WHYY's Voices in the Family

A unique artistic voice will play out at the Kimmel this month by a theatrical ensemble perceived to have intellectual disabilities. The performance called "FOOD COURT" exposes audiences to blunt-force shaming and the expression of unfulfilled desires of individuals who are marginalize by their differences. On Voices in the Family, Dan Gottlieb leads a discussion about intellectual disabilities - how those viewed as different sometimes struggle...and sometimes prosper in a culture that has come a long way to meet their everyday needs and desires. Dan's guests include: Celia Feinstein, Lisa Sonneborn, Robert Kurzban, Bruce Gladwin, and Sarah Mainwaring. Celia Feinstein is co-executive director of the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University's College of Education. Lisa Sonneborn is the Project Coordinator for Visionary Voices: Leaders, Lessons, Legacy. She has collected and continues to collect audio interviews of key people in the intellectual disabilities movement. Robert Kurzban is an evolutionary psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania where he is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology. He's written "Why Everyone (Else) is a Hypocrite: Evolution and the Modular Mind" now out in paperback. Bruce Gladwin is artistic director of Back to Back Theatre Company in Australia. He brings to Philadelphia his company's performance of "FOOD COURT," a presentation of the 2012 Philadelphia Live Arts Festival. Sarah Mainwaring plays the role of Leslie in Back to Back's presentation of "FOOD COURT."

If you have a teenager in your life, you're probably wrangling everyday with issues that have to do with their desire for independence. Should he go on dates? Should she stay out late? How much help do they really need with matters at school? Some experts say the optimal parent is involved and responsive to their child. They set high expectations but respect their child's autonomy. Guest host Jennifer Lynn explores guiding teens -- how parents and guardians can learn to let go in ways that allow young adults to thrive on their own. Guests include Kenneth Ginsburg, M.D. http://www.fosteringresilience.com/about.php and Susan Fitzgerald, authors of "Letting Go with Love and Confidence." Also on the show is Salome Thomas-El, also known as "Principal El." Kenneth Ginsburg is a pediatrician specializing in Adolescent Medicine at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He also serves as Director of Health Services at Covenant House Pennsylvania, an agency that serves Philadelphia's homeless and marginalized youth. Susan Fitzgerald is a long-time Philadelphia journalist who specializes in children's health issues. She was a reporter and editor for nearly 25 years at The Philadelphia Inquirer and now works as an independent writer. She also teaches journalism at La Salle University. Susan is the mother of three young adult sons. Salome Thomas-El is the principal at Thomas A. Edison Charter School in Wilmington, Delaware. His latest book is "The Immortality of Influence." He has paired up with Dr. Oz to educate America about the importance of living healthy inside and out.

Infidelity has become increasingly common in today's marriages. In the U.S., it's thought that roughly 1 in every 2.7 couples is touched by it. Motivations for straying range from the emotional to the sexual. And hooking up with a "hottie" or "soulmate" nowadays can be just a computer keystroke away. On Voices in the Family, guest host Jennifer Lynn discusses issues of trust, honesty, and forgiveness after an affair has taken place. Her guest is Janis Spring, Ph.D. Spring is the author "After the Affair: Healing the Pain and Rebuilding Trust When a Partner Has Been Unfaithful" which comes out next month as a completely updated second edition, with advice on affairs in cyberspace.

The death of Garrett Reid after a long battle with drug use is a reminder that addiction is a complicated - and chronic - disease. Researchers are urging healthcare providers and policy makers to treat addiction more like they do diabetes or heart disease. On Voices in the Family with guest host Maiken Scott, we'll hear how prevention and ongoing treatment for addicts could fit into a primary care model and discuss what kinds of supports families struggling with addiction need. We'll be joined by researchers from the Treatment Research Institute in Philadelphia -- a research organization with the mission to translate science into improved policies and practice in the substance use arena. Kimberly Kirby, Ph.D. is a senior scientist at TRI where she is directs the Parents Translational Research Center, an initiative to better understand the impact of adolescent addiction on the whole family and to create and disseminate evidence-based supports for parents and caregivers. Kathleen Meyers, Ph.D., also a senior scientist at TRI, is a recognized leader in the assessment and treatment of adolescent substance use disorders. Dr. Meyers is the author of the Comprehensive Adolescent Severity Inventory (CASI), one of the most widely used instruments to assess substance abuse for youth. Adam Brooks, Ph.D. is a research scientist at TRI who is an expert in continuous recovery management, the development of evidence-based supports for counselors, and the integration of substance use prevention and intervention into standard medical practice.

It's been easy to get caught up in the swell of excitement surrounding the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. Human-interest stories profiling participants showcase their grit, amazing physical strength and skill, and hard knocks they've had to stomach and surmount. Surely it takes a special mindset to prepare and compete at this elite level. For that matter, it takes a special disposition to push hard whether you're in youth sports or in an adult recreational league. On Voices in the Family, guest host Jennifer Lynn explores the psychological side of sports throughout the life cycle -- what's behind our passion to compete and desire to push our bodies so, and what holds us back or inspires us? Our guests include psychologists Joel Fish and Mitchell Greene. Joel Fish is director for The Center for Sports Psychology in Philadelphia. He's the author of "101 Ways to be a Terrific Sports Parent" and has worked extensively with athletes from youth sport through the Olympic and professional ranks. Mitchell Greene is a clinical and sport psychologist. He's the sport psychology consultant to the Philadelphia Triathlon, SheRox Triathlon Series, Mid-Atlantic Multisport, and The Hill School's Athletic Department. He is also a contributing columnist for USA Triathlon.

