On episode 241, we welcome Natalia Kholodenko to discuss the psychological impact of trauma, how the citizens in war-torn countries respond to trauma, Natalia’s own trauma when fleeing from Ukraine after Russia began its bombing campaign, the importance of maintaining a strong value system in the face of tragedy, Judith Herman on the importance of reintegrating one back into a community when healing, Viktor Frankl and how meaning can be lost but aids in trauma recovery, and the influence of one’s mind on their well-being and future.

Natalia (Nataliia) Kholodenko is a Ukrainian psychologist, media personality, and bestselling author whose work has empowered millions—especially women—navigating the trauma of war. She holds a PhD in Philosophy & Psychology, gained prominence hosting TV shows and leading mental‑health marathons across Ukraine, and has built an online community of over a million followers seeking support and resilience. A refugee herself, she now travels internationally—recently collaborating (and singing “I Will Survive”) with Gloria Gaynor—to draw global attention to healing psychological wounds. Her upcoming book, The Cost of Quiet, continues her mission to transform pain into strength.

| Natalia Kholodenko |

► Website | https://nataliia.kholodenko.net

► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/kholodenkon

► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/kholodenkosite

► Youtube | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsCqgdEyrsY4oMiSSPsJzNQ

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► TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@seizethemomentpodcast

On episode 240, we welcome Mark White to discuss the ethical philosophies behind the fantastic four, applying utilitarianism to Reed Richards, deontology to Ben Grimm (The Thing), virtue ethics to Sue Storm, examining the moral growth of Johnny Storm, Dr. Doom’s twisted morality, how superheroes embody the emotions associated with moral decision-making, whether moral decisions can be perceived as mere calculations, and if the ends always justify the means.

Mark D. White is a Professor of Philosophy at the College of Staten Island/CUNY who has written widely on superheroes and philosophy, including in the books Batman and Ethics and the A Philosopher Reads… volumes on Daredevil, Thor, and Civil War, as well as contributions to many volumes in the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series. His new book, available now, is called Ethics of the Fantastic Four.

| Mark D. White |

► Website | https://www.profmdwhite.com

► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/profmdwhite

► Twitter | https://twitter.com/profmdwhite

► Ethics of the Fantastic Four Book | https://amzn.to/4kBHLy0

Where you can find us:

| Seize The Moment Podcast |

► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/SeizeTheMoment

► Twitter | https://twitter.com/seize_podcast

► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/seizethemoment

► TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@seizethemomentpodcast

► Patreon | https://bit.ly/3xLHTIa

On episode 239, we welcome Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling to discuss his foray into the paranormal, our innate spiritualism and why some lean into it while others don’t, how anti-establishment people and institutions misuse the scientific method, who’s to blame for the widespread anti-science bias, the challenge of defining the ‘soul,’ what happens when experience conflicts with empirical data, alien abduction stories, and why we need to incorporate spiritualism and other types of alternative thinking into the mainstream.

Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling is a freelance journalist specializing in narrative features and investigative reporting. He has been named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, won a George Polk Award, and been voted Journalist of the Year by the Maine Press association, among numerous other honors. . His work has appeared in Foreign Policy, USA Today, Popular Science, Atavist Magazine, Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, the Associated Press, and elsewhere. His new book, available May 20, 2025, is called The Ghost Lab: How Bigfoot Hunters, Mediums, and Alien Enthusiasts Are Wrecking Science.

| Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling |

► Website | https://www.matt-hongoltzhetling.com

► Twitter | https://twitter.com/hh_matt

► The Ghost Lab Book | https://amzn.to/4jeY7v5

Where you can find us:

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► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/SeizeTheMoment

► Twitter | https://twitter.com/seize_podcast

► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/seizethemoment

► TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@seizethemomentpodcast

On episode 238, welcome Emile DeWeaver to discuss reforming the US criminal justice system, the lack of a systematic understanding of crime in most rehabilitation programs, white supremacy as a version of the human tendency to dominate, the “near enemy” of incremental change, the roots of US policing and the need for a collective mind to replace it, the struggle with assimilation for formerly incarcerated people, the importance of clarity and courage for social justice, and why Emile’s book is just the beginning of deeper work which should include strengthening our imaginations.

