The Broken Brain

Mara Einstein is an author, academic, speaker, and marketing expert. In her new book, "Hoodwinked: How Marketers Use The Same Techniques as Cults," discusses how we have moved from attention-based advertising to an economy of anxiety. She reviews the ways in which cults attract and enmesh new members, and how marketing has become increasingly similar. Follow her work at www.drmaraeinstein.com.

What is Gender Affirming Care? It works differently than some people think. Today is Trans Visibility Day, so here is a little rundown of some aspects of this approach that is saving lives and promoting healing at a rate impressive to anyone paying attention. The highlighted charity this month will be TRANScending Barriers Atlanta. Check out this wonderful nonprofit, specializing in helping Black Transgendered Individuals, at www.transcendingbarriersatl.org.

Amber Willingham writes novels (under the name AL Willingham) focused on the nature of personality, memory, communication, and the illusion of utopia. Her first book, Bliss Creek, tells the story of an amnesiac young women piecing together her life, solving the mystery of who she is. Her latest work, The Petroleum Wars, tells a greater societal story within the same world, looking at how desperation and fighting for resources can bring out problematic choices on a personal and macro level. Follow her work at www.alwillingham.com. Remember to check out this month's focus charity, at www.baketheirday.org, a nonprofit bakery in Guam, where they bake birthday cakes for youth in custody.

Will Crouse is a filmmaker and the creator of the short film "The Coder," which tells the story of a computer programmer in a high-pressure environment who is also coping with intrusive thoughts. Go to www.baketheirday.org for this month's highlighted nonprofit.

Doug Nielsen is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Author, Therapist, Motivational Speaker, and Coach. He is also a good friend, one that I've been meaning to have on the show for a long time. With such an array of roles, Doug tells us how a mental health clinician approaches speaking and coaching, which are related to counseling but have important differences. Follow Doug's work at www.dougspeaks.com, and check out his book "Take Life By The Helm." Follow the highlighted charity for March by going to www.baketheirday.org, the website for Bake Their Day, the nonprofit bakery that makes birthday cakes for youth in custody in Guam.

Returning champion Jeff Krasno! Jeff is a great guest and a great guy. Author of the new book "Good Stress," and host of the Commune with Jeff Krasno Podcast, Jeff shares insights into pushing ourselves to get out of our comfort zone in order to have a healthier body-mind connection and greater emotional satisfaction. Follow his work at www.goodstress.com, and listen to Commune with Jeff Krasno Podcast (after you finished all the episodes of The Broken Brain of course). Go to www.baketheirday.org to support this month's featured charity, a nonprofit bakery in Guam that provides birthday cakes to youth in custody.

How do you tell the difference between an organization that supports and engages with men's issues and one that promotes various forms of toxic masculinity? With psychological health for boys and men frequently being underdiagnosed and untreated, there is a need to have intelligent conversations about how to address these. Too often though these discussions slide into the dengration of women, or paranoia. Visit www.baketheirday.org to learn more about this month's highlighted charity.

Ever wonder why fire trucks are red? Or how that interacts with the rods and cones in your eyes? and how Henry Ford didn't color up his cars? No? Well now you can!!!!! In this week's dive into history, we're learning about the ability to see color, what helps and doesn't, and why we continue to do things just because it's what we've done before. The full episode is available only to the super special patrons, but here is the first 5 minutes of this bonus episode

Michael Caven is a Restauranteur, Advocate, Abuse Survivor, and Writer. He is currently writing his memoir about his experiences of coming out as a Gay man in the 1970s and 80s, suffering sexual and emotional abuse, and healing. Michael co-founded Out On Main in Columbus Ohio, the first LGBTQ themed restaurant in the USA. Follow his work at www.michaelcaven.com In part 2 of this interview Michael focuses on how he worked on community building and giving back through working as a peer counselor in abuse recovery. Go to www.baketheirday.org to check out the highlighted charity for this month. Bake Their Day is a nonprofit bakery in Guam, making birthday cakes for youth in custody.

Michael Caven is a Restauranteur, Advocate, Abuse Survivor, and Writer. He is currently writing his memoir about his experiences of coming out as a Gay man in the 1970s and 80s, suffering sexual and emotional abuse, and healing. Michael co-founded Out On Main in Columbus Ohio, the first LGBTQ themed restaurant in the USA. Follow his work at www.michaelcaven.com In part 1 of this interview Michael focuses on how he escaped his abuser and beginning of him putting his life together. Go to www.baketheirday.org to check out the highlighted charity for this month. Bake Their Day is a nonprofit bakery in Guam, making birthday cakes for youth in custody.

Monday Mental Health Tip: Shrink your goals to help get started in new behavior, habits, Hobbies, or even Hobbits. But don't shrink Hobbits too much...they're already quite small. www.baketheirday.org is our highlighted charity this month, providing birthday cakes and a humanizing feeling to youth in custody in Guam.

Megan Wennberg is a Filmmaker and Director who joins to talk about her documentary "Dances With Cranes," which tells the story of the innovative way in which a team of conservationists and scientists managed to bring the Whooping Crane from the brink of extinction to a thriving species. You may be surprised how they did it. This is the monthly Thursday Thistory available to all listeners, our look at psychological and cultural history. Weekly History episodes are available to Patreon members the rest of each month. Go to www.patreon.com/brokenbrain to sign up and hear them all.

Filmmaker & journalist Nick Beaulieu talks about his documentary "My Omaha," where he recorded communication with his father while Nick covered racial equality issues in West Omaha. Very much opposed in their politics, Nick and his dad face the challenges of holding different political & ethical beliefs from someone deeply close and loved. Follow Nick's @nick.beaulieu on IG The highlighted charity this month is www.baketheirday.org, a nonprofit bakery in Guam that helps youth in custody feel normal by bringing them birthday cakes.

What are the most important things you would like to do? We often have a difference between our philosophical values and our behavioral priorities. Today's quick tip is about how we can use things (like Mario Day) to put the highest value activities first. Oh yeah, and HAPPY MARIO DAY! The highlighted charity this month is www.baketheirday.org, a nonprofit bakery in Guam that makes birthday cakes for youth in custody. Share and support them, they're pretty cool!

Tiffany Kim Stevens is the Director and Co-Writer of the film "Trigger Happy," an indie film set in an alternate society where gender roles are reversed, gun ownership is required to qualify for health insurance, and a murder is being planned. Tiffany describes the process of telling a quirky story with many unlikeable characters and balancing the humor and the darkness of the tale. Visit www.baketheirday.org to see the highlighted charity for this month. Bake Their Day is a nonprofit bakery in Guam that bakes and delivers birthday cakes to youth in custody.

David Rosen is a composer, musician, and the creator of the Piecing It Together Podcast. He and I sat down to discuss a strange new sub-genre of Biopic: Musical Artists with the surname Williams who are portrayed as a nonhuman. In the case of "A Better Man," Robbie Williams is portrayed as a CGI Chimp Man (think Planet of the Apes), while "Piece by Piece" presents Pharrell Williams and his surrounding world in Lego. Visit www.dcoffeyfoundation.org to support a wonderful nonprofit that helps kids pursue their education through athleticism and scholarship.

What's with all of these weird science experiments? Waste of money and time, right? wellllllll.......probably not. This week history dive looks at 2 examples of when science sounded crazy but delivered something cool. A full half of the episode this week is available to non-subscribers, the rest is on the Patreon feed for you super-cool supporters of the show. Check out www.dcoffeyfoundation.org for this month's highlighted charity.

Benjamin Cohen & Max Strand are the Writers and Directors of "Rocky's" a new coming-of-age film focused on the lives of several young adults spending time in the local hangout, Rocky's Deli. They joined me to discuss their film, character development, growing up, and storytelling. Check out our February Nonprofit-of-choice: The D Coffey Foundation, which helps youth in need to find athletic scholarships to advance their education.

Telling inspirational stories about disabled people is all over the internet, which raises the question: do we treat them as individuals, listening and learning from them? Or do we fall into the trap of identifying people by their disability, or as an inspirational meme?

Sharon & Dwight are reacting to the teaser trailer for the upcoming Marvel movie, "The Fantastic Four: First Steps," focused on the psychological and cultural aspects of the project. Visit www.dcoffeyfoundation.org to support this month's highlighted charity.

Following the Civil War in the USA, during what became known as the Reconstruction Era, freed Black Americans fought hard to establish communities and defend their rights. None of these struggles were more important than access to education, and the efforts of Black American pioneers of public education helped to form the model of publicly funded school for children in the US, as well as codify this into law. Check out www.dcoffeyfoundation.org to support this month's charity-of-choice, helping young people in need to further their education through athletic scholarships.

Elio Zarmati is a retired filmmaker, journalist, and author of the new memoir "Goodbye Tahrir Square: Coming of Age as a Jew of the Nile." He tells the story of his life, aged 7-14, growing up in war-torn Egypt. It is a message of growing up during societal unrest, and how our life is not defined by outside conflict. Go to www.dcoffeyfoundation.org to support this month's charity of focus. The D Coffey Foundation helps young people to pursue their goals through athleticism and scholarship.

Don't Give Up!

In 1925 Hugo Gernsback invented the "Isolation Helmet," a device to limit distraction, and a wild device at that. Gernsback also pioneered many things in the area of radio, television, and Science Fiction. This is a sample of the weekly history episode, available in full for all patrons of the show.

