Podcast

Grief is a difficult path to walk any time of the year, but during the holiday season, it becomes even more challenging. This week, host Paula Felps sits down with Gina Moffa, a licensed psychotherapist specializing in grief and trauma. Her new book, Moving On Doesn’t Mean Letting Go: A Modern Guide to Navigating Loss, is a travel companion guide to the most difficult journey people will take in their lives. In this episode, Gina talks specifically about how grief is compounded during the holidays and tells us how to navigate it. In this episode, you'll learn: How to take care of ourselves during the holidays if we are suffering fresh loss. How grief manifests itself in our bodies and how we can practice self-care. Tips for supporting someone who is experiencing grief during the holidays (and beyond). Links and Resources Website: https://ginamoffa.com/ Read some of Gina’s articles about managing grief here. Learn more about Moving On Doesn’t Mean Letting Go here. Download a free chapter of Moving On Doesn’t Mean Letting Go here. Follow along with this episode's transcript by clicking here. Don't miss an episode! Live Happy Now is available at the following places:           

 Holidays are the time for gathering with family and that can often be stressful. But having a good strategy in place can help make the season run more smoothly. This week, host Paula Felps talks with Trakida Maldonado, a licensed professional counselor for SonderMind who brings more than a decade of clinical experience to the table. In this episode, Trakida offers actionable advice for navigating common holiday situations with family members, setting boundaries before your holiday gatherings, and how to make the holidays a little bit easier on everyone — no matter what your situation is. In this episode, you'll learn: How to handle family gatherings when your relationships aren’t going well. Managing the expectations of your extended family to make the holidays a positive experience for children. Tips for setting boundaries and managing conflict at gatherings. Links and Resources Website: https://www.sondermind.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SonderMind/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/sonderMind Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sondermind/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sondermind/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSKDPvHeP-30S21iPnQ9Oxw TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@_sondermind Read articles about how to protect your mental health during the holidays here. Follow along with this episode's transcript by clicking here. Don't miss an episode! Live Happy Now is available at the following places:           

This year, as you’re shopping for the perfect holiday gift, why not put forgiveness on your list? It’s always the perfect size, never goes out of style, and it’s also like giving a gift to yourself. This week, host Paula Felps talks with Barbara J. Hunt, a forgiveness specialist, speaker, workshop leader, and bestselling author of Forgiveness Made Easy. Barbara explains how forgiveness is one of the best gifts we can give ourselves and how we can use forgiveness as a practice to help us navigate those often-tricky holiday gatherings. In this episode, you'll learn: Why forgiveness feels so hard. What forgiveness really is — and what it isn’t. How forgiveness can transform relationships. Links and Resources Websites: https://www.forgivenessmadeasy.co.uk & http://www.evolutionarycoaching.co.uk/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barbara_j_hunt/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-j-hunt Twitter: https://twitter.com/barbara_j_hunt YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@barbara_j_hunt FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/barbara.j.hunt.forgiveness Check out Barbara’s book, Forgiveness Made Easy, and download the first two chapters for free. Find out more about The Festive Season Forgiveness Field Masterclass to help practice forgiveness this season. Don't miss an episode! Live Happy Now is available at the following places:           

Studies show that our world is becoming less optimistic, but this week’s guest believes we can change that — and we can start this holiday season. Dr. Emily Bashah is a psychologist whose private practice specializes in mental illness, collective trauma, grief, and relationship dynamics. She’s also co-host of The Optimistic American podcast, where she and Paul Johnson create space for a positive and hopeful view of America and help us feel more optimistic about the future. In this episode, she shares how we can regain our optimism by changing how we think. In this episode, you'll learn: Why we’re feeling less optimistic these days. How to overcome your innate negativity bias and find your optimism. What to keep in mind this holiday season to boost optimism. Links and Resources Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/optamerican Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/optamerican/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/optamerican TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@optamerican YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjt-SVOzbjq7dRGijBIHc-A Websites: https://www.optamerican.com & https://www.bashahpsychological.com/ Check out Emily’s book, Addictive Ideologies: Finding Meaning and Agency When Politics Fail You. Download free self-improvement worksheets here. Don't miss an episode! Live Happy Now is available at the following places:           

