by Rona | Jun 8, 2016 | Announcements, Appearances, KPFA, Podcasts, Radio Shows
Men’s Health Month helps to raise awareness, and encourage men to make healthy lifestyle choices, go for check-ups, get educated about things like diabetes and heart disease, and be attuned to emotional and mental health issues as well.
Listen to the show I hosted on KPFA (June 13, 2016)
In Honor of Father’s Day and Men’s Health Month
My Guests were:
Dr. Will Courtenay, is an internationally recognized expert in men’s health and in helping men, boys, and fathers. The American Psychological Association calls him, “a leading psychologist in the field of masculinity.” He provides psychotherapy and counseling to individuals in the S.F. Bay Area, and phone consultation to those outside of the area. You can reach him at 415-346-6719 or check out his website at http://www.themensdoc.com. He is also the author of Dying To Be Men: http://www.amazon.com/Dying-Men-Environmental-Biobehavioral-Psychotherapy/dp/0415878764
Rev. Dr. Niinana Kweku C.A.M.F, author of, In Search Of Manhood: Reclaiming Manhood, Brain Freeze, and Whiteout. All of his books deal with the plight of people of color and other marginalized groups in America. He has worked in the behavioral health field for 45 years, and is presently the Executive Director of Family Solutions inc., a non profit organization committed to serving and reeducating communities of America and globally.
by Rona | Apr 27, 2016 | Announcements, Appearances, KPFA, Podcasts, Radio Shows
LISTEN NOW to my guests, Darris Young and Taina Vargas-Edmond, on “About Health” KPFA.org, 94.1 FM
We discussed mass incarceration and how it poses a serious public health challenge. We addressed the health impact on prisoners and their families, and discussed mental health in the jail setting.
Guests:
Taina Vargas-Edmond
As State Advocate, Taina works to advance the goals of the Truth and Reinvestment Campaign, building the capacity of communities throughout the state of California to prevent and respond to state violence and mass criminalization through community organizing and coordinated rapid response.
Prior to joining the Ella Baker Center, Taina co-founded the Coalition for Jail Reform in Monterey County and worked for the California State Assembly, where she helped draft legislation aimed at helping state prisoners earn time off of their sentences while reducing their chances of returning to prison. Additionally, she has volunteered with several human rights advocacy groups, such as the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security, Dignity and Power Now, and the Monterey Peace and Justice Center.
In his role as Local Organizer, Darris leads Ella Baker Center’s effort to build a coalition of families negatively impacted by the criminal justice system in the Bay Area. Darris brings to his current work past success as a certified addictions, domestic violence, and violence prevention counselor, and victim advocate with local organizations, including City Team International and Allen Temple Baptist Church. In addition, his experience as both a formerly incarcerated person and a police academy graduate give him a deep understanding of how the current justice system operates and where change is needed.
In January of 2008, while at Solano State Prison in Vacaville, Darris co-organized a prison-wide work stoppage in response to the loss of recreation privileges for inmates. Although it is prohibited for an inmate to organize or participate in a work stoppage, Darris and his co-organizers shut down the prison for more than five days and got the word out to other prisons, resulting in solidarity actions. Ultimately, the work stoppage prompted the warden at Solano and several in his top command to negotiate with inmates, and lessened the severity of the recreation privilege reduction.
His life has been shaped toward service and activism, first as a police officer and later as a counselor and advocate. Working with Black and Latino youth caught up in the criminal justice system is a particular passion for Darris, and he believes there is a role for every community member to play in creating a just, healthy, and prosperous future for all.
by Rona | Apr 14, 2016 | Announcements, Appearances
I will be giving the Keynote address at the 22nd Annual Early Learning Conference presented by Contra Costa Child Care Council
Opening the Door to Family Engagement
Join us, Saturday, April 23—from 7:30-4:15PM
Diablo Valley College. Go to www.cocokids.org for more information and registration
There will be workshops all day, offering dynamic speakers with a wide range of experience from “Supporting Bilingual Learners” to “Recognizing and Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect.”
See you there!
by Rona | Apr 12, 2016 | Announcements, Appearances, KPFA, Podcasts, Radio Shows
In the US approximately 5 children die every day as a result of child abuse.
Today on KPFA.org we discussed the complex subject of Child Abuse and Neglect.
You can listen now at
Every child deserves to be safe and healthy. We all need to do our part!
My Guest:
Abigail Stewart Kahn, LCSW, is 
the Director of Community Education and Strategic Partnership at the San Francisco Child Abuse Prevention Center. She has worked on issues of child trauma and family violence in the clinical, program development, and advocacy context for more than 15 years. A social worker and clinician by training, she joined the Prevention Center in August 2008 and is responsible for the organization’s education, partnership and collective impact strategy approaches. She is the author of “From Trauma to Healing—a social workers guide to working with survivors.”
by Rona | Apr 1, 2016 | Announcements, Appearances, KPFA, Podcasts, Radio Shows
We discussed Anxiety in adults, teens, and children.
social anxiety* panic or agoraphobia* phobias of things such as spiders, needles, or vomiting* excessive worry* separation anxiety* other issues. 
Anxiety can stop you from feeling confident, independent, happy, and fulfilled. Your worry or anxiety can stop you from doing things like being with friends, going on a date, taking your dream job, finishing school, or spending time in nature. With the right kind of help and compassion you can reduce your suffering, enjoy life more, and have better health.
Guest:
Jennifer Shannon has a Masters in Counseling and is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She has over 30 years of clinical experience. She is the co-founder of the Santa Rosa Center for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She works with children, teens and adults. She is a cognitive-behavioral therapist specializing in Anxiety Disorders, including Social Anxiety or extreme shyness, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Separation Anxiety, Panic Disorder, Phobias, Generalized Anxiety Disorder and some types of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and insomnia. She is the author of The Anxiety Survival Guide for Teens and The Shyness and Social Anxiety Workbook for Teens. Both published by New Harbinger Press.She is a Certified Diplomat of The Academy of Cognitive Therapy, and a member of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, the California Association for Marriage and Family Therapists and the International OCD Foundation.
