****TW: There are moments in this conversation where we discuss suicidal ideation.

In this conversation, Elana Van Deventer shares her journey of overcoming limiting beliefs and building confidence. We discuss the intersection of neuroscience and mental health, highlighting the importance of breaking the silence around emotions and mental health.

Elana emphasizes the significance of self-identity and finding purpose in every season of life. Elana also discusses the impact of external validation and the value of setting boundaries and prioritizing self-care.

Throughout our chat, she emphasizes the importance of choosing love, compassion, and intentional daily choices. She shares her journey of personal growth and becoming a Neurocycle facilitator.

She emphasizes the importance of knowing your limits and priorities before making commitments. Elana also discusses the power of asking the right questions and overcoming imposter syndrome.

As a student of Dr. Carolina Leaf, She shares how she discovered and decided to apply to her program to learn the process of rewiring the brain and changing thinking patterns through neuroplasticity and mind management.

She highlights the significance of pausing and rest in a society focused on productivity. We discuss the power of storytelling, the importance of sharing personal stories, and the need for communication, collaboration, and continual learning in building a community.

They also discuss the importance of using love and compassion in communication and taking control of our thoughts and lives while making time to express gratitude and use our voices to make a change.

Check out this episode with Elana to help us go through life with our eyes wide open!

Please like, share, and subscribe! I'm glad you're here.

Find Elana Van Deventer here:

Websites:

https://www.elanavandeventer.com/

https://she-unite.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elanavdeventer/

Additional Links: https://www.neurocycle.app/

Find Nick Thompson here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EngageWithNick

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickthompson13/

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/

Website: https://www.engagewithnick.com/

In this episode, licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Jessica Rabon and I discuss the impacts of social media and culture on the increasing mental health challenges faced by millennials and Gen Z.

Dr. Rabon highlights the pressure and expectations placed on young adults to pursue certain career paths and the impacts of student loan debt on our lives.

We explore the causes of worsening mental health, including financial stress, culture, and the difficulty of finding relaxation in a constantly connected world. She emphasizes the importance of leaning into discomfort and being fully present in order to find calm and joy and the importance of making small changes to improve mental health.

We also highlight the differences between introversion and extroversion and the need for setting boundaries in various aspects of life, including work and social media.

Lastly, Dr. Rabon asks me a compelling question: What impact does watching reality TV have on people's mental health? The answer might surprise you!

Check out this episode with Dr. Rabon, and please like, share, and subscribe!

Find Dr. Jessica Rabon here:

Website: https://jessicaleighphd.wixsite.com/mysite

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicaleighphd/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jessicaleighphd

Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwVZNyrZU-ThN-q3rsL7rJQ

Psych Talk Podcast: https://jessicaleighphd.wixsite.com/mysite/podcast

Welcome to Group Therapy Podcast: http://tinyurl.com/2p97mf2f

Find Nick Thompson here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EngageWithNick

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickthompson13/

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/

Website: https://www.engagewithnick.com/

This week, we're continuing the best of 2023 by highlighting this year's guests from the world of reality TV. This week, we'll be highlighting conversations with my ex-wife Danielle Ruhl (Love is Blind), Alyssa Barmonde (Married at First Sight AU), Stephanie Davison (90 Day Fiance), Olivia Frazer (Married at First Sight AU), and Corrine Hatch (America's Next Top Model). In addition, we'll close the episode with The UCAN Foundation, which I co-founded with Jeremy Hartwell and Dr. Isabelle Morley to provide mental health and legal services to reality TV cast members.

A lot of progress was made in 2023 to reshape the reality TV industry to be more ethical. I'm getting ready to lock it down and move forward and force this change in 2024. I hope that you get some enjoyment out of this best of episode as we head into the new year with our eyes wide open.

Listen to the Full Episodes here:

Stephanie Davison: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eyes-wide-open-with-nick-thompson/id1640110814?i=1000626040278

Corrine Hatch: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eyes-wide-open-with-nick-thompson/id1640110814?i=1000623014296

Olivia Frazer: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eyes-wide-open-with-nick-thompson/id1640110814?i=1000638273767

Alyssa Barmonde: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eyes-wide-open-with-nick-thompson/id1640110814?i=1000617657232

Danielle Ruhl Part 1: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eyes-wide-open-with-nick-thompson/id1640110814?i=1000614949697

Daniell Ruhl Part 2: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eyes-wide-open-with-nick-thompson/id1640110814?i=1000615814101

UCAN Foundation: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eyes-wide-open-with-nick-thompson/id1640110814?i=1000616767280

Find Nick Thompson here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/

Website: https://www.engagewithnick.com/

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EngageWithNick

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickthompson13/

On this special episode of Eyes Wide Open, we're reliving the best podcast episodes of 2023 as part of a two-part series.

In this episode, we're going to highlight clips from Dr. Elizabeth Federick, Dr. Kirk Honda, Calley Means, Eli Weinstein, Macy Schuchart, Callie Ezell, Rushi Kota, and Danny LoPriore. In part two (out next week), we are going to focus on the reality TV industry and clips from some of the amazing guests that we've had this year, including my ex-wife, Danielle.

