Author Archives: Liz Dederich

  1. America’s Response to Nazi Treatment of Jews

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    In Germany in 1938, Kristallnacht, or Night of Broken Glass, was sanctioned by the Nazi government. Synagogues and Jewish businesses were burned, 91 Jews were murdered and 30,000 Jewish men were arrested and sent to concentration camps. By the end of World War II, six million Jews were exterminated in these camps. In these years, what was the response to the atrocities by the government, by the media and by religious organizations in the United States? What lessons learned in the past can be applied to our deeply conflict-ridden world today?

    Dick’s guest, Ofer Ashkenazi is a Professor of History and the Director of the Koebner-Minerva Center for German History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has written numerous books and articles on German history and Jewish life under Nazism. He is currently a visiting Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

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  2. Psychiatric Service Dogs

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    Nearly two million dogs in the U.S. are tasked with being more than just cute and cuddly. These dogs are Emotional Support Dogs. Some of these animals have a even more challenging role of being a Psychiatric Service Dog. How useful in healing are they? Who can best benefit from their support?

    Dick’s guest, Jane Miller is a licensed psychotherapist and LISW. She is the founder of Healing Companions and author of Healing Companions: Ordinary Dogs and Their Extraordinary Power to Transform Lives.

     

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  3. New Year Resolutions (Encore)

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    Do New Year resolutions work? Are they worth the bother? Is there a better way to get your life on track?

    Dick’s guest, Patricia Clason, has been leading workshops for corporate clients and the State of Wisconsin for 30 years on how to get your life organized and actualized. She has written and conducted workshops on life management, time management and finding your life purpose.

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  4. Disordered Eating

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    About one in eleven Americans will suffer sometime in their life from disordered eating. Treating eating disorders can be extensive, arduous and very expensive, ranging from thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars. What are the problematic disordered eating patterns and how can they best be treated?

    Dick’s guest, Carolyn Karroll is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in private practice in Maryland. She is the co-author of Eating Disorders Group Therapy and writes an ongoing blog on PsychologyToday.com.

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  5. Life Lessons: A Conversation with Retirement Community Chaplains

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    A chaplain in a retirement community is part spiritual advisor, part counselor, part crisis responder and part sage on life’s tough subjects.

    Dick’s guests are Nicole Espe, who has served as a parish pastor as well as a hospital night chaplain and Jessica McCarty whose capstone project explored loneliness in the aging population and the role of spirituality. Both join Dick to discuss what they have learned while currently serving the population as ordained chaplains at Oakwood Village Retirement Center in Madison, Wisconsin.

     

    Nicole Espe

    Jessica McCarty

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  6. Teaching Disadvantaged Kids

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    Half of students in public schools in the United States are low income. Also half are minorities. What are the challenges and what are the solutions to better educate these kids?

    Dick’s guest, Art Rainwater retired in 2008 after 10 years as Superintendent of Madison Metropolitan School District in Madison, Wisconsin. He is currently Clinical Professor of Education Leadership and Policy Analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

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  7. Lessons From Prison

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    Dick’s guest, Douglas Smith, was a social worker, a policy insider at the Texas capitol and a father when untreated mental illness and addiction led him to rob a bank and land in prison for nearly six years. He is now flourishing as a social worker helping people develop leadership skills. His recent book is The Path of Rocks & Thorns: Leadership Lessons From a Prison Cell.

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  8. Prison & Jail Reform

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    There are currently about 2,000,000 people incarcerated in the United States. Some say this system of justice is thoroughly unjust, costly and needlessly punishes instead of rehabilitates. What can be done to improve or even fix this system?

    Dick’s guest, Diane Endres-Ballweg is a business owner, philanthropist and author who recently attended the Advanced Leadership Initiative at Harvard, leading her to co-found the Madison Justice Team to bring together agencies, groups and individuals to work on reforming the criminal justice system.

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  9. Workplace Motivation

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    A recent Gallup poll found that only 32% of American workers feel engaged in their jobs. How can employers best motivate their workers, particularly in the non-profit sector, to feel engaged and fulfilled?

