China’s Evolving National Policies; Climate Change and Cities; Therapy Gig Economy

Mental Health Provision emulates the gig economy. How this is harmful to both professionals and patients.

Carl Zha, host of Silk and Steel podcast focusing on China and the surrounding regions’ history, culture and politics, joins us to talk about how China’s society is changing as new policies are being implemented at the national level, including crackdown on gamers and big tech companies, a coming economic shift, and statements from the government about closing the wealth gap. We talk about the potential impacts of these new policies, what the drivers are for these changes, and the forces that may oppose these changes. We also talk about how these policy shifts could affect relations internationally and with the U.S. as a new global contest heats up.

Ellen Douglas, associate professor of hydrology at the School for the Environment at the University of Massachusetts, Boston talks to us about the ways climate change might affect cities in particular, and what city-dwellers and designers should be preparing for a changing landscape and weather phenomena, in light of a series of disasters, from droughts and wildfires in the west to flooding and storms in the east. We talk about what cities need to do to make sure they can meet the energy and water needs of the people who live in affected areas, and the challenges to enacting mitigating strategies.

Chris Thomas, community mentor, violence interrupter and top soldier, and Maurice Cook, executive director and lead organizer at Serve Your City, talk to us about rowing count of mass shootings in the United States and how cities are failing its citizens, a new report on hunger during the pandemic released by the US Department of Agriculture and how economic inequality is one of the main drivers of food insecurity.

Karissa Brennan, fully licensed mental health counselor, founder of Cloud Counseling, and former therapist for Talkspace, talks to us about how therapy and mental health have become part of the precarious gig economy, and how the “uber-ization” of mental health through apps like Talkspace does a disservice to mental health workers and patients alike, particularly in a moment where adequate mental health services are crucial.

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