In today's episode of Psych Talk, I talk all about how diet culture inundates us in the new year and how that impacts our mental health. I discuss what diet culture is, how it preys on us this time of year by highlighting "new year, new me" and convincing us we need to lose that "holiday weight gain". I discuss why diet culture is more prevalent in the new year (although it is prevalent all year) and discuss new years resolutions related to being healthy. I also talk about how much weight we rea...
Dec 26, 2022•40 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk I chat with Emily Newton, a master's student in Translational Research. Emily talks about what translational research is and one of the current projects she is working on "The Disordered Eating Project", along with two of her colleagues. Emily discusses how she got into disordered eating research and some of the challenges and barriers individuals with disordered eating face. We discuss the difference between disordered eating and eating disorders and talk about ...
Dec 19, 2022•50 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk I have returning guest Gabby Morreale, LPC on to talk about her journey with infertility and the impact it had on her mental health. Gabby shares her story of infertility, infertility treatments, loss, and how it all led her to her current pregnancy. We discuss the impact infertility had on her mental health and the supports and resources that helped her throughout this journey. Gabby also shares how isolating the experience can be, despite it being a common expe...
Dec 12, 2022•52 min
Welcome to Season 4 of Psych Talk! To kick off Season 4 I talk all about "high functioning" mental health disorders. "High functioning" is not a clinical diagnosis or term, but generally refers to individuals who struggle with a mental health disorder but from the outside, others are unable to tell. These are the individuals that are able to continue to function in their work/school and personal life; however, when alone and on the inside they are fighting an internal battle. Although any mental...
Dec 05, 2022•33 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk, I discuss forgiveness. I define what forgiveness is and is not, the beneficial outcomes of forgiving, and how to forgive those who have hurt us. I also discuss if forgiveness is necessary to move forward, particularly when we have been really hurt by someone. Further, I discuss self-forgiveness, how to engage in self-forgiveness, as well as highlight forgiveness therapy. This is the last episode of Season 3 of Psych Talk. Season 4 does not have a launch date yet...
Sep 26, 2022•33 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk, I chat with Jillian Marmo, LCSW, LCADC, a therapist with a passion for helping those in the LGBTQ+ community and those experiencing addiction. Jill shares her background, populations of interest, and what led her to working in addiction and with the LGBTQ+ community. Jill and I talk about mental health and addiction outcomes in LGBTQ+ individuals and how they differ from cisgender, heterosexual individuals. We discuss common misconceptions and stigmas about LGBT...
Sep 19, 2022•40 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk, I chat with Jesse Lyon, LMHC, hypnotherapist, and Chief Dream Scientist at Dream App. Jesse discusses his background as a mental health professional, his experience as a hypnotherapist, and how he got into the realm of dream interpretation. Jesse defines for listeners what hypnotherapy is, common misconceptions about hypnotherapy, and some of the benefits of hypnotherapy. He discusses the science behind dream interpretation and describes some common symbols and ...
Sep 12, 2022•43 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk, I discuss something that the majority of us can relate to at some point or another - procrastination. I discuss what procrastination is and isn't and various reasons why we may procrastinate. Despite procrastination potentially feeling good in the moment, I discuss how generally the outcomes of procrastination are negative and highlight many of the consequences of procrastination. Additionally, I discuss a variety of strategies to work to overcome procrastinatio...
Sep 05, 2022•33 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk I chat with Dr. Jenicka Engler, a licensed psychologist and neuropsychologist by training who specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of autism. Dr. Jenicka defines what autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is, as well as common misconceptions about autism. We discuss the various avenues for receiving a diagnosis of ASD, as well as the treatment options for ASD. We talk about the influx of self-diagnosis of autism on social media and the benefits and risks of doing ...
Aug 29, 2022•46 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk I chat with Toni Marinucci, a registered dietician who teaches people how not to diet. Toni is the author of the #1 Best Seller Once Upon A Diet on Amazon, where she discusses the parallels between dieting, dating, and relationships. Toni discusses her journey to becoming a dietician and how she started working with individuals on how not to diet. Toni also distinguishes herself from anti-diet dietitians who solely use intuitive eating, which she emphasizes is im...
