In this surprising and wise conversation with Bayo Akomalafe Ph.D, we learn how to see the defeat of the neo-liberal agenda in a new light. We begin to see what is possible when human dominance and control are removed from the center of life and our lives. Dr. Akomalafe’s vision for the future imagines a true and deep sanctuary for what is broken, hidden, afraid, and even “monstrous” in ourselves. Being defeated in “getting things right” then becomes a liberation from an oppressive master-slave dynamic that continues to inhibit our programs of antiracism, climate justice, and closing the wealth gap.
Terry Moore is a leader in science and research. He and Polly discuss his company Homeolux, and its products designed to battle cognitive decline and cognitive impairment. They have a personal meaning to Terri as they are part of his response to his wife's Alzheimer's diagnosis. Homeolux brings hope to the millions of people around the world who are affected by neurodegenerative brain disease.
Fabian Grummes lives in China, speaks Mandarin, and also has a Western background. Polly and he talked about several issues that might help those of us in North America anticipate the role that might be played by China in our future and become familiar with the cultural perspectives of China. We also talk about the Austrian School of Economics and how that fits with the work he has been doing. His knowledge about money will bring you to the edge of your experience with it.
Jeremy Holmes, psychiatrist, author, and widely recognized expert on attachment theory speaks about current research on the neurobiology of relationships in psychotherapy and families, and his new model of psychic energy (renewing both Freud’s and Jung’s interest in developing such a model). He also touches on a psychotherapeutic model for working with “top-down” and “bottom-up” aspects of our desires and behaviors.
Aliza Pressman is a child development and parenting expert, developmental psychologist and the host of the weekly podcast Raising Good Humans. She talks with Polly about her own experiences of having moved across the country during the pandemic, changing schools and neighborhoods, with her two children, one a teenager and the other a preteen. Polly and Aliza discuss the problems of today’s parenting when you feel like a “peer” to your kids because they can’t see friends, and so you’re trying to be a “friend.” Aliza talks about what parents can do to structure the day with kids at home so much, and together Polly and Aliza describe how parents create the “emotional weather” in the kids’ lives growing up.
Polly will speak on solving problems of racism, climate crisis, pandemic, or wealth inequality that afflict humanity. We must work with our own species that is driven to polarize repeatedly. Embracing any ideal means finding an enemy to vanquish. Our world and our species are highly imperfect and require a different approach. Understanding the problems we have created requires stepping back from polarization without looking for compromise prematurely. Real Dialogue is both a method of facilitated conversation and a mindfulness-based skill of speaking/listening that allows individuals to see/hear/feel BOTH sides of any conflict.
As a psychologist, analyst and author, Vermonter Polly Young-Eisendrath has decades of experience counseling people on how to surf the waves of uncertainty and upheaval during unprecedented times. A longtime proponent of mindfulness, Young-Eisendrath has trained herself and others to bring such curiosity and matter-of-fact acceptance to any situation — even the seemingly unembraceable Covid-19 pandemic and accompanying political, social and economic strife.
Living in the time of COVID-19 gives all of us a strong and clear taste of uncertainty. Our welfare is on the line and we are trapped at home with our questions, our vulnerabilities, and the vulnerabilities of others. Even in the midst of doing all we can to help others and giving our best effort to solve the problems in front of us, what can we learn from this ever-present uncertainty?
Living in the time of COVID 19 gives all of us a strong and clear taste of uncertainty. Our welfare is on the line and we are trapped at home with our questions, our vulnerabilities, and the vulnerabilities of others. Even in the midst of doing all we can to help others and giving our best effort to solve the problems in front of us, what can we learn from this ever-present uncertainty?
As we take a breath and take a pause, can we also see that moment-to-moment we are safe, at ease, and supported by “something” we do not understand and cannot control? Maybe this virus can teach us more about that something and how we can come to understand our situations and conditions -- from different sides and through various lenses, in order to approach our (always imperfect) responses to our human dilemmas.
Thrilled to give my perspective in this AARP article on finding love late in life. "Starting a new relationship in middle age or beyond, however, also can come with a unique set of challenges, says psychoanalyst Polly Young-Eisendrath, who, along with her late husband, Ed Epstein, created a method of couples therapy that emphasizes close, active listening as a way to help partners communicate and reconnect."
Tricycle online includes ENEMIES: From War to Wisdom in their round-up of “don’t miss” Buddhist podcasts.
In 18 episodes, author and psychoanalyst Young-Eisendrath and filmmaker Johnson—longtime Buddhist practitioners—explore the ways in which, individually and collectively, we consciously and unconsciously create and perpetuate conflict in our relationships with ourselves, others, and the world. The two friends discuss timely topics like politics, tribalism, love, and war, as well as what the Buddha taught about hatred and non-hatred.
What happens when you start wondering if you still trust a person with your work challenges or questions? Did you ever have the sneaking feeling that your best friend at work has their own agenda which doesn’t necessarily include your success as a priority? You’re not alone and there’s a very good reason for it.
When there are problems in a marriage it can often be difficult for couples to speak plainly to one another. Maybe one partner doesn’t want to hurt the other’s feelings. Or maybe they need to work out their thoughts before bringing up specific points. However, there is a particular audience for which spouses will not hold back: therapists. Marriage and couples therapists regularly hear uncensored accounts of what’s happening in relationships because, well, it’s their job.
