The Heart of the Matter

The Heart of the Matter is a podcast that promotes self-care, healing and wellness through exploring internal well-being, relationships and connection to others, and social issues.

#61 Critical Race Theory and The Derek Chauvin Sentencing 06/29/2021

#61 Critical Race Theory and The Derek Chauvin Sentencing For episode 61 of THOTM, we discuss the sentencing of former police officer Derek Chauvin, teaching critical race theory in public schools, and the benefits of rest and self-care. /episode/index/show/heartofmatter/id/19639001

#60 Managing Stress, Gun Control, and The Pandemic 06/06/2021

#60 Managing Stress, Gun Control, and The Pandemic Thanks for joining us for THOTM episode #60. Michael and Jermaine discuss gun control, managing work stress, and the current phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. /episode/index/show/heartofmatter/id/19367975

#59 Mental Health Awareness Month 05/23/2021

#59 Mental Health Awareness Month Michael and Jermaine honor Mental Health Awareness Month by answering questions such as: /episode/index/show/heartofmatter/id/19203512

#58 Life Of A Black Military Wife 04/25/2021

#58 Life Of A Black Military Wife For episode 58, we talked to Jamilah Stanfield, creator of blackmilitarywives.com and author of “When Daddy’s Gone”. Jamilah talked about the unique challenges faced by black women married to service members, raising her 3 daughters, her background as a mental health professional, and the people and experiences that have influenced her life. Jamilah is a real life superhero...someone who sees a need, takes action and steps up for others. We hope you enjoy our conversation. /episode/index/show/heartofmatter/id/18848966

#57 Parenting, Spirituality, and Decolonizing Education 04/12/2021

#57 Parenting, Spirituality, and Decolonizing Education Our guest on this episode of THOTM is Luisa Ortega. Luisa is a mother, counselor and doctoral student in Organizational Change and Leadership at USC. She is a passionate activist for Indigenous communities and fierce advocate for decolonialism . We talked about parenting in the current social climate, working with at-risk teen girls, spirituality and decolonizing education. It’s rare to meet someone as brilliant and sincere, so enjoy this conversation with Luisa Ortega! /episode/index/show/heartofmatter/id/18698972

#56 Ernie McCray 03/28/2021

#56 Ernie McCray Our guest, Ernie McCray, is a man who has worn many hats and is admired by many. He’s a former college basketball star, educator, a writer, poet, actor and comedian. At 82 years old, Ernie McCray is one of the coolest and most inspiring people you’ll ever meet. He described his upbringing in, experiencing racism, and becoming a college basketball star. He talked about his life long passion for teaching and career as a teacher/principal. Ernie also shared his stories and wisdom about relationships and lo /episode/index/show/heartofmatter/id/18498560

#55 Healing Childhood Trauma & The Power of Relationships 03/16/2021

#55 Healing Childhood Trauma & The Power of Relationships Ansley Curtis is a licensed marriage and family therapist, who specializes in working with children, adolescents and families, and in the treatment of trauma. Ansley talked about her inspiration for becoming therapist, her approach to working with children who’ve experienced trauma, and the importance of relationships in healing from trauma. /episode/index/show/heartofmatter/id/18342206

#54 Immigration Law, Filmmaking and Activism 02/26/2021

#54 Immigration Law, Filmmaking and Activism Alex Amar Kannan is an attorney and independent filmmaker. He operates a practice (Kannan Law Firm, Inc.) in Spring Valley, Ca that focuses on immigration, criminal and personal injury cases. However, we talked more about his passion for making documentaries and his advocacy for immigrant and transgender communities. Alex also shared his approach to personal wellness and managing job stress. /episode/index/show/heartofmatter/id/18112202

#53 Exploring Healing through Yoga with Ashton Szabo 02/14/2021

#53 Exploring Healing through Yoga with Ashton Szabo For episode 53, we chat with Ashton Szabo, an authentic tantric yoga teacher and educator. We discuss the many applications of yoga for the healing journey. We explore topics such as the embodiment of our experience, transcendence, and connection. Join us as we discover how yoga can be used to bring us back to the body to get connected with ourselves and life. /episode/index/show/heartofmatter/id/17939180

