Today’s medical treatments have resulted in the possibility of living months and sometimes years after a terminal diagnosis. Death has become a process rather than a sudden, unexpected event. As death has changed, so has the way we grieve. “The new grief”, as guests, Joseph Nowinski, PhD and Barbara Okun, PhD refer to it, in their new book, Saying Goodbye: How Families Can find Renewal Through Loss , is complex and challenging for both patients and caregivers. But, it can also be one of the richest and most meaningful periods a family will ever share. Join in as host Mary Teacy O’Keefe interviews Joseph Nowinski, Ph.D, Supervising Psychologist at UConn Health Center; and Barbara Okun, Ph.D, a professor of counseling psychology at Northeastern University and a clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School. They’re here to offer wise advice for anyone faced with living with–or caring for someone living with–a terminal or life-threatening illness.

Throughout the episode, Drs. Okun and Nowinski encourage individuals and families to cope with terminal illness in collaboration with the patient. They present a 5-stage model of grief that reflects the contemporary realities of extended death and dying. We’ll discuss in depth each of the five stages: Crisis, Unity, Upheaval, Resolution and Renewal. This show provides invaluable information, not only to families living with a terminal illness, but it encourages all of us to prepare for the inevitability of the end of our lives. When we do this, we can focus on living fully for however much time we have to live. Are you ready to grieve in a whole new way?

At the end of the show, host Mary Treacy O’Keefe, shares a “meant to be” story (from her book, Thin Places: Where Faith is Affirmed and Hope Dwells) that demonstrates how her own family successfully navigated some of the issues that emerged during the final days of her father’s life. Keep the Kleenex box handy: This is one heart-felt episode you’re not going to want to miss!

Listen: Dr. Barbara Okun and Dr. Joseph Nowinski

“Life is full of wounds–physical, emotional, and spiritual. The wounded psyche and spirit heal in much the same manner as physical wounds,” writes Doctor David Knighton, one of the leading experts on wound healing and what they can teach us as covered in his new book: The Wisdom of the Healing Wound:A New View on Why We Hurt & How We Can Cure Even the Deepest Physical and Emotional Wounds. Join in as host Mary Treacy O’Keefe interviews this fascinating doctor on wound healing and the role of forgiveness.

As one of the leading experts on wound healing and one of America’s Top Doctors in the early ’90s, Dr. Knighton established wound healing clinics early in his medical career. Knighton was subsequently one of a small group of experts from the Wound Healing Society to create medical definitions of wounding and healing that today are used throughout the world. In his new book, he explores how the physical nature of wounds–and the healing process involved–can be transposed to healing emotional and even spiritual wounds.

Dr. Knighton discusses the roles of forgiveness, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) massage therapy, and vitamins in enhancing healing. “Emotional wounds are very humbling. So are physical wounds. But especially emotional wounds [because] they force the process of growth,” says Knighton.

He also shares information about a third type (in addition to embryonic and adult stem cells) of stem cell, called “wound-derived stem cells.” These stem cells were first discovered in late 2009 in his research lab and may speed up the healing process in the future.

And stay tuned to the very end to hear host Mary Treacy O’Keefe share a “Meant to Be” healing story about how her own recovery from Breast Cancer surgery eventually motivated her to open Well Within, a nonprofit holistic wellness center in Woodbury, Minnesota!

Listen: Dr. David Knighton

Due to a whopping two-thirds of Americans being either overweight or obese, learning to eat for both weight loss and optimal health is more important than ever before. This week’s guest, KC Craichy, is a leading health researcher, speaker, and consultant on optimized natural health, nutrition, and fitness. KC’s collaborative work and research with many of the top medical and nutritional practitioners and researchers in the United States led to the founding of Living Fuel, one of the fastest-growing, high-end nutritional companies in the world. KC and host Mary Treacy O’Keefe discuss his latest book, Super Health Diet:The Last Diet You Will Ever Need.

KC Craichy starts off the interview by explaining his motivation for writing his most recent book–going into detail about his own obesity as a young adult and his wife’s former health issues. Is the Super Health Diet truly “the last diet you will ever need?” KC says “yes!” and is here to explain why.

