Hidden Wounds: What Chronic Ilness Doesn't Tell you

This is opportunity for us to dive deep into the core of our minds and bodies, uncover the blockages, release them, and flourish in life.

Dr. Veronique Mead is a former Board Certified family physician and Dartmouth-affiliated assistant professor of family medicine. She retrained with a Master’s degree in somatic psychotherapy from Naropa University and specialty training in pre and perinatal trauma and somatic experiencing (SE). For the past 25 years Veronique has explored the scientific literature on how effects of trauma from the prenatal and other periods in a person’s life influence risk for autoimmune and other chronic illnesses. She shares the research on her blog chronicillnesstraumastudies.com. Veronique offers consultations on chronic illness and trauma to health professionals and people living with chronic illness.

Dr. Asanga Tilakaratne is also known as Professor Tilakaratne. Join us in this impromtu discussion from an in-person meeting live from Sri Lanka on Theravāda Buddhism in Sri Lanka. You will gain some practical tools to take your practice off the cushion.

Who is Dr. Asanga Tilakaratne?

Asanga Tilakaratne (PhD University of Hawai’i) Emeritus Professor of Buddhist Studies is (former) senior chair professor of Pali and Buddhist Studies and founder Head of the Department of Buddhist Studies at University of Colombo (2009-2018), Sri Lanka. During 2003-2006 he served as the director of Postgraduate Institute of Pali and Buddhist Studies, University of Kelaniya.

In 1999-2000, Professor Tilakaratne was a Senior Commonwealth Fellow and was attached to Oriental Institute, Oxford University. He has served as Visiting Professor at Yonsei University, Korea, Otago University, New Zealand, Savitribai Phule Pune University, India, Somyya Vidyavihar, Mumbai, India, Sitagu International Buddhist Academy, Myanmar and Nalanda University, Rajgir, India. He has published, both in Sinhala and English, more than one hundred papers on Buddhist studies. Of his more recent academic works, Theravada Buddhism: the View of the Elders (2012) was published by University of Hawaii Press in the series of ‘Dimensions of Asian Spirituality’. He co-edited with Prof. Oliver Abenayaka 2600 Years of Sambuddhatva: Global Journey of Awakening (2012), a work covering the history and the current status of global Buddhism of all three traditions. 

In 2002, Prof. Tilakaratne founded Sri Lanka Association of Buddhist Studies (SLABS), an academic and professional organization of Buddhist scholars in Sri Lanka, and continues to serve as its joint secretary. In 2003 he founded, with a group of academics and professionals, Damrivi Foundation, a government registered, not for profit voluntary organization for economic, social, educational and spiritual development, and continues to function as its founder chairman.

He served as the Editor-in-chief of Encyclopaedia of Buddhism, Ministry of Buddha Sasana and Religious Affairs, Government of Sri Lanka, Colombo (2019-2023). He has published both in Sinhala and English more than 20 books and one hundred papers. His collected works in 08 volumes were published in 2021 in Colombo. 

Currently he serves as the Dean of Graduate Faculty of Nagananda International Institute for Buddhist Studies (NIIBS), Manelwatta, Kelaniya, Sri Lanka.

In this episode, Dr. Simon Goldberg and Ven. Sucandra explore the integration of Eastern and Western practices, the need for a culture of well-being in academia, and the challenges of measuring the impact of digital mindfulness practices. Simon discusses the development of the Center for Healthy Minds Program app, aimed at making meditation more accessible while honoring its core essence. Dr. Simon Goldberg reflects on the transformative nature of his academic journey and the importance of collaboration in addressing mental health issues. His work highlights innovative pathways for enhancing mental resilience and emotional healing in a digital world.

