Strategies for Living
by David C. McMillian, Ph.D. and Lauren Leon McMillian, M.S.
Strategies for Living began in 1992 as a daily radio program on KEEL Radio in Shreveport, Louisiana focusing on Healthy Living in Body, Mind, Spirit, and Relationships. Strategies for Living continues to run Sunday-Friday on KEEL and also now runs weekly on HealthyLife.net hosted by its originator David McMillian, Ph.D. and joined by Psychotherapist Lauren Leon McMillian, M.S. (the two also happen to be married). Strategies for Living refers to guests as LIFE STRATEGISTS. Through the years, Life Strategists have included Don Miguel Ruiz, Neale Donald Walsch, Gary Zukav, Dr. David R. Hawkins, Raymond Moody, Dr. Bruce Lipton, Dr. Eben Alexander, Amit Goswami, Kenny Loggins, Dr. William Glasser, Dr. John Diamond, Dr. Brian Weiss, Claudia Black, Dr. C. Norm Shealey, Julia Cameron, Roger Callahan (TFT), Gary Craig (EFT), Dr. Francine
Episodes
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Ghosts, Spirits, & the Fear of the Unknown with Bess Maxwell
What happens when the things that go bump in the night can't be explained? Paranormal investigator Bess Maxwell of Louisiana Spirits joins David and Lauren for a special Halloween edition of Strategies for Living. From haunted Louisiana landmarks and mysterious shadow figures to an eerie…
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You Don't Have to Be Ready to Recover: The Power of Fellowship
What if recovery begins before you're even ready to quit? Dr. David McMillan and psychotherapist Lauren Leon McMillan welcome W.C. “White Chip” Frank, author of Addicts Anonymous and How Do You Don't?, for an honest conversation about addiction recovery, sobriety, and the transformative power of...
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Beyond the Black Dog: Addiction, Recovery, & the Stories We Tell with Erica Kent
What happens when addiction becomes part of our story, but doesn't have to define who we are? On Strategies for Living, Dr. David McMillan and psychotherapist Lauren Leon McMillan welcome author Erica Kent to discuss her powerful novel Black Dog, a coming-of-age story exploring addiction, loss,...
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Triggered! What Your Emotional Reactions Are Trying to Tell You
Why do certain situations push our buttons? From criticism and rejection to conflict, perfectionism, and people-pleasing, our emotional triggers often reveal more than we realize. Join Dr. David McMillian, psychotherapists Lauren Leon McMillian and Jay Murrell on Strategies for Living as they...
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Putting the UNITY in Community: Art, Music, Movement, & Making a Difference
What happens when art, music, martial arts, and community spirit come together? Dr. David McMillian and psychotherapist Lauren Leon McMillian welcome Wendy Benscoter of Shreveport Common, martial artist and visual artist Diego Carrizales, and DJ Cade Alex to explore the power of creativity,...
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She Ran an Empire in Secret: The Remarkable Story of Rose Knox with Rachel Greenfield
Before women could vote, Rose Knox was quietly running a national business—and transforming it. Historian and author Rachel Greenfield joins Dr. David McMillan and psychotherapist Lauren Leon McMillan to explore her book, Rose Knox: How One Woman Mixed Kitchen and Boardroom to Remold an American...
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5 Jungian Questions to Reveal Your True Self
What if the parts of yourself you've been avoiding hold the key to your greatest growth? Inspired by five thought-provoking questions associated with Carl Jung, Dr. David McMillian, Lauren Leon McMillian, and psychotherapist Jay Murrell explore shadow work, self-awareness, shame, fear of failure,...
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The Dark History of Psychiatry and the Minds We Misunderstand
What happens when society decides which minds are normal and which are not? Author Susanne Paola Antonetta joins Dr. David McMillian and psychotherapist Lauren Leon McMillian to explore her book The Devil's Castle, uncovering the disturbing connections between Nazi eugenics, American psychiatric...
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Psychology Tricks That Actually Work: The Power of Staying Calm
What if the most powerful psychology tricks aren't about controlling others, but understanding yourself? Dr. David McMillian and psychotherapists Lauren Leon McMillian and Jay Murrell explore practical psychology strategies for emotional regulation, healthy boundaries, recognizing manipulation…
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The Life Your Soul Is Seeking with Doreen Mary Bray
What if your life isn’t something that simply happened to you, but an experience your soul came here to live? David and Lauren welcome mystic, naturopath, teacher, and author Doreen Mary Bray for a fascinating exploration of soul choice, embodiment, spiritual awakening, and the deeper purpose...
