Mind Tricks Radio

Episode 53: Distortion of the Day! Jumping to Conclusions, with Dr. Aaron Kaplan

In today's Distortion of the Day!, I talk about Jumping to Conclusions.

The reason why Jumping to Conclusions can be such a problem is it can cause you to make rash or wrong decisions based on a lack of accurate information. 

Thanks for tuning in!

 

Episode 52: Do I Have OCD? A Deep Dive on OCD Symptomatology, with Dr. Martin Hsia

I enjoyed having the opportunity today to "pick the brain" of Dr. Martin Hsia, a  Clinical Psychologist and expert in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). We talked in-depth about many forms of obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors commonly encountered with OCD. Dr. Hsia provides many examples of what differentiates "normal" thinking and behavior from OCD symptoms.

Dr. Hsia is the Clinical Director at the Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center of Southern California (http://www.CBTSoCal.com). CBT SoCal is a group practice that specializes in treating people with Anxiety Disorders, most specifically Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in its various forms, as well as CBT for unique presentations such as Trichotillomania, Excoriation Disorder, Body Dysmorphic Disorder, Insomnia, Tics, and Chronic Pain.

Dr. Hsia is a member of the International OCD Foundation, a Diplomate with the Academy of Cognitive Therapy, and has lectured and supervised as Adjunct Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at USC Keck School of Medicine.

Episode 51: Distortion of the Day! Black and White Thinking, with Dr. Aaron Kaplan

In today's episode of Distortion of the Day!, I discuss Black and White Thinking, also known as All Or Nothing Thinking or Absolute Thinking.

When you engage in Black and White thinking, you approach things from an extreme point of view. Either something is all good or all bad. A person either’s got your back, or you cant count on them. A situation is either totally awesome or totally screwed. And another person’s perspective or point of view is either completely in alignment with yours, or you are in total disagreement. There is no in-between. And that’s an unfortunate way to approach life because it creates barriers between you and the world around you by shutting out the possibilities of connection and growth that lie in the grey areas.

Thanks for tuning in!

Episode 50: Why do Men and Women have the Same Argument Over and Over?, with Dr. Avrum Weiss

I enjoyed catching up with Dr. Avrum Weiss about the reason why couples have the same argument again and again and again and .... 

Dr. Weiss was a guest on MIND TRICKS RADIO Episode 31 where he spoke about his important and thought provoking, best-selling book, Hidden in Plain Sight: How Men's Fear of Women Shape Their Intimate Relationships. 

In today's episode, we discussed the reasons why men and women argue about the same thing, and how this stems from their internal psychodynamics, upbringings, and fundamental differences in the men and women approach relationships and communication.  If you're a woman in a relationship and keep scratching your head around why your partner shuts down, becomes defensive, and argues with you, I think you will find this episode enlightening. And if you're a man and wonder why your partner picks on you and won't back off, please tune in!

Dr. Weiss is a regular contributor to the Psychology Today website and gives workshops nationally teaching men and women how to better understand each other.  He lives on an island off the coast of Maine, with his wife and dog. 

Episode 49: Distortion of the Day! Catastrophic Thinking, with Dr. Aaron Kaplan

I'm super excited to release my first episode of Distortion of the Day! These episodes will run under 10 minutes and I will introduce psychological concepts in a fun, practical, useful way.

Today's episode explains Catastrophic Thinking, or Catastrophizing. This is a common cognitive error where you tend to focus on the worst case scenario in the absence of logic or data to support your fear. I hope you find the episode helpful, and wishing you the best in cognitive clarity! Thanks for tuning in!

Episode 48: How To Identify Your Core Irrational Beliefs, with Dr. Aaron Kaplan

In this episode I discuss a helpful therapeutic topic called Core Irrational Beliefs (CIB). CIB's typically stem from the experiences a child has growing up with learning from his or her family of origin, messages from the media, interactions with peers, and from trauma. CIB's significantly shape the way we view the world around us and about our roles and relationships.  I like to conceptualize CIB's as pertaining to the Self, Others, and the World around us. I spend time in this episode discussing these types of CIB's and where they come from, and I use case studies to illustrate the various CIB's. 

I also highly recommend listening to Episode 46: The ABC's of Cognitive Therapy which is directly pertinent to this topic of CIB's.

