Psychologists Off the Clock

We often form deep emotional relationships with things that are important to us, from cherished items to hobbies and more materialistic possessions. But why do we become so emotionally attached to the things that we love and how does this affect our lives?

Here to delve deeper into the topic and talk about his book, The Things We Love: How Our Passions Connect Us and Make Us Who We Are, is author and expert on non-interpersonal love, Dr. Aaron Ahuvia. We explore the psychology of how passions shape our identity and connect us in meaningful ways, as well as offer advice for optimizing how we love and use our things to live more value-aligned lives.

Dr. Aaron Ahuvia is the most widely published and cited academic expert on non-interpersonal love. 

A scientific study listed him as one of the top 20 most influential scientists studying consumer behavior, out of thousands US researchers working on related topics.

Dr. Ahuvia has been at the forefront of this research since he published the first major scientific study on this topic entitled I Love It! Towards a Unifying Theory of Love Across Diverse Love Objects, over twenty years ago. Professor Ahuvia has over 100 academic papers and conference presentations. His research has been quoted in Time, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Glamour, and major publications in Europe and Japan. Dr. Ahuvia has also appeared on public radio talk shows as well as popular Television shows such as the Oprah Winfrey Show.

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Happy New Year, dear listeners! As we begin this new year, it's a great time to start developing some new healthy habits. It may seem like a challenge, but we can do it! Let's make this year a time for taking care of ourselves and striving for the best version of ourselves.

If you're serious about your health but don't feel the urge to jump out of bed, drag yourself to the gym, and reward your progress with a kale smoothie, this episode is for you! We all know what constitutes a healthy lifestyle, but it can be hard to stay consistent, especially when it feels like a chore!

Join Debbie for an engaging discussion with Dr. Dayna Lee-Baggley, author of Healthy Habits Suck: How to Get Off the Couch and Live a Healthy Life….Even if You Don’t Want To, about evidence-based strategies on how to overcome the internal obstacles that make behavior change hard, and how to sustain lifelong healthy habits.

Dr. Dayna Lee-Baggley is a Registered Clinical Psychologist in Nova Scotia, British Columbia, Ontario and Alberta with reciprocal agreements for clients in Atlantic Canada and Quebec. For close to 15 years she worked as a Clinical Health Psychologist for medical, surgery, and cancer care units at the hospital. She has taken all this experience to open Dr. Lee-Baggley and Associates, a virtual health psychology clinic offering clinical interventions, training for healthcare providers, and educational courses on health related topics. She holds an Assistant Professor appointment in the Department of Family Medicine and a cross-appointment in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at Dalhousie University and an Adjunct Professor appointment in the Department of Industrial and Organizational Psychology at Saint Mary’s University. She is an internationally recognized trainer in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

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Toxic positivity is a phenomenon that has become increasingly prevalent in recent years. It is characterized by the constant reinforcement of an overly optimistic attitude, to the point of ignoring, invalidating, or minimizing the hardships or feelings faced by individuals. This can create a sense of disconnect between people. It can also be detrimental to those struggling with mental health issues, as it invalidates their experiences and makes them feel like they are not allowed to have genuine emotions. 

To address the concept and challenges of toxic positivity to individuals and relationships, we consulted Psychotherapist, Whitney Goodman. Walking us through her book aptly titled Toxic Positivity: Keeping It Real in a World Obsessed with Being Happy, Whitney helps us understand how to create an atmosphere of open communication, where people can be honest about their feelings without fear of judgment or invalidation.

Whitney Goodman, LMFT, is the radically honest psychotherapist behind the hugely popular Instagram account @sitwithwhit. She is also an author and the owner of The Collaborative Counseling Center, a virtual therapy practice in Florida. Whitney's debut book TOXIC POSITIVITY: KEEPING IT REAL IN A WORLD OBSESSED WITH BEING HAPPY, shows readers how to shift the goal from being happy to being authentic in order to live fully. A millennial on a quest to make mental health information accessible and easy to understand, Whitney helps people who want to improve their relationships and emotional wellness. She earned her undergraduate degree at Tulane University and a graduate degree in Counseling Psychology from The University of Miami. Whitney has a column in Psychology Today and has been featured in several publications, including The New York Times, Teen Vogue, NY Magazine, and Good Morning America. 

