Part one of a two part interview with Carlos Tanner, founder of the Ayuaska Foundation.

Carlos Tanner shares his personal journey with ayahuasca and explained how the plant medicine helped him overcome addiction and trauma. He described the scientific properties of ayahuasca and how it can expand sensory awareness to facilitate healing. Carlos discussed the growing interest in alternative medicines like ayahuasca and psilocybin, attributing it to the limitations of modern medical treatments and a greater appreciation for indigenous wisdom. He also highlighted the Foundation's research on the effects of ayahuasca on veterans with PTSD, noting significant improvements in their mental health. The conversation covered the practical aspects of participating in an ayahuasca retreat, including preparation, costs, and potential risks. Carlos emphasized the importance of a holistic approach to healing that addresses physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

Jen Fisher is a global authority on workplace wellbeing, bestselling author, and founder & CEO of The Wellbeing Team. She made history as Deloitte’s first Chief Wellbeing Officer, where she helped reshape how organizations think about human sustainability, burnout, and thriving at work. A sought-after keynote speaker, TEDx presenter, and host of The WorkWell Podcast, Jen has contributed to Harvard Business Review, Fortune, CNN, and more — and works with leaders around the world to build healthier, more human-centered workplaces.

Dr. Leslie Dobson, an expert on forensic psychology, has spent her career at the intersection of mental health, the legal system, and people who have been accused of crimes and behavior. She studies and attempts to understand people like Nick Reiner, who is accused of murdering his parents.

Dr. Dobson offers timely, salient advice for families living with a violent, aggressive, or disturbed teenager or adult.

Is your child exhibiting significant behavioral changes? Dr. Steven Whiteside joins us to talk about withdrawn kids and teens, and the steps parents can take if a teenager appears at risk of hurting themselves.

Dov Baron has quickly become one of my favorite podcast hosts. With his searing intellect and wide-ranging knowledge, his program allows the curious listener to learn from neuroscientists, philosophers, physicists, and not-so-regular people.Dov is the preeminent expert on Emotional Source Code: the beliefs that give people meaning, drive their actions, and determine results. He is a sought-after speaker and consultant and offers one-on-one coaching for some of the world's greatest business leaders.In this interview, Sheila talks with Dov about his daily practices for well-being, how early trauma formed his bounce-forward mentality and the habits we can all use to improve our performance and durability.  

Dr. Leslie Dobson talks about one of the most dangerous personality disorders; narcissistic abusers. Her advice for singles who believe they may be in relationship with an abuser ranges from how to detect lies to when and how to leave safely. It's a must listen episode with one of the nation’s foremost authorities on dangerous personality types.

Dr. Leslie Dobson talks about the methods she uses to determine whether someone is a psychopath, and she shares survival tactics for people who are involved with a psychopath in relationships or at work.

As the founder and President of the Mindful Consulting Group, Dr. David Sitt specializes in the assessment and treatment of adults with ADHD, anxiety, and mood disorders through validated treatment modalities such as CBT and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT).Dr. Sitt also advises corporate clients and educational institutions on the varied impacts of technology on productivity, brain functioning, and interpersonal communication. The Mindful Consulting team provides cognitive, psychoeducational, and neuropsychological evaluations for children and adults

Dr David Sitt talks with Sheila about adult onset Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and how adults can learn to work with their brains while minimizing stimulant medication. Dr. Sitt is a licensed clinical psychologist in New York City with extensive experience as a therapist, evaluator, and educator.As the founder and President of the Mindful Consulting Group, Dr. Sitt specializes in the assessment and treatment of adults with ADHD, anxiety, and mood disorders through validated treatment modalities such as CBT and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT).Dr. Sitt also advises corporate clients and educational institutions on the varied impacts of technology on productivity, brain functioning, and interpersonal communication. The Mindful Consulting team provides cognitive, psychoeducational, and neuropsychological evaluations for children and adults

This is a ReVisit we recorded for Dry January in 2022.Many people are curious about what would happen if they stopped their drinking habit. Whether it's one glass of wine, or several cocktails a night, Dry January is gaining in popularity as people test the limits of their personal sobriety. What if you made the one biggest mistake of your life while under the influence? How do you rebuild a life without alcohol in a culture built around drinking? Angela Teuscher's story of drinking while parenting is riveting and serves as a cautionary tale for other parents.

