In this episode writer, comedian, teacher, and systemic thinker, Michael Long and I discuss his recent books "The Molecule of More" and "Taming the Molecule of More." We explore how dopamine actually works, how that differs from the popular understanding, how it influences human thinking and behavior, and what people can do to gain more control of how they think and behave so they can live more thoughtfully and embodied in the present. Mike Long is the author of “Taming the Molecule of More” and co-author of “The Molecule of More,” the international bestseller that for the first time explained the profound ways dopamine affects love, ambition, commitment, and politics. Trained as a physicist, he’s also a playwright and a DC-based speechwriter who teaches writing at Georgetown University. Personal Website: mikelongonline.com Book Website: tamingthemolecule.com

In this episode, Randy Frost, former director of the Bowen Center in Georgetown, discusses the challenges of family research, and the benefits of taking on a research position in your own life, your relationships, and your role in society. We explored marriages, parenting, and civic responsibility.

In this episode Andrea Schara discusses her relationship to Murray Bowen, his impact on the field of Family Therapy, the importance of stories in the lives of individuals and as a therapeutic vehicle, and how humor is essential for living in a challenging world. Andrea has a forthcoming book entitled "When Your Brother Tells You He's Jesus Christ What Will You Do" where she dives in to the stories that shaped her personally and professionally. She is a systems coach and you can find her at https://www.andreaschara.com/ https://yourmindfulcompass.com Faculty http://navigatingsystemsdc.com/ Andrea's book is available on Amazon: Your Mindful Compass: Breakthrough Strategies For Navigating Life/Work Relationships

In this episode, Peggy Chan, director of program at the ISS Family Institute, shares her experience working at the relationship between young married couples and their in-laws, how she is thinking about her own retirement, and how the exodus of a younger generation from Hong Kong has impacted both that generation and the generation above that finds themselves suddenly bereft of the relationships that were so central to their lives.

Jenny Brown is the founder and former director of the Bowen Center in Australia. She is the author of the book “Growing Yourself Up: how to bring your best to all of life’s relationships” and has a forthcoming book “The Parenting Paradox: how to love your children by giving them space to grow,” set for release in June 2026. She is the architect of the Parent Hope Project which applies Bowen Theory concepts to parenting, focusing on empowering and supporting parents in today’s complex world. She lives, works, and writes, in Sydney, Australia. The links to access all of Jenny Brown’s work are below: Parent Hope Project Self-Paced Online Training (https://parenthopeproject.com.au/training-for-professionals/)   Parent Hope Free Resources (https://parenthopeproject.com.au/professional-resources/)  Jenny Browns Books (including the Parent Hope Manual) (https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B00DVVQ5DG?ccs_id=0c190ba7-969a-4957-a7c8-8ddd791af27f)  Jenny Browns Articles (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jenny-Brown-2)

In this episode with Kathleen Cauley we explore relationship systems, couples counseling, paths of personal growth, and the concept of vocation. Kathleen Cotter Cauley, M.Ed., LMFT, is in private practice in Falls Church, Virginia. She is licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist in Florida, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Ms. Cauley was born and raised as the third of four children in Duluth, Minnesota. She moved with her family to Pittsburgh, Pa., for high school, and attended college at Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana. She moved back to Pittsburgh in 1972 and worked with Catholic Charities until 1985 (as an adoption caseworker, therapist, and Deputy Director of a branch office). Ms. Cauley got her Masters Degree in Counselor Education at the University of Pittsburgh in 1977. In 1980, while working at Catholic Charities, she sought out a supervisor who had trained at the Bowen Center . She attended the training program at the Western Pennsylvania Family Center while living in Pittsburgh. She and her husband moved to Tampa, Florida, and lived there from 1985 until 2001. Ms.Cauley was in private practice , and still has remote work with clients . She was involved in the founding of the Florida Family Research Network with other Bowen colleagues, and is on their Advisory Board. Since her move to Virginia in 2001, in addition to private practice, Ms. Cauley was on the faculty of the Extraordinary Leadership Seminars from 2003-2016. She serves as faculty for the graduates’ further study in the Systems Leadership Seminar . Ms. Cauley joined the faculty at the Bowen Center in 2012 and serves as Chair of Outreach. Ms.Cauley has published two book chapters: “Triangles and Stepfamilies” ( Titelman, Editor: Triangles, a Bowen Family Systems Perspective, 2005) and “Bridging 65 years of Cut Off” ( Gilbert: The Cornerstone Concept, 2008). Her volunteer work has included participation on boards dealing with the Sex Abuse scandals of the Catholic Church (the Review Board for the Diocese of Saint Petersburg, Fl. ( 2001-present), The Jesuit Maryland Province Review Board ( 2007- 2016), and the Arlington Diocese Advisory Board ( 2012- 2014). Ms.Cauley is a volunteer for Southeastern Guide Dogs, Inc. for over 30 years.

In this episode, John Bell and I discuss bringing systems thinking to congregations, the ministry, and non-profits. We share personal stories of growth, and explore the concept of spirituality as it relates to the present and to people's lives. John Bell is an ordained United Methodist pastor. John became interested in Bowen theory after hearing Peter Steinke say, "Good leadership rises above the anxiety of the group." He has spent the last 30 years putting these theoretical words to practice in congregational, family and civic life. In addition to training and mentoring clergy, John works with non-profit leaders and organizations who have an interest in sustainable and adaptive practices. John and his wife Alison work and live near Chicago, IL and have three grown children.

