by Rona | Jul 21, 2016 | Announcements, Appearances, KPFA, Podcasts, Radio Shows
Listen now to todays show (July 25, 2016) on KPFA.org 94.1FM, to discuss treatments for depression
There are many ways to understand depression. We discussed both traditional and more alternative ways of helping people understand their moods, and how lifestyle changes can be powerful medicine.
Depression is a common illness worldwide, with an estimated 350 million people affected (www.who.int). Depression is not the same as the moods and emotions people experience in response to challenges and grief in everyday life. Depression varies in intensity, and for some it becomes a serious health condition—leading to difficulty at work, school, and in relationship to friends and family. Depression can also lead to suicide, which is the second leading cause of death in people ages 15-29.
There are effective treatments for depression, but many people don’t receive help because of lack of money or healthcare, and because there continues to be social stigma associated with any mental illness.
Guests:
Dr. Teray Garchitorena Kunishi, ND, offers natural and integrative programs for treating anxiety, panic, depression, insomnia, chronic stress, autoimmune conditions, and chronic fatigue. She currently serves clients all over the world via phone and video consultations. Dr. Teray has spent most of her life exploring what it means to be truly happy and well. Her inquiry has led to naturopathic medical training, research and energy work with Tibetan nuns in India, working in sustainable agriculture in the Philippines, and becoming a lifelong student of Eastern and Western spirituality. She is also certified in hypnotherapy and neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), which help create new pattens of thought and behavior. You can find out more about her at: http://www.deeplyhappy.com/

David J. Frankel, Ph.D, is a clinical psychologist in Berkeley and Corte Madera CA. He has been the program director of Ross Hospital Child and Adolescent Inpatient Unit, and has consulted to many schools. He has supervised psychology trainees at The Wright Institute, and led a child consultation group for A Home Within, an organization that provides free psychotherapy to children in foster care. Dr. Frankel is on the Child Colloquium Committee of the San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis. You can learn more about his work at http://www.davidfrankelphd.com

by Rona | Jul 13, 2016 | Announcements, Appearances, KPFA, Podcasts, Radio Shows
LISTEN NOW To About Health: https://kpfa.org/player/?audio=237695 on KPFA.org, 94.1FM.
We discussed things you can do to prevent and treat health emergencies such as Heat Stroke, Cardiac Arrest, Injuries, and Drowning. With summer here, it’s a good idea to hone your first aid skills, and review some lifesaving measures.


Jeff Johnson has been working as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) for over three years and teaching for two. He has worked in both the 911 system as a First Responder, as well as Critical Care Transport. He is currently the Program Administrator for the EMT Program, and an American Heart Association Training Center Faculty at Fast Response School of Healthcare. And he works part-time for a private ambulance service.
Michael Huffman is a Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) instructor at Fast Response School of Healthcare, and is also their Basic Life Support (BLS) Administrator. He also works as an EMT at a private Ambulance service in San Leandro. He is almost finished with a Fire Technology program at Los Medanos College.

by Rona | Jun 8, 2016 | Announcements, Appearances, KPFA, Podcasts, Radio Shows
Men’s Health Month helps to raise awareness, and encourage men to make healthy lifestyle choices, go for check-ups, get educated about things like diabetes and heart disease, and be attuned to emotional and mental health issues as well.
Listen to the show I hosted on KPFA (June 13, 2016)
In Honor of Father’s Day and Men’s Health Month
My Guests were:
Dr. Will Courtenay, is an internationally recognized expert in men’s health and in helping men, boys, and fathers. The American Psychological Association calls him, “a leading psychologist in the field of masculinity.” He provides psychotherapy and counseling to individuals in the S.F. Bay Area, and phone consultation to those outside of the area. You can reach him at 415-346-6719 or check out his website at http://www.themensdoc.com. He is also the author of Dying To Be Men: http://www.amazon.com/Dying-Men-Environmental-Biobehavioral-Psychotherapy/dp/0415878764
Rev. Dr. Niinana Kweku C.A.M.F, author of, In Search Of Manhood: Reclaiming Manhood, Brain Freeze, and Whiteout. All of his books deal with the plight of people of color and other marginalized groups in America. He has worked in the behavioral health field for 45 years, and is presently the Executive Director of Family Solutions inc., a non profit organization committed to serving and reeducating communities of America and globally.
by Rona | May 13, 2016 | Announcements, KPFA, Podcasts, Radio Shows
May 16th: ADHD: What Everyone Needs To Know, By Stephen Hinshaw and Katherine Ellison.
There is much misinformation and skepticism about ADHD, especially since the rates of diagnosis are skyrocketing throughout the world. In the book, ADHD: What Everyone Needs To Know, the authors Stephen Hinshaw and Katherine Ellison examines both the reality of ADHD and the societal forces pushing rates of diagnosis to alarmingly high levels.

Guest:
Stephen Hinshaw, PhD, is an internationally recognized research investigator of child and adolescent disorder, an award-winning teacher and scholar. He teaches at UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco. Stephen Hinshaw is the author of many books including; The Mark of Shame: Stigma of Mental illness and an Agenda for Change, The Triple Bind: Saving Our Teenage Girls From Today’s Pressures, and The ADHD Explosion: Myths, Medication, Money, and Today’s Push for Performance.
by Rona | Apr 27, 2016 | Announcements, Appearances, KPFA, Podcasts, Radio Shows
LISTEN NOW to my guests, Darris Young and Taina Vargas-Edmond, on “About Health” KPFA.org, 94.1 FM

We discussed mass incarceration and how it poses a serious public health challenge. We addressed the health impact on prisoners and their families, and discussed mental health in the jail setting.
Guests:
Taina Vargas-Edmond

As State Advocate, Taina works to advance the goals of the Truth and Reinvestment Campaign, building the capacity of communities throughout the state of California to prevent and respond to state violence and mass criminalization through community organizing and coordinated rapid response.
Prior to joining the Ella Baker Center, Taina co-founded the Coalition for Jail Reform in Monterey County and worked for the California State Assembly, where she helped draft legislation aimed at helping state prisoners earn time off of their sentences while reducing their chances of returning to prison. Additionally, she has volunteered with several human rights advocacy groups, such as the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security, Dignity and Power Now, and the Monterey Peace and Justice Center.
In his role as Local Organizer, Darris leads Ella Baker Center’s effort to build a coalition of families negatively impacted by the criminal justice system in the Bay Area. Darris brings to his current work past success as a certified addictions, domestic violence, and violence prevention counselor, and victim advocate with local organizations, including City Team International and Allen Temple Baptist Church. In addition, his experience as both a formerly incarcerated person and a police academy graduate give him a deep understanding of how the current justice system operates and where change is needed.
In January of 2008, while at Solano State Prison in Vacaville, Darris co-organized a prison-wide work stoppage in response to the loss of recreation privileges for inmates. Although it is prohibited for an inmate to organize or participate in a work stoppage, Darris and his co-organizers shut down the prison for more than five days and got the word out to other prisons, resulting in solidarity actions. Ultimately, the work stoppage prompted the warden at Solano and several in his top command to negotiate with inmates, and lessened the severity of the recreation privilege reduction.
His life has been shaped toward service and activism, first as a police officer and later as a counselor and advocate. Working with Black and Latino youth caught up in the criminal justice system is a particular passion for Darris, and he believes there is a role for every community member to play in creating a just, healthy, and prosperous future for all.