“Hydration is a huge issue,” says KC. What’s the best way to get hydrated? If you said “Water” then you’re on the right track! But what kind of water should you drink? What’s the best filtration system? Of the bottled water brands, which is the best? And what about herbal tea? Wouldn’t you like to know before putting any old thing into your body?

Is the Fountain of Youth real? According to KC, in a sense, it can be: Through diet. He goes on to explain that if one focuses on nutrients rather than calories, they’ll not only feel better, but they’ll look better too! Are you ready to look younger?

KC Craichy also discusses Sarcopenia (which can result from not getting enough protein), the benefits and drawbacks of fasting, and why we shouldn’t snack between meals.

Are you tired of being overweight, unhealthy, and unhappy? Then maybe it’s time you listened in on this informative episode!

Listen: KC Craichy

This week’s guest on Hope, Healing, and WellBeing is Rachel Lloyd, founder of GEMS (Girl Education and Mentoring Services) and the author of the deeply moving memoir Girls Like Us: Fighting for a World Where Girls Are Not for Sale, an Activist Finds Her Calling and Heals Herself.  Rachel discusses the harm done by the largely misunderstood epidemic of the commercial sexual exploitation of children in the US.  Yet, as she demonstrates, it is possible for healing to occur for the young women who have been exposed to the horrors of sex trafficking. Rachel speaks from experience as, beginning at the age of 13, she found herself spiraling into a life of abuse as a victim of commercial sexual exploitation.  In this inspiring interview, Rachel shares how she escaped this horrific life and went on to empower other young women to do the same.

Many falsely assume that sex trafficking is only in “other” countries, but it’s right here in the United States.  Host Mary Treacy O’Keefe and Rachel Lloyd discuss the annual statistics of girls being lured into prostitution in the US (most of them between the ages of 12 and 14!).  How do these young girls become involved in this lifestyle?  Does this lifestyle stem from a background of trauma and abuse?

“I thought I was an adult. I was 13 and I thought I could handle everything…” says Rachel of her troubled childhood.  Rachel’s emotional vulnerability eventually lead her to a life of domestic trafficking.  Rachel then goes on to explain the stigma behind prostitution and why changing the language–the semantics of the term–can help people get past their assumptions and misconceptions on the issue of sexual exploitation.

“Girls have been trained by society, period, but often times by their pimps, not to trust other girls,” says Rachel Lloyd.  “Girls come in like ‘I don’t want to be in a program with all girls.’”  But, in the end, GEMS becomes their family.

This is an episode that will inspire you like no other Hope, Healing, and WellBeing ever has before.  Don’t miss out!

Listen: Rachel Lloyd

This week on Hope, Healing, and WellBeing, Mary Treacy O’Keefe welcomes David Kessler, world-renowned expert and lecturer on death and grief.  Kessler talks about healthcare, hospice professionals, the unique experience of dying, and shows off his lastest book: Visions, Trips, and Crowded Rooms: Who and What You See Before You Die.

Kessler starts off the interview by sharing what made him decide to write his new book.  He goes on to share how the death of his mother (he was 12 at the time) affected not only his entire life, but his entire life’s work.  “I came away from that somewhat scarred,” admits Kessler. “I’m really a product of that day [my mother died].”

On the subject of his new book, Kessler explains the meaning behind the title: Visions, Trips, and Crowded Rooms: Who and What you See Before You Die.  He also explains the format of the book and the type of research that went into creating it.  Not only does Kessler’s latest book include interviews with doctors, patients, priests, and rabbis on the subject of “what happens immediately before death,” but he’s also included a look at death “visions” from a historical and literature perspective… and a legal perspective?  Kessler explains how the “Law of Hearsay” can be bent for someone’s “dying words.”

Kessler shares his personal experiences of being with people when they’re dying and shares his advice on how to remain calm and completely at ease when faced with the death of a loved one.  Kessler says, when comforting someone on their death bed, he tries to bring about the feeling of “We may see each other again and this might not be the end” and encourages others in similar situations to do the same.  O’Keefe agrees, having touched upon this subject in her own book, Thin Places.  And what advice did Mother Teresa give Kessler on the subject before her own death?

Listen in to what you can learn from the dying.  Find out what might happen when you die.  And learn how it all ties into living a life of hope, healing, and well-being.

