In this episode of Discover U, join host JD Kalmenson as he and Mari discuss the psychological impact of social media algorithms and how they are psychologically designed to keep us hooked with unpredictable content. They explore signs of hope that society may be reaching what author Arthur Brooks calls a "Peak Addiction Point" with devices and is beginning to seek real, offline connection. Mari offers an introduction to the Human Design system, a tool she describes as a fusion of ancient wisdom...
Jul 08, 2025•40 min•Season 3Ep. 5
From the casino-like "pull-to-refresh" feature to the rise of the TikTok diagnosis, our devices have a much deeper impact on our mental health than we realize. In this compelling episode of Discover U, media psychologist Dr. Don Grant explains the psychological tricks technology uses to keep us hooked and how it's affecting our relationships and well-being. Join guest host Amy Charlesworth as she and Dr. Grant discuss: The concepts of "technoference" and "absent presence" in our daily interactio...
Jun 26, 2025•49 min•Season 3Ep. 4
What if the labels we carry like "procrastinator" or "depressed" aren't who we truly are? In this insightful conversation, therapist, writer, and creator Shari Foos explores the power of changing our personal narratives to improve our mental well-being. Join host JD Kalmenson on Discover U to learn about: The core ideas behind Narrative Therapy and how it separates a person from their problem. Shari's unique group experience, The Narrative Method, which uses creative writing to foster deep human...
Jun 17, 2025•22 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Welcome to Discover U! On this episode, straight from the Emerging Themes Behavioral Health Conference, host JD Kalmenson (CEO of Montclair Behavioral Health) talks with the one-and-only Dr. Skip Rizzo. He's the brains behind Medical Virtual Reality at USC's Institute for Creative Technologies, and he’s got some mind-blowing stuff to share. Dr. Rizzo breaks down how VR is becoming a total game-changer for mental well-being. You'll hear about: (00:01:13) The awesome "Game Boy story" that first sp...
Jun 05, 2025•27 min
This podcast features an interview with Dr. Markus Rogan, a former Olympic gold medalist who transitioned into the field of behavioral health and mental health counseling. The discussion covers Dr. Rogan's unorthodox personal journey, including his family's history and his own conversion to Judaism. Key topics discussed include: Dr. Rogan's shift from elite athletics to mental health work, and how he found meaning and fulfillment in helping others rather than pursuing individual athletic glory. ...
Sep 11, 2024•18 min•Season 3Ep. 2
In this fascinating conversation, Dr. Gita Vaid, a board-certified psychiatrist and psychoanalyst based in Manhattan, discusses the emerging field of psychedelic-assisted therapy. Dr. Vaid shares her expertise on MDMA and ketamine, explaining their potential for treating depression, anxiety, PTSD, and relationship issues. The discussion covers: The unique benefits of MDMA and ketamine in psychotherapy How these medicines can help process trauma and increase self-awareness The potential for psych...
Sep 04, 2024•43 min•Season 3Ep. 1
JD Kalmenson interviews Marc Brackett, PhD., to understand the territory of Emotional Intelligence. What exactly is it? What are the skills necessary to navigate difficult emotions, and how can emotions affect our thinking? Montare Media presents Season 2, episode 8 of the Discover U Podcast: How does our Emotional Intelligence affect our Mental Health? Learn More about Montare Behavioral Health: https://montarebehavioralhealth.com/about/digital-library/ Marc is the founding director of the Yale...
Jun 29, 2023•41 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Montare Media presents this week’s episode of the Discover U Podcast: How Our Relationships Affect Our Mental Health, with Katherine Woodward Thomas-- A fresh perspective on relationships, and their developmental role in our lives JD Kalmenson, CEO of Montare Behavioral Health, a dynamic and comprehensive mental and behavioral health company in Southern California, interviews Katherine Woodward Thomas, a renowned author, teacher and therapist who has helped thousands of people around the world t...
May 01, 2023•48 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Montare Media presents Season 2, episode 23 of the Discover U Podcast with JD Kalmenson: Is Addiction a Brain Disease? With Dr. Mark Gold, MD Learn More about Montare Behavioral Health: https://montarebehavioralhealth.com/about/digital-library/ JD Kalmenson’s interviews Dr. Mark Gold, MD to understand the history of chemical dependency, and process addictions, seen through the lens of a prominent researcher and medical doctor. Dr. Gold gives the audience an idea of how difficult it was to get pr...
Nov 28, 2022•36 min•Season 2Ep. 23
Montare Media presents Season 2, episode 22 of the Discover U Podcast with JD Kalmenson: Understanding the Needs of Multicultural Populations in Behavioral Healthcare, with Dr. Norman Kim, PhD. Learn More about Montare Behavioral Health: https://montarebehavioralhealth.com/about/digital-library/ JD Kalmenson’s interviews Dr. Norman Kim, the co-founder of the Institute for Antiracism and Equity, as well as the Diversity chair of the Columbia University Department of Psychiatry, to discover how in...
Nov 14, 2022•41 min•Season 2Ep. 22
Montare Media presents Season 2, episode 21 of the Discover U Podcast with JD Kalmenson: Facing Addiction with Anna Lembke, MD Learn More about Montare Behavioral Health: https://montarebehavioralhealth.com/about/digital-library/ JD Kalmenson’s interviews Dr. Anna Lembke about her latest book, Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence, which explores why our relentless pursuit of pleasure ultimately leads to pain. Living in a time of unprecedented access to high-reward, high-dopa...
Oct 31, 2022•46 min•Season 2Ep. 21
Montare Media presents Season 2, episode 20 of the Discover U Podcast with JD Kalmenson: How to Raise Children Who Thrive with Michele Borba, Ed.D Learn More about Montare Behavioral Health: https://montarebehavioralhealth.com/about/digital-library/ JD Kalmenson’s interviews Dr. Michele Borba about her latest book, Thrivers, which outlines the character traits most correlated with resilience, and suggests simple every-day things parents can do to develop these in their children. Dr. Borba shares...
Oct 17, 2022•42 min•Season 2Ep. 20
Montare Media presents Season 2, episode 19 of the Discover U Podcast with JD Kalmenson: Healing from Eating Disorders with Jennifer Rollin, MSW, LSCSW-C. Learn More about Montare Behavioral Health: https://montarebehavioralhealth.com/about/digital-library/ JD Kalmenson’s interview with Jennifer Rollin, MSW, LCSW-C, brings a nuanced perspective to the wide-ranging world of eating disorders. Jennifer discusses the connection between various symptoms and their underlying causes– from genetic to en...
Oct 03, 2022•34 min•Season 2Ep. 19
Montare Media presents Season 2, episode 18 of the Discover U Podcast with JD Kalmenson: Understanding Postpartum Depression with Cathy Dore, LMFT. Learn More about Montare Behavioral Health: https://montarebehavioralhealth.com/about/digital-library/ JD Kalmenson interviews Cathy Dore, LMFT, to shed light on the unique challenges to women’s mental health during the pregnancy and postpartum period. Understanding the difference between “baby blues” and a more serious depressive event, is just one ...
Sep 19, 2022•45 min•Season 2Ep. 18
Montare Media presents Season 2, episode 17 of the Discover U Podcast with JD Kalmenson: How EMDR Works for Trauma and Grief, with Roger Solomon, PhD. Learn More about Montare Behavioral Health: https://montarebehavioralhealth.com/about/digital-library/ JD Kalmenson interviews Roger Solomon, PhD, an expert in EMDR therapy, to learn about how this evidence-based modality effectively rewires a traumatized nervous system. Note that Dr. Solomon was traveling to the Ukraine to deliver care to war vic...
Sep 06, 2022•39 min•Season 2Ep. 17
Montare Media presents Season 2, episode 16 of the Discover U Podcast with JD Kalmenson: Trauma as Opportunity for Healing with Gina Tabrizy Learn More about Montare Behavioral Health: https://montarebehavioralhealth.com/about/digital-library/ JD Kalmenson interviews Gina Tabrizy, who shares her story of hope and healing as a therapist, and as a trauma survivor and thriver. Gina believes anyone is capable of overcoming and healing their past. Her positive message is life-affirming and inspiring....
Aug 22, 2022•42 min•Season 2Ep. 16
Montare Media presents Season 2, episode 15 of the Discover U Podcast with JD Kalmenson: Essential Elements for Effective Group Therapy with Nick Jaworski JD Kalmenson interviews Nick Jaworski, an expert in behavioral health strategy, to learn about where most group therapy goes awry, and what both providers and patients can do to improve their experiences. Nick draws on his years as an educator to discuss techniques to promote greater engagement, motivation, and skill building during therapy. L...
Aug 08, 2022•38 min•Season 2Ep. 15
Montare Media presents Season 2, episode 14 of the Discover U Podcast with JD Kalmenson: Understanding Sex Addiction with David Fawcett, PhD, LCSW. Learn More about Montare Behavioral Health: https://montarebehavioralhealth.com/about/digital-library/ JD Kalmenson interviews David Fawcett, PhD, LCSW, to learn about the somewhat still taboo topic of sex addiction. Questions explored include; what makes it different from other addictive disorders? What are some of the underlying causes? Is it possi...
Jul 25, 2022•54 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Montare Media presents Season 2, episode 13 of the Discover U Podcast with JD Kalmenson: Art Therapy- How Creativity Can Heal, with Sarah Gallop, LMFT, ATR JD Kalmenson interviews Sarah Gallop, LMFT, ATR, a psychotherapist and registered art therapist, and owner of Creative Space Art Therapy, with practices in Los Angeles and Denver. Learn about how the act of creating art with color, line and shape can reveal hidden, unhealed aspects of unconscious material. Once brought to consciousness, these...
Jul 11, 2022•34 min•Season 2Ep. 13
Montare Media presents Season 2, episode 12 of the Discover U Podcast: MDMA, A New Frontier in Treating PTSD, with Willa Hall, PhD Learn More about Montare Behavioral Health: https://montarebehavioralhealth.com/about/digital-library/ JD Kalmenson interviews Willa Hall, PhD, who is a facilitator and trainer in the MAPS phase 3 clinical trials being done with MDMA to treat severe PTSD. Learn about the exciting new breakthroughs possible with the assistance of MDMA, and how each session is conducte...
