Beyond Well with Sheila Hamilton

A Re-Visit from 2019.

Way before the pandemic. Way before the current political climate. It's an interesting point of view of where we were when looking at things from where we are now.

Do “Trigger warnings” and “Safe Spaces” really keep us safe? Dr Jenna LeJeune and Dr. Brian Goff discuss the dangerous trend toward identifying feelings as painful and thoughts as dangerous and harmful.  But what are meant to be “safe-spaces” turn into echo chambers, shutting down any diversity of perspective or thought. New research suggests that trigger warnings may actually result in increased anxiety and Increased stigmatizing beliefs.

Many people who are deep in the throes of depression or anxiety can't recognize how sick they've become, and they resist help. Here's a simple guide for broaching the subject of well-being, when and how to get professional help, and the language of love that should be used again and again in dealing with someone's mental health disorder.

Google compiles the most frequently asked questions regarding mental health, and the #1 question is: What is Anxiety?  Everyone has a different experience of anxiety but Dr. Leslie Dobson explains the most common symptoms of anxiety and the most effective, evidence-based treatments.

This is a Revisit with Cathleen Beerkens , founder of A Wellness Revolution and the author of Your Creator Matrix. She shares new research and techniques to achieve optimal wellness. Your Creator Matrix is the interconnected framework that links your mind, body, and spirit on all levels (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual) with the Unified Field. When we master our stories—the deeply-held narratives and beliefs that influence all of our choices and creations—and learn how to digest our life experiences in new ways, we gain the power to choose new future timelines and manifest the wellness, abundance, and love we truly desire.In this thought-provoking book, researcher and integrative health coach Cathleen Beerkens shows us how quantum physics and the new sciences of epigenetics, glycobiology, and nutrigenetics can support us to create optimal cellular health, digest and assimilate our old storylines, nourish ourselves at all levels for optimal wellness, and begin to operate fully as the Creator in our lives for the good of all.

A Revisit with Dr. Leslie Dobson.

In 2024 the New York Times investigated the proliferation of pedophiles who stalk minor’s instagram pages, accounts that are managed by the minor child’s parents. Reporters found high numbers of registered pedophiles who were not only liking and commenting on children's photos and videos, but saving them to their own personal profiles. What is a safe approach to social media for kids? In case you missed it, Dr. Leslie Dobson had a lot to say about it.

Maya Schumer  earned her PhD studying the very disorder she carries, using neuroimaging and machine learning to map the neural signatures of mania and emotional impulsivity at the University of Pittsburgh. She is now a postdoctoral fellow at McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School's flagship psychiatric institution. She also lives with Bipolar I.

So when Maya began a modified ketogenic diet and noticed her cognition sharpening, her mood stabilizing, her daily life becoming simply less effortful, she understood the implications in a way few patients could.  Today on Beyond Well, Maya Schumer talks about what twenty-first-century psychiatric treatment gets right, what it still gets wrong, and why the emerging field of metabolic psychiatry may be closing a gap that millions of people have been falling through.

Michael F. Kay is an author, Certified Life Coach, and host of the retirement podcast Chapter X. After more than 25 years as a financial professional, he shifted his focus to the inner side of retirement, particularly the identity, purpose, and emotional challenges people face when they step away from full‑time work. His writing has appeared in Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and other outlets, and his new book, How to Craft Your Chapter X.

Dr. Rachel Zoffness, Part two of our two part-series,

"Tell Me Where it Hurts".

Most medical treatments for chronic pain fail. That’s because pain isn't a purely physical issue – it's also emotional. This means that treatment must target the brain in addition to the body.

Dr. Rachel Zoffness is a pain scientist, clinician, international speaker, author, and thought-leader in pain medicine. She is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the UCSF School of Medicine, lectures at Stanford, and is a Mayday Fellow.

Her new book "Tell Me Where it Hurts" is a must read.

Enjoy.

Dr. Rachel Zoffness, Part One of a two part-series,

"Tell Me Where it Hurts".

Most medical treatments for chronic pain fail. That’s because pain isn't a purely physical issue – it's also emotional. This means that treatment must target the brain in addition to the body.

Dr. Rachel Zoffness is a pain scientist, clinician, international speaker, author, and thought-leader in pain medicine. She is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the UCSF School of Medicine, lectures at Stanford, and is a Mayday Fellow.

Her new book "Tell Me Where it Hurts" is a must read.

Enjoy.

Part two of our two part interview with Carlos Tanner, founder of the Ayuaska Foundation.

