Ruthless Compassion With Dr. Marcia Sirota

Dr. Kevin Alderson, PhD, is a professor emeritus of counselling psychology from the University of Calgary. Dr. Alderson is the solo author of the 720-page textbook called Addictions Counseling Today: Substances and Addictive Behaviors (2020, Sage Publications). His most recent books include Choosing the Right Counselor for You (2019) and The Concise Guide to Opioid Addiction for Counselors (2021), both co-authored with Samuel T. Gladding and published by the American Counseling Association.Dr. Alderson holds the highest level of membership within the International Society of Substance Use Professionals, and he is also a professional member of the Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC). Dr. Alderson sits on the editorial board of both the Journal of Alcoholism, Drug Abuse & Substance Dependence and the Austin Journal of Drug Abuse and Addiction. He holds membership in the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association and the American Counseling Association. Between 2008 and 2020, Dr. Alderso

Laura Carney is a writer and magazine copy editor in New York. She's been published by the Washington Post, the Associated Press, The Hill, Runner's World, Good Housekeeping, The Fix, Upworthy, and other places, and her book My Father’s List: How Living My Dad’s Dreams Set Me Free is being published by Post Hill Press in May 2023. She’s @myfatherslist on Instagram and Twitter, and her websites are myfatherslist.com and bylauracarney.com. She is represented by Davey Literary and Media. You can find Laura online... Twitter Instagram Facebook Website Originally published 21/04/22

A former journalist and pro athlete, Dr. Kim Perkins works on innovation, culture, and communication with leaders at cutting-edge science, tech, and media companies. She holds a Ph.D. in positive organizational psychology and her first book, Winner Take None, explores the role competition plays in our lives. You can find Dr. Kim Perkins online... Twitter Website Originally published 4/7/22

Jennifer Moss is an award-winning journalist, author, public speaker, and expert in workplace well-being. She is a nationally syndicated radio columnist and writes for Harvard Business Review. Her newest book, The Burnout Epidemic, is now available wherever you buy books. You can find her online... Website Twitter Originally published 03/24/22

Kathryn Greenberg is a Certified Life Coach specializing in mindfulness, trauma, and addiction. She shares her journey of healing as a way to show those who may be struggling that their life is worth living. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Greenberg moved to Sarasota, Florida in 2013, and wonders why she waited so long. Kathryn’s unique approach is informed and inspired by the time she spends working with people in very difficult circumstances – jails and courts, homeless shelters, residential treatment centers, and human service agencies. Kathryn discovered that within those individuals, living in terrific pain and struggle, lies a store of inner strength, which when mindfully accessed, can liberate them from the darkest of places. In addition to managing her practice and continuing her work as a tireless ‘hope evangelist,’ Kathryn serves on the boards of the Salvation Army of Sarasota County, Lighthouse Vision Loss Education Center, and Purpose House Transitional Homes. She attended Boston University a

Abby Medcalf is a Relationship Maven, psychologist, author, podcast host and Tedx speaker who has helped thousands of people think differently so they can create connection, ease and joy in their relationships (especially the one with yourself)! With her unique background in both business and counseling, she brings a fresh, effective perspective to life’s struggles using humor and her direct, no-nonsense style. With over 30 years of experience, Abby is a recognized authority and sought-after speaker at organizations such as Google, Apple, AT&T, Kaiser, PG&E, American Airlines and Chevron. She’s been a featured expert on CBS and ABC news, and has been a contributor to Huff Post, Women’s Health, and Bustle. She’s the author of the #1 Amazon best-selling book, “Be Happily Married, Even if Your Partner Won’t Do a Thing,” and the host of the top-rated “Relationships Made Easy” Podcast. Her new book and program, Negative Thinking Sucks, and Not in a Good Way will be out soon! You can find Abby Medcalf onli