#52 Grief, Mental Health and Hip-Hop 01/31/2021

#52 Grief, Mental Health and Hip-Hop For episode 52, we have returning guests, licensed psychologist, Dr. Ricky Pope and mental health counselor, Nathan Klein. We have an in-depth discussion about grief, how men deal with loss, and mental health awareness in hip-hop. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/heartofmatter/id/17753330

#51 Black Men In The Helping Professions 01/10/2021

#51 Black Men In The Helping Professions On episode 51, we are joined by Michael Love and Nathan Klein. Michael is a counselor at Irvine City College. Nathan is a counselor at San Diego City College and a private practice clinician. We discussed the need for more men and particularly black men in the helping professions, their experiences being black male counselors, and the value that men bring to the counseling and mental profession. /episode/index/show/heartofmatter/id/17491565

#50 Living with Estrangement 12/14/2020

#50 Living with Estrangement On our 50th episode, we were joined by Seth Johnson to talk about estrangement and her organization Together Estranged. She shared about her story and difficult life events which resulted in her own personal experience of estrangement. She created Together Estranged to provide support and services to adults who have become estranged from their families. We talk about mental health, healing, and various circumstances related to estrangement. /episode/index/show/heartofmatter/id/17179997

#49 Dr. Ricky Pope - Reaching Back To Help Others 11/29/2020

#49 Dr. Ricky Pope - Reaching Back To Help Others Dr. Ricky Pope is a psychologist at San Diego State University’s Counseling & Psychological Services. /episode/index/show/heartofmatter/id/16990595

#48 Grief is the Price We Pay for Loving 11/10/2020

#48 Grief is the Price We Pay for Loving In this episode, we speak with returning guest LMFT Tracy Gilmour-Nimoy. We discuss her pregnancy and infant loss, her grieving and healing process, and how that is shaping her therapeutic work. We also discuss Women's health and other topics that are sure to move you emotionally as we explore these tough topics that impact so many people. Be sure to check out our website for additional resources discussed in the episode. Heartofmatter.net /episode/index/show/heartofmatter/id/16748696

#47 - Rewind and Relax 09/21/2020

#47 - Rewind and Relax For episode 47, we “rewind and relax” with some fun and introspective questions...also reflect on current events. /episode/index/show/heartofmatter/id/16089380

#46 Surviving Hurricane Katrina...15 Years Later 09/06/2020

#46 Surviving Hurricane Katrina...15 Years Later This August marked the 15 year anniversary since Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, leaving New Orleans in devastation. For episode 46, we talked with Willie Harris, who survived hurricane Katrina after 6 days of fighting for his life after the storm hit. He describes how he survived the elements, dealing with racism and trauma, rebuilding his life, and how this experience has shaped his perspective on our current social climate. /episode/index/show/heartofmatter/id/15901895

#45 Healing With Food and Culinary Therapy 08/22/2020

#45 Healing With Food and Culinary Therapy In this episode we speak with Merceds Tiggs and Otesha Bremond about the intersection of cooking and mental health. We explore their business model of integrating therapy and healing through food and cooking. We talk about mindful cooking, and eating, as well as other practices relating to how we connect with our food, the process of preparation, and how that contributes to our mental health. /episode/index/show/heartofmatter/id/15715394

#44 Healing Trauma...Mind, Body & Soul 08/09/2020

#44 Healing Trauma...Mind, Body & Soul Lisa McJunkin is a licensed marriage and family therapist who specializes in working with trauma. She’s also an adjunct professor at Point Loma Nazarene University and co-founder of Enlightened Vibrations, where she provides therapeutic services. Lisa explains the various ways that traumatic stress impacts individuals. She also describes her holistic approach to healing trauma, integrating both eastern and western healing practices, that attend to the mind, body and spirit. /episode/index/show/heartofmatter/id/15536258

