Demystifying Therapy: Strengths, Anxiety, and the Courage to Grow w/ Aaron Gilbert
Next Steps Forward with Dr. Chris Meek
Release Date: 02/17/2026
Next Steps Forward Symposium: America as a Cultural Mosaic
Next Steps Forward with Dr. Chris Meek
Hosted by Dr. Chris Meek, the Next Steps Forward Symposium brings together thought leaders, scholars, and public figures to explore pressing issues shaping our nation and world. In this session, “America as a Cultural Mosaic,” the symposium examines how race, religion, heritage, and personal experience influence our shared civic life. Our distinguished panel includes: Dr. Sherry Molock, Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at George Washington University, who explores mental health, identity, and resilience within African American communities. Colonel Seung Paik, U.S. military...
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Next Steps Forward Symposium: Combating Human Trafficking
Next Steps Forward with Dr. Chris Meek
In the inaugural Next Steps Forward Symposium: Combating Human Trafficking, Dr. Chris Meek, host of the Next Steps Forward weekly podcast, leads a solution-focused conversation with three distinguished experts: Kristi Wells, founder and CEO of Safe House Project; Dr. Stephany Powell, a human trafficking expert advisor for the National Center on Sexual Exploitation; and Andi Buerger, a survivor and founder of Voices Against Trafficking. This discussion pulls back the curtain on the $160 billion global human trafficking industry, challenging the myth that exploitation only happens in...
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From the Pentagon Daycare to the Pilot’s Seat: A Story of Duty, Healing, and Flight w/ Capt. Hanna Born
Next Steps Forward with Dr. Chris Meek
Capt. Hanna Born was one of the children evacuated from the Pentagon daycare on September 11, 2001, too young to fully grasp what had happened, but old enough for it to leave a mark. Now an Air Force Captain and helicopter pilot, she carries that day not as a wound, but as a compass. In this installment of Next Steps Forward, Hanna opens up about growing up in the shadow of a national tragedy her family lived from the inside: a Marine father racing through gridlocked roads to find her, a mother commanding a military unit while not knowing if her daughters were alive, and two little girls...
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Has Medicine Lost Its Mind? w/ Dr. Robert C. Smith
Next Steps Forward with Dr. Chris Meek
Dr. Robert C. Smith, University Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Medicine and Psychiatry at Michigan State University and author of Has Medicine Lost Its Mind? Why Our Mental Health System is Failing Us and What Should Be Done to Cure It, has spent a lifetime helping physicians reclaim the human side of medicine. Bob has seen, from inside the exam room, how fragmented systems and over-documentation pull doctors away from their calling. His mission is to reconnect medicine to its original purpose: to listen, heal, and serve. The Next Steps Forward audience will relate to his clear, hopeful...
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A Sunny Tuesday in September w/ Gretchen Murphy
Next Steps Forward with Dr. Chris Meek
On this episode of Next Steps Forward, Dr. Chris Meek sits down with Gretchen Murphy to share a powerful story of resilience, gratitude, and legacy. As a three-time scholarship recipient of the 9.11 Promise, Gretchen’s journey is deeply personal, rooted in the lasting impact of the September 11 attacks and shaped by a community committed to honoring those who served. Now a student at Marist University pursuing both her undergraduate and master’s degrees, Gretchen reflects on how this support system has helped her grow academically, professionally, and personally. From studying abroad in...
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Fearless Finance: Finding Money Happiness w/ Lori Atwood
Next Steps Forward with Dr. Chris Meek
What if financial advice was accessible, judgment-free, and tailored to wherever you are on your money journey? In this episode of Next Steps Forward, Dr. Chris Meek welcomes Lori Atwood, CFP® and founder of Fearless Finance, a firm dedicated to bringing “money happiness” to everyone. Lori shares her unique approach to financial planning, offering hourly, virtual, fiduciary guidance with no sales, no commissions, and no minimums. Drawing on nearly 25 years of experience, from telecom investment banking in Europe, to serving as CFO of a startup, to managing assets for high net worth...
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Fighting Antisemitism w/ Adela Cojab
Next Steps Forward with Dr. Chris Meek
Adela Cojab is a legal advocate and media contributor recognized for her commitment to protecting Jewish rights and addressing antisemitism in academic institutions. Many in the Next Steps Forward audience will recognize her from the complaint she filed in 2019 against New York University (NYU) under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act for failing to protect its Jewish community from discrimination and harassment. Her case contributed to the Executive Order on Combating Antisemitism, laying the groundwork for subsequent cases. She joins program host Dr. Chris Meek to provide an account of her...
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The Power of Emotional Strength w/ Kendall Gammon
Next Steps Forward with Dr. Chris Meek
Kendall Gammon is a sought-after keynote speaker with a presence that’s quite different from what you’d expect from a 15-year NFL veteran known for his physical strength.
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Aiming High w/ Former Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James
Next Steps Forward with Dr. Chris Meek
Deborah Lee James, former Secretary of the United States Air Force and the second woman to lead a U.S.
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Protecting the Next Generation: Confronting Online Exploitation and Reclaiming Digital Safety with Donna Rice Hughes
Next Steps Forward with Dr. Chris Meek
This week on Next Steps Forward, Dr. Chris Meek sits down with Donna Rice Hughes, President and CEO of Enough Is Enough, for a candid conversation about what’s really happening online and what it’s going to take to protect the next generation. Rather than looking back, this discussion focuses on the urgent challenges facing families right now: the rise of online exploitation, the normalization of extreme content, the mental health impact of social media, gaming risks, and how predators leverage emerging technologies. Donna breaks down how these threats have evolved since the early days of...
info_outlineIn this installment of Next Steps Forward, Dr. Chris Meek welcomes Aaron Gilbert, LICSW, a licensed independent clinical social worker with more than 30 years of experience helping individuals manage anxiety, depression, and related mental health challenges. Aaron is the founder of Boston Evening Counseling Associates and approaches therapy as a collaborative, trust-based process grounded in strengths-based, cognitive-behavioral, solution-focused, and positive psychology. Together, they break down common misconceptions about therapy, exploring why it’s not about quick fixes or having all the answers, but about creativity, honesty, and courage. Aaron explains what positive psychology really means in practice, how focusing on strengths and small wins can build momentum for change, and why therapy should be viewed as an intentional act of growth rather than a last resort.
The conversation dives into anxiety and depression, clarifying the difference between healthy worry and anxiety disorders, why depression can’t simply be “snapped out of,” and how treatment adapts to each individual. Dr. Meek and Aaron also explore attachment theory and separation anxiety, including how attachment styles form, how they affect adult relationships, and how people can move toward greater emotional security and resilience. This thoughtful and compassionate episode offers clarity, hope, and empowerment for anyone curious about therapy or seeking meaningful next steps toward emotional well-being.
About Aaron Gilbert: Aaron Gilbert is a licensed independent clinical social worker with more than 30 years of experience of helping clients manage anxiety disorders. He founded Boston Evening Counseling Associates in Brighton, Massachusetts, in 2007 with the belief that good therapy is always a collaboration between client and therapist that requires creativity, energy, and most importantly, trust. His approach is influenced by training and experience in strengths-based, cognitive-behavioral, solution-focused and positive psychology.