The Less Stress Doc Website

Dr. Gary Sprouse on IG

After nearly four decades in primary care, Dr. Gary Sprouse didn’t walk away from healing—he just changed the direction. In this conversation, we explore what happens when we stop treating stress like an enemy and start seeing it as the natural side effect of our most human gifts.

Gary's book Highway to Your Happy Place offers tools like the Worry Organizer and models like Stratosphere to help rewire fear, reclaim calm, and reframe how we understand our struggles. We dig deep into the idea that skills like envisioning the future and forming identities come with powerful side effects—worry, regret, overwhelm—and how we can keep the gift while shedding the weight.

We talk about aging, self-worth, Buddhism, Confucianism, parenting, and the ultimate future we all face—death. I also share a bit about my own project, “How to Live for the Death You Hope to Have,” and how imagining an ideal death can become a surprisingly powerful way to live fully in the present.

If stress has ever made you question your purpose, your potential, or your peace of mind, this episode is a hand reaching back from solid ground.

#DrCD #Earthroot #TheGathering2040 #MentalBreakthrough #StressIsAHumanThing #Mindfulness #WorryLess #Neuroscience #HealingJourney #HumanSkills #EmotionalHealth #SelfWorth #FutureThinking

Dr. Craig B. Wiener

In Episode 65 of Mental Breakthrough, I sit down with psychologist and author Dr. Craig B. Wiener to explore what truly divides us—not just politically, but psychologically, culturally, and emotionally. Drawing from his book Backyard Politics, we unpack how the ways we raise children echo in our public life: our craving for certainty, our intolerance of ambivalence, and our retreat into either safetyism or control.

Dr. Wiener offers a powerful framework for seeing ideological rigidity not as a moral failing, but as a developmental impasse. We talk about how evolutionary instincts, attachment styles, and trauma narratives all shape how we engage—or disengage—from societal problems. And we ask: Can we reclaim personal agency without abandoning compassion? Can policy be both protective and empowering?

I also share my ongoing project around envisioning an “ideal death”—not as a fixation, but as a guide for living authentically now.

This conversation digs deep into the emotional roots of polarization and invites a more grounded, humane way forward.

#DrCD #Earthroot #TheGathering2040 #Psychology #Parenting #Polarization #TraumaCulture #BackyardPolitics #MentalBreakthrough #CertaintyAddiction #FreedomVsControl #SafeToGrow #CraigWiener #CraigBWiener

Download the Pleasure Ladder chart, learn more about Bracha’s work

In this soul-stirring conversation with Bracha Goetz, we dive deep into the journey from food addiction to joyful spiritual fulfillment. Bracha, Harvard grad and author of over 45 children's books, shares how she transformed her life through ancient mystical wisdom, neuroscience, and the soul-fueling power of gratitude.

We explore the Pleasure Ladder—five rungs of lasting happiness that reconnect us with our bodies, creativity, and a transcendent sense of purpose. From the neuroplastic power of grateful moments to teaching emotional tools through rhyming children’s stories, Bracha shows us how joy is both ancient and accessible.

We also talk healing through connection, how addiction masks spiritual hunger, and why our kids (and our inner kids) desperately need these practices now more than ever. Whether you're struggling with cravings, feeling disconnected, or just looking for a deeper sense of meaning, this episode offers a ladder up.

#DrCD #Earthroot #TheGathering2040 #gratitude #neuroscience #TorahWisdom #addictionrecovery #childrensbooks #spiritualgrowth #creativity #pleasureladder #mentalhealth #joyfulparenting

R. C. Hand

I’ve known for years that everyone has a story—sometimes the most unlikely beginnings become the most powerful catalysts for transformation. In this episode, I sit down with R.C. Hand, a man who grew up shining shoes in a barrio bar and witnessing brawls, then went on to build a contracting empire, retire early with creative focus, and explore over 100 countries.

We dive deep into:

How survival instincts and early exposure to raw emotions shaped his inner narrative and art.

The practical wisdom of building with your hands—whether brick, straw, or earthen architecture—and how that translates into clarity and purpose.

Adventures from Cuba’s crumbling beauty and North Korea’s facades, to Machu Picchu, Bhutan’s living traditions, and Persia’s ancient echoes.

Why envisioning your own death—down to the tree you rest under—can become a powerful tool for living fully, avoiding regret, and passing on meaning.

The human paradox: how our darkest origins can spark compassion, creativity, and generosity—and why giving back remains the richest legacy.

This is a conversation about building—not only houses and businesses, but lives that stand strong, rooted in purpose, curiosity, and deep humanity. I hope it inspires you to ask: What kind of structure are you building… in the world, and in your soul?

#DrCD #Earthroot #TheGathering2040 & DrCD, Earthroot, TheGathering2040 #ArchitectureOfLife #RadicalCuriosity #ReclaimingWisdom #DeathAwareness #StorytellerPath #NomadicSpirit #BuildToLast #CreativeRetirement #TravelDeeper

https://betsykudlinski.com/

https://www.facebook.com/BetsyKudlinski

This episode felt like a homecoming.

Betsy Kudlinski has spent a life immersed in nature—working with animals, tending land, and learning how nervous systems heal when given the chance to remember. But when chronic pain and trauma created a deep disconnect from the body, a new path emerged—one that Betsy now calls “renaturing.”