Episode 47: Becoming a Limitless Person, with Dr. Kimberly Quinn

Today I met with Dr. Kimberly Quinn, a professor of Cognitive Psychology at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont. Dr. Quinn teaches and speaks on topics of Positive Psychology.  Today we talked about becoming a "Limitless Person," who is someone that taps into their authentic self, is true to their values, and isn't afraid to create the life for themselves that they want and deserve. Limitless people do not hold themselves back -- they "go for it" in life without shame or hesitation.  To do this, they cultivate a strong sense of gratitude, compassion, and interconnectedness to the world around them.  We discussed many of the key mindsets shared by Limitless People.

Dr. Quinn teaches courses on Mindcraft (with a D) and Cognitive Psychology and she speaks at various colleges, universities, and organizations on a variety of topics related to optimal functioning and life satisfaction.  She’s done TedX talks including:

• No Need to Fix Me: I’m Not Broken.
• The Double-edged Sword: ADHD and Impulsivity.

Dr. Quinn also has her own weekly podcast called Mindcraft podcast, and a Mindcraft Youtube channel. Both are aimed at striving for optimal well-being and life satisfaction. She also writes for Psychology Today on topics related to positive psychology.

Episode 46: The ABC’s of Cognitive Therapy: Identify and Reframe Your Irrational Thoughts, with Dr. Aaron Kaplan

Today I decided to try something different and recorded my first solo episode of Mind Tricks Radio.  While I am eclectic in my approach to clinical psychology, meaning I draw from many different modalities when I work with patients, I find that cognitive therapy techniques can be extremely helpful to the therapeutic process. This episode may be helpful if you're new to cognitive therapy and would like to gain a better understanding on how your thoughts affect your mood. If you've had experience with cognitive therapy, this may be a practical and simple refresher on basic CBT concepts.

In this episode, I talk about the ABC's of Cognitive Therapy, including identifying triggers and events, the thoughts we have about them, and the resulting feelings.  I discuss the concept of "mixed mood states," for which it's therapeutically helpful to tease apart the many feelings we can experience simultaneously. I discuss how to slow down your thinking and identifying how your thoughts are connected to your feelings. I also discuss how to examine your thoughts and evaluate whether they are Rational and/or Functional as a means of reframing and restructuring irrational thinking.

I hope you find the episode to be useful! Please Subscribe to MIND TRICKS RADIO, and Like the episode if you enjoy it. It's also very helpful to leave a good review, I really appreciate it!

Episode 45: The Curious Case of Tyke the Elephant -- A Psychologist’s Firsthand Experience of Trauma and How He Addressed it, with Dr. Tyler Ralston

Today's episode of Mind Tricks Radio is an unusual one. I interviewed Dr. Tyler Ralston about his firsthand experience witnessing the rampage of Tyke the Elephant through the streets of Honolulu on August 20, 1994. 

During a performance by Circus International, an African Bush Elephant named Tyke mauled her trainer and then charged out of the event at the Neal Blaisdell Center and rampaged through the streets of the Kakaako business district. She was eventually brought down by police gunfire over 30 minutes later.  She was shot at least 86 times. This was a pivotal event for Dr. Ralston and caused him to think more intently about trauma. It also prompted him to take action and address animal cruelty and public policy.

In the interview, Dr. Ralston talks about his own personal experience coping with the traumatic event, and then discusses common factors leading a person to be traumatized. He also discusses how he dealt with the trauma, and how he helps others heal from their own traumas using cognitive and behavioral techniques common to trauma treatment.

 

Episode 44: The Silent Treatment: A Cutting Form of Passive-Aggression, with Dr. Bernard Golden

After taking a break from podcasting for five months, I'm excited to launch the next season of MIND TRICKS RADIO!  This podcast series explores contemporary themes in psychology, where I interview innovative clinicians, researchers, and thinkers in the field.

In today's interview,  I met with Clinical Psychologist Bernard Golden and spoke with him about Passive-Aggression and the Silent Treatment.  Dr. Golden has written several books and articles on the subject of Anger, including: Overcoming Destructive Anger: Strategies That Work; Healthy Anger: How to Help Children and Teen Manage Their Anger; and Unlock Your Creative Genius.

We do a deep dive today on a form of anger known as Passive-Aggression, and how it can be manifested in the Silent Treatment.  Dr. Golden describes what it's like to be both the perpetrator and the recipient of Passive-Aggression, and some of the psychological mechanisms that underly the phenomenon.  Lastly, Dr. Golden explains ways in which he helps individuals better understand and deal with their Anger, especially as it relates to Passive-Aggression and Silent Treatment.