Best Humanspirit Podcasts (2026)

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Find Your Form: Meg Pokrass on Her Journey to Flash Fiction 37:55

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4y ago37:55

37:55

Susan reconnects with award winning flash fiction writer and friend Meg Pokrass. Meg discusses her journey from acting to poet to flash fiction writer, how a rare illness changed her life and informed her creative work, and the key lesson she tries to impart to her students. She also shares a few of her flash fiction pieces and she and Susan remini…

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Questioning the Unanswerable: The Darkly Comic, Complex World of Playwright Gina Gionfriddo 33:32

4y ago33:32

33:32

"I like to live in that space of not really knowing the answers. People have different motives simultaneously and exactly what the right thing to do isn't 100% clear." Award winning playwright Gina Gionfriddo joins Susan to discuss two of her plays; Becky Shaw and Rapture, Blister, Burn, and how they relate to the world at large in a conversation t…

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Let's Talk Psychiatry! with Dr. Dan Mierlak 23:45

4y ago23:45

23:45

"If you examine your thinking process, you may come to the same conclusion; that thoughts happen to us, we don't necessarily control them." Psychiatrist Dr Dan Mierlak returns to In the Balance to discuss his new book, The Spanish Molecule, a purposefully sassy and thought-provoking read. He and Susan discuss some of the central themes of the book …

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Riding the Bookends of Life: From Life Force to Loss with Poet Alexis Rhone Fancher 26:18

4y ago26:18

26:18

"For many people, they feel I give them permission to tell their truth." Poet, photographer, and artist Alexis Rhone Fancher returns to In the Balance to discuss her unapologetic and exquisitely done poetry. She tells us that her work stems from two different perspectives of the life force: eroticism and grief, evoking images and experiences from t…

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Broadway Producer Dani Davis on Empowering Young Women for Tomorrow's World 33:18

4+ y ago33:18

33:18

"If you mentor women, you can take care of a whole society." Tony-nominated broadway producer, director, and entrepreneur Dani Davis talks with Susan about her commitment to mentoring and growing the next generation of women by cultivating learning through authentic leadership, finding common ground, and learning by doing together. She also discuss…

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Resonating in the Room: Collaboration in Theatre and Life with Anne Bogart 54:14

4+ y ago54:14

54:14

"The theatre's job at its heart is to ask the question "How can we get along? How can we get along better?" So every play that was ever written that is of any worth is about that question." This weeks' guest Anne Bogart is considered to be one of the greatest innovative directors in the modern theatre. She joins us to discuss how to cultivate and f…

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Helping Our Kids Through Covid with Dr. Erica Lee 30:28

4+ y ago30:28

30:28

"What the research shows about uncertainty is that, the more we fight it, which is sort of our natural instinct, the more we can often end up feeling hopeless or avoid situations that make us feel uncertain. It becomes overwhelming because none of us can tell the future." Dr. Erica Lee, Psychologist at the Boston Children's Hospital talks to Susan …

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Our Collective Resilience: Transitioning During Covid with Dr. Robert Neimeyer 47:36

4+ y ago47:36

47:36

In this episode Dr. Robert A. Neimeyer returns to In the Balance for a conversation about the state of the world as we continue navigating our way through a global pandemic, how this collective trauma is affecting our mental health at both a macro- and microcosmic level, what it means for our social reality and how to move forward during the big pu…

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Artists on the Cape Series #7: The Play's the Thing, with Love from Nina Schuessler 26:34

4+ y ago26:34

26:34

"When people of all ages create together, the potential is boundless." In this final episode of our Artists on the Cape Series, Susan talks with actor, director and artistic director of the Cape Cod Theatre Company/Harwich Junior Theatre Nina Schuessler about the mission of theatre and how it brings people together. She talks about her work at the …

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Artists on the Cape Series #6: Playing the Leading Role in Our Own Lives with Jeff Zinn 31:23

4+ y ago31:23

31:23

"In a very real way, all of us are actors. Every one of you is playing the leading role in the story of your own life. It's a heroic narrative and you're the protagonist. All of us, even in our quietest shapes, are living heroically - or trying to." What's my motivation? It's a phrase we've heard actors ask countless times. However the answer to th…

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Artists on the Cape Series #5: Moving My Spirit Forward with Singer/songwriter Tianna Esperanza 28:16

