OTR - Achieving Mental Health for Real

This is a special episode explaining in detail the new changes coming up for OTR, if you want them. We are implementing a community forum and a quarterly blog for all in Real Plus. This is being done for three reasons. First to develop a community around healing from any Mental health condition and thriving. I think it’s important as we grow together to achieve Mental Health for Real. Secondly, to get direct input through a community forum and suggestion box that will make the show what the listener wants. And lastly to grow the show so we ca...

Meet Jenn Robb—author, coach, wife, and fiercely devoted mom. With over 20 years in acute care medicine and certifications in functional and integrative approaches, Jenn brings both clinical expertise and lived compassion to her work.

She’s the author of Warrior Mom Rising, a raw and powerful account of her journey through her teen daughter’s severe anxiety, depression, and trauma. Through that fire, Jenn discovered that true healing often doesn’t come from a prescription—it comes from purpose, from community, and from knowing you’re not alone. She wears many hats, but at the center of it all is...

Dale Walsh has faced—and transcended—one of the most formidable mental health challenges: schizophrenia. His journey from the depths of psychosis to a place of clarity and purpose informs every aspect of his work. Through his unique "inside-out" perspective, Dale coaches families of individuals living with serious mental illness, helping them bridge emotional gaps and navigate their daily challenges with empathy and strength.

Dale creates a nonjudgmental space for those often referred to as the “forgotten victims of mental illness”—the family members, caregivers, and loved ones who struggle to maintain connection. His method, called LIVELOVE (Learn–Inte...

In this compelling conversation, Andy Y. West shares her journey from debilitating long COVID and cognitive decline to full recovery—achieved by hacking the dopamine reward system through intentional, science-backed habits. Drawing from her acclaimed books Planet Dopamine, Dopamine Mountain, and Anhedonia Wastelands, Andy explains how we can retrain our brains to produce dopamine naturally and safely in our life's and replace harmful coping mechanisms like self-harm, anger, alcohol and drugs which many people use to produce dopamine without even knowing why that temporally produces dopamine.

We explore:

- The neurobiology of dopamine and how it...

This episode, as Becky Mccoy might say ,is not for the faint hearted. It takes a hard look a everyone's fear, death of our love ones. This is a realty of live that we need to be able to handle and somehow move on. If you are grieving or know someone that is you may find this episode useful on your journey.

Becky L McCoy is an engaging writer and speaker on spiritual formation who helps women who are disillusioned with their faith bravely face difficult life circumstances with tenderness. Becky speaks from experience, but is relatable...

Juan Espinoza is a veteran, author, and fighter who has overcome extraordinary challenges, from the scars of war both on and off the battlefield, to personal betrayal and heartbreak. With a background that spans military service, personal resilience, and navigating life’s toughest battles, Juan has turned his experiences into powerful lessons about strength, perseverance, and the unbreakable human spirit.

His book "Unbroken: Turning Pain into Purpose" – A journey of resilience, redemption, and transformation"" talks about his journey where he learned how to turn adversity into growth, heartbreak into purpose, and setbacks into stepping stones.

As a...

This is a can't miss. My special guest is Bob Martin a Certified Meditation teacher with an MSW (Master of Social Work) to go with his JD (Juris Doctor). He has helped hundreds redesign their thinking for the life they dream of.

Bob is a published author and Professor of Wellness at Elon University, Bob blends Taoist wisdom, brain science, psychology, and humor to tackle everything from breaking free of limiting beliefs to finding clarity and resilience in life’s chaos.

In this episode Bob lays out how meditation really works and other great information.

Join me in my interview with Dr. Kristen Williamson—licensed professional counselor, neurodivergent advocate, and proud ringleader of a “neurospicy” family. Her life is a whirlwind of late-night epiphanies, busting mental health myths, and finding joy in the chaos of navigating autism, ADHD, and parenting kids who keep her on her toes. She has always felt like she was dancing to her own beat—but nobody gave her the playlist. It wasn’t until adulthood that she discovered she was neurodivergent, and suddenly, her quirks and challenges made sense. That “ah-ha” moment didn’t just change her life—it gave her a mission...