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Around the World in 42 Days: Science, Faith, & the Search for Truth
Can science and faith tell different parts of the same human story? Dr. Imogene Drakes, author of Around the World in 42 Days, joins David and Lauren to explore ancient mysteries, mythology, religion, history, and the search for truth. From the Galápagos and Machu Picchu to Egypt, Stonehenge, and...
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Success Doesn’t Have an Expiration Date with Chad Betz
What if the success you’ve been chasing no longer fits who you are? Life strategist and An Authentic Success author Chad Betz joins David and Lauren to explore reinvention, overcoming fear and complacency, escaping sunk-cost thinking, and redefining success on your own terms. Discover why you…
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Loving a Wounded Earth: Nature Spirituality & the Environmental Crisis
What happens to our spiritual relationship with nature when the natural world itself is wounded? Philosopher and author Dr. Roger S. Gottlieb joins David and Lauren to explore nature spirituality, environmental crisis, eco-psychology, grief, gratitude, and our connection to the more-than-human...
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Lessons in Becoming Yourself
What does it really mean to become yourself? David, Lauren, and Jay explore self-discovery, authenticity, boundaries, people-pleasing, projection, self-trust, and the sometimes uncomfortable work of healing. From recognizing the mirrors life keeps placing in front of us to learning that “no” can…
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Questions That Quietly Shift Everything
What if the right question could quietly change the direction of your life? David, Lauren, and Jay explore powerful questions for self-awareness, mindfulness, personal growth, boundaries, authenticity, and intentional living: from “What actually deserves my energy right now?” to “When I’m 80…
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Remember More, Carry Less: Healing Across Lifetimes with Alla Kaluzhny
Could fears, relationship patterns, and even physical responses have roots beyond this lifetime? Marriage and family therapist and spiritual psychologist Alla Kaluzhny, author of Turning the Pages, joins David and Lauren to explore past lives, reincarnation, intuition, and healing across…
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The ADHDer’s Guide to Self-Discovery with Sol Smith
What if ADHD isn’t something to overcome, but something to understand? Sol Smith, author of The ADHDer’s Guide to Self-Discovery, joins David and Lauren to explore ADHD through a neuro-affirming lens. They talk late diagnosis, masking and identity, executive function, dopamine and motivation,...
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Oh, the Frogs We Kiss: Love, Red Flags, & Starting Over with Dr. Victoria Vaughn
What can dating teach us about self-love, authenticity, red flags, and knowing when to walk away? Dr. Victoria Vaughn, author of Oh, the Frogs I Kissed Before I Finally Found My Prince, joins David and Lauren for a candid, funny conversation about dating after divorce, starting over later in…
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20 Sentences That Could Change Your Life
Can a single sentence change the way you see your life? David, Lauren, and Jay Murrell explore 20 thought-provoking ideas about change, self-worth, boundaries, fear, motivation, relationships, mortality, and living in the present. They challenge the easy answers, add some important nuance, and...
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Why Are Good Teachers Leaving? with Dr. Deanna Gilmore
Why are so many good teachers leaving the classroom? Dr. Deanna Gilmore, educator and author of There’s a Pig on the Playground, joins David and Lauren to explore teacher burnout, pay, classroom autonomy, standardized testing, and the challenges of retaining experienced educators. Plus, they look...
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Show Them: Stepping Into the Unknown with Dr. Glen Robison
What can a near-death experience teach a doctor about healing, and about life? Dr. Glen Robison, author of Show Them: Stepping into the Unknown to Find the Answers, joins David and Lauren to share his remarkable journey from childhood health struggles and academic setbacks to medicine, holistic...
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More Than a Movie: Community, Connection, & the Robinson Film Center
Wendell Riley, executive director of Shreveport’s Robinson Film Center, joins David and Lauren to explore the power of film, music, storytelling, and community. They preview a special evening with Manhattan Transfer founding member Laurel Masse, including a live performance and her documentary…
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Raise Your EQ: The Do’s and Don’ts of Emotional Intelligence
What does it really mean to be emotionally intelligent, and can we get better at it? David McMillian, Lauren Leon McMillian, and Jay Murrell explore the do’s and don’ts of emotional intelligence, from active listening, self-awareness, and empathy to conflict resolution, emotional regulation,...
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34 Years of Strategies for Living: Past, Present, & Future
Strategies for Living celebrates 34 years on the air! David and Lauren look back at how a simple idea to blend radio, counseling, and the exploration of human behavior became more than three decades of “radio rehab.” From the show’s beginnings in 1992 to today’s changing world of technology…
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Relaxing on the Red: Healing Ourselves, Healing Our Community
What happens when wellness becomes a community experience? David and Lauren welcome massage therapist and Relaxing on the Red organizer Lucretia Humphrey, along with Dr. Stacie Slabaugh of Restore Healing, to explore therapeutic touch, mind-body awareness, and the healing power of connection....
