Navigating the "Failure to Launch" Phenomenon w/ Dr. Mark McConville
Next Steps Forward with Dr. Chris Meek
Release Date: 04/15/2025
Legacy of Service: The Dowdell Brothers’ Story of Resilience, Duty, and Hope
Next Steps Forward with Dr. Chris Meek
In this moving episode of Next Steps Forward, Dr. Chris Meek is joined by brothers Patrick and James Dowdell - two men whose lives were forever changed on September 11, 2001, when they lost their father, FDNY Lieutenant Kevin Dowdell. Patrick and James share how that moment of tragedy inspired lives of extraordinary service. Patrick went on to graduate from West Point, serve as a combat platoon leader in Iraq, and lead operations in Afghanistan as a captain. James, just 17 at the time of 9/11, later followed in his father’s footsteps by joining the FDNY and now serves as a lieutenant,...
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Footprints of Schizophrenia w/ Dr. Steven Lesk
Next Steps Forward with Dr. Chris Meek
In this powerful and enlightening episode of Next Steps Forward, Dr. Chris Meek welcomes psychiatrist and author Dr. Steve Lesk, a 40-year veteran of the mental health field and author of Footprints of Schizophrenia: The Evolutionary Roots of Mental Illness. With decades of experience treating patients and mentoring professionals, Dr. Lesk brings a groundbreaking perspective to one of the most misunderstood mental illnesses: schizophrenia. Dr. Lesk explores his pioneering “primitive organization” theory, which draws from evolutionary biology, neurochemistry, and psychology to offer a new...
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Understanding and Overcoming Addiction with Faust Ruggiero
Next Steps Forward with Dr. Chris Meek
On this week’s episode of Next Steps Forward, Dr. Chris Meek is joined by psychologist, researcher, and acclaimed author Faust Ruggiero for a timely and empowering conversation about the nature of addiction and the path to recovery. With over 35 years of experience in private practice and clinical settings ranging from substance abuse centers to prisons and nursing homes, Ruggiero brings deep expertise and compassion to the conversation. He discusses his upcoming book, The Fix Your Addiction Handbook - the fifth installment in his groundbreaking Fix Yourself Empowerment Series. In this...
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Dr. John Berger: Confronting the Climate Crisis with Clarity and Resolve
Next Steps Forward with Dr. Chris Meek
On this week’s Next Steps Forward, Dr. Chris Meek welcomes back environmental expert and author Dr. John Berger for a timely and eye-opening conversation on the climate crisis. Building on their first interview, Dr. Berger - author of Solving the Climate Crisis -discusses the evolving science of climate change, the rise of organized denial, setbacks in U.S. environmental policy, and how we can still chart a hopeful path forward. From energy waste in American buildings to the global responsibility for emissions, Dr. Berger offers practical insight and a compelling call to action. Whether...
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Our New World of Adult Bullies w/ Bill Eddy
Next Steps Forward with Dr. Chris Meek
This week on Next Steps Forward, host Dr. Chris Meek welcomes Bill Eddy - licensed clinical social worker, attorney, and director of innovation at the High Conflict Institute - for a compelling look at the rise of adult bullying. Drawing from his book The New World of Adult Bullies, Eddy explains how high-conflict personalities are impacting workplaces, families, and online spaces like never before. He breaks down the key traits of adult bullies, the difference between conflict and bullying, and why traditional conflict resolution often fails with these individuals. Listeners will learn...
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Empowering Innovation: Sanjay Puri on Entrepreneurship, AI, and Bridging Nations
Next Steps Forward with Dr. Chris Meek
In this week’s episode of Next Steps Forward, Dr. Chris Meek welcomes Sanjay Puri - entrepreneur, investor, global strategist, and host of the Regulating AI and Indianness podcasts - for an insightful conversation on personal empowerment, technological innovation, and global diplomacy. From founding AutoNebula, an investment firm focused on connected transport startups, to leading the U.S.-India Political Action Committee for over two decades, Sanjay has spent his career at the intersection of technology, policy, and international business. He shares how pivotal moments shaped his...