Dr. Goldberg is an Associate Professor in the Department of Counseling Psychology and Core Faculty at the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. He conducts research on psychotherapy, with a specific emphasis on the effects of and mechanisms underlying meditation- and mindfulness-based interventions. He completed a 5-year, NIH-funded K23 award focused on the delivery of meditation training through mobile health technology and is currently completing a 5-year NIH-funded R24 grant focused on evaluating the evidence of meditation and other complementary health interventions through research synthesis (e.g., meta-analysis). He has clinical experience working with military veterans and has conducted research on veteran mental health. He has served on the editorial board for the Journal of Counseling Psychology, Psychotherapy, Psychotherapy Research, and American Psychologist. His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Today, CNBC, The Week, and Scientific American.

Dr. Canty shares with us the countless teachings of nature, ecopsychology, and transpersonal psychology with us. She bridges Indigenous wisdom with mindfulness and awareness. Dr. Canty just published a new book that is pivotal for our modern age, and has a lot to say. If you need some greater healing or are curious about how our psychological health is deeply entwined with the health of our environment, this is a must-listen!

Who is Dr. Jeanine M. Canty?

Jeanine M. Canty, PhD, is a professor of transformative studies at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) in San Francisco, telecommuting from Boulder, CO. Formerly the chair of environmental studies at Naropa University, she continues to teach at Naropa and at Pacifica Graduate Institute’s ecopsychology certificate program. A lover of nature, justice, and contemplative practice, her teaching intersects issues of social and ecological justice, ecopsychology, and the process of worldview expansion and change. She is author of Returning the Self to Nature: Undoing our Collective Narcissism and Healing our Planet (Shambhala Publications, 2022) and her most recent edited book is an expanded, second edition of Ecological and Social Healing: Multicultural Women’s Voices (Routledge, April 2025).

Dr. Stephen Julich dives into his own spiritual journey and invites us to reflect deeper. What makes a scholar-practitioner? What’s the reasoning behind beginner’s mind? Listen to some of the profound stories shared here, and perhaps your own journey might be enhanced.

Who is Dr. Stephen Julich?

Dr. Stephen Julich is core faculty in East-West Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies, specializing in Western Esotericism and Jungian Studies. Dr. Julich has served as an adjunct instructor in History and Anthropology at the City College of New York, a lecturer in Jungian Studies at the University of Philosophical Research in Los Angeles, and an adjunct instructor in East-West Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies. Currently, he teaches courses on mysticism, Western magical traditions, subtle beings and worlds, the religious imagination, and the works of C. G. Jung and his closest student and collaborator, Marie-Louise von Franz. His areas of interest include the psychology of myth, dreams, and symbols, as well as the role of imagination in generating and transforming religious forms and ideas. His current research explores magic and mysticism as cross-cultural phenomena, with a special emphasis on contemporary trends.

- Dr. Frederic Luskin is a Faculty of Stanford Executive Program- Graduate School of Business

- Director Stanford Forgiveness Projects

- Co-founder Life Works and Wellness Education-Health and Human Performance

Dr Luskin founded and currently serves as Director of the Stanford University Forgiveness Projects. Dr. Luskin created and taught for 10 years the Happiness class based on Positive Psychology class as well as co-founded the Life Works and Wellness Education programs at Stanford School of Medicine. He is on faculty for the Stanford School of Business Executive Education program where he teaches an 8-hour series on Mindfulness and Happiness to business executives from all over the world.

Dr. Luskin is the author of the just released Forgive for Good Workbook for Recovery. His two previous books are the best-selling books Forgive for Good: A Proven Prescription for Health and Happiness and Forgive for Love: His book Forgive for Good is the best-selling secular self-help book published on the topic of forgiveness. His research has shown that the Forgive for Good forgiveness methodology leads participants suffering from a wide range of concerns to improved physical, relationship and mental health.

Dr. Luskin’s forgiveness work has been applied in veteran’s hospitals, churches, in resolving legal disputes, with cancer patients as psycho education and in psychotherapy. He has helped people recover from the murder of their family members as a result of political violence in Northern Ireland, as an aftermath of the attacks on 911, in Sierra Leone and Columbia after their civil war and in artic Canada where native populations deal with the loss of their ancestral lands.

