Log in

goodpods headphones icon

To access all our features

Open the Goodpods app
Close icon
headphones
Mind Wide Open

Mind Wide Open

Lily Cornell Silver

How are you? How are you REALLY? Mind Wide Open is an award winning interview series that wants you to answer this question honestly, and to mean it when you ask others. Created and hosted by 20-year-old Lily Cornell Silver, this series seeks to destigmatize conversations around mental health, grief, trauma, suicide, and more. Launched in honor of Lily's dad, the late Chris Cornell (Soundgarden/Audioslave), Mind Wide Open features guests from all walks of life, including mental health professionals, artists, authors, actors, and activists. To learn more and watch filmed interviews, visit www.MindWideOpenProject.com.
bookmark
Share icon

All episodes

Best episodes

Top 10 Mind Wide Open Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Mind Wide Open episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Mind Wide Open for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Mind Wide Open episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Mind Wide Open - Mason Spector

Mason Spector

Mind Wide Open

play

08/03/21 • 34 min

Mason Spector, Madhappy Clothing company founder and creator, joins Lily to discuss their shared passion for openness around mental health. Mason shares his struggles with addiction and how he infuses mental health into both his work and personal life. Mason and Lily also discuss how their families of origin impact their views on their own mental health, what makes a healthy coping mechanism, and Madhappy's mental health initiative, The Local Optimist.

For more information, guest bios, and resources, go to www.mindwideopenproject.com

Find Lily on Instagram @lilycornellsilver

Originally aired NOVEMBER 23, 2020

Mason Spector is a 26-year-old Los Angeles native and co-founder of the clothing company Madhappy. Madhappy’s mission is driven by creating impactful products and experiences that make people feel optimistic and drive conversations around mental health. What started as his mom hand-sewing stitches onto sweatshirts in her home, turned into a new age brand, merging clothing with real causes. Mason has dedicated his career to bringing awareness around mental health and expanding the platforms on which it is discussed. After struggling with addiction, Mason is now over 2 years sober and an advocate in the addiction recovery community. He is a member of the Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2020, a proud college dropout, and a certified life coach in addition to his work on Madhappy and the Local Optimist.

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Mind Wide Open - Dr. Christine Yu Moutier
play

07/13/21 • 28 min

Dr. Christine Yu Moutier, chief medical officer of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), joins Lily to shed the stigma around discussions of mental health and suicide. After losing colleagues to suicide, Dr. Moutier dedicated herself to fighting this leading cause of death. She explores why stigma exists and how it's being reduced, what to do if you or a loved one is in crisis, and how she navigates her own mental health in an intense field.

For more information, guest bios, and resources, go to www.mindwideopenproject.com

Find Lily on Instagram @lilycornellsilver

Originally aired JULY 13, 2021

Dr. Christine Yu Moutier (pronounced You Moo-tee-ay) knows the impact of suicide firsthand. After losing colleagues to suicide, she dedicated herself to fighting this leading cause of death. A leader in the field of suicide prevention, Dr. Moutier joined AFSP in 2013 as Chief Medical Officer, and it’s through her passion and commitment that we see a lasting impact via research, education and support to communities across the U.S.

She has testified before the U.S. Congress and provided multiple Congressional briefings on suicide prevention, presented to the White House, spoken at the National Academy of Sciences, co-anchored CNN’s Emmy Award winning Finding Hope suicide prevention town hall, and has appeared as an expert in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time magazine, The Economist, The Atlantic, the BBC, CNN, NBC, CBS and other print, radio and television outlets.

Throughout her career she has focused on training healthcare leaders, physicians, and patient groups in order to change the culture surrounding mental health, fighting stigma and optimizing care for those suffering from mental health conditions. In addition to co-founding AFSP’s San Diego Chapter, Moutier co-led a successful suicide prevention program for medical faculty, residents, and students, which featured AFSP’s groundbreaking Interactive Screening Program.

Since earning her medical degree and training in psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego, Moutier has been a practicing psychiatrist, professor of psychiatry, dean in the UCSD medical school, and medical director of the Inpatient Psychiatric Unit at the VA Medical Center in La Jolla, treating diverse patient populations from Asian refugees to veterans to corporate and academic leaders. She also served as co-investigator for the Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression study (STAR*D), a large National Institute of Mental Health trial on the treatment of refractory depression.

Moutier has authored Suicide Prevention, a Stahl's series handbook, articles and book chapters for publications such as the Journal of the American Medical Association, the Lancet, Academic Medicine, the American Journal of Psychiatry, the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, Depression and Anxiety, and Academic Psychiatry.