Explosive behavior can be aggressive, defiant, or even violent. In this episode, Dr. Stephen Whiteside talks about the three-step process for bringing explosive behavior under control, including using warm attention, a structured reward system, and immediate consequences for bad behavior.To find out more about Dr. Whiteside's work at the Mayo Clinic, follow the Anxiety Coach at the Mayo Clinic. Here is his newest book: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-anxiety-coach-stephen-ph-whiteside-phd-lp/1142868466#:~:text=at%20Mayo%20Clinic.-,Dr.,with%20his%20wife%20and%20daughter.

Paul Anderson is the CEO and founder of Workhouse Media and a successful philanthropist, lawyer, and real estate investor. Paul’s remarkable story of surviving childhood trauma impacted his many coping mechanisms, including a strive-and-drive mentality, hyper-awareness and sensitivity, and a tenacious work ethic.How do we acknowledge the pain of past trauma while marshaling its undeniable gifts? Listen in:

This is a revisit Beyond Well. It's one of our earliest shows from 2019. Edan Armas is an award-winning Spoken Word Artist and Poet and graduate of Stanford University. Armas was the 2019 Baccalaureate student speaker, and an outspoken voice on the topic of student mental Health. Edan’s undergraduate career focused on how emotion manifests in the body, mind and the  collective consciousness.  Edan encourages students to embrace both the tribulations and triumphs of the college experience, noting that the process of adulting is difficult—even painful, and how vulnerability became his superpower.

Blaming Loved ones. Part Two.

For decades, families have often been seen as part of the problem when a loved one is in psychiatric crisis. Parents and relatives are sometimes blamed — implicitly or directly — for their child’s or family member’s distress. But many clinicians and researchers are rethinking that narrative, recognizing the ways systems, stress, and biology all play a role, and that families can be essential allies in healing.

Today we’re talking with two leaders who have each worked to reshape how we think about collaboration and compassion in psychiatric care.

Dr. Stuart Ablon, Director of Think:Kids at Massachusetts General Hospital and a leading voice in collaborative problem solving, has focused on moving from blame to understanding in how we approach challenging behaviors.

John Puls, a psychotherapist and clinical director with extensive experience in inpatient and family-centered treatment, has written and spoken about systemic change in psychiatric care and how clinicians can better partner with families rather than pathologize them.

Dr. Stephen Whiteside provides critical information and treatment alternatives for children suffering with anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder. 

We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Stephen Whiteside, a child psychiatrist from the Mayo Clinic, to our program. Dr. Whiteside specializes in the treatment of anxiety disorders for children and adolescents. In this episode, Dr. Whiteside addresses intrusive thoughts, related eating disorders, and the benefits of exposure therapy. 

This show is a revisit from 2021. But, it applies today.What if 2024 is the year you could really make the changes in your life? Dr. Jim Polo talks about the steps that are  necessary to make resolutions effective, and whether  psychology behind procrastination.  

Happy Holiday! There is nothing better than hearing old friends.In the fall of 2019 we had the opportunity to talk to Pop Superstar Lauv. He was just kicking off his How I’m Feeling Tour, and was using his global platform to promote mental health. In every show, Lauv took a few minutes to describe his descent into depression and severe OCD, and how he credits therapy and medication with allowing him to regain his creativity and confidence.  Lauv had partnered with Microsoft to create a worldwide mental health platform that connects people all over the globe. “No Matter where people are in the world, they can see that someone else is experiencing something really similar.”     Check out MyBlueThoughts.World and our blog of the concert at TheAnthem in D.C. @BeyondWellWithSheilaHamilton.com

Dr. Christine Gibson is a trauma specialist and is skilled in helping her patients navigate the most difficult experiences, including the triggering events from Thanksgiving to New Year. Why are the holidays so stressful for survivors of trauma? And what can you do to turn down the drama related to the holiday period? A beneficial episode for anyone who has been traumatized by abuse, violence, divorce, or family dysfunction. 