Join the Conversation with Two Badasses in Mental Health Issues

In this episode, I sit down with Justine Rodes, host of the popular podcast Mentally A Bad Ass, for a no-holds-barred discussion about mental health topics.

Justine shares her journey with Bipolar II and how she’s learned to manage it, while also reflecting on her experiences growing up with a mother who faced her own mental health challenges. We dive into a range of important topics, including anger management, ADHD, recovery strategies, and other critical aspects of mental health.

As always, I ta...

Can it be true? Dyslexic and ADHDer David Chalk claims it's the real deal and I believe him. He is giving his Beta program away free if you sign up, at ReadingRoad.ai.

David was on the documentary "The Truth About Reading" (streaming on TUBI) where he was taught how to read faster and comprehend more. I dare Dyslectics to watch this documentary without crying. He went from reading 1 book a year to reading easily 20 books a month.

Listen to David's miraculous story about becoming a commercial airline pilot after being bullied in school and...

Join me as I talk with Dr. Fredric Schiffer about his new book. Goodbye Anxiety, Depression, Addiction & PTSD: The Life-Changing Science of Dual-Brain Psychology. Dr. Fredric Schiffer is a sought-after public speaker, best-selling author, psychiatrist and part-time assistant professor at Harvard.

Dr. Schiffer has a wealth of experience in psychiatry. He has been studying the relationship between past traumas, cerebral laterality, depression and anxiety. He has tremendous knowledge of Dual-Brain Psychology techniques.

Through his groundbreaking work as founder of the Dual-Brain Psychology Institute, he discovered that the brain is made up of two minds which...

This is a important episode. Khushboo Chabria and I have a discussion on the inclusion of Neurodivergents in society, especially in the workplace and education. That neurodiversity, like ADHD and Autism is not a mental disorder. Each person is important and desires accommodations for the type of brain that were born with.

Khushboo Chabria is a dynamic neurodiversity specialist, career coach, and mental health advocate who's reshaping how organizations embrace nuerodistinct talent. She is coauthor of the book "Neurodiversity for Dummies" and wrote the entire chapter on ADHD.

Through her work with Neurodiversity Pathways at...

Today’s guest is Helen Sernett, host of the podcast Sleep lists. She is a Sleep and Wellness Enthusiast. Her podcast reads a list of items usually in numerical, chronological, or alphabetical order that are all part of the same category. Simple but effective and she hopes no one gets to the end of the show.

If you’re still awake at the end , she suggests some ideas for drifting off to sleep. Helen suggests stringing a few episodes together if you need a little more time to drift off to dreamland. Six episodes per season, each seas...

The episode of Real “The best of OTR – Achieving Mental Health for Real”. Part 4 covers the year 2023. At the end of this year we will have a "Best Of years 2024 and 2025. Stay tuned for a message about moving forward with season ten at the end.

Nicole Kerr's Links from episode titled Deathless -The hope you are looking For" :

Book: https://www.amazon.com/You-Are-Deathless-Near-Death-nce/dp/B0B92CH4KN

Website: https://www.nicolekerr.com/?fbclid=IwAR3zmTPYKzOEiTvhePhGRCYAgYORlVyJzgR_1DpGR44n_OsaUWDvf25wEHo

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/nicoleangeliquekerr/

Instagram: https://www.in...

Meet Natalie Bedard (NatNat) an Energy healing Specialist: Regulating the Nervous System & Relieving Emotional & Mental Pain Transforming Anxiety into Empowerment through her brand LiftOneSelf.

Natalie has been a guest on several podcasts where she spoke about the importance of well-being and self-care. It is crucial to expand our self-awareness and understand our biology.

She believes that everyone is unique, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to self-care.

This is a very special episode as NatNat analyzes yours truly. I talk and cry about the demons that whisper negative thoughts into my head. I...

