Dr. Alauna Curry is like every other therapist out there – a regular person with struggles and pain just like the rest of us. And in 2017, when her marriage, finances, and health all came crashing down, she was reminded that everyone has trauma – but not all of us know how it affects us or the empathy with which we view the world. This episode's practice is about understanding our traumas, and using our brains to learn practical skills that will help us heal them. Want to connect? Join the New D...
Feb 03, 2023•37 min
Sex therapist Dr. Alex Katehakis started studying sex in her 30s, after years of struggling to build and maintain romantic relationships. Her early work in the field of sex addiction helped her to work through her own sexual issues and to understand healthy sexuality in new ways, including busting the myth that “penetrative sex is the end-all, be-all to sex and sexuality.” This episode’s practice is about learning to talk about sex—with ourselves, our partners and our kids—and how these conversa...
Jan 27, 2023•40 min
Comedian Jen Curran thought she was having a normal pregnancy, but then the complications started. Her doctors told her to lose weight, but they were wrong. Weeks after giving birth, she received a diagnosis that turned her dream of motherhood upside down. This week’s practice is about letting go of disappointments and getting mad (and then moving forward). Want to connect? Join the New Day Facebook Group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/newdaypod Resources from the show: Read “When Things Fall ...
Jan 20, 2023•42 min
Marc Brackett isn’t the first person to feel like an emotional wreck after a disagreement with their partner, family, or friends - and neither are you. Emotional intelligence starts with becoming aware of your own feelings then understanding your reactions to them. This episode’s practice is about self-compassion and how to go easy on yourself when you’re feeling big feelings. Want to connect? Join the New Day Facebook Group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/newdaypod Resources from the show Read...
Jan 13, 2023•44 min
Ricki Lake opens up about shaving her head, losing a beloved husband to suicide, meeting the new love of her life and learning to love herself in her 50s. This episode’s weekly practice is all about love, from romance to friendship. How can you open the door to deeper connection in your own life? Want to connect? Join the New Day Facebook Group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/newdaypod Resources from the show Read “Radical Forgiveness: A Revolutionary Five-Stage Process to Heal Relationships, L...
Jan 06, 2023•40 min
Loving ourselves is not easy. Author Dr. Kristin Neff says in order to actually love yourself you must be willing to turn toward pain, forgive others, and talk to yourself like you would your dearest friend. And most importantly, you must ask yourself: What’s standing in the way of loving myself even more? This episode's practice is about giving yourself permission to be kind to yourself– on the good days, the bad ones, and especially when you feel like you have to pretend that everything is OK....
Dec 30, 2022•32 min
Are you holding onto a grudge and want to get to a place where you can forgive that person? Claire gives you some tips on how to get to a place where you are ready to forgive. Plus, she answers a question from a listener who finds herself making poor life choices after her father’s death. Check out these resources mentioned in this episode: The Book of Forgiving by Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu Do you have something you want Claire’s help with? Send her a question to be featured on an upcoming epis...
Dec 28, 2022•10 min
Are you looking to get out of a toxic relationship? Claire gives you some tips on removing yourself from unhealthy relationships of all kinds. Plus, she answers a question from a listener who wants his sons to smoke weed less often. Check out these resources mentioned in this episode: Marijuana Anonymous Do you have something you want Claire’s help with? Send her a question to be featured on an upcoming episode by emailing us at [email protected] or submitting one at www.bit.ly/newdayask ...
Dec 26, 2022•8 min
Cheryl Strayed gets real about being a broke bestselling author, comparing herself to other moms, practicing self-compassion - and then struggling all over again when the pandemic threw her off her game. Claire offers a weekly practice for how to have more authentic interactions with the people in your life. Want to connect? Join the New Day Facebook Group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/newdaypod Resources from the show Listen to Nadia Bolz-Weber’s Podcast, “The Confessional”: https://nadiabol...
Dec 23, 2022•49 min
Do you worry that every headache you get is being caused by a brain tumor you’re sure you have? Claire gives you some tips on how to grapple with health anxiety. Plus, she answers a question from a listener who finds herself exhausted and struggling eight years into her husband’s young-onset dementia. Check out this workbook Claire recommends to work though health anxiety: The Health Anxiety Workbook by Taylor M. Ham Do you have something you want Claire’s help with? Send her a question to be fe...
Dec 21, 2022•10 min
Do you tend to beat yourself up over every mistake you make? Claire gives you some tips on how to cultivate more self-compassion. Plus, she answers a question from a listener who wants help dealing with hostile relatives. Do you have something you want Claire’s help with? Send her a question to be featured on an upcoming episode by emailing us at [email protected] or submitting one at www.bit.ly/newdayask . Want to connect? Join the New Day Facebook Group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/...
Dec 19, 2022•7 min
Do you believe in psychic mediums, or are you a skeptic? Turns out you don’t just have to be one or the other. Claire was pretty skeptical when she first met her guest, Medium Fleur Leussink . But by keeping an open mind, Fleur introduced her to a whole new way to connect to the people she’s lost. This episode’s practice is all about how to get in touch with the people we’ve lost - and those we might be thinking about this time of year. Resources from the show Read “ Moving Beyond: Access Your I...
Dec 16, 2022•53 min
Are you frequently checking out your ex’s social media accounts? Whether it’s a romantic or platonic ex, Claire gives you some tips on how to stop checking up on people you’ve had a falling out with — and a little insight into why we do it. Plus, she answers a question from a listener who is feeling anxious about returning to “normal” at this stage of the pandemic. Do you have something you want Claire’s help with? Send her a question to be featured on an upcoming episode by emailing us at newda...
Dec 14, 2022•9 min
Are you guilty of doomscrolling? Claire gives you some tips on how to cut down on this compulsive habit. Plus, she answers a question from a listener whose husband refuses to get help for his anxiety. Check out these resources mentioned in this episode: Good News Movement on Instagram Do you have something you want Claire’s help with? Send her a question to be featured on an upcoming episode by emailing us at [email protected] or submitting one at www.bit.ly/newdayask . Want to connect? J...
Dec 12, 2022•8 min
We’ve all probably heard that we should try and love our bodies, which seems like an impossible standard to reach — especially after motherhood. MommaStrong founder and corrective exercise specialist Courtney Wyckoff thinks a more realistic place to get to is body neutrality. You don’t have to feel good about your body; you should just feel like you have one. Claire and Courtney open up about the struggles they had even acknowledging their bodies, the unexpected ways in which motherhood changed ...
Dec 09, 2022•41 min
Are you struggling right now with all the uncertainty in the world? Claire gives you some tips on dealing with the stress that uncertainty can cause. Plus, she answers a question from a listener who wants to break out of the pessimistic mindset she’s been in since the death of her mother. Check out these resources mentioned in this episode: A Year of Positive Thinking by Cyndie Spiegel The Positive Thinking Workbook by Alexa Brand Learned Optimism by Martin Seligman Resilient by Rick Hanson Do y...
Dec 07, 2022•10 min
Could your mental health use a boost as we wind down 2022? Claire gives you some tips on how to develop a mental hygiene routine to help you close out this year strong and carry you into the new one feeling better than ever. Plus, she answers a question from a listener who is considering sending a letter to her former therapist describing some behaviors they found less-than-professional. This episode is brought to you in partnership with PYM, a mental wellness company founded by Zak Williams. Ch...
Dec 05, 2022•7 min
For Dr. Bruce Perry, a renowned brain development and trauma expert, understanding how traumatic life events shape our brain’s stress response and other functions has been critical in helping people lead healthier lives. In this episode, Bruce talks to Claire about science-based advice that can help people build resiliency and discusses lessons from his book What Happened To You , which he co-wrote with Oprah Winfrey. Resources from the show Read "What Happened to You?" by Bruce Perry and Oprah ...
Dec 02, 2022•39 min
Are you curious about psychedelic therapy? Claire lays out the basics about this increasingly popular therapy technique and gives you some tips for learning more about using substances like ketamine, mushrooms, MDMA, and ayahuasca in a therapeutic setting. Her first and most important tip: consult your medical team before considering this kind of treatment. Plus, she answers a question from a listener who wants their teenage son to take more responsibility for his actions. Check out these resour...
Nov 30, 2022•11 min
Are you looking for guidance as you try and comfort a child who is grieving? Claire gives you some tips on developmentally-appropriate ways to help a grieving child. Plus, she answers a question from a listener who is struggling to forgive herself for her affair. Check out these resources mentioned in this episode: Claire’s grief resources Dr. Kristin Neff’s episode of New Day The State of Affairs by Esther Perel Do you have something you want Claire’s help with? Send her a question to be featur...
