Becoming Who You Truly Are, with Marlena Fiol, PhD

"Healing versus Curing," - My Interview with Dr. Barbara Dossey

I’m pleased to introduce our last guest of the season, Dr. Barbara Dossey. Barbie, as she is known, is internationally recognized as a pioneer in the holistic nursing and nurse coaching movements – and she’s been at it since the 1960s. She’s a Florence Nightingale scholar, nurse theorist, a national and international speaker and teacher on the role of integrative nursing, and author or co-author of 25 books.

"Dying Well" - My Interview with Dr. Ira Byock

I am thrilled and privileged to introduce today’s guest, Dr. Ira Byock. Ira is a leading palliative care physician, author, and public advocate for improving care through the end of life. He’s been involved in hospice and palliative care since 1978, and over the years has received too many awards and honors for me to name here. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed academic articles on the ethics and practice of care, and he’s the author of three award-winning books. In this interview, I dr...

"Hospice Doctor's Widow" - My Interview with Jennifer O'Brien

I’m pleased to introduce today’s guest, Jennifer O’Brien, author of The Hospice Doctor’s Widow: A Journal. Jennifer’s physician husband Bob had for years been part of an interdisciplinary healthcare team that provided end of life care to their patients. And then it was his turn. He was diagnosed with a stage IV, metastatic cancer. Jennifer traces their journey together during the 22 months following his diagnosis until he died, as well as her early widowhood. She’s all about being fully pres...

"Spiritual Companionship" - My Interview with Dr. LaVera Crawley

I feel honored to introduce today’s guest Dr. LaVera Crawley. In the field of medicine and ethics, LaVera is internationally known for her work on healthcare disparities in palliative and end-of-life care. After a 16+ year career at Stanford as an empirical bioethicist, LaVera Crawley began a new career in spiritual companionship, bringing together her work in medicine, ethics, social justice, teaching, research, and public health with her longstanding interest in spirituality. She is curren...

"Help - Don't Hurt!" - My Interview with Apricot Irving and Suzette Goss-Geffrard

I am pleased to introduce Apricot Irving, award winning author of The Gospel of Trees, and one of her teachers Suzette Goff-Geffrard. Apricot grew up as a missionary’s daughter in Haiti – where Suzette was her teacher – during a time of social and political upheaval. Suzette has worked for many years in educational, organizational and development-related programs here in the US as well as in two African countries, Haiti and France.

"From Warrior to Peace Builder" - My Interview with Gopar Tapkida

I’m pleased to introduce today’s guest, Gopar Tapkida, from the Mennonite Central Committee, MCC. But while Ann Graber Hershberger, our last guest, was at HQ in the US, Gopar is MCC’s Representative in Zimbabwe, Africa. Gopar has led interfaith dialogues between Muslims and Christians in Nigeria, Chad and Ethiopia.

"Peace and Justice for All" - My interview with Dr. Ann Graber Hershberger

I am privileged and honored to introduce the Executive Director of the Mennonite Central Committee, Dr. Ann Graber Hershberger. The Mennonite Central Committee, referred to as MCC, is a global nonprofit organization, focused on providing relief, development and peace in over 50 countries worldwide. And this year – 2020 – MCC celebrates its 100th anniversary. You’ll love how honestly and vulnerably Ann talks about MCC’s brilliant achievements, but also some of the costly blunders along the way.

"Finding Your Calling" - My Interview with Shawn Askinosie

Today, I'm honored to introduce Shawn Askinosie, coauthor with his daughter, Lawren, of the book, Meaningful Work: A Quest to Do Great Business, Find Your Calling, and Feed Your Soul. Shawn is the founder of Askinosie Chocolate, which was named by Forbes as one of the 25 best small companies in America, and he was named by Oprah as one of 15 guys who are saving the world. Shawn is all about chocolate. I've tasted it, in fact, I have the 72% dark chocolate from Tanzania in front of me right n...

