Ruthless Compassion With Dr. Marcia Sirota

Kai Cheng Thom is a writer, performance artist, and community healer. She is the author of the novel Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars, which was chosen by Emma Watson for her online feminist book club and shortlisted for the Lambda Literary Award. Her poetry collection a place called No Homeland was an American Library Association Stonewall Honor Book, and her essay collection, I Hope We Choose Love, received a Publishing Triangle Award. She writes the advice column "Ask Kai: Advice for the Apocalypse" for Xtra. Kai Cheng Thom's newest book, Falling Back in Love with Being Human will be out on August 1, 2023. https://kaichengthom.com/ https://twitter.com/razorfemme https://www.instagram.com/kaichengthom https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/713624/falling-back-in-love-with-being-human-by-kai-cheng-thom/9780735245938

Kai Cheng Thom is a writer, performance artist, and community healer. She is the author of the novel Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars, which was chosen by Emma Watson for her online feminist book club and shortlisted for the Lambda Literary Award. Her poetry collection a place called No Homeland was an American Library Association Stonewall Honor Book, and her essay collection, I Hope We Choose Love, received a Publishing Triangle Award. She writes the advice column "Ask Kai: Advice for the Apocalypse" for Xtra. Kai Cheng Thom's newest book, Falling Back in Love with Being Human will be out on August 1, 2023. https://kaichengthom.com/ https://twitter.com/razorfemme https://www.instagram.com/kaichengthom https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/713624/falling-back-in-love-with-being-human-by-kai-cheng-thom/9780735245938

Laura Pratt is a journalist, writer, and editor. Her second book, Heartbroken: Field Notes on a Constant Condition, was published in early 2023 by Penguin Random House Canada. She has written for numerous Canadian magazines and her articles have appeared in Canadian Living, Toronto Life, Maclean’s, and Chatelaine. Her first memoir, The Fleeting Years, was published in 2004. She is a 2020 graduate of the University of King’s College’s creative nonfiction MFA. She won an honourable mention in Prairie Fire’s 2020 CNF contest and was shortlisted for The Fiddlehead’s 2019 CNF contest. She lives in Toronto and has served as a judge at the National Magazine Awards for several years. Follow Laura on: Linkedin Instagram Facebook http://www.laurapratt.ca/about/

International speaker, personal development trainer and certified coach, Carol is on a mission to empower people to live BIG lives (how many folks can say they’ve lived in an Ashram, shaved their head, or bungee jumped in their birthday suit?) no matter what life throws at them. She holds a BFA in Theatre Performance and an MA in Communication, and believes your voice and story have the power to inspire action and instigate change. Carol is the creator of ‘Spark your G.E.N.I.U.S.’ and the initiative ‘Women Living BIG’, and is committed to helping women get out their comfort zones so they can excel in their career, start and grow their own businesses, and achieve their potential by taking real action. She has lived, worked and/or volunteered in Thailand, India, Peru, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, the US, the UK, visited 30 countries and counting, and brings a unique and global perspective to all she does. Passionate about many things, Carol is also a volunteer bereavement facilitator and camp counsellor,

International speaker, personal development trainer and certified coach, Carol is on a mission to empower people to live BIG lives (how many folks can say they’ve lived in an Ashram, shaved their head, or bungee jumped in their birthday suit?) no matter what life throws at them. She holds a BFA in Theatre Performance and an MA in Communication, and believes your voice and story have the power to inspire action and instigate change. Carol is the creator of ‘Spark your G.E.N.I.U.S.’ and the initiative ‘Women Living BIG’, and is committed to helping women get out their comfort zones so they can excel in their career, start and grow their own businesses, and achieve their potential by taking real action. She has lived, worked and/or volunteered in Thailand, India, Peru, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, the US, the UK, visited 30 countries and counting, and brings a unique and global perspective to all she does. Passionate about many things, Carol is also a volunteer bereavement facilitator and camp counsellor,

Christy Lemire is a longtime film critic who was the film critic for The Associated Press for nearly 15 years and co-hosted the public television series "Ebert Presents At the Movies" opposite Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, with Roger Ebert serving as managing editor. Christy co-hosts the film review podcast and YouTube show "Breakfast All Day." She also appears regularly on the Southern California radio shows KPCC FilmWeek and KCRW Press Play. A third-generation Los Angeles native, Christy is a member of the LA Film Critics Association. You can find her on Twitter.

