Live Happy Now

What if everything you believe about mental health is wrong? In this episode, host Paula Felps chats with psychotherapist and author Joe Nucci about his myth-busting new book, Psychobabble: Viral Mental Health Myths & the Truths to Set You Free. Joe dives into the wild world of mental health misinformation — especially the kind that spreads like wildfire on social media. From self-diagnosis pitfalls to the overuse of therapy-sp...

What if practicing happiness was as simple as learning your ABC’s? This week, host Paula Felps talks with work psychologist and certified Chief Happiness Officer Klaudia Mitura, author of The Alphabet of Happiness. After a series of life challenges during the pandemic, Klaudia embarked on a hands-on happiness experiment, testing evidence-based practices and transforming them into accessible, everyday tools. That led to a podcast an...

We talk a lot about how trauma affects our mental health, but have you thought about what it does to your body? In this episode, host Paula Felps sits down with Dr. Aimie Apigian, author of The Biology of Trauma, to explore how trauma is stored not just in our minds but in our bodies — and how that impacts our physical health, relationships, and overall well-being. Drawing from her experience as a physician and foster parent, Dr. A...

Labor Day is behind us, so that means we’re putting the lid on summer and getting ready to roll into fall. But that doesn’t mean we can’t take our lighthearted summer vibe with us. This week, on the heels of our Summer of Fun campaign with Mike Rucker, PhD, we’re telling you how to start planning now to use what we’ve learned from this campaign to make it a fun-filled fall.

What you’ll learn:

• Why it’s so important to commit to...

In this episode, host Paula Felps talks with psychotherapist and author John Tsilimparis about his transformative approach to grief. John shares insights from his new book, Magic in the Tragic: Rewriting the Script on Grief and Discovering Happiness in our Darkest Days, offering a that blends emotional healing with beauty, purpose, and resilience. Drawing from personal loss and clinical experience, John introduces powerful concepts...

This week, meet Happy Activist Gabri Blankson, who is using film to illuminate teen mental health. Her award-winning short film MIME, created through the Black Girls Film Camp, explores the emotional impact of pandemic isolation through a fantasy lens, using mimes as metaphors for internal struggles. Drawing from personal experience and inspired by Inside Out, Gabri crafted a visually expressive story that resonates deeply with you...

If you’re looking to lose the stress in your life, this week’s guest has a spoiler alert: The only people without stress are dead. But the good news is, you can learn to turn that stress into a powerful ally for change and growth. This week, host Paula Felps talks with stress physiologist Dr. Rebecca Heiss, whose new book, Springboard: Transform Stress to Work For You, explains how to make the most of it. She offers tips on how to ...

Many people today feel unfocused or overwhelmed, and that’s not just a challenge for our heads; it could be harming our hearts. Join us as host Paula Felps talks with cardiologist and health psychologist Dr. Alan Rozanski, who offers a groundbreaking look at how our mindset influences our heart and overall well-being. He explains how chronic stress, emotional negativity, and mental clutter can physically impact your heart function ...

Are you struggling to find hope these days? You’re not alone. But this week, resiliency expert Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe returns to share what hope can do for you and, importantly, where to find it. With her signature blend of science and soul, Dr. Robyne explains how hope calms the brain, strengthens resilience, and helps us navigate uncertainty. If you’re managing stress, feeling world-weary, or just need a reset, this conversation...

Summer vacations aren't just fun; they’re essential for your mental well-being. In this episode, host Paula Felps and Live Happy CEO Deborah Heisz share how unplugging from daily stress can spark creativity and emotional clarity, and why even a staycation (if done right!) can deliver major mood boosts. Whether you're heading to Hawaii or hanging out in your backyard, this episode is your permission slip to reset, reflect, and recon...

Can you giggle your way to inner peace? In this episode, host Paula Felps sits down with author Tom Rosshirt to explore the joyful — and surprisingly profound — power of silliness. Drawing from his book, Chasing Peace: A Story of Breakdowns, Breakthroughs, and the Spiritual Power of Neuroscience, Tom reveals how embracing our goofy side can be both spiritually liberating and scientifically beneficial. From dancing like no one’s wat...

This summer, recharge your happiness with a tech break! In this episode of Live Happy Now, Paula Felps sits down with digital wellness expert Amy Blankson to explore how an intentional digital detox can bring more joy, focus, and freedom to your day. Whether you're unplugging for five minutes or five days, Amy shares clever strategies to help you reconnect — with yourself and your summer bucket list.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

This week, host Paula Felps chats with Scott Crabtree, chief happiness officer at Happy Brain Science, about the surprising science behind music festivals. In this energizing episode, you’ll discover how live music fires up your brain with feel-good chemicals, why dancing helps bust stress and boost memory, and how festivals foster powerful connections that fight loneliness. Whether you're a seasoned festivalgoer or thinking about ...

This week on Live Happy Now, host Paula Felps sits down with Emely Rumble — licensed clinical social worker, bibliopsychotherapist, and author of Bibliotherapy in the Bronx — to explore the healing power of stories. Emely shares how fiction, poetry, and even children’s books can help us reflect, process emotions, and build empathy in ways traditional self-help books can’t. With summer reading season in full swing, she explains how ...

Dreams aren’t just fleeting images; they’re powerful tools for transformation. This week, host Paula Felps sits down with Bonnie Buckner, PhD, founder of the International Institute for Dreaming and Imagery®, to explore how dreams can unlock creativity, solve life’s toughest challenges, and help us live with greater purpose. As an expert in creative dreamwork, Buckner blends insights from cognitive psychology, neurobiology, and lea...

Summer officially begins on June 20, and that’s the perfect time to bring back Live Happy’s Summer of Fun! We’ve teamed up with organizational psychologist Mike Rucker, PhD, to offer a free eight-week email course based on the principles of his book, The Fun Habit: How the Pursuit of Joy and Wonder Can Change Your Life. In this episode, he explains how this course will help you learn to program your life for fun this summer — and b...

When we talk about becoming strong women, we’re often not talking about something physical. But this week’s guest explains how reclaiming our physical power can also build our inner strength. Anne Marie Chaker is a veteran journalist and professional bodybuilder who discovered the connection between strength training and inner transformation. In her debut book, LIFT: How Women Can Reclaim Their Physical Power and Transform Their Li...

In a time of deep division and unease, overcoming our loneliness and uncertainty is a massive challenge. This week, award-winning author, educator, lawyer, scientist, and meditation teacher Anu Gupta sits down with host Paula Felps to explain how — and where — we can start. His best-selling book, Breaking Bias: Where Stereotypes and Prejudices Come From and the Science-Backed Method to Unravel Them, is a rich toolkit to help each o...

As we wrap up mental health awareness month, it’s a great time to talk with someone who is literally changing how we talk about mental health. This week, host Paula Felps is joined by Dominic Lawson, an accomplished, award-winning podcaster whose new show, Mental Health Rewritten, is tackling stigmatized mental health topics head-on. By taking on issues surrounding addiction and recovery, he is changing the way we talk about such t...