Episodes

The need for mental health advocacy is at an all time high right now. Having gone through two years of a devastating pandemic, with mental health services unable to keep up with the demand, we need to speak out on behalf of those who are suffering before it is too late. Our guests on today’s episode are two people that know how precarious mental health can be, as they watched their brother and son fall victim to mental illness, and experienced how help was not so readily available. Joining us ...

Some of the most successful people of our age have experienced issues with mental health. From the outside it seems as if things couldn’t be better, but the inner world can be insidious in its ability to show the world one thing but experience the inner turmoil in another way. This rings true for our guest on today’s episode. Chris Brogan, co-author of Trust Agents, chief of staff at AppFire, executive level strategist, CEO advisor working with companies at the $100 million revenue and up range...

Owning your own health is one of the key precepts of the Untether Your Life platform. As our lived experience showed us, it's important to look beyond "tried and true" methods for managing your body, mind and soul health. Eastern medicine offers many insights that may prove elusive with solely relying on surgery or medication. With this in mind, Nikhil speaks with William J. Kaplanidis, Acupuncturist, Therapist, Teacher, Author and Founder of Acudragon Wellness. For over 30 years, William has h...

"ENTJ." "ISFP." You've likely heard these abbreviations, but what do they mean exactly? These are two of the 16 types in the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) - a framework for analyzing individuals' personality types, strengths, and preferences based on a self-assessment. Every day the test is used by hundreds of universities, almost 90% of Fortune 500 companies, and more recently even on dating apps such as So Syncd. A few years ago Joe Arrigo, author of the recently published Marble and Sc...

“Trauma” means many things to many people. Mytrae Meliana is innately familiar with its myriad implications, having endured an indescribably abusive marriage, being subject to exile and house arrest in India by her own parents, and fighting against cultural and societal patriarchy to find her own voice. She captured her harrowing, and ultimately redemptive story in a memoir entitled Brown Skin Girl: An Indian American Woman’s Magical Journey from Broken to Beautiful. Nikhil and Shelly spoke wit...

Rick Clemons is a globally recognized professional speaker, a published author (Frankly My Dear I'm Gay - A Late Bloomers Guide To Coming Out), successful podcaster (Life (UN)CLoseted and 40 Plus: Gay Men, Gay Talk), and highly regarded public speaking coach. Like more than 15 million other Americas, he also contends with the challenges of depression on a daily basis. In this episode, Rick speaks with Nikhil about his struggles with mental health, and what it means to live an unapologetic, uncl...

Alexa James is the CEO of NAMI Chicago, the Chicagoland chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness - the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. Since assuming the role in 2020, she's played an integral role in influencing mental health policies and initiatives in the nation's 3rd largest city. We were fortunate to speak with Alexa on a broad variety of topics, including: What le...

Mental health is not a one-size-fits-all concept. It's important to find the a therapist that understands your individual situation, and can help you manage your treatment plan accordingly. In this episode, Nikhil speaks with Dr. Monica Kathuria, PsyD, CEO and Founder of Encircle Wellness, an established private practice located in Chicago’s West Loop which focuses on mental health and wellbeing. They touch on numerous topics, including the importance of the "five basic food groups" of mental h...

Jeff Brown is an app strategist and patented inventor by trade, and bipolar and neurodiversity activist by passion and lived experience. He has lived with bipolar disorder for nearly two decades and shares his story and discoveries of his neurodivergence online as The Bipolarist. In this discussion, he speaks with host Nikhil Torsekar about how bipolar disorder impacts his career; offers guidance for folks with the disorder to navigate professional pathways; and his future plans for his Bipolar...

Pinaki Saha is a creative missionary, digital explorer, and CEO / Co-Founder of Anshar Labs, a global engineering powerhouse delivering outstanding user experiences to Fortune 500 firms, mid-level organizations, and fledgling startups. After graduating from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, he moved to the US in 1996 and launched a flourishing information technology career. This culminated in the launch of Anshar Labs. In this episode, Nikhil speaks with Pinaki about his journey a...

The Untether Your Life platform explores various methods for optimizing one's health beyond surgery, medication, and other "tried and true" modalities. One of these is Ayurveda, which originated in India thousands of years ago, and has shown great promise in managing numerous health conditions. We were fortunate to speak with Neelam Singh, who offered serveral valuable insights on this fascinating, yet sometimes misunderstood approach to health. Neelam is a certified Ayurvedic Health Counselor...

Saadia Khan is the host of The Immigrantly Podcast, a weekly program that aims to deconstruct stereotypical narratives of immigrants, their second-generation kids, people of color, and change-makers with cross-cultural, nuanced conversations. Nikhil and Shelly spoke with Saadia on a range of topics, including their journey of healing, the struggles of being a first generation immigrant, how their experience shaped their parenting philosophies, and the priceless gifts of abundance, awareness, an...

The past 2 years have witnessed disruption on an almost unprecedented scale. In this episode, Julie Taparia shares her insights on Vedic Astrology, a school of thought that may provide context to these turbulent times. Julie has studied Vedic Astrology extensively for over 13 years, and under the guidance of Pt. Sanjay Rath’s, 6-year Parasara Jyotisa Course. Her astrology passion has allowed her to work closely with Anita Dongre, a top fashion house in NYC, the United Nations, and collaborated ...

Vijay Nallawala is an entrepreneur, author, and mental health advocate. In 2013, he launched Bipolar India as an online portal and community to help those suffering from mental illness. He also authored A Bipolar's Journey: From Torment to Fulfillment, which details his struggles and ultimate triumphs after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2003. In this episode, Mr. Nallawala speaks with Nikhil about his journey, and the state of mental health in India. For more information about Vija...

Keisha Nicole is the host and producer of The Oh Hell No Podcast and the Side Talk Podcast. The podcasts allow her to share stories of passion, purpose and struggle with the hopes of helping people to push past their fears to move into their next stage of life with awareness, passion and intent. Keisha's goal is to empower people to step outside of their comfort zone and try that thing that they have always wanted to try or do. In this episode, Shelly discusses with Keisha the triumphs and stru...

Amy B. Scher is the bestselling author of This Is How I Save My Life and three other books. Her work has been featured in The Washington Post, Good Morning America, CNN, and many more outlets. As a sought-after editor and marketing strategist, she has helped Harley-Davidson, Thrillist, and others—create "quality content that pops." After surviving a decade of chronic illness and making a complete recovery, Amy spends her time writing, traveling, and relaxing. In this episode, Amy speaks with ...

Shelly Sood conducted a discussion on holistic healing with Dr. Sheila Patel. In addition to being a a board-certified family physician, Dr. Patel is Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Chopra Global - a modern healthcare company positioned at the intersection of science and spirituality,” founded by renowned healthcare expert Dr. Deepak Chopra.

Jo Bevilacqua is the multi-award-winning founder of Hallmark Carpets and Flooring, Serenity Loves and Jo Bevilacqua Mentoring. She is also a wife and a mother of two beautiful girls. Jo works with business owners to help them grow profitable and productive businesses. She tries to live and breathe the advice she gives in her best-selling book No Longer Last on the List and encourages you, like the mentor and friend she is, to stop putting your dreams off until tomorrow and start working on them...

Sujata Day is a "triple threat:" she wrote, directed, and starred in Definition Please, now available on Netflix. Set in Greensburg, PA, the film takes a uniquely raw, unflinching, and at times comedic look at mental health issues in the South Asian community In this episode, Shelly and Nikhil speak with Sujata about the motivations behind Definition Please, mental illness in the South Asian community, and what's next for the talented filmmaker and actress. For more information: Sujata Day - ...

Dr. Jyothsna S. Bhat, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist and mental health advocate specializing in the treatment of anxiety, depression, ADHD, relationship and family issues, and stress management. She is a featured contributor on Psychology Today, and runs a practice based out of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Nikhil spoke with Dr. Bhat about the impact of mental health on South Asian communities - both in the United States and abroad. They discuss numerous issues, including the "model minority m...

Melissa Bright is the host of The Bright Side Podcast, in which she and her guests "navigate and discuss people's successful journeys to happiness." She spoke with Shelly and Nikhil about their journey in getting to the root of Nikhil's mental illness five years ago. After a harrowing journey, involving near dissolution of her marriage of 15 years, Shelly discovered the unparallaled joy of helping to saving a life. This informed her decision to launch a thriving healthcare practice that helps p...

Ben Fuchs is the host of The Bright Side syndicated radio program. He is a pharmacist, nutritionist and skin care chemist with more than 30 years of experience, most notably his launch of the Truth Treatment Systems™ line of skin care products. In this episode, Shelly's husband Nikhil speaks with Ben about techniques that have been effective in managing bipolar disorder. These include meditation, mindfulness, metacognition, and regular exercise. Ben and Nikhil speak about the importance of the ...

Frankie Boyer is the host of The Frankie Boyer Radio Show, carried on BizTalkRadio. She is an impassioned voice for folks seeking information on traditional and alternative approaches to lifestyle, healthcare and wellbeing. Five days a week, Frankie speaks to experts to educate listeners on taking personal responsibility for their own health and graceful aging. Through engaging dialogue with Dr. Andrew Weil, Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer, and thousands of other gurus Frankie seeks to explore effecti...

This interview is a follow up to Shelly Sood's discussion with Shep Cohen (host of WDVR's The World of Work radio program). In this episode, Shelly's husband Nikhil talks about his experience with bipolar disorder, his family relationships, and what has helped him to better manage this illness. To learn more about the Untether Your Life platform, please visit shellysood.com.