Episodes

According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have already been more than 240 mass shootings in 2022 in the United States. A striking 98% of Mass Shooters are men. This show asks the question “WHY?” In a fascinating discussion with social psychologist, Dr. Frank T. McAndrew, he draws upon his research and additional findings on Gender, Aggression and Violence to offer answers. Dr. McAndrew begins with a consideration of the innate aggression even early man needed to survive, establish dominance, ...

In this show Host Suzanne Phillips is joined by Award Winning Filmmaker, Therese Shechter who discusses her new and powerful film, “My So-Called Selfish Life.” Spanning over many years this is a paradigm-shifting journey through one of our society’s greatest taboos: Choosing not to become a mother. The film weaves together historical events, medical expertise, and women of different ages and backgrounds who personally and professionally question the biased expectation that women are supposed to ...

Across time and cultures and against the backdrop of medical, social, economic, political, gender and racial issues, mothers face a lot and give a lot. Whether new mothers, working mothers, single mothers or grandmothers, most could benefit from some of the powerful support and care they offer. This show presents a program that does just that- “Authentic Connections Groups”. In this show, Dr. Suniya Luthar, Executive Director of AC Groups, a nonprofit that fosters resilience and well-being, will...

Someone has finally found a way to address opioid misuse and addiction among people with chronic pain. In this show, Dr. Eric Garland, the world’s leading expert on the use of mind-body therapies to treat opioid misuse for pain will discuss the recently proven effectiveness of “MORE” – “Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement.” Dr. Garland will define opioid use disorder (OUD), its relationship to chronic pain and what makes opioids so addictive. He will discuss the treatment components of “MO...

In this show, Dr. Deborah Serani, psychologist, award winning author and media expert returns to Psych-Up Live to discuss her new children’s book “ Sometimes When I‘m Mad.” She invites listeners to understand and respond to anger in children. There have always been outside world and family events that have disrupted families and filtered fear and dysregulation down to children. These past few years of the pandemic have added additional strain. Dr. Serani will discuss the reason and message of he...

It goes without saying that this is a stressful as well as special Holiday time of the year. For millions of divorced parents there are additional challenges they face, as they try to make the holidays a success, while splitting custody of the children. In this show, Jeffrey Scott Steiner Executive Director of the Dads’ Resource Center and Central Administrator for the Pennsylvania Greater Father Family Involvement Campaign draws upon his experience to offer strategies and tips that co-parents c...

Nationally and Internationally people are exposed to violence on a daily basis. We read about it in the paper. We see it in the images of violence on TV and the internet and too many people have been personally exposed to or have suffered from some form of violence in their own lives. This show addresses the prevention of violence. Experts, Dr. Sherry Hamby and Dr. Victoria Banyard draw upon their new book, Strength Prevention for Violence and Public Health Problems, to look closely at attempts ...

In a complex culture with non-stop invitations to do and have more, parents often wonder how to raise grateful kids. In this show, Dr. Rebecca Hershberg, clinical psychologist, child expert and author of The Tantrum Survival Guide, offers parents some answers. She invites parents to consider their own definitions and expressions of gratitude and the messages they bring from their own childhood. She validates the common feelings of parental joy in giving and the fear of spoiling. She reminds us t...

This year we commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks, an unspeakable event that took the lives of 2.996 people and caused the death of another four thousand from 9/11 related illness. We are privileged to have as our guest, Mary Fetchet the Founding Director of Voices Center for Resilience, formerly known as Voices of September 11, which she set up when she lost her son Brad on 9/11. In this episode, Mary Fetchet discusses how her unique background as the mother of a victi...

In this episode Dr. Scott Small, esteemed neurologist and neuroscientist known for his work in Alzheimer’s disease, discusses his important new book, Forgetting: The Benefits of Not Remembering. In a culture inundated with information and worried about aging and forgetting, this is an extraordinary contribution. In a conversational style, Dr. Small offers the neuroscience of forgetting in a way that is as informative as it is startling. Drawing upon fascinating examples and personal history, he ...

As anxiety escalates in face of a resurgence of Covid-19 fueled by variants, tension builds between those who recognize the vaccine as a lifesaving answer and those who view it as an invasive healthcare intervention. Beyond the media coverage, family relationships are frayed with members who can’t talk about their positions and are anxious, angry and estranged in the midst of a pandemic. Can there even be a discussion when people are so polarized? In this show, guest expert Dr. Mena Mirhom, Colu...

There is little question that when a person suffers the death of their dog, the loss is excruciating. Why? In this episode, Dr. Frank McAndrew, evolutionary and social psychologist, draws upon his personal experience as well as cultural dictates and scientific research to illuminate our extraordinary relationship with dogs and the impact of their loss. In his discussion, he considers the unique interspecies bond with dogs and draws upon the work of Anthropologist Brian Hare who developed the “Do...

