We are BACK with another exciting season of the Right Moves podcast! Dr. Rhea shares what you can expect to hear from the show this season as we dive even deeper into our whole health and finding ways to live our best, healthiest lives. She also explores what’s on the horizon for LiiNK this fall, including new workshop opportunities and publications in the works, different ways to connect and advocate for play, and a first look at the topic of her upcoming new book! Visit https://liinkproject.tc...
Aug 20, 2025•29 min
The GLP-1 market has significantly grown in recent years, with medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro marketed specifically for type II diabetes treatment and weight management. With this growth, researchers are now considering GLP-1s to treat a wide range of conditions including cardiovascular health, kidney disease, inflammatory diseases, and even neurological disorders. Dr. Rhea brings back fellow colleague and researcher, Dr. Ryan Porter, to share details on his upcoming GLP-1 research which ...
May 22, 2025•31 min
Getting in shape fast sounds too good to be true, because it is. Rapid weight-loss endeavors such as fad or exclusionary diets, GLP-1 medication, or most trends seen on social media may give you results for now, but you will most likely gain that weight right back as soon as you stop the medication, diet, or trend. If you truly want to lead a healthy, happy, physically-functional life, you need to create behavior changes that will actually last a lifetime. Dr. Rhea sits down with fellow colleagu...
May 15, 2025•27 min
For the 2024-2025 school year, Dr. Debbie Rhea received a BCBS-TX Blue Impact Grant to fund a lite version of LiiNK in 10 South Texas schools from one school district. The purpose of this project was to train teachers and administrators on recess, defined as unstructured outdoor play, and why having this type of recess more often in the day is important for adults and children, then introduce loose-parts play equipment to the children for one of their recesses daily, followed by collecting some ...
May 08, 2025•35 min
The LiiNK intervention is about more than just giving kids extra recess. While multiple unstructured play breaks throughout the school day is vital for students and teachers to thrive, it’s the daily character curriculum that truly provides the foundation for success in the LiiNK intervention. Dr. Rhea discusses the importance of empathy, intrinsic motivation, and character building for our youth to grow into resilient, independent, and empathetic adults.
May 01, 2025•25 min
Human trafficking is a significant problem in the U.S. and can happen to anyone, anywhere. While women and girls are more frequently trafficked, men and boys account for about 40% of human trafficking victims and are unfortunately often overlooked and underserved. Bob’s House of Hope, established in 2021, became the first safe house for male sex trafficking survivors in the country, providing therapy, medical care, mentorship, case management, and life skills training to young men ages 18 and up...
Apr 24, 2025•45 min
Children learn how to learn on the playground – it’s really that simple! Dr. Rhea brings back long-time friend and colleague, Dr. Jim Chadwell, to share how he fought to get the LiiNK Project in his district. Dr. Chadwell witnessed firsthand the positive changes the LiiNK intervention of multiple outdoor play breaks and character lessons daily brought to EMS-ISD. Dr. Jim Chadwell was born in Fort Worth, Texas and earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees all from Texas Christian Uni...
Apr 10, 2025•37 min
S.B. 2, also known as the School Choice or School Voucher bill, has passed the Texas Senate and was referred to the House Public Education Committee. In the last two years, twelve U.S. states have enacted or expanded school voucher programs in their state. So what exactly does this mean for students and parents? Dr. Rhea sits down with long-time friend and colleague, Dr. Jim Chadwell, to discuss different types of schools, how school vouchers only benefit certain groups of children/adolescents a...
Apr 03, 2025•51 min
Do you struggle to maintain healthy and active lifestyle routines? Behavior modification programs, particularly employee wellness programs such as Wondr Health , may be the answer. Dr. Rhea brings back Dr. Tim Church, preventative health researcher and Chief Medical Officer of Wondr Health, to share the impact of Wondr Health's programs, the importance of leadership buy-in behavior modification for program success, and the powerhouse combination of exercise and the GLP-1 medication. Dr. Church, ...
Mar 13, 2025•36 min
The less we move and exercise our bodies, the less we will be able to move and exercise them as we age. It's that simple! Dr. Rhea sits down with preventative health researcher, Dr. Tim Church, to share his incredible research findings and exercise tips. Dr. Church reminds us that our bodies are meant to move and that exercise is truly the key to unlocking optimal health and aging. Dr. Church, M.D., M.P.H, P.h.D, is one of the country’s leading clinical thought leaders in exercise and obesity re...