Emile Suotonye DeWeaver is a formerly incarcerated activist, widely published essayist, owner of Re:Frame LLC, and a 2022 Soros Justice Fellow. California’s Governor Brown commuted his life sentence after twenty-one years for his community work. He has written for publications including the San Francisco Chronicle, The San Jose Mercury News, Colorlines, The Appeal, The Rumpus, and Seventh Wave. His new book, available May 13, 2025, is called Ghost in the Criminal Justice Machine: Reform, White Supremacy, and an Abolitionist Future.

| Emile Suotonye DeWeaver |

► Website | https://www.reframeconsults.com/about-emile

► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/emilesuotonyedeweaver

► Substack | https://emiledeweaver.substack.com

► Ghost in the Criminal Justice Machine Book | https://amzn.to/4lUkZm8

Where you can find us:

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► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/SeizeTheMoment

► Twitter | https://twitter.com/seize_podcast

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On episode 237, we welcome Steven Poser to discuss psychotherapy for schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, the symbolism of hallucinations and delusions, transference and countertransference with psychosis, how trauma contributes to the forms hallucinations may take, treating hostile patients, the shared humanity with psychotic patients, psychological defenses as covers for deeper pain, and what makes psychoanalysis effective for psychosis.

Steven Poser is a practicing psychoanalyst in New York City and the author of The Misfit and Though This Be Madness. Since 2015 he has been a member of the Faculty Psychotherapy Conference of the Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai Hospital. His new book, available 04/22/2025, is called This Is Me, Is That You?: Encounters with Schizophrenia.

| Steven Poser |

► This is Me, Is That You? Book | https://amzn.to/44xybXC

► Alternative Book Link | https://bit.ly/4lFOdF1

Where you can find us:

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► Twitter | https://twitter.com/seize_podcast

► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/seizethemoment

On episode 236, we welcome Nicole Karlis to discuss the benefits of altruism, the link between depression and feeling unimportant, the disaster effect and bounded solidarity, the myth of self-love, burnout as an indicator of poor social structures, why some people won’t accept help, how helping others aids our own mental health, altruism’s effects on the brain, co-regulation as the rule rather than the exception, and cultivating the Malama Mindset.

Nicole Karlis is a health and science journalist. Her work has been published in Salon, The New York Times, Marie Claire, and The Bold Italic. Her new book, available now, is called Your Brain on Altruism: The Power of Connection and Community during Times of Crisis.

| Nicole Karlis |

► Website | https://nicolemkarlis.com

► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/nicolekarlis

► Twitter | https://x.com/nicolekarlis

► Your Brain on Altruism Book | https://amzn.to/4laZ0qy

Where you can find us:

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► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/SeizeTheMoment

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On episode 235, we welcome Jaz Brisack to discuss unionizing efforts for Starbucks workers and Project Germinal, how unions form and why workers may fear them, the popular ideas of unions and how they’re misrepresented by corporate media, Jaz’s experiences in the Starbucks union and “salting,” whether corporate managers act in good faith, anti-union tactics and why they should be considered psychological warfare, and how workers can sustain a sense of hope in the face of their significant and persistent professional struggles.

Jaz Brisack is a union organizer and cofounder of the Inside Organizer School, which trains workers to unionize. After spending one year at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, they got a job as a barista at the Elmwood Starbucks in Buffalo, New York, becoming a founding member of Starbucks Workers United and helping organize the first unionized Starbucks in the United States. As the organizing director for Workers United Upstate New York & Vermont, they also worked with organizing committees at companies ranging from Ben & Jerry’s to Tesla. Their new book, available on April 29, 2025, is called Get on the Job and Organize: Standing Up for a Better Workplace and a Better World.

| Jaz Brisack |

► Website | https://www.insideorganizerschool.com

► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/jazbrisack

► Twitter | https://x.com/jazbrisack

► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/jaz.brisack

► Get on the Job and Organize Book | https://bit.ly/GetontheJobandOrganize

Where you can find us:

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► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/SeizeTheMoment

► Twitter | https://twitter.com/seize_podcast

► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/seizethemoment

On episode 234, we welcome Vanessa Daniel to discuss the personal and professional challenges women of color face, how trauma influenced Vanessa’s understanding of the world, how to understand intersectionality, what it means to leave no marginalized groups behind as democrats fight for power, the importance of solidarity in addressing individual trauma, 360 degree vision, the lack of courage among democratic leaders, appealing to voters, why the left isn’t immune from criticism, and what cancel culture gets wrong.

Vanessa Priya Daniel has worked in social justice movements for twenty-five years as a labor and community organizer and funder. She founded and served for seventeen years as executive director of Groundswell Fund, a leading funder of women of color-led grassroots and electoral organizing. She is a recipient of the Smith College Medal, was featured by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as one of fifteen “Influencers” who are changing the non-profit world, and by Inside Philanthropy as one of the “Top 100 Most Powerful Players in Philanthropy.” Vanessa has written for The New York Times and other publications. Her new book, available now, is called Unrig the Game: What Women of Color Can Teach Everyone About Winning.

| Vanessa Daniel |

► Website | https://www.vanessapriyadaniel.com

► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/vanessapriyadaniel

► Twitter | https://x.com/vanessapdaniel

► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564853652820

► Unrig the Game Book | https://www.vanessapriyadaniel.com/books

Where you can find us:

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► Twitter | https://twitter.com/seize_podcast

► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/seizethemoment