Aug 22, 2022•45 min
In July 2022 an article entitled "The serotonin theory of depression: a systematic umbrella review of the evidence” was published and found "no consistent evidence of there being an association between serotonin and depression, and no support for the hypothesis that depression is caused by lowered serotonin activity or concentrations". The results of this study hit the media and social media rather quickly and many inaccurate conclusions were drawn, people questioned everything they believed abo...
Aug 15, 2022•39 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk I chat with Amber Benziger, a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in anxiety. Amber shares her own journey with anxiety and how she ended up working with those also struggling with anxiety in a clinical capacity. We discuss both overthinking and rumination and how they relate to and manifest in anxiety disorders. Amber also gives listeners some tools to reduce their engagement in overthinking and rumination. We discuss how self-compassion can be a helpfu...
Aug 08, 2022•38 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk, I chat with Britt Frank, a licensed psychotherapist. Britt is the author of the book The Science of Stuck and today we talk all about what it means to be "stuck" and how to overcome it. Britt discusses what inspired her to write the book, what it means to get "stuck", and areas of our lives that we tend to feel more stuck. Britt discusses how being stuck can impact our daily lives and functioning and the benefits of being stuck - which may or may not surprise yo...
Aug 01, 2022•42 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk , I talk all about people pleasing. People pleasing isn't just being kind or helpful, it is putting other's needs in front of your own to make them happy, often out of fear that if you don't you will upset them. In this episode I go through a variety of signs that may indicate you are a people pleaser or engage in people pleasing tendencies. "People pleasing" is not a diagnosis, but rather a pattern of behavior. There are a variety of reasons one may people pleas...
Jul 25, 2022•29 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk I chat with Erin Spahr, LCMHC, LCPC, a therapist in North Carolina who specializes in maternal mental health. Erin shares about her background, how she got interested in working in the area of maternal mental health, and why she is so passionate about it. Erin discusses toxic positivity in mom culture and how it impacts mothers. She discusses the idea of "mom rage", what it is, why mothers experience it, and tips for mothers to overcome it. Further, Erin discusse...
Jul 18, 2022•47 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk, I chat with Dr. Justin Puder (aka Dr. J), a psychologist who focuses on stress and regulation. In this episode we discussed stress and regulation in the context of social media. Dr. J discusses how he became interested in stress and regulation, as well as talking about social media use. We discuss the pros and cons of social media and how social media can increase our stress levels and contribute to us becoming dysregulated. Dr. J provides tips for listeners to ...
Jul 11, 2022•47 min
On Friday June 24, 2022 the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, turning abortion laws over to the states. Those against abortion often use the argument that abortion has negative effects on the mental health of the person that had the abortion to defend anti-abortion laws. In today's episode I dive into the research on the relation between abortion and mental health. I discuss the mental health outcomes of those who seek an abortion for an unwanted pregnant, those who are denied an abortion...
Jul 04, 2022•31 min
EPISODE 100! I wanted to do something special with my 100th episode so I decided to do a Q&A with some of my favorite humans, therapists, and social media content creators while we were on vacation together. We answer a variety of mental health related questions, as well as random questions, that we received from followers on social media. This was a fun, lighthearted way to celebrate my 100th episode. Thank you all, the listeners, for continuing to support this podcast, without you none of ...
Jun 27, 2022•46 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk I chat with Dr. McKenna Hereford, a licensed psychologist, about patients who hold multiple diagnoses. Dr. Mac discusses what it means to carry multiple diagnoses and how she defines it may be different than what most people think. We also discuss what it means to be a "Complex Patient" and how over time the terms "complex" and "severe" have become interchangeable in the field, despite meaning different things. We discuss the challenges individuals who carry mult...
Jun 20, 2022•47 min
Are mass shootings caused by mental illness? When a mass shooting occurs in the United States, there is often a debate of if it is a "gun problem" or a "mental health problem". In this episode I dive into the literature on mental illness and mass shootings. I address the misconceptions, as well as what the most recent research has to say. I discuss risk factors for gun violence and mass shootings, as well as the role of trauma in perpetrators of gun violence. Further, I discuss the impact mass s...
