News and Happenings

In the late 90s, sociologist and organizer Rami Nashashibi encountered Chicago communities facing poverty, gun violence and substandard housing. Rather than succumb to pessimism or despair, he founded the Inner-City Muslim Action Network to organize people to fight for community investment and dignified lives. Guest host Stephanie Wittels Wachs speaks with Rami about how both his upbringing and his Muslim faith shape his vision for social justice. Plus, Rami shares what it takes to build and sustain trust in an interfaith coalition.

Lily Cornell Silver knows that being in your 20s is hard. Being in your 20s and navigating COVID-19, college, grief, and your mental health can feel completely overwhelming. Lily, a 21-year-old mental health advocate, and Claire talk about how open, honest conversations with Lily’s mom, Susan Silver, are a key part of her mental health regimen, including as Lily continues to process losing her dad, Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell, to suicide. This week’s practice is all about mental health and self-care — for parents and for kids, in your 20s and beyond.

Dr. Alauna Curry is like every other therapist out there – a regular person with struggles and pain just like the rest of us. And in 2017, when her marriage, finances, and health all came crashing down, she was reminded that everyone has trauma – but not all of us know how it affects us or the empathy with which we view the world. This episode’s practice is about understanding our traumas, and using our brains to learn practical skills that will help us heal them.

Sex therapist Dr. Alex Katehakis started studying sex in her 30s, after years of struggling to build and maintain romantic relationships. Her early work in the field of sex addiction helped her to work through her own sexual issues and to understand healthy sexuality in new ways, including busting the myth that “penetrative sex is the end-all, be-all to sex and sexuality.” This episode’s practice is about learning to talk about sex—with ourselves, our partners and our kids—and how these conversations can lead to better sex.

Comedian Jen Curran thought she was having a normal pregnancy, but then the complications started. Her doctors told her to lose weight, but they were wrong. Weeks after giving birth, she received a diagnosis that turned her dream of motherhood upside down. This week’s practice is about letting go of disappointments and getting mad (and then moving forward).

Marc Brackett isn’t the first person to feel like an emotional wreck after a disagreement with their partner, family, or friends – and neither are you. Emotional intelligence starts with becoming aware of your own feelings then understanding your reactions to them. This episode’s practice is about self-compassion and how to go easy on yourself when you’re feeling big feelings.

Ricki Lake opens up about shaving her head, losing a beloved husband to suicide, meeting the new love of her life and learning to love herself in her 50s. This episode’s weekly practice is all about love, from romance to friendship. How can you open the door to deeper connection in your own life?

Cheryl Strayed gets real about being a broke bestselling author, comparing herself to other moms, practicing self-compassion – and then struggling all over again when the pandemic threw her off her game. Claire offers a weekly practice for how to have more authentic interactions with the people in your life.

Do you worry that every headache you get is being caused by a brain tumor you’re sure you have? Claire gives you some tips on how to grapple with health anxiety. Plus, she answers a question from a listener who finds herself exhausted and struggling eight years into her husband’s young-onset dementia.

What’s actually standing in the way of you loving yourself more? This week we’re revisiting our conversation with author Dr. Kristin Neff to talk about self compassion and how to turn toward pain, forgive others, and talk to yourself like you would your dearest friend. This episode’s practice is about giving yourself permission to be kind to yourself– on the good days, the bad ones, and especially when you feel like you have to pretend that everything is OK.