Special Guest, Allison Fritchman, is a special educator, mental health advocate, parent, and partner to her love. Allison talks about how to own your mental health, how to balance what is said and what you believe, how to honor your feelings, and how to, as Brené Brown says, "walk in the wilderness.” Allison shares her personal story and discusses the value of self-care.

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

Allison's Recommended Reading:

Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown

The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown

Permission to Feel by Marc Brackett, Ph.D.

Host: Chris Singleheart

Producer: Dennis Boyne

Special guest, Dr. Bonnie Winfield talks about the value of expressive arts and shares how they literally saved her life.

Dr. Bonnie is an expressive arts facilitator and educator. She has been providing open studio and safe space for over thirty years. She has thirty years’ experience in higher education as a faculty member and administrator. Dr. Bonnie received her advanced degrees from Syracuse University and attended classes and workshops at Marywood University and the International Institute for Restorative Practices. Most recently she is the director of a reentry program for women who are and have been impacted by the criminal justice system.

[email protected]

www.TheJourneyHome.blog

@theJourneyHomeEaston

Host: Chris Singleheart

Sound Engineer: Rob Zweifel

Ecotherapy focuses on transforming human relationship to the natural world. By integrating art and nature, Cynthia Rodriguez is re-experiencing a personal connection with nature. Cynthia was born and raised in New York City where she attended the Highschool of Art & Design. She spent most of her youth around the art scene including Greenwich Village and Museum Mile. Since moving to Pennsylvania, she has established herself as a professional mixed media and performance artist and has been the sole proprietor of The Underworld Art Studio since 1999. She now considers herself a Bob Ross disciple and depicts nature in a transformative way.

Host: Chris Singleheart

Producer: Dennis Boyne

Abram, D. (1996). The spell of the sensuous: Perception and language in a more-than human world. Pantheon.

Zweifel, C. (2022). Experience of an art therapy intern incorporating ecotherapy/eco-art therapy ideas in a studio environment (Publication No. 28966057). Cedar Crest College ProQuest Dissertations Publishing. https://www.proquest.com/docview/2637407574?pq-origsite=gscholar&fromopenview=true

This episode was recorded during the first week of January, a time when many of us are coming down from the holiday high. Host Chris Singleheart and special guest Mike Brennan discuss how a daily dose of creativity can help alleviate post-holiday blues.

Brennan, M. (2023, January 7). Daily Creative Habit. mikebrennan.me. https://www.mikebrennan.me/dch

Duffy, T. (Ed.). The Journal of Creativity in Mental Health. Routledge, The Taylor & Francis Group. https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wcmh20#.VyjtbGYczIQ

Tamlin, C., Deyoung, C. & Silvia, P. (2016). Everyday creative activity as a path to flourishing. The Journal of Positive Psychology 13(2), 1-9,  10.1080/17439760.2016.1257049

Gangwisch, J. E., Hale, L., Garcia, L., Malaspina, D., Opler, M. G., Payne, M. E., Rossom, R. C., & Lane, D. (2015). High glycemic index diet as a risk factor for depression: Analyses from the Women’s Health Initiative, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 102(2), 454–463, https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.114.103846

Advent is a time of waiting, anticipating, expectation, and introspection. UN Fellow, Bob Chase, retired United Methodist pastor, Jim Todd, and host, Chris Singleheart reflect on personal stories of participating in this purposeful season. The experiences shared are laced with the advent themes of hope, peace, joy, and love. We need and crave these things in our lives, so set your distractions and worries aside as you listen to this rich conversation. May it enlighten and enliven you.

Unplug the Christmas Machine: A Complete Guide To Putting Love and Warmth Back Into the Season, by Jo Robinson & Jean C. Staeheli.

Dwight Christmas, The Office - Season 9 Episode 9.

Advent is a time of waiting, anticipating, expectation, and introspection. UN Fellow, Bob Chase, retired United Methodist pastor, Jim Todd, and host, Chris Singleheart reflect on personal stories of participating in this purposeful season. The experiences shared are laced with the advent themes of hope, peace, joy, and love. We need and crave these things in our lives, so set your distractions and worries aside as you listen to this rich conversation. May it enlighten and enliven you.

Gratitude has altered the way Nancy Boyne sees the world and herself. Nancy’s lifework included learning consulting and corporate telecommunications. She now is a super-active retiree with a practice of recognizing and acknowledging the goodness in her life. Listen in as she takes you through her travels, her successes, her obstacles, and her challenges.

I highlight some of the many benefits of gratitude practices and offer some advice on how to cultivate and express a state of thankfulness.

Host: Chris Singleheart

Dewall, Nathan & Lambert, Nathaniel & Pond, Jr, Richard & Kashdan, Todd & Fincham, Frank. (2012). A grateful heart is a nonviolent heart: Cross-sectional, experience sampling, longitudinal, and experimental evidence. Social Psychological and Personality Science. 3. 232-240. 10.1177/1948550611416675.

Fox, G. R., Kaplan, J., Damasio, H., & Damasio, A. (2015). Neural correlates of gratitude. Frontiers in psychology, 6, 1491. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01491

Seligman, M., Steen, T.A., Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2005). Positive psychology progress: Empirical validation of interventions. The American psychologist, 60 5, 410-21.

Special guest, Dennis Boyne, is the producer of SWAN Power, beginning with this episode. Among other qualities, a podcast producer should be skilled in storytelling and Dennis is no stranger to storytelling. He understands well our human need to engage in the creative process.

Dennis is a former member of Improvolution in New York, the past Artistic Director of Philemon Productions in New Jersey, and previous part Owner and Creative Consultant for New Jersey Public Theater. He is a winner of both Scranton Story Slam and Lancaster Story Slam and is Executive Director of Lehigh Valley Story Slam. He has acted in, produced, or directed over eighty productions and has written three plays. Earlier this year, Dennis released his first novel, A Family’s Journey. His second book is due out very soon.

As we consider the related but different meanings and tone of "spirits" and "ghosts," Dennis shares personal stories of Halloween from his childhood and his adult life. We also touch on the history and traditions of Halloween, Christian feasts, and Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. Chris shares examples from her own experience, ponders lyrics penned by Sting, and highlights the benefits of spirituality as well as the innate human capacity for spirituality. We talk death and life and demonstrate love and respect for our deceased family members.

SWAN Power is hosted by Chris Singleheart.

In this inaugural episode, I launch the concept of SWAN Power, which explores the potential of spirituality, wellness, arts and nature. Each facet is introduced broadly as an inroad to a sound mind and body.

I also speak with Connor Moriarty of Reset Outdoors, a nature-based mental health service. Connor presents the THRIVE Compass, a useful tool to gauge our well-being, and tells how we can positively impact those outcomes by spending time outdoors.

This premier show ends with a mini mental vacation.

resetoutdoors.com

parkrx.org

Host: Chris Singleheart

chrissingleheart.com