You can follow Dr. Moutier on Twitter at @cmoutierMD.

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Mind Wide Open - Harold Owens

Harold Owens

Mind Wide Open

play

07/06/21 • 25 min

As any artist knows, mental health and creativity often have an intimate relationship. Harold Owens is a certified addiction and recovery specialist and the senior director at MusiCares; part of his life's work is to provide access to mental health resources for music industry members and their families. He shares his expertise on the inextricable connection between addiction and mental health and the remarkable story of reclaiming his own life. Harold also discusses his personal relationship with Lily's dad and the importance of advocacy.

For more information, guest bios, and resources, go to www.mindwideopenproject.com

Find Lily on Instagram @lilycornellsilver

Originally aired NOVEMBER 9, 2020

For the past 31 years, Los Angeles born and raised, Harold Owens has specialized in the field of addiction and recovery. In 1996 he became the Program Director for the Exodus Treatment Center in Marina Del Rey, CA where he worked extensively with clients from entertainment, law, and business in recovery. Mr. Owens has served as a consultant for the State of California’s Impaired Physicians Program, implementing substance abuse treatment strategies for physicians who were either mandated to or volunteered to undergo substance abuse treatment.

Since 1999, he has been at the MusiCares Foundation, the charity arm of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (GRAMMY Organization). As senior director of the MusiCares/MAP Fund, he is responsible for the implementation of all aspects of its addiction recovery programs including treatment services, case management, and provider contracts. He is also a frequent moderator and panelist at a number of national music industry conferences that address the problems of addiction in the music and entertainment communities.

In October 2001 and again in 2006, Harold received Official Commendations from Mayors’ James Hahn and Antonio Villaraigosa for Outstanding Service in the Field of Addiction Recovery.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, CA, Harold serves on the boards of a number of non-profit charity organizations including Miriam’s House, The Promises Foundation, and most recently, Rwanda Rocks the first music school for children and teens in Kigali, capital of Rwanda.

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Mind Wide Open - Mitul Desai

Mitul Desai

Mind Wide Open

play

06/29/21 • 28 min

Mitul Desai teaches us that you don't have to be a mental health professional to be a mental health advocate. A former Senior Advisor in the U.S. State Department under President Obama, Mitul and and Lily explore mental health on a systemic level and in the corporate world. They discuss how mental health has played an important role in both Mitul's personal and professional lives, delving into his experiences having a brother with schizophrenia and being a board member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

For more information, guest bios, and resources, go to www.mindwideopenproject.com

Find Lily on Instagram @lilycornellsilver

Originally aired OCTOBER 26, 2020

Mitul Desai is Senior Advisor for Digital Innovation at Fountain House, a 70-year-old organization that pioneered a community-based mental illness recovery model now serving over 100,000 individuals around the world. Mitul is also an active advisor and investor in the mental health tech space. Prior to Fountain House, he spent five years at a global payments technology firm, leading cross-functional teams across product management, data services, and digital strategy. From 2010-2013, Mitul served in the Obama Administration as a Senior Advisor at the U.S. State Department, where he designed and built public-private partnerships. He began his career in the health care industry, first as a patent attorney at leading law firms and the pharmaceutical firm Merck, and later as a Wall Street analyst at the investment bank Piper Sandler. Mitul has a B.A. in chemistry and philosophy from Rutgers University and a J.D. from the Boston University School of Law. He is a member of the Schizophrenia International Research Society and serves on the Boards of NAMI-NYC and Firefly, CUNY’s Public Health Innovation Accelerator.

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Mind Wide Open - Alexi Pappas

Alexi Pappas

Mind Wide Open

play

06/22/21 • 24 min

I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship! Olympic athlete, filmmaker, and award-winning author Alexi Pappas and Lily forge a fast connection in their discussion of losing parents to suicide, befriending pain, and creating art. Lily and Alexi explore the duality of beauty and terror that comes with the similarities between them and their late parents. They also discuss Alexi's struggles with severe post-Olympic depression, and how practicing self-care is a necessary superpower, not a weakness.

For more information, guest bios, and resources, go to www.mindwideopenproject.com

Find Lily on Instagram @lilycornellsilver

Originally aired JUNE 22, 2021

Alexi Pappas is an award-winning writer, filmmaker, and Olympic athlete. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Runner’s World, Women’s Running, Sports Illustrated, The Atlantic, and Outside, among other publications, and she has been profiled in The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, New York, and Rolling Stone. Pappas co-wrote, co-directed, and starred in the feature film Tracktown with Rachel Dratch and Andy Buckley. Most recently, she co-wrote and starred alongside Nick Kroll in Olympic Dreams, the first non-documentary-style movie to ever be filmed at the Olympic Games. A Greek American, Pappas holds the Greek national record in the 10,000-meters and competed for Greece in the 2016 Olympics. She lives in Los Angeles, California.

