News and Happenings

Every family has secrets, but some secrets can change everything we thought we knew about ourselves. At age 54, writer Dani Shapiro discovered that the father who raised her wasn’t her biological father. For over two decades, Dani has written memoirs mining her life for truths and understanding of what makes us who we are, including how this shocking revelation reshaped her own identity. This episode’s practice is about understanding that the past doesn’t define who you are today – you do.

Being a religious leader doesn’t mean you’re an expert at practicing forgiveness. Lutheran minister Nadia Bolz-Weber says being in quarantine gave her the ego check she needed to get real about forgiveness and compassion — for herself and others. This episode’s practice is about apologies and circling back to the relationships in your life that could use some mending.

The murder of George Floyd was shocking and changed all of us — regardless of our racial identities. For nonbinary activist, actor, and writer Brandon Kyle Goodman, it was a moment for them to find their voice. In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, Brandon posted a video on Instagram addressed to his white friends who were reaching out, asking them what they should do. That video went viral, and Brandon continued to use their social media platform to give space for Black trauma AND Black joy, modeling a way for others to express themselves, to learn, to be heard, and to find their voice. This episode’s practice is about finding spaces of belonging, and how to use your voice for social change. Even when you’re afraid.

The pandemic has asked us to think about our lives — and our relationships — in so many different ways. For some of us, it meant more time than ever before with our families at home, but for Jeremiah Fraites, one of the co-founders of the band The Lumineers, and his wife Francesca Lazzarin, it meant going from making art and living on tour to moving to Italy and being stuck together ALL OF THE TIME. This week’s practice is about being present in your relationship and how to keep your curiosity even when it’s hard.

30 years ago Dr. BJ Miller had an accident that changed his life forever. He was out late one night, messing around with his college buddies, and he jumped up on a train car and was electrocuted with 11000 volts of electricity. BJ went on to lose both legs and most of one arm. He spent a year in physical recovery and longer in emotional and psychological recovery. But all of these experiences led him to where he is today: interviewed by Oprah; profiled by “The New York Times Magazine”; and a leading figure in the death and dying realm. This week’s practice is all about accepting our bodies–and our fears. As BJ Miller says, “The goal isn’t to become fearless. The goal is to learn how to live with fear.”

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.

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).