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All Episodes

Behind Beautiful Things — 210 episodes · page 2 of 3

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Title
101

Gen: Adoption and Life Running on Two Streams | 111

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102

Qin Sun Stubis (Part II of II): Coming of Age Under Crushing Poverty During the Chinese Cultural Revolution | 110

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103

Qin Sun Stubis (Part I of II): Her Family’s History during the Great Chinese Famine | 109

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104

Kevin and returning guest Nikki discuss his progress with NLP Treatment | 108

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105

Terry: Put the Guns Down | 107

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106

Samantha: 9/11 and Post Traumatic Growth & Resilience | 106

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107

Miss Liz: TEA (Teaching Educational Awareness) | 105

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108

Bella: A High Control Group, Tragedy, and Feeling Better Naturally | 104

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109

John: Where Doctrines End and People Begin | 103

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110

Asif: Depression, Anxiety, and Autonomy (Part II of II) | 102

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111

Asif: Family, Adolescence, and Creative Outlets (Part I of II) | 101

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112

Cebastian: Self Sufficiency & Tragedy | 100

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113

T Brown: Coercive Control and Creative Expression | 99

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114

Sam: Comedy as Empathy | 98

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115

Nick: Creativity and Mental Health Struggles in a Small Town | 97

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116

JT’s Sad Salve: Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace | 96

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117

Erich’s Sad Salve: Heavy Metal Music | 95

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118

Rodney: His Journey as a Counselor and Doctor | 94

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119

ROUNDTABLE: Kaet, Allison, and Michael Discuss Conception, Pregnancy Loss, and Childbirth | 93

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120

Nikki: Emotions, The Subconscious, and Neuro-Chemical Reactions | 92

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121

Our Host Kevin is Interviewed! | 91

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122

Dr. Kathryn Smerling: Learning to Play Again | 90

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123

Will: Vulnerability and Normalizing the Conversation | 89

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124

Kim: Teaching and the Unconventional Path | 88

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125

Jess: Don’t Push the Panic Button | 87

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126

Justin: Righteous Rage and Self Discovery | 86

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127

Brandon Stosuy: Sad Happens | 85

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128

David Essel: Spirituality is About Service | 84

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129

Maggie: Our Thoughts Dictate Our Emotions | 83

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130

Bre: “High Control” Religious Groups, how they split families, and How Bre has Recovered | 82

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131

Renee: Fighting for Custody: Renee on her Custody Blueprint, preparing parents for courtroom battles, and her extensive domestic violence advocacy | 81

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132

Empowering Women: Mimi on her chaotic early life, the abuse she endured during and after a marriage, and the work she does today to help women be heard and empowered | 80

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133

Almost Killed by the Taliban: Masuda on being forced to leave her home country because of war, her family’s courageous journey to the United States, and how participating as Ms Afghanistan in a World Beauty pageant put her life at risk | 79

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134

Merle's Journey: Overcoming Trauma, Navigating a 19-Year Relationship, and Setting Energetic Boundaries | 78

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135

From Trauma to Healing: Brad on his role growing up in his family, his misdiagnosis and overmedication, and his spiritual awakening and healing | 77

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136

Resilience, the Art of Bouncing Forward: Lisa on her mental health struggles as a young mother, the unimaginable loss her family suffered, and her journey towards resilience | 76

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137

Getting Out of Your Head: Brian his encounters with anxiety and mental health, a traumatic event while on vacation, and writing the “Get Out of Your Head” books | 75

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138

A Strong Survivor: Ashley on her upbringing, her terrifying encounter with a heinous crime, and her continued fight to be an inspiration | 74

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139

Living a Meaningful, Nonlinear life: Dr Melanie McNally on her anxious childhood, her multiple paths, and the mental health work she is doing with young people | 73

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140

Every Brain is Different: Samantha on her intrusive thoughts growing up, her challenges in motherhood, and her work in music therapy | 72