I hope that you enjoy these clips, whether you're taking a trip down memory lane, or perhaps explore some episodes you haven't listened to yet. So thank you, and I hope that this helps you go through life with your eyes wide open.

Listen to the Full Episodes here:

Dr. Kirk Honda: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eyes-wide-open-with-nick-thompson/id1640110814?i=1000614097530

Calley Means: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eyes-wide-open-with-nick-thompson/id1640110814?i=1000637520722

Dr. Elizabeth Fedrick: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eyes-wide-open-with-nick-thompson/id1640110814?i=1000621473887

Macy Schuchart: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eyes-wide-open-with-nick-thompson/id1640110814?i=1000618440766

Rushi Kota: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eyes-wide-open-with-nick-thompson/id1640110814?i=1000624478957

Callie Ezell Pt 1: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eyes-wide-open-with-nick-thompson/id1640110814?i=1000632399936

Callie Ezell Pt 2: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eyes-wide-open-with-nick-thompson/id1640110814?i=1000633177433

Eli Weinstein: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eyes-wide-open-with-nick-thompson/id1640110814?i=1000627559325

Danny LoPriore: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eyes-wide-open-with-nick-thompson/id1640110814?i=1000629998891

Find Nick Thompson here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/

Website: https://www.engagewithnick.com/

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EngageWithNick

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickthompson13/

What similarities are there between how documentary film participants and reality television cast members are treated by production companies and the public? How can we create these forms of media ethically and in a way that protects the dignity and humanity of those involved?

Today on Eyes Wide Open, we are speaking with producer and documentary participant Margie Ratliff to try to answer these questions. Margie first appeared in the public eye as a young person featured in the documentary "The Staircase," and as a result experienced a lot of trauma from having her and her family's entire life put on screen for others to see and judge.

What's wonderful about Margie is she turned her experience and her love of filmmaking into becoming an activist for ethical filmmaking in the documentary space. She has recently produced an award-winning film-festival-darling documentary called "Subject," which follows key participants in "The Staircase," "Hoop Dreams," "The Wolfpack," "Capturing the Friedmans," and "The Square" to explore how production and public reception affected them.

When I connected with Margie, I was surprised to learn about the parallels documentary production has with reality TV in terms of exploitation. What's unique about "Subject" is the producers worked collaboratively with the participants in order to make sure people were taken care of before, during, and after filming (which is atypical of this industry). Margie and I have a lot in common in terms of how we are solving similar problems in different forms of media, and I wanted to explore that together in this episode.

I hope you enjoy this podcast. If you haven't already, go watch Subject. I hope that watching "Subject" and listening to this podcast helps you view documentary film, reality TV, and entertainment generally with your eyes wide open.

Find "Subject" here:

Amazon Prime: https://www.amazon.com/Subject-Margie-Ratliff/dp/B0CKYBQNJB/

AppleTV: https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/subject/umc.cmc.6jcylwu9rtti7bbsx0696tzez

VUDU: https://www.vudu.com/content/browse/details/Subject/2594913?cmp=OrganicSearch~Vudu~GoogleWatch

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/movies/details/Subject?id=GE-w09yzR8o.P&hl=en&gl=IE&pli=1

Kanopy: https://www.kanopy.com/en/product/13845688

Find Marjie here:

DPEA Website: https://www.dpealliance.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grandefillepetitevoiture/?hl=en

Find Nick Thompson here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/

Website: https://www.engagewithnick.com/

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EngageWithNick

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickthompson13/

Our guest today is Olivia Frazier, a content creator, model, and a cast member from season nine of Married at First Sight Australia. I wanted to have Olivia on the show today to share some of her experiences during production and after the show aired, because she has been through a lot. Olivia was edited into a villain character on the show, and it impacted her career, her relationship, her family, her home, and her sense of safety and wellbeing.

Before getting into the episode, I want to let everyone know that there's some very serious discussions about suicidal ideation and the emotional toll that the show's production and reception has had on Olivia's mental health. Be aware that if you typically have a negative reaction to these topics, this episode might not be for you. I am so grateful for Olivia's vulnerability as she shares how these unexpected repercussions affected her.

I hope that when you listen to this, you have an open heart and see Olivia as a human being first and a reality TV cast member somewhere later after that, and I hope that hearing her story helps you watch reality TV with your eyes wide open.

Reality and unscripted television are often anything but that. Join us in demanding that producers add a mandatory disclaimer before and after each episode, underscoring that episodes are for entertainment purposes only, and the content can be edited, manipulated, and presented in any order for storyline purposes. https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/add-a-disclaimer-to-all-reality-television-programming

Find Olivia here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/olivefrazer/?hl=en

Find Nick Thompson here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/

Website: https://www.engagewithnick.com/

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EngageWithNick

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickthompson13/

This week on Eyes Wide Open, we're speaking with Calley Means, a former consultant in the food and pharmaceutical industries turned activist and advocate against them. Calley works to subvert big industry's poisoning of our food system and the corruption in regulating agencies enable this to happen. Calley is also the founder of a company called TrueMed, which is an organization that issues food and health-promoting services as prescriptions that allow you to utilize your HSA funds within your healthcare program (something that may be beneficial to you as we come up to the end of the year).

