What if the relentless push for productivity is actually standing in the way of a truly fulfilling life? 

Join cohost Michael Herold and guest Ross White, author of The Tree that Bends: How a Flexible Mind Can Help You Thrive, as they redefine balance and purpose, challenging societal pressures to stay constantly “on.” 

Using the wisdom of nature and the anatomy of a tree, Ross explores how psychological flexibility—grounded in rest, resilience, and self-awareness—can empower us to find strength in slowing down. 

And discover how “relenting” can open doors to a balanced, purpose-filled life.

Listen to the full conversation to uncover how embracing rest could be your greatest asset!

Professor Ross White is an award-winning clinical psychologist who specializes in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of adults working in high-performance environments, including elite-level athletes in football, rugby, track and field, and tennis. He has collaborated with the World Health Organization and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on projects to reduce distress experienced by refugees and other populations in the aftermath of humanitarian crises. He is currently Professor of Clinical Psychology at Queen’s University Belfast, and is a director of Strive2Thrive, a clinical psychology consultancy firm that provides interventions and training to help individuals and organizations thrive.

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Stuck in the never-ending grind but still feel like it’s not enough? 

Paula Freedman-Diamond, Psy.D., a clinical psychologist and author of Toxic Striving: Why Hustle and Wellness Cultures are Leaving Us Anxious, Stressed, and Burned Out-- and How to Break Free breaks down how hustle culture and wellness fads can mess with our sense of self-worth and add to our stress. 

She talks about how perfectionism and the pressure to constantly achieve can leave us feeling anxious, and why it’s so important to tune into what you need, not what society tells you is right.

Dr. Paula shares ideas like intuitive eating and flexible living, encouraging us to prioritize our own values over external expectations. She also touches on the importance of setting boundaries and using social media mindfully, so it doesn’t drain us. Her hope? To help people-pleasers and over-achievers find more balance, self-compassion, and ease in their lives.

Paula Freedman-Diamond, Psy.D., is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor. She is the owner and clinical director of HumanKind Psychological Services in Chicago, IL and the author of Toxic Striving: Why Hustle and Wellness Cultures are Leaving Us Anxious, Stressed, and Burned Out-- and How to Break Free, and The Addiction Recovery Workbook. Dr. Paula specializes in perfectionism, anxiety, and eating disorders. She enjoys helping high-achievers and people-please rs learn to stop chasing external approval and start living according to the wisdom of their own bodies and minds. Dr. Paula is on a mission to take down the toxic systems that make people feel like they're not good enough, no matter how hard they work. She is especially passionate about making healthcare more welcoming and respectful for all bodies. She provides education and supervision for clinical psychology doctoral students. She is a strong advocate for size inclusivity in health, fitness, and wellness spaces. Dr. Paula has been featured in the New York Times and is a featured expert for Reebok, Bark Technologies, and A Sweat Life. She is on the advisory boards for Medical Students for Size Inclusivity and Fat Torah. You can follow her on Instagram at @mindfuldrpaula. 

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How does happiness fuel productivity and success?

Join Michael Herold in an empowering chat with Mary Anderson, the author of The Happy High Achiever, who gives her expertise on how high-achievers can turn the tables on stress and anxiety, unlocking powerful tools that can lead you to greater success and fulfillment in life. 

You'll discover how to identify cognitive distortions, including what Mary coined the 'Troublesome Trifecta,' learn techniques to challenge those pesky, unhelpful thoughts and uncover personalized strategies for building your confidence, tackling perfectionism, embracing your authentic self, and forging meaningful connections with others.

If you want to learn how to become a happy high achiever and unleash your full potential, listening to this episode and getting your copy of Mary’s book is a step in the right direction!

Dr. Mary Anderson is a licensed psychologist and sought-after speaker with over a decade of experience helping patients become happier, healthier, and sustainably high-achieving. Dr. Anderson earned her PhD in clinical psychology, with a specialty in health psychology, from the University of Florida and completed her internship and post-doctoral fellowship at the VA Boston Healthcare System, with appointments at Harvard Medical School and Boston University School of Medicine. She currently lives in Boston, Massachusetts.

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Are kids learning enough about how the world really works?

This week, Emily hosts Lindsey Cormack, a thoughtful political science professor and author of How to Raise a Citizen (and Why It's Up to You to Do It), to talk about how we, as parents, can play a big role in raising engaged citizens. 

