Psychology Life Lessons is a podcast where we listen in on conversations with psychology experts and try to extract life lessons, and maybe a little wisdom.
In this episode, Dr. Dan Lannin has a conversation with Marcia O’Donnell and Dr. Diane Zosky–two social workers at heart. Marcia reflects on her journey through a serious illness, and how it stripped away different false selves and fostered self-acceptance. Diane reflects on her own transitions in her life, and how big changes and transition can prompt a process of “returning to oneself.” The conversation touches on how people can get meaning, even amidst the every day “chasing” that often defines the first half of life. There is also a life lesson about the different narratives people sometimes use to defer accepting personal responsibility and avoid taking ownership of the choices we have at our disposal.
Importantly, we learn that in a perfect world Diane and Marcia would ideally be sitting down for beers with Nelson Mandela and Jesus.
Marcia O’Donnell
Marcia O’Donnell is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in private practice and former adjunct professor and clinical supervisor in the Department of Social Work at Illinois State University. Her primary areas of practice are with individuals experiencing anxiety, cancer, and complex developmental trauma. She completed training with Dr. Bessel van der Kolk through the Trauma Research Foundation and had the fortunate opportunity to be directly supervised by him.
Dr. Diane Zosky
Dr. Diane Zosky is Dean Emeritus of the College of Arts and Sciences and former Director and Professor Emeritus from the School of Social Work at Illinois State University. She is a clinical, licensed social worker and her practice and research experience centered on interventions with perpetrators of intimate partner violence as well as training on the trauma impact on child witnesses of IPV. She is the former president of the IPV certification agency, Illinois Certified Domestic Violence Professionals and is on the editorial board for the journal Partner Abuse.
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Psychology Life Lessons 