Dr. Dacher Keltner
It’s a great thing for me to get to introduce Dr. Dacher Keltner to our community. When I contacted Dr. Keltner and asked if he would spend some time conversing with me for the Family Grit project, he said yes without hesitation. Dasher is the co-founder of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, and a professor of social psychology. He’s spent many years studying how the size of our brains requires a long period of development, and that our long developmental period gives us time to learn the meaning of facial expressions, voice tones, hand gestures and other components of our social lives. His current research focuses on the basis of compassion, the emotional basis of moral intuition, and how power is earned and given in our community. He is the author of over 100 scientific papers, and has written several books, two of which are on our reading list - “ Born to be Good’, and ‘ The Power Paradox: How we gain and lose influence’. Dr. Keltner has also been an advisor for the Pixar movie “Inside Out”, and advises Facebook on the use of facial emoticons as communication tools. It was a real privilege to converse with Dr. Keltner and I know you’ll find him engaging, wise, and compassionate.
Dr. Emiliana Simon-Thomas
One of our scientific experts, Dr. Emiliana Simon-Thomas is the science director for the Greater Good Science Center, where she oversees the Expanding Gratitude project. How about that for a fantastic field to study and offer research to us! Emiliana earned her PhD in Cognition, brain, and Behavior at UC Berkeley. She has recently been studying pro-social states like love of humanity, compassion, and awe. Again, what an important area for us to learn more about. Her work spotlights science that connects health and happiness to social affiliation, caregiving, and collaborative relationships, as well as the benefits of living a meaningful life. Her work fits beautifully into our Family Grit community and will help us understand the complex ways our families grow together, and how we can strengthen our social connections and self compassion. I loved engaging with such a brilliant woman, and I hope you’ll listen closely to her and teach a few other folks what Dr. Emiliana Simon-Thomas shares with you. This conversation took place at the Greater Good Science Center in Berkeley California.
Dr. Fred Luskin
I met with Dr. Fred Luskin in Palo Alto California on the campus of Sophia University, and at that time we hadn’t met. I wondered what a guy who had spent over twenty years studying forgiveness would be like. Certainly in the world we live in today we have a great need to develop the kinds of self understanding (and understanding of others) to become more forgiving. My conversation time with Dr. Luskin exceeded all my expectations. As you will see in this video, Dr. Fred Luskin is frank, direct, wise, and humble. This conversation is not only valuable to all of us in the Family Grit community, but to many others as well. Dr. Fred Luskinis a senior consultant in wellness and health promotion at Stanford University, where he teaches the positive psychology class. He also teaches forgiveness and stress management to groups around the United States. He is one of the most recognized researchers and teachers of forgiveness in the United States. He has clinical licenses as a marriage and family counselor, educational psychologist and clinical psychologist. He also holds credentials in counseling and school psychology. His research centers on the intersection of spiritual values and emotional well being. I’m happy to introduce you to Dr. Fred Luskin.
Dr. Richard Davidson
Dr. Richard Davidson is the William James and Vilas professor of Psychology and Psychiatry, Director of the Waisman Laboratory for brain imaging and behavior, and the Laboratory for Affective Neuroscience, and founder and chair of the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds, at the Waisman Center at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. When I went to interview Dr. Davidson, he immediately put me at ease and made it clear that he has deep compassion for families with special needs kids. He recommended that I look into the many positive programs available through the magnificent University of Wisconsin that help make life better for all of us. It’s a good feeling when someone with the intellectual rigor to develop important research like Dr. Davidson has done is so generous and shares with us so willingly. Dr. Davidson has published more than 275 articles, and edited 13 books. He is also the author of a book called “ The Emotional Life of Your Brain”, along with Sharon Begley, which we will all benefit from reading!
Dr. Shauna Shapiro
Dr. Shauna Shapiro is an accomplished university professor, a clinical psychologist, and an internationally recognized expert on Mindfulness. For over 20 years she has studied meditation and how we can ground ourselves in our own experience in positive ways. Dr. Shapiro has published over 100 journal articles and book chapters, and co-authored an important work of science, “ The Art and Science of Mindfulness” as well as her most recent book “ Mindful Discipline: A Loving Approach to Setting Limits and Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child”. When I met with Dr. Shapiro, it was a beautiful day in Laguna Beach, California, and I recall being so grateful that Dr. Shapiro had made time to make this recording for us. She is wise and compassionate, and I know her voice will resonate with all of us in the Family Grit community.
