Randy Rolfe

FAMILY FIRST: Getting to the Cause of Anxiety and Depression With Dr. Jonathan Browerer

It seems that more and more people today are being diagnosed and treated for depression and anxiety. The media advertisements for pharmaceuticals for these emotional states have increased dramatically. At the same time, the ads warn not to drive or work with dangerous machinery while under the influence. Yet people who are being medicated for anxiety and depression can’t afford to stop their work and home functions. And often the effects of the drugs shift over time. Is there another way? My guest this week on Family First is Dr. Jonathan Brower, who has pursued life-long study of the inner-workings of the unconscious and of how people suffer when they put up walls to avoid being conscious of their real feelings and impulses. His counseling practice focuses on helping people to discover the source of their anxiety or depression, so that they can overcome it by addressing the root cause. He specializes in a therapeutic process which can have dramatic results in a very short time.

FAMILY FIRST: A Life After Death Experience With Dean Braxton

Each of us has our own relationship with our Creator which we develop from our parents, our church experience, our community and culture, and our own personal experience. One of the issues all humans face is the meaning of life and death and what may happen once our bodies give out. My guest this week is Dean Braxton, who had a serious health crisis which led to his clinical death. Yet he did come back and has a moving story of his experience while his body had stopped working. He says many of the ideas he had adopted during his years of service as a minister were shattered by his experience of the unfailing love God offers. He and his wife Marilyn, married 27 years with six children, now travel the world to share his experience, which has been documented by the hospital medical records. Also serving in human services for over 20 years, Dean Braxton tells their story in his book In Heaven Experiencing the Throne of God. Their mission is to give hope in a unique and transparent way.

FAMILY FIRST: The Importance of Fathers With Greg Bishop

How important are fathers? We hear so much about single moms and deadbeat dads, what’s going on? Are dads not interested in their children? Are they too busy working? Is it un-macho to change a diaper? Are new dads immature and running from the irresponsibility? Are the mothers of their children chasing them away by being too protective? My guest this week, Greg Bishop, is a leader in working with dads who want to be a bigger part of their children’s lives. Greg noticed that many new fathers lacked confidence in caring for their infants, so on Fathers Day in 1990, he recruited some friends with new babies and launched Boot Camp for New Dads, with a full class of “rookie” dads-to-be joining them. Today Greg serves as their Head Coach, and Boot Camp has grown to over 260 programs, offered in community centers, hospitals, churches, and the US military. He will burst a number of popular myths about dads and show how our culture can do a better job supporting fatherhood.

FAMILY FIRST: Why Homeschool? With Peter Bergson

Our news is filled with the challenges in today’s schools, including peer pressure, precocious sex and drinking, drugs, drop-outs, learning differences, burned out teachers, bullying, poor test scores, too much about fashion and cliques, budget cutbacks, violence, smart phone distractions, and more. Many parents are looking for alternatives. For some, charter schools or online schools seem the answer. Others push for school reforms at the district, state and federal levels. More and more families are considering homeschooling. My guest this week is Peter Bergson, one of the pioneers in the homeschooling movement. He founded Open Connections with his wife Susan Shilcock in 1978 and has been a leader in the theory and practice of what he calls “open education.” He will share his own path to homeschooling as well as the many reasons parents are considering homeschooling and the many options parents have in structuring a truly nurturing environment for their kids of any age.

FAMILY FIRST: What makes your child love reading? With Constance Baranzano

What are the best ways to help your child love reading? We are hearing so much today about how children are failing to learn the basic academic skills in our school systems. Children have learning differences or attention problems or just lack the support they need to believe they can succeed. Frightening statistics in this new digital world show that some children admitted to our colleges are deficient in writing and reading. My guest today is a highly accomplished woman in real estate and business and also in publishing as well as being a mother of children now in college. With all her accomplishments, she has taken a special interest in helping children get excited about reading and adopt it as a life-long habit. She even decided to take direct action by writing and publishing books for children. She will give us practical tips about how busy parents can get involved in their children’s reading success–without becoming one more teacher! Listenin!

FAMILY FIRST: Overcoming Eating Issues and Lifestyle Blocks to Good Life! With Alice Baland

Not a day goes by that we don’t hear about a celebrity with a weight problem, problems of our children becoming obese, our couch potato lifestyles, the increasing prevalence and dangers of low self-esteem, and the merry-go-round of overindulgence and self-blame. On this show we will be speaking with one of the foremost experts on how to overcome these issues in your family once and for all. Alice Baland, psychotherapist, dietician, hypnotherapist, and life coach has helped thousands through her speaking, counseling, workshops, and now her new book Eating Up the Good Life. We will not only be covering how to overcome a number of troubling and dangerous blocks to creating the best life for your family but also how to prevent these problems as much as possible through healthy attitudes and habits. Be sure to listen in to discover what steps you can take to protect your child from eating problems and weight problems, and help them adopt healthy habits and develop good self-esteem

FAMILY FIRST: When Your Child Needs More: Special Education With Tanya Alvarado

Many parents today find that there children need special attention because of various disabilities which make it harder for them to benefit from conventional school programs. With all the cuts in school budgets today and classroom size increasing, special education seems even harder to arrange. Yet autism and related disorders is on the increase, and we have children with hearing and visual impairment, as well as slowed development in various areas, and other health and learning impairments. There are federal and state laws that require special education programs for these children ,but obtaining appropriate help can seem overwhelming. Today I am pleased to welcome a true expert in this field, Attorney Tanya Alvarado, who will help us understand what resources are available under the law, what the process looks like, and when to seek an experienced attorney to help with the process. Just about everyone knows someone who has a child who needs extra help, so do listen in.

FAMILY FIRST: A Unique Process for Self-Healing With Susan Allison

Many of the maladies people endure today seem to appear out of nowhere and to require aggressive medical treatment for any hope of relief. But new understanding of how the mind, body, and spirit work together to create who we are has led to a number of new approaches which tend to put the power for healing and prevention back into the hands of the individual involved. Can something as scary as cancer or arterial blockage respond to our own internal work? My guest this week says that she has seen it happen, beginning with her own husband. Dr. Susan Allison is a transpersonal psychologist. She used her unique process combining new and ancient healing approaches to help her husband astound his oncologists. She sees herself as a healing coach rather than a therapist, helping people to find their own healing power to overcome both physical and emotional illness. She will share powerful strategies from her new book Empowered Healer to empower you and your family for health and happiness.

FAMILY FIRST: Making Your Home Safe From Toxic Chemicals With Vince Elliot

Technology has given us a great number of conveniences for our lifestyles, but those very same technologies can have a negative impact on our health and our environment. This technological impact is nowhere more evident than in our society's penchant to utilizing synthetic cleaning chemicals in our commercial and residential buildings. A great deal of research and testing has gone into the development of a variety of technological solutions to this pervasive pollution from our cleaning processes, and these innovations have been grouped under the umbrella of a revolution in the way we can clean our buildings, led by my guest this week, Vince Elliott, considered the leading expert on developing safe cleaning strategies for the home and workplace. Studies have shown a link between common cleaning agents and serious threats like asthma, allergies, immune deficiency, heart disease, and cancer. Find out how to protect your family from toxins and have a home which is truly clean and healthy

FAMILY FIRST: Talking With Teens With Kyra Batte

Many parents feel anxious as their children approach the teenage years. Parents worry about peer pressure, losing their influence, being able to communicate effectively with their teens, wondering if they have prepared them well enough for life, asking themselves about whether they pushed too hard or not enough in academics, worrying about how much help they should give or will be allowed to give their teen as they approach young adulthood, fearing the worst when it comes to bad influences. My guest this week on Family First is Kyra Batte, a life coach to teens. She helps parents and their teens get through these uncertain years with the least hassle and the most self-assurance and resilience as possible. She will show how many of the fears felt by teens and by their parents can be overcome by healthy communication, attention to life balance, and care with self-talk. Kyra’s insights can make family life a whole lot better. Listen in and invite your teen to join us.