Myndtalk With Dr. Pamela Brewer

Cancer is still one of the most frightening words in the human lexicon despite the improvements in treatment options/outcomes.  According to the American Cancer Society, "Childhood cancers make up less than 1% of all cancers diagnosed each year" and (also according to the ACS), "... more than 80% of children with cancer now survive 5 years or more." And yet, there is much to know about the psychological impact on the child and the family.  Pediatric neuropsychologist, Dr. Grace Mucci, brings her passion and her wisdom to this important conversation.

Music was everything for Marcia Butler. Growing up in an emotionally desolate home with an abusive father and a distant mother, she devoted herself to the rigor of the oboe, but haunted by troubling childhood memories while balancing the challenges of life as a working musician, Marcia succumbed to dangerous men and quickly became a young prodigy on the rise in New York City's competitive music scene. drugs and self-destruction. In her darkest moments, she asked the hardest question of all: Could music truly save her life?

Renowned holistic physician and lecturer Dr. Bradley Nelson lays bare the inner workings of the subconscious mind. He reveals how emotionally-charged events from your past can still haunt you in the form of "trapped emotions"; emotional energies that literally inhabit your body. Dr. Nelson explains how trapped emotions can create pain, malfunction, and eventual disease. Trapped emotions can exert a dramatic effect on how you think, the choices that you make, and how successful you will be. Perhaps the most important discovery that Dr. Nelson has made is that trapped emotional energies will often gather around the heart, creating a "Heart-Wall" that may block you from giving and receiving love freely. The Emotion Code is a powerful and simple way to rid yourself of unseen baggage.

Author Dr. Kelly Cresap takes a look at the psychological underpinnings of the long-running television series, Breaking Bad. "Among the edgiest of shows ever aired, "Breaking Bad" now faces an insidious new archenemy: being liked to death. On the one hand, people have settled for what’s impressive about the series while missing what’s unprecedented.  "A Love-Hate Guide to ‘Breaking Bad’" shines a flashlight on places even the most obsessive fans have overlooked. It crosses the spectrum from loving, to hating to provoke new ways into the series. Whether you are a fan of Breaking Bad - or never watched a drop - this conversation will tickle your brain cells! Don't underestimate the power of television!

Through one tragedy after another, Carmen was forced to rely on her inner strength to keep herself and her family from falling apart forever. Carmen faced betrayal, loss, and hardship. Today Carmen is able to celebrate the lessons learned from her pain and teach us the joy that true love can bring to our lives, no matter the circumstances.

What if our lists did more than just remind us to buy milk and take out the trash? What if the practice of list-making could help us discover who we truly are and even point us to our deepest joys, hopes, and desires?  Teacher, writer, and wordsmith Marilyn McEntyre discusses the simple act of writing a list - and how the practice can open not-so-simple doors to personal discovery and spiritual growth.

One of the most painful experiences for a parent is the loss or fear of loss of a child.  There are times - albeit potentially unwitting - that parents see the next child as a replacement child. Educator/author Barbara Jaffe, a “replacement child,” discovered that the barriers to acceptability were high.  Barbara was born to fill the vacancy left by her little brother who died at the age of two. This conversation tells the multitude of people who have been 'replacement children’ that they, too, can find hope and healing. 

Jennie Lee builds immediate bridges of peace by changing how we look at love; from something to be acquired and preserved, to something to be realized and breathed. Active conscious loving is the basis of the meditation practices offered in Breathing Love, providing you with inner solace and a deep sense of purpose. Whether in a relationship or not, in the prime of life or nearing death, you'll be encouraged to move beyond the pain, pride, and fear that keep you from love.

In a world where so many feel that they have lost their way, THE SLAVE, though often harrowing, yet ultimately uplifting, will provide answers to all who wrestle with the eternal questions about the real purpose of our time on earth, and to reflect upon the direction of our own lives. to use Anand's own words, 'it is designed to shake, shudder and wake us up.' This is a conversation that has ... everything to do with joy, love and peace.