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Flipping the Iceberg: What’s Really Beneath Your Relationships with Charisse Walker
What’s really happening beneath the surface of your relationships? Author and relationship strategist Charisse Walker joins David and Lauren to explore Flipping the Iceberg—the hidden beliefs, childhood experiences, emotional triggers, patterns, and expectations we bring into love. Discover why...
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The Braided Prescription: Small Rituals, Big Impact with Dr. Beth Ricanati
Strategies for Living welcomes physician and author Dr. Beth Ricanati to explore The Braided Prescription and the surprising wisdom found in the ancient ritual of making challah. Discover how simple, intentional practices can reduce stress, cultivate mindfulness, embrace imperfection, strengthen...
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From Strength to Strength: Finding Purpose in the Second Half of Life
What If Getting Older Is the Point? What if aging isn't about losing who you were, but discovering what you're becoming? David, Lauren, and Jay Murrell explore ideas from Arthur C. Brooks' From Strength to Strength, including the shift from fluid to crystallized intelligence, redefining success,...
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Dicks I've Met Online: Dating, Desire, and Discovering Yourself
What happens when online dating becomes less about finding someone else, and more about finding yourself? Author Bren Merrick joins David and Lauren to discuss Dicks I’ve Met Online, her candid, funny and deeply personal journey through midlife, marriage, online dating, intimacy and the search…
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What Is Your Body Trying to Tell You? with Marcel Vögeli
What if the body is communicating something we’ve learned to ignore? David and Lauren talk with Marcel Vögeli, legacy voice for Christiane Beerland’s The Key to Self-Liberation, about the mind-body connection, psychosomatics, chronic illness, emotional patterns, and learning to approach symptoms...
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The Friend Machine: Can AI Replace Human Connection
Can artificial intelligence ease loneliness, or could frictionless AI relationships change what it means to connect? David and Lauren explore Victoria Hetherington’s The Friend Machine: On the Trail of AI Companionship, examining AI companions, relationships, therapy, grief, intimacy and the...
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Woo-Woo...or Science? Ideas We Used to Dismiss
What if some of the ideas we once dismissed as “woo-woo” deserve a second look? David, Lauren and Jay explore the fascinating intersection of ancient wisdom, psychology and modern science: from auras and the biofield to sound healing, gratitude, intuition, chanting and the psychology of “acting…
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When Love Leaves You Confused: Recognized Narcissistic Abuse
Narcissism and gaslighting have become social-media buzzwords, but what does narcissistic abuse actually look like? David and Lauren talk with Dr. Valerie Sussman, author of Love, Lies, and Narcissists in Disguise, about covert narcissism, love bombing, gaslighting, emotional abuse and the subtle...
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Rewiring the Brain: The Promise of TMS Therapy
What if treating depression could begin by changing the way the brain itself functions? David and Lauren talk with Kathryn Thomas and Benita Collard of Neurostem about Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS): a non-invasive approach to mental health treatment. Discover how TMS works, its…
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Psychology Lessons We All Need to Know
What if a few simple psychology lessons could change the way you experience your life? David, Lauren and Jay explore practical truths about the mind, from recognizing that thoughts aren’t facts and feelings are temporary to setting healthy boundaries, changing your self-talk, letting go of...
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Uncomfortable Truths About Your Health
What if taking care of your health began long before a diagnosis? David and Lauren explore some uncomfortable truths about diet, exercise, chronic disease, stress, inflammation and our modern “sick care” system. From reading food labels to understanding how everyday lifestyle choices influence…
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Finding Common Ground: Rediscovering the Treasures of Shreveport
What happens when a community chooses to see possibility instead of problems? Shreveport Common Executive Director Wendy Benscoter joins David and Lauren to explore the remarkable arts-led revitalization of one of Shreveport’s historic neighborhoods. From creative placemaking and historic...
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From Fear to Flow: Getting Out of Your Own Way with Tom Roberts
What if flow isn’t something you have to find or happen into, but something already within you waiting to be uncovered? Performance and transformation coach Tom Roberts, author of From Fear to Flow, joins David and Lauren alongside Dr. Kenneth Sanders to explore how fear, ego and our need for...
