All The Wiser

When Jessica Ekhoff gave birth to her son, the last thing she planned for was a mental health crisis. The signs were there within days of delivering, but with no history of mania, it was easy to overlook the obsessive, grandiose thinking, the hyperfixation and impulsivity. Eventually, a terrifying delusion landed Jessica in a psychiatric ward where she was able to get a diagnosis and receive treatment. Post-recovery, Jessica is sharing her story through her book: Super Sad Unicorn: A Memoir of Mania. Her mission is to shine a light on postpartum bipolar disorder, and tell those who are affected that they are not alone. In this episode:Reflecting on the first signs of bipolar disorder.The disparity between who you are as a person and what is happening with the mental health of your brain.What led to starting in-patient treatment.Receiving a proper diagnosis and experiencing the mania and delusions that come with it.The importance of validation and support of others with similar experiences.Stay connected to Je

Christy interviews Kimi about her favorite moments and memories from Season 4 in this week's mini-episode. We dig into finding guests, key ingredients for a successful episode, and Kimi's dream for All The Wiser in 2023. Additionally, she shares how the stories on her show have changed her, helping her surrender what she can't control and take control of what she can.Follow the show at @allthewiserpodcast on Instagram.Keep the conversation going! Join our new Facebook group and connect with other listeners like you!Stay in the know with all things All The Wiser! Sign up for our newsletter for personal reflections from Kimi, new episodes, and recommendations from our team!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/all-the-wiser/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Austin Hatch is one in a million. Scratch that. One in 3.4 million. Those were odds that an MIT statistician gave of him surviving the plane crash that killed his mom and two siblings. But then, just days after being accepted to play basketball for his dream school, the University of Michigan, Austin was in a second plane crash – this one claiming the lives of his dad Steve and his step-mom Julie. Yet with all this loss, Austin has found a way to keep living by finding ways to honor the family he loved. His gratitude for life and his message of creating your legacy every day has inspired people all over the world to reconcile living while coping with tragedy. In this episode:Legacy is your day to day actions.The importance of staying busy in the wake of tragedy, loss and trauma.Honoring the life of someone you lost by contributing to the world.Living a life that is defined by what is beyond tragedy.Stay connected to Austin:Website: www.austin-hatch.comLinkedIn: Austin HatchTwitter: @AustinHatch30Charity: Erin

Kimi and Christy talk about Yusuf Dahl's radical transformation from prison inmate to Ivy League scholar. They discuss what attributed to Yususf's ability to adapt and ultimately thrive - a clear internal vision, a sense of purpose, patience and the knowledge that he was loved.As a public defender in juvenile dependency court, Christy shared an emotional story about representing a father who also underwent a radical life transformation. A dad who overcame decades of addiction to keep custody of the daughter he adored. Whether it's big or small, Yusuf's stories, and almost all of the stories on this podcast, are a testament to our innate ability to change our lives and shed the parts of ourselves that no longer serve us.Follow the show at @allthewiserpodcast on Instagram.Keep the conversation going! Join our new Facebook group and connect with other listeners like you!Stay in the know with all things All The Wiser! Sign up for our newsletter for personal reflections from Kimi, new episodes, and

He knew he was loved by his mother, and because she loved him, Yusuf Dahl knew he was worth something. Growing up in a food insecure and financially unstable household in Milwaukee taught Yusuf what not to do in order to be a successful adult. Those lessons made him a profitable drug dealer. After landing in prison, however, Yusuf began applying himself in a new way. The investment in himself set him up for a future he never could have imagined, including a degree at Princeton, a real estate career, and a mission to make housing more affordable and available for everyone.In this episode:The right to affordable housing.The influence our parents and guardians have on us.How we view our community matters.The role demographics plays in the trajectory of your life.Learning to respond to challenges and adversity with optimism.Stay connected with Yusuf:Websites: www.yusufdahl.comwww.realestatelaballentown.comArticle: Strom Thurmond blocked me from renting a homeTwitter: @YusufDahlInstagram: @yusufdahlCharity Donatio

I’m really excited to share with you a special episode from another podcast I love and think you will too. It’s called a Family Secrets hosted by Dani Shapiro. In this episode, "Somebody's Daughter", Ashley’s father is imprisoned when she’s eight months old. She has no real context for him until she visits him for the first time, when she’s seven. They forge as best a relationship they can, writing letters, and talking on the phone. It’s not until she’s fourteen when she discovers why he’s in jail. What she learns is shattering and confirms to her that the world is not always a safe place.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/all-the-wiser/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Kimi shares a message of love, gratitude, and permission to prioritize self-care as the holiday season begins. Follow the show at @allthewiserpodcast on Instagram.Keep the conversation going! Join our new Facebook group and connect with other listeners like you!Stay in the know with all things All The Wiser! Sign up for our newsletter for personal reflections from Kimi, new episodes, and recommendations from our team!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/all-the-wiser/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In part two of this series, Ken Coll recounts his experience raising Matthew and surviving the stabbing that nearly took his life. A few years after adopting baby Matthew, it became clear to Tom Boulet and his husband Ken Coll that something wasn’t right. Matthew had severe behavioral issues and an oppositional, defiant nature that had him bouncing from school to school. Still, Tom and Ken left no stone unturned to get Matthew the care and treatment he needed. After finishing high school and attending a few years of college, Matthew returned home one summer and attempted to kill both Tom and Ken, stabbing them a combined 31 times in the middle of the night. After a miraculous recovery, Tom and Ken share reflections on parenting a child with mental illness and how they found meaning and purpose and a renewed devotion to each other amid tragedy. In this episode:Falling in love two months after divorce and an unexpected diagnosis.The difficult entry of their adopted son, Matthew, into the world.Navigating the sp