#43 Authentic Branding and Social Change 07/26/2020

#43 Authentic Branding and Social Change Dr. Mitch Hamilton is a business marketing professor at Loyola Marymount University and founder/CEO of Rethink Creative Agency. He talks about finding his niche in marketing, how companies can effectively engage in social change, working on projects with Nipsey Hussle and Snoop Dogg, and balancing work and family during this social climate. /episode/index/show/heartofmatter/id/15352070

#42 - Teaching Our Children To Survive 07/12/2020

#42 - Teaching Our Children To Survive On this episode of THOTM, Jermaine Simpson and Michael Ceccon are joined by Laila Aziz...a community activist, law student and parent of twin boys. This conversation is about having “the talk” with our children. However, this is not the “where do babies come from?” talk. It’s the unfortunate talk that many black parents have with their sons about what to do when stopped by police. We also discuss mental health in Black communities and balancing activism with parenting, career, and personal wellnes /episode/index/show/heartofmatter/id/15172682

#41 - What Is White Privilege? 06/28/2020

#41 - What Is White Privilege? Chrissy Hunter is a licensed professional clinical counselor in Beaumont, Texas. She is also a return guest to THOTM (episode 7). Chrissy joined us for a discussion on white privilege, answering questions such as “what does it mean?”, “why does it matters?” and “what to do about it?” /episode/index/show/heartofmatter/id/14991566

#40 - Racist Policing in Black Communities 06/14/2020

#40 - Racist Policing in Black Communities /episode/index/show/heartofmatter/id/14813168

#39 Violence Against Blacks, Racial Trauma, and Activism 05/31/2020

#39 Violence Against Blacks, Racial Trauma, and Activism On episode #39, our guests are Dr. Ngonzi Truth Chrushshon and Dr. Mychal Odom. Dr. Truth is a PhD candidate in clinical psychology, with a private practice in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Odom, is a history and black studies professor for the San Diego Community College District and a community activists. We discussed police violence against black people, mental health implications, and ways to take action. /episode/index/show/heartofmatter/id/14633399

#38 Maintaining Wellness During The Pandemic 05/14/2020

#38 Maintaining Wellness During The Pandemic Episode 38 is a continuation of our last conversation, which we addressed self-care and social distancing. This week we touch on the COVID-19 impact on mental health, parenting, and creating new habits for maintaining wellness. /episode/index/show/heartofmatter/id/14425853

#37 Self-Care and Social Distancing 05/03/2020

#37 Self-Care and Social Distancing Self-care has become one of those pop culture terms that’s used so often and loosely, that it can easily lose it’s value. /episode/index/show/heartofmatter/id/14262626

#36 - When Life Puts You On Pause 04/19/2020

#36 - When Life Puts You On Pause Welcome back to THOTM! This is our recording since taking a two month hiatus. In this episode, Michael describes the near death experience that put life and the podcast on pause. We also share our reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic. /episode/index/show/heartofmatter/id/14055182

#35 Nobody’s Free Until Everybody’s Free 01/20/2020

#35 Nobody’s Free Until Everybody’s Free In honor of the MLK holiday, THOTM is highlighting Dr. Kyra Greene, Executive Director of the Center on Policy Initiatives. She was selected as a civil rights speaker for the San Diego Women’s March 2020. /episode/index/show/heartofmatter/id/12806846

#34 The Power of Not Knowing 01/06/2020

#34 The Power of Not Knowing Gabrielle Gosselin is a counselor, instructor and program coordinator for the CalWORKs program at Grossmont Community College in San Diego. Gabrielle talked with us about her unique upbringing, which inspired her sense of cultural awareness and social justice. She also talked candidly about her experiences as a volunteer relief worker in Rwanda, and lessons on humility. /episode/index/show/heartofmatter/id/12629609

#33 Year-In-Review (Part 2) 12/22/2019

#33 Year-In-Review (Part 2) Episode #33 is part 2 of our year-in-review, where we listen to clips from previous episodes and reflect on how we were impacted and inspired by some of our guests. /episode/index/show/heartofmatter/id/12495260

#32 Year-In-Review (part 1) 12/09/2019

#32 Year-In-Review (part 1) Year-In-Review (part 1) /episode/index/show/heartofmatter/id/12327095

The Heart of the Matter

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