Next Steps Forward with Dr. Chris Meek

Donna Rice Hughes is the President and CEO of Enough Is Enough ® (EIE), an internationally known internet safety expert, author, speaker and Emmy-Award winning producer. She joins Chris Meek on this installment of Next Steps Forward to share her vision which helped to birth the internet safety movement in America at the advent of the digital age and how, since 1994, she has been a pioneering leader on the frontlines of U.S. efforts to make the internet safer for children and families. Throughout the hour she will share steps to prevent internet-initiated crimes against children through education, equipping and empowering parents, educators and caring adults with the knowledge and resources they need to protect children, as well as cyber security risks and dangers related to social networking, online gaming and mobile devices. Ms. Rice Hughes uses evidence-based curriculum to equip adults to implement both safety rules and software rules when it comes to youth's internet enabled devices.

About Donna Rice Hughes: Donna Rice Hughes, President and CEO of Enough Is Enough® (EIE) is an internationally known Internet safety expert, author, speaker and Emmy-Award winning producer. Her vision helped to birth the Internet safety movement in America at the advent of the digital age. Since 1994, she has been a pioneering leader on the frontlines of U.S. efforts to make the Internet safer for children and families. She has given thousands of media interviews on preventing the internet-enabled exploitation of children and has been a featured guest on most major media outlets including Fox News, CNN, Today Show, Good Morning America, Oprah, Barbara Walters Show, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Time, Newsweek, People, Ladies Home Journal among others. She has also testified numerous times before Congress, served on various government task forces, and on the Child Online Protection Commission appointed by the US Senate.

Dr. Nadine Macaluso is the real-life inspiration behind Naomi Belfort's character in "The Wolf of Wall Street." She survived a turbulent eight-year marriage to Jordan Belfort, marked by abuse, greed, and trauma. She joins Next Steps Forward to detail her journey of trauma and how healing inspired her to become a psychotherapist and expert in trauma bonds. Pulling from her combined thirty years' experience, she will provide insight on why women enter and stay in abusive relationships, the psychological makeup of vulnerable women and pathological lovers, how to leave a trauma bond and how to heal and find healthy love. Dr. Macaluso firmly believes in the potential for post-traumatic growth, instilling hope in her patients and guiding them to reach their potential in life and love.

About Dr. Nadine Macaluso: Dr. Nadine Macaluso, known to her patients as Dr. Nae, is the real-life inspiration behind Naomi Belfort's character in "The Wolf of Wall Street." She survived a turbulent eight-year marriage to Jordan Belfort, marked by abuse, greed, and trauma. Following her experiences, Dr. Macaluso relocated to California. Her journey of trauma and healing inspired her to return to school at age 39, where she earned her Master's in counseling and a Ph.D. in somatic psychotherapy. She further specialized with a two-year postdoctoral training in the Neuro-affective Relational Model (NARM). As a therapist, Dr. Macaluso combines her education and personal experiences to help others heal from trauma. Her practice focuses on assisting patients in connecting with their authentic selves, fostering confidence, resilience, and agency. Dr. Macaluso firmly believes in the potential for post-traumatic growth, instilling hope in her patients and guiding them to reach their potential in life and love.

Dr. Chris Frueh, PHD has over thirty years of professional experience working with military veterans and active duty personnel as a clinical psychologist. In this edition of Next Steps Forward, he joins Dr. Chris Meek to discuss his work to uncover a pattern of interrelated afflictions, including traumatic brain injury, hormonal dysregulation, sleep apnea, chronic pain, and more, which he has labeled "Operator Syndrome." Throughout the hour he will guide the audience through the harrowing terrain of Operator Syndrome, providing a roadmap to understand its multifaceted origins and complex effects on every biological system in the body - as well as the social systems of family, work, and the indifferent society warriors return to. In addition, he explains how modern healthcare systems have failed a generation of service members by all too often relying on the PTSD "easy button" and provides real solutions, lifestyle adaptations and treatment strategies that truly work.