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Belonging uncertainty is a common experience in social life. It is a feeling of not fitting into a particular social group or environment. People who experience this may feel like an outsider, isolated from those around them, or unable to connect with people in their environment. Professor of Psychology, Geoffery L. Cohen is here to remind us of the importance of fostering self-awareness to better understand our feelings and the actions we should take when faced with a sense of belonging uncertainty. 

Geoffery's book Belonging: The Science of Creating Connection and Bridging Divides provides a fascinating look into the realm of social psychology and how it can be used to combat the daunting feeling of not belonging. Through Geoffery's knowledge and insight, you will gain a clear understanding of the changes that can be made to conquer feelings of belonging uncertainty. His work is invaluable in the effort to empower individuals to create strong, meaningful connections and build bridges of understanding and empathy.

Geoffrey L. Cohen is a Professor of Psychology and the James G. March Professor of Organizational Studies in Education and Business at Stanford University. He is a social psychologist by training and received his PHD at Stanford and his BA at Cornell. Professor Cohen’s research examines the processes that shape people’s sense of belonging and self-concept, and the role that these processes play in various social problems. He has studied the big and small threats to belonging and self-integrity that people encounter in school, work, health care settings, politics, communities, and relationships. He and others have developed concrete, science-backed strategies to create more welcoming spaces for people from all walks of life. He believes that the development of psychological theory depends not just on descriptive and observational research but on theory-driven intervention. He has long been inspired by Kurt Lewin’s quip, “The best way to understand something is to try to change it.”

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Striving for what you want in life can be difficult, especially when you find yourself in a stagnant situation or lack direction. However, with the assistance of Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman, a Cognitive Scientist, and Humanistic Psychologist, you can learn how to implement the steps necessary to achieve your ambitions.

Take a journey with us as we explore the life-changing work of Dr. Scott and Jordyn H Feingold in their new book, Choose Growth: A Workbook for Transcending Trauma, Fear, and Self-Doubt! This episode is full of empowering insights that will help you unlock your potential and create an inspiring new path for yourself. We talk about all kinds of exciting topics from reaching our goals through nontraditional paths, the growth that comes from embracing uncomfortable experiences, and the importance of finding the harmony between overusing and underusing your strengths.

Scott Barry Kaufman is a cognitive scientist and humanistic psychologist exploring the mind, creativity, and the depths of human potential. He is a professor at Columbia University and founder and director of the Center for the Science of Human Potential. Scott hosts the super popular The Psychology Podcast and uses his research to help all kinds of minds live a creative, fulfilling, and self-actualized life. He is the author and editor of 10 books including his newest, Choose Growth: A Workbook for Transcending Trauma, Fear, and Self-Doubt that he co-authored with Jordyn Feingold and that we’ll be discussing today. Welcome Scott! 

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Racial trauma has been caused by centuries of discrimination and violence against African Americans; a legacy of injustice that has had a long-term impact on mental, emotional, and psychical well-being. While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to healing Black racial trauma; transformation and change are still possible. A powerful tool to help those who have been impacted by racism is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

We talk with Research Scientist and Clinician, Jennifer Shepard Payne who in her book, Out of the Fire: Healing Black Trauma Caused by Systemic Racism Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, offers a thorough examination of the application of ACT to the unique problems that African Americans face. Jennifer describes how she is culturally adapting traditional ACT practices, and how this therapy can help African American communities heal from generations of oppression.

Jennifer Shepard Payne, Ph.D., LCSW, is a Research Scientist and Clinician for the Kennedy Krieger Institute in the Center for Child and Family Traumatic Stress (CCFTS) and theCenter for the Neuroscience of Social Injustice. She is also an Assistant Professor in the John Hopkins University School of Medicine with a primary appointment within the Department of Psychiatry, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She serves as the coordinator of the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Clinical Services within the adult segment of CCFTS.

Dr. Payne received her doctorate from the UCLA School of Public Affairs and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with many years of experience in mental health clinical practice and administration. Her research interests include developing culturally tailored community-based depression and trauma interventions and addressing minority mental health disparities. 

For several years, Dr. Payne has been working on culturally tailoring Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for African American communities experiencing racial trauma. She developed a culturally-tailored ACT intervention called POOF® and is training and consulting on the model: www.POOF-PullingOutOfFire.com. Additionally, she is a board member of MEND, an international organization of clinicians of color who are trauma-trained to help oppressed communities (www.mendminds.org).

Her new book is called Out of the Fire: Healing Black Trauma Caused by Systemic Racism Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. 