Dubbed a “renaissance runner” by the New York Times, Alexi Pappas competed (and broke records) for Greece in the 2016 Rio Olympics and was training for Tokyo when the pandemic hit. As a writer, she has built a supportive community on social media with her free-spirited persona and inspirational poems. She is also an actress and filmmaker, co-creating and starring in the films Tracktown (with Rachel Dratch and Andy Buckley) and Olympic Dreams (with Nick Kroll), the latter of which was filmed at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics as part of their Artists-in-Residency program and premiered at SXSW ’19 with distribution from IFC Films.

Pappas’ latest artistic feat is an empowering, funny and fearless memoir-in essays: BRAVEY: Chasing Dreams, Befriending Pain, and Other Big Ideas (The Dial Press Hardcover; On Sale January 12). Pappas candidly opens up about what she has learned about confidence, self-reliance, and mental health, including her struggles with post-Olympic depression and how her mother’s suicide when she was four-years-old altered the course of her life and set her on a journey to self-actualization.

BRAVEY is filled with personal stories that span from Pappas’ early search for female role models, to her ongoing fight to pursue both her athletic and creative dreams, to learning about motherhood from a chance meeting with Maya Rudolph, who wrote the foreword to the memoir. Pappas’ charm and go-after-it attitude are evident throughout, as she reveals her honest and entertaining reflections on each touchstone moment and the valuable lessons she learned along the way—foremost among them, how to be brave.

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Mind Wide Open - Alicia Bognanno

Alicia Bognanno

Mind Wide Open

play

06/01/21 • 34 min

Musician Alicia Bognanno, also known as Bully, gets real about her bipolar II diagnosis. She speaks openly on a stigmatized disorder, discussing the relief of being able to "name it to tame it" and shedding light on the importance of vulnerability. She and Lily connect through their sensitivity, creativity, and love of music.

For more information, guest bios, and resources, go to www.mindwideopenproject.com

Find Lily on Instagram @lilycornellsilver

Originally aired OCTOBER 12, 2020

Alicia Bognanno

www.bullythemusic.com

A very old saying goes that no one saves us but ourselves. Recognizing and breaking free from the patterns impeding our forward progress can be transformative — just ask Bully’s Alicia Bognanno. Indeed, the third Bully album, SUGAREGG , may not ever have come to fruition had Bognanno not navigated every kind of upheaval imaginable and completely overhauled her working process along the way.

“There was change that needed to happen and it happened on this record,” she says. “Derailing my ego and insecurities allowed me to give these songs the attention they deserved.”

SUGAREGG roars from the speakers and jumpstarts both heart and mind. Like My Bloody Valentine after three double espressos, opener “Add It On” zooms heavenward within seconds, epitomizing Bognanno’s newfound clarity of purpose, while the bass-driven melodies and propulsive beats of “Where to Start” and “Let You” are the musical equivalents of the sun piercing through a perpetually cloudy sky.

On songs like the strident “Every Tradition” and “Not Ashamed,” Bognanno doesn’t shy away from addressing “how I feel as a human holds up against what society expects or assumes of me as a woman, and what it feels like to naturally challenge those expectations.”

But amongst the more dense topics, there’s also a lightheartedness that was lacking on Bully’s last album, 2017’s Losing . Pointing to “Where to Start,” “You” and “Let You,” Bognanno says “there are more songs about erratic, dysfunctional love in an upbeat way, like, ‘I’m going down and that’s the only way I want to go because the momentary joy is worth it.’”

The artist admits that finding the proper treatment for bipolar 2 disorder radically altered her mindset, freeing her from a cycle of paranoia and insecurity about her work. “Being able to finally navigate that opened the door for me to write about it,” she says, pointing to the sweet, swirly “Like Fire” and slower, more contemplative songs such as “Prism” and “Come Down” as having been born of this new headspace. Even small changes like listening to music instead of the news first thing in the morning “made me want to write and bring that pleasure to other people.”

An unexpected foray into the film world also helped set the table for Sugaregg when Bognanno was asked to write songs for the 2019 movie Her Smell , starring Elisabeth Moss as the frontwoman of the fictional rock band Something She. “It got me motivated to play music again after the last album,” she says. “I loved reading the script and trying to think, what music would the character write? People asked if I’d play those songs with Bully but the whole point was for them to not be Bully songs. It was nice to get my head out of my own ass for a second and work on a project for someone else,” she says with a laugh.

