Voices in the Family

Many people say we live in a “cancel culture” – where we banish those who express unpopular opinions or behave in seemingly offensive ways. We cancel and delete each other on social media in a flash of anger. But this also happens in real life, where political opinions often get in the way of friendships and relationships. What does does this do to our mental health? In their weekly conversation, WHYY’s Maiken Scott and Dan Gottlieb discuss.

Working around pets and animals sounds like it should be fun and enjoyable. But new research finds that veterinarians and people who volunteer at animal shelters face particular stressors that can place them at risk for mental health problems. In their weekly conversation, WHYY’s Maiken Scott and Dan Gottlieb discuss the findings.

Are your friends suddenly looking a LOT older – at least on social media? Lots of people had fun with an app that allows you to dramatically age yourself in a picture. In their weekly conversation, WHYY’s Maiken Scott and Dan Gottlieb discuss this sudden obsession with looking older.

Caring for a loved one with dementia can be physically and emotionally exhausting – and cause serious health issues like depression and anxiety. A new British study evaluates a therapy intervention for caregivers, that helps them cope with the everyday challenges. The intervention was developed by University College London, and is called “The START” which stands for “strategies for relatives.” In their weekly conversation, WHYY’s Maiken Scott and psychologist Dan Gottlieb discuss the...

Grieving for a close friend affects people more deeply than mental health professionals previously thought. A new study analyzed surveys of 9,500 Australians who had experienced the death of at least one close friend. Researchers found that people grieving a close friend suffered a significant decline in physical health, mental health, emotional stability and social life. In their weekly conversation, Dan Gottlieb and Maiken Scott discuss the findings.

Psychologist Dan Gottlieb has been a therapist for fifty years – he saw his first client in May of 1969. She was an older woman who had schizophrenia, and she told him he was useless after their first session. He agreed, and listened, and learned. They eventually became friends. He reflects on what he’s learned about his field, and about helping people, in his weekly conversation with WHYY’s Maiken Scott.

The recent college admissions bribery scandal is an extreme example of how far some parents will go to pave their kids’ career path, to ensure their future success. Psychologist Dan Gottlieb says it speaks to something else, something much more common: parental anxiety, and the desire to prevent kids from failing. He discusses this in his weekly conversation with WHYY’s Maiken Scott.

Illness can make people feel hopeless – which can in turn affect their prognosis. Psychologist Dan Gottlieb knows this first hand. He recently went through a period of serious, prolonged illness, and reflects on the emotion of despair in this conversation with WHYY’s Maiken Scott.

Mental illness affects people at all economic and social levels, yet it is still the source of stigma, rejection and isolation. In this Voices in the Family special, Mental Illness From the Inside / Out, Dr. Dan Gottlieb speaks with people who live with mental illness and the families and care givers who support and care for them.

We’re two weeks into January, into 2019 – how are you doing, keeping up with your New Year’s resolutions? In his weekly conversation with Maiken Scott, psychologist Dan Gottlieb says even if you’re already off your diet and sleeping instead of going to the gym – it’s fine!

Americans are deeply divided on so many issues these days; gun control, climate change, and immigration, just to name a few. But in his new book, Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska argues that it’s not politics that’s dividing Americans and making them angry and even violent toward each other, it’s loneliness. The book is called “Them: Why We Hate Each Other–and How to Heal.” In their weekly conversation, WHYY’s Maiken Scott and psychologist Dan Gottlieb discuss his premise.

A lot of us will be spending time with our family around the holidays. Families are powerful environments – with so much capacity for love and support – but also disappointment and hurt. What to do when you’re dreading the drama and tensions that so often come with the holidays? In their weekly conversation, WHYY’s Maiken Scott and psychologist Dan Gottlieb discuss working through those difficulties.

Advice from others can be helpful – but it’s not always welcome. When a neighbor, colleague or loved one tries to tell you how to live your life, it can feel intrusive and presumptuous. So how do you know when your advice is wanted, and is actually helpful? In their weekly conversation, WHYY’s Maiken Scott and psychologist Dan Gottlieb talk about the art of giving good advice.

Parents spend a lot of time arguing with their kids about screen time, trying to limit access to smart phones, and social media. But – more and more new research suggests that parents should perhaps take a look at their OWN screen time – and think about how much time they spend on the phone. In their weekly conversation, WHYY’s Maiken Scott speaks with psychologist Dan Gottlieb about the findings.

WHYY’s Maiken Scott spoke with psychologist Dr. Dan Gottlieb about the grief of saying goodbye to a beloved animal – and how we work through it. She spoke with Dan after he had just put his shih tzu Cinnamon to sleep, following a long illness.

Curiosity, self control, grit and zest— they’re all character strengths. But what is character? And how do we cultivate it? While many of us believe we’re born with character, science shows these strengths can be taught—and that it’s never too late to learn. Angela Duckworth is the CEO and Founder of Character Lab, the Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and a 2013 MacArthur Fellow. Her first book, Grit: The Power of Passion and...

Research shows that character strengths are as important as I-Q and socioeconomic status to achievement and well-being in life. The character lab in Philadelphia – headed by psychologist Angela Duckworth – studies how we can teach those skills to children. WHYY’s Maiken Scott and psychologist Dan Gottlieb discuss their work in their weekly conversation

The current political atmosphere has many people feeling distressed. What’s the best way to cope with our emotions when we’re outraged? And how can we translate our anger into productive action before burning out? Dr. Dan Gottlieb explores outrage fatigue on this Voices in the Family special with two psychologists from West Chester University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Ellie Brown facilitates local, national, and international workshops for leaders and activists in social movements and helps us...

About 5% of couples have open relationships – where the partners are committed to staying together, but see other people. In their weekly conversation, WHYY’s Maiken Scott and Dan Gottlieb discuss how this works – and whether it works out.

When couples hold hands, their breathing and heart rates synchronize. If one of the partners is in pain, it diminishes the more the brain waves sync up. That’s according to new research from the University of Colorado. In their weekly conversation, WHYY’s Maiken Scott and Dan Gottlieb discuss the findings.