Dr. Dara Marks
Dr. Dara Marks is one of the wisest and energetic teachers I have ever met in my life. Dr. Marks earned her PhD from Pacifica Graduate Institute, in Carpenteria, California, in Mythological Studies and Depth Psychology. when I’m aboutto encounter someone of Dara Marks depth, I get very excited, and I hope you are too. IN this conversation with Dr. Dara Marks, we will be opening up the subject of the Hero’s Journey, which is the basic structure for most of the movies we see, novels we read, and stories from around the world. Dara is tough minded and disciplined, and is a trusted voice among Hollywood screenwriters - they seek her help and when she speaks, writers listen! I met with Dara in her home, and drank a full cup of her wisdom, and I know you will too.
Dr. Kristin Neff
Dr. Kristin Neff is a professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas, Austin. She is an expert in the field of Self Compassion. A brilliant teacher, she did graduate research on moral development and reasoning in children, and spent several years studying authenticity and how we develop our identity at Denver University. I went to visit dr. Neff just outside of Austin, Texas, where I met her son Rowan, and her husband Rupert Isaacson. Dr. Neff and her family collaborated on the movie “The Horse Boy”, the story of her families journey to Mongolia in search of healing. Dr. Neff’s presence is healing and compassionate, and her gift of time and conversation to our Family Grit learning community is a gesture of kindness to us all.
Dr. Dan Siegel
It would be fair to say that in my life, one of the most significant mentors I’ve had is Dr. Dan Siegel. When his book “The Developing Mind” first came out, I devoured it and was thrilled at the clarity of his writing and that he had brought forward important issues of parenting and neuroscience in ways our Family Grit community can benefit from. Of course, the Family Grit community didn’t exist at the time, but it was a seed in my imagination, and a lot of the fertilizer for that seed was delivered by Dr. Dan Siegel and his exemplary writing and teaching. Dr. siegel is a Pediatric Psychiatrist who practices in Santa Monica, California, and teaches worldwide on the topics of neural integration, attachment, and developing healthy brains/minds. I attended every workshop I could over many years, and my life was made deeply richer from the magic of Dr. Siegel’s presentations. When I spoke with Dr. Siegel for this interview I was certain he would have great things to teach us, and I wasn’t disappointed.
Dr. Lou Cozolino
Dr. Lou Cozolino is a professor of psychology at Pepperdine University in Los Angeles, California, and has served as the editor of the Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology, which contains a library of important research on the social nature of our brains. Dr. Cozolino is a fabulous communicator and takes difficulty concepts and turns them into into understandable knowledge. But he does more than that. Dr. Cozolino turns vast knowledge into wisdom. This is no simple task, and I will be grateful my whole life for his efforts. I met with Dr. Cozolino in Beverly Hills California and he took the time to give me clear definitions, and a patient response to my questions. Dr. Cozolino’s has written many books, all of which are valuable to us as special needs parents, or in fact, to all parents. Of his many important books, my favorite is “The Social Neuroscience of Education”, which I believe to be a landmark in our understanding of our social selves, and our individuality.
Dr. Greg Frichionne
Many years ago I was listening to a series of talks that were recorded from a conference at the Benson-Henry Mind-Body institute at Harvard University. The topics ranged from muscle relaxation to nutrition, to exercise, and to the important ways that our sense of secure attachment builds resilience and well being. As I listened, I was utterly floored by the competence of one of the speakers. His calm assurance and simple presentation of science was elegant and wise. The speaker was our next mentor, Dr. Greg Frichionne. Dr. Greg Frichionne is professor of psychiatry at Harvard University and a prolific writer and humanitarian. When I wrote to Dr. Fricchione and he responded I was so happy I sat down to just breathe for nearly a half hour. Dr. Frichionne’s book, “Compassion and Healing in Medicine and Society” is a treasure to me, and I hope many in our community will find the time to study it in detail, especially those of you who work in health care and education. My conversation time with Dr. Frichione was a delight, and the topics he touches on are important to all of us in the Family Grit community.
Dr. Rand Swenson
Dr. Rand Swenson is one of the most prominent and respected educators in the fields of medicine and chiropractic. His knowledge of anatomy and physiology is nothing less than astonishing. He is professor of Neuroanatomy at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth University, and is known globally as an instructor in post-doctoral neurology programs. As you will see in this conversation, Dr. Swenson is thoughtful, methodical, precise, and has a grasp of the neurobiology of stress and sensation that he communicates well for us. Dr. Swenson is a scientist - doctor of the first class, and it was my pleasure to spend time with him talking about our brains, and how important it is to care for them. I had never been to New Hampshire before spending time with Dr. Swenson, so the beauty of the state and the Dartmouth campus were a real treat for me. I know you’ll enjoy learning from Dr. Swenson just as I have.
