Psych Up Live

According to The National Eating Disorder Association's Statistics, up to 70 million people worldwide suffer from an eating disorder. In this show, Dr. Tom Wooldridge, psychologist and psychoanalyst will address the underlying dynamics and treatment of eating disorders. Drawing upon his new book, Psychoanalytic Treatment of Eating Disorders: When Words Fail and Bodies Speak, he will discuss important issues for those suffering, their parents and clinicians working with them. Recognizing the importance of integrative treatment that includes everything from expedient symptom reduction to experiential therapies, he highlights the value of a psychoanalytic perspective. Using clinical examples, he shows the importance of recognizing unspoken pain, secret shame, fear of intimacy, difficulty regulating feelings and self-blame in those with eating disorders. He discusses the role of childhood experience, cultural norms, cyber-space connections, and online forums.

All of us own a life story that reflects a legacy of events we have received from the generations before us and that we will pass on to future generations. In this episode, Elaine Cooper, LCSW, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and author of LET'S ALL HOLD HANDS AND DROP DEAD: Three Generations - One Story, invites us to understand and identify intergenerational trauma, its impact, how we heal and even change the legacy. Drawing upon experience, established research, clinical and group expertise, Elaine Cooper illuminates this topic in a way that will make you reconsider the generational legacy you carry, what it means for your present life, your family, your health, your genetic profile, your strengths, your decisions and the life story you choose to own.You will think about your life differently.

In this show, Ken Page, LCSW, psychotherapist and author of the bestseller, Deeper Dating: How to Drop the Games of Seduction and Discover the Power of Intimacy, invites us to consider how gender role stereotypes may be crippling our love lives. Do we set aside our authenticity when we think about meeting an intimate partner? Do we worry about being too strong or independent as a woman or how sensitive we can be as a man can be without losing the so-called alpha male attractiveness? Do we default to stereotypes or presumptions of what we think others want us to be? Ken Page reminds us of the potency of our authentic self and the steps toward finding and using it. Drawing upon many of the strategies and methods of Deeper Dating he discusses and exemplifies -Identifying Gifts from Insecurities, Mapping Your Zones of Intimacy, Using a Learning Partner, Recognizing Attractions of Inspiration and Deprivation, Using Your Gift Circle and much more.

Miscarriages are more common than most people realize. They can occur in as many as one in four women in their lifetime. Miscarriages are the hidden losses that couples grieve together and come to fear together. In this show, Dr. Lora Shahine, Board Certified Physician in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility as well as Obstetrics and Gynecology, draws upon her years of experience and new book, Not Broken: An Approachable Guide to Miscarriage an Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, to empower those who have suffered a miscarriage with the latest information and guidance. From clarifying the causes of miscarriage, to demystifying tests, recognizing the psychological impact on women as well as men, providing Western and Eastern approaches to minimize the risk of miscarriage and more, Dr. Shahine shares with a personal interest and concern. She makes hope possible.

There is nothing easy about divorce and despite the statistics, it is a journey that most people don’t want to take. In this episode, Audrey Cade, author of Divorce Matters: Help for Hurting Hearts and Why Divorce is Sometimes the Best Decision, offers a very realistic look at the When, Why and How of Coping with Divorce. With the wisdom of someone who has been through it, this matriarch of a blended family of eight is as clear about the need to take steps to try save your marriage as she is realistic about the anguish of realizing you can’t. Using her own journey as a starting point she addresses what most people facing divorce are rarely prepared to handle. From grieving the loss of a dream, to telling the children, accepting the Facebook gossip, dealing with the nerve-wracking legal maze, spending less time with your kids, forgiving self, to dealing with somebody else’s ex, she offers valuable advice without the sugar coating. Sad, mad, sometimes funny, Audrey Cade will pass on to you her lessons learned.

From the time I heard Dr. Hull discuss his work with children and adolescents diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome (AS) and High Functioning Autism (HFS), I wanted all parents to hear him. In this episode, he brings us his passion and expertise. He clarifies diagnosis by demystifying the strengths and difficulties these children have in social, emotional and behavioral areas. He discusses how to approach fears, understand rituals, reduce feelings of terror and maximize use of special interests. Dr. Hull recognizes the mix of love, challenge and concern that parents carry. Reminding them that they are not alone, he offers strategies to foster connection, growth and improved relationships with their children. To hear Dr. Hull discuss his creative use of play with children and adolescents is to understand how he helps parents and children build bridges of connection and growth to each other.

In this episode Dr. Kristin Neff, widely recognized as one of the world’s leading experts on self-compassion, draws upon her personal introduction to self-compassion, her years of pioneering research, and her book Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself, to offer listeners an understanding of this powerful but often misunderstood and overlooked resource. In an interesting and useable way she defines self-compassion and compares it with self- pity and self-esteem. She demonstrates the power of self-compassion to enhance self-knowledge and motivation and describes and exemplifies its use of self-kindness, human connection and mindfulness to offset self-criticism and the trap of self-loathing. To hear Kristin Neff, is to receive an insider’s understanding of a powerful resource for coping, healing and growing in every day life. Self- Compassion is within our grasp.

In this episode, Dr. Geoffrey Greif, discusses, Two Plus Two: Couples and their Couple Relationships, a book he co-authored with Dr. Kathleen Holtz Deal, which is the first book to explore the meaning of couples’ friendships with other couples. Drawing upon research with 400 couples, Dr. Greif reports on findings and invites listeners to consider whether they are Seekers, Keepers or Nesters? Who are their couple friends? Do their couple friendships impact their relationship in a positive or negative way? Do couple friendships change over the course of a couple’s marriage? How do couples balance the demands on their time with couple friends? What does it mean if a couple mostly has separate friendships? Do men and women value couple friendships in different ways? What happens when a couple’s couple friends break up? This is a very interesting show, which informs and invites self-reflection and couple discussion.

In this episode, guest Sharon Kathryn D'Agostino shares SayItForward.org and the powerful meaning of storytelling. A passionate advocate for the health, safety, education, and empowerment of girls, women & children, Sharon describes that she created SayItForward.org as a place where any woman or girl can share her story of overcoming fears, self-limiting beliefs or cultural norms that have held her back from growth and development. You will hear some of the stories and learn why thousands of girls and women worldwide have shared stories in many languages and continue to benefit from sharing and reading about courage, challenges and hope. This is a place to tell your story without critique or comment. It is a place to own your story and definition of self. These stories of personal empowerment inspire others who face similar challenges in their lives.

Against the backdrop of concern with sexual violence on college campuses, Dr. Jason Laker and Dr. Erica Boas discuss their important research on the language of sexual consent among college students. In groundbreaking research on what they term “Consent Stories,” they found that far more prevalent than a hook-up culture was the difficulty of communicating sexual intention and consent or dissent. What Drs. Laker and Boas discuss is what we rarely consider in the communications of intimacy in our adult lives, much less in the understanding we pass on to our children. When is “yes a yes” and when is “no a no?” What about non-verbal communication? What about expectations and misconstrued social norms? In this episode, you will hear about ongoing research that is likely to have a powerful and protective impact in clarifying sexual intent and response in people from teens through adults. Don’t miss this.