Arash's World Podcast

Overcoming Challenges, Limitations, Stereotype Threats & Deficit Narratives So that ALL Children Can Thrive with Michael Phillips

In this episode, I have the pleasure to speak with Michael Phillips, Pastor, Education Advocate, Social Entrepreneur, founder of LifePrep, and Author of “Wrong Lanes Have Right Turns: A Pardoned Man’s Escape from the School-to-Prison Pipeline and What We Can Do to Dismantle it”.

We discuss equal access and the basic right to quality education as an important tool for self-discovery and empowerment as well as a solution to many societal problems. Moreover, we consider the psychological and emotional impact and harm that deficit language, stereotypes, and prejudices cause within children and young adults.

In addition, ingrained and implicit cultural drives like perfectionism and the pressure to perform should give way to fostering strengths, building confidence, empathy, and wisdom, and bringing forth and developing the unique gifts and blessings, the innate genius that’s within each of us, regardless of race, ethnicity, or social class.

Getting Wiser with Positive Psychiatry: A Paradigm Shift in Mental Health and Healthy Aging with Dr. Dilip Jeste

In this episode, I have the absolute pleasure and honor to talk with Dr. Dilip Jeste, a Geriatric Psychiatrist, Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Director of the Center of Healthy Aging at the University of California San Diego, and author of the book Wiser: The Scientific Roots of Wisdom, Compassion and What Makes Us Good.

Dr. Jeste explains the importance of neuroplasticity and how we can increase the personality trait of wisdom, how psychiatry needs to focus more on promoting and boosting Mental Health instead of treating and dealing with mental illness only, and the negative effects of ageism on the elderly and the rest of society.

He also explains what we can do to get wiser and more resilient with healthy and successful aging, how it is necessary to learn from experience and mistakes and to accept uncertainty and diversity of perspectives, and how Intermittent Fasting alongside healthy and active lifestyles can help with better health and promote longevity. We also touch upon the fact that practically anyone can have access to wisdom, can grow with empathy and compassion, and hence, attain better Mental Health provided they are open and willing to change.

Stepping Outside of Your Comfort Zone and Finding and Creating Your Own Happiness with Michaela Renee Johnson

In this episode, I have the pleasure to talk with the licensed psychotherapist, author, and podcaster Michaela Renee Johnson about adopting a growth mindset to reach a happier and more fulfilling life in all the different areas of our lives. To do so, we often need to step out of our comfort zone and push through our fears and negative emotions while also taking chances with calculated risks toward a more engaging and stimulating life. We use our own analogies of hiking and taking the rollercoaster to illustrate these points.

Michaela also underscores the importance of tapping into our inner truth and self as well as spirituality, to understand the what and why in our lives and to remind ourselves that criticism and compliments are on the same spectrum and they have the ability to take our power away. Finally, she explains that she enjoys therapy for helping others, podcasting for learning and expanding minds, and that she uses writing as her own form of therapy by processing and sharing her insights with the world.

El Psicoanálisis y el Cine con Dr. Jorge Ulnik

En este episodio de mi podcast, tengo el honor de platicar con el psicolanalista y ganador del Premio de Sigourney Dr. Jorge Ulnik sobre el poder del psicoanálisis y la importancia del cine en nuestras vidas. Abordamos temas relevantes y actuales como el sexo, el género, la femininad y la maternidad en conexión con las películas « Hable con ella », « Volver », « La Piel que Habito » del cineasta Pedro Almodóvar y también el mito de la belleza de superestrellas como Marilyn Monroe. Y al final, Dr. Ulnik da una análisis fascinante de la película argentina « El Secreto de sus Ojos » de Juan José Campanella. 

Be a Happy Leader and Make Everyone Else Happy in the Process: My Interview with Happiness Expert Tia Graham

In this episode, I have the pleasure to talk with the inspirational and upbeat Tia Graham, Certified Chief Happiness Officer, Founder of the Company "Arrive at Happy" and Author of "Be a Happy Leader: Stop Feeling Overwhelmed, Thrive Personally, and Achieve Killer Business Results!"

In our interview, she explains her fascinating 8-step methodology that would not only improve overall leadership and lead to more productivity but would also ensure happiness for everyone involved, employers and employees, alike. Tia builds on her extensive knowledge, research, and personal experiences by applying and harnessing the science of happiness alongside modern findings in neuroscience.

What you always wanted to know about CBD but were afraid to ask: An Interview with Rena Greenberg

In this episode, I have the pleasure to talk to Author and Health & Wellness Speaker Rena Greenberg about the use, benefits, and effects of CBD as well as how to ensure that it is of high quality. We also discuss how stress and inflammation are the culprits of many ailments and diseases and how CBD can boost your inherent bliss molecule.

How Parenting and Adult Relationships Can Benefit from the Power of Discord with Dr. Ed Tronick and Dr. Claudia Gold

In this episode, I have the pleasure and opportunity to talk with developmental neuroscientist and clinical psychologist Dr. Ed Tronick and pediatrician of Early Childhood Mental Health Dr. Claudia Gold about their book "The Power of Discord: Why the Ups and Downs of Relationships are the Secret to Building Intimacy, Resilience, and Trust".

The authors discuss how discord in terms of mismatch and repair can be beneficial for parenting as well as for adult relationships. We talk about individual and cultural differences in terms of parenting styles in addition to the insights provided to us via influential studies like the Still Face Experiment. Moreover, we discuss how unmanifested anxieties can drive relationships and the importance of recognizing them in order to foster and develop healthy connections between oneself and others.

Author Radhia Gleis on Cult Dynamics and Groupthink within Sects like Colonia Dignidad and Buddhafield

In this episode, I had the opportunity to talk with Radhia Gleis, Buddhafield cult survivor and author of the acclaimed and award-winning book The Followers on dynamics and thought processes that drive and maintain cults, including the Colonia Dignidad sect in Chile as well as the importance of protecting oneself from groupthink and cognitive dissonance in one's own life.

Sigourney Award Recipient Dr. Jill Savege Scharff on Technology, Teaching Psychoanalysis, and Culture

In this episode, and as the final segment of the Sigourney Award series, I speak with physician-psychoanalyst Dr. Jill Savege Scharff about technology, remote teaching & learning as well as the importance and relevance of culture and cultural factors in addition to the influence of family and one's personal past.

We also discuss and highlight the many essential, vital, and life-changing benefits of psychoanalysis not only for dealing with psychological and emotional issues and distress but also as a means of prevention and protection of overall Mental Health.

Interview with Physician-Psychoanalyst Dr. David Scharff on Distance Analysis Education and Psychotherapy

In this episode and part of my Sigourney Award series, which highlights psychoanalysis by rewarding outstanding recipients, I have the opportunity to talk to psychoanalyst, family, and couple therapist Dr. David Scharff who, with his wife and colleague Dr. Jill Savege Scharff, embraces and uses technology to advance distance education and training in creative and innovative ways.

We talk about the many benefits and a few drawbacks of technology in relation to teaching and learning, and we also discuss the relevance and importance of psychoanalytic thought and practice to better understand oneself for the betterment of the world.