4+ y ago28:16

28:16

"I need to fight for who I am, and I need to do it now." In the fifth episode of our Artists on the Cape Series, we are joined by the wildly talented singer and songwriter Tianna Esperanza, who discusses her debut album Gypsy Afro, her experiences of growing up on Cape Cod and her search for community, how loss and grief have shaped her art and her…

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Artists on the Cape Series #4: Coming Back to Ourselves with Singer/songwriter Sarah Burrill 43:36

4+ y ago43:36

43:36

"I was putting too much emphasis on my music making me successful…so I put it away." In the fourth episode of our Artists on the Cape Series, singer/songwriter Sarah Burrill takes us through various journeys through life. She talks about how she began her journey as a singer/songwriter at the age of three when she saw the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan…

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Artists on the Cape Series #3: The Call to Serve with Playwright David Drake 49:51

4+ y ago49:51

49:51

"Make your own change. It's all out there and once you start putting the pieces together, you can create the future." In the third episode of our Artists on the Cape Series, Susan talks with actor, director, and playwright David Drake about his trajectory as an artist and activist, how he came to understand his part in the larger picture by witness…

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Artists on the Cape Series #2: Striking a Balance of Grace, Grit and Love with Vocalist Mozelle Andrulot 38:44

5y ago38:44

38:44

In the second episode of our Artists on the Cape Series, Susan talks with vocalist, business woman, and mother of five, Mozelle Andrulot. Mozelle discusses her experiences growing up on Cape Cod and her journey to finding the freedom to follow her own path, balancing the elements in her life she holds to be important, in whatever form that might ta…

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Artists on the Cape Series #1: Uncovering Truths and Dark Secrets with Mystery Author Jeannette de Beauvoir 40:15

5y ago40:15

40:15

In this first episode of our "Artists on the Cape" series, Susan speaks with award-winning mystery and historical fiction author Jeannette de Beauvoir about her various works, the life experiences that brought her to these genres, and what she loves about Provincetown. She also shares a passage from one of her books that she wrote in Provincetown i…

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The Soul Craves: Poetry and Conversation with Danusha Laméris 40:48

5y ago40:48

40:48

"We live in a culture that is a very hungry culture because so many of the things that our souls crave are not what we are feeding ourselves." Award-winning poet laureate Danusha Laméris discusses her stunning works and how she integrates the different facets of life to express the curiosities and wonders of the world around us, held in space by th…

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How Consciousness Can Save the World with Kenneth Shinozuka 31:23

5y ago31:23

31:23

"There is nothing that is more real than your experience of this moment." Scientist, discoverer, and inventor Kenneth Shinozuka visits In the Balance to discuss his vision for the future: a world free from suffering and pain, brought about by the creation of neurotechnology to alter our states of consciousness. Kenneth discusses the importance of b…

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The Journey to Self-Worth and a Meaningful Life with Homaira Kabir 32:06

5y ago32:06

32:06

"Knowing the answers and living the answers are two entirely different things." Coach, mentor, researcher, and writer Homaira Kabir is dedicated to getting people, particularly women, to question whether they are living their "ideal" life. In this episode, she and Susan have an in-depth discussion about self-worth and how it manifests into differen…

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Finding Your True North through Teamwork, Kindness, & Integrity with author Katy McQuaid 29:38

5y ago29:38

29:38

"We all have a story that defines who we are in life." Author, leadership consultant, and former undercover CIA agent Katy McQuaid discusses events of significant loss during her young adulthood, and how those events shaped the core values she lives by. She talks about the traits that most great leaders seem to embody, and the importance of being a…

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Cultivating a Life You Love with Dr. Joan Rosenberg 39:11

5y ago39:11

39:11

"What do you dream about? Where are your aspirations? Who is it that you want to become? How do you want to show up in life?" Best-selling author and master clinician Dr. Joan Rosenberg talks about how we can curate and cultivate and shape the life we want by redefining our ideas of emotional strength. She discusses why we need to be very careful t…

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Prepare to Be Unprepared with Entrepreneur, Story-teller, & Creative Maverick Lux Narayan 37:07

5y ago37:07

37:07

"You can find micro canvasses for creativity in everything that you do." Story-teller, entrepreneur, writer, and avid outdoorsman Lux Narayan discusses discovering his own true creative nature, bringing his insights and learning to this inspiring conversation. He discusses his fascination with stories and why we tell them, what his forays into impr…

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The Voice is a Wild Thing Series #4: Live Your Voice with Singer, Master Teacher & Activist Susan Eichhorn Young 35:47

