Talking Emotions

In this In Practice Episode, Abraham explores his personal journey of self-reflection to guide his growth as a person and Paralympic athlete. He share about his own process of choosing emotions for his life and accepting struggles, self-criticism, self-acceptance, and growth.

Guest:
Abraham Amon is a Nigerian Paralympic high jumper, speaker, and creator who transforms pain into power. His story inspires others to break limits, master their emotions, and rise with purpose.

To learn more about Abraham, please visit:
https://www.tiktok.com/discover/amon-abraham

Timestamps:
4:00  – Personal Story – Abrahams Story & Finding Jumping
8:40 – Concept – Keeping a Positive Mindset
10:50 – Concept – Believing in Self First
17:45 – Concept – Balancing Positive and Negative Thoughts
222:30 – Concept – Weighing Pain with Positive and Negative Benefits
23:30 – Concept – Choosing to Love Self Before Loving Others
27:40 – Concept – Finding and Accepting Yourself
30:00 – Skill – Using Imagination to See Mental Images
31:30 – Skills – Start with Exploring Self and “Who I Am”
32:30 – Concept – Choosing Emotions vs. Pushing Thoughts on Self
36:20 – Strategy – Self-Exploration: Being Conscious of Thoughts
39:30 – Strategy – Identifying Emotions: Noticing Feelings or Emotions
41:45 – Awareness – What Abraham Learned about Himself
44:20 – Personal Strategy – Time for Reflection

Special thanks to musical artists:
Psalm Trees: https://psalmtreesbeats.bandcamp.com/
DJsNeverEndingStory: https://djsneverendingstory.bandcamp.com/

To provide suggestions for new topics in future episodes, visit:
present-mind.org/podcast

In this In Practice Episode, Drea Gallaga explores the benefits of failure, expanding on her years of running an entrepreneurship high school class. She talks hardships and successes, and the power of vulnerability to grow comfort with failure!

Drea Gallaga is currently the director of the Live+Serve Lab at North Shore Country Day School, where she has also spent over two decades as an upper school humanities teacher. The Live+Serve Lab is a JK-12th grade space that combines service and innovation to help students and teachers connect classroom learning to the real world; Drea works with colleagues and students to support projects in service learning, creative and design thinking, community engagement, and more. Drea has a lifelong and deep interest in the power of community, an interest furthered by being an educator, making music with others, and immersion in both Quakerism and Buddhism. She aspires to participate in and contribute to communities that are authentic, accountable, and hopeful, and that uplift young people and their contributions.

To learn more about Drea:
Email: [email protected] 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drea-gallaga-b1a37445

Timestamps:
2:50 – Personal Story – How Drea found failure
5:00 – Concept – Why talking about failure is important
12:00 – Idea – What failure looks like in class
18:00 – Concept – The core of failure is vulnerability
18:00 – Research – Concept: Vulnerability Paradox. Book. Daring greatly: How the courage to be vulnerable transforms the way we live, love, parent, and lead. (Brown, 2012)
19:00 – Adult Strategy – Modeling Failure
20:00 – Idea – Hardships for acknowledging failure
21:00 – Concept – How students define failure?
31:00 – Personal Strategy – Debunking Perfection
36:00 – Parent Strategy – Offering Perspective
38:00 – Parent Strategy – Practice Failure in Safety
39:50 – Favorite Failure – Worth Connected to How Hard Working

Special thanks to musical artists:
Psalm Trees: https://psalmtreesbeats.bandcamp.com/
Josh Jacobs: https://josephjacobsmusic.bandcamp.com/music

To provide suggestions for new topics in future episodes, visit:
present-mind.org/podcast

In this In Practice Episode, Xavier shares personal stories from his experience spending time outdoors as a camp counselor in Northern Wisconsin. He shares what time in Nature has taught him and the kids at his camp.

Guest:
Xavier Meza is 19 years old, born and raised in Chicago. He didn't go to college after graduating high school while taking college classes. He became a swim coach for kids for a year, and works at a local Chicago gym. Currently, Xavier working towards entering the field of real estate, while leading summer camps in Northern Wisconsin. 