*Rebroadcast* (originally aired 5/14/19)In honor of National Family Caregivers Month, we celebrate caregivers around the world including Kimi’s friend, and All The Wiser guest, Michel Varisco Gleason. Today we are re-airing their intimate conversation from 2019. #teamgleason #nationalfamilycaregivermonthMom, wife, artist and one of my all time favorite people, Michel Varisco, cozies up with All The Wiser on a couch in her native New Orleans. Michel walks us through the day of her husbands terminal diagnosis, finding out she was pregnant a month later and what it was like to watch a documentary about her life in a packed theater at Sundance Film Festival. She opens up about the pressure of living up to false expectations, the realities of life as a full time caretaker to her husband and newborn baby, their decision to have a second child and how her darkest days inspired her work as an artist.In this episode:Learning her husband, Steve, is terminally illThe truth about care-taking for someone you love Having h

A few years after adopting baby Matthew, it became clear to Tom Boulet and his husband Ken Coll that something wasn’t right. Matthew had severe behavioral issues and an oppositional, defiant nature that had him bouncing from school to school. Still, Tom and Ken left no stone unturned to get Matthew the care and treatment he needed. After finishing high school and attending a few years of college, Matthew returned home one summer and attempted to kill both Tom and Ken, stabbing them a combined 31 times in the middle of the night. After a miraculous recovery, Tom and Ken share reflections on parenting a child with mental illness and how they found meaning and purpose and a renewed devotion to each other amid tragedy. This is a two-part series. Part two will be available on November 16th, 2022In this episode:Raising a child with mental illness.Learning to ground their relationship in friendship.Clarity of purpose and direction on the other side of pain.How to honor and heal each part of ourselves after a traumat

Kimi is joined by Christy and her new puppy, Holly June Miller Peterson, to discuss vulnerability, how powerful it is, and how hard it can be to find courage. Christy opens up about her desire to share more vulnerably as well as her hesitation to do so.Inspired by Paul Gilmartin's episode last week, Kimi shares her experience with hypomania and discusses whether some symptoms can be viewed as strengths or even gifts. In closing, we are reminded that every episode on the pod is ultimately about post traumatic growth and how hard things (and talking about hard things) can lead to positive change. Follow the show at @allthewiserpodcast on Instagram.Keep the conversation going! Join our new Facebook group and connect with other listeners like you!Stay in the know with all things All The Wiser! Sign up for our newsletter for personal reflections from Kimi, new episodes, and recommendations from our team!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/all-the-wiser/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcir

Most people don’t change unless they have to. For Paul Gilmartin, it was facing a life without experiencing the intimacy he saw other people had. First he needed to know how to deal with his feelings and then find healthy ways to express them, which he does very openly on his popular podcast, The Mental Illness Happy Hour. But the biggest piece of the puzzle for Paul was facing the childhood trauma he spent 20 years avoiding through therapy, support groups and sobriety.  Article referenced:Dr. Alan Rappaport called Co-NarcissismBook referenced:A Gentle Path by Patrick J. CarnesKimi's episode on All The WiserIn this episode:The complexity of our relationships with people, that there can be so much good and so much darkness…both at the same time.The pressures of “doing television” and the compromises that come with it. Choosing to talk about hard things in order to develop trust with people in order for them to bravely meet you.The feeling of a life unlived. Sadness, anger, feeling suicidal, having a great

Kimi is smitten with Meyli Chapin, “Terrorist Attack Girl”, and after listening to the interview from last week, Christy is too. Both appreciate Meyli’s authenticity and the raw emotion she brings to her story of terror and healing. It is a rare gift to share pain and hope in equal measure. Kimi and Christy discuss trauma, both the big and small hardships that impact our health and wellbeing. They wonder whether small-scale, more personal events qualify as trauma, and conclude that trauma is trauma (this is not a competition!). The friends discuss tools to help navigate adversities and Kimi shares an insight from her guests that the retelling of their trauma is often cathartic and a bridge to growth. Are you interested in thinking more about trauma and your mindset toward adversity? Kimi and Christy suggest reading “The Body Keeps The Score” – bonus, it has beautiful cover art – and a practical workbook called “Choose Growth”, that provides research and strategies for transcending trauma, fear and self-doubt.