Carlos Tanner shares his personal journey with ayahuasca and explained how the plant medicine helped him overcome addiction and trauma. He described the scientific properties of ayahuasca and how it can expand sensory awareness to facilitate healing. Carlos discussed the growing interest in alternative medicines like ayahuasca and psilocybin, attributing it to the limitations of modern medical treatments and a greater appreciation for indigenous wisdom. He also highlighted the Foundation's research on the effects of ayahuasca on veterans with PTSD, noting significant improvements in their mental health. The conversation covered the practical aspects of participating in an ayahuasca retreat, including preparation, costs, and potential risks. Carlos emphasized the importance of a holistic approach to healing that addresses physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

Part one of a two part interview with Carlos Tanner, founder of the Ayahuasca Foundation.

Carlos Tanner shares his personal journey with ayahuasca and explained how the plant medicine helped him overcome addiction and trauma. He described the scientific properties of ayahuasca and how it can expand sensory awareness to facilitate healing. Carlos discussed the growing interest in alternative medicines like ayahuasca and psilocybin, attributing it to the limitations of modern medical treatments and a greater appreciation for indigenous wisdom. He also highlighted the Foundation's research on the effects of ayahuasca on veterans with PTSD, noting significant improvements in their mental health. The conversation covered the practical aspects of participating in an ayahuasca retreat, including preparation, costs, and potential risks. Carlos emphasized the importance of a holistic approach to healing that addresses physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

Jen Fisher is a global authority on workplace wellbeing, bestselling author, and founder & CEO of The Wellbeing Team. She made history as Deloitte’s first Chief Wellbeing Officer, where she helped reshape how organizations think about human sustainability, burnout, and thriving at work. A sought-after keynote speaker, TEDx presenter, and host of The WorkWell Podcast, Jen has contributed to Harvard Business Review, Fortune, CNN, and more — and works with leaders around the world to build healthier, more human-centered workplaces.

This is a revisit of our Valentines Special we did in 2020.

Romance, desire and navigating a made up Holiday where everything is supposed to be champaign and roses is the subject of this blast from the past.

This show originally aired in February of 2020.

Featuring Dr. Brian Goff and Dr. Angela Izmirian.

Enjoy.

This is a revisit which originally aired in 2023.

Andrea Herron's brilliant guidance for managing workplace mental health issues is one of our favorites. We spend eight to ten hours a day at our workplaces and the people in positions of authority can impact our mental health more than our doctors, friends, even our spouses.This guide for how to navigate human resources and a workplace if you need a mental health break is one you should bookmark or share with friends who are struggling.

This week, a special episode for those who feel as I do: the immense anger, grief, and disbelief that comes with witnessing state-sanctioned murder. I understand the horror we all felt watching the killing of Alex Pretti. But what continues to haunt me is the lie that followed.

I watched footage from several angles, searching for evidence that Pretti moved toward his handgun or threatened the officers. That evidence doesn't exist. Multiple news organizations have verified the same recordings. Yet the response from power was immediate gaslighting: calling observers agitators, recasting motives, reshaping reality before our eyes.

The psychological toll is compounded. First, the state kills a person. Then it kills the truth.

I think many of us are grieving two losses today: the American citizens who have been murdered, and the world we thought we lived in. What do we do with that level of emotion? With the chaos? With the disturbing feeling that nothing we do matters?

Diane Hamilton, a trusted confidante, a meditator, a mediator, and author joins Beyond Well to managing difficult emotions during troubling times.

Dr. Ross Green

Dr. Ross Green joins Beyond Well to talk about the role of schools in regulating behavior. Dr. Green is a pioneer in childhood behavior, a clinical psychologist with more than twenty years of experience, and is now founding director of Lives in the Balance and the author of four books on childhood behavior.

This show is part of our "No Stone Unturned" series.

A revisit that certainly deserves another listen.

Margo Fowkes turned her enormous grief over the death of her son into a global force for healing. An extraordinary interview with a mother, entrepreneur and activist about the communal nature of grieving.

This is a ReVisit we recorded for Dry January in 2022.Many people are curious about what would happen if they stopped their drinking habit. Whether it's one glass of wine, or several cocktails a night, Dry January is gaining in popularity as people test the limits of their personal sobriety. What if you made the one biggest mistake of your life while under the influence? How do you rebuild a life without alcohol in a culture built around drinking? Angela Teuscher's story of drinking while parenting is riveting and serves as a cautionary tale for other parents.

This show is a revisit from 2021. But, it applies today.What if 2024 is the year you could really make the changes in your life? Dr. Jim Polo talks about the steps that are  necessary to make resolutions effective, and whether  psychology behind procrastination.

