Mentally Flexible

My guest today is Dr. Yael Schonbrun is a clinical psychologist, couples therapist, author, and assistant professor at Brown University. She is the co-host of the Psychologists Off the Clock podcast and author of Work, Parent, Thrive. Her work draws on relationship science, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and clinical research to help people navigate relationships, parenting, and the competing demands of modern life. Her newest book, Why Don’t You Understand Me?, explores the science of human connection and why we so often misunderstand one another.

Some of the topics we explore include:

- The ending of Psychologists Off the Clock after 10 years 

- Why being a good communicator doesn't necessarily mean we understand one another

- Why we often overestimate how well we understand the people closest to us

- How attention, inattentional blindness, and confirmation bias contribute to misunderstandings

- The "relational lenses" we develop through our experiences, emotions, and personal histories

- How our assumptions about others can interfere with genuine connection

- The importance of intellectual humility, curiosity, and recognizing the limits of our own perspectives

- What an octopus can teach us about safety, curiosity, and human connection

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Yael’s Website: https://www.yaelschonbrun.com/

Why Don’t You Understand Me?: https://a.co/d/0iavx9s2

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Thank you all for checking out the episode! Here are some ways to help support Mentally Flexible:

Sign up to learn more about my online ACT course!: https://www.mentallyflexible.com/signup

You can help cover some of the costs of running the podcast by donating a cup of coffee! www.buymeacoffee.com/mentallyflexible

Please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It only takes 30 seconds and plays an important role in being able to get new guests.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mentally-flexible/id1539933988

Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomparkestherapy

Check out my song “Glimpse at Truth” that you hear in the intro/outro of every episode: https://tomparkes.bandcamp.com/track/glimpse-at-truth

My guest today is Paige Rome, RPsych. Paige is a Registered Psychologist and founder of Common Thread Psychology in Airdrie, Alberta. 

Paige is trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), the leading evidence-based psychological treatment for chronic insomnia, and brings both professional expertise and personal experience with insomnia to her work. Her broader approach to therapy is collaborative, compassionate, and evidence-based, drawing particularly from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), CBT, and trauma-informed and attachment-based approaches.

Paige is also the creator of The Better Sleep Blueprint: A 6-Week, Evidence-Based Program for Overcoming Insomnia, a self-guided program designed to help people understand what keeps insomnia going, change their relationship with sleep, and rebuild healthier, more sustainable sleep patterns.
 

Some of the topics we explore include:

-How insomnia develops, why it can persist long after the original trigger is gone, and the role of sleep anxiety, hyperfocus, and control.

-The paradox of sleep and why trying harder to fall asleep can actually make sleep more difficult.

-The core principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) and how it helps retrain patterns that perpetuate insomnia.

-How ACT and CBT-I can work together, with CBT-I providing a behavioral roadmap and ACT helping people approach that roadmap with greater acceptance and psychological flexibility.

-Practical strategies for better sleep, including consistent wake times, building sleep pressure, understanding your chronotype, and stimulus control.

-The role of radical acceptance in insomnia, and how letting go of the struggle to control sleep can help break the cycle that keeps us awake.

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Paige's website: https://commonthreadpsychology.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paigerometherapy/

The Better Sleep Blueprint:  https://commonthreadpsychology.com/better-sleep-blueprint/

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Thank you all for checking out the episode! Here are some ways to help support Mentally Flexible:

You can help cover some of the costs of running the podcast by donating a cup of coffee! www.buymeacoffee.com/mentallyflexible

Please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It only takes 30 seconds and plays an important role in being able to get new guests.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mentally-flexible/id1539933988

Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomparkestherapy

Check out my song “Glimpse at Truth” that you hear in the intro/outro of every episode: https://tomparkes.bandcamp.com/track/glimpse-at-truth

Check out my new album, Holding Space! https://open.spotify.com/album/0iOcjZQhmAhYtjjq3CTpwQ?si=nemiLnELTsGGExjfy8B6iw

My guest today is Steven C. Hayes, PhD. Steve is a clinical psychologist, researcher, and one of the most influential figures in modern psychotherapy. He is the originator of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), developer of Relational Frame Theory (RFT), and co-developer of Process-Based Therapy. An Emeritus Professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, Dr. Hayes has authored more than 45 books and over 700 scientific publications, making him one of the most cited psychologists in the world. His work has fundamentally changed how clinicians understand and treat human suffering, with a focus on psychological flexibility, values, and living a meaningful life.

Some of the topics we explore include:

• Why the original ACT Hexaflex needs to expand — and what's missing from the classic six processes
• How to define ACT functionally so it can grow without losing its identity
• The case for adding sociocultural and biophysiological levels to the psychological flexibility model
• What Process-Based Therapy (PBT) actually is — and why it's both a Trojan horse and an open invitation
• Why middle-level clinical terms like "emotional flexibility" are scientifically legitimate and practically essential
• The ergodicity problem: why group-level research can't tell us what works for individual people — and what to do instead
• Three principles for the future of clinical practice: practice-based evidence, every voice matters, and if you're not personalizing, you're not treating

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Steve’s Website: https://stevenchayes.com/

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Thank you all for checking out the episode! Here are some ways to help support Mentally Flexible:

You can help cover some of the costs of running the podcast by donating a cup of coffee! www.buymeacoffee.com/mentallyflexible

Please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It only takes 30 seconds and plays an important role in being able to get new guests.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mentally-flexible/id1539933988

Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomparkestherapy

Check out my song “Glimpse at Truth” that you hear in the intro/outro of every episode: https://tomparkes.bandcamp.com/track/glimpse-at-truth

Check out my new album, Holding Space! https://open.spotify.com/album/0iOcjZQhmAhYtjjq3CTpwQ?si=nemiLnELTsGGExjfy8B6iw

Tamara Hubbard, MA, LCPC, is a licensed clinical professional counselor with more than 20 years of clinical experience. She specializes in helping parents of children with food allergies find the balance between managing anxiety and living fully. An active allied health member of professional allergy and immunology organizations, Tamara is a national speaker and has created several widely used resources within the allergy community. She is also the author of May Contain Anxiety: Managing the Overwhelm of Parenting Children with Food Allergies.

Some of the topics we explore include:

-Tamara’s own experience parenting a child with food allergies shaped her work as a therapist

-How ACT informs her clinical approach and writing

-Balancing appropriate safety precautions with quality of life, flexibility, and values-based living

-Common clinical challenges families face, including post-diagnosis overwhelm, school transitions, OCD, eating disorders, and more

-How parents can model healthier coping for their children, collaborate effectively with allergy care teams, and help kids build resilience rather than fear-driven identities

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Tamara’s Website: https://www.tamarahubbardlcpc.com/

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Thank you all for checking out the episode! Here are some ways to help support Mentally Flexible:

You can help cover some of the costs of running the podcast by donating a cup of coffee! www.buymeacoffee.com/mentallyflexible

Please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It only takes 30 seconds and plays an important role in being able to get new guests.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mentally-flexible/id1539933988

Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomparkestherapy

Check out my song “Glimpse at Truth” that you hear in the intro/outro of every episode: https://tomparkes.bandcamp.com/track/glimpse-at-truth

Check out my new album, Holding Space! https://open.spotify.com/album/0iOcjZQhmAhYtjjq3CTpwQ?si=nemiLnELTsGGExjfy8B6iw

My guest today is Paul Eastwick, a social psychologist and professor at the University of California, Davis, whose research focuses on attraction, romantic relationships, and the gap between what we think we want and what actually unfolds in real life. His latest book, Bonded by Evolution, challenges a lot of common assumptions about dating and compatibility.

In this episode, we explore:

•  Why many of our inherited “rules” about attraction—like mate value, having a type, or alpha/beta dynamics—don’t hold up in real life 
•  How attraction is far more dynamic and often grows over time rather than appearing instantly 
•  The gap between what people say they want in a partner and who they actually choose 
•  How context (social environments, timing, even a first kiss) plays a powerful role in shaping connection 
•  What dating apps get wrong—and why real-life networks and shared spaces matter more than we think 
•  How loosening rigid expectations allows attraction and relationships to unfold more naturally 

Thank you all for checking out the episode! Here are some ways to help support Mentally Flexible:

You can help cover some of the costs of running the podcast by donating a cup of coffee! www.buymeacoffee.com/mentallyflexible

Please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It only takes 30 seconds and plays an important role in being able to get new guests.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mentally-flexible/id1539933988

Follow me on Instagram: @tomparkestherapy

Check out my song “Glimpse at Truth” that you hear in the intro/outro of every episode: https://tomparkes.bandcamp.com/track/glimpse-at-truth

Check out my new album, Holding Space! https://open.spotify.com/album/0iOcjZQhmAhYtjjq3CTpwQ?si=nemiLnELTsGGExjfy8B6iw

Today’s guest is Jason Luoma, PhD. Jason is a clinical psychologist, researcher, entrepreneur, and psychotherapy trainer based in Portland, Oregon. For over two decades, Jason’s research has focused on shame, stigma, and the interpersonal functions of emotion, with more recent work centered on psychedelic science. He served as Principal Investigator on one of the first MDMA-assisted psychotherapy trials in the Pacific Northwest and has contributed to multiple NIH-funded clinical trials in roles including co-investigator, consultant, therapist, and trainer.

Jason is co-author of the bestselling ACT text Learning Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Values in Therapy, and is currently writing a book on psychedelic-assisted therapy for Guilford Press. A longtime leader in the ACT community, he is a peer-reviewed ACT trainer, former president of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science, and co-founder of several innovative organizations, including the Portland Psychotherapy Clinic, Research, & Training Center and the Portland Institute for Psychedelic Science.

He also hosts The Research Matters Podcast, where he interviews leading researchers about what makes their work impactful and effective.

Some of the topics we explore in this episode include:

-His early development in Steve Hayes’ lab

-The evolution of ACT and contextual behavioral science

-The need for more experiential learning for clinicians 

-psychedelics and their application for healing

-Hopes for the future of psychedelic assisted therapy 

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Jason’s Website: https://jasonluoma.com/

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Thank you all for checking out the episode! Here are some ways to help support Mentally Flexible:

You can help cover some of the costs of running the podcast by donating a cup of coffee! www.buymeacoffee.com/mentallyflexible

Please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It only takes 30 seconds and plays an important role in being able to get new guests.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mentally-flexible/id1539933988

Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mentallyflexible/

Check out my song “Glimpse at Truth” that you hear in the intro/outro of every episode: https://tomparkes.bandcamp.com/track/glimpse-at-truth

Check out my new album, Holding Space! https://open.spotify.com/album/0iOcjZQhmAhYtjjq3CTpwQ?si=nemiLnELTsGGExjfy8B6iw

My guest today is Jennifer Bohle, LPC. Jennifer is a trauma-informed therapist, content creator, and high-achieving creative based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She works with perfectionistic women to build self-trust, confidence, and worthiness while learning to relate to perfectionism as a strength. Through content creation, Jennifer blends humor, education, and real life --  using creativity as a way to make therapy more human and accessible, and to stay connected to the playful, curious part of herself that still feels like a kid at heart.

Some of the topics we explore in this episode include:

-Jennifer’s path into creating online content — what moved her from private work to public sharing

-Working skillfully with jealousy and comparison, and learning how to genuinely support other creators

-The values that anchor and shape her creative process

-The unspoken costs and complexities of growing an audience online

-And Navigating phone use, attention, and intentional consumption in a digital world

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Jennifer’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferanncounseling/

Jennifer’s Website: https://www.jenniferanncounseling.com/

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Thank you all for checking out the episode! Here are some ways to help support Mentally Flexible:

You can help cover some of the costs of running the podcast by donating a cup of coffee! www.buymeacoffee.com/mentallyflexible

Please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It only takes 30 seconds and plays an important role in being able to get new guests.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mentally-flexible/id1539933988

Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mentallyflexible/

Check out my song “Glimpse at Truth” that you hear in the intro/outro of every episode: https://tomparkes.bandcamp.com/track/glimpse-at-truth

Check out my new album, Holding Space! https://open.spotify.com/album/0iOcjZQhmAhYtjjq3CTpwQ?si=nemiLnELTsGGExjfy8B6iw

My guest today is Erin Jones, LCMHC. Erin is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor providing evidence-based treatment for individuals with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and related diagnoses. She works at Bull City Anxiety and OCD Treatment Center, where she sees individual clients, manages an intensive Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) program, and runs  groups. She is the treasurer for OCD North Carolina, local affiliate of the International OCD Foundation. Erin is passionate about perinatal care and int his episode we explore all things perinatal OCD, touching a range of contexts it shows up like infertility, pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.

