The holidays are here, which means we’ve been filling our ears with the sounds of the season. As we hit the final stretch, host Paula Felps sits down with Jasper Smith of the popular a capella group Straight No Chaser. Since being discovered on YouTube, this group has become an international sensation and has become part of a holiday tradition for many.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How a 10-year-old video from college launched the band’s career.
• Why Straight No Chaser has become synonymous with the holiday season.
• Why the band loves delivering happiness for the holidays.

Grief is a difficult path to walk any time of the year, but during the holiday season, it becomes even more challenging. This week, host Paula Felps sits down with Gina Moffa, a licensed psychotherapist specializing in grief and trauma. Her new book, Moving On Doesn’t Mean Letting Go: A Modern Guide to Navigating Loss, is a travel companion guide to the most difficult journey people will take in their lives. In this episode, Gina talks specifically about how grief is compounded during the holidays and tells us how to navigate it. 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to take care of ourselves during the holidays if we are suffering fresh loss.
• How grief manifests itself in our bodies and how we can practice self-care.
• Tips for supporting someone who is experiencing grief during the holidays (and beyond).

If you’ve ever wished you could talk to the animals, we’ve got great news for you: Today’s guest says you can! Join host Brittany Derrenbacher as she sits down with Joan Ranquet, a well-known animal communicator, author, TEDx speaker, educator, and animal advocate. Joan and Brittany talk about the many ways we can learn to listen to our animals and they also discuss the benefits of “tapping,” which Joan talks about in her newest book, Emotional Freedom Technique for Animals and Their Humans: Creating a Harmonious Relationship Through Tapping.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why Joan believes all of us have the ability to tune into what animals are telling us.
• Simple ways we can learn to listen to animals.
• How the emotional freedom technique, or “tapping,” can ease anxiety in pets.

Holidays are the time for gathering with family and that can often be stressful. But having a good strategy in place can help make the season run more smoothly. This week, host Paula Felps talks with Trakida Maldonado, a licensed professional counselor for SonderMind who brings more than a decade of clinical experience to the table. In this episode, Trakida offers actionable advice for navigating common holiday situations with family members, setting boundaries before your holiday gatherings, and how to make the holidays a little bit easier on everyone — no matter what your situation is.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to handle family gatherings when your relationships aren’t going well.
• Managing the expectations of your extended family to make the holidays a positive experience for children.
• Tips for setting boundaries and managing conflict at gatherings.

This year, as you’re shopping for the perfect holiday gift, why not put forgiveness on your list? It’s always the perfect size, never goes out of style, and it’s also like giving a gift to yourself. This week, host Paula Felps talks with Barbara J. Hunt, a forgiveness specialist, speaker, workshop leader, and bestselling author of Forgiveness Made Easy. Barbara explains how forgiveness is one of the best gifts we can give ourselves and how we can use forgiveness as a practice to help us navigate those often-tricky holiday gatherings.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why forgiveness feels so hard. 
• What forgiveness really is — and what it isn’t.
• How forgiveness can transform relationships.