    Dick’s guest, Dr. Melinda Weisberg holds a Doctorate in Management, Masters Degree in Education, (with an emphasis in adult education and organizational development) and undergraduate degrees in Public Relations and Economics. She is currently a part-time professor at Edgewood College.

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  10. Mass Shootings (Encore)

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    Since 2006, there have been over 600 mass shootings in the United States, resulting in more than 3,000 murders. Why these large numbers? Who are these mass shooters? How can we intelligently address this issue?

    Dick’s guest, Dr. Richard LaBrie is a Clinical Psychologist who specializes in mass and individual trauma.

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  11. How to Have a Successful Marriage (Encore)

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    Dick’s guests, divorce attorney Allan Koritzinsky and psychologist Dr. Kenneth Waldron share 5 myths about marriage and the 7 essential ingredients of a successful marriage from their book “The Road to Marital Success is Unpaved.”

    Dr. Kenneth Waldron

    Allan Koritzinsky

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  12. Inside Immigration & Deportation Today

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    There are currently somewhere between 11 and 18 million undocumented immigrants in the United States. These are people with no legal rights to be living in this country. Should they be expelled immediately? If so, how? Is the Trump administration executing these deportations within the law?

    Dick’s guest, Grant Sovern is an immigration attorney with Quarles law firm in Wisconsin. He is the National Co-Chair of the Immigration and Mobility Practice Group and is also president of the board of the Community Immigration Law Center.

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  13. Retirement Communities: Lessons From & About

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    The majority of Americans either have parents or are themselves aged 65 or older, making them candidates for retirement communities. Who is a good fit? What are the benefits and drawbacks? And what can we learn about life from retirement communities?

    Dick’s guests are Jan Hamilton-Crawford, President & CEO of Oakwood Village and Tim Conroy, Executive Director of Capitol Lakes Retirement Community, both located in Madison, Wisconsin.

    Jan Hamilton-Crawford

    Tim Conroy

     

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  14. Understanding & Preventing Suicide

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    Suicide in America is on a steady longterm rise. Over 49,000 people took their own lives in 2023. Why is this? What can be done to prevent suicide when someone you know may be at risk?

    Dick’s guest, Tom Butero is a licensed independent clinical social worker in Massachusetts and has devoted the last 50 years to the study of suicide and suicide prevention. He has just published the book “I Don’t Want to Die: A New Look at Suicide Assessment, Intervention, and Prevention.”

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  15. Innocent and Behind Bars (Encore)

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    Of the over 2 million Americans behind bars, about 100,000 didn’t do it. They are innocent. The Innocence Project at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School is on the cutting edge of helping to exonerate the wrongfully convicted, including Steven Avery.

    Dick’s guest is Keith Findley, law professor and co-founder and co-director of the Wisconsin Innocence Project. He is also the past president of the Innocence Network, an affiliation of 68 Innocence Projects around the world.

    innocent

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  16. Hospital Chaplains

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    The hospital chaplain brings comfort to patients and their families in ways medical staff is not equipped to do. How impactful can hospital chaplains be and what do they need to bring to this role to be effective?

    Dick’s guest, Chaplain and Minister Andy Karlson is Manager of Spiritual Services for UW Health Hospital and also a Unitarian Universalist Minister affiliated with First Unitarian Society of Madison. 

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  17. Talking to Political Opposites

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    In our highly polarized country, most of us might avoid conversations with people who have opposing political views. How can you have a civil dialogue when these conversations might sometimes be unavoidable? Is there a way these conversations can even be productive?

    Dick’s guest, Jacob Winkler is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Group Psychotherapist who specializes in communication.

     

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  18. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)

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    What can be so objectionable about diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)? It is a framework used in schools and organizations to create environments in which all individuals feel valued, respected and supported regardless of race, age, gender, disability or sexual orientation. Can it actually be discriminatory as described by President Trump and the Supreme Court?

    Dick’s guest, Wes Sparkman is Director of the Grigsby Office For Equity & Inclusion for Dane County in Madison, Wisconsin.

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  19. Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity (Encore)

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    Dick’s guest, Dr. Ken Robbins, adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health and past Medical Director of Psychiatry at Mendota Mental Health Institute, explains what determines an outcome of not guilty by reason of insanity and what treatment follows.