"From Grief to Action" - My Interview with Kim Colegrove

I’m pleased to introduce today’s guest, Kim Colegrove. Kim has been a meditator for over 40 years. But meditation became the focus of her service path when, in 2014, she lost her husband David to suicide, less than three months after he retired from a 30-year law enforcement career. She created The PauseFirst Project, which we’ll talk about, to honor David’s memory, and to help other first responders cope with stress and trauma. As you’ll soon hear, Kim suggests that first responders may som...

"Living a Loved Life" - My Interview with Dr. Dawna Markova

I’m pleased to introduce Dr. Dawna Markova. Dawna is an internationally renowned thought leader and personal growth expert. She has lived many incarnations in the past seven decades as an author, teacher, psychotherapist, researcher and executive advisor. One of the creators of the best-selling Random Acts of Kindness series, Dawna is the author of many other inspirational books. Today, we’ll be talking about her latest book, Living a Loved Life: Awakening Wisdom through Stories of Inspirati...

"A Life that Matters" - My Interview with Jonathan Reckford of Habitat for Humanity

I feel privileged and honored to kick off this season by introducing today’s guest, a leader in the service arena, Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International and author of Our Better Angels: Seven Simple Virtues that Will Change Your Life. Habitat for Humanity began in the 1970s as a grassroots effort on a community farm in southern Georgia. The housing organization has since grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in local communities across all 50 states in the...

Becoming Who You Truly Are Season 3 Teaser

“We Find What We Look for in Life -- So Be Mindful of What You Seek” – My Interview with Arno Michaelis

I am truly honored to bring you the thinking of today's guest, Arno Michaelis, a former leader of the white power movement and a founding member of what became the largest racist skinhead organization in the world. Today, Arno is a public speaker, author and activist for peace and justice. Arno and I will be discussing a range of topics, such as the basis of violence in the world, what forgiveness and reconciliation mean in the face of racial wounds, and what each of us can do to make this a...

“We’re Living Either in Love or in Fear” – My Interview with Tom DeWolf

I am honored to introduce today's guest, Thomas DeWolf. Tom serves as executive director for Coming to the Table, which is a nonprofit that provides resources for all who wish to acknowledge and heal the wounds of racism. We will be discussing a range of topics, such as linkages between individual and collective healing, the differences between restorative and retributive justice, and the meaning of reconciliation in the context of healing wounds of racism.

“My Path to Healing May Not be Yours” – My Interview with Thordis Elva

I am pleased to bring you the thinking of today's guest, Thordis Elva. Thordis is an Icelandic author, speaker, playwright, and activist for gender equality. Thordis collaborated on this book with her perpetrator, Tom Stranger, making her the first rape survivor in the world to publicly do this. We will be discussing a range of topics, such as the meaning of forgiveness and atonement, the importance of anger and vengeance as steppingstones toward forgiveness, and the need to change misconc...

“My Path to Healing May Not be Yours” – My Interview with Thordis Elva

I am pleased to bring you the thinking of today's guest, Thordis Elva. Thordis is an Icelandic author, speaker, playwright, and activist for gender equality. Thordis collaborated on this book with her perpetrator, Tom Stranger, making her the first rape survivor in the world to publicly do this. We will be discussing a range of topics, such as the meaning of forgiveness and atonement, the importance of anger and vengeance as steppingstones toward forgiveness, and the need to change misconc...

“What Do Parents and Children Owe One Another?” – My Interview with Harriet Brown

I am pleased to bring you the thinking of today's guest, Harriet Brown. She is a writer, magazine editor and professor of magazine journalism at the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. Harriet writes, researches and teaches about eating disorders and body image as well as other issues, including family estrangement. We will be discussing a range of topics, such as the different forms of family estrangement, how to avoid fake forgiveness, what parents and children...

“Making Peace with Questions that May Never Be Answered” – My Interview with Liz Scott

I am pleased to bring you the thinking of today's guest, Elizabeth Scott. Liz is a psychologist in private practice in Portland, and she is the author of This Never Happened, a memoir about her childhood journey with narcissistic parents and her relentless search for the truth for belonging and for a deeper understanding of her own life. We will be discussing a range of topics, such as the meaning of forgiveness, the deep human need for belonging, and the important work of rewriting our ch...