Dan Habib
I gotta say, Dan Habib is a great guy. I met Dan when he gave a showing of the movie he made about his son, “Including Samuel”. I attended the Showing in Madison, Wisconsin, and got to meet Dan Habib Briefly. Not only was his work a supernova for the special needs community, but Dan himself was clearly a superstar and servant leader that all of us in the Family Grit Community can look up to. Dan has since completed several other projects, including “Who Cares About Kelsey?”, a film exploration of the impact of mental health challenges and how our schools can respond to them. When I’m in the presence of a superstar like Dan Habib, who would surely tell me how mistaken I am to describe him that way (proving my point), it builds my confidence that the world can become a better place. A little bit at a time, with real Family Grit.
Dr. Rick Hanson
I visited Dr. Rick Hanson at his office in San Rafael, California. The sun was shining and there were flowers blooming all through Marin County that day, and I can remember standing on the small balcony of the hotel I stayed in and thinking what a beautiful place this is! Dr. Rick Hanson is a neuropsychologist who is a world-beloved writer and teacher of mindfulness, neurology, and practical living. His books include ‘ Buddha’s Brain’, ‘Just One Thing’, and ‘Hardwiring Happiness’. HIs ability to teach us simple metaphors that help us understand our brains and ourselves, is astonishing! In this conversation Dr. Hanson will describe for us how to ‘Pet the Lizard’, ‘Feed the Mouse’, and Hug the Monkey’ among many other wise metaphors for caring for our own brains, and supporting the brains and lives of those we love.
Catherine Ann Jones
There’s a long, winding, beautiful road that takes you from California’s 101 freeway up to Ojai, and this road left me in a wonderful state of mind to interview Catherine Ann Jones. Catherine Ann Jones is an actor, writer, director, screenwriter and television writer who’s credits include the popular television series ‘Touched by and Angel’. Catherine holds a graduate degree from Pacifica Graduate Institute in Mythological Studies, and she’s written several wonderful books, books that I refer to personally a LOT. They include ‘ Heal Yourself with Writing’, ‘The Way of Story’, and ‘What story are you living?’. I was charmed and enchanted with the time I spent with Catherine, and I think you’ll find that her presence is uplifting and supportive, and you’ll want to utilize her books as personal resources yourself.
Rupert Isaacson
Rupert Isaacson is a smart, no nonsense creator of movies, stories, and real life experiential learning for kids with special needs. I met with Rupert in his home outside of Austin Texas, in a yard teeming with wildlife , both animal and plant. In this conversation, we discuss his work in developing an organization called ‘The Horse Boy Foundation’, which supports the work and vision he wrote about in his book ‘ The Horse Boy: A Fathers Quest to Heal His Son’. I found Rupert to be intensely wise, and willing to be concrete and honest about his work, and his life. The lives of many children are already better because of Rupert’s work, and I’m sure many of us in the Family Grit learning community will want to learn more about what The Horse Boy Foundation is accomplishing.
Dr. Maria Sirois
When I first began the collection of video’s for the Family Grit training program, I knew that one of the fields I wanted our community to learn a lot about was the field of Positive psychology. I wasn’t quite sure how to begin that process, so I began to research who was out in the world using positive psychology in ways that would benefit exhausted parents. To my great good luck, I found the wonderful woman who is our next mentor, Dr. Maria Sirois. Dr. Maria Sirois is a Positive Psychologist who practices her remarkable profession in Western Massachusetts. She is a motivational speaker, a wise story teller, and a kind human being unafraid to be a leader in making the world more resilient, happier, and more compassionate. In this conversation we will be discussing practical applications of Positive Psychology that we can use to remember our strengths, and find the social support we need.
Dr. Martha Herbert
Dr. Martha Herbert is one of the most brilliant people I’ve ever met, and I’ve met many brilliant people. Dr. Herbert holds a PhD. in the History of Consciousness from the University of California, A Medical Degree from Harvard University school of medicine, and she went on to earn credentialing as a Pediatric Neurologist. She brings to our community a scientific credibility for the importance of movement, nutrition, and human connection. Dr. Herbert is an Anat Baniel Practitioner of Neuromovement, and can speak personally and sincerely from a pediatricians perspective on the importance, even the imperative, to take our own lives seriously so we can better care for our children. Dr. Herbert’s book ‘The Autism Revolution’ should be high on the priority reading list for all of us in the Family Grit learning community.
