Podcasts about psychologists

There are moments happening in your life right now that your anxious mind is walking straight past. Tiny, warm moments that exist quietly in the background of your day, waiting to be noticed. Psychologists call them "glimmers," and the neuroscience is clear: the more you train your brain to find them, the more your nervous system shifts out of threat mode. In this episode of Calming Anxiety, we aren't pretending your problems have gone away; we are simply showing your brain that there is more to your story than just the difficult parts. Through deep, mindful breathing, we activate the vagus nerve to establish safety and connection. Then, we take a gentle walk through an ordinary day to re-tune your brain's survival scanner away from danger and toward warmth. Episode Chapters00:00 – Cold Intro: What Are Glimmers? 00:50 – Welcome from Martin & Settling into Your Space 01:44 – Arriving in the Present & Letting the Noise Move Back 02:33 – Vagus Nerve Activation: The Power of the Long Exhale 04:01 – Guided Walk Through an Ordinary Day 06:21 – Re-Tuning the Scanner: The Neuroscience of Safety 07:14 – Affirmations to Soften Your Anxious Mind 08:29 – 3 Daily Caring Tips to Train Your Brain 10:02 – Returning Awareness & Closing Thoughts Today's Grounding AffirmationsLet these words land gently and feel the warmth they bring to your chest: "I notice what is warm, I notice what is good." "My day contains more light than my anxiety tells me." "I am becoming someone who hunts the glimmers, not threats." "I deserve to feel a quiet beauty that already surrounds me." "For good moments are real, they count, I allow them in." "I am grateful, I am present, I am here." 3 Daily Caring TipsTake these simple, powerful habits with you to rewrite your neural pathways today: The One Glimmer Rule: Before you check your phone, notifications, or messages today, find one physical glimmer first—a sound, a texture, or a temperature. Just notice it. Pass One On: Share a single sentence about a glimmer you found with someone else today. Sharing a glimmer multiplies it and shifts two nervous systems at once. The Evening Collect: Before sleep, ask yourself: "What was my glimmer today?" This single habit trains your brain to look for safety and does wonders for anxiety. If this session helped re-tune your nervous system today, please subscribe and share it with a friend or family member who needs a gentle reminder that there are still good moments out there. Your shares are exactly how our daily show reaches the people who need it the most. If you want to go deeper on your journey to peace, try the Anxiety Breaker course at calminganxiety.fm, featuring five targeted, guided hypnotherapy sessions designed by me to reset your mind. Have a lovely day, smile always, bring positivity when you can, and to your beautiful soul—be kind.

In today's episode, Trisha and I answer two powerful listener questions that so many women will relate to. The first question comes from a listener who wants to stop drinking but feels stuck in the same evening routine. She knows she'll feel better without alcohol, yet the thought of a glass of wine after a long day is hard to resist. If you've ever wondered why willpower isn't enough or why evenings can feel incomplete without a drink, this conversation is for you. The second question is about self-belief. It's about looking confident on the outside while feeling overwhelmed and not enough on the inside. We explore why so many women hold themselves back, fear putting themselves out there, and struggle to see themselves the way others do. As always, Trisha McHale shares her psychotherapist perspective, helping us understand what's really going on beneath these struggles and how small shifts in awareness can lead to lasting change. Whether you're trying to break a habit, build confidence, or simply understand yourself a little better, we hope this conversation leaves you feeling encouraged, understood, and ready to take the next step. Click play and let's dive in. To apply for membership to Thrive Academy, Jessica's coaching program, go to www.jessicacooke.ie/thrive To contact Trisha McHale for more information on Therapy and Counselling services: galway@mindandbodyworks.com 091 725 750 About Trisha McHale: Trisha is a Psychotherapist and Director of Mind & Body Works Counselling and Psychotherapy Centre, based in Galway, with centres in Galway and Dublin. Their team of over 50 Psychotherapists and Psychologists work with adults, couples, adolescents, and children, offering therapies including CBT, EMDR, and Art Therapy. They also run a low-cost counselling service.

In this enlightening episode, host Dr. Dèsa Karye Daniel engages with Drs. Karen Suyemoto and Diane Jung Gallo from Psychologists for Justice in Palestine (PJP) to discuss the organization's mission and goals. They explore the challenges and victories of social justice action work, emphasizing the importance of their efforts in the current socio-political climate. The conversation delves into strategies for counteracting fatigue in advocacy and highlights what excites the guests about future initiatives. This episode offers valuable insights into the intersection of psychology and social justice, making it a must-listen for those interested in the ongoing fight for justice in Palestine. For more on our guests, links from the conversation, and APA citation for this episode visit https://concept.paloaltou.edu/resources/the-thoughtful-counselor-podcast  The Thoughtful Counselor is created in partnership with Palo Alto University's Division of Continuing & Professional Studies. Learn more at concept.paloaltou.edu  

Doctor Kay and Doctor Ray bring their psychological segments to Fiji! They discuss the standard 6 segments applied to castmates & moments from the entire season 8–all but the finale! The abhorrent moments that showed a lack of consent by the women are exposed, the championing moment of gathering castmate consent on Aftersun is celebrated, and the specific examples of people-pleasing vs. image management are delineated. Plus, Dr.s Kay & Ray discuss some of the wins & losses of Aftersun in detail. REALITY TEST WITH US: Did you like the Aftersun episodes this season? What were some of the winning & losing moments on Aftersun, from your opinion? EMAIL US about it! Realitycheckpodding@gmail.com.o-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=OListeners! Come visit the Patreon for free at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (http://patreon.com/RealityTest)  ⁠patreon.com/RealityTest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (or search on Patreon with “@RealityTest”) & check out some of the benefits of a free membership (early access to the audio episodes!) & the paid tier! For only a MEASLY $5/month, you get the bonus features, including Mental Health Check-Up episodes, the VIDEO episodes, the full audio episode archive, and bonus & behind-the-scenes video content!The first 10 paying members will get shoutouts on the pod & 5 randomly selected members will get a free year of membership after joining! What are you waiting for? Come watch our video episodes, & join us in learning a little something about psych & mental health from our examinations of your favorite reality TV shows, castmates, and tea! O=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-oReality testing is when we check an emotion or thought we're having against objective reality. So, here in Reality Test, we're going to be testing the thoughts, emotions, interactions, and producer antics of reality television against what we know, as licensed psychologists, about objective reality. Come with us, let's Reality Test!Hosts: Dr. Kay & Dr. RayThank you to our sound extraordinaire, Connor!Patreon: patreon.com/RealityTest Linkt.ree/@RealityTestInstagram: @realitytestpodcastThreads: @drkaypodsTikTok: @realitytestpodYouTube Channel: @realitytestpodFacebook Page: Reality Test PodEmail: realitycheckpodding@gmail.com     Dr. Kay: @drkaypods (Insta) & @dr.realitv (TikTok)Dr. Ray: @drraypods (Insta)O=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-o

Psychologists are warning most of us are addicted to our phones, but we don't realise it until we get help for other problems. Cell phone addiction is not clinically recognised, but those on the front line are seeing its impact everyday. Field Correspondent Charlotte Cook reports.