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As we go through life, we all have experiences, both positive and negative, that shape who we are. Sometimes, we focus too much on the negative experiences and start to think "why me?". In order to counter this negative spiral, we can choose to focus on the positive and use this to empower ourselves. Instead, ask yourself "what now?". You can improve your outlook on life by changing your mindset. This in turn will help free yourself from limiting beliefs, heal and move forward. 

With great admiration and gratitude, we welcome an inspiring mother-daughter duo, Dr. Edith Eger, and Dr. Marianne Engel who through their expertise as Clinical Psychologists, work together to promote healing, positivity, and personal growth. In this deeply personal, yet profound interview, we take a look at the learnings presented in the latest edition of Dr. Eger’s uplifting and actionable guide to healing, The Gift: 14 Lessons to Save Your Life. 

Paralleled by lessons from the book, we also learn about Edith’s courageous story of surviving Auschwitz and finding her path to freedom, as well as Marianne’s own experience as the child of an immigrant parent and holocaust survivor, navigating marriage and raising children. Focusing on overcoming adversity, relationships, giving up shame, and living with purpose, we bring you a powerful and thought-provoking episode that inspires you to take on any obstacles life presents. 

Dr. Edith Eger is a sought-after clinical psychologist and lecturer who brings a message of healing and personal growth in her speaking and in her books The Choice and The Gift. She uses her past as a Holocaust survivor and thriver to inspire people to tap their full potential and shape their very best destinies regardless of their circumstances. It’s a message of CHOICE to move from recovery to discovery and beyond and encouragement to find the gifts of even the most painful situations. 

Dr. Marianne Engle, is Edith’s daughter and collaborator. Marianne is also a psychologist with training in sports psychology. As a child, Marianne watched her mother struggle in the aftermath of the Holocaust. In fact, Edith didn’t tell Marianne about her experiences in the Holocaust until Marianne discovered it by finding a book in her parent’s collection and put the pieces together. 

Edith and Marianne are an inspiring mother-daughter duo working together to bring healing and positivity to the world and we’ll be focusing on messages offered in the newest edition of Dr. Eger’s book, The Gift: 14 Lessons to Save Your Life, which is colored with Marianne’s influence

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Finding moments of silence can be difficult in our chaotic, constantly-connected world. But, Justin Zorn and Leigh Marz, co-authors of ‘Golden: The Power of Silence in a World of Noise’, say it's worth the effort.

Shedding light on the many dimensions of silence, Justin and Leigh explore how cutting through the clutter can lead to greater clarity, structure, and improved health in our lives. You'll discover how to transcend the noise and uncover a more fulfilling life and edified mind in the process.

Justin Talbot Zorn has served as both a strategist and a meditation teacher in the US Congress. A Harvard-and-Oxford-trained specialist in the economics and psychology of human thriving, he has written for the Washington Post,The Atlantic, Harvard Business Review, Foreign Policy, and other publications. Justin is the coauthor of Golden: The Power of Silence in a World of Noise, published by HarperCollins in the US, Penguin/Random House in the UK, and globally in 11 other languages. He is cofounder of Astrea Strategies, a consultancy that bridges contemplation and action, helping leaders and teams envision and communicate solutions to complex challenges. Justin lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with his wife and three children.

Leigh Marz is a collaboration and leadership coach for major universities, corporations, and federal agencies as well as a longtime student of pioneering researchers and practitioners of the ritualized use of psychedelic medicines in the West. She has led training programs to promote an experimental mindset among teams at NASA and a decade-long cross-sector collaboration to reduce toxic chemicals in products, in partnership with Green Science Policy Institute, Harvard University, IKEA, Google, and Kaiser Permanente. Leigh is the coauthor of Golden: The Power of Silence in a World of Noise, published by HarperCollins in the US, Penguin/Random House in the UK, and globally in 11 other languages. She is the co-founder of Astrea Strategies. Leigh lives in Berkeley, California, with her husband and daughter.

139. Neurodharma with Rick Hanson (Part 1)

140. Neurodharma with Rick Hanson (Part 2)

177. Mind-Body Practices for Stress and Overwhelm with Rebekkah LaDyne

201. Fierce Compassion with Kristin Neff

210. Strategies for Becoming Safely Embodied with Deirdre Fay

232. Grounded to Soar Into 2022 with Brad Stulberg

251. Wonder with Frank Keil

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Assertive communication is one of the most important skills when it comes to human relationships. Be it in the workplace, with family, or in friendships, it is a skill that you must learn to develop in order to communicate in ways that are respectful, clear, and effective. Without assertive communication, your goals will be difficult to meet.

