This week’s OnTopic with Empathia features a follow-up conversation with Jess and Paige, diving deeper into the logistical and emotional hurdles that define the surrogacy journey. While their story resulted in the birth of a healthy baby, the path was paved with high-stakes medical prep, ethical dilemmas and a literal blizzard. From “spicy” confrontations with…
This week’s OnTopic with Empathia begins a conversation with Jess and Paige, two women whose lives became inextricably linked through an extraordinary surrogacy journey born out of resilience and faith. Following Jess’ stage four triple-negative breast cancer diagnosis, the odds of giving her daughter a sibling were astronomically small – until she met Paige, a…
Dr. Melissa Lunardini highlights various digital grief spaces—from social media memorials to AI companions—while emphasizing both opportunities and challenges these technologies present. The presentation offers practical frameworks for evaluating digital grief spaces and tools and implementing safety protocols, ultimately advocating for a balanced approach that recognizes digital spaces as legitimate grief environments requiring thoughtful guidance…
Hospice can be scary for many families, but it’s also a time for deep connections and emotional healing. In this episode, Rory Bolton continues sharing his experiences as an end of life music therapist and shows us what a powerful emotional force music can be. Every patient is unique in their journey, and it takes…
Podcast content overview: Rory Bolton discusses the wisdom he has learned through working as a music therapist in hospice care and how music can help bridge emotional disconnect with loved ones during this time. Listen to full episodes of OnTopic with Empathia here or on your preferred podcast platform.
End of life care is a truly difficult and emotional experience that often leaves us feeling disconnected from our loved ones. Our guest, Rory Bolton, uses music to bridge that connection and encourage emotions to flow during a time when it’s needed most. In this episode of OnTopic with Empathia, Rory shares his beautiful singing…
Warning: The following interview contains graphic depictions of suicide. Viewer discretion is advised. There’s a surprising amount of signs that can precede a suicide attempt. People may experience symptoms of melancholy, rapid moodswings, severe depression, and more. In this follow-up from our previous episode, Rick Hoaglund joins Clark Flatt, President and Founder of the Jason…
Warning: The following interview contains graphic depictions of suicide. Viewer discretion is advised. Suicide is one of the leading causes of preventable death in our nation today. Every week, Americans lose an average of more than 125 youths to this tragedy. As waters continue to rise, what can be done? How can parents help? And…
It seems like there’s more violence portrayed in our entertainment consumption than ever before – but is that really true? Rick continues his conversation with Crisis Management expert Bob VandePol to talk about the influence that movies, television, video games, and the almighty internet have on children’s development in regards to portrayed violence, from both…