John & Nick Engels are the founder and partner of Leadership Coaching Inc. which helps leaders manage relationship opportunities and challenges, promote self-clarity, and reduce anxiety in their workplaces and families. https://www.leadershipcoachinginc.com/ In this episode John and Nick use real life examples to illustrate the challenges they face in their work with leaders and organizations, and how they work at these issues from a novel perspective using systems thinking. As a father and son partnership they also discuss their own journey of succession in their family business, highlighting how openness and the willingness to be a self with the other are key. John Engels (https://www.leadershipcoachinginc.com/john-engels) launched Leadership Coaching, Inc. (LCI) in 1996 with a bold mission to strengthen families and family enterprises, and build healthy leadership teams across every sector of society. Nearly three decades later, LCI stands as a trusted global resource for leadership, rooted in self-awareness, self-responsibility, advanced relationship skills, and actionable coaching strategies. Nicholas Engels (https://www.leadershipcoachinginc.com/nicholas-engels) is a founder, master facilitator, and leadership strategist who believes impact at scale begins with people at depth: principled candor, clear roles, and earned connection.  For almost two decades, he has been the trusted confidant of family enterprises, professional firms, ownership groups, and C-suites seeking to upgrade their relational operating system. His work rewires how leaders see themselves, each other, and the systems they steward.

In this episode with Kathy Wiseman and Teresa Edmondson we discuss the relationship side of family wealth transfer, how organizations operate as emotional units, and how families can address business and financial challenges by taking a broader, systemic view of the problem. Kathy and Teresa's collaborative project is The Family Portfolio, which offers a new approach to navigating the intersection of wealth and family. It engages and calms the family, drawing out the latent wisdom and unseen solutions necessary for the family to resolve their wealth transfer dilemmas and concerns. You can visit The Family Portfolio @ https://thefamilyportfolio.com/ Kathy Wiseman's contact information: - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathy-wiseman - Email: kathy@workingsystemsinc.net Teresa Edmondson's contact information: - LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/teresa-edmondson-5817121 - Website: http://www.edmondsonconsulting.com/ - Email: teresa@edmondsonconsulting.com

In this episode of "The Relationships We Live In" Dr. Laura Havstad and I explore Bowen Theory as a framework for the field of psychology, the concept in theory of societal regression, and the importance of an ecological approach to change. Dr. Laura Havstad is a Clinical Psychologist, and has been practicing in Sonoma County, California since 1980. She obtained her PhD from the University of Southern California, and her approach is rooted in Bowen theory, which she studied directly from the pioneer, Dr. Murray Bowen at the Georgetown University Family Center from 1976-1980. In 1989 she began “Programs in Bowen theory” in Northern California to teach and advance Bowen theory by sponsoring conferences and leading a training seminar that is still ongoing. Her two areas of special interest have been the development of a framework for clinical and family research based on Bowen theory, and the other is Bowen theory as an integrative framework for the discipline of Psychology. More recent, is her interest in researching the societal concept in Bowen Theory. Laura was married for 48 years before her husband’s death in 2021, and she is also a mother to three daughters, and to her four little grandsons she is called Bubby.

In this episode Jake Morrill discuss his work with organizations and leadership from a systemic and relationship perspective, his journey as an organizational and leadership coach, and how his early family life shaped his trajectory. Jake is the founder of Generation to Generation Leadership Coaching (https://www.gentogenleadership.com/) and a faculty member at the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family. He’s spent nearly two decades as a minister, has coached family businesses and nonprofits through big transitions, and even served as a U.S. Army Reserve chaplain. Jake brings Family Systems Theory to life with stories from boardrooms, congregations, and families—always with an eye toward resilience and real-world leadership. He’s the author of several books, including the upcoming Unshakable: A Family Systems Playbook for NextGen Leaders.

In this episode with Katherine White, direct of Living Systems (https://livingsystems.ca/about/) we discuss the professional development of therapists, couples counseling, perspectives on family issues, and the challenge of thinking broadly and systemically about real life challenges.

Dr. Kathleen Smith is a licensed therapist and writer who lives in Washington, DC. Her books include Everything Isn't Terrible and True to You: A Therapist's Guide to Stop Pleasing Others and Start Being Yourself. She is a faculty member at the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family and author of the popular newsletter, The Anxious Overachiever. Visit Dr. Smith @ https://kathleensmithwrites.com/

In this episode we discuss the difference and significance of systems thinking, specifically Bowen Theory, we explore relationship patterns and dynamics, and investigate what make marriages tick.

Dr. Walter H. Smith, Jr. is a licensed psychologist. He currently serves as a trustee of the Casey Family Programs foundation based in Seattle, Washington. This 2.6-billion-dollar operating foundation has a mission to provide, improve – an ultimately prevent the need for – foster care, and operates in all fifty states, District of Columbia, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Walter Howard Smith, Jr.’s career focuses on the use of Bowen family systems theory to understand the functioning of families, organizations, and social groups. (1978-present) Dr. Smith has focused on understanding how family functioning from this perspective leads to family violence, particularly child abuse. (1987-present) He attended the post-graduate training program in Bowen theory at the Georgetown University Family Center. (1980-1983) Dr. Smith is board member of the Pittsburgh Foundation, a community foundation that has a mission to improve the quality of life of the Pittsburgh region. (Member 2008-2020 and 2021-present) Dr. Smith is a licensed psychologist with a private practice that specializes in treating children, families, and couples. His practice includes executive coaching, business and organization consultation, conferences and lectures on child abuse and family violence from a family systems perspective. (1985-present) Dr. Smith is the retired Deputy Director and Clinical Director at the Allegheny County Department of Human Services. He led child welfare services for a 1.2 million population county. Services under his leadership included child welfare services, and prevention and community-based family support services. The annual budget of these services was 260 million dollars, and services involved approximately 700 staff. (2012-2018) For twenty-five years, Dr. Smith was the clinical director and subsequently the executive director of Family Resources, a non-profit organization that provided child abuse prevention and treatment services. (1987-2012)