For many people, the holiday season marks an increase in anxiety. But this week’s guest explains why that’s not always a bad thing! Dr. David Rosmarin is an associate professor at Harvard Medical School, program director at McLean Hospital, and founder of the Center for Anxiety. He’s also author of the new book, Thriving with Anxiety: 9 Tools to Make Your Anxiety Work for You, and in this episode he talks about why the holidays cause so much anxiety and offers tips for thriving throughout the season (and beyond!). In this episode, you'll learn: The difference between stress and anxiety. How to identify your anxiety triggers so you can manage them. The importance of self-care — especially during times of stress — to reduce anxiety. Links and Resources Instagram: @dhrosmarin X: @dhrosmarin Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/david-h-rosmarin-a019a310 Tiktok: @dhrosmarin Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidHRosmarin Download David’s free guide on changing your relationship with anxiety here. Follow along with this episode’s transcript by clicking here. Don't miss an episode! Live Happy Now is available at the following places:           

 November is National Gratitude Month, and this year, we decided to look at gratitude through a new lens. Host Paula Felps and Social Media Marketing Manager Casey Johnson went on a quest to find fresh new ways to practice gratitude, and in this episode, they share several unique ways to bring gratitude into your life. They’re here to talk about what they found and how these new practices can help improve your well-being — and they even share ways to get the whole family involved. In this episode, you'll learn: Why finding a new way to practice gratitude is a great way to change your daily routine. How to turn gratitude into a game the whole family can play. How to participate in the Live Happy Gratitude Challenge. Links and Resources Facebook: @livehappy Instagram: @mylivehappy Twitter: @livehappy Be sure to visit the Live Happy Store and take 30% off everything when you enter the code GRATITUDE30. Sign up to receive our weekly newsletter. Follow along with this episode's transcript by clicking here. Don't miss an episode! Live Happy Now is available at the following places:           

 Now that we’ve turned back our clocks, it’s time for shorter days — and for many, that also means the onset of seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. This week, host Paula Felps sits down with world-renowned researcher and psychiatrist Norman Rosenthal, the doctor who was instrumental in identifying SAD and also pioneered light therapy as treatment. His new book, Defeating SAD: A Guide to Health and Happiness Through All Seasons, provides a roadmap for beating this disorder and in this episode, he explains how we can better prepare for the next few months. In this episode, you'll learn: How Dr. Norm’s own experiences with seasonal affective disorder inspired him to research it. The role that light plays in seasonal affective disorder. Simple steps you can take to minimize the effects of SAD. Links and Resources Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/normanrosenthal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doctornorman YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/normanrosenthal Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/DoctorNorman Website: https://www.normanrosenthal.com Do you have SAD? Take Dr. Norm’s free quiz to find out! Download a free chapter of Defeating SAD: A Guide to Health and Happiness Through All Seasons book here. Password: defeatsad Follow along with this episode's transcript by clicking here. Don't miss an episode! Live Happy Now is available at the following places:           

 When you’re going on a trip, it’s important to make sure you pack all the essentials. And when you’re starting a journey to well-being, you need to pack the happiness essentials. This week, host Paula Felps talks with Emmy Award-winning television producer, well-being teacher, and author Maria Baltazzi about her new book, Take A Shot at Happiness: How to Write, Direct and Produce the Life You Want. A world traveler who has developed and produced TV shows around the globe, including the hit reality show Survivor, Maria has truly used the planet as an extraordinary classroom. Her book explores the eight happiness essentials she’s discovered and teaches us how we can use them to improve well-being. In this episode, you'll learn: What she considers her three most important Happiness Essentials. Why she created a practice of photo journaling and how to use it for greater well-being. How her work on “Survivor” changed the way she looks at the world. Links and Resources Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariabaltazzi Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariabaltazzi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariabaltazzi/ InsightTimer: https://insighttimer.com/sojournwholebeing Website: https://mariabaltazzi.com/ Follow along with this episode's transcript by clicking here. Don't miss an episode! Live Happy Now is available at the following places: