In today's episode of Psych Talk I chat with Eleanor Clark, a licensed mental health counselor associate who's clinical work focuses on individuals with eating disorders. Eleanor defines body neutrality for listeners and describes how it is different from the body positivity movement. Eleanor shares why, in her perspective, body neutrality is advantageous over the body positivity movement and the faults or shortcomings of the body positivity movement, while also acknowledging all the good it has...
Mar 28, 2022•48 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk, I discuss the topic of religious trauma. Religious trauma can be defined as "pervasive psychological damage resulting from religious messages, beliefs, and experiences." Although religion and spirituality can have beneficial effects on individuals' mental health, for many religion is not a positive experience and can be extremely harmful. In this episode, I discuss what religious trauma is and describe various areas in which individuals have experienced religiou...
Mar 21, 2022•41 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk I chat with Rev. Katie O'Dunne, minister, doctoral candidate, and OCD advocate. Katie discusses her journey with OCD, the intersection between faith and OCD, and how she is currently working and advocating to bridge the gap between clinicians/faith leaders to destigmatize evidence-based treatments in diverse faith communities given that stigma around mental health is still very prevalent in faith communities. Katie is also an athlete and we discuss how her athlet...
Mar 14, 2022•43 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk I chat with Dr. Liz McIngvale, the Director of McLean OCD Institute at Houston, a Harvard Medical School affiliate, and founder of the Peace of Mind Foundation, a non-profit foundation dedicated to OCD. Dr. Liz shares with listeners what OCD is and common misconceptions about OCD. She shares her own story with OCD and how that has led her to her career and advocacy work. Dr. Liz and I discuss evidence-based treatments for OCD, the importance of finding a provider...
Mar 07, 2022•50 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk I discuss athletes and mental health. Exercise (and movement) is known to have beneficial effects on mental health and is often recommended for individuals to increase their mood. However, there is also evidence to suggest that high performance athletes may experience negative mental health consequences due to the unique pressures faced by playing competitive sports. Although mental health is starting to be talked about in athletics, with athletes such as Simone ...
Feb 28, 2022•32 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk, I speak with Taira Burns, a licensed professional counselor in Tennessee. Taira is a therapist with ADHD who speaks on her social media platforms about being a therapist with ADHD. Taira shares her journey with ADHD, particularly about being diagnosed as an adult yet being able to reflect on all her symptoms as a child and teen. We discuss the benefits and difficulties of being a therapist with ADHD and have a discussion around the misconception that having a me...
Feb 21, 2022•30 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk I speak with Sabrina Lynn, a college senior hoping to pursue a doctoral degree in clinical psychology. Sabrina shares her story of overcoming and eating disorder and how her faith helped her in her recovery. Sabrina and I discuss her book Whispers of God: Finding Your Worth and Purpose in Christ, which tells her personal journey through her eating disorder and recovery. We discuss the tools and skills, beyond faith, that helped her through eating disorder recover...
Feb 14, 2022•36 min
Do therapists go to therapy? Can someone go into the mental health field if they have a mental health diagnosis? Do therapists really use the coping skills they teach in session? In today's episode of Psych Talk I talk all about therapists being human. I address some of the common questions or concerns I hear on social media regarding therapists and becoming a therapist, as well as discuss the human side of therapists. At the end of the day, therapists are just like you. We go to therapy, we mak...
Feb 07, 2022•33 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk I speak with Claire Chewning, a registered dietician and certified intuitive eating counselor, about intuitive eating. Claire first provides listeners with a background of her journey to becoming a dietician and how she got into the intuitive eating space, which was not something explicitly taught to her in school. She describes for listeners what intuitive eating is, highlights some of the guiding principles of intuitive eating, and discusses some misconceptions...
Jan 31, 2022•48 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk, I talk with Dr. Rebecca Williams a psychologist, award winning writer, and wellness expert. Dr. Williams shares her journey as a psychologist, working in the addiction and mindfulness field, being a professor and supervisor, and her transition into writing full time. Dr. Williams shares her knowledge and expertise in the addiction and mindfulness field and how that led her to write two books The Mindfulness Workbook for Addiction and The Gift of Recovery. Dr. Wi...