Mar 06, 2025•32 min
“Keep showing up in your pink shirts until they’re tired of seeing pink shirts” - this is the advice Rachel, Morgan, and Kathryn, a.k.a the Recess Moms, live by while advocating for increased recess for children in schools. Seeing the negative effects of decreased recess minutes on their children’s mental and physical health, the Recess Moms banded together and decided to fight. They donned pink shirts and marched the Tennessee Capitol to fight for a recess bill promising increased recess in sch...
Feb 27, 2025•36 min
How much recess is your child getting in school? Chances are, it’s not enough! Dr. Rhea brings on Rachel Bush, Morgan Garner, and Kathryn Truman, a.k.a. the Recess Moms from Tennessee, to share how they’ve banded together for a cause. With 10 children between them, they realized that their children were suffering in school because of very little recess. This session discusses how they began the journey and the struggles they have had to realize their goal – more recess in schools! What began as ...
Feb 20, 2025•32 min
Dr. Rhea brings back Matt Sandoval to discuss his role as Executive Director of Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona , and share the history of the organization. Free Arts is a nonprofit which provides trauma-informed art activities through trained adult mentors for children and teens who have experienced the trauma of abuse, neglect, and homelessness. Matt Sandoval is an Arizona native who has served as an executive leader in human services and non-profit organizations for over 15 years. He...
Feb 13, 2025•34 min
Dr. Rhea sits down with Matt Sandoval, Executive Director of Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona which provides trauma-informed art activities through trained adult mentors for children and teens who have experienced the trauma of abuse, neglect, and homelessness. Matt shares his personal and professional journey that led him to social work, and discusses the therapeutic nature of expressive arts and the importance of meeting individual needs creatively. Matt Sandoval is an Arizona native w...
Feb 07, 2025•30 min
In light of Human Trafficking Awareness month, Dr. Rhea sits down with Bob Williams, founder and CEO of Ranch Hands Rescue and Bob’s House of Hope. Bob shares his incredible and profound personal journey of trauma, resilience, and hope which led to the founding of his non-profit programs. He discusses the problem with human trafficking and sexual violence of boys and men. Many programs focus on women, but there were no programs that knew what to do with a male who experienced these same types of...
Jan 30, 2025•30 min•Season 5Ep. 1
In this second installment of our exciting two-part season finale special, we bring back Dr. Michelle Bauml as our moderator and put Dr. Rhea back in the hot seat! This time, Dr. Rhea answers your burning questions about bringing the LiiNK Project to your school. How do we incorporate four recess breaks into the school day without compromising content time? Why do we suggest 15-minute breaks instead of 30 minutes? These are just a couple of our many frequently asked questions, and Dr. Rhea answe...
Dec 11, 2024•32 min
Kicking off our two-part season finale special, we bring on friend and colleague, Dr. Michelle Bauml, as our moderator to flip the script and ask Dr. Rhea about how LiiNK has evolved and burning questions you have asked over the years. That’s right – Dr. Rhea is in the hot seat! Hear the story of how and why LiiNK began, and why LiiNK continues to work in U.S. schools despite rampant teacher burnout and the setbacks of the global pandemic that continue to affect many today. Dr. Michelle Bauml is...
Dec 04, 2024•31 min
Close your eyes and go to your happy place… Can you hear the birds chirping? Feel the breeze against your face? Taste the salt in the air from the ocean ahead? Imagination is a powerful gift which can be used to manage anxiety and stress or improve performance, but how often are you utilizing it to its full potential? In this last of four installments in our Stress Relief Strategies series, Dr. Rhea discusses the practice of imagery to improve illness, performance, and promote relaxation and foc...
Nov 20, 2024•25 min
Oftentimes, words cannot accurately depict what we are feeling. Maybe there’s not an exact word for it, or maybe we just don’t know how to express our emotions. When words don’t work, art therapy may be the answer. In this episode, Dr. Rhea dives into the power of art therapy and some of the various ways you can utilize art as a tactile means to release and interpret your emotions in a healthy and introspective way. This is the third installment of our 4-part Stress Relief Strategies series....
Nov 13, 2024•27 min
Each of us has our own special connection to music, whether it’s the memory of seeing a favorite artist in concert, jamming out to the radio on the drive home every day, or maybe how it helped you through the stress of the pandemic. How do those experiences make you feel? Many studies have shown the vast benefits of music including stress reduction, improved brain and cardiovascular health, memory recall, and pain relief. In this part 2 of our Stress-Relief series, Dr. Rhea discusses these benef...
