Change You Choose

I've written previously about how to use nutrition in healing trauma. When you struggle with chronic situations that affect your ability and even your desire to eat healing, rebounding and overcoming obstacles to recovery exponentially increase. I experienced this myself on my post-trauma journey as mysterious physical illnesses stopped my stomach, intestines and liver from properly functioning. Literally, I got to a point where I could not eat anything more than some steamed chicken. Lack of nutrition and proper diet dramatically reduce our overall immune system function, plus our ability to sleep, cope and heal. If you're struggling with cancer all of this becomes doubly compounded by the effects of treatment. Then what? On this episode I'm joined by Susan Bratton, Founder and CEO of Meals To Heal and guest speaker at the upcoming Survivors Conference in Nashville, TN. When Susan recognized the nutritional struggles of both cancer patients and caregivers, she immediately decided to take action and formed an organization that offers a comprehensive nutritional solution for both groups. Susan's organization provides meals that strengthen the immune system, increase energy levels and the ability to withstand and respond to cancer treatment, and prevent weight loss. Sometimes we have the rare opportunity to meet people who dedicate there lives to helping others. They don't just simply decide to volunteer a few hours a month or a day or two in a year, but truly decide to dedicate their lives to a need that they have recognized exists. These types of people are extraordinary and that's exactly what Susan has done. In her quest to bring nutritional relief and change the direction of cancer survivors lives she's also changed the direction of her own life. A double win in my book!  MEET MY GUEST: Susan Bratton, Chief Executive Officer.  Susan founded Meals To Heal in 2011 after a career on Wall Street where she represented and focused exclusively on early and growth stage healthcare services and insurance companies. Susan brings to Meals to Heal over 25 years of industry experience in healthcare and business as well as expertise in strategy, finance and management. Susan was a member of the healthcare groups at firms including Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, Robertson Stephens and Wasserstein, Perella & Co.  Susan earned a B.A. from Duke University and an M.B.A. from the University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate School of Business.  She is actively involved in a number of industry associations including Women Business Leaders in Healthcare and the Healthcare Business Women’s Association.  She also serves on the Advisory Board of HCap, the national leading venue for healthcare providers and capital to meet.   In addition to her professional responsibilities, Susan volunteers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s Pediatric Oncology Unit and is a marathon runner representing MSKCC on Fred’s Team to raise money for cancer research.

Life. There are so many adjectives to describe it and depending on what road we happen to be travelling at the time, they aren’t always positive. That feeling of overwhelm can engulf us in a shroud of negativity and give us a feeling that there is simply no way to escape the world we’ve created around us. Yep! Many times, we’ve created our own situation and just don’t know how to remove ourselves from it. Other times, we have nothing to do with the reason why we find ourselves suffocating, but it is still up to us to choose to change our direction so that we find a path that supports our journey, not hinders it. Did you know that the estimated cost of employees spending time searching for things they need results in an estimated $89 billion of lost work time each year? Did you know that clutter is really just the result of postponed decisions? On this episode of CHANGING DIRECTION, I interviewed Sara Skillen, founder and owner of SkillSet, about how clutter impacts our lives and how organization can liberate us to achieve and succeed more than ever. An upcoming guest speaker at The Women’s Survivors Convention in Nashville, TN, Sara shared how taking control of your space helps you take control of your life. Plus, examples of how when you’re in control, stress and anxiety are magically reduced. We covered so much terrific hands-on information - and still had to leave important topics untouched! Here's what you'll learn: A simple, 3-step process for starting to organize your life What clutter is and how it affects your body and mind The science behind how your environment affects your daily experience How to break the cycle of clutter Important questions to ask yourself to help you declutter any time MEET MY GUEST: Sara Skillen, founder and owner of SkillSet, is a former educator and paralegal with experience in a variety of vocational settings – from education to the legal world, from large corporations to solopreneur home offices and telecommuting. In all phases of her career life, she has used her aptitude for organization, project planning, idea development and teaching to serve employers, clients and colleagues. Sara now loves sharing her knowledge of organizing principals to creatively help people from all walks of life get control of their clutter and reduce their stress. Her company’s services include home and business organization, custom file system creation, move assistance, estate organizing, technology for productivity and virtual organizing to help clients reach their organizing goals. She is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers, and currently serves on the board of the Nashville chapter.