You can listen wherever you get your podcasts or check out the fully edited transcript of our interview at the bottom of this post.In this episode of The Peaceful Parenting Podcast, Michaeleen Doucleff and I talk about her new book Dopamine Kids: A Science-Based Plan to Rewire Your Child's Brain and Take You're your Family in the Age of Screens and Ultraprocessed Foods. Michaeleen's position is not that screens and ultra-processed food are “bad.” Rather, Michaeleen explains how they can take the place of things that truly bring us joy and pleasure, leaving us with an empty feeling of "what's next?" and an endless cycle of wanting. We focus on how dopamine has been misunderstood and how it actually works, how magnets like screens and ultraprocessed foods keep us stuck, and small changes you can make to start shifting things in your home.Know someone who might appreciate this episode? Share it with them!And if you love the podcast, FREE ways to help us out:1- Rate and review the podcast in your podcast player app2- “Like” this post by tapping the heart icon ♥️3- Share this with a friend. THANK YOU!We talk about:* 00:00 Introduction to Dopamine Kids and why our understanding of dopamine is outdated* 02:15 Michaeleen's journey from NPR science journalist to parenting author* 05:00 Dopamine isn't pleasure—it's wanting: the neuroscience that changes everything* 07:20 Why kids say they'd rather play with friends than be on screens* 08:00 The difference between dopamine, serotonin, and real satisfaction* 13:30 How apps and ultra-processed foods hijack the brain's reward system* 16:45 Why endless scrolling never feels satisfying* 18:30 “Bottomlessness”—one of the biggest design tricks keeping us hooked* 20:30 Why we want activities for our kids with a clear purpose and a clear endpoint* 22:00 The veggie straw experiment that changed Michaeleen's thinking about food* 26:50 Magnets and cues: how screens become automatic habits* 32:00 Why removing screens isn't enough—you have to replace them* 33:30 Helping kids meet their real need for adventure and autonomy* 36:00 Small, permanent changes vs. temporary screen detoxes* 37:30 Why the car is a great place to start reducing screens* 38:00 Is reducing screens really more work?* 40:15 Why laws and regulations haven't caught up with technology* 43:00 Why this isn't a willpower problem* 46:30 Can kids ever use screens in moderation?* 49:00 Paid video games vs. free games* 51:30 This isn't about screens being “bad”* 53:00 Helping kids gradually learn to use technology well* 54:00 School Chromebooks and why parents have more influence than they realize* 58:00 Advice Michaeleen would give her younger parenting self* 1:00:00 Why kids have to experience offline joy before they'll want it* 1:01:00 Sarah's client who removed the TV—and what happened next* 1:02:30 Final thoughts and where to find MichaeleenResources mentioned in this episode:* Michaeleen's website* Dopamine Kids: A Science-Based Plan to Rewire Your Child's Brain and Take You're your Family in the Age of Screens and Ultraprocessed Foods* How to Stop Fighting About Video Games with Scott Novis * The Peaceful Parenting MembershipConnect with Sarah Rosensweet:* Instagram* Facebook Group* YouTube* Website* Join us on Substack* Newsletter* Book a short consult or coaching session callxx Sarah and CoreyYour peaceful parenting team- click here for a free short consult or a coaching sessionVisit our website for free resources, podcast, coaching, membership and more!>> Please support us!!! Please consider becoming a supporter to help support our free content, including The Peaceful Parenting Podcast, our free parenting support Facebook group, and our weekly parenting emails, “Weekend Reflections” and “Weekend Support” - plus our Flourish With Your Complex Child Summit (coming back in the fall for the 3rd year!) All of this free support for you takes a lot of time and energy from me and my team. If it has been helpful or meaningful for you, your support would help us to continue to provide support for free, for you and for others.In addition to knowing you are supporting our mission to support parents and children, you get the podcast ad free and access to a monthly ‘ask me anything' session.Sarah: Hey everyone. Welcome back to another episode of the Peaceful Parenting Podcast.Today's guest is journalist Michaeleen Doucleff. She is the author of the book Hunt, Gather, Parent and now has a new book out called Dopamine Kids: A Science-Based Plan to Rewire Your Child's Brain and Take Back Your Family in the Age of Screens and Ultra-Processed Food.Michaeleen's first book is one of our favorite parenting books, and now we can add this one to the list. She walks us through how screens and ultra-processed food hook us and keep our brains stuck in a hijacked wanting cycle without giving us actual rewards and pleasure.We eventually get around to discussing this, but I want to stress right here at the beginning that Michaeleen isn't saying that screens and ultra-processed food are evil or that they have no place in our lives. Rather, they can take the place of things that truly bring us joy and pleasure, leaving us with an empty feeling of “what's next?” and an endless cycle of wanting.I learned so much from this book. I'd been wanting to make some changes in my own life with my relationship with my phone, and this book helped me understand why it was so hard and what I could do. A hint: as it turns out, we don't understand dopamine correctly at all. Our cultural shorthand about what dopamine is and what role it plays in the motivation and pleasure cycle is totally outdated.If you're interested in making some positive shifts in your child's life, in your family, and in your own life, you're going to love this interview and Michaeleen's book.If you like this episode, please share it with a friend so more parents can learn about peaceful parenting. If you're a fan of the podcast, you can help us out not only by sharing it, but by leaving a review and a five-star rating in your podcast player app. While you're there, don't forget to follow the show so you don't miss an episode.If you'd like to support us even more, you can become a supporter on Substack to help us offset the cost of making the show. We'll put a link in the show notes.Let's meet Michaeleen. I hope you enjoy this conversation and get as much out of her insights as I did.Sarah: Hi, Michaeleen. Welcome back to the podcast.Michaeleen: Thank you so much for having me.Sarah: When we had you on a few years ago to talk about your first parenting book, Hunt, Gather, Parent—we'll link to it in the show notes—it ended up being one of our favorite podcasts out of the 200-some episodes we've done. I'm so excited to have you back to talk about your new book.Michaeleen: Thank you so much. That's so nice. It's an honor to come back.Sarah: I'm so happy to have you. Tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do.Michaeleen: I was—or I still am—a science journalist. I've been one now for about 16 years, and I spent 13 or 14 years as a radio correspondent at NPR. I'm still there covering children's health, global health, neuroscience, and psychology.Before that, I was trained as a chemist. I have a PhD in chemistry.Five years ago, I wrote the parenting book Hunt, Gather, Parent, and I had no idea I'd ever become a parenting expert. That definitely wasn't on my life bingo card.When I had my daughter Rosie almost 11 years ago, I had no clue what I was doing. It just seemed like an impossible task. Then I started studying parenting around the world, and I realized there was an easier way to do things. That's what Hunt, Gather, Parent is about.More recently, about six years ago, I was really trying to fix my own screen problem—my own addiction to my phone. I was so obsessed with it. As I investigated neuroscience, psychology, and behavioral psychology, I started to realize, “Oh gosh, we're really getting a lot of things wrong when it comes to screens and our kids.”That led me to write this next book, Dopamine Kids, to clarify a bunch of myths but also update the advice because it's really old. A lot of the advice out there is based on psychology from 20, 30, even 40 years ago.Sarah: Or even more.Michaeleen: Exactly.Sarah: Exactly. And I'm going to ask you about that. So tell us, what's the central idea behind your new book, Dopamine Kids?Michaeleen: One of the biggest ideas is that we're thinking about screens wrong. We think they're these endless sources of pleasure. We think dopamine is this molecule that brings us pleasure and that the more we have, the happier we are.But that's really old neuroscience.What dopamine actually gives us is the feeling of desire, wanting, and craving. It makes us obsessed.So what screens are doing is cranking that system up. They're increasing motivation, craving, and wanting. But if you look at what happens over time, they actually rob us of pleasure and reduce the amount of pleasure we experience in our lives.So this idea that screens—video games and social media—are treats and rewards for kids is wrong. It's all wrong.What is actually most rewarding and pleasurable for kids are things in the real world because real-world experiences don't just give us desire and wanting. They also give us satisfaction, joy, and long-lasting pleasure.So Dopamine Kids is really a reset of what actually brings our kids pleasure in life. It also provides a toolset to retrain your kids' brains so they naturally want and reach for offline activities and foods that make them feel good—foods that really nourish them and bring satisfaction.It's about rethinking our idea of pleasure. What does pleasure actually look like?I think the media, marketing, and corporations have taught us that pleasure and wanting are basically the same thing—that we want things because they bring us pleasure.But if you actually look at the science and the data, there are so many things out there that drive our wanting while robbing us of pleasure.Social media is a really good example. Kids use it because they want a sense of belonging. They want to feel connected. But over the long run, social media does the opposite. It makes them feel lonelier, and yet they still want it.I see this book as an operating manual for shaping and changing your kids' habits into the ones you want for them as a parent, but also habits that nourish kids and bring joy, happiness, and pleasure to the whole family.We often think limiting screens is about depriving kids of pleasure.It's actually the opposite.It's about reclaiming pleasure.Sarah: I had Lenore Skenazy on the podcast. Do you know her work?Michaeleen: Yeah, we're friends.Sarah: She was on the podcast a few months ago, and she was talking about how, if you ask kids what they want—would they rather be on screens or play with their friends?—by far the number one answer is playing with their friends, not being on screens.Michaeleen: Yeah. I think it's almost double.Sarah: Exactly. And yet I don't think most parents realize that.Michaeleen: Right. I didn't realize that either. I think it's because we confuse begging, screaming, and tantruming for the screen with joy and pleasure.Sarah: Okay, so tell us about that, because what I learned from your book is that everyone thinks dopamine is, “Ah, I just got a hit of dopamine and I feel so good.”Michaeleen: Yeah.Sarah: But it's not dopamine that makes you feel good. It's serotonin and, I think, endorphins that make you feel good.You go into this in much more detail in the book, and I highly recommend it. It was excellent. I have to tell you, I was on an office hours call with my membership before I even knew you had written a new book, and one of my members said, “I'm reading this parenting book called Dopamine Kids, and it's a page-turner.”She said, “I've never had a parenting book that's a page-turner, but you've got to get your hands on this.”Then I looked it up and realized it was your book, and I was so excited to get it and read it.Can you explain the basic idea? I know it's too much detail to go into fully, but what's the difference? What does dopamine actually do, and why isn't it what we think it is?Michaeleen: For a long time—really since the 1950s—neuroscientists thought we do things over and over again because they're pleasurable.Neuroscientists have been obsessed with getting people and animals to press buttons for over a hundred years. Rats, mice, apes, pigeons—they've all been part of these experiments. It's almost like an iPad. Press, press, press, tap.For a long time, researchers could stimulate one region of the brain—the dopamine center—and the animals would go crazy pressing the button all day long. They wouldn't even stop to go to the bathroom. It makes you think of someone playing video games for hours. They're just obsessed with pressing the button.Researchers believed that because this was the dopamine center of the brain, dopamine made you press the button because it felt good and brought you pleasure. They even conducted similar experiments with people, and that very simple explanation stood for a long time.Then, about 30 years ago, a couple of scientists came along and asked, “Wait a second. Is this really true? Do we always act because something is pleasurable?”They designed better experiments, and what they found was astonishing. Dopamine doesn't do that at all.Dopamine makes us want.It makes you want something, and it makes you want to do something over and over again. It's like a “do it again” button in the brain.Do it again.Do it again.Whenever you can, do it again.The way the system is supposed to work is that first you want something, and dopamine motivates you to work for it. Then, when you get what you wanted, the pleasure center starts to light up.Those are different neurotransmitters. That's where endorphins—the body's natural opioids—and serotonin come in.Serotonin allows you to appreciate what you have. It's what lets you say, “Oh, I got what I wanted. I feel really good. Ah... I can stop now. I can take a break.”In many ways, pleasure is the opposite of dopamine because it gives you satisfaction, and satisfaction stops wanting.There are a couple of classic examples. One is sex, which is probably the R-rated version. But another is thirst.Imagine you're running on a hot day. You've run out of water, and after half an hour or an hour, you really want something to drink.That's dopamine. That's your dopamine hit—that strong feeling of desire.Wanting can actually feel good. If I fall in love and I want to be with my partner, the wanting feels good.But wanting can also become frustrating. If you want something for too long and don't get it, that feeling turns into frustration.So you're out running on this hot day thinking, “Oh my gosh, I want water so badly.”That's dopamine.That's not pleasure yet.Then you see a glass of water, or you get one and take a drink, and you think, “Ah, that feels so good.”That's the pleasure system.Sarah: That's where you get the serotonin and the endorphins.Michaeleen: Exactly. And the endocannabinoids too—the body's natural cannabinoids. A whole bunch of things kick in.The wonderful thing about this pleasure response is that it can last a long time. It lingers. It makes you feel optimistic and gives your life a kind of glow because you've gotten what you need to survive.I remember being really upset as a kid, and my mom would come over and hug me. I'd bury my face into her, and it felt so good. It was just this feeling that everything was okay again.That's what these pleasure molecules do.Dopamine is saying, “Everything is not okay. I need this before things can be okay.”They're very different.Sarah: Okay. This is the part I still feel like I'm only beginning to understand.How do the makers of apps and video games—and we've mostly been talking about screens, but you also write a lot about ultra-processed foods—how do they get us stuck in the dopamine cycle?What I took away from your book is that these things are so powerful because they keep us trapped in that cycle of wanting...Sarah: What I understood from your book is that these things are so powerful because they keep us stuck in the dopamine cycle. It's just wanting, wanting, wanting.You said something in the book about how they've figured out a way to hack a weakness in our brain circuitry. Forgive me if that's not the exact wording, but they've essentially hacked a weakness in the brain to keep us stuck in dopamine without ever giving us a real reward.How does that work?Michaeleen: First of all, both the tech industry and the food industry have admitted this for a long time. This isn't something I've come up with. They've openly admitted it. Even the food industry says, “We want to make something you can't stop eating.”Sarah: Right. You read all these interviews with industry insiders, and they're very open about it. Everybody knows they've admitted it. But how does it actually work?Michaeleen: There are a lot of tricks.Let's start with screens because a lot of these techniques actually came from the gambling industry. In the ‘80s and ‘90s, casinos started replacing mechanical slot machines and poker machines with video versions—basically gambling apps on giant touchscreens.They explicitly asked, “What can we do to this game to keep people playing for as long as possible?” Some people would play for 24 or even 48 hours straight. They ran massive A/B tests to figure out exactly how they could tweak the games to send people into this dopamine loop—this wanting loop—where people actually stopped wanting to win because winning took them out of the loop.So it's very empirical. They've simply tested what keeps people there.In the book, I describe it as a kind of recipe parents can use to recognize whether an app is doing this to their child. Psychologists even have a name for this state. It's called dark flow, where you lose track of time and where you are. We've all experienced it while scrolling social media. Twenty or thirty minutes go by and you think, “What just happened?” You're in this loop of wanting because, if you actually experienced pleasure and satisfaction, you would stop. You'd stop wanting.One of the biggest tricks is speed. The faster the cycle runs, the more it traps you. If you think about videos and video games, they've become faster and faster. Even children's iPad games are just question, answer, question, answer, question, answer over and over again. That's driving up dopamine.But where's the satisfaction? What's the reward? Basically, it's just a light on the screen.Another trick is promising something fundamental. The dopamine system evolved to help us fulfill our basic human needs—water, food, social support, adventure, creation. These are things we needed to survive, so kids are naturally highly motivated to pursue them.These apps promise they'll meet those needs. Social media, for example, promises belonging. It says, “Get on here and you'll finally feel connected. You'll finally feel like you belong.” The problem is that it never actually fulfills that promise.If you look at some of the leaked internal documents, you can see the algorithms intentionally withhold what people actually want. One neuroscientist explained it this way: they figure out what you're looking for and why you're on social media, then they give you something that's close to what you want. Maybe on the next click they give you something a little closer. Then a little closer.This does several things. First, you never actually receive the reward because you never get what you really need. Second, you develop this feeling of making progress—as though you're getting closer and closer. “Maybe one more comment. Maybe five more likes. Then I'll finally get it.”What most people don't realize is that we produce the most dopamine not when we get what we want, or even when we think we're about to get it, but when we feel like we're making progress.That's one of the biggest tricks.Video games are a perfect example. Kids always feel like they're making a little more progress. A little more. A little more. By the time they reach the next level, they're already making progress toward another one.There are all these different tricks designed to crank up wanting while dialing down satisfaction and pleasure because satisfaction is what gets you off the game. You think, “Okay, I'm done.”The same thing applies to social media. If social media actually gave me what I was looking for, I'd be finished. I'd think, “I got what I needed. I'm done.”But it never gives it to you.It can't.Sarah: I started feeling kind of gross about how much time I was spending on Instagram and Facebook—really just on my phone in general. I'd think, “Oh, I need a five-minute break,” and immediately pick up my phone.Actually, I did this before I started reading your book, but now I realize it fits perfectly with what you're talking about. I downloaded the New York Times Games app.Now, when I feel like I need a little break, I'll do Wordle or the Mini Crossword or Connections. What's nice is that it's limited. You get one crossword, one mini crossword, one Wordle, and one Connections each day.I'm almost never on Facebook or Instagram anymore because of it. It actually feels like a real reward. I finish the crossword and think, “Oh, I did the Mini in one minute and 38 seconds.”There's an ending to it. It really does feel like I accomplished something, which is very different.Michaeleen: Exactly. And you've actually stumbled onto one of the biggest tricks: bottomlessness.This is huge.TV didn't used to be bottomless.Michaeleen: TV didn't used to be bottomless. You had a handful of channels, and eventually the content ended or it got bad enough that you simply stopped watching.Now everything is endless. There's always another news story, another level in a game, another post, another video. That endlessness is what keeps us trapped in the cycle.You actually did so many things right with the New York Times Games app. You found something that takes a little more effort, but it also has a clear stopping point. You finish it, and then you're done. You created a bottom.That's exactly what I want to do with my own kids. I want to help them find activities that have a clear purpose and a clear ending. When you're done, you're done, and you turn it off.Compare that with scrolling Instagram for 30 minutes. What's the purpose? What are you actually doing? What are you looking for? There's always more content. It never ends, and it's incredibly fast.I think it's Chapter 4 of the book where I talk about figuring out how to use these technologies—if you're going to use them at all—in ways that don't manipulate you into these loops but instead feel genuinely satisfying.People often ask, “How do you know it's a real reward?” Your brain tells you. You feel better afterward than you did before. You feel done. You feel full. You think, “I'm ready to stop.”If, instead, you're thinking, “What's next? One more. One more,” then you're still stuck in the loop.For a lot of people—for a lot of kids, and certainly for me—that loop is frustrating and deeply unsatisfying. It just makes life feel gray and gloomy.Sarah: I noticed something a while ago. One of my favorite activities in the world is reading, and I realized I can't read if my phone is in the same room with me.When I was reading your book, I thought, “This is something I absolutely love doing, but it doesn't create that same dopamine loop.”Reading doesn't do that.I actually have to keep my phone in another room because reading takes more effort than scrolling Instagram.Michaeleen: Exactly. It takes more work, and that's part of why it's more satisfying.We're made to work. Human beings are actually very good at working, and that effort is part of what creates satisfaction. If something is too easy, it's much easier to get trapped in the wanting loop.Sarah: You also say in the book that, evolutionarily, our brains are designed to look for the easy way out.Back when life was hard, that made perfect sense.But now that everything comes to us so easily, it doesn't make sense anymore.Michaeleen: That's exactly right. These products are exploiting that tendency.Food is probably where you can see it most clearly.Our brains evolved to look for the foods with the most calories per bite. Why would you eat something with fewer calories per bite, especially when food was scarce? That's how we evolved.We also evolved to look for calories that our bodies could use quickly. A refined white-flour cracker gives you calories much faster than a carrot does. You'd have to eat carrots for much longer to get the same energy.Our brains are completely designed to choose the cracker.You'd never touch the carrot. It doesn't make evolutionary sense.That's especially true for kids, who are eating much more instinctively. But honestly, I'd argue that adults have the same problem. If the crackers are sitting there beside the carrots, most adults are going to have a hard time choosing the carrot.Sarah: Tell the story about the strawberries and the veggie straws.Michaeleen: This was when I really understood what was happening.Rosie was about eight years old, and we went to the pool with one of her friends. I packed raw edamame and strawberries. The girls were tired and hungry, and they were happily eating them. They were enjoying them.Then I pulled out a bag of veggie straws—which, by the way, aren't really veggies and aren't really straws. They're basically highly processed potato starch.Sarah: I think it's extruded potato starch.Michaeleen: You're right. Extruded potato starch.The starch is chemically extracted from the potato, so there's really nothing potato-like left except the starch. It's heated at a very high temperature, pushed through machinery, then sprayed with fat or basically fried and covered with salt.If you really look at the research, your body treats it almost like sugar. It practically dissolves in your mouth. There's almost no digestion required. It moves into your gut and into your bloodstream incredibly quickly.So even though the package says “veggie” and even though it says “potato,” what you're really getting are extremely fast calories, much like sugar.The moment I put those veggie straws on the table, those two girls ate the entire bag.One after another.You want to talk about dopamine?“Do it again. Do it again. Do it again. Do it again.”They didn't stop until every single veggie straw was gone.And then they completely forgot about the strawberries and the edamame.That was the moment I realized that if any ultra-processed food is available, kids simply won't choose the whole foods.Sarah: You asked Rosie afterward which she actually liked better, and she said, “Oh, the strawberries.”Michaeleen: Exactly. Even though she genuinely likes strawberries better—they taste better—her brain, and all of our brains, are designed to choose the veggie straws because they're such a dense source of fast calories.That realization led me to start doing little experiments. I'd make homemade meals with whole foods, then put one ultra-processed starch on the table—a dinner roll or some corn chips. I'd sit there and watch my husband and Rosie eat all of the ultra-processed food first. Then my husband might eat some of the whole foods, but Rosie wouldn't touch them.It wasn't her fault. It wasn't my fault. This is simply how our brains are designed. It makes perfect sense from an evolutionary perspective, and the food industry is explicitly taking advantage of that. If you look at the calorie density of ultra-processed foods, it's gone up and up over time. What really surprised me, though, is that it isn't just about sugar. Sugar clearly triggers dopamine—”Do it again. Do it again.” But highly refined potato starch, corn starch, and white flour are just as powerful, and in some studies they're actually more addictive than foods with added sugar.I recently read a study describing almost the exact recipe you mentioned: extruded starch that's fried or sprayed with a little fat and loaded with salt. That combination is incredibly addictive. The moment you see it, you want it, and then you eat it. The dopamine hit actually happens before you eat it. It's, “Oh, I see the bag. I want the bag.” That's the dopamine.Then there's almost no satisfaction or pleasure because satisfaction comes from protein and fiber—and, to a lesser extent, fat. Those are the things that make you feel, “Ah, I've had enough. I'm done.” Ultra-processed foods have stripped away almost everything that creates that feeling of satisfaction. That's what pleasure actually is.I really believe we can learn to tell the difference between wanting and genuine pleasure. Just like you did with the New York Times games, you replaced endless scrolling—which kept you wanting more—with something that actually makes you feel good every day.Sarah: Can you talk a little bit about what you call “magnets” and “cues”?I finished your book last week—it really was a page-turner—and I'm already putting some of your ideas into practice. One of the simplest suggestions was to stop carrying your phone around everywhere. I wore a watch to a baseball game the other night because I didn't want to keep taking out my phone just to check the time.Then this morning I went for a walk with my daughter and left my phone at home. When I got back, I made something to eat and did a couple of other things before I suddenly realized, “Oh—I left my phone upstairs for two hours.”Just the act of not taking it with me on the walk and leaving it in another room made it disappear from my mind. It was amazing.Michaeleen: I love that. That's beautiful.I call phones, video games, iPads, and ultra-processed foods magnets because neuroscientists actually use the term motivational magnets, and that's where I borrowed it from. They work through space, and they create what we call cues.Let's use screens instead of veggie straws. Imagine Rosie comes home every day after school and plays Toca Boca World on the iPad.Sarah: My daughter used to play those hairdressing games—and even vacuuming games. I never understood the appeal until I read your book and realized she was basically getting dopamine-mined.Michaeleen: Exactly. If you look at what keeps young children on those apps, it's the repetition. They're doing essentially the same thing over and over again, which is actually very unsatisfying.At first, what keeps Rosie playing are those little dopamine hits—”Do it again. Do it again.” But over time, something fascinating happens: the dopamine hit moves backward in time. Eventually, just seeing the iPad triggers dopamine. Simply seeing it creates desire and makes her really want it. Dopamine doesn't just make us want things—it motivates us to work to get them.So she sees the iPad, and suddenly she wants it. If it's sitting there, good luck getting her interested in anything else because her brain has already triggered that powerful feeling of, “I need this to survive.” She'll be pulled toward it like a magnet. That's where the term comes from. You don't just want it—you physically move toward it. You want to pick it up. You want to hold it. You want to touch it.Even if it's hidden away in a drawer or a closet, if she knows it's there, those magnets work through walls. She'll go looking for it.Sarah: Have you seen that study where students either had their phone on their desk, in their backpack, or in another room? Just having it in the backpack was almost as distracting as having it sitting on the desk.Michaeleen: That's exactly right, because they know it's accessible. Over time, these cues become so deeply wired into our brains that we don't even have to see the object anymore. We just have to know it's there.What's often triggering the habit isn't even the phone itself—it's an emotion. For example, when I'm writing and I get a little frustrated, that feeling becomes the cue: “Go check the news.” That used to be mine. Then it became, “Go check your email.” Now I've stopped checking the news, so mine has become, “Go check the weather.”Sarah: At least that can only last so long unless you're checking the weather around the world.Michaeleen: Exactly. It's much less sticky.But that's the point. If the phone is in the backpack, the brain knows it's available. These magnets work through walls. They work through bags. To really make those cues disappear, you have to do exactly what you did. You leave it at home. Your brain knows, “I can't get it. I'm not walking all the way back home for it,” so it lets go.As parents, we have to make these things completely disappear within a particular context. That's another really important piece of this: magnets and cues work in contexts.Every day after school is a context for Rosie's brain. Every day after school, in our house, she plays Toca Boca World. So when she walks into the living room at four o'clock, her brain already knows what time it is, even without a watch. Human brains are incredibly good at tracking those patterns.That context triggers dopamine. It triggers the desire for Toca Boca World.What we want to do instead is use that same context to trigger a desire for something that actually fills her up. Maybe after school in the living room becomes the cue for making art, riding her bike, or going outside.That's really what Dopamine Kids is about: using dopamine to get your kids excited about the real world and training their brains accordingly.Sarah: Can I back you up a little bit there? Because one thing you say in your book is that it doesn't work to simply take the screens away and say, “Let them be bored. They'll figure it out.”That's really the only other advice I've seen out there: just take the screens away and let kids be bored.But you did a lot of work to create opportunities for dopamine from other things. You didn't just tell Rosie, “No more Toca Boca World.”Can you talk about that? I think a lot of parents try the approach of saying, “Okay, we're just not doing screens anymore.” Then they end up with weeks—or maybe months—of crying and begging: “Can I just play a little?”Michaeleen: I think that approach can sometimes work with very little kids, but even then I don't think it lasts. These things are like weeds. The screens will come back unless you replace them with something else.Behavioral psychology is actually very clear on this. It's much easier to create a new habit than it is to break an old one. It's much easier to replace a behavior than simply remove it.For example, while I was writing Dopamine Kids, I decided I wanted to stop drinking as much. I had gotten into the habit of having a glass of wine every night, and I realized it just wasn't working for me anymore.I didn't simply take it away. I bought non-alcoholic beer. I replaced it with something.Kids are the same way.If you just take away the iPad—especially if they've been using it for a long time—their brain has come to believe it's something they need to survive. That's what these products have tricked the brain into believing. So when you take it away, it genuinely feels awful.But if you give them another activity that's exciting, interesting, and something they genuinely want to do, taking the screen away doesn't feel nearly as difficult. Over time, you can actually help them discover activities that make them feel even better than the iPad does.That's what creates a permanent habit instead of a temporary one.Behavioral psychology is pretty clear that kids are using these things because they're trying to meet a need.Rosie wasn't obsessed with Toca Boca World or cartoons because she wanted screens. She wanted adventure.Adventure is a fundamental human need for kids. You could also call it autonomy, but I like the word adventure because I think it's easier to understand. Kids need to explore, learn, and take little risks. They need that in order to feel good.I think a lot of kids are using screens to try to fill that need.So instead of simply taking screens away and leaving that need unmet, you have to backfill it.I said to Rosie, “Tonight we're not going to watch Netflix. We're going to take a break. Instead, we're going to do something you've been dying to do that I just haven't made time for yet. You're going to ride your bike to the market by yourself.”I would even say to her, “Instead of watching cartoon characters have adventures, you're going to have a real adventure yourself.”That's the difference.You're taking something that was trying—but ultimately failing—to meet a real human need and replacing it with something that actually does.When you do that, it's not nearly as hard.It goes back to what you mentioned earlier about kids saying they'd rather be with their friends than on screens. That same research also found that kids would rather be outside playing than watching screens. So you're giving them the opportunity to do the thing they actually want to do.That's really the process: figure out a replacement activity—or a replacement food—and then gradually begin taking the old thing away.The result is that your child isn't angry at you all the time. Your relationship is better because they have something wonderful replacing what they lost.More importantly, it creates a lasting habit because they're not simply complying with a rule. They're building a hobby, a skill, or a way of living that genuinely brings them pleasure and meets their needs.One of my biggest concerns with a lot of the screen advice that's out there is that it isn't permanent.Real change comes from making small but permanent changes.It's not, “We're doing a 30-day screen detox.”It's, “We don't use screens after dinner anymore,” or, “We don't use screens on Saturdays.”And that's just how our family does things now.That's how you train the brain.If you keep bringing the old habit back, you undo the learning and go right back to where you started.So I always encourage people to think small—but think permanent.Sarah: One suggestion you make is starting with something simple, like, “We don't do screens in the car.”Michaeleen: Yes.Sarah: I think that's such a great place to start. Your book is full of practical little ideas like that, so the whole thing doesn't feel overwhelming.We've been talking about some of the bigger concepts, but the book is incredibly practical.I'm working on a book myself right now, so I know how much work goes into something like this. I just want to say you did a really beautiful job balancing the theory with concrete things families can actually do.I really, really recommend it.Michaeleen: Thank you.The car is a great place to start because it's such a clear context for a child's brain.They get into the car and their brain thinks, “Screen time.”Instead, you can make the car mean, “Reading time,” or “Journaling time,” or even “Bored time.”It's a really useful place to begin because they're already somewhat contained, so it's easier to establish a new routine.Sarah: I love that.The one thing I want to ask about—and I hope you don't take this as criticism—is that some of what you've done takes a lot of time and energy privilege.Michaeleen: Yes. I think it's very similar to what I found with Hunt, Gather, Parent. There is some work up front, but I also think we dramatically underestimate how much work we're already doing when we rely on screens as babysitters or pacifiers.We tend to think that's the easy route, but even in the short term, I don't think it actually is.Sarah: That's a really good point because the fighting itself takes a lot of energy.Michaeleen: Exactly. That's ultimately what made me change and what made me want to write this book. I was just tired of arguing with Rosie about screens. I hated policing her.It's very similar to what I found with Hunt, Gather, Parent. Recently, one parent gave me some feedback that I actually thought was really insightful. She said, “I think you could have been clearer that having daily screen time—or unlimited screen time—is actually a lot of work.”And she's right.The parent is managing it every single day, moment by moment. There's constant fighting, negotiating, and policing.I'll tell you something else. Once we got ultra-processed foods out of our house, the amount of work I do around food dropped to about one-tenth of what it had been before. We actually spend less money because we're eating less.People don't realize that ultra-processed food makes you eat more. That's very well documented. Kids snack constantly when those foods are around. Rosie now eats two or three real meals a day when she's eating whole foods.So I'm actually doing much less work because those foods aren't in the house.I do agree there's some work at the beginning. Teaching Rosie to ride her bike to the market took time. But now she's 10, and she rides her bike everywhere. She bikes to piano lessons. She bikes all over town.That investment keeps paying dividends.Sarah: That's a really fair point.I had just been telling you before we started recording that, over the years, I've noticed more and more parents coming to coaching specifically because of challenges around screen time.The fights about screens, getting kids off screens—it has become such a common struggle.They just need to read your book and get some strategies.Michaeleen: I'm really just trying to encourage people that if they have that gut feeling—that sense of, “This just isn't working for our family”—it's okay to say no.There is a way to do it that doesn't require an enormous amount of ongoing work.Really, what you're doing is setting up the environment so the default becomes these other activities. You're designing things so you're not constantly policing or managing every moment.That's my biggest pushback against the idea that this approach is more work.It took a lot of work for me to figure all of this out and understand how it works—Sarah: And you did that for us.Michaeleen: Exactly.I also think the court system—and society more broadly—is slowly starting to catch up. The regulations around screen content are so far behind the technology.If you think about it, 20 years ago Rosie wouldn't have been able to walk into a movie like Jaws without a parent. There were very clear rules about what children could and couldn't see.Now I can hand her a device that gives her access to some of the most extreme content imaginable.One scientist told me that a child today can see, in about ten minutes, more pornography than our grandparents' generation would have encountered in an entire lifetime.Something is clearly out of balance.Either society has changed dramatically, or our regulations simply haven't kept pace.When you look at child exploitation, trafficking, and abuse online, it's obvious that regulation is behind.Sarah: Big Tech has so much money and so much influence that I think that's part of why the laws have fallen so far behind.Michaeleen: It absolutely is. But I also think there's this persistent myth that kids need these technologies and that they're doing so much good.One of my hopes for this book—and for the work many other researchers are doing—is that people will begin to understand that kids genuinely need help regulating this stuff.They cannot regulate it on their own.Right now, that entire burden falls on parents, and that's a tremendous amount of work.Sarah: We can't regulate it on our own, and we're grown-ups.Michaeleen: Exactly.When I first started researching this book, I interviewed a famous economist at Stanford—someone in his forties who will probably win a Nobel Prize someday. He spent our entire conversation telling me all the systems he had to build so he wouldn't look at the news while he was working.He had blocked it at the router. He'd blocked it on his computer. He'd blocked it in multiple other ways.I remember sitting there thinking, “If he has to do all of that, how is a thirteen-year-old supposed to do her homework?”That's one of the central messages of the book.This isn't about willpower.It's not about teaching kids to resist temptation through self-control.It's about teaching them to build environments where they aren't constantly tempted in the first place.That's exactly what you described earlier when you left your phone at home.You create spaces in your life where the temptation simply isn't there.That's the key to living a happier, healthier life—not relying on willpower, but learning to avoid unnecessary temptation and building habits that don't require you to fight yourself every day.Ironically, that's what ends up making life much easier.Sarah: That was another really interesting thing you talked about in your book—willpower.Michaeleen: One of the really interesting findings about willpower is that people with fewer bad habits don't actually have more willpower. They've simply arranged their lives so they're exposed to fewer temptations.Sarah: That's right. A great place to start might be something like what you did with food. You talked about not eating food on the go.Michaeleen: Exactly. No food on the go.Sarah: Baby steps.Michaeleen: Right. Or parents will tell me things like, “We don't have ultra-processed foods at breakfast.” Breakfast is actually an easy place to start. You have oatmeal. You have eggs. There are lots of simple whole-food options. So you make that one meal your starting point.That's really the idea. Start with something small.I think the same principle applies to parenting. Parenting actually becomes easier when the temptations simply aren't there. You're not constantly managing them.Sarah: When my kids were growing up—and thankfully they mostly missed all of this because my youngest is 19, so there wasn't Netflix and everything else that's available now—we had a simple family rule: no screens Monday through Thursday.Back then it was television, but they just knew that was how our family worked. If they asked, I'd simply say, “Remember, it's Wednesday. We'll watch TV on the weekend.”It was actually very easy.Michaeleen: Exactly. And that's the dopamine system at work.Their brains know what day of the week it is. We're remarkably good at keeping track of time and routines. They knew they were in your house, after school, and that there wasn't going to be TV.It's like a smoker on an airplane. Eventually the smoker's brain learns, “I'm on a plane. I can't smoke.” The craving relaxes because the brain understands the context.The same thing happens with family routines.In Israel, for example, many families observe a digital Sabbath where they unplug for a full 24 hours every week. Parents tell me their kids love it because they know that's the time they play board games, spend time outside, and do other things together.Their brains learn that weekly rhythm.Our brains naturally work this way, so we can use that tendency to make family life calmer and more peaceful.Honestly, one of my favorite outcomes is that when nine o'clock comes around, my daughter is calm and actually wants to go to bed. Whatever effort it took to establish those habits at the beginning has been completely worth it. It's peaceful now, and hopefully those routines will stay with her for years.Ironically, it was much harder for me to stop scrolling before bed than it was for her.Sarah: Do you think there's any place for moderation?For example, could Rosie ever pick up Toca Boca again and play it for a little while? Or is it more a case of, once it's gone, it's gone?Michaeleen: That's a really good question.I think there are a couple of ways to think about it.The first is simply asking whether a particular technology is worth it. Does Toca Boca actually give us something valuable enough that it's worth the possibility of bringing back arguments and struggles? Or is there something else that gives us the same benefit without those downsides?One of the goals of the book is to help parents start asking that question about technology in general: Is this actually worth it?The second question is whether your child can handle it.I use YouTube for work. I'll watch scientists explaining research, informational videos, or sometimes I'll listen to music. I also know all the tricks YouTube is playing on me, so I can use it pretty intentionally.But Rosie at ten years old?No way.YouTube is far too sophisticated for her to use purposefully.Maybe when she's sixteen, seventeen, or eighteen. Maybe fifteen. I don't know.But I'm not going to intentionally introduce it.If it becomes necessary because of school or something else, then we'll try it and see how she handles it. If she can use it well, maybe we'll continue. If she can't, then we won't.I think a lot of this is really about figuring out what your own child can handle.We don't give children alcohol or tobacco because they can't handle them. We don't give them pornography for the same reason.These technologies have entered our lives so quickly that we're all trying to answer entirely new questions.One of the most important things parents can watch is what happens afterward.How does your child behave? What's their mood like? Is it immediately, “One more. One more. One more”?If that's what's happening, then they're probably not ready for it.Sarah: Right. It's not restorative.This reminds me of a guest I had on the podcast a year or two ago. He was a former video game developer, and the episode was called How to Stop Fighting With Your Kid About Video Games.Sarah: This reminds me of something another guest said on the podcast, and I think it fits perfectly with what you're talking about.He was a former video game developer, and he said something I've never forgotten. He said, “If you're going to let your kids play video games, don't let them play anything that's free.”He said there are lots of amazing games that you actually buy because they're designed with a real story arc, real challenges, and an ending. As I was reading your book, I kept thinking about that because those paid games are designed to give you an actual reward at the end. You complete levels, you build skills, and then you finish.He wasn't talking about buying things inside free games. He meant games that you purchase outright. I remember my husband used to play The Legend of Zelda. It was a game you started and eventually finished.Michaeleen: I love that. There's so much I love about it because the business model is completely different.With free games, the longer you stay on them, the more money the company makes through advertising and in-game purchases. Their entire goal is to keep you there for as long as possible. They're holding the child inside that loop.But with purchased games, they actually want you to finish because then they hope you'll buy another game. It's almost like movies used to be. They wanted you to enjoy the experience, reach the end, and then come back for the next one.You're exactly right—they're designed to end.I think that's really beautiful advice because it highlights how much the business model shapes the experience.Sarah: That's what he said. In the free games, the commodity is your child's attention.Michaeleen: Exactly.Whereas with a purchased game, you're paying for an experience that has a beginning and an end.We've actually done something similar with movies and television. We got rid of all of our subscriptions, and honestly, we've saved a lot of money. Now, if we want to watch a movie, we buy it.We're much more intentional. We stop and ask ourselves, “Do we really want to watch this? Is it worth it?”Then, when the movie ends, we're done.I think that simple change does so much to keep you out of the wanting cycle we talked about earlier. Paying for something slows the whole process down. It makes you think about your choice, and the design itself is completely different. It's designed to leave you feeling satisfied—to let you say, “I finished it.”Sarah: It's an experience. It's an adventure. There's a reward.Michaeleen: Exactly. I love that idea. I wish I'd put it in the book. It's really good. Honestly, I didn't even realize there were that many games designed that way.Sarah: I'll send you his contact if you ever want to talk with him.I could honestly talk to you about this all day.I'm just trying to think if there's anything else I really wanted to ask, but I do want to highlight something for anyone who's still listening.This isn't a moral argument about screens or ultra-processed foods being “bad.” You make that very clear throughout the book.It's really about bringing more joy and fun back into your life because getting trapped in this cycle of wanting without ever feeling rewarded is making all of us kind of miserable.Michaeleen: That's exactly right.The first thing I hope parents take away is that this isn't their fault.This has happened incredibly quickly, and most of us don't even understand what we're up against. These products are intentionally designed by multibillion-dollar companies to capture and hold our children's attention. That's what we're competing with, and for a long time we simply haven't had the right tools.The second thing is that this isn't about taking everything away. That's a fantasy. It's not going to work.It's about figuring out what actually brings joy to you and your family, keeping those things, and letting go of the things that don't.We've also moved beyond the old idea that kids will somehow fall behind or be left out if they don't have all these technologies. There's so much evidence now showing that giving kids a phone or social media doesn't suddenly make them feel accepted or like they belong.In fact, it often does the opposite.So we can let go of that fear.Instead, we can ask, “What actually works for our family?” Then we can build the skills to get there and help our kids gradually adopt these technologies in healthy ways because they're going to be part of their lives.Almost everyone will eventually have a phone. Most kids will eventually use some form of social media, whether that's YouTube, Instagram, or whatever comes next.The question isn't whether they'll ever use it.The question is: When are they ready?And how do we help them use it in a way that still allows them to be productive?For me, that's one of the essential parenting skills of the twenty-first century: helping kids set up their environments—their computers, their workspaces, their routines—so they aren't constantly fighting temptation.Sarah: You also talk specifically about having kids work where a parent can see them because I think that's becoming a huge challenge now that so many students are issued Chromebooks at school.Sarah: You also mention having kids work where a parent can see them, because I think that's becoming a huge challenge now that so many students are issued Chromebooks at school.Everyone I've talked to—and maybe there are exceptions out there—says you can't put parental controls on school-issued devices. Kids need YouTube to watch something for school, and suddenly you've opened the door to all kinds of temptation.Every parent I know whose child has a school-issued Chromebook struggles with it.Michaeleen: Yes, and I think this is an area that's really in flux.From what I'm learning, parents are starting to push back—not only on schools issuing Chromebooks in the first place, but also on not being allowed to set them up in ways that remove things like YouTube. I think parents actually have more power than I realized.Some schools will work with families if parents speak up. You can go to the teacher or the principal and say, “This is what I want for my child's Chromebook. I don't want them to have access to YouTube,” or, “I want these restrictions in place.”Parents have more rights than I think most of us realize.I've talked with parents who are trying to get Chromebooks out of kindergarten through Grade 2 altogether. Others are asking for more limited internet access or different settings during school hours. There's really a whole spectrum of possibilities.I honestly think this is going to be one of the defining parenting issues of the next decade—the school-issued Chromebook, the school-issued iPad.For me, it just makes those screen-free gaps in the day even more important. If your child has spent the day doing schoolwork on a device, then after dinner becomes even more valuable as a screen-free time.You need a break. I need a break. We all need a break.Creating what I call sanctuaries becomes increasingly important as more of school moves onto screens. Kids need opportunities to move their bodies, relax their brains, and experience activities that are genuinely restorative.I also think there are resources available for parents who want more control over that digital space. It does take work, but as parents we sometimes hand over more authority to schools than we actually have to. We have more rights than we often realize.In fact, a lot of this is being challenged legally. There are lawsuits against school districts because some software has been given to children in ways that violate privacy protections and collect data improperly.So I think this whole area is changing, and I'm hopeful we'll eventually reach a place where, even if students are working on computers, they'll have better protections against unnecessary distractions.That's exactly how I work. I turn on an app blocker so I can't wander around the internet while I'm working. Otherwise, I'd be distracted constantly.I have a colleague who says she can't work for more than a couple of minutes before she finds herself checking something online.Sarah: I struggle with that too.It's getting easier the more I practice, but the pull—that feeling of wanting—is incredibly strong.Michaeleen: It really is. It's become a habit, and eventually you're barely even thinking about it.I remember when I first installed an app blocker. It felt so uncomfortable. I kept thinking, “But I want to check this. I want to check that.”Then it faded.It actually faded pretty quickly.Sarah: Thank you so much—not just for being here, but for writing this book. It's really remarkable.Even though I'm past the most active stage of parenting, I keep noticing the ideas from the book working their way into my own life.I have to tell you, the last couple of nights I've made brown rice instead of white rice because of something I read in the book. I love white rice, but I know I need more fiber. Honestly, once you start eating brown rice regularly, you hardly notice the difference.You've gotten me wearing a watch, eating brown rice, and leaving my phone at home when I take the dog for a walk.Michaeleen: I love that.It lets your brain relax because you're not constantly multitasking anymore.I have my watch on too. Rosie and I actually wear the same watch. To me, it's become a little symbol of this more digitally minimalist way of thinking.I was doing exactly the same thing—checking my phone every time I wanted to know the time. Eventually I thought, “Why am I using this little computer just to tell the time?”Sarah: Exactly.Well, thank you so much.Michaeleen: Thank you.Sarah: Before I let you go, I have one question that I ask every guest. It'll be interesting because I can compare your answer to what you said the last time you were on.If you could go back in time to your younger parent self, what advice would you give yourself?Michaeleen: Which age?Sarah: Any age. Go back to brand-new-mom Michaeleen. What would you tell yourself?Michaeleen: I'll give you two answers.For the baby stage, I would tell myself, “Michaeleen, just carry her all the time. Put her in the carrier and carry her. Don't worry so much about putting her down.”She was so happy whenever I carried her, and that's how so many cultures do it. The baby is simply on someone's back or on their front while life goes on. I really wish I'd done more of that because I think it would have made both of our lives much easier.For the older years, I'd tell myself to stop worrying so much that taking away the screens was going to be hard.I built it up in my mind as this enormous thing. I thought, “It's going to be so difficult to take away Netflix at night. It's going to be so difficult to take away Toca Boca.”But it wasn't.It really wasn't.Our lives became so much easier afterward, and I wish I'd been able to see that ahead of time.Sarah: Well, how could you have known?What you were seeing was the outward expression of all that wanting—the crying, the begging, the desperation. It would be so easy to mistake that for, “I'm denying my child something that brings them enormous pleasure.”I think that's an important distinction for parents.Just because your child is crying and screaming that they want something doesn't actually mean that it's bringing them pleasure or that it's good for them.Michaeleen: Exactly.Someone said something to me that I think made it into the book. A child can desperately want to spend another hour playing a video game while actually getting very little pleasure—or no pleasure—from it.That's really where the trick is.That's the hijacking.I also think Lenore's work is right. Kids really do want the offline world.They just have to experience it first.I didn't fully appreciate this before, but you can't really want something until you've experienced the joy of it yourself. Maybe you can see someone else enjoying it, but to actually build that dopamine pathway, you have to get out there and feel it yourself.You have to think, “Oh, this is wonderful. I love this.”Then your brain starts wanting more of that.Sarah: I was thinking about one family I work with. They have five kids, they run their own business, and they're incredibly busy.Their five-year-old son was having constant meltdowns and aggression, so I suggested they start tracking what happened right before those moments.When they came back, they realized that about 90 percent of the incidents were connected to screens. He was trying to get one of his parents' phones. He was trying to grab the remote from his sisters. He wanted the TV turned on or wanted it to stay on.This was actually before I read your book, so I probably could have given them even better advice afterward.But I suggested they experiment with going screen-free for a while and see whether it changed the aggression.The next time I talked to them, the dad told me that, out of pure frustration, he'd picked up the television and put it out in the garage. He basically announced, “No more TV for the rest of the summer.”The following week, the mom started texting me pictures.“Here's the girls sleeping in a fort they built on the trampoline.”“Here's our five-year-old playing with his trucks.”Picture after picture.She said, “I think this is going to be the best summer ever without TV.”Michaeleen: I love that story.I really do.And it's easier.It's easier.All he did was move the TV into the garage.That's amazing.That's exactly the advice I'd give myself.Just do it. Trust your instincts. Do it.Sarah: Do it.Well, thank you so much. I really appreciate you coming back on the podcast.As always, it's been such a pleasure talking with you, and you've written another wonderful book to add to the parenting canon.Michaeleen: Thank you so much for having me. It was truly a pleasure to come back.Sarah: Thanks so much.We'll put links to everything we talked about in the show notes, along with your website. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sarahrosensweet.substack.com/subscribe

Psychologists tell us that too much life change at once can push us into overload, and that can show up in all kinds of emotional and physical ways. We'll explore the wisdom we can find in the Israelites' forty-year journey through the wilderness, a story that shows us how to navigate change with confidence and a real sense of God's presence with us. Because no matter where life takes you, He will be with you.Pursuing God with Gene Appel is designed to help you pursue God, build community, and unleash compassion. Grounded in Scripture and shaped by Eastside's conviction that God's grace is for everyone, each episode invites you to discover God's presence and activity in your life.

We've talked about eco-anxiety before on Do You Really Know, and it's real. A survey published in the Lancet in December 2021 found that 75% of young people thought the future was frightening. But others are preaching a more positive outlook, with cautious climate optimism looking set to be a trend in 2023. While our fears around the climate crisis are justified and useful, if they paralyse us out of doing anything, those feelings of hopelessness are inevitable. Psychologists call it “learned helplessness”. What cause is there for optimism? What are the arguments against climate optimism? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to more episodes, click here: ⁠⁠Should I walk 10000 steps a day?⁠⁠ ⁠⁠What is a vertiport?⁠⁠ ⁠⁠What is productivity paranoia?⁠⁠ A Bababam Originals podcast. Written and produced by Joseph Chance. First Broadcast: 20/1/2023 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this presentation, Dr Faten El Skafi explores how licensed Muslim psychologists in Lebanon integrate religiosity and spirituality into their clinical practice. Combining a systematic literature review with semi-structured interviews, she investigates the ethical dilemmas practitioners encounter and the strategies they use to preserve professional integrity, with a view to informing culturally sensitive training and guidelines.

In today's episode, Trisha and I answer two listener questions. The first question is about feeling stuck in cycles of restarting instead of progressing, using food for comfort, and struggling to build consistency even when there is a strong desire to change. The second question is about ageing and the inner critic, and how it can feel difficult to let go of a younger version of yourself.  As always, Trisha McHale shares her psychotherapist view, helping explain why these patterns happen and how to change them for good. Click play and let's dive in. To apply for membership to Thrive Academy, Jessica's coaching program, go to www.jessicacooke.ie/thrive To contact Trisha McHale for more information on Therapy and Counselling services: galway@mindandbodyworks.com 091 725 750 About Trisha McHale: Trisha is a Psychotherapist and Director of Mind & Body Works Counselling and Psychotherapy Centre, based in Galway, with centres in Galway and Dublin. Their team of over 50 Psychotherapists and Psychologists work with adults, couples, adolescents, and children, offering therapies including CBT, EMDR, and Art Therapy. They also run a low-cost counselling service.

(0:00) Intro(0:02) Khutbah, Qurani AayaatMuharram se Mutaliq Bayan (1448 Hijri – June 2026)(0:56) Rasulullah ﷺ Ki Ita'at Ka Tariqa(1:27) Hasad ki Wajah Se Dunya ka Pehla Khaufnaak Qatal(Naiki ki Bunyad Rakhne Walay ka Abadi Sawab vs Gunah ki Bunyad Rakhne Walay ki Abadi Saza)(2:56) Hasad Se Bachne ka Tariqa(3:37) Khoobsurat Buildings Mein Rehne Walon ki Qabar(4:52) Dunya ki Zindagi Do Takay ki(5:20) Hubb-e-Jaah, Hubb-e-Maal aur Hubb-e-Baah: Dil ki 3 Khaufnaak Bemariyan(6:28) Izzat ke Bhookay Log(7:20) Paison ke Bhookay Log(8:17) Tariq Bhai ka 1995 ka Waqia – Aik Jhootay Aamil ka Eye-Opening Mesmerism(15:08) Yateemon ke Maal ki Hifazat ka Hukm(16:04) Maal ki Muhabbat Kya Hai?(17:04) Khud Pasandi (Ujub) ka Mohlik Marz(18:11) Shaitan ka Jurm(18:50) Naik Insan ka Dil In Bemariyon Se Pak Hota Hai(19:14) Hubb-e-Baah ka Marz(19:30) Tharak ka Bechain Mareez(21:15) Waqia: Hajiyon ki Bus(21:51) Gay(22:18) Peghambaron ki Taqat ki Misal – Hazrat Musa (AS) ka Kirdar(24:21) Angrezon ki Tharak(24:45) Hazrat Musa (AS) ne Nikah ki Offer Foran Qabool ki!(25:29) Sufism i.e. Worst(26:02) Jamia Tur Rasheed Mein Graduation, Masters aur 4 Saal Aalim Course Karne Walon ko Mufti Sahab ki Naseehat – Shadi, Bachay, Taleem aur Nokri Sath Sath(28:23) Aik Rangeen Mizaj Shakhs ki Shadi ka Waqia(30:08) Mufti Sahab ka Tajurba(30:34) Hubb-e-Jaah: Ilaj ke Lehaz Se Sab Se Mushkil Marz(31:15) Hubb-e-Baah ka Ilaj(32:17) Khud Pasandi ka Ilaj Sab Se Mushkil(32:47) Hubb-e-Maal: Ghatiya Tareen Bemari(33:39) Bawaseer ka Hakimi Ilaj(34:22) Paison Se Muhabbat Karne Walon ka Zauq-e-Nazar(35:38) Achanak Maut(37:43) Islamabad Mein Mufti Sahab ke Jawan Relative ki Cancer Se Wafat(38:19) Covid-19 Mein Jawan Logon ki Wafat(38:50) Nabi ﷺ ka Farman (Qabrustan Mein Ibrat)(39:21) Aik Isai ki Ajeeb Wasiyyat – Maut Se Kuch Der Pehle(40:42) Wahi ke Noor ke Baghair Aqal Gumrahi Hai(41:36) Technology Hub Countries Mein Gay Namunay(43:28) Youth Club Walon ke Paas Cases (GF, BF)(44:38) Karachi ki Aik Khatoon ki Call Mufti Sahab ko(46:30) Aik Khatoon ke 3 Betay Gay Kaisay Banay?(49:44) Islam ki Baharain(50:24) Drugs aur Suicide Legal in...(51:52) Bahir Mulkon Mein Jawanon Par Tablighi Jamaat ka Asar(52:40) Depression Patients(53:02) Psychologists(1:05:38) Islam ki Baharain aur Barkat(1:06:05) Molana Tariq Jameel Sahab ka Bayan – Bahir Mulkon Mein Aurat ki Izzat(1:07:04) Islam ka Ehsan(1:07:31) Muslims in Australia(1:08:04) Mufti Sahab ke Ghar Walon ka Tajziya – Bahir Mulk ki Taraqqi Par(1:09:38) Islami Ahkam ki Pakizgi vs Dusre Mazahib ki Gandagi(1:11:16) Quran Mein Nabi ﷺ ki Tareef(1:11:54) Deewaron aur Eenton Se Dil Lagane ki Burai(1:12:56) Muharram Mein Sunni Logon ka Shia Ban Jana?(1:13:03) Islam Mein Firqay(1:13:58) Jannati Firqay ki Alamat(1:16:02) Ghamdi aur Rajam ki Qurani Aayaat(1:16:32) Quran, Sunnat aur Sahaba par Amal(1:16:51) 10 Muharram Par Sahaba (RA) ka Amal(1:17:10) Hazrat Usman (RA) ki Shahadat Par Sahaba (RA) ka Amal(1:17:54) Muharram Mein Sunni Logon ke Liye Mufti Sahab ki Naseehat(1:19:24) Ibn-e-Ziyad ki Badbakhti(1:19:50) 9 aur 10 Muharram Mein Kya Karna Chahiye? Dua(1:21:10) Aalima Larki Se Shadi Karne Par Sawal(1:22:57) Collar Wali Shirt Mein Namaz?(1:23:09) Ghair Muslimon ka Quran Par Aitraz(1:25:03) Bank Job ke Liye Darhi Katna?(1:25:29) Logon Mein Ghulna Milna aur Job Karne Se Agar Taqwa Mutasir Ho To?(1:28:32) Aik Saal ki Tankhwah Jama Karein ya Umrah Karen?(1:29:04) Reply to Engineer(1:31:42) Hazrat Umar (RA) ke Jalali Mizaj ki Wajah Se Nikah Se Inkar Kyun?(1:33:43) Mufti Sahab ke Baray Mein Baray Ulama ki Rai(1:49:21) Sahaba (RA) ki Ghaltiyon Par Aitraz ka Jawab(1:51:11) Shia Hazrat Umar (RA) ko Bura Kyun Kehte Hain?(1:55:07) Berozgari ka Masla? (3 Shadiyan aur 8 Bachay Hon To)(1:58:14) Kundy ki Bijli ki Aamdani?(2:00:04) Biwi Se Udhar Liye Huay Gold ka Hukm?(2:01:11) Mufti Sahab ke Walid Sahab ki Qeemti Naseehat Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Your brain was never designed for this much bad news, according to new research. For almost all of human history, the biggest threats we faced were local - a predator hiding in long grass or a sick child in the village. Your brain evolved to notice these dangers quickly because missing one could be fatal. On the other hand, reacting to something harmless carried very little cost. This imbalance shaped what psychologists call the negativity bias, where we naturally pay more attention to negative information than positive information, remember it for longer, and react to it more quickly. From an evolutionary perspective, this makes perfect sense. Spotting danger helped our ancestors survive long enough to pass on their genes. The problem is that while our world has transformed dramatically over thousands of years, our brains have not. Today, the same neural machinery that once monitored a few square kilometres is expected to process conflicts on multiple continents, financial markets, natural disasters and political unrest all before breakfast. A study published in the scientific journal Nature Human Behaviour wanted to know whether people genuinely prefer negative news, or whether journalists simply believe they do. To answer this, scientists examined 22,743 randomized controlled experiments run by the news website Upworthy where editors created more than 105,000 different headline variations, which were shown to readers over 370 million times, generating 5.7 million clicks. Each experiment involved the same news story, but with different headline wording. Readers were randomly shown one version or another, allowing researchers to isolate whether changing just a few words influenced which headline people clicked. The researchers counted how many positive and negative words appeared in each headline using established language-analysis tools, then compared which versions attracted more readers. For a headline of average length, every additional negative word increased the click-through rate by around 2.3 percent. Positive words had the opposite effect, reducing clicks by roughly 1 percent per additional positive word. People weren't necessarily choosing different stories, they were choosing the more negatively worded version of exactly the same story. Our brains treat negative information as potentially important. Threats demand attention because they might require action. Long before we consciously decide whether something matters, our nervous system has already begun evaluating it. This is why alarming headlines are so difficult to ignore. Modern news organisations understand this, whether consciously or not. Headlines compete for a tiny slice of our attention, and research shows that negative language consistently wins that competition. The challenge is that our brains evolved to respond to occasional, nearby threats, not an endless stream of global crises. Instead of processing one danger and moving on, we now encounter hundreds of unrelated problems every day. Psychologists have begun describing an extreme form of this pattern as Problematic News Consumption (PNC). Researchers who developed the scale surveyed American adults about their news habits and found that around 17 percent showed severe levels of problematic news consumption. These individuals reported becoming preoccupied with the news, struggling to regulate their consumption and experiencing disruption to their daily lives. Strikingly, 61 percent of people with severe PNC reported feeling unwell "quite a bit" or "very much," compared with just 6 percent among people without problematic news consumption, suggesting a strong link between excessive news engagement and poorer wellbeing. Avoiding the news altogether isn't the answer, instead, the evidence suggests we should rethink how we consume news. Research on stress consistently shows that people cope better when they can distinguish between information they need to know and problems they can realistically influence. That means: Setting specific times to catch up on the news instead of checking constantly. Reading fewer, higher-quality articles rather than endless social media posts. Recognising when content is designed primarily to provoke outrage or maximise engagement. Focusing on actions you can actually take, rather than carrying the emotional weight of every global crisis. If the news feels overwhelming lately, that isn't a personal failing, your brain is doing exactly what evolution designed it to do: prioritise potential threats. The difference is that our ancestors might have encountered a handful of genuine dangers each week but today, many of us encounter hundreds before lunch. Our brains were built to survive a dangerous world, not to monitor the entire planet 24 hours a day. Understanding that may be the first step towards developing a healthier relationship with the news, allowing us to stay informed without becoming overwhelmed by the constant flow of humanity's worst moments. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If AI can do your work, what are you actually for? That is the question every knowledge worker is starting to feel, and this episode on AI and leadership sits right inside it. Dr. Chris McAlister and co-host Mark dig into the first of three human capacities AI can never replace: imagination. Not wishful thinking, but seeing something in your mind before it is real. That is vision, the necessary function of leadership. Chris tells the story of pulling into his garage in February, watching AI initiate, synthesize, and execute, and sitting with the question the tool forced on him: if it can do this, what am I for? He calls it a haunting moment, and what settled in was a conviction that what a human really does matters more than ever. It is the same gut question a fourth-generation horseshoer faced when the car arrived, or a division-one athlete feels when the knee gives out. Psychologists call it identity foreclosure, and it is coming for everyone who works at a computer. The deeper anchor is a Greek word: Gnosko. Gnosko is experiential knowing, the kind you possess and stand on no matter what the day brings. The other word for knowing is techne. Techne is informational knowing, the manual, the facts, the pattern. AI can techne you, mimic you, pattern-match you across every transcript and recording until it can sound like a great friend. It can never gnosko you. It will never experientially know who you are. That is why imagination stays human. You hold the vision. The tool extends it, imagining a hundred ways forward, but only inside the vision you give it. Chris and Mark name the real danger too. People will outsource the seeing and go to the tool for validation, training it to bolster the very things they feel most threatened about, remaking it in the image of their insecurity. More AI agents are online than people now. AI companion apps have passed dating apps because the machine tells you what you want to hear. The old Babel invitation still stands: do not reach for the bricks to build the tower, reach for God, and lean into a gnosko with him you have never had before. The leaders who answer what am I for from a secure identity are the 3% who walk everyone else into the future that is now. Chapters 0:00 Intro 1:13 If AI can do this, what am I for? 6:50 The paradox: easier work, harder humans 11:58 The first capacity AI can't replace: imagination 23:46 Gnosko vs. techne: knowing vs. knowing about 32:44 AI can mimic you. It can't know you. 39:55 Don't reach for the bricks (the Babel turn) 45:29 Identity foreclosure, and what's next Next episode goes to the second human capacity, discernment, the Greek phronesis. Take the Identity Fear Quotient® (IFQ®), four questions in about 15 minutes, to see the fear that drives how you show up under pressure, and where you might reach for a tool to validate it: www.taketheifq.com Get into the SightShift ecosystem at www.sightshift.com Find the forthcoming book, The 3% Shift: The Human Edge in the Age of AI, at www.threepercentshift.com

Psychologists with the Disclosure Foundation state in a new white paper that, among other things, the human race can handle the truth about non-human intelligence on Earth.Links/Sources:The Psychological Impact of UAP/NHI Disclosure | Disclosure FoundationSupport Extraterrestrial Reality/Quirk Zone on Patreon:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/Extraterrestrial_Reality⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out my YouTube channel:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quirk Zone - YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Extraterrestrial Reality Book Recommendations:Link to ROSWELL: THE ULTIMATE COLD CASE: CLOSED: https://amzn.to/3O2loSILink to COMMUNION by Whitley Strieber: https://amzn.to/3xuPGqiLink to THE THREAT by David M. Jacobs: https://amzn.to/3Lk52njLink to TOP SECRET/MAJIC by Stanton Friedman: https://amzn.to/3xvidfvLink to NEED TO KNOW by Timothy Good:  https://amzn.to/3BNftfTLink to UFOS AND THE NATIONAL SECURITY STATE, VOLUME 1:  https://amzn.to/3xxJvlvLink to UFOS AND THE NATIONAL SECURITY STATE, VOLUME 2: https://amzn.to/3UhdQ1lLink to THE ALLAGASH ABDUCTIONS: https://amzn.to/3qNkLSgUFO CRASH RETRIEVALS by Leonard Stringfield: https://amzn.to/3RGEZKsFLYING SAUCERS FROM OUTER SPACE by Major Donald Keyhoe: https://amzn.to/3S7WkxvCAPTURED: THE BETTY AND BARNEY HILL UFO EXPERIENCE by Stanton Friedman and Kathleen Marden: https://amzn.to/3tKNVXn#ufos #aliens #vegas aliens #ufo podcast

Psychologists with the Disclosure Foundation state in a new white paper that, among other things, the human race can handle the truth about non-human intelligence on Earth.Links/Sources:The Psychological Impact of UAP/NHI Disclosure | Disclosure FoundationSupport Extraterrestrial Reality/Quirk Zone on Patreon:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/Extraterrestrial_Reality⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out my YouTube channel:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quirk Zone - YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Extraterrestrial Reality Book Recommendations:Link to ROSWELL: THE ULTIMATE COLD CASE: CLOSED: https://amzn.to/3O2loSILink to COMMUNION by Whitley Strieber: https://amzn.to/3xuPGqiLink to THE THREAT by David M. Jacobs: https://amzn.to/3Lk52njLink to TOP SECRET/MAJIC by Stanton Friedman: https://amzn.to/3xvidfvLink to NEED TO KNOW by Timothy Good:  https://amzn.to/3BNftfTLink to UFOS AND THE NATIONAL SECURITY STATE, VOLUME 1:  https://amzn.to/3xxJvlvLink to UFOS AND THE NATIONAL SECURITY STATE, VOLUME 2: https://amzn.to/3UhdQ1lLink to THE ALLAGASH ABDUCTIONS: https://amzn.to/3qNkLSgUFO CRASH RETRIEVALS by Leonard Stringfield: https://amzn.to/3RGEZKsFLYING SAUCERS FROM OUTER SPACE by Major Donald Keyhoe: https://amzn.to/3S7WkxvCAPTURED: THE BETTY AND BARNEY HILL UFO EXPERIENCE by Stanton Friedman and Kathleen Marden: https://amzn.to/3tKNVXn#ufos #aliens #vegas aliens #ufo podcast

What if the secret to a thriving marriage isn't avoiding conflict… but learning to lean into it?In this episode, Sharla and Robert explore NBA superstar Stephen Curry's powerful marriage advice from his recent interview with Michelle Obama: “We don't run away from the tension on the daily.” They unpack why this simple idea is backed by decades of research from John and Julie Gottman, Terry Real, and divorce lawyers — and why so many couples still resist it.You'll learn:Why 69% of relationship problems are perpetual (and why that's actually good news)How the 5:1 positive-to-negative ratio works in real life — and what happens when it doesn't over 5–10 yearsThe compounding effect of small, unaddressed negatives (and how it leads to “falling out of love slowly, then all at once”)Practical ways to reframe tension, use soft startups, get underneath gridlocked issues, and repair quicklyWhether you've been married 5 years or 25, this episode will shift how you see conflict in your relationship.Resources & Links Mentioned:Michelle Obama's IMO Podcast with Stephen & Ayesha Curry (full episode)Medium Article: “Stephen Curry's Best Marriage Advice Is Backed by Psychologists and Divorce Lawyers”John & Julie Gottman – Fight RightTerry Real – Relational Life TherapyOur Repair Mini-Series (previous episodes)Challenge This Week:The next time tension rises, name it gently: “I'm noticing some tension here, and I want us to lean into it together. What's going on for you?” Stay in the conversation, listen openly, and make a repair if needed.Research Opportunity:We're in the early stages of developing a new marriage program and would love your input. If you've ever felt successful in your career but struggled to connect at home, Sharla would love to hear your story. This is purely for research — no sales pitch. Schedule a quick interview hereCall to Action:If this episode resonated with you, please share it with a friend who needs to hear it. Leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts — it helps other couples find the show. And be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode.Until next time — choose each other, even in the tension.

Psychologists play an important role in the care of all kinds of medical conditions. Sheila Garland joins the Mind Full podcast to talk about her role in helping people going through cancer treatment. She highlights the importance of having trained mental health professionals in as many healthcare settings as possible.

In today's episode, Trisha and I answer a listener's question about anxiety, overthinking and the need to control. The question comes from a listener who asks: "Has Trisha any tips for dealing with overthinking due to anxiety and wanting things to go a certain way? Why do we feel that need when all we can control is ourselves?" It's a great question and one I think many women will relate to. If you find yourself worrying about the future, replaying conversations, trying to make things go a certain way or feeling uncomfortable when things are out of your control, this episode is for you. Trisha McHale brings her grounded psychotherapist perspective as we explore this listener's question together. Click play and let's dive in. To join  Thrive Academy, Jessica's coaching program, go to www.jessicacooke.ie/thrive To contact Trisha McHale for more information on Therapy and Counselling services: galway@mindandbodyworks.com 091 725 750 About Trisha McHale: Trisha is a Psychotherapist and Director of Mind & Body Works Counselling and Psychotherapy Centre, based in Galway, with centres in Galway and Dublin. Their team of over 50 Psychotherapists and Psychologists work with adults, couples, adolescents, and children, offering therapies including CBT, EMDR, and Art Therapy. They also run a low-cost counselling service.

Michelle and I discuss how to develop clinical competency in therapy, the education and licensing considerations, and what you need to know before starting a private practice as a therapist. Episode Show Notes: kayladas.com/episode173 MSW Helper: mswhelper.com/becoming-a-therapist MSW Master of Social Work Applications - MSW Helper (Michelle's Group): facebook.com/groups/1091536908153196 Private Practice Therapists: Social Workers, Psychologists, Counsellors (Kayla's Group): facebook.com/groups/exclusiveprivatepracticecommunity Canadian Clinical Supervision Therapist Directory: canadianclinicalsupervision.ca American Clinical Supervisor Therapist Directory: americanclinicalsupervisor.com Done-for-You Psychology Today Profiles: kayladas.com/done-for-you-profiles Free Quiz: Which Therapeutic Modality Training to Start With? kayladas.com/therapymodalityquiz Credits & Disclaimers Music by Denis Pavlov Music from Pixabay The Designer Practice Podcast and Evaspare Inc. has an affiliate and/or sponsorship relationship for advertisements in our podcast episodes. We receive commission or monetary compensation, at no extra cost to you, when you use our promotional codes and/or check out advertisement links. References ACSW. (2025, September). Private Practice Guidance. Retrieved from https://acsw.ab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DOC_ProfessionalPracticeGuideline_PrivatePractice_20251006.pdf ACSW. (n.d.). Restricted Psychosocial Intervention. Retrieved from https://acsw.ab.ca/rapi-information/ Government of Ontario. (2007) Psychotherapy Act. Retrieved from, https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/07p10 OCSWSSW. (2025, May 8). Letter to Insurance Company. Retrieved from https://www.ocswssw.org/wp-content/uploads/OCSWSSW-Letter-to-Insurance-Providers-May-8-2025.pdf OCSWSSW. (n.d.1). Private Practice. Retrieved from https://www.ocswssw.org/registrants/private-practice/ OCSWSSW. (n.d.2) Psychotherapy. Retrieved from https://www.ocswssw.org/registrants/psychotherapy/ Yukon Government. (2024, December, 24). Joint statement from Minister McPhee and Chief Coroner Heather Jones on efforts to regulate social work. Retrieved from https://yukon.ca/en/news/joint-statement-from-minister-mcphee-and-chief-coroner-heather-jones-on-efforts-to-regulate-social-work

Today we discuss the role of psychology in integrated primary care settings with Dr. Daniel Mullin. Show notes are available at www.NavNeuro.com/193 _________________ If you'd like to support the show, here are a few easy ways: 1) Get CE credits for listening to select episodes: www.NavNeuro.com/INS (for step-by-step guidance, go to: www.NavNeuro.com/CEguide) 2) Subscribe (free) and leave an Apple Podcasts rating/review: www.NavNeuro.com/itunes 3) Check out our book Becoming a Neuropsychologist, and leave it an Amazon rating   Thanks for listening, and join us next time as we continue to navigate the brain and behavior! [Note: This podcast and all linked content is intended for general educational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of psychology or any other professional healthcare advice and services. No professional relationship is formed between hosts and listeners. All content is to be used at listeners' own risk. Users should always seek appropriate medical and psychological care from their licensed healthcare provider.]

It is soon to be 'that' time of year again and the HSC is going to be fast upon us … and we are revisiting a timely podcast about the ‘HSC and the ATAR'. All too often, the HSC is a stressful time for students and for their parents and families also. In this podcast, we hear from Clinical Psychologists – Dr Mathew Pfeiffer and Michelle Wotton from The Resilience Centre as they shed light on the difference between ‘ambition' and ‘perfectionism', when it comes to working towards a goal. They bring a wealth of experience and a passion for helping students and their families to do the whole HSC experience (and not just during, but importantly life afterwards) well … The post Winter Listening: Revisiting the ATAR and Beyond: Real Skills for Real Life appeared first on The Resilience Centre.

You have probably met a lot of people in your life that will treat you poorly.This week, or even today, you may experience somebody who is short with you, exasperated when you are around, gives you the eye rolls, gets angry, or suddenly disappears and ghosts you.If you are like me, you internalize this immediately.You think: Is it me? Am I at fault?For a long time, I did this with almost every negative interaction. I still do. I immediately assume there is some flaw in me. I replay what I said. I think I did something wrong.What I have realized over many years is that, very often, it is not my fault.It is somebody else struggling with something deep inside that they cannot or will not process. Their mind is already made up. They did not come into the day wanting to respond to you in a positive way.Psychologists call this kind of inner clash cognitive dissonance. When people feel that ambiguity or tension, they rarely respond with patience and inquiry. Nine times out of ten, they get angry or run away.Some people fight. Some people flee.Some people ghost you.Some people give you that emotional hit that makes you feel inferior.And because our bodies respond much more to negative interactions than positive ones, that one angry moment can erase an entire day of beautiful moments. You will carry that one interaction around and ask: What did I do wrong?Most of the time, you did nothing wrong.You cannot fix them. You cannot be kind enough or generous enough to change a mind that does not want to change.So here is what I want you to internalize: • Your daily interactions are often not about you. • You cannot fix everybody. • You can walk away knowing you are a good person. • You can keep being kind without believing you are the problem.If you are the one who is always angry and aggressive, I hope you stop and reflect and think about how you can change.But I also know that most people who need that message will say it is everybody else.For you, the person who internalizes everything and thinks it is always your fault:It is not you.Keep going.Take care and have a wonderful day.

Today, we delve into an honest and practical conversation about the place of psychology in society and in our daily lives. I'm joined by Dr. Simon Rego and Dr. Sandy Pimentel, two leading and influential clinical psychologists. We jump right in, first considering whether our culture's increased focus on mental health is a passing fad or an emerging trend that's here to stay. It doesn't take long before we venture into the murky waters of mental health content on social media, wrestling with the best way to navigate through the helpful content and misinformation that circulates daily. We also talk about the unexpected impacts of our guests' social media involvement. Things get practical, as we share advice on how to manage life's frustrations while holding on to gratitude and hope. We even get personal, sharing about successes and failures and the growth that can only come when you stretch yourself and learn from mistakes along the way. Humorously, we consider society's mixed feelings about psychologists – either embracing them or running away from them. Finally, we talk about ways psychologists and other mental health professionals can authentically and effectively engage with the community.

We're continuing our series on common creator fears. Every content creator goes through some kind of hesitation, fear, or frustration that blocks them from being who God created them to be. For me, I've realized I have a sense of insecurity about abandonment. When the viewer count goes down, it's not just a "bummer"—it's a feeling that I've messed something up and people don't like me anymore.Psychologists call this the "spotlight effect"—the tendency to overestimate how much others are noticing your flaws. But our job isn't to come up with the perfect words or try to look powerful. Our job is to be who God created us to be and create what we believe He wants us to create.

After a consult call with a new potential therapist who charged the morning of the therapy session, I found myself in a deep dive seeking the answer to this question: is it ethical for therapists to charge in advance of session?Thank you to Paubox for sponsoring this episode. Paubox makes HIPAA-secure email and forms easy and streamlined. Check them out here:https://hubs.la/Q04k58tL0*Get $250 off your first year with Paubox with coupon code "SKILLS"*Bonus Deal:* If you add the Paubox badge to your website you get an extra $100 off your first year - that means you can get your whole first year free if you apply both deals!Links Mentioned:r/therapists: "Do you charge your clients before or after the session?"https://www.reddit.com/r/therapists/comments/1dilgg3/do_you_charge_your_clients_before_or_after_the/Quora: "What are the ethical implications of paying for therapy sessions in advance?”https://therapistsexposed.quora.com/What-are-the-ethical-implications-of-paying-for-therapy-sessions-in-advanceQuora: "Do all therapists require their clients to pay up front before starting treatment/therapy sessions?"https://www.quora.com/Do-all-therapists-require-their-clients-to-pay-up-front-before-starting-treatment-therapy-sessionsQuora: "Should a therapist ask for payment up front or at the end of the session?"https://www.quora.com/Should-a-therapist-ask-for-payment-up-front-or-at-the-end-of-the-sessionEthical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conducthttps://www.apa.org/ethics/codeAAMFT's Code of Ethics:https://www.aamft.org/AAMFT/web/Action-Advocacy/Code-of-Ethics-New.aspxLINKS:*Some links are affiliate links. A percentage of purchases come back to me and help my channel immensely!

For nearly seven years, Cindy James lived in fear.The pediatric nurse from British Columbia reported relentless harassment: anonymous phone calls, threatening letters, dead animals, fires, break-ins, and violent attacks that left even seasoned investigators disturbed. Friends believed she was being hunted by a dangerous stalker. Police launched investigations. Private investigators were hired. Psychologists became involved.But as the years passed, detectives began asking a darker question:Was someone truly terrorizing Cindy James… or was something far more complicated happening behind closed doors?In June 1989, Cindy was found dead near an abandoned property in Richmond, British Columbia — bound, drugged, and surrounded by unanswered questions. What followed became one of Canada's most haunting and controversial unsolved mysteries.In this episode of Stuttering in Silence, we reconstruct the case minute by minute — from the chilling phone calls and disturbing attacks to the divided police investigation, forensic evidence, psychological theories, and the coroner's shocking open verdict that left the world without answers.With immersive storytelling, investigative detail, documented evidence, and the haunting uncertainty that still surrounds the case decades later, this is the full story of a mystery that continues to divide investigators to this day.Because sometimes the most terrifying cases are not the ones with monsters hiding in the shadows…but the ones where no one can prove if the monster ever existed at all.

In today's episode, Trisha and I answer a listener's question about food, weight loss and the fear of slipping back into diet culture. The question comes from a listener who wants to get fit and strong and improve her health, but also feels confused about how weight loss actually works without calorie counting, restriction and obsessing over food again. We talk about overeating, fat storage, portion sizes, hunger, body trust and the fear many women have of “getting it wrong” when they stop dieting. We also explore the difference between healthy structure and diet culture, why so many women feel stuck in the all-or-nothing cycle, and how to approach weight loss in a slower, calmer and more sustainable way without becoming consumed by food. As always, Trisha McHale brings her grounded psychotherapist perspective — helping unpack what's happening beneath these patterns and why rebuilding trust, consistency and self-awareness matters so much. Click play and let's dive in. To apply for membership to Thrive Academy, Jessica's coaching program, go to www.jessicacooke.ie/thrive To contact Trisha McHale for more information on Therapy and Counselling services: galway@mindandbodyworks.com 091 725 750 About Trisha McHale: Trisha is a Psychotherapist and Director of Mind & Body Works Counselling and Psychotherapy Centre, based in Galway, with centres in Galway and Dublin. Their team of over 50 Psychotherapists and Psychologists work with adults, couples, adolescents, and children, offering therapies including CBT, EMDR, and Art Therapy. They also run a low-cost counselling service.

Your pep talks come from love. But two real sports parents found out they weren't enough.

In this episode of The Founder's Sandbox, host Brenda McCabe sits down with behavioral scientist Nicholas Epley of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business to explore the surprising power of human connection. Drawing on decades of research and his new book A Little More Social, Epley reveals why we consistently underestimate how positive social interactions can be—and how small choices, like expressing gratitude or starting a conversation, can significantly improve our well-being, relationships, and workplace culture. Together, they discuss the science behind social connection, the hidden barriers that hold us back, and practical ways leaders and professionals can build more resilient, purpose-driven organizations through simple, intentional human interactions. You can find out more about Nicholas and his book at: about Nicholas Epley Accolades Nicholas Epley Book him for for speaking events at: https://www.wsb.com/speakers/nicholas-epley/ or pre order his new Book out May 19, 2026: A Little More Social Here: Amazon, Bookshop) You can also find his book Mindwise here: Amazon, Bookshop transcript: 00:04 Welcome back to the Founders Sandbox. I am Brenda McCabe, your host. Now in the fourth season, my mission with this podcast is really to bring in company owners, founders, 00:31 professionals, board directors that like me share a common mission, which is making change in the world through enterprises, small, medium or large. em And each of my guests um have em in their own ways built resilient, scalable, well-governed businesses um to really make that change. And I'm absolutely delighted to have Professor Epley, Nicholas Epley, 01:01 from the University of Chicago as my guest for this month. um Welcome to the Founder's Sandbox. Thank you, Brenda. This is a delight for me to have a former student back with me in conversation. I love it. It's amazing. I've been pursuing you for at least two years, and I kept getting delayed because of his writing a book. And today we're going to talk about um his new book that will be launching on May 19th, A Little More Social. 01:31 So before we get into the material, I need to make a proper introduction as I do to all my guests, all right? So um Nicholas Eppoli, he is the John Templeton Keller Distinguished Service Professor of Behavioral Science and Faculty Director of the Roman Family Center for Decision Research at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He is an author. We'll get into some of his work today. And he has many other accolades. 01:59 that are just too many to go through here because we'll eat into valuable time. And he has back to back podcast to announce his new book. I do want to call out one accolade. You were named by Ethicast, I guess, a business leader in ethics back in 2018. And business ethics, as we all know, corporate governance is very near and dear to my heart. So those accolades will be in the show notes. 02:29 em Dr. Epley, or Professor Epley as I'll call you, right? You study social cognition, how thinking people think about other thinking people to understand why smart people so routinely misunderstand each other. He teaches an ethics and happiness course to MBA students called Designing a Good Life. I was a... 02:56 an alumnus. I took your course back, think in 2017, 2018. So you're going to be forever a professor to me. All right. So I often speak of your class designing a good life and the pro-social exercises and other stats and experiments that now that you have this book out, I realized you were using the classrooms. Yes, I was. Yeah, I was doing a lot of the experiments in the class. I mean, the best way to teach 03:25 people something is not to tell them the thing, but to show them the thing. And so I could tell you that reaching out and expressing gratitude makes you feel better, makes other people feel better than you think, but more powerful is actually have you do it. Right. So we're going to talk about the book. And I think it's in chapter seven that you talk specifically about how gratitude is such a powerful mechanism. um Again, my guest here, I like to uh 03:56 kind of identify resiliency, purpose driven or scalable. m I think that what you teach and what we're gonna hear about here for my listeners is an example of resiliency practices. And I believe it's very much key in bringing it back to my listeners, Professor Upley is I work with a lot of company owners, business leaders who I think would benefit from learning some of these practices outside of the classroom today. anyway. 04:23 I took your class back in, I think, in 2017, pre-pandemic and in person. And my life has uh really been impacted in an incredibly positive way. I bring it into my personal life, some of these experiments that you're going to share with my listeners, as well as the classroom, where I do teach business ethics. And I have them um do a personal responsibility statement uh at the end of their. 04:51 their semester with me. That is awesome. So again, accolades. Thank you to you. So with my guests, I want you to make a little introduction and share your origin story. Why did you choose to become what's called a behavioral scientist? I won't make it too long. I do remember I got to college. I wanted to be a football player, college football player, small college division three. 05:20 at St. Olaf. I went to St. Olaf because I liked the football coach. I thought I was going to be a biologist. I took those classes. They were totally boring, but I took an intro psychology class, which was all self paced. It was supposed to take a semester to do. I was done with it about a third of the way through the semester. I just ate it all up. I went through it like wildfire, which I took as an indication that this is something I might be interested in. 05:51 I started reaching out to faculty, started doing research. And one day my senior year, early my senior year in college, my em undergraduate advisor grabbed a book down from the shelf and handed it to me and said, I think you might find this to be interesting. It was Tom Gilovich's book, How We Know What Isn't So. And the book describes how the psychological processes that give us beliefs and expectations and opinions about the world, thoughts about other people. 06:20 can often lead us astray, give us perceptions and beliefs that differ from the way the world actually is. And I found the work so fascinating. I read that book in a day. I took it and I went right through it. And I thought, that is the thing I wanna do. I wanna do research like that. I couldn't think of anything else more interesting to do than that. So I applied to a PhD program to Cornell University, which is where Tom is on the faculty. I applied to a bunch of others too. 06:49 em I was fortunate enough uh that I was waitlisted at Cornell, somebody declined their offer, and I got in as a PhD student. And the rest then is kind of one lucky break after another, after another, after another, after another, things working out well. And me just following things that seemed interesting at the time. em I was lucky to have Tom as a PhD advisor. 07:16 We started working on really interesting things. My first year there, turns out we underestimate how positively others judge us when we do something that we're kind of embarrassed about. Other people cut us a lot more slack than we think. And that interest in understanding, and in particular, understanding how well we understand the minds of others was something we were working on right away. And that interest... 07:44 just as grown and grown and grown and grown and grown. I've stopped thinking about other things. It's the only thing I kind of can think about. And the mistakes we make about the minds of other people are all around us and problematic. And so that's how I got here. Thank you for sharing that. um And specifically at this time in 2026, uh 08:11 So how does the mind of a behavioral scientist work? What experiments do you whip up to test some of the hypotheses? All right. for your first book, right, there was some, right. And the preface of your second book, you said, that morning I decided to test a different approach. As a psychologist, I try to understand human behavior using experiments. 08:34 But this time I decided to put myself into an experiment instead of ignoring the person who just sat down next to me, I would try to connect. So how does work? So one, I think the important thing about being a researcher, we're all researchers out there in the world in our own ways, right? So founders are starting companies and they're doing research constantly about what works and what doesn't. 08:59 As a scientist, we get to run experiments that sometimes have a little more control over them than what you have out there in the world. But the thing that is common to both the scientist and the founder or to almost anyone out there in the world is that you ask why questions. And so as a scientist, it's not so much the experiments we conduct that are critical, although those are critical. The critical thing is that you... 09:28 We look at the world in a slightly different way than others might and therefore notice things that other people might not notice. And that's where our hypotheses, our ideas come from. So one morning on the train, for instance, I was coming in to the University of Chicago where you know all too well where I work uh and I live on the far South side. And I was writing a chapter for MindWise, which was my first book describing how we have this mind uniquely equipped for brain uniquely equipped for connecting with the minds of others. 09:58 And I was describing how we often and why we misunderstand each other. And I was writing one of those chapters describing how we've got this brain uniquely equipped for connecting with others, made happier and healthier by connecting with others. And yet I was sitting on the train and I had this kind of eureka moment. Here we all were, and I've been doing this for years by now. Here we all were sitting on this train, highly social animals, made happier and healthier connecting with each other. And we were all ignoring each other. We're not connecting at all, treating the person next to us. 10:27 Like a lamp shade, right? And that was where I thought that seems weird. Does this make sense that we do this? Social connection is a choice. It's a decision about whether we reach out and engage with somebody or hold back. And that was the thing that I noticed. That was the perspective that other people might not have is that that's a choice and understanding that our perceptions are sometimes wrong or miscalibrated. 10:55 suggests that sometimes we can make those choices wrong, make them incorrectly or unwise. And so that morning I decided to enroll myself in an experiment. I had a woman come sit down next to me. I was probably at this time, I'm 51 right now, I was probably in my mid 30s, 35 or something like that at the time. This woman, she's probably 55 or so, African-American woman, uh clearly dressed for work, uh really looking sharp, had this beautiful red hat on. 11:24 almost like a bonnet, had this big wide brim. It was beautiful. uh And I decided that morning to put myself in an experiment. What would happen if I actually engaged in conversation and to really pay attention to what happened, right? Because that's another thing we do as researchers is we measure things closely. We pay close attention in our measurement. So I just started having conversation. I opened up with a pretty weak joke. uh I said, I love your hat. I have one just like it, right? 11:54 Yeah, not in the conversation hall of fame there, right? uh But she turned to me and she just like lit up. I remember so distinctly the reaction was like she'd almost looked like a different person. Her face, the face that we carry around with us, the dead face, right? Our resting Grinch face is kind of Grinchy, right? But as soon as you engage with somebody, you perk up, your face smiles, your eyes lighten, you look. 12:23 almost like a different person. So she turned to me lit up and uh the conversation then just flowed pretty easily. We had a nice conversation, half hour, time went really fast. As I got up to leave, I remember she held my wrist uh as I was getting up just to express some sincerity and she said, thank you so much for talking with me today. It wasn't just like, hey, that was lovely. We really meant it, like it was nice. 12:52 And the thing that I remember so clearly is that it wasn't just nice, it was surprisingly nice. That surprisingly part is critical because there was a gap between how I believed the conversation might turn out. I a nervous, what do I have in common with this person? I don't know. Will it go well? Do they really want to talk to me? Probably not. Will she misunderstand while I'm talking to her? Maybe. 13:17 You know, mistakenly think I'm hitting on her or something or make her feel uncomfortable instead of just having a nice conversation between two human beings. So all that stuff was going through my head, but it was misplaced. It was wrong. And so the conversation wasn't just positive. It was surprisingly positive. And that insight that social connection is a choice and that our choices could be wrong led me to run a bunch of experiments to test whether this is just something unique. 13:45 to me as a kind of weirdo or whether this is something we might see a little more widely. And so we started running experiments on the train that I ride. We recruited people for an experiment. We randomly assigned them to do one of three things, to either try to have a conversation with a person who sits down next to them that morning, so this is the connection condition, to... 14:11 keep to themselves that morning and just enjoy their solitude or to do whatever they normally do. 14:17 At the end of the survey, they reported how the conversation actually made them feel, how positive it made them feel on a couple of different measures. And then we asked another group, we asked them to predict how they would feel if they were actually in that situation. To report their beliefs, their expectations about how they would feel. Because that's what actually drives your behavior. It's not how you actually feel. You don't know how you're gonna feel. You're projecting, right? Yes. It's not gonna happen, yeah. Exactly. So you sit down and you think, well. 14:45 what would happen if I did this? Those are your expectations. And people's behavior is driven by their expectations. And what people expected was that they would have a more positive commute if they kept to themselves than if they had a conversation with somebody, which is what people are doing, right? So they're behaving rationally in line with their expectations. But when we actually had people do these things and report how they actually felt at the end, it was those in the connection condition. 15:12 that actually had the more positive commute and those in the solitude condition who kept it themselves had the least positive commute. People's expectations weren't just wrong, they were precisely backwards. They thought that keeping it in themselves would make them happier. In fact, connecting with somebody else is what would make them happier. And that was just the tip of a very big iceberg. For the last decade and a half, it just, we've been seeing these things all over the place. I'm like a guy with a hammer who sees nothing but nails. 15:41 I can find these phenomena all over the place now. So it's nearly two decades of research. That first experiment, you speak to it in the second book. don't know whether you also put it into the first book. It is wise to understand what others think, believe, feel and want, which is your first book. um So two decades later and pushing your five years of writing and you were avoiding. 16:09 being a guest on my podcast and that rightly so. Yes, took a long time. But as then. of 2026, your book, A Little More Social is being released. And we'll have how to get that book in the show notes as well after this podcast goes live. So what I wanted to do is really ask you what made you want to release it now in 2026, right? And 16:39 Again, I was able to get a pre-read of some of the material and uh while not stealing your thunder, what I was, I like how you've set the sections or the why questions. So back to the empirical, right? Research you do as a social scientist. Why, why not? What if, what now are the four sections of the book? But I will tell you this, I read the prologue and when I started reading chapter one, I was depressed. It was really hard to go on. 17:08 So I'm warning, just so with that, I'm not gonna give the spoiler alert. What made you want to publish this year finally after two decades and right? So I will say that I think the message of the book is fundamentally empowering, not depressing. It was just first chapter. I was like, wow. Just the first chapter maybe about the importance of social connection and how we're not choosing it. But once you see that, 17:38 Once you see that your beliefs about other people might be off a little bit, it's an invitation to test those. And to see places where you and your life are holding yourself back, not because social connection is unpleasant or you're not good at it, but because you're not even trying and finding out that you could be wrong. And once you start to see that the bars in front of you that are holding you back from reaching out and engaging with others, 18:05 having stronger relationships, communicating more clearly, having more joy and enjoyment in your life and making people around you better. Once you start seeing that those bars that are holding you back sometimes, making you overly fearful about engaging are actually made out of pasta noodles, it's easy to break through them. It is empowering. The people I talk to a lot in this book who spend a lot of time talking to other people, almost all describe themselves as having a superpower that other people don't have. 18:35 They're not afraid of engaging. And hence they don't hold themselves back from opportunities that they could have in the better life that tends to follow when we're connected well with other people. As to why 2026, I wish I could say it was something like market timing. I was getting exactly right. The world is a disaster, is a dumpster fire at the moment. are uh going deeper, deeper into loneliness in our lives. The world's a mess. 19:03 hostile and violent and unfriendly and we're trying to pull back from this. I wish I could say it was market timing. uh It wasn't market timing exactly. It was more, uh I don't know what the right word for it is in the innovator world, but I didn't have the product until today. Right. Or serendipitous as well. Serendipitous. Yes, serendipitous. I do think there's a timeless element to this too, which is, it is always the case, I think. 19:32 I don't think these phenomena are totally new. There are new elements to them, but there are times where we can always make our relationships a little bit better. But yes, right now there is some serendipity, I think. We could really use it right now. I agree. Tell me how it is to make a choice. So we all are different human beings, right? Talk about human beings. 20:01 condition, right? We're very social and some of us are more introverted than extroverted. how, and with your book, how can we be more empowered to make that choice? So I think the important insight from behavioral science here is that social connection and therefore the happiness and wellbeing and relationships that follow from that is to some extent a choice that we make. All social interactions that we have a choice over 20:29 you get to a point where you have to decide, I refer to it as the choice, because I think it is arguably the most important choice we make over and over and over and over again, which is, do I reach out and engage with you or do I hold back? And that choice, the choice shows up in lots of different forms. Do I talk with a stranger? Do I type to you or pick up the phone and talk to you? Do I... 20:56 ask deep and meaningful questions or do I hold back? Do I share this compliment or this feeling of gratitude or request for help or honest piece of advice for you, honest feedback? Do I share those things or do I hold them back? So the choice masquerades in lots and lots of different ways, but at its core is this conflict between approaching, wanting to engage and fear or avoidance, being nervous about it, right? And when both of those things are strong, we get 21:26 approach avoidance conflicts where we'd like to do this thing, but we're nervous. I'd like to go up and talk to that other CEO I'd like to meet, but maybe they don't want to talk to me. That's approach avoidance conflict. What we find in our work is that, well, other researchers have found that these two systems in our brain are independent of each other. That's approach and avoidance. Approach and avoidance. Yeah. The factors that govern approach, the system that governs approach in our brain is different from the system that governs avoidance. Okay. 21:55 That's how you can get both of them being very strong at the same time. They're not dynamic with each other. They can operate independently. And when you don't have any interest to approach or any interest to avoid, then you're indifferent, right? But the opposite of that is approach avoidance. And um people do vary a little bit in the strength of these two motives, uh in what guides their choice. 22:21 Extroverts tend, for instance, to have a little bit stronger approach orientation or rather a little less of the avoidance orientation. But I think the important insight is that what extroversion and introversion is really about is how you make the choice. And this is something that people, think, routinely misunderstand about what personality actually is, or at least the way we measure it as psychologists. I think that's the important thing, the way we often measure it as psychologists. 22:49 It's not describing the type of person you are. It is describing the type of choices that you make. So for instance, people might often think that introverts and extroverts, actually enjoy different things. That extroverts like talking to people, whereas introverts like talking to people less. That turns out not to be quite right. When you put people in experiments and you actually have them talk, introverts and extroverts both enjoy talking to people, right? 23:17 They both get tired talking to people later, but they're energized during it. They both actually feel more authentic when they're talking to someone and engaging in social interaction than when they're not. What differs between the two is how they make the choice and therefore what they think they will like or enjoy and therefore the habits they create and what they do. And that I think- that's kind of a revelation. uh 23:47 But psychologists have been discovering this for decades. So you go back to 1980 was the first published paper testing whether happiness or wellbeing was related to personality. Now in theory, you wouldn't expect it to be, right? Actroverts like talking to people. Proverts like uh reading books and keeping to themselves, more quiet time, Enjoying more solitude. Great, there should be no differences in happiness. We get what we want out of life. 24:16 That turns out not to be true. Extroverts tend to feel more positive, have more positive affect, more happiness in their lives than introverts full stop. And it is not a small effect, it is a huge effect. The correlation between extroversion and positive affect, essentially happiness in your life, positive mood in your life, is around 0.5, which is as big as the correlation between the heights of fathers and their sons. It's huge. It's huge, right? And so... 24:43 Psychologists learn then over time that that comes in part because extroverts tend to choose to act a little more extroverted. If you ask people to act more extroverted, everybody tends to get a little happier, uh introverts and extroverts alike. If you ask people to act more introverted, people tend to get a little less happy, introverts and extroverts alike. So I think that's a really important insight that introversion and extroversion is really about choices and habits. 25:12 more than actual experience. You know, m I extroverts to choose to do it more often. Is it a? Is it oh a game of numbers? Is it like betting? Is it just showing up for yourself more frequently? Independent of being an extrovert or introvert where I'm going is how can we apply this in the workforce with our workmates and things? Right? Is it just, you know, just choosing independent of what the outcome may be? 25:42 more often. So our data suggests that our assessment of the odds and all of life is kind of a gamble. Our choices are gambles on the future based on what we think is going to be relatively positive or not, what's going to be relatively rewarding or not. And our data suggests that we get the odds a little wrong. Extroverts and introverts both do. And actually, I don't want to focus too much on that because it's a much weaker, it's a much weaker phenomena than we actually 26:12 You might imagine that it is. People tend to think on average they're more introverted actually than they really are em because extroversion is public but introversion is private. So we all know our own private introverted side. It makes us feel unique, more unique than we actually are. But I think our data suggests not that you go out and you talk to people all the time or you share every detail about yourself. It suggests we get the odds a little bit off. 26:40 It suggests when it's easy, when it's possible to connect or to engage or when you have a thought that you could share that you think might turn, you know, be positive. If you recognize that that avoidance motivation is a little too strong. 26:55 Recognize you have to dial that back that your first thought might be overly avoidant your second thought a lot of times might suggest No, I'll give this a try. I'll give it a try. I'll give it try. I like that. Somebody said me lose right? So with that why not right part two of your book? Do you want to talk about a little bit about? The the how well you've talked about the have connection, but hello stranger, you know really just making it happen. I 27:23 I don't know whether you can make an inference into the workplace. I would like you to do that for me. Yeah. Yeah. Because we are human beings and whether we work in hybrid, we're totally remote, or we are working back in the office, we get things done through interactions with our colleagues. And so how might your work and a little more social uh make our, uh I guess, our interactions 27:53 more empowering uh and just overall lifting up. I think our data suggests that you can look for times in your life where there's kind of dead space or kind of gray space. Time where you could engage or connect with someone but are choosing not to in ways that wouldn't take you away from something. That's a place to start. Like I'm on the train in the morning coming in. 28:18 I'm just sitting there. Usually I'm not doing squat anyway. I'm scrolling my phone or reading the news. I think it's really important, but come on. Sometimes we do things, but often we're not. And that's a place that's easy for me. Like I did this morning, I had a conversation with Brenda on my train. um Brenda I've known for a while. I don't see her that often, but this morning she was on the train and we had a lovely 30 minute conversation. She gave me a hug at the end and she said I was really what she needed today. 28:48 Oh, right. And that's amazing. Yeah, she's a lovely human being. She's a great name. Yeah, she's great. But I don't see her a lot. Maybe a few times a year we'll be on the same train. But every time I see her, I know her. I remember I wrote her name down and I can have that conversation. It's easy. But that's something where I wouldn't have been. 29:13 social otherwise, it's easy to do. And if I know it's gonna be more positive than I think, then I would choose to do that than something else. When I get to my office here at the Harper Center here at Booth, I walk into the door on the way in and I got maybe a 250 yard walk up to my office here on the fourth floor. And I've started making it a habit that I take a hello walk when I come in. When I walk by people, I don't just sit there and just walk to my office. 29:42 I greet people when I'm going by. So I say hi to Nigel who's sitting there at the same table every day this winter quarter uh down uh in the winter garden here at the University of Chicago. I say hi to Keith and Mario and Linda on my way to the elevator often who are down there. These are often our staff people or uh other folks around in the business school. When I get up the elevator onto my floor, I walk past uh Jane's office and Eric's office. 30:11 uh Emma's office, Virginia's office on my way. And I say hi to people, right? Hi, Eric. Hi, Jane. Hi, Emma. Morning, Virginia, when I go by. Now, it's not taking me a lot of time, right? It's not slowing me up from anything. It's not really interrupting them too much. They're just getting started with their day. But it makes that moment brighter, right? It makes that walk better. Virginia came by my office the other day. I've gotten to know her. She's one of our new junior faculty. She came by my office. uh 30:40 to talk about the book that I've been working on to talk through it, because she found that interesting, she's an economist. I don't think she'd have done that before if I hadn't said hi. It's been nice. So, you know. So there's small, little initiatives, you just have to make the choice. They don't have to be massive things. There are many opportunities that are easy, seem small to us, they end up being, I think, 31:09 much, much bigger than we imagine them to be. And we just choose not to take them. And that seems like a tragedy. And once you start looking for these moments, these opportunities, you walk to get coffee at the office or something. Take a friend with you. Ask a colleague to walk with you. Ideas come out of those. Connections come out of those. Well, being comes out of those. You never know where it's going to go. Can you, for my listeners, discuss or share the experiment and how 31:38 people underestimate how much they'll enjoy talking to strangers or the letters of gratitude. It's your choice, you can do both. I mean, can share my own personal, know, living that. um It remains with me. I would love that. You do that. That would be great. know, the enjoying talking to strangers is uh during the last week of the course of designing, right? 32:06 a good life, we literally had to, um I think we had to report back and we had to do a kind act towards somebody that we didn't even know. Right? Yeah. Yeah. We were randomly assigned or we, right. I think you were, right. In that case, I asked you to go on and a random act of kindness for somebody. Exactly. An act of kindness. And it was amazing that then the person reacted. so it was a very, it was aha moment. Again, I'm 32:36 This was seven years ago, eight years ago. So I'm drawing a blank, but I just recall it was an amazing experience. we all kind of got to know each other's names. We were like 80 students in the classroom at that time. Another thing that I do recall with fondness is writing a thank you letter, graduate letter. you gave us the op, it was prior to getting to campus, we were to write a letter. 33:03 we could actually share with you who we writing that to. And that person had the opportunity to share with you what they felt or not. So it was kind of blind. And I did go ahead and write a thank you letter to a color out Betsy Berkamer. She's also been in my podcast, influential person in my life. uh And uh lo and behold, she wrote to you and as did other people that were recipients of a thank you letter that was two paragraphs. It made their day. 33:32 But the questions you ask, how did, you you had to get the guts up to write that letter, right? Because you had to really be touchy-feely and share a specific event for which you felt gratitude. So, yeah. So that's an, so these, the, the choice to reach out and engage with other people or hold back crops up in lots of places. So one of the things we know as psychologists is if you want to have a good day, one thing to do is to think about somebody else who you really appreciate and feel grateful to and make their day. 34:02 by writing a note to them and explaining why you feel grateful to them. What's interesting- that here on the podcast on the Founder's Standby. So this is major. Say that again. If you wanna have a good day, reach out to somebody else and make them have a good day by explaining why you're grateful to them. What's interesting though is if you ask people, can you think about somebody you feel grateful to, but who for whatever reason you haven't reached out to express this? Almost everybody can right away think, oh yeah, I can think of somebody. Why do those people exist? 34:32 Why haven't you told them? There are lots of reasons why, but one is often, it's gonna be weird. Is this the right time? What am I gonna say? Can I really put into words? All of these steel bars in front of us that we think are so powerful, but they turn out to be pasta noodles when you actually sit down to write them. So what I have you do in my class towards the end is I have you think about this person, sit down, write a note to them. 34:59 anticipate how they're gonna feel, right? If you think that they're not gonna, you you underestimate how positive it's gonna be for them, or you overestimate how awkward or weird it's gonna be, right? That creates friction. That's a barrier to reaching out and engaging them. That's your avoidance voice shouting a little too loudly in your ear, that cringe voice, that you shouldn't do this. And we can find out whether that's calibrated. So I had you predict how the recipient would feel, how- um 35:28 the extent to which they'd be surprised to learn what you're grateful for, extent to which they'd be surprised to receive how positive or negative they would feel and also how awkward they would feel. I then, if you were willing to share with me the recipient's email address, I reached out and said, well, student of my class, um sent you a gratitude note as part of a class exercise. uh They thought of you for this. And I would love it if you could just tell me how that made you feel. Maybe terrible, maybe great. 35:58 but they go to the survey, they fill it out. And then we just compare those numbers essentially. And the students are not confused. You weren't confused that this would be positive. You thought it would be good. What was surprising or what's super robust is that it's even more positive than that. So Brenda, your little two paragraphs that seemed like nice, nice, but they were really, really nice to the person who received it. You thought they would be, uh 36:27 kind of powerful, they were really powerful. She probably printed that out. I had a student this year say in class that their recipient, who was a relative of theirs actually, their recipient asked, can I print it out and put it on the wall? Oh, that's amazing. Of course they do. Yes. It matters a lot. Surprisingly a lot. That's the important thing. Surprisingly a lot. 36:56 I could go on and on with more examples of the experiments that Professor Epley made us do in class that have marked uh my life. uh I use a lot of these things with my clients or even my students. And one of which is I do have the personal responsibility statement that we wrote at the end of our... uh 37:20 with you and it had to be short and sweet. You framed it, gave it to us. want it. If we ever want to change it, we had, you know, uh a beeline to you. You can send me a note. I'll change it for you. I'll send you new one for sure. And I framed it, framed it and printed out because otherwise you never would. Right. And then it's almost like it's an accountability manager. Right. We have Professor Epley who holds us accountable. Here, by the way, is mine. Yeah. You want to see mine? 37:48 I didn't know you were going to mention it, but yeah, here it is right here. Yeah, mine's here. And actually, because I asked my students, oops, I don't know whether you see it too well. There it is. Yeah. There it is. Signature, sorry. Sorry, because I have that screen. uh And yes, I even have some students that say, Professor McKay, but it's really hard for me to write mine when you share yours. of course, I'll share it. Yeah. 38:13 You may remember I put mine up in class. I showed you in the last class what mine was. Yeah. Yes. Yes. So yes, tell me. Yes. Go on. So the purpose of that is this is really about sustainability, I think, and resilience in organizations that the business case for ethics for being good out there isn't just that it feels good, sometimes even surprisingly good, which is really what's in the book and in a little more social. 38:43 which I describe in lots of different ways. But uh the business case for ethics is really one about resilience and sustainability. That you can be a schmuck for a little while and take money from people and succeed. You can lie and cheat and steal for a little bit. It's very hard to do that for a long time. Wow. People don't want to work with you. They don't want to work for you. uh They don't want to lend you money uh if they think you're uh unethical and shady. 39:13 And so for an organization, way to design one, for founders, the way to design one that is resilient and sustainable is to make sure that your values, your mission is front and center in front of everything that you do. so identifying a powerful, identifying an actionable mission statement, like your personal responsibility statement, this is at the organizational level, is a critical first step because everything else can be woven out of that. 39:43 Those ethics have to be kept top of mind all the time, woven into how you hire people and fire people and promote people and evaluate people and what you talk about day to day and what your norms are in the organizations, what activities you do, how you financially compensate people, what kinds of non-financial incentives you have in your organization. All those need to be tied to the mission statement and to the values that those suggest so that they're kept top of mind when you're out there in the world. So they become more of your first thought. 40:13 rather than needing to be your second thought. And the personal responsibility statement functions at an individual level that way. uh It prompts you to think about what is the thing you wanna have top of mind guiding you when you're out there in the world. So mine is to teach and research so that people are inspired to make wiser decisions and live better lives. Okay, that's what I focus on. 40:39 m Mine is always be original creative, loving, giving back, thankful, spontaneous, daring yourself while being content with enough. And my podcast is actually one of those creative outlets for me. now into my fourth season, it's been amazing. You know what I like with, you know what I didn't see, m wouldn't have seen when you wrote that, but do now is the last part being satisfied with enough. That's an important bit of self. 41:06 compassion there to recognize we do what we can do, nothing more, nothing less. And we give it all we got and that is enough. So the idea is that just like with a mission statement, if you can keep that top of mind guiding your behavior, you'll be a better organization if you design that well. Same thing is true for individuals. Well, before we go to my last three questions, which is really uh the essence of what I do with... uh 41:34 Next Act Advisors, my consulting firm around resilience, purpose, and scalable. I really wanted to give you an opportunity to let my listeners know how to connect with you. It will be in the show notes. And specifically, you do speaking, you're a keynote speaker and you can be hired in different, so can you? 41:58 share a little bit of how we can connect with you and to what do you typically like to speak about when you are um hired as a speaker? Yeah, so I do a lot of uh public speaking, which I think of as just another avenue for teaching about our research, which I think is meaningful for people and can be very powerful. The speaking agency that I use is WSB. They're in Washington, DC. They're fabulous people. And I can talk about 42:28 A few things I can talk about why we misunderstand each other and how to help people understand each other better, which is really about management and leadership, all of those essential skills. And then the work that I'm doing now about human sociality is really a lot about organizational culture, uh happiness and learning. But a lot of it's about organizational culture, I think of it as. And how we uh might act in ways 42:56 uh that don't optimize our culture in ways that make it sustainable or keep us resilient or keep us happy and motivated in organization or learning as much as we could. The individual stuff people also take out of this as well. The book is really written at the individual level for you to think about yourself and your own life and why we might just like we don't act maybe exercise as much as we ought to, why you might not be as social as you could. Thankfully, exercising sucks, it's unpleasant. So we all know that. 43:26 That's hard. reaching out and connecting with other people. know. I know. Thank you. But reaching out and connecting with other people is positive. know, like, you know, it's surprisingly positive. So that's an easy habit. That's an easy habit to make. So I talk a lot about how, you know, where these barriers come from and what you can do in my presentations, what you can do to turn these into habits to make your life consistently better, resiliently. 43:54 And then for connecting with me, do use LinkedIn. I don't use a lot of social media because it makes me miserable. But I do, I have been having fun a little bit recently using LinkedIn. So that's a way, but you can also email me. That's probably the easiest way. All right. So all of this will be in the show notes and, and your book, a little more social will be released on May 19th. There'll be a launch party. I believe it's, it's available on Amazon and bookshop. 44:23 and you have your own website. again, this will be provided in the show notes. Well, I like to do around the Robin lightning question, so my guests, all of my guests get to answer three questions. I'm passionate about resilience, purpose, and scalable or sustainable. And so I'd like to ask you, Professor Apley, what does resilience mean to you? It means being able to accept the negative things that happen in our life by 44:51 but by continuing to carry on with it. So one habit that I've picked up, I don't remember that I actually did it deliberately. I sign off all of my emails, typically, not always, but usually, and I type these out. This isn't like a form with onward. um And it's kind of a mantra I keep in my mind. uh Research is hard. There's a lot of failure. There's a lot of frustration. 45:21 Writing papers is hard, getting published is hard, speaking is hard, teaching is hard. It's all hard stuff. I mean, we're all doing lots of hard things, but they're those hard things. And there are lots of setbacks. And in academia, it gets personal because the ideas are yours, just like founders, right? These ideas are your baby. They are precious to you. And when they don't work or when they're threatened, that is hard and it's threatening. But you can't get mired in that. It's easy to get stuck in that. And so I try to... 45:50 This is just a little thing I do to keep myself focused on, all right, what's next? Now what? Onward. We're gonna carry on with this. That's resilience to me. I love it. Thank you. Purpose. What does purpose mean to you? Yeah, purpose is more, I think, the long run drive. Like, why am I doing this? um What's the meaning of my work? Which is usually not something you see right in the work itself. It is above the work. It's bigger than the work. It's what's in your personal responsibility statement, right? 46:21 My research is really oriented towards trying to identify wisdom, right? That's understanding. That's what all scientists try to do. We try to understand. I don't try to advocate. I don't tell you what to do. I try to figure out what the facts are as best I can. And so that concept of wisdom, for me, that's my purpose. Just to try to figure out wisdom. That's the long run goal, the high level goal. I think that is essential for me. It's also, it is perfectly aligned with 46:50 what I'm trying to do as a researcher. Amazing. So my second to last question, scalable or sustainable? can be anything. So scalable I struggle with. As a behavioral scientist, that is hard. It's hard to take individual stuff and increase it at scale, in part because the things that you do to increase something at scale are not the things you do to make an individual life better. So at scale, 47:18 You typically don't target people's beliefs. You navigate around them in some way. So you don't tell people they ought to play more with their neighbors. You build a playground. So they're different approaches. uh So scalable, I struggle with a little bit. try to, in my research, because I'm understanding individual minds, that's where I focus. And so I make it purposefully personal, our researches. Sustainable, though, 47:47 I think our research is really all about in many ways is that at the end of the day, at the end of our experiments are questions, dependent variables. And those dependent variables are typically these days about wellbeing, some measure of wellbeing and happiness. And that is the thing that you need for sustainability to keep things going, right? To sustain yourself. 48:17 is some positive reward. That's what sustains action. m And that's what our work focuses on, think, sustainability in part because for understanding social misunderstanding, the social misunderstanding creates friction. It ruins relationships, causes ah conflict and hostility, which is not itself sustainable. We're trying to encourage some insight into what the opposite would look 48:48 Last question, Professor Epley, did you have fun in the sandbox today? It's very fun, It's great seeing you, Brenda. Makes me regret I didn't do it uh the other times you asked, but it is a lot of work to write a book. It is exhausting. it leads my students to, my PhD students and postdoc doing research with me to contemplate homicide if I don't get to their paper soon. So anyway. Well, with that. 49:17 I let's sign off. You did enjoy yourself to my listeners. If you like this episode with Professor Epley, Nicholas Epley, sign up for the monthly release where founders, business owners and professionals um share their own experiences on building scalable, resilient, purpose-driven organizations, profits for good, and making the world a better place. So thank you until next month.

Most therapy tries to understand what's “wrong” with someone. But what if the person isn't the problem at all? In this episode of Psychology, Actually, Dr Marianne Trent is joined by clinical psychologists Rosslyn Offord, Elizabeth Field and Polly Kaiser to explore narrative therapy a therapeutic approach that helps people separate themselves from problems, reconnect with identity, and rewrite the stories they hold about themselves. We discuss trauma, grief, dementia, migration, stigma, ageing, burnout, community work, and how narrative therapy can support people across cultures and across the lifespan. The conversation also explores externalising problems, Tree of Life work, systemic therapy ideas, narrative approaches to dementia care, and how stories can shape both distress and recovery. This episode will be especially valuable for psychologists, therapists, counselling trainees, mental health professionals, systemic practitioners, and anyone curious about identity, therapy, and human stories. Check out the book, Narrative Therapy and Older People: Challenging Stigma, Supporting Connection and Building Hope https://amzn.to/3PFW8qNTimestamps 00:00 You are not the problem 01:00 What is narrative therapy? 04:28 How Rosslyn discovered narrative therapy 06:18 Narrative therapy in CAMHS and “Sneaky Poo” 08:29 Working with dementia and cognitive difficulties 11:38 Grief, remembering and storytelling 15:29 Why language matters in therapy 16:02 Narrative therapy, migration and trauma 18:01 Using a person's own language in therapy 19:11 Tree of Life and cross-cultural work 20:32 Is narrative therapy evidence-based? 24:20 Life story work and dementia care 26:35 Is it ever too late to learn narrative therapy? 28:39 Dementia stigma and community connection 31:29 Who might benefit from narrative therapy? 34:27 The new narrative therapy book 38:41 Final reflections and resources #PsychologyActually #NarrativeTherapy #ClinicalPsychologyLinks:

Join psychologists Rebecca Martinez, Ph.D. and Christopher Quarto, Ph.D. on this episode of the “Adult Autism:  A Spectrum of Uniqueness” podcast for a behind-the-scenes look at the autism evaluation process and the factors psychologists consider when determining whether someone may be autistic. They discuss topics such as masking, patterns that emerge during assessments, and what newly diagnosed autistic adults may want to consider as they begin making sense of their diagnosis and moving forward. The Adult Autism:  A Spectrum of Uniqueness podcast series is hosted by Christopher Quarto - a licensed psychologist who evaluates adults for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (https://chrisquarto.com).  Issues pertaining to mildly autistic adults (and neurodiverse folks who believe they are on the spectrum) are covered on the podcast including sensory sensitivities, how to make friends, regulating emotions and the role pets play as friends.  Listen and discover why your uniqueness is awesome! Would you like to watch a video version of this podcast episode?  Check out the Adult Autism:  A Spectrum of Uniqueness YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4IPUmICA-ZlIERsJk3pHyqkSyPKMht9X * Are you interested in taking the online course for autistic adults that Dr. Quarto mentioned during the podcast episode?  “Unmasked: Living Authentically as an Autistic Adult” is designed to help newly diagnosed & self-diagnosed autistic adults understand their identity, reduce masking, build practical communication and self-regulation skills, and create a life that aligns with their values, energy, and nervous system. To get on the waitlist or learn more about the course shoot Dr. Quarto an e-mail (chris@chrisquarto.com) or check out his website: (https://chrisquarto.com/online-courses-books) * Are you thinking that you might be autistic but have never been professionally evaluated?  How about taking a 6-question quiz designed by Dr. Quarto to find out if autism is likely:  “Am I Autistic?” quiz link - https://quiz.tryinteract.com/#/64db4bb606278800141be2fd * Are you interested in getting evaluated for autism? Dr. Quarto conducts in-person and telehealth evaluations with clients in most states across the United States! Click here to get the ball rolling: https://chrisquarto.com/autism-spectrum-disorder-testing/        

Prager University- Black Fathers Matter, Are Fathers Necessary? John Stossel- Watt's the Problem with Data Centers? Steve Forbes- The Case for Capitalism   Prager University- Black Fathers Matter | 5 Minute Video Are Fathers Necessary? | 5 Minute Videos | PragerU John Stossel- Watt's the Problem with Data Centers? The Truth About Energy Use, Costs, and the Panic Over Progress The Case for Capitalism: Steve Forbes Explains Why Free Markets Work and Socialism Doesn't A Few Moments With Ted Turner   Black Fathers Matter | 5 Minute Video Watch this video at- https://youtu.be/FszQelEQ2KY?si=LHIRgWs9K_RX8eON PragerU 3.45M subscribers 4,212,596 views Jun 13, 2016 5-Minute Videos Which poses a bigger threat to black communities: Racism? Or the absence of fathers? Drawing on a sea of official data and his own upbringing, talk-show host Larry Elder shows just how important black fathers are in turning boys into responsible and happy men--and how their absence has had a tragic impact on millions of black Americans.  Donate today to PragerU! http://l.prageru.com/2ylo1Yt Joining PragerU is free! Sign up now to get all our videos as soon as they're released. http://prageru.com/signup Download Pragerpedia on your iPhone or Android! Thousands of sources and facts at your fingertips. iPhone: http://l.prageru.com/2dlsnbG Android: http://l.prageru.com/2dlsS5e Join Prager United to get new swag every quarter, exclusive early access to our videos, and an annual TownHall phone call with Dennis Prager! http://l.prageru.com/2c9n6ys Join PragerU's text list to have these videos, free merchandise giveaways and breaking announcements sent directly to your phone! https://optin.mobiniti.com/prageru Do you shop on Amazon? Click https://smile.amazon.com and a percentage of every Amazon purchase will be donated to PragerU. Same great products. Same low price. Shopping made meaningful. VISIT PragerU! https://www.prageru.com FOLLOW us! Facebook:   / prageru   Twitter:   / prageru   Instagram:   / prageru   PragerU is on Snapchat! JOIN PragerFORCE! For Students: http://l.prageru.com/29SgPaX JOIN our Educators Network! http://l.prageru.com/2c8vsff Script: Years ago, I interviewed Kweisi Mfume, then the president of the NAACP. “As between the presence of white racism and the absence of black fathers,” I asked, “Which poses the bigger threat to the black community?” Without missing a beat, he said, “The absence of black fathers.” It was President Barack Obama who said, "We all know the statistics. That children who grow up without a father are five times more likely to live in poverty and commit crime; nine times more likely to drop out of school and 20 times more likely to end up in prison.” The Journal of Research on Adolescence confirms that even after controlling for varying levels of household income, kids in father-absent homes are more likely to end up in jail. And kids who never had a father in the house are the most likely to wind up behind bars. In 1960, 5 percent of America's children entered the world without a mother and father married to each other. By 1980 it was 18 percent, by 2000 it had risen to 33 percent, and fifteen years later, the number reached 41 percent. For blacks, even during slavery when marriage for slaves was illegal, black children were more likely than today to be raised by both their mother and father. Economist Walter Williams has written that, according to census data, from 1890 to 1940, a black child was more likely to grow up with married parents than a white child. For blacks, out-of-wedlock births have gone from 25 percent in 1965 to 73 percent in 2015. For whites, from less than 5 percent to over 25 percent. And for Hispanics, out-of-wedlock births have risen to 53 percent. What happened to fathers? The answer is found in a basic law of economics: If you subsidize undesirable behavior you will get more undesirable behavior. In 1949, the nation's poverty rate was 34 percent. By 1965, it was cut in half, to 17 percent -- all before President Lyndon Johnson's so-called War on Poverty. But after that war began in 1965, poverty began to flat line. From 1965 until now, the government has spent over $20 trillion to fight poverty. The poverty rate has remained unchanged, but the relationship between poor men and women has changed – dramatically. That's because our generous welfare system allows women, in effect, to marry the government. And this makes it all too easy for men to abandon their traditional moral and financial responsibilities. Psychologists call such dependency "learned helplessness." How do we know that the welfare state creates disincentives that hurt the very people we are trying to help? They tell us. In 1985, the Los Angeles Times asked both the poor and the non-poor whether poor women "often" have children to get additional benefits. Most of the non-poor respondents said no. However, 64 percent of poor respondents said yes. Now, who do you think is in a better position to know? Tupac Shakur, the late rapper, once said: "I know for a fact that had I had a father, I'd have some discipline. I'd have more confidence." He admitted he began running with gangs because he wanted the things a father gives to a child, especially to a boy: structure and protection. “Your mother cannot calm you down the way a man can,” Shakur said. “You need a man to teach you how to be a man."   Are Fathers Necessary? | 5 Minute Videos | PragerU https://youtu.be/daS69gf0Tzc?si=UJ0grFAG2chSNjuM PragerU 3.45M subscribers 3,752,405 views Premiered Jun 7, 2021 5-Minute Videos Until recently, the need to explain why fathers are necessary would have been regarded as, well, unnecessary. But that's not the case anymore. Dennis Prager explains why this isn't just concerning—it's dangerous. Follow PragerU: Instagram:

Many entrepreneurs hit their goals, grow their revenue, and create real impact, and still somehow feel behind. In this episode, Brian Thompson unpacks why high achievers so often struggle to feel successful, how comparison and constant striving distort our sense of progress, and why mission-driven entrepreneurs are especially vulnerable to this pattern. It is a candid and reflective conversation that ends with a challenge to redefine what success actually means for you.   The Pattern Entrepreneurs Get Stuck In A pattern Brian sees in himself and many of his clients: Hit a goal, feel proud for about five minutes, and then immediately shift into what is next, what is still missing, what should be better. His business coach put it plainly: there is no there.  By constantly focusing on the next thing, it becomes easy to miss the life that is being built right now. Many high achievers learned early that achievement equals safety, approval, or worth, and that conditioning runs deep. For LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs in particular, external validation often became a survival strategy when other forms of belonging were denied. The result is a set of skills, performing, producing, solving, and goal-setting, that serve entrepreneurs well, but can also become a trap. Psychologists call it the hedonic treadmill: we adapt to our circumstances so quickly that what once felt exciting becomes the new normal, and then we start chasing the next thing.   How Comparison Makes It Worse Social media has fundamentally distorted the way entrepreneurs measure their own success. Intellectually, most people know they are seeing highlight reels. Emotionally, it still lands. A perfectly good day in the business can unravel the moment someone else appears to be doing more, growing faster, or hitting bigger milestones. Without realizing it, other people's timelines become the standard against which progress gets measured. Brian points out that this is especially difficult for mission-driven entrepreneurs, who tend to be deeply reflective and genuinely care about doing meaningful work. That same thoughtfulness can turn inward in unhealthy ways. There will always be someone further ahead in one area or another, but what is rarely visible is their anxiety, their trade-offs, their exhaustion, and their own version of this same struggle.   When Your Identity and Your Business Are Intertwined Mission-driven entrepreneurs face an additional layer of pressure because so many tie their self-worth to their impact. When a business is deeply connected to personal values and identity, it becomes harder to separate business performance from personal worth. A slow quarter can feel like a personal failure. Burnout can bring guilt instead of rest. And because many mission-driven entrepreneurs are naturally empathetic, overextension becomes a pattern. You cannot build a meaningful business if you are perpetually depleted.   Why Reflection Changes Everything One of the most important lessons Brian has taken from entrepreneurship is that success without reflection rarely feels like success at all. If there is no pause to acknowledge growth, resilience, lessons learned, and progress made, the brain simply moves on to the next problem, and entrepreneurship guarantees there will always be a next problem. This is why Brian starts every client meeting by asking about successes and challenges, a few minutes to look at what has actually happened before moving forward. High achievers tend to be excellent at documenting failures and poor at documenting progress. Making success visible, and emotionally real, is a practice that has to be built intentionally. Brian also encourages clients to take some of their quarterly profit and celebrate themselves, a dinner out, a massage, whatever feels good, rather than immediately reinvesting everything back into the business. Celebrating now, rather than waiting, is part of building something sustainable.   Redefining What Success Actually Means for Mission-Driven Entrepreneurs Ambition is not the problem. The problem is when achievement becomes the only measure of worth. Sustainable growth requires expanding the definition of success beyond revenue and output.  Success might look like a business that supports your mental health, flexibility and freedom in your schedule, stronger boundaries, clients you genuinely enjoy working with, decisions aligned with your values, or simply resting without guilt. None of those things show up in a public milestone post, but they are often what actually creates a meaningful life. Entrepreneurship is also not linear. There will be seasons of slower growth, lower energy, and shifting priorities. Sometimes success is simply continuing. Sometimes it is choosing sustainability over self-destruction. Sometimes it is deciding to stop building according to someone else's definition entirely.   Your Action Step What is one win you have not fully celebrated this year? Not minimized, not brushed past, not immediately followed with what could have been better. One thing that deserves real acknowledgement. Brian invites you to send him a DM on Instagram with your answer. If this episode resonated, share it with another entrepreneur who might be quietly carrying this same feeling.   Resources + Links Episode 118: Why You'll Never Find Balance in Your Business Newsletter Sign Up Follow Brian Thompson Online: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Forbes Follow & review the podcast: on Spotify and Apple Podcasts   About Brian and the Mission Driven Business Podcast Brian Thompson, JD/CFP®, is a tax attorney and Certified Financial Planner® who specializes in providing comprehensive financial planning to LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs who run mission-driven businesses. The Mission Driven Business podcast was born out of his passion for helping social entrepreneurs create businesses with purpose and profit. On the podcast, Brian talks with diverse entrepreneurs and the people who support them. Listeners hear stories of experiences, strength, and hope and get practical advice to help them build businesses that might just change the world, too.

Two psychologists from Iowa State University join the program. Their whose research seeks to improve accuracy in witness and suspect testimony in the criminal justice system. Professor of psychology Zlatan Krizan discusses how sleep deprivation may influence confessions and witness statements, while associate professor of psychology Andrew Smith explains how video recording of eyewitness suspect lineups could improve confidence in those practices and assist in criminal trials. Later, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine researcher Colin Kenny explains how using zebrafish in research can help to better understand a rare eye cancer and improve treatment.

In today's episode, Trisha and I answer two listener questions. The first is about food, fear and body trust after a lifetime of dieting — wondering what your body's “comfortable weight” actually is, and whether starting to eat three proper meals a day will lead to weight gain after years of restriction, skipped meals and constantly trying to stay at a certain weight. The second question is about trying to stay mentally strong while carrying a lot emotionally. Balancing work, family illness, grief, caregiving and daily life — while also trying to look after yourself through it all. We talk about the emotional load many women carry, and the reality that life can feel very heavy at times. As always, Trisha McHale brings her grounded psychotherapist perspective — helping unpack what's happening beneath these patterns and how to move from reacting to responding. Click play and let's dive in. To apply for membership to Jessica's coaching program, Thrive Academy, go to www.jessicacooke.ie/apply To contact Trisha for more information on Therapy and Counselling services: galway@mindandbodyworks.com 091 725 750 About Trisha McHale: Trisha is a Psychotherapist and Director of Mind & Body Works Counselling and Psychotherapy Centre, based in Galway, with centres in Galway and Dublin. Their team of over 50 Psychotherapists and Psychologists work with adults, couples, adolescents, and children, offering therapies including CBT, EMDR, and Art Therapy. They also run a low-cost counselling service.

In this special Maintenance & Mindfulness episode, Odette and Clinical Psychologist Dr. Beverley David explore the mental shift that comes with moving from weight loss into maintenance, and why maintaining weight can feel just as challenging as losing it. They unpack food noise, identity changes, body image, and the emotional side of sustainable weight loss, while sharing practical insights on letting go of old diet mentalities and building trust in yourself and your body. If you've ever wondered how to stop obsessing over the scale, navigate mindset changes after weight loss, or create lasting healthy habits without falling back into dieting patterns, this one is for you.Dr. Beverley is a Clinical Psychologist registered with the College of Psychologists of Ontario. She also holds a Ph.D. in Sleep Research (Insomnia) and a Master's in Health Psychology.Find Dr. Beverley:https://www.yourpsychologycentre.ca/@drdrbeverleyYou can find the full video hosted at:https://www.facebook.com/groups/ginalivymaintenanceandmindfulnessTo learn more about The Livy Method, visit livymethod.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Triple M Dead Set Legends and 7news reporter Xander McGuire stops by to discuss the AFL mandating full-time psychologists at all clubs, amid ongoing investigation into Elijah Hollands' mental health episode at Carlton. The team speak on new SportsBet policy which halts conflict of interest for employees, and why the AFL wants to re-fixture Scott Pendlebury's record-breaking game. Mick In The Morning Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/molloy Triple M Melbourne Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/triplemmelb Drop us a voice memo: https://www.mickinthemorning.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this weekly roundup of news coverage, Nick breaks down important stories you might have missed that we should all have eyes on.  Psychologists Pinpoint the DANGEROUS TRUTH About AI Relationships   Psychologists have officially pinpointed why humans are bonding with AI chatbots, cracking the code on the exact mechanism that triggers a deep connection with AI Companions. Is this the ultimate cure for our loneliness epidemic, or a one-way ticket to a dystopian nightmare?"  

Today I have the immense pleasure of speaking with author Anna Badkhen about her new collection of essays, To See Beyond.  Badkhen talks about how her experiences as a veteran war correspondent exposed her to War's multiple forms of violence, destruction, and carnage, and how that compelled her to write these essays about survival, and hope.  Speaking from many global locations and from a wide range of historical and cultural perspectives, from antiquity to the present, Badkhen's essays draw together amazingly imaginative connections across peoples, and ways of seeing. Ultimately, we are shown how to both recognize violence, and hope as well. Anna favors us by reading select passages from this marvelous, and necessary, book.Anna Badkhen's new essay collection, To See Beyond, is out from Bellevue Literary Press in April 2026. She is the author of seven other published books, most recently Bright Unbearable Reality, which was a finalist for the 2026 Tiziano Terzani International Literary Prize and was longlisted for the 2022 National Book Award and for the 2023 Jan Michalski Prize for Literature. Badkhen's awards include the Guggenheim Fellowship, the Barry Lopez Visiting Writer in Ethics and Community Fellowship, and the Joel R. Seldin Award from Psychologists for Social Responsibility for writing about civilians in war zones.A former war correspondent, Badkhen grew up in the Soviet Union and is a US citizen. She is an Artist-in-Residence at the University of Pennsylvania.

Picture this. It’s the year 2000, and a psychology lab at Cornell University is about to ruin a college student’s morning. A researcher hands an undergrad a t-shirt and asks them to put it on. The student unfolds it and sees the face staring back at them: Barry Manilow. Not vintage-cool Barry Manilow. Not ironic, Barry Manilow. Just… Barry Manilow. The kind of shirt that would get you roasted by your roommate before you made it out the door. The student puts it on anyway (this is science, after all) and is told to walk into a room where a group of peers is already seated. Before they open the door, the researcher asks a simple question: “How many people in that room do you think will notice your shirt?” The student thinks about it. They’re about to walk into a room of college kids wearing the musical equivalent of a “kick me” sign. They predict that about half the room will notice. They walk in and sit down. They endure a few minutes of low-grade social agony before the researcher pulls them out and surveys the room. The actual number of people who noticed the shirt? Roughly one in four. The student had overestimated by a factor of two. But the really fascinating part came next. When the researchers repeated the experiment with shirts people would actually want to wear … Bob Marley, Martin Luther King Jr. … the gap blew wide open. Students still predicted that nearly half the room would clock what they were wearing but the real number dropped to fewer than one in ten. A six-to-one overestimate. When the message was positive rather than embarrassing, people paid even less attention [ref]. Psychologists call this the Spotlight Effect. We anchor on our own vivid internal experience and dramatically overestimate how much other people are paying attention to us. Now apply that to your church. You've talked about inviting from the stage, you've put it in the newsletter, and you mentioned it in your staff meeting last month. It feels like you've been beating this drum constantly. But here's what the research suggests: your congregation has barely registered the beat. And that's not because they don't care, it's because human brains simply don't absorb messages the way communicators assume they do. The encouraging news is that the gap between where your church is right now and genuine invite-culture momentum may be smaller than it feels. Your people love your church and they're already in the room, but they need far more persistent encouragement, training, and equipping around invitation than most leaders realize. The difference between stuck churches and growing churches comes down to this: growing churches persistently train, equip, and motivate their people to invite. They don't do it once a quarter but rather build it into the rhythm of everything they do, all year long. You're Tapping, They're Guessing There's a lesser-known study from Stanford that might be the single most uncomfortable data point for anyone who communicates for a living. Researcher Elizabeth Newton asked people to tap out the rhythm of well-known songs on a table while a listener tried to identify the tune. The tappers predicted their listeners would get it right about 50% of the time. The actual success rate was 2.5% [ref]. That's a 20-to-1 gap between what the communicator heard in their head and what the audience actually received. This is exactly what happens in churches every week. A pastor who has spent 20 hours in a sermon text hears a full symphony of meaning, nuance, and application. The congregation hears a series of disconnected taps on a table. And when it comes to broader communication—announcements about serving, reminders to invite, follow-up on events—the gap compounds. An XPastor survey of roughly 200 church leaders found that leaders estimated 44% of their people had forgotten the sermon by Monday, and a cumulative 94% by Wednesday [ref]. Church communication practitioners consistently report the same phenomenon: people approach them after six weeks of announcements asking about events they'd never heard of. If 94% of your congregation has forgotten this week's sermon by midweek, what happened to that invitation challenge you made three Sundays ago? The honest answer is that it evaporated. Don't despair over this because it's just a reason to lean in harder and more consistently than you thought you needed to. The Channels Are Working Against You Even when you do communicate about the invitation, the platforms themselves are filtering your message before it reaches your people. Facebook organic reach has collapsed from 16% in 2012 to approximately 1.2–1.65% in 2025 [ref]. A church page with 10,000 followers reaches roughly 130–165 people per post. Instagram organic reach sits at around 3.5%, and it dropped another 30–40% across all post formats in 2025 alone. A church that posts once on Facebook and once on Instagram and considers the communication job done has reached, at best, about 5% of its online followers. Email is the bright spot for churches, but even it tells a sobering story. Religious organizations have some of the highest email open rates of any industry, which is roughly 30% according to analysis of more than 91,000 church emails [ref]. Those are strong numbers. They also mean 70% of your email list never opens any given message, and more than 90% never click a link inside it. Meanwhile, the average person encounters an estimated 6,000–10,000 marketing messages per day and consciously registers fewer than 150 of them. Your midweek email is competing with thousands of other messages for one of those limited attention slots. None of this means you should stop posting or stop emailing. It means that a single mention through a single channel barely registers. If you want your congregation to internalize the idea that inviting friends is a normal, expected part of following Jesus at your church, you need to show up across multiple channels, repeatedly, over weeks and months. The research on multi-channel communication backs this up: campaigns using three or more channels produced a 287% higher engagement rate than single-channel campaigns [ref], and multi-channel donors give roughly three times more in lifetime value than single-channel donors [ref]. Multiple channels don't just add to your message. They multiply its impact, because each new context creates a distinct memory trace and a separate pathway to recall. Repetition Isn't Annoying. It's How Trust Gets Built. There's a reason the idea of persistent communication makes church leaders uneasy. Nobody wants to be the church that nags. But the science on how humans process repeated messages is remarkably clear, and it doesn't validate the fear. Robert Zajonc's Mere Exposure Effect, first demonstrated in 1968, showed that repeated exposure to a stimulus—with no reinforcement, no reward, no positive association—is enough on its own to increase how much people like it [ref]. A 2017 meta-analysis of 268 exposure curves confirmed that the preference curve rises with exposure and peaks at around 10–20 presentations before beginning to decline [ref]. And that decline is primarily a risk with simple, unchanging stimuli. When you vary the format or channel while keeping the core message consistent, the positive range extends significantly. The effect is actually stronger when people aren't consciously aware of the repeated exposure [ref]. The old Marketing Rule of 7 … the idea that people need seven exposures before taking action …comes from the 1930s movie industry. In 2025, research across industries puts the average number of touchpoints before a decision at nearly 29 [ref]. Seven was the floor almost a century ago. Your congregation needs far more than a single stage announcement and an Instagram post to shift their behavior around invitation. “But We Don't Want to Annoy People” This is the objection every church communicator faces, and it deserves a fair hearing. The fear of over-communicating is real, but the data says the fear is dramatically lopsided. A Stanford study by Flynn and Lide analyzed more than 2,700 archived 360-degree leadership assessments and conducted four additional studies. They found that leaders who miscalibrated their communication were nearly 10 times more likely to be criticized for under-communicating than for over-communicating [ref]. Leaders who under-communicated were perceived as lacking empathy and leadership ability. Leaders who over-communicated were, in the researchers' words, given the benefit of the doubt. The conclusion was clear: over-communication may be seen as a nuisance, but under-communication is seen as a leadership flaw. The email data tells the same story from a different angle. Organizations that send emails only once a month have a 78% higher unsubscribe rate than those that send more frequently. The baseline unsubscribe rate for nonprofits sits at just 0.17–0.19% per send, which is well below the cross-industry average. Your people are not bolting when you show up in their inbox. They're far more likely to disengage when they rarely hear from you at all. There are real tipping points, and it's worth exploring them. Complaints increase meaningfully beyond five emails per week and spike beyond seven. But the resolution from the research is consistent: frequency is not the enemy, irrelevance is. People resist when they feel their autonomy is threatened, and that resistance is triggered far more by tone—guilt-laden, high-pressure, directive language—than by volume. The legitimate risk for churches is not communicating too often about invitation, it's communicating too often with the same generic, unsegmented, ask-heavy content through a single channel. What Growing Churches Actually Do Differently If the research makes one thing unavoidable, it's that shifting an invite culture requires consistent, persistent, long-term pressure across the full breadth of your church's life. Growing churches don't just mention inviting once a quarter during a sermon series on evangelism. They weave it into everything, and they sustain it for years. In working with churches across North America for more than two decades and conducting over 800 interviews with leadership teams from some of the fastest-growing churches in the country, I've found that the churches building genuine invite-culture momentum are consistently working across five interconnected areas. I call them the 5 Gears of Invite Culture, and they function less like a menu you pick from and more like the tumblers in a lock. All five need to turn together. Shareable Weekend Teaching is the biggest lever. When your teaching is the kind of thing people want to talk about at lunch on Sunday, you've created the raw material for invitation. Research from Gallup confirms that sermon content is the primary reason three in four worshippers attend. If your weekend teaching connects Scripture to real life in a way that gives people language they can share, inviting becomes dramatically easier. Eventful Big Days are not the strategy on their own, but they serve as training grounds for invitation. Easter, back-to-school, Christmas—these are cultural moments when people are genuinely more receptive to an invitation, and they give your congregation a natural on-ramp to practice the skill of inviting. The key is to design them backward from the invite and then leverage them to build a weekly rhythm that outlasts the event. Captivating Online Conversations turn your digital presence from a broadcast channel into a relational bridge. The social media reach numbers above make it clear that posting once isn't enough. But when your online presence is built around genuine conversation rather than promotion, it becomes another context in which the invitation message is encoded in a distinct way. Magnetic Community Service gets your people out of the building and into proximity with the people they're being asked to invite. Churches that serve their communities together create the relational bridges that make invitation feel natural rather than forced. Appealing Volunteer Experience may be the most underestimated gear. People who serve, invite. The data is consistent on this point: engaged volunteers become your most enthusiastic advocates. When your volunteer culture is the kind of thing people are proud to bring a friend into, invitation stops feeling like a program and starts feeling like a reflex. These five gears are where the multi-channel science meets the practical reality of church life. Each gear represents a different context in which your people encounter the invitation message, and each creates a separate memory trace and retrieval pathway. When all five are turning together, the effect compounds. When one or two are stuck, the whole engine labors, and that's often the real reason growth feels harder than it should. Find Out Which Gear Is Stuck If any of this research resonated—if you read the tapping study and thought, “that's exactly what's happening with our invite messaging”—then the next step isn't to simply communicate more. It's to figure out where the alignment is breaking down in your specific context. That's exactly what I built the free Invite Culture Audit Workshop to help you do. On Tuesday, May 12th at 12 noon ET, I'll walk you through a practical scorecard that shows where your invite culture is strong, where it's leaking, and which gear to focus on first. You'll see real examples from churches that have moved the invitation from something they talk about to something their people actually do, week after week. And you'll walk away with a 90-day blueprint you can start acting on immediately. This isn't a motivational talk; it's a diagnostic session designed to give you and your team clarity. Sixty minutes, straight to the point, with a concrete plan that fits into your existing rhythms Register for free here: helpchurchleaders.com/invite-culture-audit-workshop Your people love your church. They're already in the room. With the right systems and sustained encouragement, they're closer to becoming a church full of inviters than you think. Let's figure out what's keeping the gears from turning.

Psychologists testified during a court hearing to determine whether a teen girl accused in the death of Caleb Quick should be tried as an adult. The testimony focused on her mental health, maturity, and ability to understand the consequences of her actions as the judge weighs whether to transfer the case to adult court. The FBI is analyzing DNA evidence recovered from the home of Nancy Guthrie, who was abducted under still‑unclear circumstances. Investigators say the testing could provide critical leads as the search continues and authorities work to identify suspects and determine what happened. Please Like, Comment and Follow 'Philip Teresi on KMJ' on all platforms: --- Philip Teresi on KMJ is available on the KMJNOW app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever else you listen to podcasts. -- Philip Teresi on KMJ Weekdays 2-6 PM Pacific on News/Talk 580 AM & 105.9 FM KMJ | Website | Facebook | Instagram | X | Podcast | Amazon | - Everything KMJ KMJNOW App | Podcasts | Facebook | X | Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this new episode of THE POLITICRAT daily podcast Omar Moore presents Roland Martin Unfiltered: a highly important, strongly recommended and vitally necessary conversation involving two Black male psychologists about the horrific tragedy of Justin Fairfax, Cerina Fairfax and their teenage children, moderated by Roland Martin on his show "Unfiltered" on April 16, 2026. Please see details at the bottom of these liner notes of where to subscribe to and/or watch Roland on his show. WARNING: This episode contains foul language, disturbing thematic material. Listener discretion is advised.Recorded April 17, 2026.If you or anyone you know needs help - please seek out a mental health professional or call 988 if you have suicidal thoughts. Someone will listen to you and help you. Remember that it is a strength, not a weakness, to seek therapy. Subscribe on Substack: https://popcornreel.substack.comSubscribe on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thepoliticratpodBUY MERCH FROM THE POLITICRAT STORE:https://the-politicrat.myshopify.comBUY BLACK!Patronize Black-owned businesses on Roland Martin's Black Star Network: https://shopblackstarnetwork.comBLACK-OWNED MEDIA MATTERS:(Watch Roland Martin Unfiltered daily M-F 6-8pm Eastern)https://youtube.com/rolandsmartin

In today's episode, Trisha and I answer three questions. The first is about a newer therapy called TMS (often referred to as Exomind) and whether something like this could help with food cravings — especially that feeling of being completely out of control at night. After trying all the usual strategies, this question really gets into whether it's a deeper brain-based issue, and if something like this could “reset” things… or if it's just an expensive quick fix. The second question is about bulky calves — walking daily, staying active, doing strength training… and still feeling like your calves look bigger than you'd like. The third question is about anxiety — and why it shows up even around things you enjoy. That feeling of self-consciousness, overthinking what you're wearing, avoiding attention, and even holding back from wearing clothes you like. We unpack why this happens and how to start changing your relationship with it. As always, Trisha McHale brings her grounded psychotherapist perspective — helping unpack what's happening beneath these patterns and how to move from reacting to responding. Click play and let's dive in. To apply for membership to Jessica's Thrive Academy go to www.jessicacooke.ie/apply To contact Trisha for more information on Therapy and Counselling services: galway@mindandbodyworks.com 091 725 750 About Trisha McHale: Trisha is a Psychotherapist and Director of Mind & Body Works Counselling and Psychotherapy Centre, based in Galway, with centres in Galway and Dublin. Their team of over 50 Psychotherapists and Psychologists work with adults, couples, adolescents, and children, offering therapies including CBT, EMDR, and Art Therapy. They also run a low-cost counselling service.

Toxic people are around us in our workplaces, our families and our dating lives. Research psychologist Leanne ten Brinke is here to tell you how to spot them, and get rid of them from your orbit.Leanne ten Brinke is a research psychologist whose special area of expertise is what she calls 'dark personality types'.These are particularly cruel, malicious, manipulative people who lack empathy, people who are psychopaths, narcissists or sadists.Psychologists estimate than one per cent of any population shows serious levels of psychopathy.They walk among us in our workplaces and in our relationships, they could be an gaslighting partner, a narcissistic parent or a colleague who's a bully.There are also more serious cases, like abusive husbands or murderous mothers.Leanne also makes the point that any one of us is capable of losing our moral bearings or enabling malicious people by cheering them on, hiring them or voting them into office.But there are ways to resist them, and make your own life the better for it.Poisonous People: psychopathy, narcissism, manipulation, sadism: how to resist them and improve your life is published by Simon & Schuster Australia.This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison.It explores toxic relationships, is my partner a narcissist, what to do about my narcissist mother, what to do about my toxic boss, how many psychopaths are there, sadism, serial killers, morality, amorality, Ted Bundy, Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, sociopath, Patric Gagne, anti-social personality disorders, thriller, scammers, dating world, escaping abuse, peaceful living, finding peace.To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

The Truth That Sets You Free #RTTBROS #Nightlight"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." — John 8:32You know, in my years in ministry, I've sat with a lot of people who were carrying something heavy, something they couldn't quite name. And one of the most common things I've noticed is this: the thoughts that trouble us most are the ones we never let out into the light. They just rattle around in there, getting louder and scarier the longer they stay locked up inside.Jesus said the truth would make us free, and I believe that with everything in me. But here's something I've learned the hard way, and I'm too soon old and too late smart on this one: sometimes the first step toward truth is just getting the thought out of your head and into the open.Now, maybe you can't get to a good counselor right now. Counselors are expensive, their schedules are full, and there's still a little bit of stigma that makes some folks reluctant to go. That's okay. You've got options. Grab a journal and write it down. Call a trusted friend and say "I need to talk something through." Or better yet, take it to God in prayer, because He already knows anyway and He's the best listener there is. There's something almost miraculous about what happens when you get a troubling thought out of your head and onto paper, or into words. Psychologists call it "depotentiation." I just call it getting it out in the light where you can look at it. Those dark, swirling thoughts that seemed so overwhelming at two in the morning have a funny way of looking a lot smaller once you can actually see them.Then, once it's out, run it through a simple filter. Ask yourself three things. Is this thought distorted, am I only seeing part of the picture? Is it a deletion, am I leaving out important information that might change how I feel? Or is it a generalization, am I saying "always" or "never" when the truth is somewhere in the middle? Those three questions will catch a lot of the thoughts that are working against you.And here's the last thing, and this might be the most important: we don't always have all the information we need about a situation. So what do we do? We tell ourselves a story. And too often, we tell ourselves the worst possible story. We assume the person who didn't text back is angry with us. We assume the look on someone's face meant they don't like us. We assume the worst because we're filling in the blanks with our fears instead of with grace.But here's the thing. You can choose to tell yourself a different story, one that gives the other person the benefit of the doubt. Truth be told, you have no idea why they did what they did. Neither do I. So why not assume something charitable? Why not tell yourself a story that serves you instead of one that tears you down?That's not denial. That's wisdom. And it's grace, the same grace God extends to us every single day.Let's pray. Father, help us drag our troubled thoughts into the light of Your truth. Give us trusted friends, open journals, and ears to hear You when we pray. Help us to stop telling ourselves the worst story and start extending to others the same grace You so freely give to us. In Jesus' name, Amen.#MentalHealth #ChristianLiving #Truth #Faith #DailyDevotion #SpiritualGrowth #Counseling #HopeAndHealing #RTTBROS #NightlightBe sure to Like, Share, Follow and subscribe, it helps get the word out.https://linktr.ee/rttbros

First, we're setting aside our own hopes and dreams to have (and raise) our kids. Then, we're relentlessly mocked (perhaps correctly) for being overinvested in the fourth-grade luau. Are we living through our kids? And how do we stop? Psychologists have long said that mothers transfer our own unfulfilled ambition onto our children. “Symbolic self-completion theory” suggests that we look to our children as symbols of ourselves, and transfer our ambitions to them— which is why we're not jealous when they get the big part in the school play; we're a little too thrilled. Sing out, Louise! But as psychologist Wendy Mogel reminds us, our children are not our masterpieces , and pushing them towards our own notions of greatness prevents them from becoming the humans they are meant to be. In this episode, we discuss the pitfalls of “achievement by proxy distortion” and how to take a step back if you find yourself a little too enmeshed. Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode: Our Fresh Take with Wendy Mogel Wendy Mogel: BLESSING OF A SKINNED KNEE Our episode "Pushing Kids the Just-Right Amount" What Fresh Hell is co-hosted by Amy Wilson and Margaret Ables. We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: ⁠https://www.whatfreshhellpodcast.com/p/promo-codes/⁠ mom friends, funny moms, parenting advice, parenting experts, parenting tips, mothers, families, parenting skills, parenting strategies, parenting styles, busy moms, self-help for moms, manage kid's behavior, teenager, tween, child development, family activities, family fun, parent child relationship, decluttering, kid-friendly, invisible workload, default parent, living through your kids, parenting psychology, ambition transference, symbolic self completion theory, achievement by proxy distortion, youth sports parents, parenting expectations, supporting kids passions, parenting identity, parenting advice podcast, parenting and ambition, modern parenting challenges Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A strong desire always carries with it the power for success. “Psychologists agree that we influence people and events by having great desires and great goals. It is as though everything, and everybody subconsciously tunes into our big desires and goals and gets busy helping us to achieve them.” —Catherine Ponder. Your big ideas, bold desires, and lofty goals carry a stronger, creative accomplishing force than small ones. They magnetize people, events, and unforeseen forces to bring them to life. By contrast, “playing small” weakens desire, and dissipates results. Do not diminish the truth about what is that you really really want. Accept it! Never feel ashamed of the great good you desire, it's God's gift waiting upon your acceptance. Jillian Gotlib joins Darrell Fusaro in sharing experiences of how the bigger, bolder, daring desire—when acted upon—releases a magnetic force that causes people and circumstances that support your desire to appear in your life with divine timing. Join the Prospering Patreon Community: www.Patreon.com/FunniestThing

This week I'm reading from Shannon Cain's book 'Journey of an Eternal Soul: My Journey Through Past Lives to Spiritual Awakening'  Transcend to a higher plane through this gripping memoir of spiritual discovery. Join me as I recount my profound past life regression journey that forever changed my perspective. Through enthralling sessions with the gifted La Donna Permenter, I accessed secrets from distant times and planets. I lived as a fierce warrior, devoted husband, accused witch, and extraterrestrial from an advanced civilization, recalling intricate details about these vivid past lives. My soul traveled through mystical realms where I encountered spirit guides and my council on the other side. They shed light on karmic patterns and offered guidance to align me with my true path. This experience awakened dormant gifts and abilities within me. The revelations from my soul's journey have already created a monumental spiritual awakening, improving all aspects of my life. But this is only the beginning. The adventure continues as I seek answers to humanity's biggest mysteries. What wisdom lies in the Akashic records? Where do our loved ones go when they pass? What is the meaning of life? Unlock these secrets and more as you join me on this captivating voyage of self-discovery! Bio My name is Shannon Cain, and I'm proof that the universe has a sense of humor. Born into the rolling hills of Kentucky where survival often mattered more than spirituality, I spent decades believing I was broken, weird, and fundamentally flawed. What I didn't understand was that the very experiences that felt like curses were actually preparing me for the greatest adventure of my life. I'm not a professional writer—I barely made it through high school and have always struggled with traditional learning. I'm not a certified therapist or ordained minister. I don't have letters after my name or degrees on my wall. What I do have is a direct line to experiences that transformed not just my understanding of life and death, but my entire relationship with reality itself. After twenty years of marriage to my soulmate and six children who continue to teach me what unconditional love looks like, I thought I had life figured out. I was successful in business, comfortable in my routines, and thoroughly convinced that the strange experiences of my childhood were just imagination running wild. Then the universe decided it was time for me to remember who I really was. This book chronicles that remembering—the past-life regressions that showed me I had lived before and would live again, the communications with deceased relatives that proved love transcends death, the journeys to other dimensions that revealed the magnificent architecture of consciousness itself. I'm sharing this story not because I want attention or credibility, but because I was given a mission: help others understand that the strange experiences they're having aren't signs of mental illness but evidence of awakening. The vivid dreams, the sense of knowing things you've never learned, the feeling that this world isn't quite real—trust those experiences. They're pointing you toward the truth of who you really are. We live in an incredible time when more humans are remembering their spiritual nature than ever before in recorded history. If this book finds its way to you, it's probably no accident. Something in your soul recognizes these truths, even if your logical mind wants to dismiss them. Listen to that recognition. Follow it. Because on the other side of that leap of faith lies a reality more beautiful and interconnected than you ever dared imagine. The whispers are calling you home. All you have to do is listen. Shannon Cain currently lives in Jacksonville, Florida, with his wife and children, where he continues to explore the endless frontier of consciousness while somehow managing to pay the bills and remember to take out the trash. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FQJZN5XP   La Donna Permenter I have been driven my entire life with the desire to help people, by working in the medical field I have been able to fulfill that dream. I have spent 35 years in the medical field starting in the EMS services, then 25 (+) years in Pulmonary and Infectious Disease working with a wonderful group of doctors at the forefront of HIV-AIDS in the late 80's.  I also spent several years as a clinical manager for a large pain management practice. In 2009, I started my own company in the outpatient mental health field.  I built the practice into a group of 12 Psychotherapists,  including Licensed Mental Health Counselors, Licensed Clinical Social Workers and Psychologists. I enjoyed my many years in medicine, and I see now how all of this was also a part of my journey, by experiencing the interactions with all of the beautiful people that were my patients over the years. It was during this time that I realized there had to be another way to expand on the care to assist people further and in a much deeper way.  In medicine we focus on healing the body, but we must not forget to integrate the healing of the body, mind and the Soul. With this desire to expanded and connect at a deeper level, I sold the mental health practice and dedicated myself full time to what I now know is my true calling in life, completely. During many years of research and studying to expand my knowledge on this level of deeper care, I discovered Dolores Cannon's QHHT -Quantum Healing Hypnosis Technique /PLR regression therapy. It was Dolores Cannon that developed the practice of QHHT; she developed this procedure over her 50 years of success, helping others awaken to their life purpose. I realized that this is my calling, and I promptly became a certified dedicated provider. I have spent hundreds of hours of study and practical hands on application throughout the studies of QHHT -Quantum Healing Hypnosis Technique. https://yoursoulrecovery.com/ https://www.pastliveshypnosis.co.uk/https://www.patreon.com/ourparanormalafterlifeMy book 'Verified Near Death Experiences' https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DXKRGDFP Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week I'm talking to Shannon Cain about his book 'Journey of an Eternal Soul: My Journey Through Past Lives to Spiritual Awakening' and we are also joined by Past Life Regression practitioner La Donna Permenter. Transcend to a higher plane through this gripping memoir of spiritual discovery. Join me as I recount my profound past life regression journey that forever changed my perspective. Through enthralling sessions with the gifted La Donna Permenter, I accessed secrets from distant times and planets. I lived as a fierce warrior, devoted husband, accused witch, and extraterrestrial from an advanced civilization, recalling intricate details about these vivid past lives. My soul traveled through mystical realms where I encountered spirit guides and my council on the other side. They shed light on karmic patterns and offered guidance to align me with my true path. This experience awakened dormant gifts and abilities within me. The revelations from my soul's journey have already created a monumental spiritual awakening, improving all aspects of my life. But this is only the beginning. The adventure continues as I seek answers to humanity's biggest mysteries. What wisdom lies in the Akashic records? Where do our loved ones go when they pass? What is the meaning of life? Unlock these secrets and more as you join me on this captivating voyage of self-discovery! Bio My name is Shannon Cain, and I'm proof that the universe has a sense of humor. Born into the rolling hills of Kentucky where survival often mattered more than spirituality, I spent decades believing I was broken, weird, and fundamentally flawed. What I didn't understand was that the very experiences that felt like curses were actually preparing me for the greatest adventure of my life. I'm not a professional writer—I barely made it through high school and have always struggled with traditional learning. I'm not a certified therapist or ordained minister. I don't have letters after my name or degrees on my wall. What I do have is a direct line to experiences that transformed not just my understanding of life and death, but my entire relationship with reality itself. After twenty years of marriage to my soulmate and six children who continue to teach me what unconditional love looks like, I thought I had life figured out. I was successful in business, comfortable in my routines, and thoroughly convinced that the strange experiences of my childhood were just imagination running wild. Then the universe decided it was time for me to remember who I really was. This book chronicles that remembering—the past-life regressions that showed me I had lived before and would live again, the communications with deceased relatives that proved love transcends death, the journeys to other dimensions that revealed the magnificent architecture of consciousness itself. I'm sharing this story not because I want attention or credibility, but because I was given a mission: help others understand that the strange experiences they're having aren't signs of mental illness but evidence of awakening. The vivid dreams, the sense of knowing things you've never learned, the feeling that this world isn't quite real—trust those experiences. They're pointing you toward the truth of who you really are. We live in an incredible time when more humans are remembering their spiritual nature than ever before in recorded history. If this book finds its way to you, it's probably no accident. Something in your soul recognizes these truths, even if your logical mind wants to dismiss them. Listen to that recognition. Follow it. Because on the other side of that leap of faith lies a reality more beautiful and interconnected than you ever dared imagine. The whispers are calling you home. All you have to do is listen. Shannon Cain currently lives in Jacksonville, Florida, with his wife and children, where he continues to explore the endless frontier of consciousness while somehow managing to pay the bills and remember to take out the trash. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FQJZN5XP La Donna Permenter I have been driven my entire life with the desire to help people, by working in the medical field I have been able to fulfill that dream. I have spent 35 years in the medical field starting in the EMS services, then 25 (+) years in Pulmonary and Infectious Disease working with a wonderful group of doctors at the forefront of HIV-AIDS in the late 80's.  I also spent several years as a clinical manager for a large pain management practice. In 2009, I started my own company in the outpatient mental health field.  I built the practice into a group of 12 Psychotherapists,  including Licensed Mental Health Counselors, Licensed Clinical Social Workers and Psychologists. I enjoyed my many years in medicine, and I see now how all of this was also a part of my journey, by experiencing the interactions with all of the beautiful people that were my patients over the years. It was during this time that I realized there had to be another way to expand on the care to assist people further and in a much deeper way.  In medicine we focus on healing the body, but we must not forget to integrate the healing of the body, mind and the Soul. With this desire to expanded and connect at a deeper level, I sold the mental health practice and dedicated myself full time to what I now know is my true calling in life, completely. During many years of research and studying to expand my knowledge on this level of deeper care, I discovered Dolores Cannon's QHHT -Quantum Healing Hypnosis Technique /PLR regression therapy. It was Dolores Cannon that developed the practice of QHHT; she developed this procedure over her 50 years of success, helping others awaken to their life purpose. I realized that this is my calling, and I promptly became a certified dedicated provider. I have spent hundreds of hours of study and practical hands on application throughout the studies of QHHT -Quantum Healing Hypnosis Technique. https://yoursoulrecovery.com/ https://www.pastliveshypnosis.co.uk/https://www.patreon.com/ourparanormalafterlifeMy book 'Verified Near Death Experiences' https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DXKRGDFP Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Valentine's Day is looming, and The Rizzuto Show is here to help you emotionally prepare… or completely spiral. In this episode, the crew celebrates Brown Monday (a holiday nobody asked for), debates whether pizza and chocolate can legally coexist, and breaks down which states are actually romantic versus which ones are just aggressively Googling affair websites.This funny podcast dives deep into romance statistics, revealing that love letters are somehow back in style (unless they're secretly written by AI), while cheating searches spike right before Valentine's Day. Missouri lands safely in the middle of the pack, Colorado crowns itself king of infidelity, and New Hampshire quietly does crimes in the woods.Things escalate fast as the crew reads the most unhinged cheating excuses ever recorded, including “I forgot to break up with you,” “I teleported there,” and the unforgettable defense: “She looked like your Bitmoji.” Psychologists weigh in, egos crumble, and somehow Johnny Party enters the conversation — a legendary alter ego with a party name, a bar persona, and a questionable résumé.The episode also tackles modern Valentine's pressure: skipping town as a gift, practical presents, buying gifts for yourself, and how to survive the holiday if you're single, divorced, or just emotionally tired. Whether you're celebrating with roses, edibles, or a Lord of the Rings extended marathon, this funny podcast proves romance isn't dead — it's just deeply confused and possibly lying to you.Laugh, cringe, and feel slightly better about your own life choices with another chaotic, honest, and unapologetically unhinged episode of The Rizzuto Show — the funny podcast that treats Valentine's Day like the emotional obstacle course it truly is.Follow The Rizzuto Show → https://linktr.ee/rizzshow Connect with The Rizzuto Show Comedy Podcast online → https://1057thepoint.com/RizzShow Hear The Rizz Show daily on the radio at 105.7 The Point | Hubbard Radio in St. Louis, MO.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.