Mind Dive

The story of the Menninger Clinic is rooted in the history of psychiatry in the United States. To start the new year, we have our very own Dr. Walter Menninger on the podcast to share the hidden history of the Menninger Clinic. Drawing inspiration from his memoir, “Like What You Do,” Dr. Menninger shares anecdotes from his forensic psychiatry career and how Menninger Clinic faced the challenges of psychiatry in the 20th century. Dr. Menninger reflects on the institutional changes Menninger has made throughout the decades to elevate itself from other providers and cement its place as a national leader in mental healthcare.  

 Dr. Walter Menninger, M.D., served as the dean of the Karl Menninger School of Psychiatry and Mental Health Science and served as the CEO of the Menninger Clinic before his retirement in 2001. Dr. Menninger’s specialty in the field of forensic psychiatry led him to serve on numerous boards and committees across the U.S. to reform prisoners and prison mental healthcare as well as inform law enforcement procedures at the state and federal levels for violence prevention. Dr. Menninger authored a national column on psychiatry and served as editor of Psychiatry Digest. His latest book, “Like What You Do,” reflects on his personal career as well as the legacy of being the third generation of the Menninger family.  

 “It’s hard for a free fish to understand what is happening to a hooked one,” Dr. Menninger remarked. “Empathy is crucial for successful treatment and what my father and brother centered the Menninger Clinic mission around.” 

 Learn more about Dr. Menninger and his legacy as a mental health leader in this special Mind Dive conversation. 

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Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health. 

How much do you know about milieu therapy and how it works?  This episode of The Menninger Clinic’s Mind Dive Podcast features Michael McClam, MD, medical director for Menninger’s youth division, for a conversation about milieu therapy and how clinicians and patients play an active role in its effectiveness. It also explores the hidden dynamics that emerge within communal therapy. 

 Dr. McClam shares his wisdom about the challenges and rewards that clinicians face as they navigate patient relationships and team dynamics within milieu therapy. Drawing from his experiences running milieu treatment at Menninger, Dr. McClam addresses the complexity of authority and clinical distance while building patient trust and developing the crucial connection needed for communal therapy.  

Dr. Michael McClam, MD, FAPA, is board certified in psychiatry and works on Menninger’s Compass Program for Young Adults. He also is an assistant professor in the Menninger Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and previously served as director of admissions.

 “There’s an intentionality to our thinking about relationships,” says Dr. McClam. “We help them foster, develop, maintain relationships and be curious about the whole unit as everyone there contributes to the therapeutic environment.”  

Follow The Menninger Clinic on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay up to date on new Mind Dive episodes. To submit a topic for discussion, email [email protected]. If you are a new or regular listener, please leave us a review on your favorite listening platform! 

Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health. 

This episode of The Menninger Clinic’s Mind Dive Podcast features Christine Moutier, MD, chief medical officer at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), for a conversation about how clinicians and community members can become better educated on the signs of mental health crisis and aid one another in supporting individuals who suffer from suicidal ideation.  

 Dr. Moutier shares her insights into the evolving journey of understanding the many factors that surround suicide and mental health crises. Drawing from Thomas Joyner’s interpersonal theory of suicide, she stresses the need for integrating diverse research disciplines to better recognize and support individuals in crisis. In her role at AFSP, Dr. Moutier has made it the organization’s mission to create large scale public health initiatives and raise greater awareness for mental health causes. 

 Dr. Moutier is the author of Suicide Prevention, a Cambridge University Press clinical handbook. She has also contributed articles and book chapters for publications such as the Journal of the American Medical Association, the Lancet, Academic Medicine, the American Journal of Psychiatry, the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, Depression and Anxiety, and Academic Psychiatry. 

 “There’s a lot of assumptions and projecting about weakness or cowardice,” says Dr. Moutier. “What’s actually happening in the brain of somebody who is suicidal is that they’re not able to think about their connections to loved ones, their optimism, or their own healthy coping strategies.”  

Follow The Menninger Clinic on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay up to date on new Mind Dive episodes. To submit a topic for discussion, email [email protected]. If you are a new or regular listener, please leave us a review on your favorite listening platform! 

Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health. 

Carlo C. DiClemente, Ph.D., codeveloper of the transtheoretical model of behavior change, discusses bringing a human touch to the fabric of therapeutic intervention. Dr. DiClemente’s work emphasizes the importance of creating an environment where patients feel comfortable expressing their hesitation about change and tying a patient’s personal values to their therapeutic goals. Given his years of experience, Dr. DiClemente has concluded that a straightforward path to recovery is a misconception and, for clinicians, ensuring that a patient’s intrinsic motivation stays consistent is crucial for long-term recovery success.  

 This episode of Menninger Clinic’s Mind Dive Podcast features Dr. DiClemente, accomplished psychologist, author and codeveloper of the transtheoretical model of behavior change, joining hosts Dr. Kerry Horrell  and Dr. Bob Boland for a conversation on how CPT became a first-line therapy for PTSD, the fundamentals of this treatment, and how to approach it within comorbidities.  

