Advertise on podcast: Beyond Well with Sheila Hamilton

Liz Scott has spent nearly fifty years sitting across from other people's problems, fears and vulnerabilities. But, by her own accounting, Liz’s biggest fear is dying. In fact, she’s not even sure dying applies to her. That’s the diagnosis behind the humorous and insightful You’re Going to Die but not me! A book about Liz’s near acceptance of death.  Liz Scott is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Portland, a New Yorker by origin, an Oregonian since the early nineties, and the author of the memoir This Never Happened and the essay collection Love Life. She turned seventy-nine in March. In this book she goes looking for a truce with mortality through Buddhist detachment, in near-death research, in Tarot decks and psychedelics and death doulas. The book is part humor, part confession, and mostly delight about the ways we all deceive ourselves regarding the inevitability of death.

The Lindsay Clancy case is attracting international attention and illuminating the complex problem of postpartum anxiety, depression, and, more rarely, postpartum psychosis, a psychiatric emergency that affects roughly 1 in every 1000 new mothers. Pregnant women and new moms are understandably anxious right now. John Puls, a case manager and therapist, joins Beyond Well to talk about the problem of fragmentation in the mental health system and how a case manager can help.

Haley Ashcom Miller is a working mom of four, maternal mental health advocate, and postpartum psychosis survivor with a professional background spanning government and marketing. After experiencing postpartum psychosis following the birth of her first child, Haley began sharing her story publicly to bring greater awareness to a condition that remains deeply misunderstood and heavily stigmatized. Through candid conversations about psychosis, motherhood, recovery, and life after postpartum mental illness, Haley is working to challenge the way we talk about mothers experiencing severe mental health crises. Her advocacy is rooted in a simple belief: better awareness, better conversations, and better resources can save lives—and every mother deserves compassion and access to care.

Haley Ashcom Miller is a working mom of four, maternal mental health advocate, and postpartum psychosis survivor with a professional background spanning government and marketing. After experiencing postpartum psychosis following the birth of her first child, Haley began sharing her story publicly to bring greater awareness to a condition that remains deeply misunderstood and heavily stigmatized. Through candid conversations about psychosis, motherhood, recovery, and life after postpartum mental illness, Haley is working to challenge the way we talk about mothers experiencing severe mental health crises. Her advocacy is rooted in a simple belief: better awareness, better conversations, and better resources can save lives—and every mother deserves compassion and access to care.

Leslie Dobson on the Lindsay Clancy case and Postpartum depression Dr. Leslie Dobson is a forensic psychologist who is providing legal expertise and media commentary on the Lindsay Clancy trial. Dr. Dobson talks about the internet conspiracy theories regarding Lindsay’s husband, and how it is connected to an unwillingness to accept the horror of postpartum psychosis.

Part Two. The Lindsay Clancy Murder Trial is forcing a harrowing national conversation about postpartum anxiety, depression, and psychosis. Lindsay Clancy is accused of the murders of her three children while in the throes of postpartum psychosis. The case has opened a national conversation on the limits of the mental health care system, criminal responsibility while mentally ill, and what sentence suits a person who had lost touch with reality at the time of the crime.  We are bringing back a riveting conversation with Sara Townshend,  the author of  SETTING THE WIRE, a memoir of postpartum psychosis. She was a psychotherapist and new mother when she experienced the most disturbing experience of her lifetime—postpartum psychosis. Sara was able to get the help she needed to recover, but not before hospitalization.

Part One. The Lindsay Clancy Murder Trial is forcing a harrowing national conversation about postpartum anxiety, depression, and psychosis. Lindsay Clancy is accused of the murders of her three children while in the throes of postpartum psychosis. The case has opened a national conversation on the limits of the mental health care system, criminal responsibility while mentally ill, and what sentence suits a person who had lost touch with reality at the time of the crime.  We are bringing back a riveting conversation with Sara Townshend,  the author of  SETTING THE WIRE, a memoir of postpartum psychosis. She was a psychotherapist and new mother when she experienced the most disturbing experience of her lifetime—postpartum psychosis. Sara was able to get the help she needed to recover, but not before hospitalization.

This is a Re-Visit. A No Stone Unturned episode from 2019."A talk with Doctors, Do I need therapy?"We hire personal trainers to help us get in shape, tutors for difficult subjects, and music instructors to learn to master musical instruments.  So, why are people reluctant to hire a therapist, a person trained to help people better manage their minds? In this episode, Jenna, Sheila and Brian talk about how therapy works and what really goes on in therapeutic sessions.

This is a Re-visit. Doctors Jenna LeJune and Brian Goff.This show aired more than six years ago. We originally titled it “Why Therapy”. But in hindsight we easily could have called it “Why therapy could work for you and what to expect when you get there...Oh, and by the way there are different kinds of therapist approaches so, here’s what you could be looking for” It’s a Doctors only discussion and an interesting insider view from a couple of mental health care professionals. We hope you enjoy the episode.

Part2 Family members of people struggling with mental illness and addiction often ask themselves the same painful questions: What more should I have done? What did I miss? Why couldn’t I save them? Nigel Roberts knows those questions intimately. After losing both his daughter and former wife following their battles with bipolar disorder and addiction, the former World Bank director embarked on a two-month, 450-mile trek through Nepal. His new memoir, The Leopard and the Moon: A Journey in Dolpo, Nepal, chronicles that physical journey while exploring the emotional realities faced by countless caregivers whose efforts could not save the people they loved.

Part 1. Family members of people struggling with mental illness and addiction often ask themselves the same painful questions: What more should I have done? What did I miss? Why couldn’t I save them? Nigel Roberts knows those questions intimately. After losing both his daughter and former wife following their battles with bipolar disorder and addiction, the former World Bank director embarked on a two-month, 450-mile trek through Nepal. His new memoir, The Leopard and the Moon: A Journey in Dolpo, Nepal, chronicles that physical journey while exploring the emotional realities faced by countless caregivers whose efforts could not save the people they loved.

Part Two. I'm fascinated by high-functioning mental illness and addiction. David Shamszad knows that world firsthand.A Dartmouth graduate, entrepreneur, and founder of a successful real estate company, David appeared to have everything together. Behind the scenes, he was battling untreated bipolar disorder, addiction, and a life-threatening downward spiral that nearly cost him everything.Today, as conversations around mental health, addiction, loneliness, and recovery continue to intensify across America, David brings a perspective most experts can't:He lived it.This conversation goes far beyond awareness:• The hidden reality of high-functioning addiction• Why success often masks mental health struggles• What families miss before a crisis happens• The truth about bipolar disorder and stigma• Why recovery starts with honesty—not willpower• How someone can rebuild a meaningful life after hitting rock bottomHis story is raw, timely, and deeply relatable for anyone who has struggled personally, or watched someone they love struggle in silence.

I'm fascinated by high-functioning mental illness and addiction. David Shamszad knows that world firsthand.A Dartmouth graduate, entrepreneur, and founder of a successful real estate company, David appeared to have everything together. Behind the scenes, he was battling untreated bipolar disorder, addiction, and a life-threatening downward spiral that nearly cost him everything.Today, as conversations around mental health, addiction, loneliness, and recovery continue to intensify across America, David brings a perspective most experts can't:He lived it.This conversation goes far beyond awareness:• The hidden reality of high-functioning addiction• Why success often masks mental health struggles• What families miss before a crisis happens• The truth about bipolar disorder and stigma• Why recovery starts with honesty—not willpower• How someone can rebuild a meaningful life after hitting rock bottomHis story is raw, timely, and deeply relatable for anyone who has struggled personally, or watched someone they love struggle in silence.

Part Two. Brendan Mahan, M.Ed., M.S., is a dynamic ADHD/executive function consultant, coach, and speaker. A veteran educator and former teacher, principal, and mental health clinician, he specializes in helping people affected by ADHD, autism, and anxiety redesign their lives to lessen the impact of their struggles. An internationally recognized expert and engaging speaker and podcast  where he helps individuals, families, and institutions better understand the emotional, productivity, and lifestyle impacts of ADHD and other neurodiversities. Drawing on well over a decade of experience coaching hundreds of clients, Brendan developed his groundbreaking Wall of Awful™ model, which helps people better understand the emotional barriers behind procrastination, avoidance, and overwhelm so they can solve challenges more effectively. Brendan works with entrepreneurs, nonprofits, educational institutions, mental health agencies, and businesses across the country and around the world. He has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, ADDitude, Verywell Mind, How to ADHD, and other leading media outlets focused on mental health, parenting, and neurodiversity. Brendan’s new book, Overcoming the Wall of Awful (Balance/Hachette; September 1, 2026), greatly expands upon his groundbreaking Wall of Awful™ model, helping people understand the challenge they face at a deeper level so they can solve them more effectively.

Part One. Brendan Mahan, M.Ed., M.S., is a dynamic ADHD/executive function consultant, coach, and speaker. A veteran educator and former teacher, principal, and mental health clinician, he specializes in helping people affected by ADHD, autism, and anxiety redesign their lives to lessen the impact of their struggles. An internationally recognized expert and engaging speaker and podcast  where he helps individuals, families, and institutions better understand the emotional, productivity, and lifestyle impacts of ADHD and other neurodiversities. Drawing on well over a decade of experience coaching hundreds of clients, Brendan developed his groundbreaking Wall of Awful™ model, which helps people better understand the emotional barriers behind procrastination, avoidance, and overwhelm so they can solve challenges more effectively. Brendan works with entrepreneurs, nonprofits, educational institutions, mental health agencies, and businesses across the country and around the world. He has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, ADDitude, Verywell Mind, How to ADHD, and other leading media outlets focused on mental health, parenting, and neurodiversity. Brendan’s new book, Overcoming the Wall of Awful (Balance/Hachette; September 1, 2026), greatly expands upon his groundbreaking Wall of Awful™ model, helping people understand the challenge they face at a deeper level so they can solve them more effectively.