A highly accomplished engineer who ran the boards herself on the first two Bully albums, Bognanno was ready to be free “from the weight of feeling like I had to prove to the world I was capable of engineering a record, and wanted to be content knowing for myself what I can do without needing the approval of others to validate that.”

So for SUGAREGG , she yielded recording and mixing responsibilities to outside collaborators for the first time and trekked to the remote Pachyderm Studios in Cannon Falls, Minn., an unexpected return to her home state. Behind the console was John Congleton, a Grammy-winner who has worked with everyone from St. Vincent and Sleater-Kinney to The War on Drugs and Modest Mouse. “Naturally, I still had reservations, but John was sensitive to where I was coming from,” Bognanno says. “He was very respectful that I’d never worked with a producer before.”

The studio’s rich history (classics such as Nirvana’s In Utero, PJ Harvey’s Rid of Me and Superchunk’s Foolish were recorded there) and woodsy setting quickly put Bognanno’s mind at ease. Being able to bring her dog Mezzi along for the trip didn’t hurt either. “I had never tracked a record in the summer, so waking up and going outside with her before we started each day was a great way to refresh,” she says.

SUGAREGG features additional contributions from longtime touring drummer Wesley Mitchell and bassi...

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Mind Wide Open - Coach Carla Wilcox

Coach Carla Wilcox

Mind Wide Open

play

05/25/21 • 16 min

Coach Carla Wilcox, a dear friend and boxing coach of Lily's, teaches us how to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. One of the most difficult things about processing grief, trauma, or change of any kind can be being present with the emotions that arise. Coach Carla, a professional boxer, public speaker, and founder of Seattle Boxing Gym, is a shining example of sticking with yourself in times of immense hardship. She shares her thoughts on spirituality, staying next to your heartbeat, and centering and externalizing through movement.

For more information, guest bios, and resources, go to www.mindwideopenproject.com

Find Lily on Instagram @lilycornellsilver

Coach Carla Wilcox is a heart-centered coach that utilizes the art and practice of boxing to help clients tap into their unique greatness. She started her boxing career in 1996 and turned professional in 2000 and competed for the International Female Boxers Association (IFBA) World Flyweight Title in Seoul, Korea in 2003.

Coach Carla is the founder of the Seattle Boxing Gym and presented at the TEDxRainier in Seattle in 2010. After an auto accident in 2011, she entered into a three-year rehabilitative sabbatical. The short film of her healing journey was featured on the Oprah Winfrey Network's Super Soul Sunday in 2014.

In 2016 she co-created HEARTBEAT X, and in 2019 appeared in Nate Gowdy’s portrait and storytelling series, “The American Superhero Project”. She has been featured on NPR, New Day Northwest, Pacific Northwest Magazine, the Seattle Times and is certified in Lifestretch and Thai Yoga Stretch.

Coach Carla’s private client list includes musicians, artists, business and community leaders as well as families. She is a motivational speaker and has provided team-building sessions for leadership teams at Nike, Amazon, Hedgebrook, the Seattle Girls School, the Midwest Transplant Network, the Maniilaq Association of Northwest Alaska and Morgan Stanley.

IG @coachcarlaboxer

Twitter @coachcarlaboxer

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Mind Wide Open - Frankie Jonas

Frankie Jonas

Mind Wide Open

play

05/11/21 • 22 min

The youngest Jonas brother, Frankie Jonas, and Lily have an unfiltered conversation about learning when to ask for help, their main takeaways from years of therapy, and what life looks like when you didn't think you'd still be here. Frankie also talks about practicing radical vulnerability on his TikTok accounts, where he both shares and receives valuable advice on mental health and wellbeing.

For more information, guest bios, and resources, go to www.mindwideopenproject.com

Find Lily on Instagram @lilycornellsilver

Originally aired MAY 11, 2021

Frankie Jonas

“Don’t Sleep On the Fourth Jonas Brother,” warns The Cut – and no truer words have ever been spoken. Frankie Jonas, the youngest of the Jonas family, has arrived in the eyes of Gen-Z. An influencer in his own right, his unfiltered personality has caught the attention of TikTokers worldwide, curating unhinged content for his 1.9 MILLION followers. A current Ivy League student of Columbia University, his sheer genius jumbled with his off-kilter sense of humor results in "nihilistic, chaotic, and entropic" videos, the 20-year-old explains, while also empowering viewers to be their true authentic self and embrace the weird parts in all their glory. Cutting through his unpredictable stunts, self-deprecating jokes, and everything NSFW in-between, Jonas at-heart is a master creator and ready to prove himself as such. With his eyes fixed to dominate both the fashion and entertainment industry, he’s squashed his hesitation about being in the public eye and is quite arguably, “Now the Most Famous Jonas,” hails PAPER Magazine. With top-tier spotlights on the Zach Sang Show, TikTok’s #ForYou Podcast with Brittany Broski, The Kelly Clarkson Show, E! News, and notably hosting TikTok’s Labyrinth Runway Finale, “The Cult of Frankie Jonas” waits with bated breath to see what he’ll do next.