Sheila Hamilton interviews Manna  Abraham, a former CFO and trauma mentor who created the EMPR method, to discuss trauma-informed practices. Manna shares her background as a chartered accountant and CPA, and explains how her experiences working with diverse teams across different cultures led her to develop her own method for helping high performers lead with inner peace. Corporate America doesn’t often talk about how to release stored tension, outdated stories, or behaviors that are plaguing today’s leaders. Manna Abraham’s work embodies healing beyond talk therapy.

Dr. Leslie Dobson, an expert on forensic psychology, has spent her career at the intersection of mental health, the legal system, and people who have been accused of crimes and behavior. She studies and attempts to understand people like Nick Reiner, who is accused of murdering his parents.

Dr. Dobson offers timely, salient advice for families living with a violent, aggressive, or disturbed teenager or adult.

Blaming Loved ones. Part Two.

For decades, families have often been seen as part of the problem when a loved one is in psychiatric crisis. Parents and relatives are sometimes blamed — implicitly or directly — for their child’s or family member’s distress. But many clinicians and researchers are rethinking that narrative, recognizing the ways systems, stress, and biology all play a role, and that families can be essential allies in healing.

Today we’re talking with two leaders who have each worked to reshape how we think about collaboration and compassion in psychiatric care.

Dr. Stuart Ablon, Director of Think:Kids at Massachusetts General Hospital and a leading voice in collaborative problem solving, has focused on moving from blame to understanding in how we approach challenging behaviors.

John Puls, a psychotherapist and clinical director with extensive experience in inpatient and family-centered treatment, has written and spoken about systemic change in psychiatric care and how clinicians can better partner with families rather than pathologize them.

Blaming loved ones, Part 1.

For decades, families have often been seen as part of the problem when a loved one is in psychiatric crisis. Parents and relatives are sometimes blamed — implicitly or directly — for their child’s or family member’s distress. But many clinicians and researchers are rethinking that narrative, recognizing the ways systems, stress, and biology all play a role, and that families can be essential allies in healing.

Today we’re talking with two leaders who have each worked to reshape how we think about collaboration and compassion in psychiatric care.

Dr. Stuart Ablon, Director of Think:Kids at Massachusetts General Hospital and a leading voice in collaborative problem solving, has focused on moving from blame to understanding in how we approach challenging behaviors.

Dr. John Puls, a psychotherapist and clinical director with extensive experience in inpatient and family-centered treatment, has written and spoken about systemic change in psychiatric care and how clinicians can better partner with families rather than pathologize them.

Holidays

This is a revisit to a show we did in 2019.

Dr. Jenna LeJeune and Dr. Brian Goff talk about navigating the holiday season, and dealing with internal and external stress.

It is a very organic discussion as it just "happened" while we were still rolling audio from another show. We took the conversation as a gift and used it as a show... it's the season of gift giving and receiving after all.

Enjoy.

Todd Weatherly is a therapeutic consultant at StuckerSmithWeatherly, and the host of the podcast, Head Inside Mental Health. What is a therapeutic consultant and why is it so important for families navigating mental health crisis to have access to someone who understands the mental health system, different modalities of treatment, and what the right form of care is for someone who is resisting treatment.

Dr George Bonanno joins us again to talk about his book, The Other Side of Sadness, What the New Science of Bereavement Tells Us About Life after Loss. Bonanno’s research on grief mirrors his work on trauma, and argues that all of us, even those enduring sadness and profound loss, possess a surprising ability to be resilient.

Dr. George Bonnano is professor of clinical psychology and director of the Loss Trauma, and Emotion lab at Columbia University. In The End of Trauma, Bonanno argues that most of what we think we understand about trauma is wrong. It is not nearly as common as we think, and people are overwhelmingly resilient to adversity. Prepare for a conversation that may overturn everything you thought you know about PTSD and how people respond to hardship

A revisit episode from 2023.

Long before Sheila started the podcast Beyond Well she found herself feeling depressed, lethargic and sluggish during the winter months. Seasonal affective disorder in the Pacific Northwest is a serious challenge. Here, she talks to the host of City Cast about the evidence-based strategies she used to recover.

Enjoy.

Hollywood therapist Dr. Nicki Monti never thought she was worthy of love and led a roller coaster life through
Childhood trauma, addiction, violence, divorce, and widowhood. Then, she did the work of learning to love herself and find her happily even after. Dr. Monti explores the self-esteem issues of kids who have had abusive or neglected childhoods, emotional blackouts, and why opting for hallucinogenic fixes without therapy might be worse than doing anything at all. 

