On this week’s episode of Purpose Driven Person, Mathew is joined by psychiatrist, author, and filmmaker, Dr. Stephen Seager.  Join them as they discuss Dr. Seager’s journey to becoming a psychiatrist and working in a state hospital for the criminally insane.  Listen as he shares about his forays into writing and movie making, all to shine a light on mental illness. Mathew and Dr. Seager also discuss the effects of the current pandemic.

About the Guest:

Dr Stephen Seager is a psychiatrist, author and filmmaker. His last book, “Behind the Gates of Gomorrah: a Year With the Criminally Insane,” released in 2015, was an international bestseller. His films include: “Shattered Families: the Collapse of America’s Mental Health System,” which garnered a “Best Documentary Award” at 5 International Film Festivals and received the 2016 “Filmmaking for Humanity Award.” His new film, “ROADMAP: Making a Mental Health System That Actually Works” won numerous awards. In it Dr Seager proposes a bold new plan for solving the problems of homelessness and incarceration of the mentally ill.

For the past 6 years Dr Seager has a regular CNN Mental Health Contributor. He is a frequent guest on CNN tonight with Don Lemon when a mental health topic arises.  Dr Seager is considered an expert on the homeless mentally ill and incarcerated mentally ill and has proposed bold solutions for both.

A former Emergency Room physician, Dr Seager has been a psychiatrist for 25 years, specializing in the treatment of the seriously mentally ill. He currently works for Solano County Mental Health System in Vacaville California. 

Dr Seager is a retired Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at UCLA School of Medicine and has published numerous original scientific papers.

Dr Seager grew up in the Bay Area. He and his wife Jessica are the parents of two young children.

About the Host:

Matthew Cox spent his elementary and middle school years thinking there was something wrong with his brain. For him, schoolwork was a daunting, frustrating, and often embarrassing challenge. He was the kid who never seemed to catch up with his classmates, no matter how hard he tried. “Growing up with a disability was like having an elephant in the room that nobody wants to talk about,” Matthew explained. Being diagnosed with a learning disability during high school helped he finally put a name to the problem, and to begin his journey to personal and academic success. “I’ve learned to befriend my elephant, I’ve named him George,” Matthew said. “George is not going away but I can choose how I feel about him.”

Through his own experience, Matthew knows what it means to be a teenager in trouble as well as what it takes to run a business. Matthew brings inspiration, humor, and practical strategies during his speaking engagements, inspiring change to those he works with.

Thanks to family members and caring adults in his life, Matthew was able to overcome the hardship of his disability and has dedicated his life to helping others find their purpose and help families succeed.

Matthew offers a variety of training workshops and speaking engagements to fit your needs including:

* Effective Communication* Business personality profile (True Colors) based on the Myer Briggs.* Team Building.* Couples Retreats* Improving the relationships in your life* Rediscovering Superman- Matthew Cox’s personal story of growing up with a learning disability.* The art of conflict resolution, forgiveness, and letting go.* Parenting* Customized workshops* Keynote speeches

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