About Chris Frueh: Dr. Chris Frueh, PHD has over thirty years of professional experience working with military veterans and active-duty personnel, and has conducted clinical trials, epidemiology, historical and neuroscience research. He has co-authored over 300 scientific publications, including a graduate textbook on adult psychopathology. His work on "Operator Syndrome" is helping change the way we understand and treat the complex set of interrelated health, psychological, and interpersonal difficulties that are common downstream outcomes of a career in military special operations. He devotes effort to the SEAL Future Foundation (chair, medical advisory board), Boulder Crest Foundation (scientific advisory panel), Military Special Operations Family Collaborative, The Mission Within, VETS, Inc., Quick Reaction Foundation (Houston) and to the military special operations community in general.

Rabbi Daniel Cohen, who has served in the rabbinate for over twenty years, is a popular motivator, mentor and inspirational speaker, who will bring his unique blend of authenticity, humor, wisdom and insight to help the Next Steps Forward audience better navigate contemporary society and lead a life of legacy. Throughout his appearance on the program, he will focus on varying topics including Judaism in the 21st century, examining the human experiences found in the Torah, how ancient texts relate to our lives, inspiration for others to realize their own unique potential, and timeless stories and strategies which will enable the audience to maximize every moment while leading a life of impact and legacy.

Rabbi Daniel Cohen-

Popular motivator, mentor, and inspirational speaker, Rabbi Daniel Cohen's unique blend of authenticity, humor, wisdom, and insight helps anyone better navigate contemporary society and lead a life of legacy. Rabbi Cohen has served in the rabbinate for over twenty years and is the author of "What Will They Say About You When You Are Gone? Creating a Life of Legacy, and his newest book, "The Secret of the Light."

Next Steps Forward host Chris Meek is honored to welcome legendary auto racing driver, Bobby Rahal, who most famously won the Indianapolis 500 in 1986 to the program. In an 18-year career spanning F1, Can-Am, Le Mans/IMSA and CART, Mr. Rahal's name is widely known across the world having garnered three CART championships, along with wins at the 1981 24 Hours of Daytona and the 1987 12 Hours of Sebring endurance races. Chris is honored to know Mr. Rahal personally, having founded the nonprofit SoldierStrong which benefits greatly from Mr. Rahal's many philanthropic efforts. Throughout the hour, Mr. Rahal will discuss his iconic career in auto racing, his role as a principal at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and his focus on philanthropy and bettering the communities in which his businesses serve.

Robert "Bobby" Woodward Rahal was born in Medina, Ohio, in 1953, and worked his way up through the racing ranks starting with the SCCA's feeder series to Formula Atlantic and then onto European Formula Two. In an 18-year career spanning F1, Can-Am, Le Mans/IMSA, and CART, Rahal notched three CART championships, including a win at the 1986 Indy 500, along with wins at the 1981 24 Hours of Daytona and the 1987 12 Hours of Sebring endurance races. Along with former late night talk show icon David Letterman and businessman Michael Lanigan, he is a principal in Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing where Rahal has overseen the growth of the team from a one-car program to a multi-car, multi-discipline organization. Along with his leadership of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, he is the founder and Chairman of the Board of the Bobby Rahal Automotive Group, a string of car dealerships in Pennsylvania, is President of the Road Racing Drivers Club, is on the Board of Directors for the Petersen Automotive Museum and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, and is very active in the community through the Bobby Rahal Foundation.

Judy Isaacson Elias founded Heroes to Heroes in 2010 as a tribute to her father, Irving M. Isaacson, a World War II veteran, as a way to honor the service of all veterans, especially those with moral injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. She joins program host Dr. Chris Meek to discuss how Heroes to Heroes invites U.S. military veterans of all faiths - and even no faith - who have attempted suicide, or are on a path to self-destruction, to join their 12 month, research-based, non-denominational program. She will speak on her profound belief that healing comes from a sense of belonging, a spiritual/faith connection and finding forgiveness. You won't want to miss out on Judy's appearance if you are interested in engaging more with the topics of overcoming shame and guilt, connecting with a "higher power," and what it takes to achieve forgiveness.