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Fuel Your Future w/ Becca Powers
Next Steps Forward with Dr. Chris Meek
In this empowering episode of Next Steps Forward, host Dr. Chris Meek sits down with Becca Powers, an international keynote speaker, USA TODAY best-selling author, and founder of Powers Peak Potential. Becca shares her transformative journey from a minimum-wage Dollar Store employee to an award-winning Fortune 500 sales executive, illustrating how mindset mastery can propel high performers toward extraordinary success. Drawing from her proprietary framework, The POWER Method, Becca discusses how adopting a "both/and" mindset - balancing ambition with well-being - can help individuals break...
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From the Pulpit to the Front Lines: Pastor David Lowery on Civil Rights and Empowering Second Chances
Next Steps Forward with Dr. Chris Meek
This week on Next Steps Forward, Dr. Chris Meek welcomes Pastor David Lowery, Jr. – a passionate civil rights advocate, national speaker, and founder of the Living and Driving While Black Foundation. With a career spanning military contracting, ministry, and social justice, Pastor Lowery brings a uniquely multifaceted perspective to the fight against racial profiling and systemic inequality. In this inspiring and deeply informative episode, Pastor Lowery shares the powerful story behind founding the Living and Driving While Black Foundation, the reality of racial profiling in America today,...
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Making Peace with the Unknown w/ Rachel Zimmerman
Next Steps Forward with Dr. Chris Meek
When a state trooper arrived at Rachel Zimmerman’s door with devastating news – that her husband, a brilliant MIT professor and loving father, had taken his own life – her world shattered in an instant. With no warning signs, no history of mental illness, and two young daughters now facing an unthinkable reality, Rachel was left with a haunting question: Why? In this powerful episode of Next Steps Forward, award-winning journalist Rachel Zimmerman shares the deeply personal and investigative journey that followed. Drawing on her years of experience covering health and medicine, Rachel...
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Sports, Storytelling & Stepping into Your Power w/ Heather Lloyd
Next Steps Forward with Dr. Chris Meek
In this week’s inspiring episode of Next Steps Forward, host Dr. Chris Meek sits down with Heather Lloyd - sports journalist, former news anchor, proud stepmom, and Daybreak Colts Contributor for WISH-TV in Indianapolis. From her early days in Eden Prairie, Minnesota (where she once had a near run-in with Prince!) to navigating the evolving world of local news, Heather shares her remarkable journey through broadcast journalism, public relations, financial sales, and ultimately back to her true passion - storytelling through sports. Heather opens up about the challenges of covering the NFL...
info_outlineIn this week’s episode of Next Steps Forward, Dr. Chris Meek sits down with Dr. Mark McConville, a clinical psychologist and expert in adolescent and family psychology. Dr. McConville shares insights from his decades of experience working with adolescents and families, including his groundbreaking work on Failure to Launch, which explores the growing trend of young adults struggling to transition into full independence. Together, they dive into the root causes of this issue, touching on everything from societal changes and economic factors to the roles of parents in shaping the development of emerging adults. Dr. McConville also discusses the impact of parenting styles such as "helicopter" and "snowplow" parenting, and offers a deep dive into Gestalt therapy—explaining its key principles and how it can be used to better understand identity development in adolescents.Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation about the challenges of growing up in today's world, the evolving role of parents, and how we can all take steps to better support the next generation’s growth into adulthood.
About Dr. Mark McConville: Dr. Mark McConville is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Beachwood, Ohio, specializing in adult, adolescent, emerging adult, and family psychology. He is a senior faculty member at the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland and has lectured and taught widely on the subjects of child development, parenting, and counseling methodology. His book “Adolescence: Psychotherapy and the Emergent Self” was awarded the 1995 Nevis Prize for Outstanding Contribution to Gestalt Therapy Theory. He is the author of the Counseling Feedback Report, an innovative and widely used adolescent assessment tool, and is co-editor of the 2001 book, “The Heart of Development: Gestalt Approaches to Childhood and Adolescence,” volumes one and two. His 2020 book “Failure to Launch” investigates the root causes of why modern kids are struggling to transition from childhood to adulthood. In addition to his private clinical practice, Doctor McConville is a consulting psychologist to Hathaway Brown School and University School, both in the Cleveland area.