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Mind Wide Open - David Kessler (Part Two)
play

05/04/21 • 24 min

In the second installment of this interview, David Kessler, the world's foremost expert on healing after loss, joins Mind Wide Open to discuss grief and what he has coined as the sixth stage of grief: finding meaning. Lily and her mom, Susan Silver, have turned to his work for support for many years, making for a poignant and full circle conversation between Lily and David.

For more information, guest bios, and resources, go to www.mindwideopenproject.com

Find Lily on Instagram @lilycornellsilver

Originally aired SEPTEMBER 29, 2020

David Kessler is the world’s foremost expert on healing after loss. His experience with thousands of people on the edge of life and death has taught him the secrets to living a happy and fulfilled life, even after life’s tragedies. He is the author of six books, including the new bestselling book, Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief. He co-authored two books with Elisabeth Kubler Ross, including On Grief and Grieving where he helped her adapt the 5 stages for grief. His first book, The Needs of The Dying received praise from Saint (Mother) Teresa.

David’s personal experience as a child witnessing a mass shooting while his mother was dying in a hospital inspired him to begin his journey. For most of his life, David has taught physicians, nurses, counselors, police, and first responders about the end of life, trauma, and grief. However, despite his vast knowledge on grief, his life was turned upside down by the sudden death of his twenty-one-year-old son. It moved him to write his newest book, Finding Meaning.

He is the founder of www.grief.com where you can find free resources to help after loss. The new paperback edition of Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief was released this September and includes an afterword that addresses the pandemic and other current events.

In 2020, David’s wisdom has gone viral. His interview with Brene Brown is the #1 Podcast in the world. The audio of Finding Meaning has been submitted by Simon and Schuster for consideration as a Best-Spoken Word GRAMMY nomination.

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Mind Wide Open - Brittany Snow and Jaspre Guest
play

08/10/21 • 37 min

Actress Brittany Snow and publicist Jaspre Guest share their mental health-focused letter-writing project, September Letters. Brittany opens up about her struggles with an eating disorder and Jaspre talks anxiety; they take a deep dive with Lily into the intersection of the metaphysical world and mental health, how to cope with mental health challenges during the holidays, and how feeling seen can change your life.

For more information, guest bios, and resources, go to www.mindwideopenproject.com

Find Lily on Instagram @lilycornellsilver

Originally aired DECEMBER 1, 2020

Female founded by Brittany Snow and Jaspre Guest, September Letters launched in September 2020. They wanted to create a platform that not only raised mental health awareness but provided support for those in need through the power of letter writing.ᐧBrittany Snow is an actor, director and has been an activist in the mental health space for over a decade. Jaspre Guest is the founder and CEO of Noise 784 a PR / branding agency and Happy Noise a good vibes brand. Brittany and Jaspre became friends over their shared passion for breaking the stigma with mental health and their love for their dogs.

Website: https://septemberletters.com/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/SeptemberLetters/_created/

Instagram: @septemberletters

Brittany Snow, Co-Founder September Letters, Actor and Director

Brittany Snow's Instagram: @brittanysnow

Jaspre Guest, Co-Founder September Letters, Founder and CEO of Noise 784 & Happy Noise

Jaspre Guest's Instagram: @jaspre

bookmark
plus icon
share episode

Show more best episodes

Toggle view more icon

FAQ

How many episodes does Mind Wide Open have?

Mind Wide Open currently has 35 episodes available.

What topics does Mind Wide Open cover?

The podcast is about Health & Fitness, Anxiety, Activism, Music, Mental Health, Depression, Podcasts, Self-Improvement, Education and Interviews.

What is the most popular episode on Mind Wide Open?

The episode title 'Brittany Snow and Jaspre Guest' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Mind Wide Open?

The average episode length on Mind Wide Open is 27 minutes.

How often are episodes of Mind Wide Open released?

Episodes of Mind Wide Open are typically released every 7 days.

When was the first episode of Mind Wide Open?

The first episode of Mind Wide Open was released on Jan 15, 2021.

Show more FAQ

Toggle view more icon

Comments