The episode of Real “the best of OTR – Achieving Mental Health for Real”. Part 3 covers the remaining part of 2021 and all of 2022.

There will be a fourth and final Real episode to premier on Christmas day along with all parts of the series live on YouTube and Facebook live.

Here are the websites for all the guests on part 3. Enjoy.

Gigi Langer's Sites (Beating Anxiety, Depression and Addiction with Dr. Gigi Langer's Four Strategies ):

Book: “50 Ways to Worry Less Now  or  https://www.amazon.com/s?k=50+ways+to+worry+less+now&crid=1...

Meet Anneke Elmhirst, a very interesting person who deals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). I still think the diagnosis of ADHD is wrongly named since you don’t have to be Hyperactive. Also, I believe ADHD is just a different type of brain that has it’s advantages like hyperfocus and thinking out of the box. It is only a disorder from the viewpoint of the neurotypical. Anneke also thinks she has some Autistic symptoms.

Find out how Anneke helps herself with her lack of focus and concentration.

She also does virtual counseling for neur...

Come Join us for the second part of Real “the best of OTR – Achieving Mental Health for Real”. Part 2 picks up the remaining episodes of 2020 and the first part of 2021. This information packed episode brings you practical advice on how you can recover from any mental health conditions.

I like to dedicate this Real series to my guest in 2020 Dr. Allyson Boodram MD (Pediatrician). She died with lung cancer in 2022 caused by the 9/11 tragedy 21 years later from working in the toxic environment as a nurse.

I hope you can relate and get information and inspiration to sta...

This episode we talk to Doctor Cristina Castagnini who fully recovered from an eating disorder and now gives personal and professional perspectives about struggles with food, weight, and body image. She has 25 years of clinical experience as a licensed psychologist and certified eating disorder specialist.

This is a mental health issue that doesn’t get talked about enough. You hear about women and men, especially teens, who suffer in silence. Some do not get any treatment at all, until its too late.

Not eating or binge eating are serous conditions. They could well lead to or...

Best of OTR-Achieving Mental Health for Real and also the 100th episode of the show. This is part one and covers the first half of 2020. The rest of the year will be in part two which premiers on the last week of September. This installment covers top rated show including Brett Steven’s episodes for the Book Crossover. Also clips from Gigi Langer with “50 ways to worry less now”

Note: The whooshing sound you hear begins the next clip.

Also included are clip from another favorite Garage Talk Talks and the popular episode on Apple “Angela”...

Dominika Staniewicz is my guest today. She is an amazingly accomplished woman who gives back to society her gift of healing. Dominka originally received an MS in sociology and education and worked as a successful career coach in Europe. However, despite her professional success, she felt unfulfilled and out of place. When she lost her 16-month-old son and struggled with depression and low self-esteem, she became trapped in a negative mindset and believed that the world was against her due to her inability to cope with the trauma.

She realized that it was not possible for everything...

Meet Darlene Greene, Co-Author of the Best-Selling Book "Become Empowered - Echoes of Grace and Strength”. Darlene is a retired navy commander with over twenty-six years of executive leadership and senior management across many diverse industries.

Darlene is focused on helping people optimize their physical and emotional health without drugs or pharmaceuticals.

She advocates for a new type of method for healing the mind and body called photo biomodulation technology which involves stem cell repair of DNA.

Is this type of treatment real? And could it treat Mental Health, Alzheimer’s and other heal...

In this episode, Krystal Clark shares her story of her molestation at the age of seven from her cousin who was even younger. This abuse and the shame she felt triggered her Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) later in life.

Krystal Clark is now doing well in her recovery. She is an Author, Blogger, Life Coach, Public Speaker, and Data Management Professional.

Krystal has published several books including a Fantasy Fiction book called “Balance Of Power” which chronicles the mental toll trauma can take. Krystal also has a podcast called ‘Moving with Meaning-The Podcast’ in which sh...