“Don’t Get into the Rightness or Wrongness of It…Just Seek to Understand” – My Interview with Josh Coleman

I am pleased to bring you the thinking of today's guest, Dr. Joshua Coleman. Josh is a psychologist in private practice in the San Francisco area, with particular expertise in family dynamics, including estrangement. We will be discussing a range of topics, such as cultural shifts that have impacted families, what forgiveness means in the context of family estrangement, and the importance of connection.

“Why Do We Want What We Want?” – My Interview with Jackie Shannon Hollis

I am pleased to bring you the thinking of today's guest, Jackie Shannon Hollis. Jackie is a writer, storyteller, speaker and the author of the memoir, This Particular Happiness: A Childless Love Story. The book explores Jackie's evolving understanding of who she is in the unfolding relationships she describes between husband and wife, mother and daughter, friends, and sisters. We will be discussing a range of topics, such as the struggle to please others and meet their expectations, the up...

“It's Not What You Do – It's What You Do Next” – My Interview with CrisMarie Campbell and Susan Clarke

I am pleased to bring you the thinking of today's guests, CrisMarie Campbell and Susan Clarke. Partners in work and in life for over two decades, they’ve adapted their proven step-by-step process, which they honed while working with numerous Fortune 100 companies, to help long-term couples use conflict as a catalyst to greater intimacy and passion. We will be discussing a range of topics, such as the difference between conflict and violence in relationships, how to avoid fake forgiveness, ...

“What Song Brings You Home?” – My Interview with Doug Bradley

I am pleased to bring you the thinking of today's guest, Doug Bradley. He’s a Vietnam vet who, with his co-author Craig Werner, spent two years making more than 100 presentations coast to coast, witnessing honest, respectful exchanges among audience members. The purpose was to explore how the music of the era, shared by those who served in the war and those who stayed home, helped to create safe, nonjudgmental environments for listening, sharing, understanding and forgiving. We will be discu...

“Where Does Your Forgiveness End?” – My Interview with Phil Cousineau

I am honored to introduce today's guest, Phil Cousineau. Phil is an award-winning writer, filmmaker, teacher, editor, travel leader, storyteller and TV host. We will be discussing a range of topics, such as the meaning of forgiveness and atonement, the importance of presence, and our collective longing for wholeness. The following is a taste of my conversation with Phil. Q: Where does forgiveness end? Where does compassion end? Phil: (Quoting Dr. Jacob Needleman): You ask them three t...

Introduction to Podcast Season 2

I’m excited to introduce the upcoming podcast season titled Forgiveness and Reconciliation. You’ll hear from experts on the topic who share their insights about what forgiveness means and how it relates to reconciliation at two very different levels: family wounds like parental estrangement, and collective trauma due to social and political offenses, such as slavery, terrorism and war. The bi-monthly podcast will launch on April 6th.

“Finding Deeper Layers of Ourselves” – My Interview with Dr. Paul Lam

I’m honored to speak with Dr. Paul Lam on health and wellness issues he has championed for over 40 years. Paul was born in Vietnam but was left as a baby with his grandmother in China. At sixteen, malnourished and arthritic, he escaped to Hong Kong during Chairman Mao's disastrous regime. From there, he moved to Australia, where he pursued his dream of becoming a physician. In 2010, he and his colleagues established the Tai Chi for Health Institute. His tai chi programs have been used to tra...

“Love Endures” – my interview with Mary Lou Bonham

I’m pleased to bring you the thinking of Mary Lou Bonham, a psychotherapist who also happens to be my sister. She and I will talk among other things about what it was like growing up on a Low-German Mennonite leprosy station in Paraguay, South America. Our parents were medical missionaries who did heroic things in the world, like revolutionizing how leprosy is treated on the planet today. But there are always costs associated with greatness it seems, and some of those costs we bore as their ...

