Latest Episodes

When Adult Children Push Their Parents Away: Rupture & Estrangements

Posted on March 4, 2026 by Liz Dederich

Adult children sometimes cut off their parents by refusing contact. As many as 25% of adults have been estranged from at least one of their parents. A mild form of this estrangement is a rupture that is short term and perhaps less profound. What are the leading causes and what can be done to heal […]

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Can Newspapers Survive?

Posted on February 18, 2026 by Liz Dederich

Is the old fashioned newspaper at risk of dying? Recently, after losses of $100 million, The Washington Post fired 1/3 of its staff. Is this future of all newspapers? What is hurting this institution? Is there a path to newspapers surviving? Dick’s guest, Paul Fanlund is Publisher and President of The Cap Times in Madison, […]

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Lessons About Dementia (Encore)

Posted on February 4, 2026 by Liz Dederich

Dr. Lee Hansen, Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Author of Forgetting and Forgotten: Dementia and the Right to Die, shares with Dick his experiences and all he learned about dementia while taking care of his wife during her ten year battle with this all too common disease.

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America’s Response to Nazi Treatment of Jews

Posted on January 21, 2026 by Liz Dederich

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, […]

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Psychiatric Service Dogs

Posted on January 7, 2026 by Liz Dederich

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 […]

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New Year Resolutions (Encore)

Posted on December 31, 2025 by Liz Dederich

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 […]

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Disordered Eating

Posted on December 17, 2025 by Liz Dederich

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 […]

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Life Lessons: A Conversation with Retirement Community Chaplains

Posted on December 3, 2025 by Liz Dederich

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 […]

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Teaching Disadvantaged Kids

Posted on November 19, 2025 by Liz Dederich

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 […]

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Lessons From Prison

Posted on November 5, 2025 by Liz Dederich

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 […]

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Prison & Jail Reform

Posted on October 22, 2025 by Liz Dederich

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 […]

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Workplace Motivation

Posted on October 1, 2025 by Liz Dederich

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 […]

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Mass Shootings (Encore)

Posted on September 11, 2025 by Liz Dederich

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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How to Have a Successful Marriage (Encore)

Posted on August 20, 2025 by Liz Dederich

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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Inside Immigration & Deportation Today

Posted on August 6, 2025 by Liz Dederich

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 […]

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Retirement Communities: Lessons From & About

Posted on July 23, 2025 by Liz Dederich

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, […]

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Understanding & Preventing Suicide

Posted on July 9, 2025 by Liz Dederich

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 […]

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Innocent and Behind Bars (Encore)

Posted on June 25, 2025 by Liz Dederich

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 […]

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Hospital Chaplains

Posted on June 11, 2025 by Liz Dederich

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 […]

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Talking to Political Opposites

Posted on May 28, 2025 by Liz Dederich

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 […]

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Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)

Posted on May 14, 2025 by Liz Dederich

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? […]

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Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity (Encore)

Posted on April 30, 2025 by Liz Dederich

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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Reducing Accidents & Fatalities in Your Community

Posted on April 16, 2025 by Liz Dederich

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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Fatherless Kids

Posted on April 2, 2025 by Liz Dederich

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 […]

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Important Things to Know About Aging

Posted on March 20, 2025 by Liz Dederich

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 […]

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Drug Use and Treatment in America Today (Encore)

Posted on February 26, 2025 by tscproof

The life expectancy for Americans has gone down due to deaths from drug use and overdoses, killing more people than suicide or accidents. What are the recent changes in drug use and treatment? Dick’s guest is Dr. Michael Miller, a psychiatrist and past President and Board Chair of the American Society of Addiction Medicine as […]

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Gender Differences in Investing

Posted on February 12, 2025 by Liz Dederich

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 […]

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Authenticity (Encore)

Posted on January 29, 2025 by Liz Dederich

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 […]

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Psychological Effects of the Internet

Posted on January 15, 2025 by Liz Dederich

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 […]