What does it mean to write the words that shape history? How does language become a tool of power, persuasion, and memory? In this live episode, Dr. K sits down with Ken Khachigian—author of Behind Closed Doors: In the Room with Reagan and Nixon and one of America's most influential presidential speechwriters—to trace his journey from a farm boy in California's San Joaquin Valley to the heart of political power. An Armenian-American whose heritage shaped his sense of resourcefulness and agility, Khachigian reflects on the art and psychology of speechwriting, the intimacy and trust it demands, and the nicknames that capture its many dimensions—the Word Donkey, the Fireman, the Lion of the Speechwriters. Together, he and Dr. K explore how finding a president's voice means balancing message, emotion, and history. This is a conversation about ambition, integrity, and the enduring power of words to define both personal and collective experience.

What does it mean to call Armenian an Indo-European language? And how do linguists actually prove such family ties? In this episode, Dr. K and historical-comparative linguist Dr. Hrach Martirosyan trace Armenian's journey from its Indo-European roots to modern dialects, weighing evidence from cognates, systematic sound changes, and centuries of contact. They focus on the label "Indo-European," unpacking it as a scholarly convention that has often led to confusion about geography and identity. Together, they revisit the origins of the field, from Sir William Jones to Heinrich Hübschmann, and clarify why Armenian is recognized as an independent branch. Beyond the technical, they reflect on why this history matters—not only for Armenian speakers, but also for the field of Indo-European linguistics—showing how language embodies continuity, identity, and memory, and why both students and scholars should embrace the unanswered questions that keep the field alive.

What does it mean to live and create between languages? How can code-switching become a form of artistry? In this episode of Language Therapy with Dr. K, Armenian American singer, songwriter, and one-half of the chart-topping duo Capital Cities, Sebu Simonian, takes listeners behind the scenes of his creative process and reveals the central role of language. From growing up a heritage speaker of Western Armenian to performing in Eastern Armenian, from writing global pop hits in English to reimagining Komitas in bilingual form, Sebu moves fluidly not only between languages but also across genres — making hybridity itself a hallmark of his work. The conversation highlights his deep connection to Armenian music, particularly Komitas, and the wide-ranging collaborations through which he continually reimagines how language, culture, and sound converge. Listen for a thoughtful reflection on the power of words and melodies to shape both personal expression and collective experience.

What happens when language is more than a tool—when it becomes a performance, a personality, a portal to the past? In this richly layered conversation, artist and filmmaker Arman Nshanian joins Dr. K to trace the story of his life through the languages and dialects he's spoken, sung, embodied, and directed—from Egyptian-Armenian roots to Vienna opera halls, Yerevan film sets, and now to the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles with his latest project, Echoes of Our Ancestors. Together, they explore multilingualism, method acting, dialectal code-switching, diasporic identity, and the cost—and power—of artistic vulnerability.

What happens when the language you speak has been disconnected from its homeland for over a century? How does dialect shape identity, belonging, and memory? In this episode, Dr. K sits down with David Ghoogasian—educator and head of AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School—who grew up speaking the now-rare Armenian dialect of Artvin, passed down to him by his grandparents. Together, they explore the emotional and cultural power of dialect, the experience of linguistic shame, and the formative role of literacy in diasporic life. Drawing on his background in neuroscience and education, David reflects on how language lives in the body, in the brain, and across generations. This is a conversation about inclusion, transmission, and the future of Armenian in all its forms.

How do we talk about luck? Can a shift in language alter our experience of chance and unpredictability? What happens when we stop waiting for fortune to strike and begin cultivating the conditions for serendipity?

In this episode, Dr. K is joined by Dr. Christian Busch—author of The Serendipity Mindset and professor at USC's Marshall School of Business—for a wide-ranging conversation on the intersection of language, luck, and meaning-making. Together, they explore how the stories we tell about fortune shape our ability to perceive and act on unexpected opportunities.

From folk etymologies of fate in Armenian to the role of inner narrative in shaping agency, Dr. K and Dr. Busch reflect on cultural attitudes toward chance, leadership under uncertainty, and the joy that can emerge from embracing the unplanned. Listen to gain insights into how linguistic framing influences self-perception, the difference between passive luck and active serendipity, and why ambiguity in language can be a powerful generator of connection and creativity.

What does it mean to live a multilingual life shaped by displacement, theology, and research? How can language serve both as a utilitarian tool and a site of philosophical reflection? And what can large-scale data reveal about Armenian identity across continents?

Join Dr. K and Dr. Hratch Tchilingirian—sociologist, scholar of religion, and director of the Armenian Diaspora Survey—as they trace his personal and intellectual journey across Beirut, Jerusalem, New York, and Oxford, using language as the thread. In this expansive conversation, they discuss the boundaries imposed and chosen in diasporic life, the shifting relationship between Armenian identity and language, and the surprising findings of one of the most ambitious studies of the global Armenian diaspora to date. From dialects and hyphenated identities to the politics of survey design, this episode explores how diasporic communities imagine and articulate Armenianness across generations and geographies.

How does active listening shape a conversation? And what happens when we bring colloquial language into public discourse? In this episode, Dr. K sits down with Narek Amirkhanyan, host of Rearrange, Armenia's most popular podcast, to explore the power of authenticity in language and media. They dive into the origins of Rearrange, its impact on the Armenian media landscape, and what it means to have smart, unfiltered conversations in everyday Armenian. Together, they unpack the cultural, personal, and political weight of speaking colloquially in public media—examining how language can be an act of inclusion, how communications styles shift across societies, and why asking ինչի ["why" in colloquial Armenian] might be the most radical question of all.