In this episode of Hope, Healing, and WellBeing, host Mary Treacy O’Keefe interviews Rabbi Harold Kushner author of the international bestsellers When Bad Things Happen to Good People and Living a Life that Matters. Rabbi Kushner describes how integrity, gratitude, our relationships with each other and with God help us live more significant and meaningful lives, even in the midst of difficult times.

Rabbi Kushner talks about his books and the messages that lie within their pages. He also reveals a bit about his writing process and talks about an important choice he had to make when his first book tour coincided with 9/11: To go or not to go. “I said, ‘No, I want to keep on doing what I do. I want to get on that plane and go around and talk about this message and give people hope and I’m not going to let the terrorists scare me out of doing what I like to do!’”

“Death is the end of life like the period is the end of a sentence–it doesn’t rob the sentence of meaning, it defines what the meaning of the sentence was,” says Rabbi Kushner. O’Keefe and Kushner hit all the major topics in this interview: Life, Death, God, Success, and everything in-between.

Learn the difference between why bad things happen to good people and when good things happen to good people. Learn how to respond and cope when bad things happen to you or someone you love. Kushner discusses dealing with grief, hope, and struggling with his own religious beliefs when faced with a pain that not only changed his life but defined his character.

How will you be remembered when your time comes to “move on?” Are you ready to step up and make a difference? Are you ready to live a life of meaning?

Listen: http://wellwithinradio.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/rabbi-harold-kushner.mp3

In this episode, Mary Treacy O’Keefe, the award-winning President of Well Within, welcomes Pilar Jennings PhD to share his insights as a researcher, psychotherapist, psychoanalyst, Buddhist practitioner and author of Mixing Minds: The Power of Relationships in Psychoanalysis and Buddhism. In this fascinating interview, Jennings reveals the connections between therapy, religion, and Buddhism. Tune in to learn the “clinical applications of Buddhist meditation practices.”

Due to the recent visits from the Dalai Lama around the world, there has been a renewed interest in Buddhism. Why? What is it? And why is it so appealing to today’s society as a spiritual endeavor? “Buddhism is attractive because it doesn’t seem to come with all the trappings of a traditionalist religion. So, for people who have had a negative experience with religion in their childhood, Buddhism seems to offer a way to get the fruits without the toxic fruit,” Jennings explains. “It appeals to Westerners because it seems so grounded in logic…it’s less about blind Faith.”

Jennings examines the differences between traditional Tibetan Buddhism and the more Western idea of “Agnostic Buddhism” practices. Jennings also addresses the controversy of Buddhism as a religion that does not include a monotheistic god as a part of their devotion.

Is there a connection between the relationship one has with their therapist to the one they have with their Buddhist spiritual teacher? Jennings says, “In both relationships–if they’re healthy, functional relationships–there’s a deep sense of trust that ‘I can bring all my humanness and all that entails to this person and have it be safely received.’ And in the clinical space, that can feel deeply spiritual.” The connection between the two deepens every day. O’Keefe and Jennings talk about how mindfulness practices are integrating themselves into traditional clinical therapy.

Learn how Buddhist practices, mindfulness, and psychotherapy can help you overcome low self-esteem, depression, and live an overall better life! Tune in!

Listen: http://wellwithinradio.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/pilar-jennings.mp3

In this episode, Mary Treacy O’Keefe interviews Carol Ritberger, Ph.D. the author of Healing Happens with Your Life: Understanding the Hidden Meanings behind Illness. Join in as Mary and Carol discuss fields of personality, typology, behavioral medicine, and the latest updates on taking a psycho-spiritual approach to sickness.

A medical intuitive known for her innovative approach to self-help, Carol Ritberger talks about developing her intuition on an emotional and physical level to connect with someone in a way, “from a medical standpoint,” that she can connect with their physical body and recognize patterns of thinking, emotion, and energy that can tell her the well-being of the body itself. “A medical intuitive is a puzzle master,” Ritberger explains of her craft. “It’s a very specific use of intuition for the process of giving a holistic perspective.”

After being declared “medically dead” for just over three minutes in 1981, Ritberger came back to life with the gift of medical intuition. A left-brained analytical researcher by nature, Ritberger was surprised to be suddenly blessed with the Sight to see the auras of others. She now uses this gift as a tool to help others find their path to healing.

“Change your thoughts, you change your body, you change your reality… It’s true!” Whether you well up with anger or have a constantly looming sadness in the back of your mind, you too can use your emotions as a barometer for your physical health. Learn where your emotions are held, physically, within the confines of your body–and how to release those emotions to cure the physical pains that accompany them.