Meet Kat Kennan who is recovering and doing well with CPSTD. Kat was sexually abused at a very young age and took abuse from her brother while growing up. She is a passionate advocate for trauma survivors, leading her to establish the PTS/C-PTS advocacy organization, “Stand Up to Trauma”. Through this organization, she enables others to heal and thrive beyond their traumatic experiences.

Come join us as we talk about how her company teaches “Brand Empathy”. We also talk about “Cancel Culture”, CPTSD/PTSD, and of course the recovery from CPTSD.

On a Personal Note,

...

Meet Ryan Winter, a French Cajun author born and raised near the city of New Orleans. He tells his story of depression which seems to be a mixture of heredity and the misfortunes that occurred in his life, including Hurricane Katrina.

He is an experienced Freelance Writer with a demonstrated history of working in the writing and editing industry. Ryan is skilled in Film Production, Linguistics, Creative Writing, and Short Films.

He describes his childhood, which he felt was free of any signs of depression. I found it interesting that, like me, his mental health...

Meet Kristof Morrow, a 34-year-old Navy veteran, an award winning journalist/photographer author of literary work "The Second Sun," which already sold more than 13 hundred copies . “Second Sun,” went viral on TikTok in June and it is recommended reading in university classes studying literature.

Life gave no freebies to Kristof. Growing up, his parents viciously abused him daily.

In the Navy, at the age of 18, he showed symptoms of an affliction he would discover years later was a rare type of Tourette Syndrome (TS), a condition of the nervous system. TS causes people to have “tics”...

In this episode I speak to Laura Giles a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who is a Shadow Worker and Coach. She also hosts the podcast “Modern Animism Radio, a holistic spiritual path.”

Laura uses holistic methods to help people remember what it means to be a part of nature and connect our healthy, authentic selves to others and the world.

She has spent her career in trauma work and has discovered that the way forward is by going through the dark, ugly hurt of the past. As we release the negative programs that AREN'T us, our...

In this episode we talk with Dr Mark Weisman about spirituality and how that relates to Mental Health conditions like PTSD and ADHD. Dr. Mark is Known as the "Alaska Ulfhednar". If you don’t know what that is he explains how he got the title.

Mark has worked with hundreds of "friends" (he calls them) to help them find a path to recovery from many different mental health challenges. Primarily working with former members of the military both in the US and abroad to build futures through the darkness of PTSD, he uses the simplicity of hi...

Today I talk with Kathern Berg. She is an alternative health practitioner--A classical homeopath with over 20 years of experience. She specializes in working with people who are struggling with PTSD or CPTSD and, because it seems to appear along with PTSD, she also helps people with long held grief. She has a lot of stories to tell of clients who have recovered from PTSD using Classical Homeopathy.

Kathryn studied at the Northwestern Academy of Homeopathy to learn how to solve health problems. She is the owner of Lotus Homeopathy, Inc. and a Certified Classical Homeopath.

...

In this episode we talk with a special guest. Her name is Phyllis E. Leavitt, and she is a psychotherapist with over 30 years of working extensively with individual and family dysfunction and abuse. We talk about what’s in her new book called “America in Therapy: A New Approach to Hope and Healing For A Nation In Crisis”, in which she talks about the urgency to bring our whole country to therapy in a way never written about before. Which is critically important if we want to make this world a better place for real. Especially In the times we liv...

In this episode i speak with Kattie Lail, who works on the coaching team for a nonprofit organization called Face It Together. Face it Together provides personalized, nonjudgmental peer coaching for those impacted by addiction, including loved ones.

Don't miss the streaming of our next episode "America in Therapy" on Christmas Day all day on a loop live on the OTR YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChEYTddPDUaiZbFliit1r5Q

Kattie grew up in a home with addiction She was exposed to meth at a very young age. Both her parents struggled with...