Nov 06, 2024•25 min
If you could give yourself a score between 1-100 for how well you handle stress, what would your score be? This episode starts a 4-part series focused on stress relief strategies to improve your stress score. In part one, Dr. Rhea discusses journaling and expressing yourself through creative strategies such as dream states, realizing positivity, and finding your "tribe with a vibe".
Oct 30, 2024•26 min•Season 4Ep. 8
Dr. Rhea brings back playworker and risky-play advocate, Jill Wood, to share how she brought adventure play into The Parish School in Houston, Texas, and just how beneficial it has been for her students and community. More than that, risky play is key to building resilience, joy, trust, and healthy relationships. The language and insight that playworkers bring to recess or play environments helps determine when play that is observed is risky in a healthy way or in a hazardous way. This session h...
Oct 02, 2024•29 min
Playwork is a unique approach, developed alongside adventure playgrounds in the U.K., to create and maintain spaces for unstructured, child-directed play. It has now become popular across the U.K., the U.S. and Canada. Dr. Rhea brings on playworker and risky-play advocate, Jill Wood, to share the principles of Playwork and what drew her to this approach in schools and after school programs. Jill Wood is founding director of Adventure Play at The Parish School , an outdoor, child-directed after s...
Sep 18, 2024•26 min•Season 4Ep. 6
Did you know, the average 4-year-old laughs 40 times a day, while the average 40-year-old laughs only 4 times a day? Why and when did we let go of our laughter? Dr. Rhea discusses positive emotions such as laughter, joy and happiness – the healing power of experiencing these emotions daily, the detriment of living without them, and how to laugh more in our search for the proverbial funny bone.
Sep 11, 2024•20 min•Season 4Ep. 5
Dr. Rhea is back with Marissa Heyl to discuss her journey from anthropology to neurodesign further. This time, though, she will tie together her passion for neurodesign with her business, Inclusive Wellness Design. She will discuss her goal to bring art, interior design, and play together in the workplace to improve whole health benefits for the employee. Marissa Heyl is a design strategist and neurodesigner who builds environments of belonging for all to thrive at work. Her designs encourage ev...
Sep 04, 2024•37 min
Dr. Rhea brings on friend and collaborator, Marissa Heyl, to share her career journey from cultural anthropology to neurodesign in the workplace. Hear how Marissa’s passion to make the world a better place led her to amazing communities and artisans across the world, and how she is bringing art and play together through design in the workplace. Marissa Heyl is a design strategist and neurodesigner who builds environments of belonging for all to thrive at work. Her designs encourage everyday brai...
Aug 28, 2024•30 min•Season 4Ep. 3
It’s no secret that nature has healing powers. The term “shinrin-yoku”, or forest bathing, was coined in Japan in the 1980s as an effective therapy method that involves mindful engagement within a forest or natural environment. In this episode, Dr. Rhea dives into the vast benefits of forest bathing, and the four ways you can experience and engage with the nature around you.
Aug 21, 2024•20 min•Season 4Ep. 2
What types of outdoor experiences have you had that gave you a positive sense of self? Do you spend enough time in nature to meditate, reflect, be at peace? Did you know that nature is the game changer for negative emotions and lack of sleep? In this season opener, Dr. Rhea addresses all of these questions and more to help you heal your mind and body through the power of nature, also called ecotherapy.
Aug 14, 2024•31 min•Season 4Ep. 1
Dr. Rhea is back with Dr. Daphne Harris to continue their conversation on father daughter play, diving into the effects of intersectionality, mental health, and the importance of a strong support system. Daphne Chambers Harris, a dynamic speaker, researcher, and dedicated educator, holds a master's degree in clinical community psychology from Texas Southern University and a Ph.D. in Child Development from Texas Woman’s University. She serves as faculty at the University of North Texas-Denton wit...
Mar 06, 2024•34 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Dr. Rhea brings on Dr. Daphne Harris from the University of North Texas, to share how her relationship with her father and the lessons she learned through father daughter play shaped her life and her career. Daphne Chambers Harris, a dynamic speaker, researcher, and dedicated educator, holds a master's degree in clinical community psychology from Texas Southern University and a Ph.D. in Child Development from Texas Woman’s University. She serves as faculty at the University of North Texas-Denton...
Feb 28, 2024•30 min•Season 3Ep. 7
