Additional Resources
Best of In This Family: How Comedian Gary Gulman Crashed Hard and Pulled Himself Back Up
Gary Gulman has been making people laugh for many years as a top touring comedian and frequent guest on late night shows and star of multiple HBO specials. He’s a professional success by any measure. But that didn’t stop him from having a mental breakdown in his forties. In this revealing conversation with Nexus Family Healing CEO Dr. Michelle K. Murray, Gary reveals the depressive and anxious tendencies of his youth, his struggles connecting with his parents, and how a traumatic event fueled his depression.
Deborah Jackson Taffa on Bonds That Get Stronger and Bonds That Never Get Made
Deborah Jackson Taffa reflects on growing up between cultures, struggling with belonging, and a painful lack of connection with her mother. She shares how those experiences impacted her mental health, and how her father’s love became a powerful source of validation and healing.
School Assessments: Tools For a Child's Success
School assessments help identify a child’s strengths, challenges, and needs, guiding meaningful support at school and home. When families and educators work together, these evaluations become powerful tools for growth, not labels for a child’s future.
Rebekah Taussig on What Disability and Ableism Mean and What They Don’t
Author Rebekah Taussig shares her experience growing up with a disability, navigating depression, and learning to understand herself in a world shaped by ableism. In this conversation, she reflects on identity, motherhood, and the shift from seeing herself as deficient to recognizing systemic barriers.
Isaac Fitzgerald’s Family Story of Substance Use, Violence, Mental Illness, and, Ultimately, Love
Author Isaac Fitzgerald reflects on a childhood shaped by substance use, violence, and mental health struggles, including the loss of his mother to suicide. Despite these challenges, he shares how love, literature, and community helped guide him toward healing and a more hopeful path.
When Young Children Show Aggressive Behavior
Aggressive behaviors like hitting or biting can be difficult to navigate, but they are often a child’s way of communicating unmet needs or overwhelming emotions. By understanding the root cause and responding with consistency, modeling, and positive reinforcement, caregivers can help children build healthier ways to express themselves. Early support makes a lasting difference.
Ashley C. Ford on Making Sense of Her Mom, “The Mother”, and a Dad in Prison
Author Ashley C. Ford shares her experience growing up with a mother who was both loving and abusive, while her father was incarcerated for most of her life. In this conversation, she reflects on making sense of those complex family dynamics and how they continue to shape her identity, relationships, and healing as an adult. It’s a powerful look at understanding where we come from, and how it impacts who we become.
TV’s Paul Scheer Never Fought With His Girlfriend. That Was a Red Flag.
Actor Paul Scheer reflects on his childhood with an abusive stepfather and how those experiences shaped his relationship with anger, conflict, and identity. Through therapy and conversations with his wife, he began to understand the lasting impact of that trauma and how it showed up in his adult life. He shares how he’s working to break those patterns and build a healthier relationship with himself and his family.