Beyond Well With Sheila Hamilton

In a recent Gallup poll, more than eighty percent of Americans now say financial stress is their biggest concern related to Covid19. While there is little we can control with regards to employment, there are practical steps we can take to be prepared for re-employment, and more importantly, emotional well-being practices we can use to stay grounded, even during the crisis. 

The vaccine for polio was announced 65 years ago, in April of 1955. Dr. Jonas Salk who led the team that developed the vaccine understood the urgency of a pandemic, and more broadly, that the key to eradicating disease takes more than science alone. In this interview with, Dr Salk’s youngest son, Dr. Jonathan Salk, Beyond Well’s Sheila Hamilton talks about the human, social, political and economic relationships involved in eradicating disease.  

Katherine Olivetti is a psychoanalyst and a dream expert who has authored two books on the topic. For the first time in her research, she is gathering data that suggests people of all cultures, from different countries, are having the same themes in their dreams. This is an incredibly hopeful and uplifting conversation about the power of dreams to help remake who we become as human beings. 

Dr. Jenna LeJeune and Dr. Brian Goff talk about the unique impact on healthcare workers during Covid19 and the actionable items they and their loved ones can take to protect their mental health. 

Cambia Health Solutions CEO Mark Ganz joins Beyond Well to talk about the enormous impact COVID19 is having on health organizations and describes his own personal battle against Covid19. "We are in the black swan of black swan events," Ganz says, "But the access to behavioral healthcare via telehealth may be one of the silver linings of this pandemic."  Dr. Jim Polo, Cambia's Medical Director also joins the conversation to talk about how to take care of Covid19 related anxiety.   

Dr. C. Lamar Frizzell and Michael Sorenson join Sheila Hamilton to talk about the need for more psychiatric care and access to psychiatric beds. Universal Health Services is proposing to build 100 new beds in Wilsonville, but there is still some political opposition. A group of legislators, senators and business owners is petitioning the Governor to allow the hospital to be built. 

FACE COVID is developed by Russ Harris, an ACT therapist based in Australia. It is a set of practical steps for responding effectively to the Covid crisis, using the principles of acceptance and commitment therapy. F, focus on what's in your control. A. Acknowledge your thoughts and feelings. C. Come back into your body. E. Engage in What you are doing. Dr. Jenna LeJeune and Dr. Brian Goff take you through the practice. 

During the #Covid19 pandemic, Dr. Jonathan Horey continues to see patients who are seeking relief from drug-resistant depression. Dr. Horey has been practicing psychiatry since 2006. And treating patients with transcranial magnetic stimulation since 2017. He is passionate about the treatment of depression and helping his patients who are suffering. TMS is FDA cleared, non-invasive and non-medication treatment option that uses electromagnetism.

Leslie Barber’s husband died of cancer in June of 2015. And as Leslie points out, nothing she’d done in her life prepared her for the shock, trauma, and loneliness of her husband’s death. Leslie was struck by how unprepared her friends and even her family were in dealing with her grief. Our culture is incredibly good at celebrating life. We need to learn to get better at acknowledging and coping with grief, the other end of the human cycle. Leslie’s support group at www.AGriefWarrior.com  is a place to begin healing.

Shame is the most painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior. But, as Dr. Goff and Dr. LeJeune discuss, shame roots at the very being of what we care about most. With an increase in public shaming, the potential of depression, isolation, and self-harm increases. The point, as Dr. LeJeune says, is to always offer a fellow human the path to retribution.

C. Lamar Frizzell is the CEO of Cedar Hills Hospital and an expert in both mental health and divinity. At a time when so many people are asking the question, "Why is there so much suffering?" Sheila and Lamar talk about how we can view this crisis through the lens of spirituality.  This is the first interview Beyond Well is conducting by Zoom due to quarantine. Please be patient as we work to improve our sound!

Dr. Brian Goff and Dr. Angela Izmirian provide guidance for how to talk to your kids about the seriousness of Covid-19, tips for calming your anxiety and panic, and the basics of bouncing forward or becoming a more resilient, compassionate person despite the chaos around us.  

The Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung once said: “People will do anything, no matter how absurd, to avoid facing their own souls.” Perhaps that is why therapy is often seen as a last stitch effort to reclaim something people feel that they’ve lost—their health, their happiness, or their relationships. In this interview, Dr. Jenna LeJeune and Dr. Brian Goff discuss the reasons behind therapy, and their ardent belief that most people wait far too long (or until they are in crisis), to face their souls, their problems, and their habituated patterns in life.

Coronavirus is scary. How we respond to it can be even scarier. According to the Economist, more than two thirds of American report being very concerned about the U.S. pandemic. How do we calmly prepare for disruptions to our lives without panicking? What are some of the evidence-based techniques for helping people with anxiety and panic disorders? How do we cope with the likelihood of temporary financial and social stress? This episode is for anyone who wants a centered, calm approach to getting through the Coronavirus pandemic.

Episode two. Dr. Brian Pilecki combs the findings of science with compassion and curiosity. He is research the efficacy of psychedelics and studying harm reduction for people who want to use psychedelics to help with trauma, ptsd, anxiety disorders, and depression. In recent years, psychedelics have drawn interest for their unique ability to create a mind shift and lasting relief for clients who have otherwise battled intractable suffering.

Episode One. Dr. Brian Pilecki combs the findings of science with compassion and curiosity. He is research the efficacy of psychedelics and studying harm reduction for people who want to use psychedelics to help with trauma, ptsd, anxiety disorders, and depression. In recent years, psychedelics have drawn interest for their unique ability to create a mind shift and lasting relief for clients who have otherwise battled intractable suffering. 

Mitchell Jackson is an American author. His critically acclaimed book, Survival Math earned its title as Mitchell recalled calculating what it would take to survive the poverty stricken neighborhood of North Portland and the friends and family members who had become thugs, murderers, and drug dealers. Mitchell’s ascent from drug runner to prison inmate to a literary phenom is a reflection of his deep study and thinking on topics ranging from black history to Kobe’s lasting legacy on young black men in America.   We invite Mitchell to @BeyondWell to regularly discuss race, rage, and how to stay sane in some of the craziest times in American history.

Scott the Painter (Scott Erickson) is one of Beyond Well’s favorite guests, both for his refreshing candor regarding his personal suffering but also because his visual art, stories and his performance art resonate with tens of thousands of young people who are tired of staring at their phones and want to find deeper connection. In this episode, we talk with Scott about loneliness versus spending time alone, connecting during the darkest days of winter, and Scott’s personal wellness routine.

We talk with three employees about the experience of being gay, trans, and queer in the workplace. For many people who are considered “different,” the question of whether they are being passed over for Lunch invitations and promotions is the biggest mystery of all. “Is it because I’m gay? Or because I’m fat? Because it’s not because I’m not a good worker.” This is a painful, illuminating, and wonderful reaffirming interview with three people who have found their voices and plan to continue to hold businesses accountable until diversity and inclusion is not just a goal—it’s a value.

Dr. Brian Goff and Dr. Angela Izmirian (sitting in for Dr. Jenna LeJeune), talk about what it  takes to make a great relationship. If you want to give something sexy to your partner but  cringe at the idea of a hallmark cards or flowers, share this episode. It will spur the kind of communication that even Cupid would approve of.