Anat Baniel
In 1993, I was having lunch with my friend Tom Hanley. We were discussing our work. Tom is a Feldenkrais practitioner and has been a teacher and administratorat the Golda Meir academy in Milwaukee, and a person I trust. Our conversation was mostly about how to get the best help possible for my daughter Maren. Tom told me, ‘ When I have a stroke someday, I’ll do whatever it takes to get to Anat Baniel’. as a result of that conversation, My wife Shelly and I took Maren out to see Anat at her facility in California. Anat Baniel has been a student of movement for nearly 50 years, and is world renowned for her ability to encourage children with severe disabilities like cerebral palsy, to find new ways to move. Her way of teaching, known as the Anat Baniel method has been studied by thousands of people all over the world. This conversation you are about to view will give you an initial glimpse into a lifetime of the study of movement. Here, Anat will carefully describe what she calls ‘The 9 Essentials’ of the Anat Baniel Method. I personally hold Anat in extremely high regard, and it’s my pleasure to bring her to you as an important mentor in the Family Grit learning community.
Dr. Robert Melillo
Dr. Robert Melillo has been an instructor and friend of mine for nearly 20 years. His accomplishments in the service of children with disabilities are many, and they include writing books such as ‘Disconnected kids’, ‘Reconnected Kids, and ‘Autism’. He is co-author with Dr. Gerry Leissman, ‘Neurobehavioral Disorders of Childhood’, a text used in universities around the world. Dr. Melillo is the founder of Brain Balance Achievement Centers, serving children with special needs all over the USA. Dr. Melillo is as friendly as he is knowledgable and this conversation will lead us deeply into understanding how our brains work, and how we can make improvements in our own brain’s health. This conversation was particularly a pleasure for me, as I rarely get to spend one on one time with a colleague of such competence.
Anastasia Somoza
I first learned of Anastasia Somoza many years ago, and then only indirectly. My daughter Maren had been invited to audition for a movie that was going to be made, and the cast required a young girl with cerebral palsy. Maren was thrilled, and she attended three auditions. The movie was named ‘Conquistadora’, and was written by a writer named Marianne Leone. It was the story of a young woman with cerebral palsy and her families great courage. The character Maren was asked to audition for was modeled on the young woman we have the privilege of conversing with in this mentor interview. Anastasia Somoza is a disability advocate who has studied at the London school of economics. She has worked closely with the Clinton Foundation and in the Summer of 2016, Anastasia spoke elegantly on the stage of the Democratic National Convention. It was an honor to spend time talking with Anastasia, who is direct, wise, and one of the most thoughtful individuals it’s been my pleasure to meet.
Dr. Robert Sapolski
I was pretty hesitant to ask Dr. Robert Sapolski to be one of our mentors, and to participate in the Family Grit learning community. The reason I was hesitant is because I know how busy this great teacher of science is. Dr. Sapolski has spent decades studying primate behavior, particularly Baboon behavior, and this work can be studied in his many books, and seen on many television specials, including National Geographic specials that recognize the importance of his research. Dr. Sapolski is professor of neuropsychology and neurosurgery at Stanford University school of medicine. A prolific author, Dr. Sapolski has written engaging books that translate complicated science into stories and language that non-scientists can understand. This is a very important skill, and I’m extremely happy that Dr. Sapolski did in fact, agree to be one of our mentors. You’ll enjoy his humble, soft-spoken authority, and his command of a subject that all of us need to know more about, the subject of chronic stress. I am indeed honored to introduce you to Dr. Robert Sapolski.
Dr. Mike Merzenich
Dr. Mike Merzenich is our guest mentor for a conversation on the brain, learning, and how we can take proactive steps to improve our brain health and maintain our memory and thinking skills deep into old age. Dr. Merzenich is the author of over 200 published scientific papers and is known throughout the scientific world as an expert in neurology, neurophysiology, and human brain function. He has spent his lifetime researching ways to use our capacities for learning to improve our health and sense of efficacy. Humane and gentle, Dr. Mike Merzenich is a warrior for people with disabilities. He is professor emeritus at the University of San Francisco school of medicine, and currently is the science director for PositScience, a technology company that develops brain training tools. This particular conversation was particularly enjoyable to me, because in speaking with Dr. Mike Merzenich, his evident love of and mastery of the brain sciences reassures me that there are people at the top of the scientific world who want the great power that science gives us to reach to those most in need of that power, in particular children with special needs.