In a world where so many feel that they have lost their way, THE SLAVE, though often harrowing, yet ultimately uplifting, will provide answers to all who wrestle with the eternal questions about the real purpose of our time on earth, and to reflect upon the direction of our own lives. to use Anand's own words, 'it is designed to shake, shudder and wake us up.' This is a conversation that has ... everything to do with joy, love and peace.

Dana Peterson teaches and conducts research in the areas of youth violence, youth gangs and gang prevention, delinquency treatment, and sex/gender issues in delinquency and gang involvement. She is an Investigator on the “Process and Outcome Evaluation of G.R.E.A.T. (Gang Resistance Education and Training),” a multi-site longitudinal evaluation of a school-based gang prevention program. Dr. Peterson talks today about the existence and impact of girls in a gang. Don't miss this surprising and informative conversation. 

Former White House social secretaries Lea Berman, who worked for George and Laura Bush, and Jeremy Bernard, who worked for Michelle and Barack Obama, have written an entertaining and uniquely practical guide to personal and professional success in modern life. Their daily experiences at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue taught them valuable lessons about how to work productively with people from different walks of life and points of view. These Washington insiders share what they’ve learned through first person examples of their own glamorous (and sometimes harrowing) moments with celebrities, foreign leaders and that most unpredictable of animals—the American politician.

Unable to see injustice and remain silent, it is not a surprise that Schyla Pondexter-Moore used her passion and her skills to advocate for her daughter, for all our daughters, for all of us.  Schyla's teenage daughter was the target of what so many, too many girls and women experience simply walking down the street. Schyla discusses her participation in the documentary, Triggered - Street Harassment and Rape Culture.  Listen to her story - watch Triggered (www.grassrootsdc.org)  and draw energy from Schyla's devotion to righting wrongs whenever she sees them

YOU are a Bombshell! Yes - you! You might just need to learn how to embrace your inner Bombshell without falling out of balance, feeling overwhelmed, or allowing your business to run you. Amber Hurdle serves as your guide to do just that. She discusses practical strategies for marketing, management, networking, goal setting, time management and more. With easy to digest business advice and important information available on her website,  you will be inspired to step into the bold, brave, and successful female entrepreneur within you. 

Many people believe that gangs are made up of violent thugs who are in and out of jail, and who are hyper-masculine and heterosexual. The Gang’s All Queer author, Vanessa Panfil, introduces us to a different world. Meet gay gang members whose gay identity complicates criminology’s portrayal and representation of gangs, gang members, and gang life.  Dr. Panfil shares the results of her research and understanding of how gay gang members construct and negotiate both masculine and gay identities through crime and gang membership.

This is not a partial glimpse of addiction—it is the whole story. It begins with a violent childhood that bonded two children together forever, perhaps setting the stage for what was to come. Jodee’s younger brother Brett became an alcoholic. And she the sister of an alcoholic. As he walked the thin line between life and death, she experienced gut-wrenching highs and lows, obsessively doing everything she could to get his life back on track, sacrificing her own young children, marriage, career, and personal health. 

Caring for an elderly family member can be overwhelming. But fulfilling life experiences are still possible for both caregivers and their loved ones, despite the stress and fatigue of caregiving. During this comprehensive conversation, best-selling author Ann Kaiser Stearns explores the practical and personal challenges of both caregiving and successful aging. She couples findings from the latest research with powerful insights and problem-solving tips to help caregivers achieve the best life possible for those they care for—and for themselves as they age.

MyNDTALK - Wogamatter  - Esther Lawson Wogamatter by Esther Lawson is a compelling tale of a small mixed-race girl, growing up in post-war Britain, and her experiences of racism in all its forms from all quarters of society. A sad story, but one with a real moral at its heart, no listener will fail to be moved by the author's account of her life as a young child and developing teenager. 

Lisa discusses her formative years, her decade of alcohol and drug abuse, divorce, and her road to recovery. Smith describes how her circumstances conspired with her predisposition to depression and self-medication in an environment ripe for addiction to flourish. ... Beneath the façade of success lies the reality of addiction.

Brian's young life experiences certainly could have led him awry and did for a time. Drinking and drugs became a routine part of his young existence that he carried into adulthood.  Anything and everything could have gone wrong with his life and often did.  But he fought back. Hear his story and be encouraged.