Chronic pain affects tens of millions of Americans and leaves many who are suffering without clinical or psychopharmaceutical support. Dr. Afton Hassett, author of Chronic Pain Reset, offers brilliant insight into the origins of pain, the different types of pain, and how we might all benefit from evidence-based methods for thinking about our pain differently. Please pass this episode along to anyone you know who has been suffering from Long Covid, Chronic Fatigue, Rheumatoid Arthritis, or Osteoarthritic pain. 

Artificial Intelligence is among the top concerns for business leaders; how to implement it, how to manage the societal impact, and how to prevent further risk by utilizing it.But, as Nathan Horn-Mitchem describes, the concern about the impact of AI isn't just affecting business leaders. AI will change our lives many people cannot yet imagine; eliminating jobs, encouraging us to adapt to unprecedented change, and forcing us to become our own cyber-security officers.  In this interview with one of the financial industry's leading thought leaders on AI, cybersecurity and team management, Nathan Horn-Mitchem describes the steps you can take to be ready. 

If you’ve ever passed a homeless teen on the street and wondered, “How did they get there?” or “How can I help?” this interview with Rei Scozylakas is worthy of your time. Rei Scozylakas wasn’t dealt an easy hand in this life. But, as you can hear in our conversation, Rei’s story isn’t just one of struggle. In fact, that’s not even the most compelling part of their story “Nobody is born wanting to be an outcast. It wasn’t until I was really seen by the volunteers at Outside Inn, that I realized there was a different path than the one I was on.”

We are happy to revisit our show with Lidia Yuknavitch, author of nine books, including The Chronology of Water, The Small Backs of Children, The book of Joan, and the Misfits Manifesto. Lidia's Ted Talk, The Beauty of Being a Misfit has been viewed 2,862,000 times. We think she has something to share about how telling and retelling your story can help re-frame traumatic experience.

Support for when a Coworker loses someone to Suicide. Lois Chauncey lost her husband to suicide she feared she would also lose her job due to her complicated grief. Paul Sale, her Supervisor, provided a textbook-like example of how a company should appropriately respond to a suicide loss survivor in the workplace.   From the humbling way in which Paul responded to the initial news of suicide, to the steps Lois and Paul took to inform others in the workplace, the empathy, compassion, and kindness one team took to welcome back in a suicide loss survivor is a hopeful study in how a workplace can help heal a co-worker's grief, and win a valued employee's respect and loyalty. 

Blaming loved ones, Part 1.

For decades, families have often been seen as part of the problem when a loved one is in psychiatric crisis. Parents and relatives are sometimes blamed — implicitly or directly — for their child’s or family member’s distress. But many clinicians and researchers are rethinking that narrative, recognizing the ways systems, stress, and biology all play a role, and that families can be essential allies in healing.

Today we’re talking with two leaders who have each worked to reshape how we think about collaboration and compassion in psychiatric care.

Dr. Stuart Ablon, Director of Think:Kids at Massachusetts General Hospital and a leading voice in collaborative problem solving, has focused on moving from blame to understanding in how we approach challenging behaviors.

Dr. John Puls, a psychotherapist and clinical director with extensive experience in inpatient and family-centered treatment, has written and spoken about systemic change in psychiatric care and how clinicians can better partner with families rather than pathologize them.

Dr. Jenna LeJeune and Dr. Brian Goff talk about navigating the holiday season, and dealing with internal and external stress.This is one of the most relevant conversations you’ll hear if you hunker down from late November until the New Year. The holiday blues are often a barometer of the stories we tell ourselves about what we should have, and compare those narratives to stories about what others seem to have. We invite you to a discussion on what some view as the hardest time of the year.