Joining us for this episode is Randy Paterson, Psychologist, Director of Changeways Clinic, and Author of The Assertiveness Workbook. Randy breaks down the significance of assertive communication and associated misconceptions, when assertiveness is not always the best approach, and the different communication styles you can use to confidently express your needs, wants, and opinions in your personal and professional life. 

Listen and Learn: 

Resources: 

About Randy Paterson: Dr. Randy Paterson is a psychologist in Vancouver, British Columbia. He is the director of Changeways Clinic; and provides training programs across Canada and internationally on evidence-based mental health practice. He is the author of several books, including: How to Be Miserable, How to Be Miserable in Your Twenties, Private Practice Made Simple, and The Assertiveness Workbook, which is now in its second edition. He offers courses for professionals and the public through his online teaching website, psychologysalon.teachable.com. 

Related Episodes: 

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Working parenthood is not for the faint of heart. Sometimes the stress of toggling between family and professional roles can feel like too much! And... it can also be a meaningful source of joy, inspiration, and creativity. 

In this extra special episode, we talk to our very own co-host, Dr. Yael Schonbrun about her new book, Work, Parent Thrive: 12 Science-Backed Strategies to Ditch Guilt, Manage Overwhelm, and Grow Connection (When Everything Feels Like Too Much). Yael draws on psychology research as well as her own experience as a working mom of three, to offer ideas that will help even the most stressed of working parents! This book banishes the idea that the key to ultimate working parenthood is the ability to do it all. Instead, the key is to learn how these roles, together, help you thrive.

Listen and Learn: 

●      How Yael’s own experience as a hard-working mother of three informed her ideas for her book. 

●      How to shift from a “work family conflict mindset” to a “work family enrichment mindset”

●      Why interruptions that feel really annoying might actually be good for you. 

●      Whether or not finding perfect work-life balance is a realistic goal (spoiler alert: it’s not)

●      The role of values in making choices about work and family 

●      How to deal with parental guilt effectively

●      How working parenthood offers opportunities for growth

●      About how cooking has offered Jill a lesson in when to grit and when to quit

●      The power of rest, and what Yael is up to on her tech-free Saturday sabbath days

 Resources:

●      Get your copy of Work, Parent, Thrive! 

●      Check out Yael’s webpage and her POTC episodes! 

●      Read Yael’s New York Times article on working parenthood, and other media appearances in the Wall Street Journal, Greater Good Science Center, Behavioral Scientist, Kveller, Lilith Magazine, The Wise Brain Bulletin, Psychology Today, and Motherly. 

●      Grab your copy of all our favorite books at bookshop.org/shop/offtheclockpsych.

●      Check out Debbie, Yael, and Jill’s websites to access their offerings, sign up for their newsletters, buy their books, and more!

 About Yael: Dr. Yael Schonbrun is a co-host of the greatest podcast of all times, Psychologists Off the Clock, and that’s all you need to know about her. 

Just kidding! Yael Schonbrun, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist, assistant professor at Brown University, co-host of Psychologists Off the Clock, and mother of three. She has a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and completed her postgraduate training at Brown University. Yael’s academic research explores the interaction between relationship problems and mental health conditions. She has authored the book Work, Parent Thrive: 12 Science-Backed Strategies to Ditch Guilt, Manage Overwhelm, and Grow Connection (When Everything Feels Like Too Much), as well as chapters in several books and dozens of scientific articles. In her private practice, writing, and podcasting, Yael uses evidence-based science to help individuals and couples learn to manage work, parenting, and marriage in more effective and fulfilling ways. Yael’s writing on work, parenting, and relationships has appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Greater Good Science Center, Behavioral Scientist, Kveller, Lilith Magazine, The Wise Brain Bulletin, Psychology Today, and Motherly. You can follow her on Twitter, where she posts about the science and practice of work and family.

 Related Episodes: 

-       24. Choosing Both: Straddling Meaningful Career and Parenthood with Yael Schonbrun

-       33. Couples with Young Children: Relationship Challenges and Strategies with Yael Schonbrun

-       83. The Tao of Work and Family Balance with Tod Perry and Carl Totton

-       174. How to Work and Parent Mindfully with Lori Mihalich-Levin

-       211. Subtract with Leidy Klotz

-       267. You are Not a Horrible Parent with Carla Naumburg

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