Hope & Truth: Recent Episodes
Debra Whittam
Our world has changed in ways large and small since the COVID-19 pandemic. In Hope & Truth with host Debra Whittam, a licensed therapist, we delve into the ways people coped with loss, change, and moved toward hope through deeply personal stories. It wasn’t supposed to be this way — but we are ever resilient.
Guest Laura Conrad, discusses the hope and truth of addiction. Laura, originally from Pittsburgh, is now working as a ranger at a national park. She discusses why she sold her home and walked the Appalachian Trail - a seven-month, transformative journey.
Police Chief Tom Synan is an expert and advocate for compassionate policing - he seeks to understand the causes of behaviors that might get people in contact with law enforcement, and he tries to help. Tom can speak to the intersection of mental illness, addiction, and law enforcement, and how finding the truth of one’s situation can help them embrace hope.
In this episode, Debra delves into her book, “Am I Going to Be Okay?” by discussing key sections of this powerful and very personal story about weathering mental illness, addiction, and grief.
In the closing episode, Debbie shares some of what she learned in Europe. She planned the trip in hopes of gaining a deeper understanding of global grief. She went to France and Scotland — meeting many people along the way. “Connection,” she says, “helps us heal.”
Debra Myers is a stress management coach who helps people learn where tension is located, and how to “unwrap” it towards the direction of relief, release, and relaxation.
Muna talks to Debra about the challenges — and ultimately triumphs — she experienced connecting with her students at a high school in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, when the students suddenly couldn’t meet in person.
Carly was in graduate school in March 2020 when everything changed — and ultimately, she graduated but like millions of other students this milestone was celebrated online. Debra talks to Carly about coping, as a student, and how she’s moved forward.
We kick off the first episode Katherine, a behavioral health therapist who works with children. When the COVID shutdowns hit, she was working with kids from age 6 months to 16 years. Says Kat: “It is hard to be a parent on a good day…and we can’t blame ourselves for what we didn’t know in the past.”
In the closing episode, Debbie shares some of what she learned in Europe. She planned the trip in hopes of gaining a deeper understanding of global grief. She went to France and Scotland — meeting many people along the way. "Connection," she says, "helps us heal."
In this episode, we hear from Annette Fetchko, who leads Bethlehem Haven, a nonprofit serving women who are experiencing homelessness.
When the pandemic shutdowns hit, she and other employees remained on site, because they had to. "(Love) is not a sign of weakness or insecurity. It's really a sign of empowerment."
In this episode, Debra talks to STEM teacher Cari Kelm, of Pennsylvania, and Denise Tirimacco, a kindergarten teacher in Minnesota. They like other teachers transformed — nearly overnight — how they connected with their students, during COVID shutdowns. How could they create a nurturing, engaging connection from a distance? Cari and Denise talk about the fears, frustrations, and the joys, at the start of a new school year.
In this episode, law school student and council member for Allegheny County Bethany Hallam talks openly about her journey to recovery, supporting others, and why celebrating victories large and small is so important.
If you or someone you know is suffering, call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Human Services Administration at 1-800-662-HELP.
In this opening episode, host and creator Debra Whittam, licensed mental health therapist and author, shares a very personal story of loss and resilience during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It wasn’t supposed to be this way — but we are ever resilient.
Listen, be inspired, and connect with us!