Listen: David Kessler

For millions of “Baby Boomers,” as well as the 10,000 people who turn 50 every day, a midlife crisis can be a tremendous challenge!…Or it could be an opportunity for growth and fulfillment. In this episode, Well Within founder Mary Treacy O’Keefe interviews Dr. Dike Drummond, a business coach and former physician who has helped thousands of people use their midlife crisis as a calling to live a more authentic, meaningful and fulfilling life. Join in as Mary and Dr. Dike teach how to successfully navigate the second half of your life.

Dr. Dike refers to “midlife” as “[age] twenty-five to dead.” There’s a vast amount of time in which the so-called “midlife crisis” can occur. And what of the typical midlife crisis cliches? The husband who gets the red hot convertible and the new younger girlfriend? Do any of the common conceptions hold up in the real world or are they myths created by Hollywood? What does a real midlife crisis look like?

Looking back at the original definition of “crisis” (a decision), Dr. Dike explains that the midlife crisis that’s experienced by so many is actual a “moment of awakening”–a moment in their lives where they must make an important decision. A turning point. Dr. Dike also talks about the three biggest mistakes that people going through this turning point make.

Divorce, children growing up and moving out, retirement… Any number of things can trigger a midlife crisis. “I’m here to take the struggle and the drama out of a midlife crisis,” says Dr. Dike. Whether you’re “frozen” and even though you could make a change for the better in your life, you don’t; or if you’re taking the opposite destructive path and “burning [your life] to the ground;” Dr. Dike has advice for YOU.

Remember, “midlife” isn’t the end of your life. It’s not too late to achieve your dreams and have a better, more fulling life.

Listen: http://wellwithinradio.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/e-drummond-md.mp3

In this episode of Hope, Healing, and WellBeing, host Mary Treacy O’Keefe interviews April Fan, a registered dietician who works with senior citizens and is committed to helping adult children take better care of their aging parents. O’Keefe and Fan discuss several of the issues facing caregivers today and how to cope with them.

The fear of being a burden to their loved ones runs strong in many elderly parents. “Sometimes they start to hide or deny that they need help or find it tremendously difficult to ask for assistance,” says Fan, addressing this troubling issue, adding, “It’s really our job to find out what is going on in their hearts.” Fan then details the 9 Questions Everyone Should Ask Their Elderly Parents before it’s “too late.”

Learn “why caring for aging parents on your own is dangerous to your health and what to do about it.” Learn how to address your parents’ living situation. How to find a good nursing facility. Learn how to put together a plan over time. And how to handle the situation if you live far away from your parents. Fan encourages early–and frequent!–communication with elderly parents and dishes out practical tips and advice for adult children in all stages of the “Should I or Shouldn’t I?” parents-into-a-nursing-home dilemma.

Fan also discusses the resentment many senior parents feel about “role reversal” (they were telling you what to do your whole life and now you’re telling them what to do!) as well as the difficulties that come with raising children of her own while attempting to be a caregiver to her parents.

O’Keefe also brings up the “Magic Bullet” mentality that many caregivers have when it comes to seniors and food. “We [think we] can give them a can of Ensure or whatever [and they’ll be fine],” says O’Keefe. Fan displays her skills as a dietician and tells why a “food first” mentality is important when making seniors as comfortable–and healthy!–as possible.

From food to family to living arrangements, April Fan has the answers. Tune in!

Listen: http://wellwithinradio.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/april-fan.mp3

In this episode of Hope, Healing, and WellBeing, host Mary Treacy O’Keefe interviews award-winning author Burt Nordstrand! Nordstand opens up about overcoming multiple addictions (including food!), his latest book, and how he ended up founding the Compulsive Overeaters Retreat.

Nordstrand discusses the ongoing battle with his “enemy,” an addiction to sugar and compulsive overeating, for which he has been in recovery for over 30 years. “With drugs or gambling–abstinence–you can just stop!…With food addiction, you can’t just stop,” points out O’Keefe of the dilemma many overeaters struggle with daily. “Everything wonderful in my life today…is related to my recovering from my addictions,” says Nordstrand, pointing to sugar as the number one most detrimental addiction he had to overcome. “[Sugar addiction] needs to be looked at as a disease,” says Nordstrand.

