WVIA Invites Veterans to Mind Over Matter Taping

Veterans are invited to be part of a studio audience and community conversation for the next Mind Over Matter television special, Veterans: Wounded Within on Thursday, February 2nd, 2023 at 6 pm at WVIA studios in Pittston.

Part of WVIA’s Mind Over Matter mental health initiative, Veterans: Wounded Within will feature moderator Tracey Matisak and a panel of regional mental health experts discussing the mental health challenges of veterans. Hear stories from people who are coping with mental health challenges and find out where to get help. Audience members will have an opportunity to ask panelists questions during the program taping.

Panelists include:

  • Brian Keller, a clinical psychologist who is a veteran of both the Navy & the Army.
  • Brigadier General (PA) Maureen Weigl, Deputy Adjutant General for Veterans Affairs
  • David Eisele, Director of Lackawanna County Veterans Affairs

Reservations are free but limited and can be made at: wvia.org/mindovermatter

About Mind Over Matter

Those suffering from mental health issues often become victims of discrimination and social isolation due to the stigma attached to these disorders. This stigma is a significant public health issue and can inhibit those with mental illness to seek proper treatment and recovery.

In order to combat the stigma and increase awareness, prevention, treatment, and management of a range of mental illnesses, WVIA and Geisinger present Mind Over Matter: A Mental Health Initiative. Like WVIA’s successful Battling Opioids series, this public health initiative aims to improve the mental and physical health of our community through a multi-platform approach that includes television, radio, and digital content.

Mind Over Matter is presented by Geisinger.

WVIA Mission

WVIA educates, inspires, entertains and fosters citizenship, diverse cultures, and perspectives to nurture community.

Award Winning Journalist Tracey Matisak to Host WVIA Mental Health Initiative Mind Over Matter

Award winning journalist Tracey Matisak will host the WVIA and Geisinger presented mental health initiative Mind Over Matter. 

“We are excited to have Tracey guide conversations and increase awareness of mental illness prevention, treatment, and management in our area” said Ben Payavis II, WVIA’s Chief Content Officer. “Her extensive resume and inquisitive approach make her an ideal partner on this project to inform and engage the people of northeastern and central Pennsylvania.”

“Mental health is a topic that, until recently, has not gotten the attention it deserves. While we have all been (rightly) focused on COVID-19, the anxiety and depression that have come along with it have created something of a secondary pandemic. I’m encouraged by those in the public eye who have courageously come forward to share their challenges and spark a national and long overdue conversation around mental health. It’s a topic that has touched my own life, and one that I’m looking forward to exploring with WVIA viewers through Mind Over Matter. My hope is that the series will encourage and challenge us all, and heighten our awareness and sensitivity to this important topic” said Matisak.

With more than 30 years of major market television and radio experience, Tracey has anchored numerous special projects for WHYY-TV/PBS in Philadelphia; she also serves as a regular guest host on WHYY-FM’s Radio Times with Marty Moss-Coane. In addition, Tracey serves as moderator for the Philadelphia Speakers Series, where she has shared the stage with the likes of NBC’s Tom Brokaw, former British Prime Minister David Cameron, Equal Justice Initiative founder Bryan Stevenson and acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns.

Tracey is a frequent moderator for the Author Events series at the Free Library of Philadelphia, where she has interviewed former Defense Secretary Robert Gates, entertainer and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte, Huffington Post co-founder Arianna Huffington and Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles, among others. 

In addition, Tracey travels nationwide hosting live, interactive executive leadership webcasts for Skillsoft Corporation. In that capacity, she regularly interviews some of the most widely respected authors and speakers in the business world, including Daniel Pink, Seth Godin, John Maxwell and Angela Duckworth.

Tracey is perhaps best known for her work in television news, having worked for 12 years at FOX 29, Philadelphia. There, she anchored the live morning show Good Day Philadelphia and served as an anchor and reporter for FOX 29’s Ten O’Clock News. She was also a contributor to the HGTV show Design Basics, and has served as a news anchor for a number of Philadelphia radio stations, including KYW Newsradio.

A graduate of Temple University, Tracey taught for several years there as an adjunct instructor in the Klein College of Media and Communication. A winner of several local Emmy awards, Tracey was among the first to be inducted into Temple University’s School of Media and Communications Hall of Fame. She has also won the Sarah Award for Excellence in Broadcasting from the Association for Women in Communications and was named Communicator of the Year by the National Black MBA Association.

Originally from Hazleton, PA, Tracey and her husband Daniel are the parents of three young adults; they live in suburban Philadelphia.

Mind Over Matter is a yearlong initiative which includes programs and presentations created by WVIA. The series goal is to combat the stigma and increase awareness, prevention, treatment and management of a range of mental Illnesses. Like WVIA’s successful Battling Opioids series, this public health initiative aims to improve the mental and physical health of our community through a multi-platform approach that will include TV, radio, and digital content.

Major funding for Mind Over Matter is provided by Geisinger.

On Thursday, August 26th at 8pm the initiative will present Living with Alzheimer’s & Dementia, a program that explores the effects these diseases have on individuals, families and communities. 

To find more information and to learn more about Mind Over Matter visit wvia.org/mindovermatter.