What’s does Hippocrates have to do with spiritual being? What’s the difference between a soul and a spirit? What is the largest living organ in the human body? What is Energy? Tune in to find out the answers to all of these questions and more!

Listen: http://wellwithinradio.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/carol-ritberger.mp3

In this episode, host Mary Treacy O’Keefe interviews Dr. Patty Hlava, author of Living Gratitude. Dr. Patty Hlava is a licensed marriage-family therapist with a Masters degree and a Doctoral degree on the subject. Dr. Hlava’s research focused on the topic of gratitude.

Gratitude is one of the emotions included in “Positive Psychology.” But what is Positive Psychology? Mary and Patty discuss positive emotions and how it can help you feel better, help to manage your problems, and think more clearly.

Even when you’re alone, you may have moments of clarity where you find yourself feeling “so connected to everyone and everything” and, even though this isn’t one of its more recognizable forms: You’re experiencing gratitude. Thankfulness has many beautiful and varied forms. Dr. Patty Hlava discusses the different forms of gratitude (from its more common forms to its complex “spiritual experience” connections), in particular how gratefulness can change and better relationships.

In this interview, Dr. Patty Hlava not only talks about this complex emotion–sharing poignant stories from her own life as well as those of people she’s worked with for her research–but defines it as well.

Gratitude is a “compound emotion” and can benefit your life in many ways: More energy, better responses, less physical pain, better sleep habits, and an overall better felling of well-being. Learning how to harness this positive energy can increase your happiness by 25% or more! Feeling grateful “is one of the things that can literally change people’s lives!”

Most importantly, when you practice good will in your relationships, you come into it with more love, more passion, and more understanding. Dr. Patty Hlava teaches how to use that feeling of thankfulness to get rid of the hostility and resentment in your intimate relationships.

What are you most thankful for? What are you least thankful for? What is gratitude anyway? And how can it benefit you? If you’ve ever wondered, this is the podcast for you!

Listen: http://wellwithinradio.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/dr-patty-hlava.mp3

Discover why Dr. Stuart Brown, author of PLAY: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul, has been identified as the foremost “practical champion of the knowledge of play.” Learn how play supports brain development/prevents dementia and depression, enhances health and wellbeing and enables us to live more fully. For more information, please visit www.stuartbrownmd.com.

Listen: http://wellwithinradio.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/stuart-brown.mp3

Because May is Lyme Disease Awareness month, our guests, Paula Quinlan and Rose Oakley, will teach us how to cope with this difficult illness. Paula shares her experience as someone who lived with undetected Lyme disease for several years, which contributed to several other serious health issues. Rose Oakely, an RN who works with Lyme patients, will discuss possible ways to avoid getting Lyme Disease and how to test for it. Both women share both traditional medical and holistic treatment options.

Listen: http://wellwithinradio.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/paula-quinlan.mp3

Olivia Ames Hoblitzelle’s book, Ten Thousand Joys & Ten Thousand Sorrows, is a compelling and inspiring memoir about how she and her husband, “Hob”, maintained hope, grace, and humor while living with Alzheimer’s. Using their Buddhist practices, including meditation, their journey became an opportunity for growth and deepening their love. Olivia shares her wisdom and spiritual perspectives that encourage us to find blessings within challenging situations, including living with a long-term illness. For more information, please visit www.tenthousandjoysandsorrows.com.

Listen: http://wellwithinradio.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/olivia-ames-hoblitzelle.mp3

Laurie Ellis-Young, a globe-trotting yoga teacher for over 35 years, and Nancy Chakrin, a multi-talented artist and photographer, will discuss their book, Friendship: The Art of the Practice. Together, they’ll help us understand how yoga and friendship enhance health, healing and longevity. For more information, please visit www.breathethechange.com.

Listen: http://wellwithinradio.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/laurie-ellis-young.mp3

Bestselling author Deborah King discusses her newest book, Be Your Own Shaman: Heal Yourself and Others with 21st Century Energy Medicine. She’ll share information about how to develop your own inner talents and become the natural healer you are meant to be, for both yourself and others. For more information, please www.deborahkingcenter.com.

Listen: http://wellwithinradio.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/deborah-king.mp3

Intuitive counselor Colette Baron-Reid is renowned for helping people create the purposeful and authentic lives they desire. Hear some of her tips as we discuss her latest bestseller, The Map: Finding Magic and Meaning in the Story of Your Life. For more information, please visit www.collettebaronreid.com.

Listen: http://wellwithinradio.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/colette-barad-reid.mp3