To learn more about Xavier, please visit:
[email protected]

Timestamps:
3:00 – Personal Story – How Xavier found nature
5:45 – Concept – Open to being uncomfortable
7:30 – Process – What did you notice slowing down?
11:45 – Process – Slowing down and building a fire
15:30 – Concept – Learning about Camp!
17:50 – Process – Learning about the outdoors, being from the city
22:05 – Personal Story – Interesting story from traveling to canoe trip
31:00 – Impact – Natures impact on Xavier
34:45 – Idea – How to get connected to nature
39:00 – Everyday Experiences – Taking a bath out in a lake
41:00 – Personal Strategy – Exercise
44:24 – Research - Mindfulness meditation and exercise both improve sleep quality: Secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial of community dwelling adults (Barrett et al., 2020)

Special thanks to musical artists:
Psalm Trees: https://psalmtreesbeats.bandcamp.com/
Marysia Osu: https://marysiaosu.bandcamp.com/

To provide suggestions for new topics in future episodes, visit:
present-mind.org/podcast

Guest:
Dr. Will Dobud is a social worker, researcher, and educator who has worked with adolescents and families in the United States, Australia, and Norway. Will is from Washington, D.C. and divides his time between the United States and Australia each year. Will is an award-winning researcher and educator who has received recognition for excellence in research, teaching, and crime prevention. Dr. Dobud is a Senior Lecturer in Social Work at Charles Sturt University, Australia's largest social work school. Willis an invited international speaker who conducts workshops for therapists and families around the globe.

To learn more about Dr. Dobud, please visit:
https://www.kidsthesedaysbook.com/will-dobud

Timestamps:
3:00 – Personal Story – How Dr. Dobud Found His Interests
6:00 – Concepts – Common Misconceptions About Supporting Teen Mental Health
7:40 – Concepts – Misconception of Labeling
9:05 – Research - Examining Self-Esteem Consequences for Youth with Mental Health Problems (Dupont-Reyes et al., 2023)
9:43 – Survey – Polling Data and Identifications with Mental Health Labels
15:00 – Idea – How to approach seeking mental health support
15:30 – Concept – Most Common Number of Sessions
16:55 – Idea – Counseling is about a Good Fit
17:30 – Idea – Achieving Mastery
18:16 – Research - Nonblind placebo trial: An exploration of neurotic patients' responses to placebo when its inert content is disclosed (Park & Covi, 1965)
21:00 – Idea – Changing a Diagnosis from a Noun to a Verb (Externalizing Issues)
25:35 – Book Idea – Interference (Illusions about what’s Wrong with a Generation)
27:00 – Survey - Why children work: The children's answer (Todd, 1913)
29:20 – Concept – Interference in Chemicals
36:00 – Concept – Important Ideas to Prioritize
41:00 – Parent Strategy – How to Reframe Looking at Teen Problems
42:20 – Parent Strategy – Connection before Correction
45:50 – Funny Story – Banning Pinball in New York (Example of Interference)
55:00 – Personal Strategy – Learning How I Learn (Writing)

Special thanks to musical artists:
Psalm Trees: https://psalmtreesbeats.bandcamp.com/
Soii: https://soii.bandcamp.com/

To provide suggestions for new topics in future episodes, visit:
present-mind.org/podcast

This episode is for parents. Sophia explores her professional insights from working in clinical and school settings, to help anxious teens. If you are a parent, you'll get practical skills and ideas to help any stressed out teens in your home.

Guest:
Sophia Vale Galano is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a private therapy practice in Los Angeles, California. Sophia has been working with teens and their families for over a decade, and is the author of the book “Calming Teenage Anxiety: A Parent’s Guide to Helping Your Teenager Cope with Worry” on the 7th of October.

Sophia provided counseling to students at a large public high school, and offered both case management and group therapy at a psychiatric hospital. Sophia has extensive experience working as a therapist in residential, inpatient, outpatient and educational settings. She also served as a primary therapist for young adult males in a long-term, highly structured treatment center for substance use. She now provides mental health services in the Los Angeles Area. Sophia’s first book “Calming Teenage Anxiety” was published in 2025, and available from multiple online booksellers.