My guest is Amanda Blackwood. She is a survivor of human trafficking who is now an accomplished artist and author, public speaker, podcast host, and trauma recovery mentor. Despite the numerous challenges she faced, she was able to emerge stronger with the help of her faith. Amanda has shared her story on various platforms such as international summits and radio programs and has published over a dozen books. Her two main podcasts seek to provide insights into healing from trauma. Always looking for a way to help, a portion of every book Amanda sells will go to help fight...

My guest is Dr. Leslie Dobson. She is a forensic and clinical psychologist who has worked in very dangerous environments throughout the years.

Dr. Dobson has spent over 20 years in the assessment and treatment of mental health disorders in individual and group therapy, and criminal and civil law.

She now has a private practice, using her education and training from working in a prison, a state mental hospital, and treating high-risk sex offenders just released from prison as a psychologist. She works today mostly with first responders like police and fireman with PTSD and testifies...

Come with me as I chat with Suzanne Jean Director of Fit4Defense who conceived and now operates PowerED, a holistic life program that inspires confidence in participants to be heard, safe in the community and free from abuse through assertive communication and self-defense. The life-changing transformations she witnessed while teaching PowerED inspired her to write her powerful book, “Bullying Stops Here,” in which she shares the true stories of persons who converted fear into confidence, self-reliance, and positive action through the skills acquired in the program.

The program provides information and techniques to gain life and lead...

Today I speak with Michelle Shekhinah author of the book “From the Floor to the Door”. This is the first in a series about domestic violence which is a big problem that goes silent when a person Is trapped and dependent in a relationship.

In 1997, Michelle married who she thought was her fairytale, knight in shining armor. After having a successful business and 2 children, she was a stay-at-home Mom for many years in suburbia.

In 2014, her life started to unravel. Things escalated quickly, and the next thing she knew, she was being sexually abused by her...

In this episode I speak with Elle O'Flaherty about the many issues of ADHD. Ellie talks about ADHDer’s need for fun and gives a lot of great advice on how to make the life of a person with ADHD easier and how we can come to terms with the issue. She talks about practical actions you can take to lighten the load. Find out what happens to people that reveal their ADHD to their employer.

Elle O’Flaherty is an executive coach and performance optimization speaker with a subspecialty in ADHD coaching. Her specialty is presenting seri...

This may be the most important episode of the series. Find out about Ketamine treatment and how safe it is. What is it like to go through a Ketamine treatment. What are the dangers to look out for in the many websites that promise treatment remotely, is that safe? These treatments could have rare side effects.

Dr Theodore A. Henderson MD, PhD is president and founder of Neuro-Luminance Inc, which is bringing revolutionary treatments to bear upon traumatic brain injury, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, post-COVID fatigue syndrome, and other brain disorders. He holds three patents and three pa...

Sometimes depression can be treated with a holistic approach. Today I would like to introduce you to an innovative way to do just that.

My guest today is Dashama Morgan. She is an award winning, internationally known Author, Joy ologist, Yoga Teacher, and creator of bestselling online courses, the global 30-Day Yoga Challenge, multiple books and 33 Yoga DVDs. She founded the Flow State Institute (FSI) in response to the growing demand for her unique system of yoga and healing. Through STI, Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga School, she certifies 200, 300, 500 and 1000 hour Flow State yoga teachers around the world.<...

This is a special episode that examines the untruth - lies. We look at how lies are so prevalent, especially in today’s world. And how they can distract you from the truth. I talk about my belief that truth = love = God. We examine each type of lie from a white lie to Justification. I believe that living truthfully with yourself and WITH others can help your mental health immensely. How the US is so polarized politically as the news shows spout propaganda, a lie. How people may lie to themselves. I was originally hoping to get this out fo...

If alcohol has power over your life, get your life back. Join me as I talk to Crystal Fedeli who helps you on your road to recovery from alcohol addiction.  If you have not been able to stop cold turkey, then this episode is a must listen.

Even though Crystal works with women, everyone can still benefit from the information in this episode.

If alcohol is wreaking havoc in your life, find out: