What drives us to believe what we believe? How do emotions, memory, and identity shape the way we see the world—and how can we bridge the growing divides between us?

This month’s featured replay comes from my From Discord to Harmony series and spotlights the brilliant Dr. Mary Lamia, a clinical psychologist and professor whose work focuses on the emotional roots of human behavior. In The Psychology of Belief Systems: Understanding and Bridging Divides, Dr. Lamia takes us deep into the psychology behind belief formation and maintenance. You’ll hear how emotions influence not only what we believe but how we interpret new information and interact with those who see things differently.

She doesn’t stop at the why—she offers actionable strategies for communicating across differences. Whether you're navigating tense political conversations, trying to understand a loved one, or simply exploring your own internal framework, this conversation provides tools for deeper emotional insight and connection.

About Dr. Lamia Dr. Lamia has spent her career encouraging emotional awareness in adults, adolescents, and pre-teens. She’s the author of six compelling books, including:

* Grief Isn’t Something to Get Over: Finding a Home for Memories and Emotions After Losing a Loved One

* What Motivates Getting Things Done: Procrastination, Emotions, and Success

* The Upside of Shame: Therapeutic Interventions Using the Positive Aspects of a “Negative” Emotion

In addition to her writing, she shares powerful reflections on Psychology Today and serves as a professor in the doctoral program at the Wright Institute in Berkeley. She also maintains a private practice in Kentfield, California.

Join the Live Q&A – Saturday, May 31 at 2pm PSTWe’re thrilled to announce that Dr. Lamia will be our special guest for this month’s live Zoom Q&A. This is your chance to bring your questions and dive deeper into the emotional psychology behind belief systems, grief, motivation, and more.

🗓️ Date: Saturday, May 31🕑 Time: 2pm PST / 3pm MST / 4pm CST / 5pm EST📍 Location: Zoom link will be sent to all paid subscribers the morning of the event.

Listen to the Interview Now Paid subscribers can listen to the full interview. Make sure to tune in before the Q&A so you can bring your questions and insights to the live discussion.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Warmly,

Danita

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to pop in and say a huge thank you to everyone who joined our April Monthly Meeting live!If you couldn’t make it, no worries — I’ve got you covered.The replay is now available so you can catch up whenever it’s convenient for you.

We had a wonderful discussion on the takeaways “From Discord to Harmony: Charting America’s Path to …

Thank you to all who attended! This was a great discussion on the concerns we have about this current administration and what can we do moving forward.

For actionable steps in this political climate, some of the people I mentioned to follow on Substack or Facebook are Heather Cox Richardson, Robert Reich and Joy-Ann Reid . Joy no longer has her show on MSNBC, but I always found her very informative …

Thank you to all who attended. Great discussion on the US presidential election and our thoughts on where we’re headed as a county. Plus discussing this weekend’s 150th Anniversary of the Vicksburg Massacre. For more info visit danitajones.substack.com

Thank you to all who attended! November’s meeting covered Oscar Dunn, the first Black Lt. Governor and first Black Governor of Louisiana. Also we discussed PBS Pinchback who succeeded Oscar Dunn. And closed out with this week’s presidential election and how the U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2013 to amend the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is affecting our e…

Thank you to all who attended! Your support means the world to me!

In this discussion, we covered the topics I wrote about in the month of August, Bruce’s Beach, Oscarville and Seneca. These are just a small selection of the thriving Black towns that were destroyed because of white supremacy.

This discussion expanded to talks about racial biases in government, work place and in general in our culture.

One of our attendees, and dear friend, Lisa, mentioned this should be a podcast. So, after a careful thought, I decided to enable Substack’s podcast feature. In doing so, I also decided to remove the paywall for this conversation and the first two discussions I had this summer.

I keep hearing from subscribers how these discussions have been eye-opening and thought provoking and that more people need to hear what we’re talking about and to read what I’ve been writing about.

Though I feel nervous and a bit vulnerable opening this up to the public, I’m taking a chance in hopes it will motivate or inspire change for the better in our society that I so deeply care about. And by removing the paywall, other platforms such as Spotify, YouTube and many other podcast platforms will give access to a wider audience.

Well, wish me luck! And if you pray, say a little prayer. ❤️

Thank you!

Best,

Danita