5y ago35:47

35:47

"When you're called, you need to be able to walk through that door." In this fourth and final episode of the Voice is a Wild Thing Series, Susan Eichhorn Young discusses her career in the arts and how it has shaped her perspectives on teaching voice, the role of the artist within society, and how their voices tell the stories of the present, doing …

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The Voice is a Wild Thing Series #3: Changing the Narrative of the Song & the Story with Musician and Actor Ronobir Lahiri 43:03

5y ago43:03

43:03

"I never really felt all that Indian until I picked up a sitar. Even now after playing for almost 30 years, I hear that and it sounds like the authentic voice of my soul." Musician, actor, composer, singer, dad, and overall renaissance man Ronobir Lahiri takes us through the journey of following his dream and finding his voice as an artist. He disc…

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The Voice is a Wild Thing Series #2: Taking the Cue from Within with Broadway Actress, Singer and Master Teacher Carolyn Mignini 31:20

5y ago31:20

31:20

"We have many lives, many great opportunities. And they don't stop coming." Broadway and television actress, singer, and teacher Carolyn Mignini discusses her life and career through the lens of change and the freedom that can be found in making decisions, particularly those decisions that come from listening to inner cues of your deepest self. She…

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The Voice is a Wild Thing Series #1: Looking into the Eyes of Truth with Award-Winning Author and Visual Artist Lisa Teasley 33:40

5y ago33:40

33:40

"You are worthy and you're beautiful. You belong here and you belong anywhere you want to go." In this first episode of the "The Voice is a Wild Thing Series" Susan talks to artist, teacher, activist, Lisa Teasley about her work, from writing to her paintings. Lisa knew she wanted to be a story-teller from a very young age, acutely aware of the pow…

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Optimism Lies Within Us with Irene O'Garden 34:13

5+ y ago34:13

34:13

How do we retain an optimistic viewpoint when so many troubling things are happening in the world? Playwright, poet, and author Irene O'Garden returns to In the Balance to discuss the ingredients to maintaining optimism, compassion, and hope. She encourages us to listen with our heart, not to question moments of "gladness," and to never doubt that …

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Continuing to Awaken in the Midst of the Perfect Storm with Mark Nepo 41:25

5+ y ago41:25

41:25

How do we let beauty in while we're suffering? How do we let truth in when we're afraid? How do we weather the storm when we feel like we are about to drown? Susan talks with NY Times best-selling author, poet, and philosopher Mark Nepo about beauty, truth, fear and his process of looking inward in order to rise and meet the daring and dangerous ou…

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"And the People Stayed Home," Kitty O'Meara's Vision for Healing and the Power of Connection 29:58

5+ y ago29:58

29:58

This week Susan talks with Kitty O'Meara, author of "And the people stayed home" viral poem that inspired people all over the world. She talks about her creative and spiritual journey, her experiences being present for people's life and the moment they pass on, and her vision for healing. Kitty also shares some of her poetry with us, in this beauti…

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Truth, Community and Collective Action with Poet and Activist Tamora Israel 25:49

5+ y ago25:49

25:49

"Put yourself out there and learn about the people close to you. Community is so much more than hanging out. Community is action." In this week's episode performance poet, actor and profoundly connected activist Tamora Israel talks about bringing people together, speaking your truth and allowing your own personal experience to inspire others and cr…

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The Grief Sessions #5: Honoring Our Losses and the Life Force Within with Dr. Ken Druck 44:03

5+ y ago44:03

44:03

"Sometimes in the beginning of grief we feel like 'How dare I continue? How dare I go on with life when someone I love is not able to? How dare I ever experience joy again?' And yet writing new chapters of life is what they would wish for us. It's a way of taking them with us." In this last episode of the Grief Sessions, Susan talks with Dr Ken Dru…

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The Grief Sessions #4: "I Feel You in my Heart," A Mother's Memoir of Love, Grief, and Healing with Lorraine Ash 29:45

5+ y ago29:45

29:45

"The journey is propelled by the questions you ask. So I cannot sit here and say 'Why me? Why did this happen? Oh my god…' because it doesn't lead anywhere. So I ask, "What now? What do I do with this? This is my fate. So let's live it. What's the next step of living this?'" Journalist, memoirist, and author Lorraine Ash shares with us her experien…

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The Grief Sessions #3: Finding a Path to Wholeness with Madonna Treadway 21:28