Jan 24, 2022•50 min
Today's episode of Psych Talk was inspired by a theme I was noting across multiple conversations with clients - the desire to not repeat familial patterns. Thus, in today's episode I discuss breaking intergenerational patterns. I start by describing what intergenerational patterns are and discuss intergenerational trauma. I then go on to discuss various intergenerational patterns individuals may want to break for themselves or future generations. I end the episode by discussing how to break inte...
Jan 17, 2022•33 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk I speak with Dr. Lee Stevens, a licensed psychologist, about affective neuroscience. Affective neuroscience is the study of how the brain communicates and experiences emotions and an area that Dr. Stevens has researched and implemented in his psychotherapy practice. Dr. Stevens recently published a book A ffective Neuroscience in Psychotherapy: A Clinician's Guide for Working with Emotions , where he discusses the neuroscientific research behind emotions and how ...
Jan 10, 2022•39 min
Happy 2022! In today's episode of Psych Talk I talk all about cultivating a growth mindset. I am not one for New Year's resolutions and fully believe that you do not need a new year to start something new; however, there is still something that makes the new year feel like a fresh start, even if you logically realize nothing is magically going to be different simply because it is a new year. In this episode, I dive into the differences between a fixed and growth mindset, give listeners examples ...
Jan 03, 2022•26 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk I chat with Dr. Kristen Casey, licensed clinical psychologist, about normalizing mental health treatment among mental health, and other, providers. Dr. Kristen shares her personal journey with being a psychologist seeking her own mental health care and how that, in combination with her past work as an EMT, has made her so passionate about talking about this topic. We discuss why many mental health professionals are hesitant to seek out their own care and the barr...
Dec 27, 2021•41 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk I speak with Murphy Lynne about how schools can better adapt to students with mental health concerns. Murphy Lynne shares her story of being diagnosed with autism at age 13, as well as her comorbid mental health diagnoses and struggles throughout school socially and academically. Murphy Lynne published her first book this year Am I Invisible? Things I Wish Teachers Knew which recounts her obstacles, challenges, inspirations, and celebrations throughout her journe...
Dec 20, 2021•36 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk I discuss intrusive thoughts. Intrusive thoughts are unwanted thoughts, images, impulses, or urges that can occur spontaneously or be cued by stimuli and are typically distressing to the person experiencing them. Although intrusive thoughts may be associated with a mental health disorder such as OCD, it is estimated that over 90% of individuals experience intrusive thoughts at some point in their life - mental health diagnosis or not. In today's episode I discuss...
Dec 13, 2021•27 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk I speak with Robin Smith-Velazquez, LCSW on the integration of eastern and western medicine for the treatment of trauma. We [in the United States] live in a society that heavily focuses on western medicine for the treatment of physical and mental health concerns, such as medications and evidence-based therapy practices, to treat the symptoms of whatever disorder someone presents with. Eastern medicine, in contrast, is a more wholistic approach focusing on the ent...
Dec 06, 2021•41 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk I talked with Dr. Patrice Berry, a licensed clinical psychologist and author of the book Turning Crisis into Clarity: How to Survive or Thrive in the Midst of Uncertainty. In this episode we chat all about uncertainty in crisis. Dr. Berry defines what a crisis is, discusses why uncertainty and anxiety are so prevalent in crises, and talks about our desire for control in times of crises. She discusses many different strategies to cope with crisis, as well as gives...
Nov 29, 2021•55 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk I discuss a requested topic - grief. Grief has many definitions, but ultimately it refers to the emotions we feel after experiencing a loss of some sort. Many people conceptualize grief in the concept of death; however, we grief for many things outside of death as well. In this episode, I define what grief is and discuss Elisabeth Kubler Ross' 5 Stages of Grief Model. I discuss grieving with the death of a loved one (humans and pets), as well as other areas of ou...
Nov 22, 2021•38 min
On today's episode of Psych Talk I speak with Christina Guarino, an Licensed Professional Counselor in New Jersey, about borderline personality disorder (BPD). Borderline personality disorder is one of the most stigmatized and misunderstood mental illnesses. Christina and I dive into what borderline personality disorder is, what are some common misconceptions, and the stigma surrounding the disorder. Christina presents information in a very digestible and humanizing manner, allowing the listener...