Peter Gray Ph.D. is a research professor at Boston College. He is also is author of Free to Learn (Basic Books) and Psychology (Worth Publishers, a college textbook now in its 8th edition). He has conducted and published research in neuroendocrinology, developmental psychology, anthropology, and education. His current research and writing focus primarily on children's natural ways of learning and the life-long value of play. He a founding member of the nonprofit Alliance for Self-Directed Education and a founding board member of the nonprofit Let Grow. You can find Professor Peter Gray online... Facebook

Sean Patrick Kelly is a film blogger and freelance writer based out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He graduated with a B.A. in Cinema and Media Studies in 2010. He later expanded his film production knowledge by receiving a continuing education certificate from Ryerson University in 2013. In addition to his writing for his own site, Sean Kelly has contributed as a freelance film writer to the following outlets: MONDOmagazine, TheSubstream, Toronto Film Scene, HuffPost, The LAMB, Screen Anarchy, Rue Morgue Magazine, and Screen Rant. You can find Sean Kelly online... Website

Linda Cook is a digital multimedia journalist/film critic, who worked 35 years at a newspaper before joining the Local 4 team in August 2020. She is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association, rottentomatoes.com, Alliance of Women Film Journalists, and the American Jail Association. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English and elementary education from Monmouth College, Monmouth, Ill., and a master of criminal justice degree from St. Ambrose University, Davenport. She taught criminal justice, English, and other classes at St. Ambrose, Kaplan University, Hamilton Tech, and Brown Mackie for many years.

Christy Lemire is a longtime film critic who was the film critic for The Associated Press for nearly 15 years and co-hosted the public television series "Ebert Presents At the Movies" opposite Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, with Roger Ebert serving as managing editor. Christy co-hosts the film review podcast and YouTube show "Breakfast All Day." She also appears regularly on the Southern California radio shows KPCC FilmWeek and KCRW Press Play. A third-generation Los Angeles native, Christy is a member of the LA Film Critics Association. You can find her on Twitter @christylemire.

Dr. William Li is a world-renowned physician, scientist, and New York Times bestselling author, best known for his role as President and Medical Director of the Angiogenesis Foundation. His work has led to more than 40 FDA-approved therapeutics and devices for cancer, cardiovascular disease, wound healing, and vision loss. Dr. Li examines “food as medicine” through molecular nutrition, which applies biology and biotechnology to understand not only the components of food but how the body responds to what it is fed. You can find Dr. William Li online... Twitter Instagram Facebook Website TikTok

Vicky Stergiopoulos is a Clinician Scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. Before joining CAMH, she served as the Psychiatrist-in-Chief at St. Michael’s Hospital, leading the development of several innovative health solutions for people experiencing homelessness and mental health challenges. She has a keen interest in mental health policy, community development, and the redesign of our mental health care system for system improvement. She champions equitable access to high-quality health care for people experiencing social disadvantage, and the inclusion of service users in both service delivery and research.

Leanne Nicolle is a social innovator, changemaker, and advocate for girls and women. She has dedicated her career to driving societal change to improve women’s well-being in athletics, education, and the workplace. Leanne launched the Olympic movement programs with sports organizations and strategic partners, enabling talented athletes to excel in their sport, most recently as the president and executive director of the Canadian Olympic Foundation. As a board member of the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport, Nicolle has advocated for advancing women and girls through the power of sport. She is also the founder of Ubuntu Marketing, a collective that puts organizations in touch with humanity.

