Where is the line between healthy and unhealthy relationships? How do we break patterns of unhealthy behaviors in our relationships? Rio Timberlane, the author of the book The Joy of Lucid Love, talks about the journey to finding yourself and navigating life in the healthy lanes of the highway. Rio is a Relationship Scientist, Author, and…

Sometimes, when we are feeling down, we mask our pain behind a smile — or a drug. Dr. Laura Petracek entered her teen years just as her family moved to a new state. She felt distant from everyone she lived with and knew, and she felt invisible. Like many people, she masked her pain. She…

Looking in the mirror takes courage and the willingness to see what’s there, not what we want to be there. Jenn Kautsch talks about that look in the mirror and how it led her to found Sober Sis, a like-minded community of women who are renegotiating their relationship with alcohol, without labels, shame, judgment, or…

When people with mental health and substance use disorders lose their homes and find themselves unsheltered and on the street, recovery becomes difficult, if not impossible. Dan Grellinger talks about the work of Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s, Street Angels. Street Angels is a program whose small staff and volunteers travel throughout Milwaukee County providing hot meals, clothing,…

Many times, before substance use, there is trauma. Confusing, and sometimes destructive, messages from others about who we are as children affect the way we develop, cope, and mature. Lynn McLaughlin talks about her journey of self discovery, which she calls uncovering. Uncovering the real you takes time, support, and self-forgiveness. Lynn is a co-owner and…

If young people are going to work and live in a global society, understanding the impact of other cultures and that history takes place every day across our planet is important for them to learn. Colin Hanson, an educator in the Edgar, Wisconsin, School District, talks about A Walk in Their Shoes, a collaborative effort…

It’s not uncommon that people are drawn into a field of work because of their life experiences. We know the topic, we lived it, and we can give something back to help others. Jason Shiers talks about his personal road to recovery and the work he has done to help others undo the labels that…

Anger never knocks on the emotional door without company. According to numerous studies, including one from the Harvard Business Review, expressions of anger have risen dramatically across the culture, and, whether disagreements about politics, the pandemic, other social issues, or even work and personal relationships, anger seems to be the most prevalent emotion expressed. Lynn McLaughlin and…

Are the customs and patterns around alcohol and other drug usage that much different in other places? Juliana, Maria, and Brenda talk about substance use and abuse in their native Brazil. The legal drinking age is different, and so are the consequences. Now in the United States for college, the women compare the culture they…

Like all families who have lost a child to drugs, the Rachwals were left asking, “What now?” For Erin Rachwal, her husband Rick, and their youngest son, the answer was to make sure what happened to their son Logan did not happen to another family. More than 100,000 individuals lost their lives last year to…