In his New York Times Bestseller, THE BRAIN THAT CHANGES ITSELF, Dr. Norman Doidge profiles the story of Cheryl Schiltz. In her late thirties Cheryl entered the hospital for a routine surgery. When she came out, her vestibular system had been destroyed. Without her brain’s capacity for balance Cheryl’s life became unlivable. She could not sit, stand or walk without falling over. Enter Dr. Paul Bach-y-Rita whose groundbreaking work with neuroscience gave Cheryl her balance back -- and her life. On this episode I interviewed Cheryl Schiltz about how her life changed direction after the initial surgery, plus how it changed again during her work with Dr. Bach-y-Rita and his theory about the plasticity of our senses. Most importantly, Cheryl explained how her brain was rewired through simple science, the results she’s experienced, plus the benefits of neuroplasticity, your brain’s willingness to change all the time. We also covered: how your perception influences your brain the interaction between your brain and your identity how to access optimism how to answer the question, "Why did this happen to me?" the importance of learning to stand still and be silent (and how to do it) About my guest: Cheryl Schiltz has been majoring in the experience of disability since 1997 when an adverse reaction to an antibiotic destroyed her vestibular system. Cheryl lost her sense of balance and any concept of knowing where she was in space, forcing her literally to re-learn how to walk and introducing her to disability. Her experience was further compounded in 2010 when it was discovered that Cheryl had a brain aneurysm that required surgery to, as she puts it, “clip the bubble”. Cheryl took part in ground breaking sensory substitution research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison pioneered by world-renowned and esteemed doctor and scientist, Dr. Paul Bach-y-Rita. She has been featured in several publications and television reports such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, Discover Magazine, New Scientist Magazine, National Geographic, PBS, On Wisconsin, and Wisconsin Public Television. Her story has been featured in two books, “Balance – In Search of the Lost Sense” by Scott McCredie and the best-selling book, “The Brain that Changes Itself” by Dr. Norman Doidge. She was also featured in a Canadian Broadcast Company documentary of Dr. Doidge’s book. Cheryl has a BS in Rehabilitation Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her experience includes working and volunteering in vocational rehabilitation, youth transition, independent living, and disability advocacy and support. She has embarked on a mission to share her insights by speaking from inside the experience of disability. You can find her by visiting her blog, website or Facebook page, “Silencing the Noise of Disability – Turning down the noise and turning up your life” Cheryl lives in Madison, WI where she enjoys her family, photography, writing, public speaking, and working to make a difference in the lives of people with and without disabilities.

