:89:43 - The Use of Singing to Treat Anxiety and Depression

Hacked Voting Machines, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Fitness Aug 25, 2016

Show notes

Hacking of Election Machines (17:38) Dr. Richard Forno is the Assistant Director, UMBC Center for Cybersecurity, Director, Cybersecurity Graduate Program at University of Maryland, Baltimore County. What are the possibilities of our voting system being hacked? And what should we be more concerned with: A domestic attack or an international attack? Dr. Richard Forno explains. Utah Shakespeare Festival (1:02:47) Josh Stavros is the Media and Public Relations Manager for the Utah Shakespeare Festival. For the past fifteen years he has worked very closely with the College of Performing and Visual Arts at Southern Utah University and the Utah Shakespeare Festival, including five years as the Associate Education Director. Joshua Stavros discusses the Utah Shakespeare Festival and it’s new venue in Cedar City Utah Coaches Corner - Expanding Intrests (1:25:26) Dr. Matt Townsend talks about how he has tried to expand his personal and his families intrests by seeking new experiences. Fitness Motivation (1:48:50) Stephanie Hooker is a PhD candidate in Clinical Health Psychology at the University of Colorado Denver, in Denver, CO. She is currently completing her clinical residency in Health Psychology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, IL. She recently completed her dissertation examining the relationship between life meaning and purpose and physical activity adoption in previously sedentary adults. Stephanie Hooker shares her findings.

Police Culture, Jerks at Work, Misbehaving Children Aug 24, 2016

Show notes

Police Culture & Masculinity (17:44) Frank Cooper is a Professor of Law of Suffolk University in Boston where he teaches about constitutional law, criminal procedure, criminal law, and race gender and law. With police officers mainly being drawn from comparably privileged sections of society: men and whites, victims of the criminal justice system, people of color are unjustifiably targeted. Is racial profiling the only contributing factor to police brutality? What role does police culture play? Professor Frank Rudy Cooper explains. The Pluto Interveiw (53:15) Dr. Matt Townsend interviews the former planet Pluto on the anniversary of his demotion from planet desigination. Dr. Townsend offers coaching tips to the disgruntled dwarf planet. How to Deal with a Jerk at Work (1:06:20) Peter Economy is a best-selling business author, ghostwriter, developmental editor, and publishing consultant with more than 80 books to his credit. He writes columns on leadership and management for Inc.com (The Leadership Guy) and has also served as Associate Editor for Leader to Leader magazine since 2001. They're always the one cracking crude jokes, inappropriately speaking out, or just making those around them feel really uncomfortable. They may even be the type that seem to enjoy bullying others around them. We try ignoring them, staying polite--sometimes even going as far as even trying to befriend them at the cost of our own mental sanity. But just how should we really be dealing with jerks like these? Peter Economy explains. The Reason Children Misbehave (1:49:45) Thomas Winterman is a father, husband, therapist, school counselor, author, and public speaker who lives in Panama City, Florida. He has worked in the mental health field for a number of years, mostly serving underprivileged children at a non-profit agency as both a social worker and a clinical counselor. Why do our children misbehave and how did they learn this behavior? Thomas Winterman discusses children and their sometimes wild behavior.

Political Social Media, Why Diets Make Us Fat, Art and Kids Aug 23, 2016

Show notes

Candidates and Social Media (16:58) Dr. Jenny Stromer-Galley, a professor at Syracuse University in Upstate New York. . With an increasing amount of Americans turning to the internet and using social media, our Presidential campaigns are utilizing Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. Jenny Stromer-Galley explains how social media is affecting the election process. Why Diets Make Us Fat (1:02:34) Dr. Sandra Aamodt, a Neuroscientist who wrote a book explaining why dieting - as we know it - is completely wrong. Her book is Why Diets Make Us Fat: The Unintended Consequences of Our Obsession With Weight Loss. Have you ever lost 10 pounds on a diet, only to find that the weight came back once you finished? It could be because our brains and bodies don’t agree with today’s assumptions about diets. Dr. Aamodt explains. Liana Tan - How to Be Productive (1:24:36) "Have you ever thought about how much time you waste just sitting and waiting for things to happen? How would your life be different if you chose to seize every moment of every day? Our producer, liana tan, is going to teach us 5 ways you can be productive anytime and anywhere." Kids and Art (1:45:46) Julie Nelson (the "Child Whisperer") has a master's degree in Marriage, Family, and Human Development. She teaches classes such as Applied Parenting and Marriage and Relationship Skills at Utah Valley University. Julie talks about the importance of art in the home.

Trump Pivot, Extroverts and Introverts, Tantrums Aug 22, 2016

Show notes

Trump Pivot (17:46) Joe Cannon is our Washington Insider. Joe served as an assistant administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 1983-1985. Was a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1992. He served as the Chairman of the Utah Republican Party from 2002 to 2006. He was named editor of the Deseret Morning News on December 8, 2006. Joe currently is the CEO of Fuel Freedom Foundation. Joe and Dr. Townsend discuss presidential politcs and the Trump Pivot. Extrovert Skills for Introverts (1:03:47) Andre Sólo is an author, philosopher and professional adventurer. Since 2012 he has traveled across the Americas with nothing but a bicycle. He believes that a journey is a powerful way to discover purpose in life, and that ordinary people can do extraordinary things. He writes about heroism, spirituality, and exploring the world as an introvert. Andre Sólo explains how working on Extrovert Skills made him a Happier Introvert Coaches Corner - Introverded Extroverts (1:30:43) Dr. Matt Townsend shares his thoughts on how introverts can learn extrovert skills How to Stop Tantrums (1:52:22) Dr. Stuart Shanker is a Distinguished Research Professor of Philosophy and Psychology at York University in Toronto and CEO of The MEHRIT Centre . He has just published Self-Reg: How To Help Your Child (and You) Break the Stress Cycle and Successfully Engage with Life. When kids misbehave it can be embarassing and exhausting and sometimes the easiest solution is to send them to time out so we don't have to deal with them for a few minutes. But what if your kids' misbehavior is actually stress behavior? Dr. Shanker explains.

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