5+ y ago21:28

21:28

"There's a lot of pressure on people to get over their grief. You can do things in your own time in your own way." In the third episode of The Grief Sessions, Susan talks with author Madonna Treadway about her unique, inspiring and hopeful approach for adults dealing with their childhood losses. She asks the gentle questions to help us move forward…

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The Grief Sessions #2: Exquisite Teachings from Love with Gayle Danley 31:27

5+ y ago31:27

31:27

"My work is not just to be the poet…but the person who says 'Man, I've been hurt in my life. Have you?'" In this second episode of The Grief Sessions, Susan is joined by Gayle Danley, slam poet and grief guide to children and teenagers across the nation. Together they discuss the importance of acknowledging the existence of grief in the lives of ch…

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The Grief Sessions #1: Swimming in a Sea of Unknown - Lessons from the Deep End with Dr. Robert A Neimeyer 38:01

5+ y ago38:01

38:01

"We are soft bodies in a hard world..." We begin a five episode series called "The Grief Sessions" with the brilliant and extraordinary Dr. Robert A Neimeyer. Together he and Susan talk about the many manifestations of grief which include the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job, or the loss of a relationship, but also the collective and seemingl…

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Finding Our Authentic Voice with Sandra Joseph 41:38

5+ y ago41:38

41:38

Susan talks to Broadway leading lady Sandra Joseph, who starred as Christine in The Phantom of the Opera for a record-breaking 10 years about something we all can relate to: Fear and not letting it "run the show." She also discusses her process for personal growth and her universal message of practicing loving kindness both inwardly to ourselves an…

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A Bit of Shenanigans and a Deep Purpose: Sibyl Kempson on Following the Creative Impulse 36:40

5+ y ago36:40

36:40

Award-winning playwright and writer Sibyl Kempson sheds some light onto her creative process, discussing how to work with what you've got while still stretching yourself to the limits of imagination and curiosity, how to intuitively uncover new narrative structures, and find the fun, the joy, and the buoyancy of creating. She also talks about COVID…

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Anxiety Tour #6: Holistic Treatment of Anxiety with Deborah Claire Bagg 23:23

5+ y ago23:23

23:23

Who are we beyond the anxious thought or the anxious feeling? What is it saying to you? What is it teaching you? In the final episode in our series of anxiety, Susan talks with somatic therapist Deborah Claire Bagg about how to treat anxiety with a multidisciplinary, holistic approach. She believes in treating the whole person, not just their sympt…

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Anxiety Tour #5: The Heart, Soul and Spirit of Brain Scientist Dr Jill Bolte Taylor 37:29

5+ y ago37:29

37:29

How does anxiety work in the brain? Susan talks with renowned brain scientist and best-selling author of My Stroke of Insight, about the circuitry of the brain and how anxiety works; explaining the connections between the science, humanity, heart and soul, and where anxiety fits into it all.

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Anxiety Tour #4: When I Feel Anxiety with 10-Year-Old Julia Rose 17:03

5+ y ago17:03

17:03

Julia talks with Susan about her struggles with anxiety, tips and rituals she uses to help manage it and advice she has for other kids who are experiencing anxiety.

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Anxiety Tour #3: Self-care, Nutrition and Our Anxious Spirit with Taryn L Kennedy 41:29

5+ y ago41:29

41:29

Certified nutritionist Taryn L Kennedy talks with Susan about how nutrition affects our nervous system, particularly in times of stress, and how our diet contributes to our anxiety.

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Anxiety Tour #2: The Teachings of Our Anxiety with Julie Flanders 31:58

6y ago31:58

31:58

In the second episode in our series exploring anxiety, achievement expert Julie Flanders discusses the different positive and negative aspects of anxiety, what our anxiety can teach us, and shares some strategies and techniques she uses to help her clients stop anxiety in it's tracks.

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Anxiety Tour #1: The Unconscious Underpinnings of Anxiety with Dr Claudia Sheftel-Luiz 35:28

6y ago35:28

35:28

Psychoanalyst Claudia Sheftel-Luiz talks with Susan about the nature of anxiety, what goes on deep inside our unconscious psyche, and how we can bring it to the surface in order to work with, learn from and reduce our anxiety.

6+ y ago41:51

41:51

In this episode, Susan talks with teacher, speaker, and best-selling author Dr. Stephen G. Post about generosity of the spirit and how strengths and behaviours such as giving, helping others, and mindfulness (to name a few!) contribute to our health, make us happier, and enrich our lives.