Ever be in the middle of a fine day and then hear a song on the radio and you’re plunged into a deep depression? Ever walk along the street and see just the fragment of a shadow and find your stomach has leaped up into your chest? One of the most frustrating aspects of life after trauma is how your older brain regions (your reptilian and mammalian brains) so often hijack your human mind (the one that’s supposed to be in control) and create havoc. Today on “Changing Direction” Guy Oberwise from Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center joined me to discuss how to reduce anxiety and panic so that you reclaim control over how you feel, think and behave. We covered: 4 natural processes 3 supporting elements 1 major action 1 takeaway exercise Plus, we also covered tons of educational information about how to approach recovery and how to use a snippet from Dialectical Behavior Therapy to jumpstart your process. Later in the show I interviewed Rob Oliver about the body surfing accident that changed his life forever and how since then he's changed the direction of his life into something powerful, positive and proactive. About my guests: Guy is a licensed clinical social worker, specializing in the treatment of eating disorders, substance abuse recovery, and mood disorders. He graduated from Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin with a Bachelor of Arts in clinical psychology and received his Master’s degree from Loyola University in Chicago in clinical and occupational psychology. He is a member of the National Association of Social Workers, the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals, and the International OCD Foundation. Guy oversees more than 20 primary therapists at Timberline Knolls who provide expert clinical treatment to adolescents and women. He provides clinical leadership and supervision for all four lodges. He specializes in mood and anxiety disorders and the treatment of OCD. As a member of the Timberline Knolls Clinical Development Institute, Guy offers presentations across the country on co-occurring disorders. Guy’s 20 plus years of broad-based background includes clinical and organizational psychology, business consultation, behavioral change management, and career development and training. Throughout his career, he has provided counseling and training within numerous schools, treatment centers, human resources departments and employee assistance programs on a variety of topics such as stress management, alcohol and drug addiction, drug free workplace, customer service, leadership development, self-esteem, depression and more. In August of 1993, Rob was paralyzed from the chest down as the result of a body surfing injury. At 21 years old, he was confronted with major life questions and decisions. How do the obstacles in my life affect me? Can I succeed in spite of personal limitations? What makes life meaningful? Rob took these questions to heart and began his work to develop a full and meaningful life. "You are responsible for your own life. The circumstances around you are things that may or may not change, it's your job to find the positive and relish that." Since his injury, Rob has accomplished what he sees as "everyone's goals". He went on to to complete his education with a Bachelors in Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh, followed by a Masters from Duquesne University. Rob married "the most wonderful woman in the world" and they have 7 year old triplets. (Everyone's goal might not be triplets, but the goal of marriage and having a family is pretty universal.) Today he is working full time. "We all have goals, we all have obstacles, we need to assess which will win in each of our lives. If you want to accomplish your goals, you're going to have to deal with the obstacles, but not be overcome by them." Find out more about Rob and his book, STILL WALKING, here.

I bet you didn't know that your amygdala, that tiny almond-shaped part of your brain responsible for detecting threat (and the part that after trauma might be a little overzealous at its job!) could dance, did you? Really, when Dr. Mark Goulston says that he's talking about helping your amygdala be loose and happy rather than all uptight and a wallflower. As we all know, sometimes we react to a stressful situation before reason can set in. That’s because your amygdala, part of your deep reptilian brain, has taken over, prohibiting your ability to think first, then react. Wouldn’t it be great if you could train your brain to be “in control” of a situation? Wouldn't it be nice if when other’s are losing their cool, you can keep yours? Well, you can! Dr. Mark Goulston was my guest on this episode and shared ten steps that you can use to train your brain, allowing you to remain in control under stressful circumstances and get your amygdala to work with you rather than against you. MEET MY GUEST: Mark Goulston, M.D. is a business advisor, consultant, speaker, trainer and coach trained as a clinical psychiatrist who honed his skills as an FBI/police hostage negotiation trainer who increases people’s ability to get through to anyone. He is Co- Founder of Heartfelt Leadership whose Mission is: Daring to Care and Go Positive Now and is the Resident Big Brother at Business Women Rising and serves on the Board of Advisers of American Women Veterans and Dr. Oz’ foundation, Health Corps. He is the author of international best selling book, “Just Listen” Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone (AMACOM, $24.95) which has reached #1 at amazon kindle in six business categories, #1 in China and Germany , #1 in audible audiobooks and has been translated into fourteen languages.  Dr. Goulston and his book was also a PBS special entitled “Just Listen with Dr. Mark Goulston.”  His next book, REAL INFLUENCE: Persuade Without Pushing and Gain Without Giving In, co-authored with Dr. John Ullment will be the lead book for the American Management Association in January, 2013 and will focus on influencing people in a post-selling world. markgoulston.com/  

So many times I've changed the direction of my life by changing my job. Sometimes because I chose to leave the position, sometimes because the position was dissolved by company changes... No matter how you leave or lose a job the transition to new employment can be rocky and pose resilience challenges. More and more we are hearing of people losing their jobs by no fault of their own. Suddenly without income, many times people find themselves in such a difficult situation with the inability to know how to move forward. Questions arise such as ‘How do I tell my family’ to ‘Do I need to develop a personal brand’ to ‘Will I ever find a job?’ With so much uncertainty and so many questions, individuals need to find answers as quickly as possible. And, that is what The Wall Street Coach, Kim Ann Curtin, joined me to discuss: tips, ideas and suggestions for how to rebound after losing your job. In our conversation Kim and I covered a slew of topics including the need for confidence in your job search -- and how to get it, plus the #1 thing you need to do before seeking a new job..... Kim Ann Curtin is the Founder & CEO of The Wall Street Coach, an international executive coaching and development firm specializing in emotional intelligence, conscious leadership and the development of strategies that empower people and uplift profits. With her team of talented executive coaches, Kim has transformed the lives of her clients, which include executives from the alternative investment community, Fortune 500 corporations, entrepreneurial and start-up ventures. Kim has been featured in CNN.Money, Fortune Magazine, Smart Money, USA Today, TheStreet.com, Associated Press, Private Asset Management Magazine (PAM) and Beauty & The Bull, among others. Kim’s upcoming book, The Wall Street 50 will feature interviews with over 50 conscious financiers and will unveil how one can live as a conscious capitalist. Kim currently lives in Brooklyn, NY. Follow her @kimanncurtin

Last month Dr. Bruce Dow coached two survivors with nightmares on air about how to use the dream revision technique to change, reduce and hopefully eliminate the content and frequency of their bad dreams. Today, he returns for a follow-up check-in with, Kim, one of the women he coached. During our conversation we discussed working with your dreams during the day and nighttime, the part of your brain that helps make new habits, and how to use your own inner self as well as others in the process. In our second segment Kenneth Anderson joined me to discuss alcohol addiction - and how to overcome it. A former alcoholic himself, he candidly spoke about his process out of addiction, his book, HOW TO CHANGE YOUR DRINKING, and the program he runs that helps facilitate success for so many people struggling with a drinking problem. We covered: The HARM Reduction Approach the link between trauma and addiction the problem with most addiction treatments, plus the current sea change in approach the value of self-compassion and how to use it in addiction recovery techniques, resources and other areas of focus in recovery MEET MY GUESTS: Bruce Dow, M.D. is a board-certified psychiatrist and psychopharmacologist with more than twenty years of experience in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In 2011 he was named a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. Dr. Dow became interested in PTSD in 1991 during his psychiatry residency and fellowship training at the San Diego VA Medical Center. This was the period of the first Gulf War, and many Vietnam veterans with PTSD were appearing at VA hospitals seeking treatment. Dr. Dow utilized a technique for treating combat-related PTSD by changing Vietnam veterans’ nightmares in a group therapy setting. The results were dramatic. Recurrent nightmares that had been present for twenty five years (1968 to 1993) disappeared following a single group therapy session. Between 1994 and 2007 Dr. Dow was in private practice in the San Diego community, receiving referrals from the VA for outpatient treatment of combat-related PTSD, as well as referrals of police officers, prison guards, high school teachers, cashiers, construction workers, and others with PTSD from the civilian workplace. He was able to utilize the same dream revision techniques to treat both military and civilian PTSD, as he describes in a book currently in preparation. Dr. Dow was born and raised in the Boston area. He graduated from Wesleyan University in 1960 and spent a year in Europe as a Fulbright Fellow. His interests in the humanities and sciences consolidated during his year abroad and led him to attend medical school at the University of Rochester with the goal of becoming a psychiatrist. After an internship in medicine at Johns Hopkins he fulfilled his Vietnam War era military service obligation as a researcher in neuroscience at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He continued his neuroscience research from 1967 to 1989, ultimately becoming a tenured full professor at the State University of New York (Buffalo). He has published many articles on color vision and visual perception. In 1989 Dr. Dow finally entered psychiatry, which had by this time evolved from its psychoanalytic roots to encompass neuroscience and psychopharmacology. Armed with his strong neuroscience background, he completed residency and fellowship training in psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). He spent a year (1993-1994) on the UCSD faculty, setting up an inpatient program in PTSD at the San Diego, VA Medical Center. In 1994-2007 Dr. Dow was in private practice in the San Diego community, where he maintained a subspecialty in treating individuals with PTSD. In 2007 Dr. Dow returned home to the Boston area, where he is employed as a community psychiatrist with a non-profit corporation (Vinfen), helping clients with significant mental illness, including PTSD,

Your parents tell you that in order to survive, you have to hide your identity. You are a young, innocent child, yet you must assume a new name and immediately learn the sign of the cross. You cannot let anyone know you are a Jew or death is imminent. You must never mention who you are or where you came from and most importantly, you must “Never Forget To Lie.” Emmy award-winning filmmaker, Marian Marzynski, joined me to discuss his latest Frontline documentary, “Never Forget To Lie.” A visual autobiography, Marian  shared a behind the scenes look into his life as a child during the holocaust and his newest, critically lauded film. During our interview we covered: Marian's goal in making this film be different than all other Holocaust films, and how he did it The universal impact of childhood trauma The benefits - and fears - that come when we look back at a traumatic past The secret of survivors A major element of a child's response to trauma Plus, I answered Paul's (from Minnesota) question asking, Is it normal to fluctuate between progress and square one when you're changing direction? About our guest: Marian Marzynski was born in Poland and survived the Holocaust as a Jewish child hidden by Christians. He has been making documentary films for over 50 years, first in Poland, where during the ’60s he was one of the pioneers of “cinema verite”, then in Denmark, and for the last 30 years in the United States. He was a Guggenheim Fellow in 1982 and won two Emmy Awards for his documentaries. He is a major contributor to such PBS series as The American Experience, NOVA and FRONTLINE. In FRONTLINE’s Never Forget to Lie, the most recent of Marzynski’s critically-lauded autobiographical films, the director explores, for the first time, his own wartime childhood and the experiences of other child survivors, teasing out their feelings about Poland, the Catholic Church, and the ramifications of identities forged under circumstances where survival began with the directive “never forget to lie.” Click here to watch the film.

Honoring D-Day on June 6th, this show focuses on our military both past and present. With guests Karl Monger (GallantFew.org), Debbie Sprague (FamilyOfAVet.org) and Steve Sparks (Veteran, Author) this show highlights and recognizes how our veterans and...

Always promise to do something good for yourself but then never follow through? Find yourself reaching for that doughnut or that extra beer when you know you shouldn’t? Having trouble stopping yourself from indulging in a habit or behavior you know is bad for you — but you just can’t stop yourself? Accessing and utilizing your willpower can be a tricky business; it’s also a skill that can be trained. This episode explores how willpower works and how you can start strengthening yours — through methods that are 100% free — today. In this episode I covered: willpower definition the parts of your brain involved in willpower how willpower works what can stop willpower from working two easy (and free!) ways to train willpower Plus, I answered a listener's question about how to be in a relationship with someone whose past keeps impacting the present. Change quote of the day: ".... things become possible if we want them bad enough." ― T.S. Eliot

Things happen in life that negatively change your beliefs and perceptions about who you are. As a result, it can become difficult to achieve your desires and goals. On this episode of CHANGING DIRECTION psychotherapist, Tom Cloyd, joined me to discuss the impact of identity on your life, plus how to master the process of self-selecting your identity to reclaim it. During our conversation we covered: defining identity how your identity is created outside of your control how you can reclaim control and self-select your identity how past events impact your present and future identity four steps to consciously creating your identity after the impact of trauma We covered a lot of ground with plenty of ideas that you can implement today to begin redefining who you are to create the change you choose! MEET MY GUEST: Tom Cloyd specializes in psychotherapy of trauma and dissociative disorders. His focus is work with anxiety, depression, and couples-in-crisis. He uses evidence-based, “best practices” approaches, and often uses ego-state psychology to augment and facilitate these approaches. His focus is on treatment of adults, but is experienced in treating adolescents and children as well. Having recently moved to Utah, he will be re-opening his private practice in Cedar City & St. George in late Winter of 2013. Tom has a particular interest in under-served and neglected populations affected by psychological trauma. He has identified what has to be the largest such population, found in every country in the world, and routinely ignored. They are all but invisible, and their neglect has grave consequences. He is presently designing an intervention demonstration program, to be implemented locally, where he lives, to show that initiating a reversal of this problem is within the reach of most local areas, certainly in first world countries, and possibly in second and third world countries as well. Formerly Director of Admissions at Pacific Gateway Hospital (Portland, Oregon), and Program Manager & County Designated Mental Health Professional (CDMHP) at Grant Mental Healthcare (Grand Coulee, Washington), Tom has also been a subcontracted mental health services provider to agencies on the Colville Indian Reservation (WA), the Coeur d’Alene Indian Reservation (ID), and the Lummi Indian Reservation (WA). He is the founder/moderator of the EMDR Resource Cooperative Internet Discussion List (for professionals), and of the Google+ Trauma and Dissociation Education and Advocacy Community and website. You can find his professional website HERE.