Meyli Chapin was trapped in a hotel room for 17 hours in Nairobi while Al-Shabaab terrorists attacked the property. She was alone and certain she was going to die. But through the incredible efforts of brave men who fought to recover Meyli and extract her to safety, she survived. However, after the attack, PTSD left her mind shattered. She felt like a fraction of the strong, confident, capable woman she used to be. She thought she was uniquely traumatized and couldn't understand why she was unable to leave her apartment, why she couldn't sleep, and why she wished she had died in the terrorist attack. It was a long, hard road, but eventually Meyli did find the light at the end of the tunnel. She shares her experience of healing from PTSD, as well as thoughts and strategies to help anyone suffering from trauma to find hope and relief.In this episode:The difficultly of living in a region with a constant threat of terrorist activity. Meyli was only scheduled to be in Kenya for 2 days. She was supposed to

I’m really excited to share with you a special preview from another podcast I love and think you will too. It’s called a Slight Change of Plans from Pushkin Industries. In this special preview, civil rights icon Ruby Bridges shares what it was like to be the first African-American student to attend an all-white elementary school in Louisiana in 1960. Ruby was just six years old at the time, and it would be years before she fully appreciated her role in advancing civil rights in America. Hear the full episode and more from a Slight Change of Plans here.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/all-the-wiser/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Christy gets a fancy microphone, and Kimi looks like she's working at a call center. They go behind the scenes of Pastor Jose Hernandez's interview and explain how he went from being a gang member in Watts to be a beacon of peace and hope.Kimi and Christy discuss incremental change, or "baby steps," which ultimately lead to personal growth. Kimi shares how she transformed from a workaholic to a "semi-balanced" person. Christy talks about living with postpartum anxiety and how she regained her mental and emotional health incrementally.The two friends reflect on Pastor Hernandez's faith journey and how religion played a part in his healing. Kimi opens up about her faith and how she feels religion can be misunderstood when it's seen in broad strokes. Both admit they are uncomfortable talking about religion since it can lead to conflict and division. Kimi emphasizes that All The Wiser is a place where "all are welcome" and voices are as varied as the fabric of our country.F

Somewhere after gang life, incarceration and a stint with a Mexican Cartel, Jose Hernandez felt a stirring in his heart, which would eventually lead him towards ministry and a legacy of leadership and healing in Watts, California. But in order to move forward, Jose first had to make peace with his past, including the suffering and pain he caused others. Today, Pastor Jose Hernandez is a role model and father figure to many young boys in Watts, setting a strong example of hope, dedication and the power of personal transformation.In this episode:Jose thought the life of a criminal was his fate and never imagined he would live this long.His father abused him and his mother, then abandoned them, which set the tone for a lot of his life.His desire to belong, to be part of something bigger, to be protected because of all those things he was lacking.Learning the cost of being a member in a gang.Becoming the man he vowed he never would be and the journey to his faith.His return to Hope Central Watts, becoming a pasto

In "A Little Wiser", Kimi and Positive Psychology coach Christy Peterson take you behind the scenes of each previous All The Wiser interview and explore how to apply the lessons from our guests to our own lives. In our first mini-episode of the new season, Kimi talks about why she was nervous interviewing Amanda Knox and how their conversation about ethical storytelling made her rethink dinner party gossip. Christy examines how stories add entertainment to our often mundane lives and that we often forget there is an (actual) human being behind the stories we consume. Kimi remembers a time in junior high when she discovered that people were gossiping and saying hurtful things about her. The two friends pledge to do better when consuming stories about other people.Follow the show at @allthewiserpodcast on Instagram.Keep the conversation going! Join our new Facebook group and connect with other listeners like you!Stay in the know with all things All The Wiser! Sign up for our newsletter for personal refl

It never occurred to Amanda Knox that she would be looked at as a suspect for the murder of her roommate Meredith Kercher. The police told her she was their star witness. But once the story made international headlines, the investigation quickly turned into a calculated and violent interrogation that left Amanda without a voice and with a wrongful conviction that would change the course of her life forever. Who do our stories belong to? And how can we avoid objectifying the real people at the center of them? In this episode:How should we think about the stories we are told in the media?Who is being helped and who is being harmed by the systems we rely upon for information, and what can we do about it? Amanda’s experience when first moving to Italy.The first week of November when Amanda’s life would change forever.The news Amanda received that she was the key witness to this case.Amanda and her boyfriend’s fight for freedom and justice.Three core principles to live by when storytelling.Stay connected to Amanda

All The Wiser returns next week with inspiring guests sharing stories of hope and possibility on the other side of pain. Here's a sneak peek of the upcoming season. You can follow the show @allthewiserpodcast on Instagram.If you'd like to keep up with the most recent news from the show be sure to sign up for our email list.Don't forget to join our new Facebook group to continue the conversation and meet others in our community. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/all-the-wiser/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy