In this episode, Therese Markow and Elizabeth Burch discuss Elizabeth's new book, "The Pain Brokers: How Con Men, Call Centers, and Rogue Doctors Fuel America's Lawsuit Factory," which exposes a scheme where con artists, attorneys, and rogue doctors exploited women through mass torts involving pelvic mesh implants. Elizabeth explains how mass torts differ from class actions and explains how attorneys earn contingency fees. Throughout the episode, they discuss the ways in which the scheme was perpetuated and how vulnerable women were exploited by a data breach in India.

Key Takeaways:

• A tort is a harm, such as a punch or a car accident. A mass tort is when those harms happen on a large scale.

• Mass torts can be a goldmine for lawyers (and there is a convention held twice a year regarding mass torts in Las Vegas). This can be concerning as more states are allowing law firms to be owned, even partially, by non-lawyers.

• Many of the women involved with this mass tort were conned by people who had their specific information, including birth dates, surgery dates, and other medical information. It created a lot of confusion for many.

"You can imagine that your scam detector would probably go off if someone called you and asked you for that information. But if someone calls you and they already know your birth date and the name of your implanting doctor and the type of mesh that you have and exactly when you had the surgery and where you had the surgery, then all of a sudden it feels a lot more legitimate." — Elizabeth Burch

Connect with Elizabeth Burch:

Professional Bio: https://www.elizabethchambleeburch.com/about

Website: https://www.elizabethchambleeburch.com/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/eburch.bsky.social

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethcburch/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabethcburch/

X: https://x.com/elizabethcburch

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ECBurch/

Pre-Order The Pain Brokers: How Con Men, Call Centers, and Rogue Doctors Fuel America's Lawsuit Factory here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Pain-Brokers/Elizabeth-Chamblee-Burch/9781668068861

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social

Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast

Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

In this episode, Therese Markow, Dr. Jerald Kay, and Dr. Joel Yager discuss the various forms of ambition: lack of ambition, mismatched ambition, Machiavellian ambition, and how to deal with malignant narcissists.

Key Takeaways:

• There are biological underpinnings to ambition, but much of what we know about ambition is built on repeated interactions as children.

• Not everyone who is Machiavellian is ambitious. Not everyone ambitious is Machiavellian. But when you have people who have dark triad characteristics, it can mean trouble for those around them.

• There are levels of narcissism. Only some are treatable. The last division of severe narcissism is called malignant personality disorder and is relatively untreatable.

"It's both nature and nurture. We know ambition runs in families. And we know kids that are adopted into families with ambitious parents turn out to be more ambitious than if they weren't adopted into those kinds of families." — Dr. Joel Yager

Episode References: https://journals.lww.com/jonmd/fulltext/2023/04000/ambition_and_its_psychopathologies.1.aspx

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social

Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast

Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

In this episode, Therese Markow and Sophie Lucido Johnson discuss the evolution of family and the concept of "kin" in Sophie's book "Kin: The Future of Family." They explore the isolation and loneliness in modern society, emphasizing the importance of chosen family networks, or "pods," for emotional and physical well-being. She highlights the benefits of close, non-genetic relationships, citing research showing that strong social connections can prolong life more than health habits. Sophie also addresses the challenges of maintaining friendships post-children and the mutual support needed in kin relationships, drawing parallels to primate behavior and community responses to disasters.

Key Takeaways:

• Digital connective tools are wonderful, but they do not take the place of human connection of conversation, and relationships.

• You do not have to live with someone to create a family pod together. Living in proximity can help to share the burden and lighten the load. It is good for your mental and physical health to build relationships with those in close proximity to you.

• Relationships do not need to be transactional. However, by nature, there will be levels of give and take.

• Commitment is not just for romantic relationships.

• Planning is difficult. Be spontaneous with short time hangouts, running errands together, and a willingness to commit more deeply with your friends while being flexible.

• Cross-generational relationships have many benefits for all parties involved.

"There's nothing that the science has shown to prolong your life more than relationships with other people." — Sophie Lucido Johnson

Connect with Sophie Lucido Johnson:

Website: https://www.sophielucidojohnson.com/

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/sophielucidojohnson

Book: simonandschuster.com/books/Kin/Sophie-Lucido-Johnson/9781668060650

Instagram: instagram.com/sophielucidojohnson

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social

Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast

Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Tami Rowen discuss menopause, perimenopause, and hormone therapy. She explains that menopause is defined as one year without a period, while perimenopause can last up to 10 years with symptoms like mood changes and menstrual irregularities. Dr. Rowen discusses the changes in FSH levels and how to understand what the levels mean across time, and why they may not be as helpful as you think. She also explains how hormone therapy can alleviate symptoms and prevent osteoporosis, and that bioidentical hormones are preferred for their safety and efficacy. Finally, she cautions that social media can spread both accurate and misleading information about menopause and hormone therapy.

Key Takeaways:

• There is a debate over whether or not there is a cardiovascular benefit to starting hormone therapy early. While several studies suggest there may be a benefit, all the current guidelines recommend against using hormone therapy specifically for the prevention of heart disease.

• When somebody enters menopause or post-menopause, there is no significant change in their testosterone levels. However, testosterone will be lower than when someone was in their 20s.

• The majority of people giving information about menopause are not healthcare providers. Oftentimes, when they are discussing hormone therapy, some of the risks get missed, some of the benefits get overblown, and many are left believing hormone therapy will be a cure-all.

"Anytime someone makes a definitive statement, I would take it with a grain of salt and just know that there's oftentimes nuance to recommendations and guidance, and I would encourage all women to seek out a provider that is familiar with the data." — Dr. Tami Rowen

Connect with Dr. Tami Rowen:

Professional Bio: https://profiles.ucsf.edu/tami.rowen

Website: https://www.ucsfhealth.org/providers/tami-rowen

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drtamirowen/

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Threads: @critically_speaking

Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast

Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Robert Klitzman discuss the implications of new anti-obesity drugs, initially designed for type 2 diabetes but now used for weight loss. These drugs are expensive and may not be fully covered by insurance. They discuss how the drugs work and explain why they may be more effective for some than others. Dr. Klitzman highlights the socio-economic disparity that contributes to some of the causes of obesity. He emphasizes the need for prevention and policy changes to address the root causes of obesity, including dietary habits and access to healthy food.

Key Takeaways:

• The US spends twice as much per person on health care as any other country in the world, yet our health indices are nowhere near the top. A lot of that is because of the price of drugs.

• Obesity medications are being touted as the end of the obesity pandemic, as a cure-all. However, while they do a lot of good, there are many limitations to the drugs.

• Obesity is often more prevalent in lower socio-economic classes. With the increased use of these obesity drugs, the disparity between the haves and have-nots will continue to grow, potentially leading to additional stigmas being placed on those struggling with obesity.

"I do have concerns that the attention on drugs, if we're going to spend a lot of money on drugs for obesity, my concern is we're not going to spend as much attention on how to prevent obesity in the first place." — Dr. Robert Klitzman

Connect with Dr. Robert Klitzman:

Professional Bio: https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/profile/robert-klitzman-md

Website: https://sps.columbia.edu/person/robert-klitzman-md

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-klitzman/

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Threads: @critically_speaking

Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Kevin Spencer discuss the innovative use of magic tricks as therapy for children with autism. Kevin found that teaching magic helped children with autism improve social skills, communication, and self-esteem. He developed the Hocus Focus program for schools and the Magic Therapy program for hospitals, both using simple magic tricks with common items. Kevin's research showed significant improvements in social skills and self-esteem using the Social Skills Improvement Scale (SSIS) and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). He also successfully adapted his therapy to virtual formats during the pandemic.

Key Takeaways:

• One of the most significant deficits of traditional social skills programs in the schools is that they try to teach social skills explicitly, through this very didactic structure, but none of that is transferred over to a real-world setting.

• Doug Henning's formula for magic works well with kids on the spectrum, and really, everyone: The difficult must become habit. Habit becomes beautiful. Beautiful becomes magic.

• Magic gives kids an avenue to practice social interactions and other social skills that become broadly applicable to other areas of life. In classroom settings, it gives kids a chance to practice both performing and being an audience.

• Teachers and parents often see the changes before the child does, as the kids are so engaged in the learning and sharing with their friends.

• There are no expectations that you know how to do magic (unlike other behaviors). It allows for failure to be part of the process, which builds frustration tolerance, persistence, critical thinking, and resilience.

"All of the tricks that we teach are done with very ordinary items. It's coins and Q-tips and string and rope and paper clips and rubber bands, because we want them to recognize that the magic is connected to them. It's not connected to a prop." — Dr. Kevin Spencer

Episode References:

• TDF: https://www.tdf.org/

Connect with Dr. Kevin Spencer:

Professional Bio: https://kevinspencerlive.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spencersmagic

Website: https://www.spencersmagic.com/

Books: https://www.kevinspencerlive.com/books

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/spencersmagic

Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/spencersmagic

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinwspencer/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/magicguy2012

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Bluesky:@CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social

Instagram: @Criticallyspeakingpodcast

Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Tami Rowen discuss the controversy surrounding the use of Tylenol during pregnancy and its potential link to autism. She emphasizes that the evidence is largely anecdotal and not supported by robust scientific studies. Dr. Rowen highlights a study published in Environmental Health in 2025 that found a weak association between Tylenol use and autism, but adds that a subsequent study revealed flaws in the earlier study and showed no association. Fever in pregnant women can have dangerous effects and should be relieved. She stresses that Tylenol is the safest pain reliever and fever reducer for pregnant women, who experience fevers in 20% of pregnancies. Dr. Rowen criticizes the media and some health officials for misrepresenting the risks, potentially leading to harmful decisions by pregnant women.

Key Takeaways:

• Tylenol is the safest option that we have in terms of a fever reducer and pain reliever. Fevers actually have more association with autism than Tylenol does in the research.

• On the other hand, Ibuprofen and NSAIDs are unsafe in pregnancy, especially in the third trimester.

"Pregnancy is quite an uncomfortable state of being. We tell pregnant women, and we tell women in general, to tough out a lot of things, but pain is not something that I think is reasonable. I think that it goes against the principle of doing no harm, to tell people they should just suffer with pain when there is actually effective and safe medication for them." — Dr. Tami Rowen

Episode References:

• The Conversation Article: https://theconversation.com/as-an-ob-gyn-i-see-firsthand-how-misleading-statements-on-acetaminophen-leave-expectant-parents-confused-fearful-and-lacking-in-options-265947

Connect with Dr. Tami Rowen:

Professional Bio: https://profiles.ucsf.edu/tami.rowen

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Bluesky:@CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social

Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Lucas F.W. Wilson discuss his book, Shame-Sex Attraction, which explores the experiences of conversion therapy survivors. Lucas explains that conversion therapy aims to change sexual orientation or gender identity, despite its ineffectiveness and harmful nature. He traces the history of conversion practices from the 1800s to the present, highlighting various methods like electroshock therapy and aversion therapy, and their rapid growth after 1976 up through the heyday in the early 2000s. Dr. Wilson shares his personal journey through conversion therapy at Liberty University and emphasizes the broader impact of conversion practices on societal beliefs and individual identities. He advocates for empathy and understanding to challenge these practices.

Key Takeaways:

• There are no known cases where conversion therapy has actually changed someone's sexual attraction. While there is anecdotal evidence from the organizations perpetuating the claims, research shows that it is not effective.

• "Pastoral Counseling" and other similar phrases are used to mask or obfuscate the practice of conversion therapy to hide the work that is being done.

• There is no typical or standard conversion therapy. The experiences range widely from person to person.

• Conversion practices can be seen throughout many, if not all, people's lives, even if they've never been to official conversion therapy, nor is it solely for those who are part of the queer or religious community.

• It is important to engage with ideas and communities that are different from your own.

"I would argue that probably every single person in this world at some point has been told 'don't act like this,' whether they were a kid or older, and that message has stayed with them and affected how they present their gender and how they identify." — Dr. Lucas F.W. Wilson

Episode References:

• Boy Erased: A Memoir of Identity, Faith, and Family by Garrard Conley

• 1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture

• Genocidal Intentions: Social Death and the Ex-Gay Movement by Sue E. Spivey and Christine M. Robinson

Connect with Dr. Lucas F.W. Wilson:

Professional Bio: https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/historical-studies/people/lucas-wilson

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucas-wilson-2a0753b1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/luke.wilson.96

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lukeslamdunkwilson/

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@lukeslamdunkwilson

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lukeslamdunkwilson

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/lukeslamdunkwilson.bsky.social

X: https://x.com/wilson_fw

Other Publications: https://utschools.academia.edu/LucasWilson

Book: Shame-Sex Attraction: Survivors' Stories of Conversion Therapy
Book: At Home with the Holocaust

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Threads: @critically_speaking

Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.