Changing the direction of your life takes many thoughts, choices and actions. You can give yourself a boost by incorporating methods that optimize how your brain processes stimuli and information. In fact, you can retrain your brain so that it works more effectively in ways that support both your mental and physical health. On this episode hypnotist, Laura King, and I discussed her new book, Hypnosis for Moving Through Illness, plus: how hypnosis works why it’s so effective how you can use it to strengthen your mind and heal your body how you can develop more emotional control  If you've read my award-nominated book, BEFORE THE WORLD INTRUDED: Conquering the Past and Creating the Future, then you will already have a sense of who Laura is since I wrote about her extensively and how our work together changed my life. In this interview you'll hear her passion, personal story and why she's committed to the work she does with clients from around the world. (Yep, that's right, you can connect with her yourself for some brain training either in person or long-distance!) MEET MY GUEST: Laura King, CHt, NLP, Certified Hypnotherapist, Performance and Life Coach and Certified Hypnosis Instructor, has been a full-time, practicing hypnotist for over a decade and is the founder of Summit Hypnosis and Wellness Centers in Palm Beach County. She has helped hundreds of clients to overcome everyday challenges at all levels of their professional and personal lives. Hypnosis works to “retrain your brain” and it can be used to manage stress, boost confidence, curb negative behaviors such as over use of alcohol & eating unhealthy foods, reduce fear, improve athletic performance, enhance memory, manage pain, overcome sleep problems and cope with grief. It can advance your career, enrich your family life and help you exceed in your golf or tennis game! With over 100 certifications in Hypnosis, Clinical Hypnosis, NLP, and Life Coaching, she is one of the most highly qualified instructors in the industry. Ms. King uses hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) for anyone who wants to improve their life. King has published five books on the subject of Hypnosis and NLP, with another book due out soon. She has appeared on Rachel Ray, and is a highly sought after speaker. Her books include her brand new book; Hypnosis for Moving Through Illness as well as The Power to Win, Perfect Enough, Perfect Enough Companion Book – the DISCOVER PROCESS(TM), and Awesome Golf Now. King says that it has been her lifelong goal to teach everyone the power of hypnosis to create positive and lasting change. She credits hypnosis with saving her own life, which instilled a passion deep in her heart to help others overcome challenges. By teaching others to do what she does, she believes that she will be able to reach, and help, even more people.

Some radio shows don't go at all the way you intended them! Today's guest didn't show up, so instead of talking about our planned topic I interviewed myself (well, not really, but sort of!) about the most necessary element in changing the direction of your life.   Listen up to hear: what that element is how it functions in the way you make change simple practices you can implement to engage change more efficiently and effectively how changing your expectations can change your direction in a heartbeat  