Nov 15, 2021•47 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk I talk with Kaitlin Soule, LMFT all about perfectionism, uncertainty, and anxiety in motherhood. Kaitlin is an anxiety expert, writer, and women's empowerment coach who has a passion working with moms on overcoming their anxiety. Kaitlin discusses how perfectionism, uncertainty, and anxiety are all interconnected and why these things are extremely prevalent in motherhood. Kaitlin discusses how uncertainty shows up in motherhood and ways it may impact moms, as wel...
Nov 08, 2021•37 min
Welcome to Season 3 of Psych Talk! To kick off Season 3 I am going to be talking about social media and mental health and, more specifically, taking a social media break. Although we know that social relationships and connection are beneficial for our mental health and overall wellbeing, the reality is that research indicates that heavy social media use actually negatively impacts our mental health. Heavy social media use is associated with higher levels of anxiety, depression, isolation, and lo...
Nov 01, 2021•33 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk, I talk all about burnout. Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. Although we hear a lot about burnout in the workplace, burnout can happen in other areas of our lives as well. In this episode, I discuss the differences between stress and burnout, signs and symptoms of burnout, as well as causes and consequences of being burnt out. I also provide listeners with tips on how to prevent burnout and ...
Aug 30, 2021•31 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk, I speak with Dr. Desta, who recently graduated with her PhD in Clinical Psychology and is currently on her postdoctoral fellowship. Dr. Desta and I have a very rich and much needed conversation about marginalized communities. Dr. Desta describes what it means to be part of a marginalized community and discusses some of her own experiences being part of certain marginalized groups. Dr. Desta discusses some of the unique challenges that marginalized individuals fa...
Aug 23, 2021•51 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk I chat with Maddie Spear, LCSW-A, a trauma therapist. Maddie discusses what trauma is and how she got to working with this population. She shares misconceptions about trauma, as well as clears up those misconceptions. Maddie discusses common trauma responses that individuals may experience and discusses the differences and similarities between trauma responses in children and adults. Maddie discusses steps to take for individuals to start working through their tr...
Aug 16, 2021•40 min
One of my most frequently asked questions on social media from adolescents is "How can I ask my parent for therapy?" In this episode of Psych Talk, I talk all about mental health conversations between children and guardians. I discuss how parents and guardians can support their kids' mental health by cultivating an environment that will make their child feel comfortable to reach out for support if they need it through normalizing conversations about mental health. I provide different tips on how...
Aug 09, 2021•32 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk I discuss redefining failure. Failure can mean a lot of things - a lack of success, not meeting a desired outcome, or the inability to perform a certain function. What someone deems a failure depends on the context, as well as the person's perception. In most contexts, however, something is a failure because we label it as such, not because it is innately a failure. In this episode I discuss why we fear failure, how our perceived failures do not define us as a pe...
Aug 02, 2021•25 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk I had the privilege of speaking with Jax Anderson, a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) who works with tweens and teens, as well as their parents, helping parents better understand their tween or teen. Jax discusses the brain development of tweens and teens and how understanding such helps both parents and adolescents normalize and validate tweens' and teens' experience. We discuss the important of understanding and encouraging emotional intelligence and how d...
Jul 26, 2021•45 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk I chat with Kristen Gingrich, LCSW, CADC about mental health influencers. Kristen has created a large social media following on TikTok and Instagram as a licensed therapist and we discuss the impact of non-credentialed social media influencers creating mental health content and giving advice on their platforms. Unlike other episodes where I interview my guests, Kristen and I just sat down and chatted about different topics related to mental health influencers. We...
Jul 19, 2021•52 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk I discuss therapist red and green flags. One of the most common questions I get on social media is "How do I find a good therapist?" Ultimately, the question that needs to be asked is "How do I find a good therapist for me" because what one person deems a "good" therapist, may not be good for another person; it is all about the therapeutic fit. However, across the board there are red flags and green flags to look out for in a therapist. In this episode, I discuss...
Jul 12, 2021•41 min