Jason Anderson is a film programmer, journalist and lecturer in Toronto. He programs for the Toronto International Film Festival, Aspen Shortsfest and the Kingston Canadian Film Festival. A former film critic for Toronto's Eye Weekly and The Grid, he writes regularly for such publications as Broadview, Sight & Sound, Uncut and Cinema Scope.

Dr. Xavier Amador is an internationally renowned clinical psychologist, author, and leader in his field. His books, published clinical research, worldwide speaking tours and extensive work in schizophrenia, bipolar and other disorders have been translated into 30 languages. He is also the CEO of the Henry Amador Center on Anosognosia and a family caregiver of two close relatives with serious mental illness. Dr. Amador is a Visiting Professor of Psychology at the State University of New York, and over the course of two decades he was Professor of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology at Columbia University and Director of Psychology at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. His expertise has been called upon by government, industry and the broadcast and print media where he has appeared as a frequent expert for CNN, ABC News, NBC News, NBC Today Show Fox News Channel, CBS 60 Minutes, New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, Cosmo, Wall Street Journal and many other national and international news outlets. H

Jason Anderson is a film programmer, journalist and lecturer in Toronto. He programs for the Toronto International Film Festival, Aspen Shortsfest and the Kingston Canadian Film Festival. A former film critic for Toronto's Eye Weekly and The Grid, he writes regularly for such publications as Broadview, Sight & Sound, Uncut and Cinema Scope. Originally published 1/9/23

David Sax is a writer, reporter, and speaker who specializes in business and culture. His book The Revenge of Analog was a #1 Washington Post bestseller, was selected as one of Michiko Kakutani’s Top Ten books of 2016 for the New York Times, and has been translated into six languages. He is also the author of three other books: Save the Deli, which won a James Beard award, The Soul of an Entrepreneur, and The Tastemakers. He lives in Toronto. You can find David Sax online... Website Twitter Originally published 15/12/22

Mary-Frances O’Connor, PhD, is author of The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love and Loss. She is an associate professor of psychology at the University of Arizona, where she directs the Grief, Loss and Social Stress (GLASS) Lab, which investigates the effects of grief on the brain and the body. O’Connor earned a doctorate from the University of Arizona in 2004 and completed a fellowship at UCLA. Following a faculty appointment at UCLA Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, she returned to the University of Arizona in 2012. Her work has been published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, Biological Psychiatry, and Psychological Science, and featured in Newsweek, the New York Times, and The Washington Post. Having grown up in Montana, she now lives in Tucson, Arizona. For more information go to https://www.maryfrancesoconnor.com/ You can find Mary-Frances online... Website Instagram Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Originally published 15/12/22

Juan Ayala is an actor, journalist, podcast producer, and host, born and raised in Connecticut. After discovering an early love of performing, he earned his degree in Theater Arts from Housatonic Community College and later studied at the renowned Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York City. As an actor he has appeared in network television shows including NBC’s Blindspot and ABC’s For Life, as well as commercials for major brands like Sprint and Blink Fitness. In 2020, Juan launched his first podcast Actors With Issues, which features conversations with actors from across film, TV and Broadway, sharing their stories and breaking down the issues and obstacles that they’ve faced as actors. Juan also hosts the podcast Multicultural TV Talk for MediaVillage.com, where he has worked as an entertainment journalist since 2017, focusing conversations on diversity, inclusion, and representation in entertainment. You can find Juan online... Instagram Twitter Podcast Instagram

In this episode of the Ruthless Compassion Podcast, Dr. Marcia Sirota talks to us about hatred, and why hate only gives us more hate. We might hate because we fear the unknown and something bad happening to us. An easy way to let go of hate is to understand where it's coming from and no longer be afraid of the unknown. Connection and community are the #1 predictor of wellness, and we can't be well if we continue to hate. Website Instagram Twitter