Dr. Eugene Lipov is a physician researcher and board-certified anesthesiologist who specializes in intervention-based pain management in the Chicago area. He is best known for his treatment of PTSD using a technique called stellate ganglion block (SGB).

The God Shot, is the upcoming book from Dr. Eugene Lipov and Lauren Ungeldi. It takes readers inside a medical awakening that’s upending everything we thought we knew about trauma.

John Puls. Violence and young men.

Dr. John Puls returns for an in depth conversation on violence and young men. Dr Puls specializes in the treatment of adolescent and young adult men and speaks to the factors creating more withdrawn, reactive, and explosive young men.

Samantha Rose is an Emmy award winning tv writer, author, and a New York Times bestselling ghostwriter who collaborates with experts, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders.
Her book, bravely honest and inspiring, explores her mother’s suicide and her reflections on grief, resilience, and searching for answers that help heal.

Ross Szabo is the Director of Wellness at the Geffen Center and one of the most sought-after mental health speakers and trainers on college campuses. He offers valuable insights on young adults, male violence, and the state of adolescent mental health.

Should your next therapist be an AI chatbot?Not so fast. Ian Kreitzberg is a Puck News reporter specializing in technology and AI. He recently tried out a new app claiming to be “A Therapist in Your Pocket.”Kreitzberg talks with Sheila about the trend toward AI chatbots dispensing advice, along with its potential risks and benefits: Among the benefits: Greater accessibility, early detection, personalized treatment plans and support for therapists. Among the risks: AI does not replace human empathy, a critical component of the therapeutic relationship.It may provide dangerously inaccurate or harmful recommendations. Privacy and data security: AI is not bound by the same privacy regulations as licensed clinicians.And Algorithmic bias: All models are trained on existing data, which can reflect and amplify societal biases based on race, gender, or socioeconomic status.

Cristi Bundukamara, known as Dr. B, is a passionate mental health professional dedicated to helping others build resilience and take control of their mental well-being.Dr. B’s personal grief is as profound as her career, shaped by the loss of three children and her husband. Cristi’s practice is strengthened by decades as a psychiatric nurse practitioner, helping people overcome their most profound traumas and personal losses. In this interview, Dr. B. talks about spiritual growth from loss, cognitive behavioral therapy, somatic techniques for healing, and the use of ketamine assisted therapy.

Author Kelly Sundberg joins Sheila to talk about her new book, ’The Answer is in the Wound. Sundberg wrote the intimate essay collection after leaving an abusive marriage. She details the lasting effects of trauma and PTSD on survivors in a nonlinear method that relied on scholarship, spirituality, tattoos and journaling. For anyone who has suffered domestic abuse, intimidation or sexual coercion, The Answer is in the Wound, is one woman’s unusual path to survivorship. 

John DeGoey is a certified financial planner and portfolio manager who joins us to talk about finances and mental health. There is no greater contributor to mental health problems than lacking the basic necessities: food, shelter, clothing and comfort. John offers his thoughts on the biggest threat to our financial security and how we can begin viewing our financial security more productively.

Adolescent mental illness is spiking—and it’s not just hormones or “kids these days.” Dr. John Puls, one of the nation’s top adolescent mental health practitioners, joins Sheila to break down the real forces driving this crisis. From high-potency THC in today’s marijuana to the isolating grip of social media, from pandemic-born loneliness to the toxic influence of the “manosphere” on young men, Puls pulls no punches. If you’re a parent, guardian, or anyone who cares about the mental health of the next generation, this is the conversation you can’t afford to miss.

Dr. Dobson returns to the show to talk about child sex predators and the difficulty of prosecuting them. Dr. Dobson’s work as a forensic psychiatrist helps her understand both the mind and motivation of child sex predators. In this episode, Dr. Dobson talks
*Epstein Files
*Motivations of Child Sex Predators
*What prevents most children from coming forward
*Why child sex predators are difficult to catch in the digital age

Andrea Leeb was just four and a half the first time her father, David, sexually abused her. Her mother, Marlene, walked in to check on what was supposed to be a bedtime bath. When she witnessed her husband abusing her daughter, she didn’t throw the man out, or call the police—she crumpled to the floor and awoke with hysterical blindness. Why are the people around child sex abusers complicit? What are the tactics people use to frighten children into silence?Why does the system continue to disbelieve children when they tell the truth?And how does this case dovetail with the coverup of child sexual abuse in our country?Andrea Leeb is our guest on Beyond Well, talking about her memoir, Such A Pretty Picture

This episode is a revisit from January 2020.

