Mood: Scared

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Living With Physical and Emotional Pain June 9, 2015

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Ben Starr, Giullian Gioiello
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Grief & Loss

Physical pain and emotional pain feel utterly different, yet both demand surrender rather than resistance. Armand DiMele, joined by co-hosts Ben Starr and Giullian Gioiello, takes calls from listeners navigating broken bones, chronic back pain, heroin withdrawal, and the grief of losing parents, exploring how we sometimes choose painful patterns and what it takes to move through them.

When Trauma Cracks the Mind April 22, 2015

Host: Armand DiMele
Category: Anxiety & Fear, Trauma & Healing

Acute stress disorder is the immediate psychological fracture that follows a single catastrophic event, distinct from PTSD. Armand DiMele walks through the diagnostic criteria, from numbing and amnesia to hypervigilance, and takes calls from listeners who survived stacked traumas including assault, Hurricane Sandy, and sudden bereavement.

Crazy Making and How It Works April 21, 2015

Host: Armand DiMele
Category: Communication & Conflict, Emotions & Inner Life

Why do people deliberately destabilize those they love, and how does it work on different personality types? Armand DiMele walks through the psychology of crazy-making, using the Enneagram to show exactly which pressure points unravel each type, while callers share their own experiences of being worn down by the people closest to them.

Resilience and the April Fool April 1, 2015

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Ed Zara
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Personal Growth & Change

April Fool’s Day becomes a lens for examining cognitive dissonance, cruelty disguised as humor, and what it actually takes to bounce back from pain. Armand DiMele, joined by Ed Zara, argues that trust is the foundation of resilience, and that trustworthiness can be established quickly even with deeply damaged children.

Millennials Blazing Their Own Path March 17, 2015

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Annie Q, Ben Starr, Giullian Gioiello, Srijan Munir
Category: Identity & The Self, Personal Growth & Change

What happens when the old formula of school, degree, and stable job stops working? Co-hosts Giullian Gioiello and Ben Starr fill in for Armand DiMele and talk with actress Annie Q and Muay Thai fighter and trainer Srijan Munir about forging unconventional careers, immigrant family expectations, and finding meaning over security in a post-recession world.

Self-Actualization and the Hierarchy of Needs March 11, 2015

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Ben Starr, Charlie Schwinkert, Giullian Gioiello
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Personal Growth & Change

Armand DiMele walks through Maslow’s full hierarchy of needs, from biological survival to self-actualization, with co-hosts Giullian Gioiello and Ben Starr and jazz drummer Charlie Schwinkert. The group explores what drives creative satisfaction, how appreciation vanishes in low moods, and how to move through fear by feeling it fully rather than suppressing it.

Fear and Trust in Relationships January 21, 2015

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Ben Starr
Category: Anxiety & Fear, Love & Romantic Relationships

Fear is not just a threat but a force that shapes love, loyalty, and the urge to protect. Armand DiMele and co-host Ben Starr examine when caution is wisdom and when it keeps people frozen, drawing on callers who wrestle with drama, boredom, overprotection, and the craving for just enough fire in their lives.

The 36 Dramatic Situations with Jeff Kitchen January 13, 2015

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Anthony, Beverly, Dennis, Dr. Annalisa Erba, Giullian Gioiello, Jeff Kitchen, Jonathan Raskin
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Personal Growth & Change

Human life maps onto just 36 dramatic situations, a framework screenwriter Jeff Kitchen shared with Armand DiMele. Using Georges Polti’s classic book as a lens, Armand and co-host Giullian Gioiello take live calls and show how real struggles, from tyrannical fathers to fear of love, fit ancient dramatic patterns.

The 36 Dramatic Situations in Life with Jeff Kitchen January 13, 2015

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Anthony, Beverly, Dennis, Giullian Gioiello, Jeff Kitchen, Lisa Arnone
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Identity & The Self

All human conflict reduces to 36 dramatic situations, argues screenwriter Jeff Kitchen, and Armand DiMele uses that framework as a live diagnostic tool. Callers work through father wounds, romantic entanglement, and a longing to be loved, revealing how classic dramatic patterns play out in ordinary lives.

The Face We Show Strangers December 24, 2014

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Anne-Marie, Ben Starr, David Travland, Dr. Joe Ledoux, Giullian Gioiello, Hanara, Patricia Miranda, Roger, Steve
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Identity & The Self

What we hide behind a first impression reveals more than what we show. Armand DiMele and co-hosts Ben Starr and Giullian Gioiello unpack why people announce what they are not (threatening, needy, angry, afraid) and how every social mask points back to the insecurity underneath it.