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141

Searching for Connection and Finding Addiction: Jason on his traumatic childhood, his introduction to drugs, his descent into addiction, and how he came out the other side | 71

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142

Support Systems Throughout Life: Andy on religion, his mental health struggles, and family | 70

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143

Choosing a Career Path: Stephen on his childhood growing up in New York City, his path to become a doctor, and the mental health struggles he had when prioritizing career over passion | 69

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144

Accepting the Reality of One’s Life: David on his mental health struggles, his battles with addiction, and his drive to change the dialogue around mental health | 68

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145

Understanding the “Desire for Destruction”: Dr Nina Cerfolio on her research into mass shootings and terrorism, her lifelong work to help destigmatize mental health, and her heroic work in the Chechen War | 67

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146

The Importance of Family: Jill on her relationship with her brother, the schism that occurred in her family, and the lessons she has learned | 66

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147

Nowhere to Run: Jon returns to talk about aging, how he felt completing his 31st marathon, and what keeps him putting on his running shoes | 65

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148

Wellness is Wellness: Tony on his work in the mental health field, how community mental health centers serve the public, and what community means to him | 64

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149

Navigating Growing Up: Adam on the loneliness he felt in his childhood as he worked to adjust to a changing family structure | 63

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150

The Enduring Bonds of Family: Jon on losing his father at a young age, his artistic pursuits, and his continued search for his family’s history | 62

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151

A turning point in an addiction and a path forward: Part III (of III) of Katie as she discusses her struggles with alcoholism, her attempts at recovery, and the unexpected change that came over her | 61

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152

Marriage and Divorce: Part II (of III) of Katie as she discusses her experiences being married, when she discovered a secret at a tattoo parlor, and what happened after her divorce | 60

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153

Severe Childhood Trauma: Part I (of III) of Katie as she discusses abuse she suffered as a child, how it manifested in a need for control, and her struggles in early adulthood | 59

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154

Running with the Devil: Jon returns to discuss endurance, mental health, and his love of marathons — Special Chicago Marathon Edition! | 58

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155

Awareness of Struggles and Escapes: Nathan on his struggles with ADD, his varying and extensive collection of hobbies, and the benefits of therapy and family support | 57

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156

Parenting a Child with Medical Complexities: Ali returns to Sad Times to discuss her motherhood journey | 56

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157

The Journey of an Empath: Teale on where she came from, the years long work she did in the mental health field, and her dramatic life change | 55

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158

The Continued Creative Struggle: Joel on continuing to make meaningful art, his reflections on his art through the passage of time, and his evolving experience with hypochondria | 54

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159

The Trauma of a Stage Four Cancer Diagnosis: Elliot’s story of his wife’s Stage 4 Cancer diagnosis, their fight against the disease, and the resulting experiences of grief and acceptance | 53

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160

The Power of Language: Andy on his upbringing, his time in service in the military, and the book he recently wrote. | 52

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161

Building the Life You Desire: Laurel’s journey of social anxiety struggles, realization of her needs in everyday life, and the joys of motherhood | 51

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162

The Power of Family: Whitney discusses her troubled father, the relationship she had with her immediate and extended family, and an unthinkable tragedy | 50

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163

Substance Abuse Survival: Scott’s story of dealing with addiction, the attendant health concerns, and his journey to sobriety | 49

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164

The Beauty of Authentic Empowerment: Nicole shares stories of her career in mental health and her idea of “Authentic Empowerment” | 48

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165

Finding Home In Family: Bonnie on what it’s like to grow up as a “Third Culture Kid”, the tragic and unexpected loss of both of her parents a decade apart, and her journey in the world of Advanced Clinical Massage | 47

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166

The Continuing Artistic Journey: Melissa shares her experience of pursuing a theater career, becoming a mother, and her continuing passion to assist the artistic community | 46

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167

Postpartum Depression Among The Unspoken Expectations Of Society: Marina shares her journey through not only learning she was pregnant and the birth of her child, but also her struggles after her daughter was born | 45