In his new book "The Sexual Evolution," Biologist and Professor Nathan Lents shares the diverse examples of sex, sexual orientation, and flexible gender roles in the animal kingdom. A look at what truly is natural as well as how we learn about the world around us and the important role that sex and gender play in our lives. At a time when issues of sexuality and gender Identity are controversial, and the Queer population is under attack, this book is timely and informative. Check out www.dcoffey.org for this month's highlighted charity, The D Coffey foundation. Started by former guest Dr Delice Coffey, this nonprofit helps students achieve scholarships and opportunities through athleticism.

Author Dr Lakeysha Hallmon discusses her book "No One is Self-Made," and the myth of self-made success. As a Social Entrepreneur she uses the strength of community to create success for local business, and teaches others to do the same, with her mantra: "Support is a Verb." Dr Key is the founder of Village Market, connecting Black-owned businesses, and Our Village United, a nonprofit focused on providing small businesses with funding and tech support. Follow her work at www.drkeyhallmon.com Remember to check out our highlighted nonprofit this month: www.whitebirdclinic.org, helping people fill their dental, mental health, and other medical needs.

Self-Care is often defined as a fun or special experience, but that is only one form. Here are 2 ideas for Self-Care that go beyond bubble baths. The D Coffey Foundation is the highlighted charity for this month. Founded by former Broken Brain guest Dr Delice Coffey, this nonprofit helps young people to pursue education through Athletics and Scholarships. Visit www.dcoffeyfoundation.org to learn more.

This is a sample of the first few minutes of this week's History dive for Patreon supporters. Go to www.patreon.com/brokenbrain to learn how to access these weekly bonus episodes in full. Nathaniel Branden was an interesting individual, a pioneer in the idea that Self-Esteem is important for mental health functioning. A little about him, his life, and his theories is the subject of this week's episode of Thursday Thistory.

Chad Foster is an Author, Trainer, and Experienced Leader in the Corporate & Programming field. He is the first blind executive to graduate from the Harvard Business School Leadership Program. Since loosing his sight at age 21, Chad has helped create assistive software for the visually impaired, excelled at skiing and jujitsu, and trained companies in strategies of inclusion and innovation. You can read his book "Blind Ambition," and follow his work at www.chadefoster.com Check out www.whitebirdclinic.org for this month's highlighted charity, brining mental health, dental, and other medical services to the people of Eugene and Spring Oregon.

We experience a crash because our body tells us it is time to rest, often forcing the issue. Purposeful, proactive rest can be difficult. Luckily our crash can provide information to help plan healthy breaks. Visit www.whitebirdclinic.org to support this month's highlighted nonprofit.

A look into the history of jewelry and art made of hair of a loved one. In the Victorian Era these were used for purposes such as bereavement, spiritual connection, or communicating affection. This is the monthly history episode available to all listeners. Weekly dives into the history of psychology & culture are available to patrons, through www.patreon.com/brokenbrain Visit www.whitebirdclinic.org to see and support this month's highlighted charity. The White Bird Clinic provides mental, dental, and other medical services to those in need, and informed crisis response for mental health emergencies.

Cathy Heller is a teacher, podcaster, and author. Her book, "Abundant Ever After," describes her belief and use of principles of Jewish Mysticism in helping people restructure their approach to stress management and realizing their goals. Often difficult to define or measure, Cathy provides tools and a grounded approach to philosophies such as manifestation and abundance. Follow her work at www.cathyheller.com, and listen to her on the Abundant Ever After podcast. The highlighted charity this month is White Bird Clinic, providing dental, medical, and psychological treatment for individuals in Eugene and Springfield, Oregon.

Is today a tough day? Here are a few ideas of ways to survive and function on a tougher day. Hang in there, everybody!

Kathy Bjork is the Author of "My Mother is Loosing Her Memory, and I AM LOOSING MY MIND," the true story of caring for her mother with Dementia. A raw & vulnerable window into an experience filled with grief, tragedy, fear, strength, and hope. Follow her Blog at www.kathleenbjork.com Our highlighted charity this month is White Bird Clinic, helping with mental health crisis response and bringing psychological, dental, and other medical services to those in need. Follow them at www.whitebirdclinic.org

Regret is something we are taught to fear. But it can be very helpful. If we combine this principle with the DBT definition acceptance then we can find a healthy use for our regrets

Welcome to Thursday Thistory, the weekly dive into psychological history. Today's episode focuses on Sophie Freud, granddaughter of Sigmund, probably the Freud you think of when we say Freud. She was a remarkable social worker, advocate, author, and sociologist, and unfortunately most of us don't hear about her. Let's change that! This monthly special episode is released in full to the regular podcast feed. For weekly historical episodes consider subscribing to the Broken Brain Patreon at www.patreon.com/brokenbrain Check out our January charity of focus, The White Bird Clinic, at www.whitebirdclinic.org as they do great work providing access to mental health, dental, and other forms of medical care.