 Abby Medcalf is a Relationship Maven, psychologist, author, podcast host and Tedx speaker who has helped thousands of people think differently so they can create connection, ease and joy in their relationships (especially the one with yourself)! With her unique background in both business and counseling, she brings a fresh, effective perspective to life’s struggles using humor and her direct, no-nonsense style. With over 30 years of experience, Abby is a recognized authority and sought-after speaker at organizations such as Google, Apple, AT&T, Kaiser, PG&E, American Airlines and Chevron. She’s been a featured expert on CBS and ABC news, and has been a contributor to Huff Post, Women’s Health, and Bustle. She’s the author of the #1 Amazon best-selling book, “Be Happily Married, Even if Your Partner Won’t Do a Thing,” and the host of the top-rated “Relationships Made Easy” Podcast. Her new book and program, Negative Thinking Sucks, and Not in a Good Way will be out soon! Stay tuned for Part 2! You c

In this episode, Dr. Marcia Sirota talks about how love is the solution to a thriving community. Website Twitter Instagram

Trigger warning: this episode contains discussions of child abuse, suicide, and mentions of self-harm which may be disturbing for some listeners. Dr. Jen Fraser has a PhD in Comparative Literature which trained her to take diverse discourses and put them into dialogue. Her books draw on literature, psychology, law and anthropology as she analyzes culture and society. Her sixth book, The Bullied Brain: Heal Your Scars and Restore Your Health turns to neuroscience in order to rethink how abuse shapes our world and learn new ways to recover from it grounded in science (forthcoming with Prometheus Books March 8, 2022). You can find Dr. Jennifer Fraser online... The Bullied Brain Twitter: @teachingbullies Originally published 01/27/22

Trigger warning: this episode contains discussions of child abuse and suicide which may be disturbing for some listeners. Dr. Jen Fraser has a PhD in Comparative Literature which trained her to take diverse discourses and put them into dialogue. Her books draw on literature, psychology, law and anthropology as she analyzes culture and society. Her sixth book, The Bullied Brain: Heal Your Scars and Restore Your Health turns to neuroscience in order to rethink how abuse shapes our world and learn new ways to recover from it grounded in science (forthcoming with Prometheus Books March 8, 2022). Stay tuned for Part 2! You can find Dr. Jennifer Fraser online... The Bullied Brain Twitter : @teachingbullies Originally published 01/20/22

Shannon Moroney is the author of two bestselling memoirs: Through the Glass and Out of the Shadows. She is an internationally recognized advocate of restorative justice and travels extensively--in person and virtually--to lead transformative forgiveness workshops and retreats for people and communities overcoming trauma, and to keynote justice and mental health conferences. She is a registered social worker and trauma therapist specializing in treating survivors of sexual assault and trafficking, and the family members of people who offend. Shannon is the clinical director of Shannon Moroney and Associates, "supporting your journey to post-traumatic growth", and creator of the Heal for Real Foundation. She lives in Toronto with her twin daughters. You can find Shannon online... Website: www.shannonmoroney.com Instagram: @shannonmoroneyauthor Originally published 01/13/22

Dr. Marcia Sirota celebrates her 100th episode of the Ruthless Compassion Podcast by sharing her New Year's resolution for 2022: becoming a kindness warrior. Being a kindness warrior enables you to be authentic, loving, and intimate without the potential drama, codependency, frustration, and resentment that can come from people-pleasing and being too nice. She shares tips and words of inspiration about how to become a kindness warrior, and encourages listeners to follow her on her journey. Website Twitter Instagram

Dr. Jelena Kecmanovic ("Dr K.") is a clinical psychologist, the founding director of the Arlington/DC Behavior Therapy Institute (ABTI), and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University. She is a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) expert with over 25 years of experience as a therapist, teacher, mentor, researcher, author, and presenter. Dr K. is a frequent contributor to The Washington Post, and her work also has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Business Insider, and Salon, among others. She also writes a Psychology Today blog “From science to practice,” and has been quoted and interviewed widely, from the New York Times to NPR. You can find Dr. Jelena Kecmanovic online... Twitter: @DrKPsychologist LinkedIn: Jelena Kecmanovic - Dr K. Originally published 01/06/22

Christina Crook is a pioneer and leading voice of digital well-being. As the author of award winning The Joy Of Missing Out: FInding Balance in a Wired World and the leader of global (#)JOMO movement, she regularly shares her insights in major media outlets and interviews other mindful tech leaders as the host of the JOMO podcast. Her commentary on technology and daily life have appeared in The New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, BBC.com, Harper’s Bazaar, NPR, Times of India and Glamour. She lives with her family in Toronto, Canada. You can find Christina online... Website: www.christinacrook.com Twitter: @cmcrook Originally published 12/23/21