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  20. Reducing Accidents & Fatalities in Your Community

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    Every community has its share of accidents, tragedies and suffering. Imagine an agency that is tasked with looking after a whole community and all the responding agencies to help facilitate a reduction in accidents, hospitalizations and overdoses.

    Dick’s guest, Cheryl Wittke has spent the last 25 years as the Executive Director of Safe Communities.

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  21. Fatherless Kids

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    There are far too many children in the U.S. who are raised without a father in their lives. This could lead to dropping out of school, struggling with mental health issues or getting caught up in the criminal justice system.

    Dick’s guest, Bruce Carter, has dedicated his life to helping this population. He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by President Obama for helping and mentoring over 500,000 children.

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  22. Important Things to Know About Aging

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    25% of the U.S. population is currently 65 years of age or older. What are the important things to understand about aging? What are the positives about getting older?

    Dick’s guest, Dr. Alexis Eastman is a practicing geriatrician at UW Health Geriatrics Clinics and Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health.

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  23. Gender Differences in Investing

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    There is a stereotype most people accept that men are smarter and more skilled at managing and investing money than women. Is this true?

    Dick’s guest, Grace Trewartha is a graduate of Stanford and Harvard Business School who worked in corporate finance for 25 years followed by a successful stint as a financial planner. Grace is the founder of Live Beneath Your Means LLC  which provides financial coaching.

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  24. Authenticity (Encore)

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    Who is authentic? How do they become so? Is being a phony the opposite? What are the benefits of being authentic to the person, their friends and colleagues as they become more authentic?

    Dick’s guest is Barbara Hummel who has led workshops for 12 years for the Center for Courage & Renewal. She is also the former director of the Madison Area Quality Improvement Network, which helped businesses and organizations improve their quality and systems thinking.

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  25. Psychological Effects of the Internet

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    The internet is an integral part of our everyday lives. Yet the key question is how has the internet affected us psychologically both in positive and negative ways.

    Dick’s guest, Morton Ann Gernsbacher is Vilas Research Professor and the Sir Frederic C. Bartlett Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

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  26. New Year Resolutions (Encore)

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    Do New Year resolutions work? Are they worth the bother? Is there a better way to get your life on track?

    Dick’s guest, Patricia Clason, has been leading workshops for corporate clients and the State of Wisconsin for 30 years on how to get your life organized and actualized. She has written and conducted workshops on life management, time management and finding your life purpose.

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  27. The School Shooter (Encore)

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    Is there a specific profile for a school shooter? Why do they do it? What can be done to diminish the likelihood of these school shooting massacres in the future?

    Dick’s guest, forensic psychologist, prolific author on predators and sex offenders and consultant to the Wisconsin Department of Corrections Dr. Anna Salter, shares thoughts from her recent presentation on school shooters.

    “What’s different now is that access to information for making bombs is so readily available on the Internet,” Salter said. “Also, it’s easy to get access to more and more powerful weapons, (so) the body count is going up.”

    For more information on this topic or Dr. Anna Salter, please visitwww.annasalter.com

     (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

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  28. Psychedelic Therapies

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    There has been a growing acceptance of the use of psychedelics to treat depression, anxiety and PTSD when traditional therapies provide no improvements. What is hype and what is real?

    Dick’s guest, Dr. Matthew Banks is a Professor of Anesthesiology and Affiliate Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison, Wisconsin.

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  29. Adults Dealing with Toxic Parents (Encore)

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    The pain of having a toxic parent doesn’t end when you grow up. What is a toxic parent? How can the adult child end or reduce the suffering a toxic parent can inflict?

    Dick’s guest, Lesa Fischer is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Madison, Wisconsin.

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  30. Spiritual Intelligence

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    What is spiritual intelligence? Can having it along with high intellectual and emotional intelligence mean you are living up to your full potential?

    Dick’s guest, Dr. Janet Schwartz is the author of Authentic Intelligence: How to Use Your Mental, Emotional & Spiritual Gifts to Create the Life and World You Want. 

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