Back in Control with David Hanscom, MD

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Victor Perton, founder of the Australian Leadership Project and the Center for Optimism. He shares how his life’s work shifted from law and politics to a focus on how to develop greater optimism. He learned that few people are made optimistic by leadership or work, but instead by having faith in something. He explains that simple habits – e.g., adding more walking and movement to your daily routine, greeting people you encounter, and asking positive questions like ‘what’s been the best thing in your day?’ – can make you feel more optimistic as well as those around you.

Victor Perton is the Chief Optimism Officer of The Centre for Optimism.   The offspring of stateless refugees from the Baltics, Victor's early working years were spent in the law, politics and public policy culminating in 18 years in the legislature. After politics, Victor worked as Commissioner to the Americas working across North and South America on Foreign Direct Investment and Export Promotion.  This was followed by service as Senior Advisor to the Australian G20 Presidency. Returning to Melbourne, Victor was surprised by the negativity around leadership and increasing levels of anxiety and depression on our community.  This led to the founding of The Australian Leadership Project and, after a Eureka moment, the founding of its offspring The Centre for Optimism. For more information, visit: https://www.centreforoptimism.com/

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with somatic psychotherapist  Kendra Bloom, LMHC. She explains that eroticism—being intimate with self or others—is a way to create energy and awareness. It can be enhanced through movement, dance and doing things in a group which helps us bypass our usual thought processes, opening up energy and flow in the body and psychologically. In this way it opens a doorway to play and healing. In a group setting, it creates a setting where clients can be safe and brave.

Kendra Bloom is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, PACT-Trained Couples Therapist, Somatic Psychotherapist and Certified Intuitive Energy Healer.  Kendra combines modern neuroscience with the holistic healing arts, positive psychology and body-based practices to create a dynamic and experiential method of transformation on all levels. She holds master’s degrees in both Sexuality Studies and Counseling Psychology, and enjoys weaving these skills with over a decade of deep spiritual inquiry, yogic study, and love of the embodied arts. Through groups, workshops and individual or couples sessions—Kendra has supported hundreds of people with a process of radical transformation. For more information, visit: https://www.kendra-bloom.com

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Kendra Bloom, LMHC, a somatic psychotherapist who combines neuroscience, holistic healing arts and psychotherapy to help people transform their lives. She shares her insights about the foundations of the healing process—awareness, connection and validation.  She explains that the first step is calming down the nervous system so clients can feel relational safety and a sense of connection. Awareness comes through breath work, naming what feels real and getting in touch with body state. She helps them learn to process emotions and validate their feelings so they can begin healing.

Kendra Bloom is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, PACT-Trained Couples Therapist, Somatic Psychotherapist and Certified Intuitive Energy Healer.  Kendra combines modern neuroscience with the holistic healing arts, positive psychology and body-based practices to create a dynamic and experiential method of transformation on all levels. She holds master’s degrees in both Sexuality Studies and Counseling Psychology, and enjoys weaving these skills with over a decade of deep spiritual inquiry, yogic study, and love of the embodied arts. Through groups, workshops and individual or couples sessions, Kendra has supported hundreds of people with a process of radical transformation. For more information, visit: https://www.kendra-bloom.comPain, Chronic Pain, Healing,

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with cannabis use consultant and dispensary owner Bianca Blesching.  She details the steps in the cannabis treatment process, including: frequency, dosing and titration of different cannabis compounds. She shares how plant-based cannabinoids (phyto-cannabinoids) help to boost and support the function of the body’s naturally produced endo-cannabinoids. She provides recommendations on how to start with cannabis treatment and experiment to find the formulation that is right for you.

Bianca Blesching, MFA, began her work in medicinal cannabis-derived products in 2004 as a cultivator and provider of legal medical products to dispensaries. Since then, she has owned a dispensary, become a cannabis-use consultant, and established UVAL Care, an online store and information resource for CBD products. Bianca, who is passionate about communicating the health benefits of CBD in ways that everyone can understand, lives with her partner, two horses, and border collie in Reno, Nevada..  For more information, visit: https://www.uvalcare.com/..

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with cannabis use consultant and dispensary owner Bianca Blesching. She shares the history of cannabis as well as the different types of cannabis and their healing properties. She explains the different types of the Sativa cannabis plant in use today – Marijuana which is THC dominant, and Hemp which is CBD dominant.  She also discusses how each type is used, the differences in the way men and women metabolize cannabis and that cannabis can be regarded as a wellness, rebalancing and self-healing tool.

Bianca Blesching, MFA, began her work in medicinal cannabis-derived products in 2004 as a cultivator and provider of legal medical products to dispensaries. Since then, she has owned a dispensary, become a cannabis-use consultant, and established UVAL Care, an online store and information resource for CBD products. Bianca, who is passionate about communicating the health benefits of CBD in ways that everyone can understand, lives with her partner, two horses, and border collie in Reno, Nevada..  For more information, visit: https://www.uvalcare.com/.

