Hyun-Yong is an entomologist and PhD candidate at Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. I reached out to him because when I met him a few years back, I appreciated his thoughtfulness and his quirkiness. He's someone who doesn't fit neatly into categories—a person who might be described as contrarian or sui generis, someone of his own kind. In his work as an entomologist, Hyun-Yong also draws from his training in environmental philosophy, especially the phenomenological tradition, which centers on observing the world, its things, and its occurrences neutrally—with curiosity and wonder. From the beginning, his work has explored the blurred boundaries between “nature” and “artificiality,” asking how biodiversity can flourish in spaces shaped by both humanity and ecology. That includes hybrid landscapes such as solar fields in the Northeastern U.S., or the Demilitarized Zone between North Korea and South Korea, where Hyun-Yong is originally from. In this conversation, we trace Hyun-Yong’s journey from his childhood fascination with insects to his current projects as a doctorate student. We talk about ADHD as both a challenge and a source of focus for him, and his use of poetry to describe nature exactly as it is. Support the project: patreon.com/TherapyfortheWorld Music credits: “Limit 70,” licensed by Kevin MacLeod “Meditation” by Jules Massenet, from the Library of Congress Jukebox

María Verónica Laguna is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, clinical supervisor, and psychoanalytic psychotherapist in private practice in Uruguay. She spent over a decade working in New York City, where she taught Social Work at Mercy University and served as an instructor at the Metropolitan Institute for Training in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy. She is the co-author of From Grad School to Private Practice: A Roadmap for Mental Health Clinicians and has forthcoming chapters on immigrants’ self-states and critical psychology. Her work spans continents and disciplines—she founded The Bicultural Collective to support bicultural individuals and the clinicians who serve them, and leads Psychoanalysis and Social Justice, a collaborative database curating events and resources at the intersection of clinical practice and activism. She also explores the intersection of music and mental health, facilitating workshops on tango’s therapeutic power and on learning Spanish through Latin American protest songs. I first met María through that protest songs group, and then discovered we share other interests—psychoanalysis, social work, and the experience of migration from the Southern Cone to the United States and back again. She is warm, good-hearted, and passionate, and it was a joy to connect with her for what I hope is the first of many conversations. In this hour, we talk about the role of immigration and otherness in the consulting room, the cultural roots of psychoanalysis in the Southern Cone, and what it means to work towards a psychoanalysis for the people. We explore how music and movement can be tools for healing, how to channel anger into social change, and how clinical work, activism, and art can meet in the service of collective wellbeing. Support the project: patreon.com/TherapyfortheWorld Music credits: “Limit 70,” licensed by Kevin MacLeod “Meditation” by Jules Massenet, from the Library of Congress Jukebox

Hanna Śmiałowska is a traveller who found the meaning of her life in helping people through circus and other arts. She was born in Poland but feels like a citizen of the world. After eight years of learning about social circus pedagogy in places including Hungary, Germany, Kenya, and México, she’s currently studying art therapy in Buenos Aires and leading multiple social circus projects with deep impact. We discuss her path from hitchhiking in Asia to discovering circus as a vehicle for connection and transformation, and how her nomadic years shaped both her art and her politics. Hanna shares stories from teaching circus in Kenya, launching a social circus initiative in Argentina called Mamboretá, and creating spaces where play, creativity, and community help people heal, feel listened to, and imagine new possibilities. We explore the magic of performance, the reality behind it, and the power of art to foster joy and solidarity in vulnerable communities. Support the project: patreon.com/TherapyfortheWorld Music credits: “Limit 70,” licensed by Kevin MacLeod “Meditation” by Jules Massenet, from the Library of Congress Jukebox

Sihnuu Hetep is a yoga and meditation guide, educator, grief companion, and mother. We talk about how personal loss, spiritual practice, and ancestral wisdom have shaped her approach to healing and teaching. Sihnuu reflects on her relationship with her grandfather, the experience of losing her father, and how these formative events opened the path toward a life guided by authenticity, passion, and care. We explore the difference between asking what we want to do and how we want to live, and how Sihnuu has built a practice centered on presence, intuition, and individual resonance. She shares her insights on trauma-informed yoga, the challenges of stepping into the wellness world as a young teacher, and the subtle ways yogic principles inform her parenting. One guiding principle is that the point isn't knowing everything, but honoring your own way and making space for others to do the same. Support the project: patreon.com/TherapyfortheWorld Music credits: “Limit 70,” licensed by Kevin MacLeod “Meditation” by Jules Massenet, from the Library of Congress Jukebox

Sol Reiman is a geographer, climate activist, and internationally recognized environmental educator. We talk about the challenges and possibilities of climate work in the Global South, how personal history shapes political commitment, and what it means to communicate climate issues with both empathy and strategy. Sol reflects on her early leadership roles in government and nonprofits, the lessons she learned about community from her Jewish upbringing, and the playful spirit she carries into professional settings. We explore the tension between systemic change and individual action, the role of storytelling in climate organizing, and the importance of local knowledge in shaping global solutions. Support the project: patreon.com/TherapyfortheWorld Music credits: “Limit 70,” licensed by Kevin MacLeod “Meditation” by Jules Massenet, from the Library of Congress Jukebox

Alejandro Lacreu is an architect, inventor, and member of the activist group Neighbors for Palermo. We talk about his lifelong career designing and supervising projects in "inhospitable", remote and demanding environments, including work in Mendoza and Manhattan. After, Ale shares how his architectural vision eventually expanded into neighborhood organizing, as he began questioning the impacts of unchecked real estate development in Buenos Aires. We talk about the politics of green space, the value of doing work that outlives us, and the collaborative project we're part of to transform a vacant lot in Buenos Aires into a public forest. Ale also reflects on what it means to be good neighbors and how to work across differences in service of the common good. 🇦🇷 También con subtítulos en español en YouTube. Support the project: patreon.com/TherapyfortheWorld Music credits: “Limit 70,” licensed by Kevin MacLeod “Meditation” by Jules Massenet, from the Library of Congress Jukebox

Mila Sicorsky is an incoming deportation defense attorney, local community organizer, and my sister. We talk about how our early lives shaped our political imaginations, the tension between legal work and social justice, and what it means to do advocacy inside imperfect systems. Mila shares stories from law school and beyond—from working with the Innocence Project and the International Refugee Assistance Project to organizing around immigration detention and mutual aid. We reflect on the dissonance between legal ideals and lived realities, the emotional toll of defense work, and the pressures law students face to follow more lucrative paths. We touch on the need for seeing the Constitution as a living document, especially in the current political moment in the U.S., which is witnessing the rise of authoritarianism and the erosion of democratic norms. Mila speaks to the ongoing need for radical empathy, community infrastructure, and staying human in dehumanizing systems. Support the project: patreon.com/TherapyfortheWorld Music credits: “Limit 70,” licensed by Kevin MacLeod “Meditation” by Jules Massenet, from the Library of Congress Jukebox

Wendy Zheutlin is a college essay coach and tutor, former film producer and editor, published writer, and mom. We talk about intentional communities, filmmaking, personal storytelling, and the through-line of activism and care that’s shaped her life. Wendy reflects on growing up in a large family, taking on a caregiving role from a young age, and finding early inspiration in the feminist and social justice movements of the ’70s. She shares stories of mentors, collective households, and her path from psychology studies to filmmaking at Stanford—where she made documentaries on eating disorders, the AIDS crisis, and the life of Harvey Milk. We talk about the power of telling personal stories to illuminate larger systems, and how that passion carried into her work today helping students write their college essays with clarity and voice. Along the way, we talk about swimming, teaching, and the need for community in the face of authoritarian drift. Support the project: patreon.com/TherapyfortheWorld Music credits: “Limit 70,” licensed by Kevin MacLeod “Meditation” by Jules Massenet, from the Library of Congress Jukebox