Do you have recurring nightmares that are just about to drive you batty? Dr. Bruce Dow, a board-certified psychiatrist and psychopharmacologist with more than twenty years of experience is an expert in the Dream Revision Technique. On this episode he worked live teaching callers how to use the Dream Revision Technique to help transform sleep by reducing and perhaps even eliminating recurring nightmares. Dr. Dow covered how to: change your nightmare by creating resources implement the Dream Revision Technique through various conscious, daily processes questions to ask yourself to apply the technique in your own life what changes to expect how long it takes to see results MEET MY GUEST: Bruce Dow, M.D. is a board-certified psychiatrist and psychopharmacologist with more than twenty years of experience in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In 2011 he was named a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. Dr. Dow became interested in PTSD in 1991 during his psychiatry residency and fellowship training at the San Diego VA Medical Center. This was the period of the first Gulf War, and many Vietnam veterans with PTSD were appearing at VA hospitals seeking treatment. Dr. Dow utilized a technique for treating combat-related PTSD by changing Vietnam veterans’ nightmares in a group therapy setting. The results were dramatic. Recurrent nightmares that had been present for twenty five years (1968 to 1993) disappeared following a single group therapy session. Between 1994 and 2007 Dr. Dow was in private practice in the San Diego community, receiving referrals from the VA for outpatient treatment of combat-related PTSD, as well as referrals of police officers, prison guards, high school teachers, cashiers, construction workers, and others with PTSD from the civilian workplace. He was able to utilize the same dream revision techniques to treat both military and civilian PTSD, as he describes in a book currently in preparation. Dr. Dow was born and raised in the Boston area. He graduated from Wesleyan University in 1960 and spent a year in Europe as a Fulbright Fellow. His interests in the humanities and sciences consolidated during his year abroad and led him to attend medical school at the University of Rochester with the goal of becoming a psychiatrist. After an internship in medicine at Johns Hopkins he fulfilled his Vietnam War era military service obligation as a researcher in neuroscience at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He continued his neuroscience research from 1967 to 1989, ultimately becoming a tenured full professor at the State University of New York (Buffalo). He has published many articles on color vision and visual perception. In 1989 Dr. Dow finally entered psychiatry, which had by this time evolved from its psychoanalytic roots to encompass neuroscience and psychopharmacology. Armed with his strong neuroscience background, he completed residency and fellowship training in psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). He spent a year (1993-1994) on the UCSD faculty, setting up an inpatient program in PTSD at the San Diego, VA Medical Center. In 1994-2007 Dr. Dow was in private practice in the San Diego community, where he maintained a subspecialty in treating individuals with PTSD. In 2007 Dr. Dow returned home to the Boston area, where he is employed as a community psychiatrist with a non-profit corporation (Vinfen), helping clients with significant mental illness, including PTSD, live independently in the community. Working in several different settings, Dr. Dow has helped patients recover from PTSD by addressing their posttraumatic nightmares in a creative and constructive manner. Issues encountered in dreams can then be dealt with in waking life. Dr. Dow’s message for people with PTSD is a hopeful one: change and recovery are possible.

Have you ever taken the time to listen to the CHANGING DIRECTION bumper music? We have a rockin' song that plays in full at the end of the show, the instrumental of which opens the show each week. The song is titled,  “Seize The Moment,” and is sung by Jen Foster; she co-wrote the song with Randy Bachman from Bachman-Turner Overdrive and The Guess Who. On this episode, I chatted with Jen about how and where her inspiration comes from and what has made her music career so successful -- and how she keeps it on track. Plus: how to stay positive even when everything in your world is negative how to know what is the next right thing to do finding your purpose in life -- and trusting it how to know if you're going in the right direction how to change the direction you're headed in   MEET MY GUEST: A rock ‘n’ roll Texan living in Nashville Jen Foster is an award winning singer-songwriter, musician, performer, record producer, and owner of the label, “Fosterchild Records.” Her music incorporates elements of rock, pop, r&b, folk, country and dance. Jen has released 3 studio albums, 3 EP’s and has contributed to various film, television and multi-media soundtracks including “Venice Beach,” the theme to the Emmy winning web series Venice: The Series. Foster has garnered multiple awards for her songs, is the artist/writer representative on the very distinguished board at Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) and has written with some of Nashville’s hit songwriter’s including Pam Tillis, Jeffrey Steele and Kristen Hall of Sugarland to name a few. Her special bond with her fans creates a captive audience anxious to hear her stories and take in her unique sense of humor. Foster tours regularly across the United States and has an international fan base as a result of being an early adopter of social media. Jen was featured in the 2012 December issue of CURVE Magazine and she is passionate about animals rights and environmental preservation.