 Dr. Carlo DiClemente is an emeritus professor of psychology at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. In developing the  transtheoretical model of behavior change,  he published the second edition in 2018 of Addiction and Change: How Addictions Develop and Addicted People Recover, and a self-help book, Changing for Good.  

 “Change is an internal decisional balance that they’re got to come to see and part of the challenge is helping tip that balance but in a way that doesn’t pressure them to move backwards,” says Dr. DiClemente. “It’s important for me to find the values that a patient cherishes and connect those ideals with the act of changing.”

Follow The Menninger Clinic on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay up to date on new Mind Dive episodes. To submit a topic for discussion, email [email protected]. If you are a new or regular listener, please leave us a review on your favorite listening platform! 

Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health. 

David Miklowitz, Ph.D., has been pioneering family psychoeducational treatments for bipolar disorder by integrating psychotherapy and family therapy with medication. Dr. Miklowitz’s research emphasizes the critical role families play in identifying the early signs of bipolar disorder and how family members can help a patient implement effective strategies in managing their symptoms. 

This episode of Menninger Clinic’s Mind Dive Podcast features Dr. Miklowitz, accomplished psychologist and author, joining Menninger Clinic clinicians and co-hosts Dr. Kerry Horrell  and Dr. Bob Boland for a comprehensive look at bipolar disorder, its effect on family dynamics and how patients and their families can work together to better navigate life after a diagnosis.

Dr. Miklowitz is a professor of Psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Medicine and a senior clinical researcher at the University of Oxford. He directs the Child and Adolescent Mood Disorders Program and the Integrative Study Center in Mood Disorders at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. Dr. Miklowitz is also a renowned author and his latest book, “Living Well with Bipolar Disorder: Practical Strategies for Improving Your Daily Life”, will be available September 16th, 2024.  

“There is a grief over the lost healthy self where people start thinking of their lives as bifurcated before and after they became ill,” Dr. Miklowitz mentioned. “We try to help normalize it and help them figure out what is their personality versus their disorder.” 

Follow The Menninger Clinic on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay up to date on new Mind Dive episodes. To submit a topic for discussion, email [email protected]. If you are a new or regular listener, please leave us a review on your favorite listening platform! 

Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health. 

Willem Kuyken, Ph.D., has been at the forefront of merging Eastern mindfulness practices with Western psychological standards. Dr. Kuyken’s academic work significantly contributed to the World Health Organization’s Quality of Life measure which set the standard for evaluating an individual’s perception of their position in life across cultural and national boundaries. Drawing on his years of experience, Dr. Kuyken discusses how important mindfulness practices are in clinical settings and how to move those practices into a patient’s daily life and form them into independent habits.

This episode of Menninger Clinic’s Mind Dive Podcast features Dr. Kuyken, accomplished psychologist author joining hosts Dr. Kerry Horrell  and Dr. Bob Boland for a conversation on mindfulness practices, their importance in clinical settings and how to turn mindfulness practices from task-related labors to an ongoing enriching experience. 

Dr. Kuyken is a scientist and author, and serves as a professor of Mindfulness and Psychological Science at the University of Oxford, and director of the University of Oxford Mindfulness Centre. Dr. Kuyken’s latest book, “Mindfulness for Life” releases on October 25th  and is available for pre-order here.

“There can be negative thoughts that your mind can place between you and happiness,” said Dr. Kuyken. “I liken these thoughts to wrecking balls and while they are powerful, if you simply step out of their way, they’ll pass you by.” 

Follow The Menninger Clinic on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay up to date on new Mind Dive episodes. To submit a topic for discussion, email [email protected]. If you are a new or regular listener, please leave us a review on your favorite listening platform! 

Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health. 

Dr. Neil Puri is at the forefront of combating treatment-resistant depression, spearheading new ways to use brain stimulation treatment to offer relief to patients. Building off recent advancements in transcranial magnetic stimulation, Dr. Puri’s team is using focused bursts of electromagnetism to rewire individual neural pathways in the brain. Dr. Puri explains how this tailored approach allows for treatment plans unique to the patient and has resulted in unprecedented levels of success with patients for whom traditional depression treatment plans have not been effective.  

This episode of Menninger Clinic’s Mind Dive Podcast features one of our own, Dr. Puri, an accomplished psychiatrist and director of Menninger’s Center for Brain Stimulation joining hosts Dr. Kerry Horrell  and Dr. Bob Boland for a behind the scenes look at fMRI-guided transcranial magnetic stimulation and how it can be a game changer for patients with treatment-resistant depression.  

Dr. Puri is the medical director for both the Adult Division and the Center for Brain Stimulation at the Menninger Clinic and is an assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine. He is board certified in psychiatry and earned his medical degree and undergraduate degree at Northwestern University.  

“Our conventional treatments only go so far, only about two-thirds of individuals will achieve relief,” said Dr. Puri. “We need cutting edge treatments to disrupt the treatment field of depression so we can find new ways to treat those one-third of people who are unable to benefit from traditional treatment.”  

