Category: Personal Growth & Change

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The Hidden Cost of Mindfulness October 1, 2014

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Giullian Gioiello, Linda Vanella
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Personal Growth & Change

Mindfulness has a dark side: when used to suppress negative emotions rather than process them, it breeds disconnection, stuffed anger, and an inability to be honest in close relationships. Armand DiMele and Linda Vanella, LCSW-R, along with co-host Giullian Gioiello, argue that feeling difficult emotions fully is the real path to intimacy and growth.

Living with ADHD Across the Lifespan September 17, 2014

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Ben Starr, Giullian Gioiello, Linda Vanella
Category: Personal Growth & Change, The Mind & Neuroscience

ADHD affects far more adults than is recognized, and Armand argues the same traits that make childhood difficult can become creative gifts. Linda Vanella, LCSW-R, draws on clinical and personal experience, while co-host Ben Starr shares his own journey through medication, video games, and self-medication to quiet the mental buzz.

The Feeling Beneath Rejection July 16, 2014

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Alex, Jamie, Sandra Reischus
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Personal Growth & Change

Armand DiMele argues that rejection is not a feeling but a perception of someone else’s behavior, and that the real emotional work begins when you ask what you actually felt underneath it. The episode ranges from the psychology of giving and receiving gifts to sexual withdrawal, childhood conditioning, and callers navigating depression and family pressure.

The Power of Playing the Victim June 25, 2014

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Billy Ann, Giullian Gioiello, Grace, Joe, Mark, Ori Yumini-Morrison, Paul
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Personal Growth & Change

Playing the victim is a strategy, not just a feeling. Armand DiMele examines how adopting a victim stance recruits allies, deflects accountability, and keeps conflict alive, drawing on callers’ stories of family betrayal, injustice, and the hard work of forgiving those who caused real harm.

The Hidden Forces Behind Every Decision June 24, 2014

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Giullian Gioiello, Lisa Arnone
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Personal Growth & Change

Emotions quietly hijack our choices before we even know it. Armand DiMele, joined by Lisa Arnone, LCSW, and co-host Giullian Gioiello, walks through a catalog of cognitive and emotional biases, from anchoring and the bandwagon effect to choice-supportive thinking, showing how pausing to reflect remains the most practical corrective.

Feelings Underneath the Surface June 11, 2014

Host: Armand DiMele
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Personal Growth & Change

Feelings are the real work of therapy, Armand argues, and this episode shows that live. After a frank rant about WBAI’s chronic mismanagement, a caller named Donna breaks down on air, revealing a life spent pleasing others at the cost of her own passions. Armand coaxes her into singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow, and the moment lands with unexpected power.

Losing Your Temper April 22, 2014

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Giullian Gioiello, Linda Vanella
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Personal Growth & Change

Temper is something you can lose, hold, or redirect, and Armand DiMele argues all three carry consequences. With co-host Giullian Gioiello and Linda Vanella, LCSW-R, the conversation moves from toddler tantrums to explosive adults, asking whether suppressing anger protects us or stores up damage for later.

Breaking Bad Habits April 2, 2014

Host: Armand DiMele
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Personal Growth & Change

We think we knew it all along, but hindsight bias distorts judgment and fuels overconfidence. Armand DiMele and co-hosts Linda and Julian explore the psychology of bad habits, including why elimination is harder than replacement, and how scheduling, rewards, and physical interruption techniques can help.

What Drives Us with Nick Papadopoulos January 15, 2014

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Nick Papadopoulos
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Personal Growth & Change

Early childhood wounds quietly shape adult behavior. Nick Papadopoulos, Success Counselor, joins Armand DiMele to map how formative events between ages 5 and 20 generate core beliefs like “I don’t belong” that drive adult behavior, and how four personality types (controller, promoter, supporter, analyzer) reveal what we’re really chasing.

The Psychology of Asking Questions January 14, 2014

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Giullian Gioiello, Linda Vanella
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Personal Growth & Change

Why do people hide the truth from their doctors, their partners, and themselves? Armand DiMele and co-host Giullian Gioiello, joined by Linda Vanella, LCSW-R, examine what questions really do: test safety, reveal love, expose fear, and build trust. Callers explore childhood silencing and emotional breakthroughs.