hmTv at HMTC Podcasts Ep 389: Ordinary Heroes with Bernie Furshpan and guest Lisa Zaretsky on hmTv
In Episode 389 of Ordinary Heroes on hmTv, host Bernie Furshpan sits down with Lisa Zaretsky, founder of the Zaretsky Wellness Center and a deeply trained clinician and educator with advanced expertise spanning education, social work, and cognitive science. Together they explore what “wellness” really means beyond buzzwords, why the subconscious mind drives so much of our behavior, and how patterns like anxiety, avoidance, and inherited family beliefs can keep people stuck in loops.
The conversation takes a powerful turn as Bernie reflects on being a second-generation Holocaust survivor and asks how intergenerational trauma is passed down, even when families stay silent. Lisa explains trauma through a systems-based lens, discussing epigenetics, family dynamics, meaning-making, and therapeutic approaches that target root causes, including hypnotherapy and Rapid Transformational Therapy. She also unpacks neurodiversity and twice-exceptionality, challenging narrow definitions of “normal” and advocating for strength-based, psychologically safe learning environments.
The episode closes with a timely message for young people facing rising intolerance and antisemitism: empathy requires connection, not polarity, and healing is strengthened through identity, purpose, and acts of service.