I make a lot of my own personal products because the chemicals used in mass-production can actually be detrimental to our overall health and wellness, both in physical and mental aspects. As a result, Calley's platform and mission really resonated with me.

Today, we're going to talk about Calley's journey from a young kid in DC wanting to be in politics, his time consulting in food and pharma, to how he ended up now advocating against these industries. I hope that when you finish this episode you can look at the food and health industries with your eyes wide open.

Find Calley here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calleymeans/

TruMed Website: https://www.truemed.com/

Calley's Website: https://calleymeans.com/

Find Nick Thompson here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/

Website: https://www.engagewithnick.com/

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EngageWithNick

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickthompson13/

TW: This episode features stories of sexual trauma, addiction, self harm, and suicidal ideation. Avoid listening if these topics may cause you emotional or psychological distress.

On today's episode of Eyes Wide Open, we will be sitting down with mental health advocate Todd Rennebohm. Todd is a public speaker, author of the children's book, "Sometimes Daddy Cries," and host of the hit podcast, "Bunny Hugs and Mental Health."

I've known Todd for a few months now, and he is a wonderful person trying to turn his struggles into something that can help other people. This is a deep and difficult episode full of hard conversations, and I want to thank Todd for being authentic, open, and honest about his experience.

I hope that you enjoy this episode, and I hope that this helps you understand others who are struggling so that you can approach difficult situations with your eyes wide open.

Reality and unscripted television are often anything but that. Join us in demanding that producers add a mandatory disclaimer before and after each episode, underscoring that episodes are for entertainment purposes only, and the content can be edited, manipulated, and presented in any order for storyline purposes. https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/add-a-disclaimer-to-all-reality-television-programming

Find Todd here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bunnyhugspodcast/?hl=en

Read "Sometimes Daddy Cries:" https://www.amazon.com/Sometimes-Daddy-Cries-Todd-Rennebohm/dp/022883466X

Listen to the "Bunny Hugs and Mental Health" Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bunny-hugs-and-mental-health/id1560055327

Find Nick Thompson here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/

Website: https://www.engagewithnick.com/

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EngageWithNick

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickthompson13/

Reality and unscripted television are often anything but that. Join us in demanding that producers add a mandatory disclaimer before and after each episode, underscoring that episodes are for entertainment purposes only, and the content can be edited, manipulated, and presented in any order for storyline purposes. https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/add-a-disclaimer-to-all-reality-television-programming

In a couple days, many of us in the United States will be getting together with family to celebrate Thanksgiving. Along with the holidays comes many internalized expectations, memories from childhood, and of course the societal expectations for how holidays should look. Many of us also find ourselves faced with uncomfortable and inappropriate conversations and situations when family gathers together.

To address what is going on from a psychological perspective, I invited Dr. Isabelle Morley to share her expertise on the subject. Dr. Isabelle is a licensed clinical psychologist, couples therapist, and the Director of Mental Health Services at the UCAN Foundation.

Dr. Isabelle and I talk about setting boundaries with family and managing expectations over the holidays so that we can find joy. We also discuss how you can get out ahead of and avoid conversations you're not comfortable having with family, or get out of conversations that make you uncomfortable like dating, news, and politics.

I hope this episode helps you go into your Thanksgiving dinner and the rest of your holiday season with your eyes wide open.

Find the UCAN Foundation here:

Website: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_ucan_foundation/?igshid=ZDdkNTZiNTM%3D

Find Dr. Isabelle Morley here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drisabellemorley/?hl=en

Website: https://www.drisabellemorley.com/

Find Nick Thompson here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/

Website: https://www.engagewithnick.com/

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EngageWithNick

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickthompson13/

Today's guest on Eyes Wide Open is Emma Demar, also known by her nickname, "That Trendy Therapist." She's a licensed clinical social worker, former actress from Gossip Girl, podcast host, and bestselling author of the book, "The Truth Teller: The Truth Behind Our Masks."

In my journey to better understand myself and my internal motivations, I came across Emma and her book, which is all about how to rediscover yourself through inner work so that you can show up in the world as your authentic self. I instantly connected with her message because it aligns with one of my key ethos in, to be unapologetically myself and do the work to get there.

Our conversation covers positivity, grounding, unmasking, how to accept your own complexities, and learning your inner truth. Emma also shares her own mental health journey, including struggling with anorexia as a teenager.

I really hope that you enjoy this episode with Emma, and that it helps you to show up in the world as your true authentic self so you can go through the world with your eyes wide open.

Find Emma here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thattrendytherapist/

Website: https://www.thattrendytherapist.com/home

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thattrendytherapist

Read "The Truth Teller" book: https://www.amazon.com/Truth-Teller-Behind-Our-Masks/dp/B0CBD639H2

Listen to "The Truth Teller" podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-truth-teller-by-that-trendy-therapist/id1500330939

Find Nick Thompson here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/

Website: https://www.engagewithnick.com/

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EngageWithNick

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickthompson13/