Dr. Dan Gottlieb explores the role of psychology in creativity through the lives of artists. He looks at Van Gogh’s struggle with mental illness and the emotional support that this legendary artist received from his brother. A museum curator gives us some historical context and later in the show Dr. Dan talks to a local artist about the role her art work had in her recovery from post-traumatic stress.

Taped before a live audience at the Philadelphia Museum of Art with guests:

Deborah Heiligman is a National Book Award finalist. Her new book, Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers, published by Macmillian draws on the 658 letters between the two.

Jennifer Thompson is the PMA Gloria and Jack Drosdick Curator of European Painting and Sculpture and Curator of the John G. Johnson Collection.

Sara Steele is a Philadelphia-based artist and activist.

People share LOTS of very personal health information online these days – with virtual strangers – but not everybody is comfortable talking about an illness they are struggling with.

And some of that is generational. To share – or not to share?

In their weekly conversation, psychologist Dan Gottlieb and WHYY’s Maiken Scott talk about the pros and cons of discussing your health problems with others.

Millions of Americans care for a sick or elderly loved one at home – and without their unpaid contributions, the country’s healthcare and social service system would likely collapse. But – experts worry about the health of the caregivers themselves. In their weekly conversation, WHYY’s Maiken Scott and psychologist Dan Gottlieb discuss these concerns.

Psychologists are becoming more interested in awe. They are studying its mental health benefits, and trying to find ways to help people experience it in daily life and even at work.  

WHYY’s Maiken Scott and psychologist Dan Gottlieb discuss this new trend.

More than two million service members have left the military since the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq began.

Researchers at Massachussetts General Hospital and other institutions are gaining a better understanding of “super-agers” – people who retain their cognitive functioning as they age.

In their weekly conversation, psychologist Dan Gottlieb and WHYY’s Maiken Scott discuss the findings.

The news can sound dire. Opioid addiction is ruining families and taking lives at an ever increasing rate. In this roundtable discussion, Dr. Gottlieb brings together a clinician, researcher, family members and individuals in recovery to go beyond the headlines and look at what is working to bring addicts into treatment. They discuss some interventions and evaluation of treatment as well as dealing with the grief of losing a loved one to the disease. Plus, a conversation with individuals who are in recovery and working to offer hope and help to others.

Programs mentioned on this show:

Music for this episode by Hyson

It seems like everybody is singing the praises of mindfulness meditation these days – it’s used as a way to decrease stress, increase focus, manage chronic pain or anxiety. “Breathe. Be in the moment” is the mantra. But, what if the moment you’re in is terrible?

In their weekly conversation, psychologist Dan Gottlieb tells WHYY’s Maiken Scott about such a moment – but he still thinks mindfulness could have helped him.

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and that launches us right into the holiday season madness. Shopping, decorating, cooking, traveling – why does this time of year feel so hectic?

In their weekly conversation, WHYY’s Maiken Scott and psychologist Dan Gottlieb discuss how the holidays could become a bit more relaxing.

We can’t protect ourselves from catastrophic events, but what we can do is understand how it may affect us both physically and emotionally.

In a partnership with University of Pennsylvania Law School’s Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law, Dr. Dan Gottlieb examines the effects of trauma from combat as well as violence in civilian life. Joining Dr. Gottlieb is Bill Edmonds, a Lt. Col. in the Army Special Forces and the author of God is Not Here: Torture, Trauma, and the Moral Injuries of War; Susan Brison, Professor of Philosophy at Dartmouth College and author of Aftermath: Violence and the Remaking of a Self; and Dr. Stephen Xenakis, retired Brigadier General and Army medical corps officer who has been a senior advisor to the Department of Defense on neuro-behavioral conditions.

What do different types of trauma have in common? How are they different and what treatments are available? Discover how to recognize vulnerability to Post-Traumatic Stress and how to emerge as a whole person.