To learn more about Sophia and her book Calming Teenage Anxiety, please visit:
https://sophiagalano.com/book/
https://sophiagalano.com/

Timestamps:
3:00  – Personal Story – How Sophia Found Work on Teen Anxiety
5:00 – Generational Differences for Anxiety – Technology, Social Media, Academic Pressure
8:40 – Concept – Anxiety & Social Media
10:15 – Concept – Not Restrict, Discuss and Modify Use
12:30 – Parent Strategy – Sprinkle Social Media Use Suggestions as a Coach
14:15 – Concept – How to Approach Dialogue with Your Teen
14:30 – Parent Strategy – Come from a Place of Learning, Not Fixing
16:00 – Parent Strategy – Initiating Conversations in Casual Spaces
17:30 – Parent Strategy – Revisit Conversations
22:30 – Concept – Rise in Academic Pressure + Increased Competition
25:30 – Parent Strategy – Lead By Example About Pressure (Modeling)
29:00 – Concept – Exploring Regular Stress vs. Anxiety
29:50 – Parent Strategy – Monitor How Often Their Teen is Feeling Anxious
31:45 – Concept – Helpful Ideas for Supporting Students with High Anxiety
33:45 – Concept – What’s Happening Under the Surface in Dialogue w/ Teens
39:15 – Parent Strategy – Self Care and Self Awareness
41:00 – Study - Secure Base Provision: A New Approach to Examining Links Between Maternal Caregiving and Infant Attachment (Woodhouse et al., 2020)
41:00 – Concept – “Good Enough Parent” and 50% of the Time
42:00 – Parent Strategy – Try Lots of Different Approaches

Special thanks to musical artists:
Psalm Trees: https://psalmtreesbeats.bandcamp.com/
Chris Keys: https://chriskeys.bandcamp.com/

To provide suggestions for new topics in future episodes, visit:
present-mind.org/podcast

In this In Practice Episode, Lawrence shares he personal journey to self love. Taking his own life experiences as a teacher, he explores the ideas that helped him transform to a meaningful life of self-love.

Guest:
Lawrence C. Harris is a nationally recognized Youth Empowerment Speaker who helps teens and young adults break limiting beliefs, build unshakable self-worth, and rise above challenges. Drawing from his own lived experience overcoming childhood abuse, Autism, and C-PTSD, Lawrence shares powerful messages that resonate deeply with young people and the adults who support them.

To learn more about Lawrence, please visit:
https://lawrencecharris.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrence-harris-8b0177324
https://youtu.be/BHNS_D2PFoc?si=-ePvfKRSlkBFvLOT
Eventbrite: New Belief New You
Instagram: Lawrencecempowers

Timestamps:
3:30  – Personal Story – How Did You Get to Exploring Self-Love
8:10 – Concept – Exploring Healthy and Unhealthy Self-Love
9:30 – Strategy – Taking Yourself on a Date
11:20 – Concept – Showing Care For Others at Expense of Self
13:00 – Concept – Exploring Should Messages
16:30 – Concept – Connecting with Others for Self-Worth
17:00 – Prior Episode – Bowers Episode XX
18:00 Concept – Good Relationships Start with Loving Yourself
22:00 – Self Love Strategy – Journaling to Build Awareness
24:50 – Self Love Practice – Learning to Say No
27:20 – Personal Example – Learning to Say No
31:00 – Parent Strategy – Sprinkle Self-Care Strategies
32:40 – Parent Strategy – Plant Seeds, See How They Grow
34:20 – Concepts – Seeds Planted That are Actually Weeds
48:30 – Self Love Strategy – Make Your 10 and 80 Year old Self Proud

Special thanks to musical artists:
Psalm Trees: https://psalmtreesbeats.bandcamp.com/
Probably Not Famous IV: https://www.probablynotfamous.com/

To provide suggestions for new topics in future episodes, visit:
present-mind.org/podcast

David explores personal stories that led him and his wife into marriage and business coaching. His stories shed light into strategies for successful relationships in dating, school, and friendships. We explore conflicts, awareness, and yes... lasagna!

Guest:
David Kiwimagi is the co-founder of Kiwi Coaching, dedicated to helping couples who want to work together strengthen their relationships and thrive as partners. David and his wife Alexis have built a thriving coaching business and marriage. The proven methods they share have helped hundreds of couples from feeling stuck and disconnected to deeply connected and thriving in both business and marriage.