Ashlee Boyson is the author of the blog and book series titled "The Moments We Stand," which tells the story of her family's journey of healing after the infidelity and murder of her husband Emmett in 2011, just months after giving birth to their fifth baby. In this installment of Next Steps Forward she joins Dr. Chris Meek to share Emmett's story and the unique experience she has been given to reflect on her journey as a guest on national media platforms, such as Dateline, Dr. Phil, True Crime Daily, and many others. After feeling alone for many years she found her voice through the pain and will speak about her current work as an advocate for victims and families impacted by loss and grief and will also touch on other topics such widowhood, murder and infidelity. In an effort to help others not feel alone, she has grown to love sharing her story to help shine light on a path for others still stuck in the dark, a place she knows all too well. Ashlee believes that each day is a gift and feels grateful for the grace and hope she has found in her story and speaks to the truth of the light she knows shines within all of us.

In this installment of Next Steps Forward, host Chris Meek celebrates the 200th episode of the program! After first seeing Pastor Lorenzo Sewell, Senior Pastor at 180 Church in Detroit, Michigan, on a news segment where he discussed his focus on the topics of faith, politics, human trafficking, race and mental health, Chris specifically invited Pastor Sewell to be the special guest as he encapsulates the focus of the program exceptionally well. Pastor Sewell was born and raised in Detroit and grew up in a physically and verbally abusive home. High school was a challenging time for him as his father went to prison and his younger brother was killed. He became heavily involved in drugs and drug-dealing and became a gang leader in east Detroit. His life ultimately took a dramatic turn when he had a "Damascus Road" encounter with Christ that set his heart on fire! Pastor Sewell serves as an example not only for how pastors should guide their congregations in matters of faith but also how faith leaders can play a role in guiding their congregations effectively and appropriately on the most pressing political issues of our time. He will surely leave a lasting impression on the Next Steps Forward audience, just as he has left a lasting legacy on his congregation and the wider community of the Motor City.

Saqib Qureshi is a Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science, where he received his PhD in International Relations and Epistemology. His work has been featured in the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Entrepreneur. He has produced two films and, in 1996, the BBC One documentary, Al Dawaah, the first television documentary about the Muslim community in any Western country. He joins program host Dr. Chris Meek to discuss his most recent book "Being Muslim Today: Reclaiming the Faith From Orthodoxy and Islamophobia." Throughout the hour he will discuss key topics regarding his book including his inspiration for writing a book on Islamophobia, his goal for the book and hopes for the audiences' take away from it, common misconceptions about Islam that he seeks to address, and some of the most significant impacts of Islamophobia on Muslim communities. In addition, he will speak in-depth about what people of other faiths should understand about the origins of Islam and its early history, how Muslims view God and the key attributes of God in Islam, and how Islam addresses the issues of justice, compassion and loving one another. Please join their informative discussion!

Kristi Wells joins program host Dr. Chris Meek on Next Steps Forward as a leading expert in the fight against human trafficking in the United States. She co-founded Safe House Project, a nonprofit organization combating trafficking in America, in 2017. Inspired to take action after becoming aware of the high volume of this criminal activity, juxtaposed with the lack of safe and supportive housing options for those who have experienced trafficking, under Kristi's leadership Safe House Project has quickly become a unifying leader of the anti-trafficking field. Through her efforts the organization has raised millions of dollars which have allowed them to support the launch of new safe homes across America for trafficking survivors to find healing. Throughout the hour she will discuss the importance of a coordinated, collaborative, public-private national response to trafficking, how her vision and commitment via Safe House Project have significantly impacted the lives of survivors through survivor identification, serving survivors as they depart trafficking situations and prevention, as well as how to address the policy side of eradicating human and sex trafficking.