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Things We Need to Unlearn: Letting Go of the Beliefs That Hold Us Back
What if personal growth isn’t only about what we need to learn, but what we need to unlearn? David and Lauren welcome psychotherapist Jay Murrell for a conversation about the beliefs and coping strategies that may once have protected us but now keep us stuck. From our need for control and…
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The Healing Power of Story: Helping Kids Understand Their Health with Ken Korber
What if a children’s story could help a child become healthier, safer, and more confident? Health literacy expert and children’s author Ken Korber joins David and Lauren to explore how storytelling, reading, and music can help children understand their health and become active participants in…
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From Trauma to Triumph: Mastering the TPS Blueprint with Darius Ross
Can trauma become the foundation for transformation? David and Lauren sit down with entrepreneur, author, and community leader Darius Alexander “DMan” Ross, author of Mastering the TPS Blueprint: Transforming Trauma into Triumph. From homelessness and violence to entrepreneurship and success,...
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Hobbies That Rewire Your Brain: What Are You Practicing?
What if the things you do for fun are actually shaping who you become? David and Lauren explore surprising hobbies that may help rewire the brain and mind: from mirror gazing and reverse journaling to imaginary world-building, auditing your social media feed, and hunting for patterns in your own...
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How to Stay Madly in Love: Brain-Based Habits That Keep Love Alive
What keeps some couples madly in love decades after the honeymoon phase? David and Lauren explore the neuroscience of lasting love and the brain-based habits that help relationships thrive. From novelty, physical touch and shared rituals to gratitude, curiosity, eye contact and growing together,...
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Woo-Woo Habits...But What If They Work?
In this episode, we lean all the way into the “woo woo” to explore practices that might be more powerful than they sound. From talking to your body and connecting with your future and younger selves to gratitude, intention-setting, ritual, energy clearing, and listening to the subconscious,...
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Good Grief: The Types of Grief We Don’t Talk About
Grief isn’t only about death. We grieve relationships, identities, unrealized futures, major changes, and sometimes even feel relief alongside loss. In this episode, David and Lauren explore the often-overlooked forms of grief, including ambiguous, delayed, identity, anticipatory, dismissed,...
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Hypnotic Tuning: Helping Your Mind and Nervous System Heal Together
What if lasting healing begins by calming your nervous system? In this episode of Strategies for Living, Dr. David McMillian and psychotherapist Lauren Leon McMillian welcome Dr. Stacie Slabaugh of Restore Healing to introduce Hypnotic Tuning, an innovative approach that combines clinical…
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The Questions Everyone Has About Sex (But Rarely Asks): A Therapist's Perspective
Sex is one of the most common topics people bring into therapy, and one of the least talked about openly. In this episode of Strategies for Living, Dr. David McMillian and psychotherapist Lauren Leon McMillian explore the questions clients ask most often about healthy sexuality, including libido,...
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Rewiring Your Mind: The Perspective Shifts That Can Change Your Life
Can a single shift in perspective change your entire life? In this episode of Strategies for Living, Dr. David McMillian and Lauren Leon McMillian explore powerful insights inspired by Saxon Kent that challenge the way we think about trauma, purpose, relationships, stress, and inner peace.…
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Emotionally Regulated People: How They Think, Respond, and Find Peace
What does it mean to be emotionally regulated, and why does it matter? In this episode of Strategies for Living, Dr. David McMillian and psychotherapist Lauren Leon McMillian explore how emotionally healthy people think, respond, and navigate life's challenges. Discover practical grounding...
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Running with Lions: Dr. Pius Kamau on Resilience, Purpose, and the Power of Education
How does a boy growing up under colonial rule in Kenya become a world-renowned thoracic surgeon? Dr. Pius Kamau shares his extraordinary journey of overcoming poverty, racism, and impossible odds, revealing how resilience, education, compassion, and purpose can transform a life. Inspired by his...
About this show
Strategies for Living began in 1992 as a daily radio program on KEEL Radio in Shreveport, Louisiana focusing on Healthy Living in Body, Mind, Spirit, and Relationships. Strategies for Living continues to run Sunday-Friday on KEEL and also now runs weekly on HealthyLife.net hosted by its originator David McMillian, Ph.D. and joined by Psychotherapist Lauren Leon McMillian, M.S. (the two also happen to be married). Strategies for Living refers to guests as LIFE STRATEGISTS.
Through the years, Life Strategists have included Don Miguel Ruiz, Neale Donald Walsch, Gary Zukav, Dr. David R. Hawkins, Raymond Moody, Dr. Bruce Lipton, Dr. Eben Alexander, Amit Goswami, Kenny Loggins, Dr. William Glasser, Dr. John Diamond, Dr. Brian Weiss, Claudia Black, Dr. C. Norm Shealey, Julia Cameron, Roger Callahan (TFT), Gary Craig (EFT), Dr. Francine
Hosted by
David C. McMillian, Ph.D. and Lauren Leon McMillian, M.S.
Categories