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Learn more about Erin: https://www.bullcityanxiety.com/erin-jones-lcmhc

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erintalksocd/

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Thank you all for checking out the episode! Here are some ways to help support Mentally Flexible:

You can help cover some of the costs of running the podcast by donating a cup of coffee! www.buymeacoffee.com/mentallyflexible

Please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It only takes 30 seconds and plays an important role in being able to get new guests.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mentally-flexible/id1539933988

Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mentallyflexible/

Check out my song “Glimpse at Truth” that you hear in the intro/outro of every episode: https://tomparkes.bandcamp.com/track/glimpse-at-truth

Check out my new album, Holding Space! https://open.spotify.com/album/0iOcjZQhmAhYtjjq3CTpwQ?si=nemiLnELTsGGExjfy8B6iw

Diana Hill, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist, international trainer, and sought-out speaker on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and compassion. Diana is the host of the podcast Wise Effort and author of The Self-Compassion Daily Journal, The ACT Daily Journal, I Know I Should Exercise But…, and her newest book Wise Effort. Diana works with organizations and individuals to develop psychological flexibility so that they can grow fulfilling and impactful lives. 

Some of the topics we explore in this episode include:

• Struggles with change and concept of experiential attachment
• The intersection of ACT and Buddhism in Diana’s book
• How our environment impacts our energy
• The our genius can be under or over-utilized 
• The importance of feedback and honesty

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Diana’s website: https://drdianahill.com/

Wise Effort: https://a.co/d/81mws9E

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Thank you all for checking out the episode! Here are some ways to help support Mentally Flexible:

You can help cover some of the costs of running the podcast by donating a cup of coffee! www.buymeacoffee.com/mentallyflexible

Please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It only takes 30 seconds and plays an important role in being able to get new guests.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mentally-flexible/id1539933988

Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mentallyflexible/

Check out my song “Glimpse at Truth” that you hear in the intro/outro of every episode: https://tomparkes.bandcamp.com/track/glimpse-at-truth

Check out my new album, Holding Space! https://open.spotify.com/album/0iOcjZQhmAhYtjjq3CTpwQ?si=nemiLnELTsGGExjfy8B6iw

Dr. Marisa T. Mazza is a clinical psychologist and founder of choicetherapy psychological services, inc.  Dr. Mazza is passionate about providing evidence-based therapies, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Exposure and Response Prevention, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Mindful Self-Compassion, to teens and adults struggling with OCD or Anxiety. She enjoys supporting individuals in learning new ways of interacting with thoughts and feelings. Her approach allows individuals to face their fears in a gradual and gentle way so they can get unstuck from thoughts and feelings and live meaningful lives. Dr. Mazza was formerly a board member of OCD SF Bay Area, the International OCD Foundation’s local affiliate, and was the Vice President of the San Francisco Bay Area Association for Contextual Behavioral Science. She is also the author of The ACT Workbook for OCD which we discuss at points throughout this episode.

Some of the topics we explore in this episode include:

-Marisa’s history of anxiety challenges 

-How it has helped her grow and be connected to values as a clinician

-The role that shame plays in anxiety and OCD challenges

-Common OCD related challenges faced postpartum

-What lead to Marisa writing The ACT Workbook for OCD

-How to use ACT skills and exposure exercises flexibly in specific contexts

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Marisa’s website: https://www.choicetherapy.net/

The ACT Workbook for OCD: https://a.co/d/4QBveqc

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Thank you all for checking out the episode! Here are some ways to help support Mentally Flexible:

Sign up for PsychFlex through the Mentally Flexible link! PsychFlex.com/MentallyFlexible

You can help cover some of the costs of running the podcast by donating a cup of coffee! www.buymeacoffee.com/mentallyflexible

Please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It only takes 30 seconds and plays an important role in being able to get new guests.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mentally-flexible/id1539933988

Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mentallyflexible/

Check out my song “Glimpse at Truth” that you hear in the intro/outro of every episode: https://tomparkes.bandcamp.com/track/glimpse-at-truth

Check out my new album, Holding Space! https://open.spotify.com/album/0iOcjZQhmAhYtjjq3CTpwQ?si=nemiLnELTsGGExjfy8B6iw