Guest: Stephanie D'Ambra

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The Blind Spot of Self-Awareness June 24, 2010

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Stephanie D'Ambra
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Identity & The Self

When people can’t perceive their own illness or failings, the result isn’t simple denial but something deeper. Armand DiMele and Stephanie D’Ambra, LCSW, trace anosognosia from schizophrenia and stroke through everyday blindness to incompetence, exploring why the inability to see oneself is a root cause of violence, failed plans, and broken relationships.

The Gifts of Neurodiversity with Dr. Thomas Armstrong June 22, 2010

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Dr. Thomas Armstrong, Stephanie D'Ambra
Category: Identity & The Self, The Mind & Neuroscience

What if autism, depression, anxiety, and ADHD carry genuine strengths alongside their challenges? Dr. Thomas Armstrong argues that reframing these conditions as brain differences rather than disorders reveals hidden gifts, and Armand and Stephanie D’Ambra, LCSW explore how safe relationships and tailored environments help neurodiverse people thrive.

The Good and Bad of Venting May 6, 2010

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Stephanie D'Ambra
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Trauma & Healing

Venting feels like relief, but does it actually help? Armand DiMele and Stephanie D’Ambra, LCSW examine research showing that rehashing trauma can deepen it neurologically, that cortisol surges from repeated venting damage the body, and that silence after trauma is often healthier than we assume.

Surviving Extreme Environments with Emily Anthes April 22, 2010

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Emily Anthes, Stephanie D'Ambra
Category: Society, Culture & Current Events, The Mind & Neuroscience

What happens to the human mind when you’re trapped with strangers in Antarctica or a Mars simulation capsule for months? Emily Anthes, Science Journalist and Author, joins Armand DiMele and Stephanie D’Ambra, LCSW, to examine how extreme isolation, cold, and darkness disrupt mood, hormones, and group cohesion in ways that mirror everyday life under pressure.

The Science and History of Beauty with Deborah Chase April 15, 2010

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Deborah Chase, Stephanie D'Ambra
Category: Identity & The Self, Society, Culture & Current Events

What makes someone beautiful, and why does the standard keep shifting? Armand DiMele and Stephanie D’Ambra, LCSW are joined by health and beauty researcher Deborah Chase, who traces beauty ideals from ancient Greece to Twiggy, explains the science behind symmetry and skin care, and challenges the commercial beauty industry’s grip on how we see ourselves.

Hormones and Female Addiction with Emily Anthes April 13, 2010

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Emily Anthes, Stephanie D'Ambra
Category: Addiction & Compulsion, The Mind & Neuroscience

Estrogen makes drugs feel better, and progesterone can counteract that effect. Emily Anthes, Science Journalist and Author, joins Armand to explain why female addicts are biologically distinct from male addicts, why teenage girls now use drugs as often as boys, and how hormone-based treatments might one day help women quit.

Clutter and the Cluttered Mind with Barbara Tako March 9, 2010

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Barbara Tako, Stephanie D'Ambra
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Personal Growth & Change

Physical clutter carries emotional weight, and clearing it can unlock broader change in how we live. Barbara Tako, author of ‘Clutter Clearing Choices’, walks through practical methods like the four-box sort and the one-in-one-out rule, while Armand and Stephanie D’Ambra, LCSW explore how clutter connects to guilt, relationships, and self-worth.

Abandonment Rage February 2, 2010

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Stephanie D'Ambra
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Love & Romantic Relationships

When love is withdrawn, some people don’t just grieve, they rage. Armand DiMele and Stephanie D’Ambra, LCSW examine why lost love can trigger obsessive calling, stalking, and even violence, tracing the reaction to a primitive wound response and asking whether abandonment rage is a kind of temporary insanity.

Music as a Healing Process with John Pelletieri January 7, 2010

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: John Pelletieri, Stephanie D'Ambra
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, The Mind & Neuroscience

Music stirs feelings that words cannot reach, and John Pelletieri, author of a textbook on music therapy, explains why. Armand and Pelletieri trace how rhythm, melody, and imagery each activate different brain regions, and how therapists use that to unlock the unconscious. Stephanie D’Ambra, LCSW, co-hosts.

Why Love Fades Over Time December 22, 2009

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Stephanie D'Ambra
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Love & Romantic Relationships

Love doesn’t just end, it erodes through unmet needs and biological programming. Armand DiMele argues that fading attraction follows a natural but not inevitable course, drawing on evolutionary drives and caller stories, including one man’s struggle with touch after years of violation.