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168

Becoming The Person You Are Meant To Be: Bill on his experience with coming out as a gay man, the severe heartbreak he experienced, and his lifelong love and adoration of the great Tina Turner | 44

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169

Overcoming severe Childhood traumas: Bobette discusses her extremely difficult childhood, her recent medical struggles and the bond she has with her children | 43

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170

Unhealthy Mental Health Manifestations: Kaet discusses the release of cutting and her long battle with an eating disorder | 42

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171

Life’s unexpected challenges: Sarah shares her story of a quickly escalating medical crises, the loss of her mother, and her current spiritual journey | 41

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172

A Journey Through A Harrowing Diagnosis to Recovery: Lori Discusses her Dark Night of the Soul, her lifelong struggle with Co-dependency, and Learning to Choose a Way of Thinking Not Torn Down by the Tides of Life | 40

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173

Generational Medical Adversity: Jay on Dealing with his own multiple medical challenges as well as parenting a daughter through an unexpected medical emergency | 39

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174

Succumbing to the Many Realities of Addiction: Kevin’s Story of Multiple Stumbles Through His Addiction Journey and His Ever Present Hope | 38

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175

Getting to Go First: Siri Lindley on Finding a Way of Taking the Impossible and Making it Possible | 37

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176

From Pandemic Pressure to Purpose: JTR Brown's Journey of Resilience and Reinvention | 36

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177

Surviving January 6th: Jenn's Story of Courage, Democracy, and Healing in the Aftermath | 35

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178

Overcoming the Battle Within: Jeff Adamec's Journey from Troubled Upbringing to Combat PTSD and Healing | 34

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179

Transforming Turmoil: Michael's Inspiring Tale of Overcoming a Fractious Upbringing and Finding Unexpected Love | 33

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180

Long Haul Covid Chronicles: Krista Atkinson's Unyielding Fight Against a Mysterious Condition | 32

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181

Embracing Sensitivity: Katie's Journey Through Isolation, Creativity, and the Power of a Cold Feet Cabaret | 31

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182

Navigating Growth: Josh's Insights on Upbringing, Parenting, and the Art of Effective Leadership | 30

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183

The Journey of Fatherhood: Shawn's Reflections on Family Legacy, Challenges, and the Rewards of Parenting | 29

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184

Chris Marcum's Encore: The Bumpy Road to Finding the Right Balance in Mental Health Medication | 28

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185

Creative Healing: Libby's Journey Through Artistic Dreams, Struggles, and Finding Solace in Nature | 27

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186

John's Triumphant Return: Reflections on the Road to Recovery and Celebrating a Sobriety Milestone | 26

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187

Michael's Resilient Journey: Tackling Parenting, Grief, Work Stress, and Addiction One Day at a Time | 25

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188

Aaron's Unyielding Spirit: Navigating Autoimmune Challenges, Dementia's Heartache, and Life on the Theater Stage | 24

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189

Joe's Journey Through Adversity: Overcoming Pandemic Struggles, Mental Health Battles, and a Father's Inspiring Fight" | 23

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190

Jeremy's Fight: Facing Lifelong Mental Health Struggles and Overcoming Unimaginable Tragedy | 22

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191

Behind the Bravery: Firefighter Jay's Mental Health Journey Through 28 Years of Courageous Service | 21

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192

Chelsie's Resilient Heart: Confronting Grief, Lifelong Mental Health Struggles, and Overcoming Unexpected Trauma | 20

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193

Navigating Life's Uncertainty: Tach Van Sickle's Journey Through Anxiety, Relationships, and Inner Struggles | 19

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194

Family Bonds and Resilience: Bob LeGere's Story of Love, Loss, and Honoring a Sister's Legacy | 18

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195

Jenny Chau | 17

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196

Ali Joseph | 16

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197

Ray Walden | 15

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198

Update | 14

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199

Jason Weaver | 13

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200

J.T.R. Brown | 12

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