3:30  – Personal Story – How Did David Find Coaching Relationships
8:13 – Helpful Relationship Ideas – Turn Unspoken Expectations into Agreements
8:40 – Helpful Relationship Ideas – His Business, Her, Business, Not Your Business
8:13 – Helpful Relationship Ideas – How to Win Every Argument 
9:40 – Unspoken Expectations – Talk Outside of High Emotions
18:30 – Parent Strategies – Explore Expectations Before You Need Something
21:00 – Concept – His Business, Her, Business, Not Your Business
23:00 – Strategy – Making an Environment Where Someone Can Feel Welcome
26:00 – Concept – Focus on What You Can Control
32:00 – Concept – You and Me vs. The Problem (Not You’re Wrong)
37:00 – Concept – Reframing Problems 
38:30 – How to Slow Heated Arguments – Take a Breath Break
39:46 – Concept – Most Arguments Rooted in Unsaid Expectations
42:00 – Idea – People Can Be Drains and Fountains
49:39 – Personal Practice – Not About Being Perfect
49:39 – Personal Practice – Learning Everyone’s Not Like Me

Special thanks to musical artists:
Psalm Trees: https://psalmtreesbeats.bandcamp.com/
Homage: https://homagebeats.bandcamp.com/

To provide suggestions for new topics in future episodes, visit:
present-mind.org/podcast

In this In Practice Episode, Dr. Cottone and I talk about rivalries in sports and how sometimes they get more serious than intended. We connect our favorite rivalries to the concepts of Tribalism, to unpack how it shows up in sports fandom. 

Guest:
John G. Cottone, Ph.D., is a psychologist in private practice and clinical assistant professor of psychiatry within the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University. His research—on psychotherapy outcome, executive functioning and the neurological correlates of schizophrenia—has been published in acclaimed peer-reviewed journals, including Archives of General Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. He has a youtube channel called MindCube 3D. He has contributed to Psychology Today, The New York Times, and The Washington Post and is the author of several books included: Who Are You? Essential Questions for Hitchhikers on the Road of Truth and Z-score: How a Statistic Used in Psychology Will Revolutionize Baseball.

To learn more about Dr. Cottone, please visit:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-cube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcuWgaynspx77K4vavXIRfw
[email protected]

Timestamps:
4:00 – Idea – Adopting Stories of Teams You Root Foor
6:40 – Rivalries – Yankees and Mets
8:00 – Rivalries – Georgia and Alabama
9:30 – Idea – Big Brother Little Brother (Family Dynamics Play Out in Rivalries)
11:20 – Concept – Bringing Personal Attributes to Tribes/Teams
12:40 – Tribal Mentality – Wake Forest at Louisville
16:20 – Research - Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes Experiment (Elliott, 1986)
17:45 – Heated Games – Georgia and LSU
19:30 – Idea – Connecting Rivalries to Politics
21:00 – Rivalries – Rangers and Islanders
16:00 – Connection Mentality – Tribalism can lead to connecting with people
27:00 – Concept – Dissonance within a Tribe
29:00 – Research - More Than a Game: Football Fans and
Marriage Equality (Harrison, 2016)
33:00 – Concept – Prioritizing Truth vs. Aligning with a Tribe
33:30 – Concept – Seeing Different Perspectives
35:00 – Concept – Reductionism in Tribalism
35:45 – Best Rivalries – Michigan v. Ohio State
35:45 – Best Rivalries – Celtics v. Lakers
36:50 – Best Rivalries – Alabama v. Auburn
35:45 – Best Rivalries – Cavaliers v. Warriors

Special thanks to musical artists:
Psalm Trees: https://psalmtreesbeats.bandcamp.com/
G Mills: https://gmills.bandcamp.com/

To provide suggestions for new topics in future episodes, visit:
present-mind.org/podcast

Benny Voncken highlights his personal experience using stoicism to live a present, exploring his true nature. He unpacks key ideas of Stoicism to help people life a grounded life of virtue, using emotions to inform reason, and find more joy (eudemonia) in daily life.

Guest:
Benny Voncken is the co-founder of Via Stoica and the Via Stoica Podcast. He and his team offer Stoic life coaching, corporate training, motivational speaking, and workshops. Our mission is to help people live better lives through the creation and application of a philosophy of Life, mainly based on Stoicism. Benny is from the Netherlands and has lived abroad for over 15 years. After teaching for almost 12 years, he focused on Stoicism and coaching to improve my life and to help as many people discover who they are and find their path and purpose in life.
You can find Benny on 

To learn more about Benny, please visit:
https://viastoica.com/
https://es.linkedin.com/in/bennyvoncken