“Whether it’s carbohydrates which turn to sugar in our bodies, alcohol which turns to sugar in our bodies, or whether it’s sugar, it affects the way people feel and it definiately changed the way I felt,” says Nordstrand. He and O’Keefe talk about the effects of sugar on the body and how a sugar addiction can contribute to an addiction to alcohol.

“There was just half of me that felt insecure and just not normal,” says Nordstrand, explaining his initial attraction to sugar and other harmful substances. “I would take it to the edge and say ‘this isn’t working for me’ and then switch to something else,” he says. Moving from one substance to the next, living a life riddled with addiction, Nordstrand was eventually left with only one substance to abuse that really “worked” for him: Food.

Throughout the interview, Burt Nordstrand details his secret life of shame: A successful businessman to the public and an addict spiraling into the depths of despair in his private life. Tune in to listen to his struggles, triumphs, and how he learned to pick himself up by his bootstraps and get on with his life–addiction free!

Listen: http://wellwithinradio.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/burt-nordstrand.mp3

Well Within co-founder Mary Treacy O’Keefe talks to Elaine Fogel Schneider, PhD this week on the art of baby massage. As one of the country’s leading experts in baby massage therapy, Dr. Elaine describes the many benefits of touch and explains some of the techniques included in her book, Massaging Your Baby:Effective Techniques for a Healthier, Happier, More Relaxed Child & Parent. Learn everything you ever wanted to know on the power of touch today!

The power of touch is not only beneficial for your infant’s body, but their mind as well: “The cells of the skin are the same cells that are in your brain so, as you’re stroking the skin, it’s like you’re stroking the brain,” says Dr. Elaine. Touching is important for your baby’s brain-growth development, their neurological development, their circulation, their hormones, and–as a terrific bonus!–it also relaxes them (and you!).

Dr. Elaine details her experiences helping clients solve their baby troubles through Touch Time massage. In particular, she discusses a very intense case involving a fussy infant who was driving her parents right up the wall. With the help of Dr. Elaine’s techniques, the baby girl went to sleep easily for the first time in five months. Miracle cure? Perhaps. Can YOU do it? Absolutely!

Are you tired of not sleeping through the night? Are you exasperated beyond belief with the sound of your baby’s crying? The power of touch can help! But what are the other benefits of baby massage for you? “What is going on with the adult is that relaxation occurs and their blood pressure lowers,” explains Dr. Elaine. “The benefits include the adult body as well as the child’s!”

Baby massage isn’t just for parents! Grandparents, siblings, friends, and other caregivers can reap and share the benefits as well. Dr. Elaine’s patented methods work well for anyone. Give the gift of touch today!

Listen: http://wellwithinradio.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/elaine-fogel-schneider.mp3

Well Within President and Hope, Healing, and WellBeing host, Mary Treacy O’Keefe welcomes parenting expert Tina Feigal to her show! In this informative, extremely useful interview, Feigal teaches how to cope with and improve the behavior of the “intense child.” As founder of the Center for the Challenging Child, LLC, she provides helpful tools and techniques, including some from her book, The Pocket Coach for Parents: Your Two-Week Guide a Dramatically Improved Life with Your Intense Child.

Did you know that the philosophies of mindfulness practices can be applied to parenting? Feigal talks about applying these practices to your parenting techniques–especially when it comes to raising an “intense child.” Whether your child has ADD, ADHD, autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Attachment Disorder or is simply just too gifted to focus on the mundane things the rest of us consider “normal,” you’re going to want to tune in to this episode.

Are you having trouble engaging your child? Does your child know just how to press your buttons? O’Keefe and Feigal discuss what’s going on in your child’s mind–the synapses that fire inside their brain and make them tick–and what you can do to get on board their train of thought.

Feigal also explains the differences between positive and negative reinforcement. Which is better for your child? Reward? Punishment? A happy medium? But how to you achieve that “happy medium?”

Are you yelling way too much? Are you constantly repeating requests to your child, only to be ignored? You’ve struggled with child problems long enough! Tina Feigal shares some of her best tips from her new book and helps to get you, and your child, back on track. Don’t let your “intense child” get in the way of your positive parenting. You can do it! And O’Keefe and Feigal are here to help you do it. Let’s get parenting!

Listen: http://wellwithinradio.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/tina-feigal.mp3