We talk through what it means to live in freeze mode, why presence can feel dangerous after trauma, and how somatic experiencing, evolutionary biology, and Taoist wisdom all point toward the same truth: the body already knows the way home, if we can learn to listen.

Together, we explore healing not just as recovery, but as reconnection—with ourselves, with others, and with the wild world that’s been waiting all along.

#DrCD #Earthroot #TheGathering2040 #SomaticHealing #TraumaRecovery #Embodiment #Renaturing #ChronicPain #NervousSystemHealing #Presence #Neurobiology #Buddhism #TraumaInformed

https://septemics.com/

In this episode, I speak with Jim Marshall, polymath and creator of Septemics, a revolutionary system he describes as “the periodic table of human nature.” Jim’s discovery of 35 distinct seven-level scales reveals a law-bound structure to human behavior—where every action, trait, or dysfunction unfolds along a precise gradient.

As someone who values frameworks rooted in both science and spirit, I found Jim’s synthesis of engineering logic, empirical psychology, and philosophical insight incredibly provocative. We explore the origins of Septemics, the mathematical integrity behind the seven-level model, and the practical applications it offers for relationships, leadership, self-assessment, and even navigating death.

Jim’s goal isn’t to inspire belief—it’s to provide a rigorous system that helps people see themselves and others with clarity and compassion. Whether you’re a student of human development, spirituality, or simply trying to make sense of your place in the world, this conversation will challenge the way you understand growth, purpose, and the path to wisdom.

#DrCD #Earthroot #TheGathering2040 #Septemics #HumanNature #PersonalGrowth #Psychology #MindsetMatters #SelfAwareness #SpiritualScience #BehavioralModel #ConsciousLiving

Dr. CD on X

In this episode, I sit down with Lee Shapiro—whitewater kayaker, visionary artist, and author of The Art of Melting Conflict in All Relationships—for a soulful, wide-ranging conversation about how to live fully, love deeply, and meet conflict with compassion rather than control.

Lee’s approach to life and relationships aligns deeply with my project Live for the Death You Hope to Have. Together, we explore how living unarmored and emotionally present can transform not only our relationships, but our sense of purpose and peace.

We talk about:

• How to reframe conflict as a mirror instead of a threat

• Shadow work, inner critics, and compassionate witnessing

• Heart-centered honesty and non-defensive communication

• Daily practices for emotional self-awareness and balance

• The creative flow of painting, silence, nature, and kayaking

• What near-death experiences teach us about living with intention
  

From Buddhist wisdom to evolutionary psychology, Lee brings decades of insight on how to soften into our humanity—without losing clarity, boundaries, or courage.

If you're seeking practical tools and deep reflection on how to live a life you won’t regret, this episode is a rich and resonant guide.

#DrCD #Earthroot #TheGathering2040 #TMB60 #LiveForTheDeathYouHopeToHave #MeltingConflict #HeartCenteredLiving #CreativeFlow #LeeShapiro #TheArtofMeltingConflict

The Mighty Brad SnapChat

The Mighty Brad Instagram

The Mighty Brad Youtube

Dr. CD on X

In this 59th episode of Mental Breakthrough, I sit down with life coach and speaker Brad Glantz for a no-holds-barred exploration of masculinity, manipulation, emotional honesty, and the spiritual roots of change. Brad isn’t just talking about healing — he’s doing it in real time, publicly and unfiltered, and in this conversation, we dive deep into what it means to become the person you're trying to speak from.

We unpack what it feels like to show up raw, unscripted, and imperfect in the public eye — especially when you're still evolving. Brad opens up about past patterns of manipulation, people-pleasing, and the masks men wear, not out of malice but out of survival. He explains how these behaviors often masquerade as kindness or honesty — and what it takes to dismantle them with care, especially in the context of intimate relationships.

We talk about masculinity, not as dominance or control, but as presence, responsibility, and the strength to be seen. Brad shares how his own journey through heartbreak, guilt, and growth has shaped the integrated partnership he’s now in — a relationship where both the animal self and the spiritual self are invited in full. We explore how masculinity and femininity aren't fixed roles but energies we all carry — and what it looks like when those energies find balance.

From there, we spiral outward into the themes that keep me anchored as a host: death, Buddhism, impermanence, and the evolutionary psychology behind why we feel what we feel — and how those feelings point us toward transformation. We reflect on how past shame becomes karmic teaching, how confronting mortality sharpens clarity, and how authenticity is less about being perfect and more about dropping the script.

This conversation is deeply personal for both of us — and, I hope, deeply useful for anyone navigating relationships, growth, or the constant becoming that life demands. Whether you're into mindfulness, modern masculinity, trauma recovery, spiritual psychology, or just tired of playing roles that no longer serve you, this one’s for you.

#Masculinity #Authenticity #EmotionalHealing #Buddhism #EvolutionaryPsychology #SpiritualGrowth #RelationshipWisdom #Karma #InnerWork #ModernManhood #ShadowWork #DeathAndDying #DrCD #Earthroot #TheGathering2040 #TMB59 #LifeCoach #BradGlantz