For Troubled Teens, Tough Love Is Rarely The Answer

A teen sitting on a bench, looking down.

For Troubled Teens, Tough Love Is Rarely The Answer

July 21, 2021 Health, Mental Health

Independent investigative journalist and author Kenneth R. Rosen joins us to discuss an unregulated industry that promises to break children of at-risk behaviors, and the emotional and physical abuse he suffered when he was sent to one.

Why Do We Still Stigmatize Mental Illness?

July 19, 2021 Culture, Health, Mental Health

Richard Grinker, professor of anthropology and international affairs at George Washington University, joins us to talk about how we are on the cusp of accepting a spectrum of neurodiversity and why it’s taken so long to shed stigma.

How A Girl Becomes A Woman

July 13, 2021 Culture, Education, Health, History, Mental Health, Race/Identity

Melissa Febos joins us to talk about the flawed ways we ask children to shape their identities from puberty and her own coming-of-age story as she worked to find her voice and set boundaries.

Image of an elderly woman and baby hands.

When Mom Left, Thank God For Grandma

July 8, 2021 Culture, Mental Health, Race/Identity

Danielle Henderson, TV writer and cohost of the film podcast “I Saw What You Did,” joins us to discuss her experience being raised by her grandmother after her mother abandoned her – and about how her love of horror movies taught her to have faith in herself.

An old jail cell interior with barred up window with light rays penetrating through it reflecting on the floor.

The Boy Who Survived A Men’s Prison

July 2, 2021 Education, Health, Mental Health, Race/Identity

Ian Manuel joins us to discuss his crime, his quest for forgiveness, and why, he believes, we should not judge an entire life based on one’s worst day.

Your Personality Isn’t Set In Stone

July 1, 2021 Culture, Health, Mental Health, Race/Identity

Christian Jarrett, a cognitive neuroscientist and deputy editor of Psyche, joins us to talk about the five types of personalities and how we can become a better version of our current selves.

An illustration of the brain being clouded by rain.

What Does A Depressed Brain Look Like?

June 30, 2021 Health, Mental Health, Science and Technology

Simon Lewsen joins us to discuss why researchers looking into the origins and biology of depression have such a hard time collecting complete data to build a brain modeling system to help diagnose disease.

Two friends pose for a photo at a festival.

Imagine If Every Weekend Was A Three-Day Weekend

June 28, 2021 Culture, Current Events, Mental Health

Joe Pinsker, staff writer for The Atlantic, joins us to discuss why productivity needn’t rely on a traditional five days of work — and how some companies have cut office hours and found a boost in output and morale.

From Drug Dealer To Harvard Debate Coach

June 17, 2021 Education, Mental Health, Race/Identity

Brandon P. Fleming joins us to discuss his childhood surrounded by poverty and crime, his dreams shattered by injury, and his ultimate redemption, which he found in teaching himself and others to be express themselves.