Dr. Frank Patti joins us again to talk about body acceptance along with Paula, an Overeaters Anonymous member and a role model for many other women who struggle with image and self-esteem. Paula reminds us that regardless of our triggers, traumas, and histories, we all need coping mechanisms to hold ourselves accountable for our own health. In this episode, we talk about some of the most effective ways to retrain our behavior and begin healing our relationship with food. 

Cybersecurity executives have one of the world's most stressful positions: faced with external threats from hackers who never rest and tasked with protecting critical data, government security, and medical information. Not surprisingly, more than half of CISO's and CIO's say stress will make them leave the job within the next 24 months. Omar Khawaja is a former CISO who decided to help others in similar positions recognize their stress and prioritize their lives in order to develop better balance in their lives. Now, as a CISO to the CISO's, Omar talks with Sheila about resilience, burnout, and one of the world's most high-stakes job. 

We are thrilled to introduce you to Dr. Christy Gibson, a physician and researcher who marries her Western expertise with the knowledge and wisdom of functional medicine and other therapies that have shown promise for patients struggling with immune disorders, gut dysfunction, and drug resistance. Dr. Gibson's new book, 'The Modern Trauma Toolkit' will be released by Hachette Books in Spring of 2023. We welcome her understanding of integrated trauma work and her appreciation of resilience. Follow her @TikTokTraumaDocWelcome, Dr. Gibson!

We are thrilled to introduce you to Dr. Christy Gibson, a physician and researcher who marries her Western expertise with the knowledge and wisdom of functional medicine and other therapies that have shown promise for patients struggling with immune disorders, gut dysfunction, and drug resistance. Dr. Gibson's career goal is to enhance individual and community well-being through health education, promotion of agency, connection, and healing from trauma. Welcome, Dr. Gibson!

Dr Frank, a practicing psychologist and member of Overeaters Anonymous, joins us to discuss disordered eating, shame, and his personal realization that food had become an addiction. Overeating has much of the same psychological basis as alcohol and drug addictions and a twelve-step process for recovery has been immensely helpful for tens of millions of American adults. For more information https://oa.org/

Dr. Steven Batash is among the world’s leading experts on non-surgical weight loss procedures. He has worked closely with the doctors who pioneered the techniques he practices and has countless success stories of patients in the US, Europe, and South America. Dr. Batash completed his undergraduate education at Columbia University and received his medical degree from NYU School of Medicine. As a board-certified gastroenterologist, he is currently affiliated with NYU Medical Center, Lenox Hill Hospital, and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.In this episode, Dr. Batash talks about the proliferation of Ozempic users and outlines the side effects and decision-making regarding long term use of the drug. 

Millions of Americans are now taking drugs that were intended to help diabetics for weight management. Dr. Steven Batash is among the world’s leading experts on non-surgical weight loss procedures.  Dr. Batash completed his undergraduate education at Columbia University and received his medical degree from NYU School of Medicine. As a board-certified gastroenterologist, he is currently affiliated with NYU Medical Center, Lenox Hill Hospital, and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.Dr. Batash discusses the link between weight management and mental health, as well as the impact of the new generation of weight loss drugs on focus, mood, and well-being.

A ReVisit with Author Chris Colin "The Day the Internet Died". Chris Colin is a reporter for the NYTimes the New Yorker, and Wired Magazine. His book OFF, The Day The Internet Died is a comical picture book about a day when all the screens went dark. We all dream about a life free of scrolling or tweeting, but Colin imagines what an analog world might actually look like and why our attachments to our screens has created a new kind of addiction and dependence.

Dr. James Polo talks about the trap of perfectionism and why perfectionists don't always end up more successful in business. How do psychiatrists and psychologists treat perfectionists whose rigidity is beginning to impact their relationships and jobs? Let's get into it!

Holidays

This is a revisit to a show we did in 2019.

Dr. Jenna LeJeune and Dr. Brian Goff talk about navigating the holiday season, and dealing with internal and external stress.