Sometimes anxiety can keep us frozen. We ruminate and lose sleep, even over little things. We all have anxious reactions from time to time, but sometimes the grip of anxiety is tight and gets the best of us. On Voices in the Family, we listen back to show host Dan Gottlieb's interview with clinical psychologist Tamar Chansky, founder and director of The Children's Center for OCD and Anxiety and creator of the educational website worrywisekids.org. Her book "Freeing Yourself from Anxiety: 4 Simple Steps to Overcome Worry and Create the Life You Want" was published earlier this year. We'll also bring you Dan's conversation with psychologist Scott Browning, noted authority on helping stepfamilies get along. He says building positive relationships in stepfamilies takes time and can be complicated, but with proper guidance, stable intra-family relationships can be forged. Browning has written "Stepfamily Therapy: A 10 Step Clinical Approach" (2012) with coauthor Elise Artelt. He's a professor of psychology at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia.

It's never a good time to experience an injury or ailment, whether chronic or acute. We have things to do, places to go...how could we possibly take time away from our daily routines to heal? That's a common response to things that slow us down physically. Other reactions are depression, anger, or a tendency to ignore our compromised bodies. Certainly, physical injury and illness can have psychological implications born of life experience and personality. On Voices in the Family, with guest host Jennifer Lynn: "the body's betrayal" - how the ways in which we address physical vulnerabilities affect how we feel about ourselves during and after the healing process. We'll hear from Voices in the Family's Dan Gottlieb, who's taking a brief leave of absence from the show following surgery for a bone infection. We'll also hear from F. Diane Barth, LCSW, and Karla Thompson, Ph.D. F. Diane Barth is a psychotherapist and psychoanalyst in private practice in New York City who blogs regularly about emotional responses to healing. Karla Thompson is a clinical neuropsychologist. She directs psychological services for the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of North Carolina.

Migraines. Freud had them, so did Thomas Jefferson, Chopin, and Darwin. Much of the distorted body imagery for Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland is thought to have been migraine inspired. If you've experienced severe headaches, you know how incapacitating they are - affecting your daily routine at home and at work and complicating relationships with loved ones. On the next Voices in the Family with Dr. Dan Gottlieb: a discussion about headaches - their crippling effects and the latest on prescription drug treatments and behavioral approaches with neurologist Amy Pruitt and psychiatrist Donald Penzien. Pruitt is an associate professor of neurology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Penzien, a behavioral therapy researcher and practitioner, is a professor of psychiatry at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. He's coauthored a new study on the feasibility of behavioral approaches in the treatment of chronic migraines.

We never really know the impact it has when we openly talk about uncomfortable feelings we have or our physical or mental challenges. And while we may fear and deem these things as shameful, they may be conduits for something else -- like a path to healing or creativity...or a dialogue that validates, strengthens, and supports us. On the next Voices in the Family with Dr. Dan Gottlieb: our relationship with our vulnerabilities as we head toward self-acceptance. Dan's guests are Brene Brown and Kristen Neff. Brene Brown, Ph.D., LMSW is a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. She has spent the past ten years studying vulnerability, courage, worthiness, and shame. Brene spent the first five years of her decade-long study focusing on shame and empathy, and is now using that work to explore a concept that she calls Wholeheartedness. Kristen Neff, Ph.D., is the author of "Self-Compassion" which comes out in paperback this summer. She is an associate professor in human development and culture at the University of Texas at Austin. She and her family were featured in the award-winning documentary and best selling book: "The Horse Boy." Neff says the film is a journey with autism, horses, and healing.

It's generally believed that one third of the people in the world are introverts - people with rich inner lives who tend to be energized when alone and drained of energy when around other people. Here in the U.S., there's a cultural preference for the opposite temperament: extroversion. Extroverts love to be around people. They're prone to talking, asserting, and dominating group situations and are rewarded for such in the workplace, the classroom, and in many other social situations. That said, what's a bright, quiet, thoughtful, measured introvert to do? How do they fit in American households, offices, relationships, and how do they carve out much-needed downtime or set up creative realms. On Voices in the Family, with guest host Jennifer Lynn, we'll try to answer those questions with the help of self-proclaimed introvert Susan Cain, author of the bestseller "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking." We'll also hear from Swarthmore College psychology professor and author Barry Schwartz who's written about human nature.

Poetry can give shape and voice to our darkest feelings of suffering. Research shows writing about difficult moments can be an extraordinarily freeing experience, leading to a sense of safety, renewed energy, and restored order. On Voices in the Family, Dan Gottlieb talks with author and teacher Ellen Bass about poetry as a tool for healing. Bass teaches in the low residency MFA program at Pacific University and has taught poetry and creative writing nationally and internationally for nearly 30 years. Her non-fiction books include: "Free Your Mind: The Book for Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Youth," "I Never Told Anyone: Writings by Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse," and "The Courage to Heal: A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse." She has earned numerous awards for her poems, which appear in hundreds of journals and anthologies. The San Francisco Chronicle named her collection of poetry called "The Human Line" A Notable Book.