Jun 27, 2022•47 min•Season 2Ep. 12
Montare Media presents Season 2, episode 11 of the Discover U Podcast: What Horses Can Teach Us About Finding Balance with Kate Neligan, MA JD Kalmenson interviews Kate Neligan to learn about the fascinating field of equine coaching and equine therapy. How can working with horses bring us back into harmonious relationship with ourselves and others, mirroring patterns of behavior and being that come from wounded places in our psyches. Kat Neligan is an equine-partnered life and business coach, he...
Jun 15, 2022•32 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Montare Media presents Season 2, episode 10 of the Discover U Podcast: Understanding DBT with Keren Clark JD Kalmenson interviews Keren Clark, MFT to learn about the relatively new therapy called DBT. DBT has been shown to be effective with previously treatment resistant diagnoses like Borderline Personality Disorder and Suicidality. Keren Clark is a licensed Marriage and Family therapist who has been intensively trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and in DBT Prolonged Exposure (DBT-PE...
Jun 08, 2022•30 min•Season 2Ep. 10
JD Kalmenson interviews Gina Ross, MFCC, to learn about the latest developments in trauma treatment, including how trauma lodges in the body, how our nervous system can be reset for more resilience, and how to work with generational trauma. Gina Ross, MFCC, is founder and president of International Trauma-Healing Institutes in the United States and in Israel and the co-founder of the Israeli Trauma Center at Herzog Hospital in Jerusalem. An internationally known expert on the impact of trauma in...
May 16, 2022•38 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Host JD Kalmenson interviews Polly Young-Eisendrath, PhD, about how the skills of Real Dialogue can help us humanize those we have conflict with, appreciate a different perspective, and increase both self-understanding and compassion for others. Polly Young-Eisendrath PhD. Polly is a Jungian analyst, a psychologist, and a psychotherapist in private practice. She's a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Vermont and is the founder and director of the Institute for Dialog...
Apr 06, 2022•43 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Montare Media presents Season 2, episode 6 of the Discover U Podcast: Eating Disorders and Diet Culture Learn More about Montare Behavioral Health: https://montarebehavioralhealth.com/about/digital-library/ JD Kalmenson interviews Dr. Wendy Oliver-Pyatt, MD, to understand how the rise of eating disorders in our time is related to prevalent shamed based media messages about diet and fitness. Learn about the dynamics of the different ED diagnoses and exciting new developments in their treatment. D...
Mar 14, 2022•42 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Discover U Podcast: A Look into Behavioral Healthcare Conferences in 2022 and Beyond with Jordan Young and Renee Baribeau Host, JD Kalmenson interviews Jordan Young and Renee Baribeau about the new Conference they are launching this April 2022 called “Emerging Themes in Behavioral Health.” Learn More about the Conference: https://app.ce-go.com/emerging-themes-in-behavioral-health-2022 An exciting new West Coast Behavioral Health Conference is coming to Los Angeles this April April 28th- 29th! Em...
Feb 28, 2022•31 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Montare Media presents Season 2, episode 4 of the Discover U Podcast: Mindfulness as a Tool for Psychological Healing Think Mindfulness is sitting in the lotus position under a tree? It’s actually a very practical tool that can change your life! Overeating? Addicted? Mindfulness might be our way out. Feeling stuck in negative thought loops? Find out how Mindfulness can help. JD Kalmenson interviews Lisa Kring, LCSW, to understand how Mindfulness practice can rewire the nervous system and support...
Feb 21, 2022•39 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Montare Media presents Season 2, episode 3 of the Discover U Podcast: TMS An Effective Tool for Treating Depression What if you’re pregnant or breast-feeding and can’t take psychotropic medicine for depression? Are you doomed to suffer? Have you tried antidepressants with little or no measurable improvement? There’s new hope with TMS. JD Kalmenson interviews Dr. Merrill Sparago to explore the efficacy of TMS, a relatively new, and amazingly effective, non-invasive treatment option. Dr. Merrill S...
Feb 08, 2022•27 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Montare Media presents this episode of the Discover U Podcast: Understanding Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating. Why are eating disorders such a big and growing problem in our world? Is diet culture ruining our psychological health? JD Kalmenson interviews Robyn Goldberg, a nationally recognized leader in the field, to find the answers to these and other compelling questions. Montarebh.com Robyn is a Certified Eating Disorders Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Supervisor from IAEDP (Inte...
Jan 24, 2022•39 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Montare Media presents Season Two Episode 1 of the Discover U Podcast: Prodepence: Moving Beyond Codependency. Can a person stay in a loving, connected relationship with someone who is misusing substances, without losing themselves? Do all those who devotedly care for their addicted family members necessarily have their own pathologies? Get ready to have your preconceptions blown apart in this thought-provoking conversation. JD Kalmenson interviews Dr. Rob Weiss, therapist, author, and renowned ...
Jan 10, 2022•38 min•Season 2Ep. 1