Follow The Menninger Clinic on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay up to date on new Mind Dive episodes. To submit a topic for discussion, email [email protected]. If you are a new or regular listener, please leave us a review on your favorite listening platform! 

Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health. 

William R Miller, PhD, is one of the pioneers of motivational interviewing, a psychological technique that helps individuals overcome apathy and create change in their lives. Dr. Miller’s research has become the standard practice in psychology, especially when clinicians are treating patients with addictive behaviors and patients who are recovering from depression that need help reigniting their personal motivation. His latest book, “8 Ways to Hope: Charting a Path through Uncertain Times,” which releases August 2024, takes lessons from Dr. Miller’s research and applies them to the bridge between psychology and hope.  

 This episode of Menninger Clinic’s Mind Dive podcast features Dr. Miller, accomplished psychologist and author, joining us for a conversation about hope and his findings on the psychological effects of optimism versus pessimism. Dr. Miller also shares a sneak peek into his latest work which explores the varying types of hope and how to foster self-efficacy during difficult times.  

 Dr. Miller was a clinical psychologist at the University of New Mexico for 30 years where he retired as emeritus distinguished professor psychology and psychiatry. Dr. Miller has continued to publish in his retirement and has seven books in his bibliography, including this latest one. All of Dr. Miller’s titles can be found on his website.

“Hope is something that we can do when we’re uncertain,” says Dr. Clark. “It’s the opposite of fear... fear is imagining a dreadful future and hope is imagining a better future.  You can actually experience these emotions simultaneously and that’s when hope becomes a choice.”  

Follow The Menninger Clinic on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay up to date on new Mind Dive episodes. To submit a topic for discussion, email [email protected]. If you are a new or regular listener, please leave us a review on your favorite listening platform! 

Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health. 

Have you ever found solace in the rhythmic verses of a poem or the gentle brushstrokes of a painting? Dr. Frank Clark joins us to reveal the extraordinary synergy between psychiatry and the arts, and how this fusion enhances the therapeutic journey. Raised in Chicago, where culture thrived around every corner, Dr. Clark was imbued with an appreciation for the arts from an early age. As an adult outpatient psychiatrist and clinical associate professor, he brings the healing power of poetry into his patient sessions, offering a unique conclusion to each encounter. His approach is not just about medication or traditional therapy; it's about enriching the soul through the beauty of artistic expression. Imagine leaving your psychiatrist's office with a poem that resonates with your experience – that's the innovative care Dr. Clark champions.

Venturing into the realm of self-expression, we touch upon the profound effects of poetry and creativity on mental well-being. I, too, have found that writing poetry can be a lantern in the darkness of depression, a tool for navigating the tumultuous waters of mental health. And it's not just for adults – Dr. Clark's work with children's literature, laced with haiku and affirmations, aims to bolster the mental resilience and self-esteem of the younger generation. His efforts underscore the importance of nurturing the creative voice within each of us, at every age, to foster healing and personal growth. This episode is an ode to the human spirit and its capacity for recovery through the boundless realms of art and poetry.

Follow The Menninger Clinic on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay up to date on new Mind Dive episodes. To submit a topic for discussion, email [email protected]. If you are a new or regular listener, please leave us a review on your favorite listening platform! 

Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health. 

Discover the profound insights of Dr. Jonathan Shedler, a leading expert in psychodynamic psychotherapy, as he joins us to unravel the intricate tapestry of the human psyche in therapy. In a landscape where evidence-based treatments are hailed as the gold standard, our conversation spotlights the stark contrast between what clinical trials dictate and the nuanced realities of patient experiences. Dr. Shedler champions the enduring success of psychodynamic methods, which persist as the backbone of effective therapy despite skepticism, while inviting listeners to consider the deeper relational aspects that these approaches offer beyond the superficial labels often attached to them.

Navigating beyond the symptom checklist of the DSM, this episode ventures into the critical role of personality in the therapeutic journey. We discuss how mental health issues, intertwined with the fabric of an individual's life, demand an approach that addresses the complex patterns of thinking, feeling, and relating that constitute personality. Dr. Shedler's expertise illuminates the evidence backing psychodynamic therapy and the need for a more holistic treatment paradigm—one that fosters a healthier sense of self and interpersonal connections, rather than isolating problems as discrete disorders.

As we bid farewell to Dr. Jonathan Shedler, we reflect on the transformative power of psychoanalytic therapy and its evolution from the days of Freud to contemporary clinical practice. This episode challenges common misconceptions, opening the door to a reimagined approach to psychological education and the importance of a flexible, relationship-focused framework in treatment. With gratitude for Dr. Shedler's advocacy and his eloquent demystification of complex analytic concepts, we celebrate the strides made toward a more accessible and understood psychodynamic therapy. Join us for a journey into the heart of mental health practices that continue to shape and refine the art of healing.

Follow The Menninger Clinic on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay up to date on new Mind Dive episodes. To submit a topic for discussion, email [email protected]. If you are a new or regular listener, please leave us a review on your favorite listening platform! 

Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health.