Jun 13, 2022•42 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk I chat with Bobbie Davis, a Children and Young People's Wellbeing Practitioner in the UK, about social anxiety. Bobbie describes what social anxiety is and her experience living with social anxiety. We discussed the misconceptions about social anxiety, as well as practical tips for overcoming and reducing social anxiety, including facing the fear, avoiding avoidance, and utilizing cognitive strategies. Bobbie also provides words of encouragement for those struggl...
Jun 06, 2022•37 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk, I chat with Elisabeth Herrera, LPC about having hard conversations. Elisabeth designs what a "hard conversation" is and why it is so difficult for us to hold these conversations. We discuss the benefits of having hard conversations, as well as the risks that come with having difficult conversations, as well as the risks of avoiding such conversations. Elisabeth shares some specific communication skills that individuals can use when wanting to have a hard convers...
May 30, 2022•54 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk, I discuss cognitive distortions. Cognitive distortions are errors in our thinking. They are exaggerated patterns of thought that are not based on facts and can lead you to consequently view things more negatively than they really are. In this episode I discuss various different types of cognitive distortions including All or Nothing Thinking, Catastrophizing, Mental Filters, Jumping to Conclusions, and Labeling. I discuss ways to challenge cognitive distortions,...
May 23, 2022•34 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk, I speak with Shari Foos, MA, MFT about The Narrative Method. The Narrative Method is a California 501 c3 non-profit organization all about making human connections through the process of sharing stories. Shari shares with listeners about The Narrative Method and what inspired her to create it. We discussed why human connection is so important and why sharing stories is a means to form those connections. Shari shares some of the skills that she believes are key t...
May 16, 2022•42 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk, I speak with Brittany Raj about her journey of being diagnosed with ADHD as an adult. Brittany shares her journey with ADHD as an undiagnosed child looking back on her life and the long process it took to get an ADHD diagnosis as an adult. She shares her experiences with trying out different therapists, initially denying the idea that she had ADHD, advocating for herself to get the correct diagnosis, and even using her diagnosis as an excuse for some of her beha...
May 09, 2022•42 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk, I discuss the field of Positive Psychology - the scientific study of the strengths that enable individuals and communities to thrive. I give a brief overview of what positive psychology is, a brief overview of the literature, and Martin Seligman's PERMA model of wellbeing. I then go into a variety of positive psychological constructs such as flow, hope, optimism, and resilience, giving a brief overview of what each one is, their impact on overall wellbeing, and ...
May 02, 2022•39 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk I chat with Carmen Schutz, a Registered Clinical Counselor in Canada. Carmen has a passion for helping those struggling with addiction and we have an honest discussion about the role trauma plays in addiction. Carmen discusses the opioid crisis that we are currently facing in North America, as well as how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted addiction. Carmen also shares her experiences with her clinical work and as a first responder and how those experiences have ...
Apr 25, 2022•41 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk, I speak with Julia Cowley, retired FBI agent, profiler in the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), and former forensic scientist and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Julia shares her journey to becoming an FBI agent and ultimately ending up in the Behavioral Analysis Unit as a profiler and what the training was like to get there. She describes what the BAU does and how it differs from what is shown on television. Julia talks about the psychology of criminals, n...
Apr 18, 2022•58 min
In 2021, 21 states in total introduced bills to deny gender-affirming medical care to transgender youth. More recently, in Texas, Greg Abbott wrote a letter to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services stating that gender-affirming care to minors constitutes as child abuse and that "DFPS to investigate the parents of a child who is subjected to these abusive gender-transitioning procedures, and on other state agencies to investigate licensed facilities where such procedures may occu...
Apr 11, 2022•43 min
In today's episode of Psych Talk, I speak with JP Padda, MD a psychiatrist in Canada specializing in addiction, specifically opioid addiction. JP shares about his journey to becoming a psychiatrist, as well as how he got interested in specializing in the addiction field. JP defines for listeners what addiction is from a psychological perspective, emphasizing the impact it has on a person's functioning. We discuss common misconceptions about addiction, how psychiatrists treat addiction, both from...
Apr 04, 2022•47 min