Dr. Luskin’s work has been made into a PBS pledge drive video called Forgive for Good. He has been interviewed many hundreds of times in world -wide media on forgiveness including the New York Times, O Magazine, Today Show, Los Angeles Times, Time Magazine, Huffington Post, and CBS Morning News.

He is also the author of Stress Free for Good: Ten Scientifically Proven Life Skills for Health and Happiness which emerged from his 10 years as a researcher in preventive cardiology at the Stanford University School of Medicine. His work showed the effect of enhancing stress management and positive emotion skills to in help patients cope with congestive heart failure and arrhythmia. He also did some consulting work for Stanford Hospital nurses in managing their emotions.

Dr. Luskin teaches stress management, emotional intelligence and happiness skills to corporate clients throughout the United States. His work focuses on the research proven triad of a healthy and happy life: Enhancing interpersonal relationships, creating a positive purpose in life and guided practice in appreciation and other positive emotions.

Today’s discussion situates a variety of psychological theories and frameworks in the context of our inner work for living calmer and a more fulfilling life.

Uri Talmor is a psychotherapist, dedicated teacher-trainer, and founder of the Conscious Heart Integration Center. After 30 years in the personal growth field and 20 as a therapist, he’s developed a holistic, transpersonal parts work model called Conscious Heart Integration (CHI). CHI integrates many models, including but not limited to Gestalt, Internal Family Systems, Polyvagal Theory, Collaborative and Proactive Solutions, and Nonviolent Communication. Currently, Uri is building out courses to support therapists and coaches in learning his holistic, transpersonal style of parts work. Eventually, these will be part of the Healed Healer Institute, where therapists will come together to support one another’s growth and development while advancing the practice of holistic therapy. His lifelong passion is to help make the world a better place for children. After years of working at personal growth summer camps for children—where he saw how gracefully they transform in respectful, loving environments—his passion now spills over into his work as a therapist, supporting individuals, couples, and families to bring that same love and care to one another and themselves through parts work.

This is a first-hand account from Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche's disciple Judith Simmer-Brown. Senior teacher and inspirational leader in Tibetan Buddhism shares with us her experience becoming Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche's disciple, her path on the Dharma, and an effective way to work with difficult emotions. This episode includes the creation of Naropa University and concludes with a simple yet effective practice developed by Venerable Pema Chodron and Dale Asrael on working with anger.

Who is Dr. Judith Simmer-Brown?

Judith Simmer-Brown, Ph.D., is Distinguished Professor Emerita of Contemplative and Religious Studies at Naropa University. She is also a senior dharma teacher in Shambhala International. Her books are Dakini's Warm Breath:  The Feminine Principle in Tibetan Buddhism (Shambhala), Benedict’s Dharma:  Buddhists Comment on the Rule of St. Benedict (Riverhead), and Meditation and the Classroom:  Contemplative Pedagogy in the Religious Studies Classroom (SUNY).  

Join Venerable Raluwe Padmasiri Thera, a scholar-practitioner in Sri Lanka and Chung Huong Institute for this live in-person discussion on the Path of Existence. Is it possible to be free from suffering in this lifetime? ...and more....

Valentina Moyano is a psychologist, singer, and composer whose work bridges the fields of psychology, music, and therapeutic practices. With a background in neuroscience, psychoanalysis, and music, she combines these disciplines with spiritual traditions to create profound spaces for healing and self-discovery through the voice.As a teacher and psychotherapist, Valentina’s mission is to help individuals transform deeply rooted emotional wounds and achieve integral well-being. Her workshops and one-on-one sessions employ a variety of techniques, including vocal meditations, mantras, and ancient chants, alongside spoken voice practices.Valentina integrates the ancestral wisdom of Indian music and philosophy with the latest advancements in neuroscience and psychology. Through this unique approach, participants are empowered to release repressed emotions, regain inner balance, and connect deeply with their authentic selves.Her personal journey—including challenges like vocal cord surgery and thyroid removal—has shaped her profound understanding of the voice's healing potential. Valentina’s work is a testament to resilience, creativity, and innovation, offering a distinctive path for anyone seeking to explore the intersection of mental health and vocal expression.