Covid hadn't shut us down yet. We were still recording in a studio all together. Nobody knew about Zoom yet.

Together with Dr. Jenna LeJune and Dr. Brian Goff we honed in and hunkered down on a human emotion we all deal with. Shame.

Enjoy this blast from the past.

Many people are aware of dogs being utilized as emotional support animals for mental health conditions. But Logan Gore explains the new trend of dogs being trained as service animals for mental health conditions. Dogs are helping people with depression attend to basic hygiene and exercise. Dogs are helping people with anxiety re-establish healthy breathing and blood pressure. Logan's dog has been trained to help alleviate debilitating panic attacks.

Where do you get started? How does it work? This episode is all about Mental Health Mutts.

This is a "No Stone Unturned" episode featuring the amazing Manny Trujillo.

This episode was recorded six years ago and is just as relevant today as it was then.

Manny shares lived experience regarding the cultural and specific experience of a latino man dealing with depression and mental health. As well as some of the challenges for Latino's seeking help in the modern day.

Manny is a manager for a major power utility as well as serving as board chair to develop a medical non profit to help deliver and provide medical services for those who might otherwise not have adequate health care coverage. Serving those who are or have been marginalized by todays health care system and working to develop network of providers who can build new acumen in the area of health care that focuses on "whole person" care.

Enjoy.

This is a "No Stone Unturned" episode we recorded in 2019 with filmaker Lucy Winer.

On June 21, 1967, at the age of 17, Lucy Winer was committed to the female violent ward of Kings Park State Hospital following a series of failed suicide attempts. Over 30 years later, now a veteran documentary filmmaker, Lucy returned to Kings Park for the first time since her discharge. Her meetings with other former patients, their families, and the hospital staff reveal the painful legacy of our state hospital system and the crisis left by its demise.

We speak to Lucy about her project "Unlocked stories of mental health care".

Enjoy.

No Stone unturned.

This episode was originally released in September 2019.

Sarah Smith is an activist with Mind Freedom International championing human rights in the mental health system.

Enjoy.

This is a fun revisit from 2019.

It's part of the "No Stone Unturned" series where we listen back to an episode from days of yore. This one is with Kiah Stern.

Kiah Stern was (and is) an actress working out of Portland, New York, Chicago and L.A.

Kiah joined us in studio with Dr. Goff and Dr. LeJune and speaks candidly about the jumping headlong into a career that can be tough on one's ego and self esteem.

Enjoy.

This is a "No Stone Untruned" episode from 2019 with the amazing C. Lamar Frizzell. An expert in the field of behavioral healthcare for over 20 years.

When we caught up with him, C. Lamar Frizzell was CEO of Cedar Hills Hospital. Before that, he held a similar role at Willow Creek Behavioral Health located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Oakwood Springs, Perimeter Behavioral Hospital of Jackson... the list goes on. As we speak today in 2025, he has just been named CEO of Recovery Centers of America in the Capitol region located in Maryland.

Frizzell brings practical experience as a line-staff member and is educated in the fields of both Mental Health and Divinity In this interview, Sheila talks with Frizzell about the enormous pressure facing psychiatric hospitals because of an explosion of people in crisis. There are never enough beds, care is complicated, and psychiatric doctors and nurses are in short supply. Frizzell’s personal history growing up in a home where mental health problems were abundant informs his compassion and empathy for people in crisis.

As part of our "No Stone Unturned" series, we present to you a great interview from 2019 with our guest Lindy West.

Lindy West is an American writer, comedian, and activist. She is the author of the essay collections Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman and The Witches Are Coming and a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times. Topics she writes about include feminism, popular culture, and the fat acceptance movement.

Enjoy.

Dr. Leigh Vinocur spent years in emergency rooms listening to people complain of heart trouble, stomach distress, and difficulty breathing. Often times, the patient never recognized the culprit: sustained and toxic stress. In Dr. Vinocur’s new book, Never Let Them See you Sweat, she breaks down the physical impact of years of toxic stress on the body and mind.

• Stress isn’t always a villain. Dr. Vinocur talks about how stress can sometimes help us—and when it starts to hurt us.

• What actually happens to our brains when we’re under long-term stress.

• A lot of people think stress is just a mental thing—but how does it show up in our bodies.

• How long-term stress plays into mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, or burnout.

• The ‘double whammy’ of being sick and stressed.

• The mind body connection—what does that mean about reversing stress?

• Evidence based ways to reduce stress in your life.