This show is for men and everyone who loves them. In it, psychotherapist, James Hawes draws upon his years of clinical experience with men and his book, The Secret Lives of Men: Ten Keys to Unlock the Mystery, to discuss the social and cultural norms that keep men trapped with feelings like unvoiced hurt, sadness, fear and shame. In his presentation he considers topics like: Feelings as a Foreign Language, Vulnerability Masked as Anger, Sex as Intimacy and Performance as the Source of Self Estee...

As we consider how to open the workplace with possible hybrid options, one reality that has received too little attention is the increase in Workplace Harassment during the pandemic year. In this show, Kalpana Kotagal, partner at Cohen Milstein in the Civil Rights and Employment group, will consider recent findings from two surveys which reveal a significant rise of virtual harassment of many people working from home. Ms. Kotagal will consider whether the pandemic played a role in increasing exi...

In this show, our guest Boaz Feldman will be calling in from Geneva Switzerland with great interest in connecting to our listeners. Much as the title suggests, Boaz Feldman’s passion is the integration of knowledge from many sources for personal growth, humanitarian outreach, clinical training and intervention across borders. He will speak about his experience as a Buddhist Monk and what contemplative practice brings to humanitarian work and clinical work. He will discuss his development of Neur...

The journey that a transgender teen takes from confusion and fear to acceptance and consolidation of gender identity is often a difficult one for them and their parents. It is one for which understanding and support are invaluable. What information is most helpful for teens? What do parents need to know? What type of parental support is considered by teens to be most valuable? In this show, Dr. Tandy Aye, professor of pediatrics at Stanford Medicine, and a pediatric endocrinologist at the Stanfo...

In today’s high speed internet world, teens are merely a few clicks away from free access to streaming porn. A Nationally Representative Youth Internet Safety Survey found that the likelihood of a teen or preteen accessing pornography intentionally rose from 8% in 2000 to 13% in 2010. Twenty-five percent of 18-24 year old’s report porn as their most helpful source of information about how to have sex. In this Episode Dr. Emily Rothman, Professor of Community Health Sciences at the Boston Univers...

Half of all suicide deaths are caused by firearms, and suicides account for nearly two thirds of all deaths by firearms. We are horrified by the epidemic of gun violence in this country. Suicide comprises a substantial portion of the gun violence. There are times when gun violence to others is followed by suicide. In this show Dr. Michael Anestis, the Executive Director of the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center and an Associate Professor of Urban-Global Public Health at Rutgers University r...

In a manner that is personal, specific, at times funny and underscored with thirty years of writing and talking about sex, Tracey Cox invites us to age-proof our sex lives. Drawing upon her 17th and newest book, Great Sex Starts at 50, Tracey invites listeners, across gender and sexual orientation to consider that an understanding of the reality of body changes from hormone depletion, sensitivity, dryness, erectile difficulties etc. are inevitable and need not be a stop sign to sexual connection...

In this episode, Dr. Therese Huston draws upon her new book, Let’s Talk: Make Effective Feedback Your Superpower, and her experience speaking to academic audiences and businesses like Microsoft and Amazon to teach us how to give feedback, even negative feedback, in a way that turns it into a productive conversation. She considers why 80% of managers feel they are saying the right things; but less than 20% of employees feel appreciated. She asks why men are evaluated on work skills while women ar...

The Racial Inequities of the Coronavirus are clear. Three times as many Black and Latino Americans have become infected with the Corona Virus compared to their White Neighbors. Many Black Americans have fears and reluctance to be vaccinated. In this show, Dr. Suzanne Phillips is joined by Dr. Zanthia Wiley, Infectious Diseases Specialist and Director of Antimicrobial Stewardship at Emory University Hospital Midtown, and Dr. Wiley’s Aunt, Denese Rankin. Together they share a Covid Story of hospit...

Among other things, the pandemic has taken jobs, economic stability, business ventures and the hope of new employment for many. In this episode we address this dilemma. Our Guest, Dr. Joel Evans, a Distinguished Professor of Business Emeritus at Hofstra University, and an expert on career planning and development provides a path to career planning during a pandemic. He offers specific strategies, skills, perspective and preparation for finding employment whether you are a new graduate, a seasone...

Whether you are newly married, a middle aged couple, the identified In-Laws or the bewildered Out-Laws of an expanded family, you need to hear this show. In it, psychologist and author Dr. Geoffrey Greif draws upon his new and acclaimed book written with Dr. Michael Woolley, “ In-law Relationships: Mothers, Daughters, Fathers, and Sons.” Dr. Greif shares research using interviews and surveys with a total of 1,500 people to illuminate why some in-laws connect and others clash and even crash. He c...

In this show Dr. Elisha Goldstein returns to Psych Up Live to describe, discuss and exemplify aspects of his important new program “ Uncover the Power Within”. Dr. Elisha Goldstein will share the personal journey that brings him to his tireless work of empowering people to understand the causes of depression, anxiety and unhappiness. In this episode he uncovers the battle between surviving and really living. He shares the ingredients that help us adapt practices to relax the nervous system, comb...