Mind Tricks Radio

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.

Episode 43: Bouncing Back From Rejection, with Dr. Leslie Becker-Phelps

I enjoyed a lively conversation today on the topic of Rejection, with Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Leslie Becker-Phelps.  She discussed how people can better understand their reactions to rejection and ways they can develop strategies to cope with these uncomfortable thoughts and feelings.

Dr. Becker-Phelps is dedicated to helping people understand themselves and what they need to do to become emotionally and psychologically healthy. She has authored Bouncing Back from Rejection and Insecure in Love. She  writes a Psychology Today blog called Making Change.

She also has a YouTube channel. She treats individuals and couples in her clinical practice, located in New Jersey. She is on the medical staff of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset in Somerville, New Jersey. To learn more about Dr. Becker-Phelps, visit www.drbecker-phelps.com. Her most recent book, Bouncing Back from Rejection can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Bouncing-Back-Rejection-Resilience-Knocks/dp/1684034027

Episode 42: PTSD and Prolonged Exposure Therapy, with Dr. Amy Lappen

I enjoyed interviewing Dr. Amy Lappen, a Clinical Psychologist in private practice in Long Beach, California. She specializes in the treatment of PTSD, and has expertise in in using Prolonged Exposure Therapy for trauma and PTSD.

Aside from PTSD and Trauma treatment, Dr. Lappen specializes in the treatment of depression, anxiety, intimate partner violence, anger management, disordered eating, maternal depression (peri-partum and post-partum depressions and/or anxiety), fertility issues, and parenting.

Episode 41: Letting Go of Unhealthy Romantic Relationships, with Dr Roxy Zarrabi.

I enjoyed meeting up with Dr. Roxy Zarrabi, a Clinical Psychologist in private practice who specializes in helping women struggling with low self-esteem, anxiety, or dating/relationship challenges to feel confident about themselves and the future of their relationships. Dr. Zarrabi spoke with me today about many reasons why people have difficulty letting go of unhealthy relationships, and things they may do to challenge them.

More information about her therapy services, newsletter, and latest updates can be found at www.drroxyzarrabi.com.

Episode 40: Workplace Burnout, with Dr. Rachelle Scott

I enjoyed a lively and informative interview with Dr. Rachelle Scott, Medical Director of Psychiatry at Eden Health, who spoke with me on the topic of Workplace Burnout. Dr. Scott discussed how employers and individuals can identify signs and causes of burnout, and how they can address burnout through better communication and attention to employees' needs. This topic is particularly timely as individuals navigate workplace dynamics after two years of the COVID pandemic.  

Dr. Scott is a board-certified adult psychiatrist who received her Medical Degree from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston and completed residency in psychiatry at the Zucker Hillside Hospital in NY. Prior to joining Eden Health she worked as a consulting psychiatrist with the Mental Health Service Corps, an initiative of THRIVE NYC, and subsequently became the Medical Director. She has many years of experience treating adult psychiatric patients in a variety of inpatient and outpatient settings but has been most passionate about providing holistic and integrated mental health care. Dr. Scott has contributed to pieces in Business Insider, NPR, Forbes, Employee Benefit News, and many other outlets.

Episode 39: The Soul of Care, with Dr. Arthur Kleinman

It was an honor to interview Harvard Professor Dr. Arthur Kleinman, a luminary in the field of Psychiatry and Medical Anthropology.  When I was a college student, Dr. Kleinman's work was a major inspiration for me to pursue a career in Clinical Psychology with a research emphasis on the intersection of psychology and culture.

During the interview, we discussed Dr. Kleinman's most recent book, The Soul of Care: The Moral Education of a Husband and a Doctor. In Soul of Care, Dr. Kleinman discussed his deeply personal 10 year journey of caring for his beloved wife Joan in her struggle with early onset Alzheimer's Dementia. He puts his own experience into perspective drawing from his intellectual and academic focuses on the challenges of Western Medicine to provide adequate and meaningful care to patients and their families.  If you have ever been a caretaker, or you currently find yourself in this role, you will certainly find Dr. Kleinman's interview and his book both moving and validating.

Dr. Kleinman is one of the most renowned and influential scholars and writers on psychiatry, anthropology, global health, and cultural and humanistic issues in medicine. Educated at Stanford University and Stanford Medical School, he has taught at Harvard for over forty years. He is currently a professor of psychiatry and of medical anthropology at Harvard Medical School and the Esther and Sidney Rabb Professor of Anthropology in Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. He was the Fung Director of Harvard’s Asia Center from 2008 to 2016. He is the author of six other books, including The Illness Narratives: Suffering, Healing, and the Human Condition, widely taught in medical schools. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Kleinman is currently directing a project on Social Technology for Global Aging and Eldercare in China that involves faculty and students from six of Harvard's schools as well as a number of his former students who are professors in China.

* photo credit to Torben Eskerod

 

Episode 38: Buddhism, Psychotherapy, and the Kalama Sutta, with Dr. John Cottone

I enjoyed a fascinating interview with author and Clinical Psychologist, Dr. John Cottone, on the ways that Buddhist thoughts and practice intersect with practices in Western psychotherapy.  Since I became a psychologist, I have always noticed parallels between Buddhist thinking and psychotherapy and I was delighted to read a post by Dr. Cottone in Psychology Today on the topic.  Specifically, Dr. Cottone summarized the Kalama Sutta -- or teachings by the Buddha that encourage people to examine and question reality with logic and reason.  

Dr. John Cottone is a Clinical Psychologist in private practice in Stony Brook, NY and a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook.  Dr. Cottone has numerous peer-reviewed research publications in neuroscience, psychiatry, psychotherapy outcome and moral reasoning. He is also a regular contributor to Psychology Today where he has a blog entitled The Cube, and he is the author of three books, including, Who Are You? Essential Questions for Hitchhikers on the Road of Truth.