Lydia Denworth is an award-winning science journalist and a sought-after speaker. She is a contributing editor at Scientific American and the author of Friendship: The Evolution, Biology, and Extraordinary Power of Life's Fundamental Bond, which was named one of the best leadership books of 2020 by Adam Grant and called "the best of science writing" by Booklist. She has written two other books of popular science: I Can Hear You Whisper and Toxic Truth. Her work has also appeared in The Atlantic, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Time and many other publications. She lives in Brooklyn, New York with her family. You can find Lydia online... Twitter: @LydiaDenworth Website: https://lydiadenworth.com/ Originally published 12/09/21

This is Part 2 of this podcast episode. Listen to Part 1 here. Dr. Gabor Maté is a retired physician who, after 20 years of family practice and palliative care experience, worked for over a decade in Vancouver’s Downtown East Side with patients challenged by drug addiction and mental illness. The bestselling author of four books published in twenty-five languages, including the award-winning In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters With Addiction, Gabor is an internationally renowned speaker highly sought after for his expertise on addiction, trauma, childhood development, and the relationship of stress and illness. For his groundbreaking medical work and writing, he has been awarded the Order of Canada, his country’s highest civilian distinction, and the Civic Merit Award from his hometown, Vancouver. You can find Dr. Gabor Maté online... Website: www.drgabormate.com Twitter: @drgabormate Originally Published 11/25/21

Dr. Gabor Maté is a retired physician who, after 20 years of family practice and palliative care experience, worked for over a decade in Vancouver’s Downtown East Side with patients challenged by drug addiction and mental illness. The bestselling author of four books published in twenty-five languages, including the award-winning In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters With Addiction, Gabor is an internationally renowned speaker highly sought after for his expertise on addiction, trauma, childhood development, and the relationship of stress and illness. For his groundbreaking medical work and writing, he has been awarded the Order of Canada, his country’s highest civilian distinction, and the Civic Merit Award from his hometown, Vancouver. Stay tuned for Part 2 of this episode. You can find Dr. Gabor Maté online... Website: www.drgabormate.com Twitter: @drgabormate Originally Published 11/18/21

Dr. Robert Barrett has spent much of his life studying behaviour, group dynamics, and organizational culture and is the author of the bestselling book Hardwired: How Our Instincts to Be Healthy Are Making Us Sick. His primary focus is on why we do the things we do and the underlying forces that shape our lives. This intriguing theme has taken Robert to some of the world’s most fascinating research and work environments. Dr. Barrett has traveled to rural Nigeria to interview recruiters and leaders of death squads on how they indoctrinate fighters, he helped build Canada’s first ever Patient Safety Officer program for Canadian hospitals, lectured on intercultural negotiation to NATO officers deploying to Afghanistan, and was lead researcher on a unique program designed to investigate ways to mitigate astronaut crew conflict in space for future Mars missions. Robert’s work on motivation and team dynamics is also supported by 13 years as an elite athlete. Robert has written for the Huffington Post and has appeare

Nya Abernathy, founder of The Dignity Effect, is a public educator, curriculum designer, and peacemaker focused on social-emotional learning and living for adults. Her aim is to help people reconnect with themselves and others with grace, accountability, and hope. You can find Nya online... Instagram: @thedignityeffect Website Originally Published 10/28/21

Julie Lythcott-Haims believes in humans and is deeply interested in what gets in our way. Her work encompasses writing, speaking, mentoring, and activism. She is the New York Times bestselling author of the anti-helicopter parenting manifesto How to Raise an Adult which gave rise to a popular TED Talk. Her second book is the critically-acclaimed and award-winning prose poetry memoir Real American, which illustrates her experience as a Black and biracial person in white spaces. A third book, Your Turn: How to Be an Adult, has been called a “groundbreakingly frank” guide to adulthood. Julie is a former corporate lawyer and Stanford dean, and she holds a BA from Stanford, a JD from Harvard, and an MFA in Writing from California College of the Arts. She currently serves on the boards of Common Sense Media and the Black Women’s Health Imperative, and on the advisory board of LeanIn.Org and Parents magazine. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her partner of over thirty years, their itinerant young adults,