3:00  – Personal Story – How Did Benny Find Stoicism
5:00 – Research – Misunderstood Stoicism: The negative Association Between Stoic Ideology and well-Being (Karl et al., 2022)
5:50 – Stoicism Principles – Outcome: To Reach Eudemonia
6:30 – Stoicism Principles – Live in Accordance with Nature
5:50 – Stoicism Principles – 4 Cardinal Virtues (Wisdom, Justice, Courage, Temperance)
7:20 – Stoicism Principles – Guide By Reason, Live in Positive Emotions
8:30 – Stoicism Principles – Reflecting on Impulsive Emotions
9:45 – Concept – Reflecting on Emotions is Key to Using Reason
12:30 – Past Episode – Episode 17: Consent and Becoming an Adult with Sarah Casper
13:30 – Example – Rain and Perspective Taking within Stoicism
14:45 – History – Timeline of Stoicism
15:20 – Concept – Dichotomy of Control
16:45 – Concept – Dealing with Setbacks 
22:20 – Concept – Living in Accordance with Nature
26:00 – Student Strategies – Explore Your Philosophy for Life (What are you supposed to do?)
28:55 – Student Strategies – Exploring Your Nature (Listening to Internals and Externals)
33:30 – Parent Strategies – “We have one mouth and two ears, so we should listen more and speak less.” (Xeno)
34:40 – Parent Strategies – Listen to a child, without absorbing all their feelings
36:20 – Research - Prediction error determines how memories are organized in the brain (Kennedy et al., 2024)
39:10 – Stoicism Practice – Journaling
46:00 – Personal Practice – Journaling. Getting Things on Paper. Poetry.

Special thanks to musical artists:
Psalm Trees: https://psalmtreesbeats.bandcamp.com/
Jinsang: https://jinsangbeats.bandcamp.com/

To provide suggestions for new topics in future episodes, visit:
present-mind.org/podcast

Dr. Muller shares his professional experience on the power of relationships. He highlights how relationships are important as a foundation for personal growth. Strategies for parents and young adults are shared to build positive relationships.

Guest:
Robert T. Muller, Ph.D. completed his postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard, was on faculty at the University of Massachusetts, and is currently a professor at York University in Toronto. Dr. Muller is a fellow and member of several scientific societies, and is the 2024 recipient of the Pierre Janet Award for his scholarship on trauma. His most recent psychotherapy book, "Trauma & the Struggle to Open Up" was given the 2019 Written Media Award, for the year's best written work on trauma. And his award-winning bestseller, "Trauma & the Avoidant Client" has been translated widely. As lead investigator on several multi-site programs to treat interpersonal trauma, Dr. Muller has lectured internationally. He founded an online magazine, "The Trauma & Mental Health Report," that is now visited by over 100,000 readers a year. With over 30 years in the field, he practices in Toronto.

To learn more about Dr. Muller, please visit:
https://psychotherapytoronto.ca/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/talking-about-trauma
https://www.youtube.com/user/thetraumareport

To learn more about Trauma Practice for Healthy Communities
https://traumapractice.org/

4:00  – Personal Story – How Dr. Muller Became Interested in Shame Research
10:23 – Concept – What’s Important About a Therapeutic Relationship
11:00 – Common Factors for Good Therapy – Therapeutic Relationship, Readiness for Change, Hopefulness
20:30 – Concepts – Relationships as a Source of Healing and Pain
26:00 – Concepts – Therapeutic Space is a Ground to Explore Interpersonal Dynamics
28:00 – Ways of Coping – Avoidance and Trauma
30:00 – Ways of Coping – Humor to Avoid Emotions
33:40 – Idea – Compass of Shame (Dr. Donald L. Nathanson)
35:30 – Student Strategies to Explore Intense Feelings – Journaling
39:50 – Ways of Coping – Oversharing, Dissociating
41:00 – College Resources – Most College Counseling Centers are Free
42:00 – Free Resources - Trauma Practice for Healthy Communities
44:00 – Free Resources – Trauma Informed Yoga
45:50 – Concept – There are a Lot of Ways to Bring About Healing
47:15 – Personal Strategies – Hanging with Granddaughter, Music, Cooking (Hungarian Food)
50:30 – Parent Strategies to Support Child Traumatic Experiences – Reacting with Support and Empathy
58:30 – Therapist Strategy – Trauma Work Can’t be done Alone (Be Part of a Process Group)

Special thanks to musical artists:
Psalm Trees: https://psalmtreesbeats.bandcamp.com/
Joseph Jacobs: https://josephjacobsmusic.bandcamp.com/music

To provide suggestions for new topics in future episodes, visit:
present-mind.org/podcast