We’ve all seen service dogs in action, but most of us don’t know just what heroes they are. Today’s guest is here to tell us all about the secret lives of service dogs. Shannon Walker is the CEO & Founder of Northwest Battle Buddies, a nonprofit providing service dogs to combat veterans with PTSD. Inspired by her father, who was a veteran, she also founded Man’s Best Friend Dog Training and has worked tirelessly to not only train service dogs but to educate the public about what they do and how they provide a vital lifeline for veterans. In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How Shannon became involved in training service dogs and what she’s learned along the way.
• The difference between therapy dogs, emotional support dogs and service dogs.
• What kinds of disabilities service dogs assist veterans with.

From childhood, we’re taught that helping others is the right thing to do. But what happens when it goes too far? This week, host Paula Felps sits down with author and podcast host Amy Wilson to talk about her entertaining new book, Happy to Help: Adventures of a People Pleaser, to learn more about what turns us into people pleasers, when to know it’s a problem, and what to do about it.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why women are more likely to become “helpers” throughout their lives.
• What demand sensitivity is and how it contributes to people-pleasing behavior.
• How breaking the people pleasing habit changes relationships — for the better!

This is a time of year when we celebrate love, but we sometimes take for granted the special love that our friendships offer. This week, host Paula Felps sits down with professor and research psychologist Dr. Kimberly Horn to learn more about just how important friendships are for our health and happiness — and what we can do to make them stronger and more fulfilling.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What’s driving the loneliness epidemic and what effect that has on us.
• The concept of “dynamic friendships” and the 8 tenets of friendships — and how they can support your relationships.
• Why it’s harder to make friends in adulthood and what to do about it.