Dr. Joe Bates wants to make your brain hum. The award-winning double board-certified psychiatrist and pediatrician is spending his “retirement” working with veterans at the Tyler VA Clinic in Tyler, Texas. He has been recognized by Mensa for his work with cognitive remediation training, and now he’s created a way for people of all ages to make their brains work smarter, not harder.

His new book, Making Your Brain Hum: 12 Weeks to A Smarter You, uses a technique he developed called braincardio™, which is designed to use “brain workouts” to build confidence, hope, well-being and energy.

Also in this episode, we talk with dog trainer John Miller, who tells us how to make back-to-school time easier on everyone in the house—including our canine family members.

Kristin Neff, PhD., is a pioneer in the field of self-compassion as well as associate professor of human development and culture at the University of Texas at Austin. Her groundbreaking insights on how to nurture self-compassion, along with research into the role self-compassion plays in our overall well-being, has led to academic courses on the topic as well as online courses, audio programs and books.

Her latest project, The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook, walks readers through a step-by-step process to help build a greater sense of self-compassion.

Performing under the stage name Stealing Oceans, Nashville-based artist Brian Thompson uses his hip-hop fusion music to inspire and encourage others. After overcoming battles with addiction and depression, he decided to use his own life challenges to help those who are experiencing similar struggles. 

That led to creating the #ThisIsMySelfCare mental health awareness campaign, which he launched to promote positive self-care and build awareness about mental health organizations that can provide help and hope.

Dan Tomasulo, Ph.D., is a sought-after speaker and author on topics including positive psychology, positive education and positive psychotherapy. His new book, American Snake Pit: Hope, Grit and Resilience in the Wake of Willowbrook, tells the story of the fallout after the closing of New York state’s most controversial state hospital for the mentally disabled. After a groundbreaking expose from Geraldo Rivera about the horrendous living conditions at Willowbrook State School, including overcrowding, patient abuse and questionable treatment methods, plans were made to close its doors. Dan, then a young post-graduate student, was hired to relocate and treat its most seriously disabled residents.

Emily Larson is a researcher, instructor and practitioner in the fields of education and public policy. As director for the International Positive Education Network (IPEN), which was formed by Martin Seligman, Angela Duckworth and Sir Anthony Seldon, Emily is part of a movement that is turning the academic research surrounding positive psychology into practical lesson plans and interventions for educators and students. In this episode, Emily talks with Live Happy CEO and IPEN Advisory Board member Deborah K. Heisz about how positive education is changing the way students learn and tells listeners about the upcoming World Positive Education Accelerator.

If someone’s ever told you to “take a hike,” chances are you never took it as seriously as Jennifer Pharr Davis. Named a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, Jennifer has hiked more than 13,000 miles on six continents. She was the first woman to set a Fastest Known Time on the Appalachian Trail, and during her time on the trails she has learned some incredible things about setting goals, bouncing back and pushing through.

Inspired by an unfortunate toxic work environment in her first job out of college, Christine Porath took on the topic of workplace incivility and its cost to both companies and employees. She’s been running with it ever since. Christine Porath, Ph.D., is an associate professor at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University and the author of Mastering Civility: A Manifesto for the Workplace and co-author of The Cost of Bad Behavior. She works with leading organizations to help them create thriving workplaces.

Music has the power to change lives, and nowhere is that more evident than in the powerful SongwritingWith:Soldiers program. This unique program pairs members of the military with professional songwriters to craft songs about their experiences. Through their songs, they learn to release pain, tell their stories and build a strong bond with one another. Program co-founder Mary Judd and singer/songwriter Jay Clementi talk about the power of the program—and what it’s taught them.

How do you encourage children to thrive when their lives are filled with stress and trauma? As executive director of the Momentous Institute in Dallas, Michelle Kinder carries on a century-old mission to help children overcome trauma and toxic stress to learn how to live happy, healthy lives. She talks with us to show how their practices are changing the lives of entire generations of family — and tells us what we all can learn from them.

Becky Blades is author and illustrator of the award-winning book Do Your Laundry or You’ll Die Alone: Advice Your Mom Would Give if She Thought You Were Listening. You can also find her writing on blogs including Oprah.com, The Huffington Post and Grown and Flown, or follow her on Twitter and Facebook at LaundryorDie.