Better.

Today’s episode is with Kelley Kitley, a friend of mine and fellow local clinician here in Chicago.  We discuss a variety of topics, mainly detailing the several instances of adversity she’s battled throughout the course of both her youth and adulthood, and how she’s used each one of these to define her life’s purpose, and help as many people as can. 

In this episode, we cover:

-Growing up with an eating disorder, and how it was hidden from a significant family member

-The practices she undertook to recover from her eating disorder

-Her struggles with alcohol throughout her adult life

-The sexual assault she experienced, and how all of these adversities combined help shape her career as a clinician 

-Her #1 piece of advice for both life, and overcoming any adversity

-Her most recent challenge - getting her autobiography published, and persevering through many, many rejections

Today’s

guest is Mark, who is a long-time personal friend of mine, and also one

of the most upbeat, positive guys I know.  This episode is going to

focus on his amazing life story, and how all the things that happened to

him - both good and bad - ultimately created who he is today.  Mark is

not only a great role model for both kids and parents, but a testament

to the idea that you can truly create your own happiness based on how

you perceive things.

In this episode, we cover:

-The best therapy Mark has ever encountered (and why ultimately it’s a double-edged sword!)

-A traumatic event Mark witnessed when he was young, and how he coped with it

-How his mother took in abused women during his youth, and how that helped shape him as a person

-How growing up without a lot of money led to a lot of great things in his life - like running a food pantry

-Mark’s “taking care of everyone” approach to life vs. just taking care of yourself

-How being a minority throughout school made him a stronger person

-Marks #1 tip for raising really great kids (and it will surprise you!)

Part TWO of Michael's story continues here. Where we left off in part one, Michael had just been taken out of college after venturing down the wrong path. Now, he shares his incredible story about his recovery process, the lessons he learned as a result of his struggles, and how the overall experience has made him even closer with his family in some ways. Be sure to check it out!

TWO episodes today, both with Michael, who shares his story about his college experience which saw him get a little carried away with the use of marijuana and alcohol. Michael is open and honest enough to share just about everything with us, including how he got started, how it affected his college life, and ultimately what happened and what he learned as a result. Be sure to check out both parts!

Part TWO of Michael's story continues here. Where we left off in part one, Michael had just been taken out of college after venturing down the wrong path. Now, he shares his incredible story about his recovery process, the lessons he learned as a result of his struggles, and how the overall experience has made him even closer with his family in some ways. Be sure to check it out!

TWO episodes today, both with Michael, who shares his story about his college experience which saw him get a little carried away with the use of marijuana and alcohol. Michael is open and honest enough to share just about everything with us, including how he got started, how it affected his college life, and ultimately what happened and what he learned as a result. Be sure to check out both parts!

Today's guest is Kathleen, returning to the podcast for a second time. Last time she was here, we talked how she copes with her anxiety and depression on a day-to-day basis, and today we're going to not only get an update from her, but dive a little deeper into the coping process, and how she's recently turned to writing as a way to express herself.

Today's guest is Samantha, who is here to talk about her college experience, and the events that led to her decision to eventually seek out therapy as a means of obtaining better mental health & wellness. Our conversation hits a lot of interesting notes, including some common misconceptions of what the therapy process is actually like, and why it's okay to simply allow things to just "suck" for a little while. Very insightful episode!

Today is part two of Peter's story, where we find out what happens when he embarks upon his life-changing gap year. There's a HUGE twist in this half of the story, so be sure to check it out!

Today, Peter and I chat about his some of his academic difficulties growing up, and how the educational system perhaps isn’t designed to accommodate the many different learning styles that are out there. This led to him making the decision to take a different route with his life immediately after high school...