“The Secrets Inside an Amish Community: One Woman’s Story of Survival” – My Interview With Misty Griffin

When Misty was six years old, her family started to live and dress like the Amish. Misty and her sister were basically kept as slaves on a mountain ranch. They were subjected to almost complete isolation, sexual abuse and extreme physical violence. The two young girls were too terrified to escape. They also knew that no rescue would ever come because only a few people even knew they existed and they didn't know them well enough to care, so they thought. Then as teenagers, they were adopted i...

"Continue Under All Circumstances. Don't Be Tossed Away" – My Interview with Nita Sweeney

Nita described herself as a 49-year-old overweight woman suffering from crippling depression and bipolar disorder, when she caught the running bug. Her first run lasted 60 seconds, but she kept running just a bit longer each time. Since then, Nita has completed three full marathons, 28 half marathons and almost 100 shorter races—and through it has discovered an inner strength she didn’t know she had. With refreshing honesty, Nita shares her journey from debilitating fear to self-mastery. W...

“If You Can’t Believe It, Then It Probably Won’t Happen” – My Interview With Cherie Kephart

Imagine you’re in your early 30s, you’re in a wheelchair, hallucinating, barely able to follow the doctor’s speech. It’s Friday. And he says,” You’re not going to make it until Monday.” That is today’s guest, Cherie Kephart. A mysterious illness led to years of suffering, during which her symptoms again and again were undiagnosed and misdiagnosed. For many years, Cherie dealt with relentless pain and the anguish of not knowing what was causing it. She shares important lessons the painful...

“Do We Plan Our Life or Does Destiny Control Us?” – My Interview With Dr. Stephen G. Post

I am really excited today to bring you the thinking of New York Times best-selling author Dr. Stephen Post, on issues that have driven his career. Stephen and I will be discussing a range of topics, such as whether we need to suffer to really heal, whether we plan our life or destiny controls it, and the difference between human and divine love. His long career as a researcher, public speaker and professor has given him deep insights into these topics that you will want to hear and conside...

“Finding the Courage to Embrace Life After a Son’s Death” – My Interview With Rita Berglund

In 1984, Rita and her husband Brad welcomed a healthy baby boy named Brandon into their family. Only five years later, Brandon began a 20-year battle with brain cancer. They watched as their son became increasingly mentally and physically handicapped. In June of 2009, Brandon suffered a devastating stroke in the same site as his original brain tumor. With broken hearts, Rita and Brad, made the necessary decisions to set up hospice care. They said goodbye as he “healed into death,” as Rita h...

“Learning to Let Go of Control” – My Interview with Linda Atwell

Linda and her strong-willed daughter, Lindsey, a high functioning young adult with intellectual disabilities, always had a complicated relationship. But when Lindsey graduated from high school at nineteen, she got a job at a Goodwill and she moved into a cottage in her parents’ backyard. Linda believed that the worst was finally behind them. Life proved not to be so simple. Linda and I will be discussing topics that go well beyond raising a child with disabilities. We will explore issues o...

“Choosing Joy Over Fear and Brave Over Perfect” – My Interview With Susie Rinehart

Susie is an award-winning author, champion ultra-runner, life coach, activist and mother of two young children. On June 30, 2016, she was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive tumor on her brainstem. Her doctor told her, "Without surgery, you have less than five months to live." After multiple complicated surgeries, she has recovered but there were big risks. That was over three years ago. Susie's incredible journey to find her voice and a new kind of bravery after facing death allows her to s...

“We Are All One” – My Interview with Dr. Larry Dossey

I’m honored to bring you the thinking of New York Times best-selling author Dr. Larry Dossey, on issues he has championed for nearly 40 years. Larry and I will be discussing a range of topics, such as the nature of consciousness, our inherent connectivity and unity with all other life, and the role suffering plays in helping us elaborate and expand our worldview.   His long career as a physician, researcher, writer and public speaker has given him deep insights into these topics that you...

Welcome to Becoming Who You Truly Are

Becoming Who You Truly Are is a show that reveals the inspirational stories of people who have faced horrific adversities, and in the process, they have uncovered who they truly are and what's possible for them. We are committed to exploring the unvarnished truth about their remarkable journeys.