It is a very organic discussion as it just "happened" while we were still rolling audio from another show. We took the conversation as a gift and used it as a show... it's the season of gift giving and receiving after all.

Enjoy.

Courtenay Hameister, author of 'Okay, Fine, Whatever' a humorous look at living with anxiety, joins us for part two of our first program ever. 

Courtenay Hameister kindly agreed to be our first guest on Beyond Well and the episode remains one of our favorites; she is guileless, hilarious, and heartbreakingly real about living with anxiety. It's worth a listen, broken down into two parts.   Courtenay is the author of 'Okay, Fine, Whatever,' a humorous look at living with anxiety.

Andrew Solomon is a New York Times Bestselling author, a regular New Yorker contributor, and a person with clinical depression.Andrew's book, 'The Noonday Demon, An Atlas of Depression' was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and won the 2001 National Book Award. The Noonday Demon's contribution to our understanding not only of mental illness but also of the human condition is stunning, examining depression in personal, cultural, and scientific terms.Drawing on his own struggles with the illness and interviews with fellow sufferers, doctors and scientists, policymakers and politicians, Solomon reveals the subtleties the complexities, and the agony of the disease. ,

Andrea Herron's brilliant guidance for managing workplace mental health issues is one of our favorites. We spend eight to ten hours a day at our workplaces and the people in positions of authority can impact our mental health more than our doctors, friends, even our spouses.This guide for how to navigate human resources and a workplace if you need a mental health break is one you should bookmark or share with friends who are struggling.

Suzanne Anderson and Sheila Hamilton's profoundly intimate and revealing discussion about losing their husbands to suicide. Suzanne is the founder of The Mysterial Woman and a psychologist, coach, leadership consultant and transformational teacher. Her pioneering work helps guide others to awaken to their full feminine and masculine strength.In this interview, Suzanne discusses the story behind, 'You Make Your Path By Walking, a Transformational Field Guide Through Trauma.'

What is manifestation? How does it work, and why has it consumed the attention and energy of millions of young people? Cathleen Beerkens discusses the concept of manifestation and how to use its principles to create better relationships, expand your career, and bring happiness to your life.

If you love someone who is struggling with anxiety and feel helpless to impact their life positively, this episode is for you, with common sense advice and tips to help support the person who suffers from anxiety.

Dr. Jessica Chaudhary joins us to talk about the critical role data analytics can play in determining who might be at risk for suicide and how we might provide support to prevent suicide.

A Wellness Revolution Founder Cathleen Beerkens is urging you to ask these questions of your relationships; is it for a reason, a season or a lifetime? This episode is chocked full of timely advice and tips for anyone navigating a relationship. 

We are undoubtedly in the long tail of Covid, and the mental health challenges that resulted from isolation, loneliness, and the impact of losing loved ones to an international pandemic.But not everyone who is struggling needs psychiatric or psychological help. Many people attempting to cope with personal problems could use the help of a personal health and wellness coach; for help with relationships, weight management, career changes, and financial advice. Cathleen Beerkens, CEO of A Wellness Revolution, discusses when it's the right time to hire a coach versus when you might need to seek psychological or psychiatric care. 

Todd Weatherly is a therapeutic consultant at StuckerSmithWeatherly, and the host of the podcast, Head Inside Mental Health. What is a therapeutic consultant and why is it so important for families navigating mental health crisis to have access to someone who understands the mental health system, different modalities of treatment, and what the right form of care is for someone who is resisting treatment.

The stomach is often referred to as the second brain, where the majority of our serotonin is made and our other feel good chemicals are created. Kathleen Beerkens talks about the extraordinary new science and age-old wisdom behind the phrase, “We are what we eat.”

The rise in conspiracy theories mirrors the rise in societal fear and anxiety. What can we do when we see others succumbing to conspiracy theories or a cult mentality? Dr. Jim Polo discusses.

Dr. Jim Polo discusses his own experiences as a military physician in the Iraq war and how trauma informs so much of the way we approach work, relationships, and our outlook onlife.?