Ray Daugherty is the Primary Developer of the Prime For Life Curriculum, a program for people engaged in high-risk behavior with alcohol or drugs. Developed in the Seventies, and updated regularly, Prime For Life is an approved curriculum for court-ordered intervention for individuals with DUI/DWI charges. The program takes a nonjudgemental and research-based approach to help people identify low or high risk patterns of behavior with intoxicants. Go to www.primeforlife.org to learn more about this nonprofit and their work with addiciton. The charity of focus this month is White Bird Clinic in Eugene Oregon, providing psychological crisis services and medical, dental, and mental health support to those in need. Support their work at www.whitebirdclinic.org

Every New Year people feel pressure to set annual resolutions, goals tied to the arbitrary day chosen to mark the beginning of the calendar year. Do you like this? Hate it? Here are a couple ideas about goal-setting that may give a new angle on this tradition.

Dr Eli Camp is a natural health specialist. She uses a Harm Reduction approach to help individuals with smoking cessation. This involves helping people form their own plan for nicotine use, whether they have a goal of quitting, lessening their use, or increasing their health as much as possible while still smoking. She is the author of "Smoke Rings," for smokers and their family. Follow her work at www.ecampnd.com Today is your last day to join Patreon and provide ongoing support the Prince Edward Island Transgender Network with 50% of your monthly pledge. go to www.patreon.com/brokenbrain.com Or go and give to them directly at www.peitn.com

Another tip in the vein of disentangling information to choose what source to trust about what answers in areas like medical care, mental health, and self-growth.

New Christmas Episode! Isabel Teran, host of "That's Bodacious Dude," and "Hearsing Around," joins to discuss the Wizard-Of-Oz adjacent Christmas special: The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus."

A replay of one of my favorite Christmas Episodes, becaus eI got to record with my wonderful siblings! Amber Lopez and Christian Hurst join me to talk about the widely popular topic of the VHS tapes we used in our home to record and watch Christmas specials every year. We were streaming before streaming ever was! Visit www.peitn.com to view and help the highlighted charity this month: The Prince Edward Island Transgender Network. A great cause and a great group!

Replay of the 2021 Christmas episode where Chris Revill and I discuss Muppet's Christmas Carol, possibly the best of the iterations of this classic.

A replay of the 2015 Christmas Episode of the podcast. Michael Denniston, creator of great film podcasts like "War Machine Vs War Horse" and "99 from 99," joined me to record about the classic holiday movie "It's A Wonderful Life." Be kind folks, 2015 was a long-ah time ago, my microphone wasn't as good.

Replay of the episode where Sharon Blady and I discuss the roots of the Santa Claus Legend, and how Santa looks in Marvel Comics. Is he a powerful mutant? He sure is! (New Christmas Episode coming Tuesday, Christmas Eve) Check out www.PEITN.com for the monthly highlighted charity, the Prince Edward Island Transgender Network

Replay of the very popular Christmas Episode of 2020, a discussion about "The Snowy Day," holiday special, based on the book of the same name by Ezra Jack Keates. This year's New Christmas Episode will air on Christmas Eve! Stay tuned, Dear Listener!

Amity Cooper is an expert in mental health therapy & entrepreneurialism. She joins the show today to talk about how therapist's run private practices and how this affects access to care. Follow her work at www.amitycooper.com This month we are highlighting the Prince Edward Island Transgender Network, found at www.peitn.com, a nonprofit focused on advocacy and support for the Trans community.

Do we remember the trauma that those around us feel? Do we check in enough to even know about it?

Remember that episode of Seinfeld with the Soup Nazi? That character was based on a real guy! Al Yeganeh operated a soup restaurant frequented by one of the Seinfeld writers, and had the strange experience of becoming a template for a cultural icon. This is the first 8 minutes of the weekly dive into the history of culture & psychology. If you would like to hear these weekly full episodes please consider becoming a supporter of the program at www.patreon.com/brokenbrain

Matt Moyer is a photographer, producer, and filmmaker. He is the Co-Director and Cinematographer of the Indie Documentary "Inheritance," which follows five generations of a family in Rural Ohio. 11 years in the making, the film focuses on Curtis, a young member of this family, from age 12-18, and allows us to observe the patterns and events in his family, and how they experience love, addiction, trauma, and hope. A vulnerable and brave family, their story of heartache and hope provides precious insight for anyone hoping to understand addiction and to help others. Follow the film at www.inheritancethefilm.com This month we are highlighting the Prince Edward Island Transgender Network, found at www.peitn.com, a nonprofit focused on advocacy and support for the Trans community.