Nov 28, 2022•9 min
Pain. Suffering. Grief. These are all things most people try to avoid. But Rabbi Steve Leder knows his life is more purposeful because it was transformed by the pain he’s experienced in his life. In this beautiful conversation, Claire and Rabbi Leder discuss how he came to that realization, what he does when he gets overwhelmed by the magnitude of the Earth's chaos and suffering, and what it means to live life like a good ancestor. Plus, Rabbi Leder encourages you to create an ethical will to le...
Nov 25, 2022•40 min
Have you considered seeing a medium to connect with a loved one who has died? Claire gives you some tips on ways to find a good psychic medium and how to get the most out of your experience with them. Plus, she answers a question from a listener who had ceased contact with her mother but feels guilty now that her mother has died. Check out these resources mentioned in this episode: Read After This: When Life Is Over Where Do We Go? by Claire Bidwell Smith Listen to Medium Fleur’s New Day episode...
Nov 23, 2022•9 min
Are you experiencing anxiety alongside your grief? Claire gives you some tips for managing the anxiety that commonly accompanies grieving. Plus, she answers a question from a listener who finds herself intellectualizing her response to her husband’s recent medical diagnosis. Check out these resources mentioned in this episode: Read Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief by Claire Bidwell Smith Do you have something you want Claire’s help with? Send her a question to be featured on an upcoming episo...
Nov 21, 2022•9 min
In The Healing Project , multidisciplinary artist Samora Pinderhughes processes the raw emotions of grieving and explores the sociopolitical issues that fuel his abolitionist vision. Samora joins Claire to discuss what he learned about grieving while making his album Grief and how he and others have found healing through both music and community building. Resources from the show Explore and listen to The Healing Project and the Grief album by Samora Pinderhughes Do you have something you want Cl...
Nov 18, 2022•34 min
Are you beating yourself up for something you said or did before someone you loved died? Claire gives you some tips on ways to alleviate some of the guilt you may be feeling around someone’s death. Plus, she answers a question from a listener who fears death as a result of experiencing so many losses early in her life. Check out Claire’s recommendations for facing your fears about death: BJ Miller’s TED Talk Alua Arthur’s New Day episode Amy Pickard’s New Day episode Do you have something you wa...
Nov 16, 2022•7 min
Do you want to be there for a friend who is grieving but feel unsure what to say or do? Claire gives you some tips on ways to comfort and show up for someone experiencing loss. Plus, she answers a question from a listener who wants to reconnect with her partner after spending so much time together during the pandemic. Check out Claire’s recommendations for reconnecting with your partner: I Want This to Work by Elizabeth Earnshaw Relationship conversation cards Do you have something you want Clai...
Nov 14, 2022•9 min
In Laura Warrell’s debut novel Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm , a cast of women seek love, redemption, and belonging in a story grounded in the world of jazz and centered on a womanizing musician’s venturesome life. Laura joins Claire to discuss what elements from her own life informed this book, why so many people seem to be drawn to philandering men, and why it was important for her to showcase the women’s voices in this story. Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm is the November pick for The Lemonada Book ...
Nov 11, 2022•34 min
Do you find yourself lying to your therapist? Claire gives you some tips on what to do if you don’t feel like you can be fully honest in therapy. Plus, she answers a question from a listener who feels ignored by her family due to her strained relationship with her father. Check out Claire’s recommendation for a book about father loss: The Fatherless Daughter Project by Denna Babul and Karin Luise Do you have something you want Claire’s help with? Send her a question to be featured on an upcoming...
Nov 09, 2022•10 min
Do you feel like ghosting your therapist? Claire gives you some insight into why you might be wanting to do this and shares some tips on other approaches you can take. Plus, she answers a question from a listener whose spouse does not want help for his addiction. Check out Claire’s recommendations for resources on addiction: Al-Anon Narconon American Addiction Centers Understanding and Helping an Addict by Andrew Proulx Codependent No More by Melody Beattie Do you have something you want Claire’...
Nov 07, 2022•8 min
Tembi Locke was 41 years old when she lost her husband to a long illness, leaving her to parent their young daughter alone. Tembi wrote about her journey rebuilding and reimagining her life in her memoir “From Scratch,” which is now a hit Netflix series starring Zoe Saldaña. But how are you supposed to move on and find meaning when your partner in life is no longer here? This episode's practice is about grieving loss and reflecting on the moments, people, and phases of our lives that shaped us i...
Nov 04, 2022•34 min