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with bestselling author Dan Coyle.  He shares how repetition, engaging with fear of failure and getting the most out of mistakes are key to the process of Deep Practice. He explains how pausing for reflection and being able to see a new vision of yourself can provide the energy and focus needed to become a high performer (Ignition).  He also discusses how being guided by Master Coaches who understand the skill you are trying to develop and communicate how to improve it effectively creates the environment for achieving high performance.

Daniel Coyle is the New York Times bestselling author of The Culture Code, which was named Best Business Book of the Year by Bloomberg, BookPal, and Business Insider. Coyle has served as an advisor to many high-performing organizations, including the Navy SEALs, Microsoft, Google, and the Cleveland Guardians. His other books include The Talent Code, The Secret Race, The Little Book of Talent, and Hardball: A Season in the Projects, which was made into a movie starring Keanu Reeves. Coyle was raised in Anchorage, Alaska, and now lives in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, during the school year and in Homer, Alaska, during the summer with his wife Jenny, and their four children. For more information, visit: https://www.danielcoyle.com.

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with best-selling author Dan Coyle about his research into the science of performance. He discovered that there were 3 core processes underlying high performance in all fields - deep practice, ignition and master coaching. Whether in athletics, music, intellectual pursuits or even healing from chronic pain, the high performers consistently make use of these three core processes to push the edge of their ability.

Daniel Coyle is the New York Times bestselling author of The Culture Code, which was named Best Business Book of the Year by Bloomberg, BookPal, and Business Insider. Coyle has served as an advisor to many high-performing organizations, including the Navy SEALs, Microsoft, Google, and the Cleveland Guardians. His other books include The Talent Code, The Secret Race, The Little Book of Talent, and Hardball: A Season in the Projects, which was made into a movie starring Keanu Reeves. Coyle was raised in Anchorage, Alaska, and now lives in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, during the school year and in Homer, Alaska, during the summer with his wife Jenny, and their four children.  For more information, visit: https://www.danielcoyle.com.

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with conservationist and best-selling author Mark Owens.  He shares how the tools he learned from the DOC program helped him recover from chronic pain a second time and deal with the intense stresses in his life. These tools included: expressive writing, meditation, working out, getting his life better organized and reconnecting socially. He also underscores the power and importance of believing that you can heal.

Mark Owens with wife Delia, lived for nearly eight years in the Kalahari Desert  of Botswana where they pioneered wildlife research studies on desert lions, Brown hyenas and migrating antelope in an unmapped fossil river valley so remote that the animals there had never before laid eyes on modern man.  Lions literally slept with them, brown hyenas licked water from their toes while they sponge-bathed, and a leopard slept on the stoop of their tent.  From the Kalahari they traveled to The Northern Rift Valley in Zambia where they stopped elephant ivory poaching by helping villagers find small sustainable businesses and improved agriculture as alternatives.  Their three international best-selling books, Cry of the Kalahari, The Eye of The Elephant and Secrets of The Savanna chronicle their remarkable journey. Use this tool to measure the stress in your own life.)

Dr. David Hanscom talks with conservationist and best-selling author Mark Owens about his multiple battles with chronic pain. When he healed from the chronic pain that accompanied a broken back during a fall from his horse, he thought he was done with it. But later, stress, chronic disease and other physical traumas made him feel like he had fallen back into the abyss.  He recovered again by realizing that stress is inevitable and the only way to handle is to use the tools that had helped him before.

Mark Owens with wife Delia, lived for nearly eight years in the Kalahari Desert  of Botswana where they pioneered wildlife research studies on desert lions, Brown hyenas and migrating antelope in an unmapped fossil river valley so remote that the animals there had never before laid eyes on modern man.  Lions literally slept with them, brown hyenas licked water from their toes while they sponge-bathed, and a leopard slept on the stoop of their tent.  From the Kalahari they traveled to The Northern Rift Valley in Zambia where they stopped elephant ivory poaching by helping villagers find small sustainable businesses and improved agriculture as alternatives.  Their three international best-selling books, Cry of the Kalahari, The Eye of The Elephant and Secrets of The Savanna chronicle their remarkable journey. Use this tool to measure the stress in your own life.)

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with film producer Dana Croschere.  She described how the commission to do the film came at a key turning point in her journey through chronic pain.  Besides her own story, the film features others on their journey as well as interviews with experts. During the process of making the film she learned the importance of having love and self-compassion for yourself; becoming aware of and identifying what you are experiencing and feeling in the moment; and processing things you haven’t before. These insights helped her heal and thrive.

Dana Croschere’s journey is an inspirational one, full of many obstacles including two unsuccessful spine surgeries in 2020. While still experiencing some level of chronic pain most days, Dana has been able to harness the power of her mind to accomplish things she once thought impossible. She now greets each day with a smile as she works hard to spread the message of LOVE HEALS, a documentary that she not only produced but is featured in as the main character.