They delve into Lindsey's experiences and research, demonstrating how schools frequently fail to teach students the fundamentals of government. They also look into what it means to be a 'citizen' and how we can encourage our children to be interested in politics. 

You’ll hear tips on having age-appropriate political discussions, tackling misinformation, and helping kids feel empowered to participate. 

This conversation is a heartfelt reminder for all of us parents to step up and help guide our kids into becoming informed, active voters.

Lindsey Cormack is an associate professor of Political Science and Director of the Diplomacy Lab at Stevens Institute of Technology. She has authored two books, How to Raise a Citizen (And Why it’s Up to You to Do It) and Congress and U.S. Veterans: From the GI Bill to the VA Crisis. She created and maintains the digital database of all official Congress-to-constituent e-newsletters at www.dcinbox.com. She earned her PhD in Government from New York University. She currently serves as the Secretary for Manhattan Community Board 8.

Her research has been published in Political Behavior, Congress & the Presidency, Legislative Studies Quarterly, Political Science Research and Methods, American Politics Research, Politics & Policy, Politics Groups & Identities, Politics & Gender, The Journal of Gender Studies, Energy Economics, The Legislative Scholar as well as in popular outlets including the Bloomberg Businesswire, The New York Times, The Washington Post, FiveThirtyEight, ProPublica, Roll Call, The New York Post, NBC News, the LSE USCentre, and The Hill, The Conversation, The San Francisco Chronicle, and more.

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This week on Psychologists Off the Clock, Jill takes on the dynamic blend of science and art in therapy with our amazing guest, Dr. Michael Alcee, a mental health educator and the author of Therapeutic Improvisation: How to Stop Winging It and Own It as a Therapist.

Michael sheds light on the vital balance between left-brain logic and right-brain creativity that makes for effective psychotherapy, shares thoughts on the power of humor, metaphor, and emotional connection, and reveals how therapists can embrace their creative side while staying rooted in scientific principles. 

With fascinating examples from Miichael’s professional experience, he presents practical strategies to help therapists enhance their intuitive skills, boost their therapeutic presence, and build stronger connections with their clients.

Please join us for an intriguing discovery of how blending science and art can elevate your therapeutic practice and transform the outcome of your client sessions!

Michael Alcée, PhD, is a clinical psychologist in Tarrytown, NY, and is a Mental Health Educator at the Manhattan School of Music. In his first book, Therapeutic Improvisation: How to Stop Winging It and Own It as a Therapist (Norton, 2022), Michael demonstrated how all clinicians are artists, reading the changes like well-versed jazz musicians, finding the poetic turns in their client's stories like skilled writers, and reveling in the creative act that emerges in the humanistic encounter of psychotherapy. His forthcoming book is entitled The Upside of OCD: Flip the Script to Reclaim Your Life (Rowman & LIttlefield, 2024) and aims to add depth to the exploration and understanding of the OCD experience. Michael has been a TEDx speaker and organizer and is a regular contributor at Psychology Today along with contributions to NPR, The Chicago Tribune, and The New York Times, among others. You can also find him on The Psychology Podcast with Scott Barry Kaufman and on Shrink Rap Radio.

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Are you in the midst of a midlife transition, grappling with big questions about purpose, change, and self-discovery?

For this week’s episode, cohost Debbie Sorensen celebrates her 50th birthday with a discussion on the transformative period of midlife with her friend, Dr. Meg McKelvie. 

A period rich with psychological shifts, existential questions, and challenges in finding deeper meaning, they get into acceptance and commitment therapy, emotional, psychical and cognitive changes, ways to overcome people-pleasing habits, and much much more. 

With practical exercises and writing practices, this episode is a gift to anyone navigating midlife transitions and relationships, offering insight, reflection, and a path toward deeper understanding and fulfilling connections. We hope you enjoy this heartfelt and poignant conversation! 

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If you are craving deeper, more meaningful connections in life then you're in for a treat with our latest guest, Dr. Adam Dorsay.

Adam, also affectionately known as EnthusiAdam, is a licensed psychologist and executive coach who walks us through the core ideas from his upcoming book Super Psyched: Unleash the Power of the Four Types of Connection and Live the Life You Love, set to release on October 1st (mark your calendars!). 

We touch on the essential connections we need in life—to ourselves, others, the world around us, and something greater.

Throughout our chat, Adam offers plenty of practical, heart-centered tips on how to break down barriers like FOMO, embrace vulnerability, and start building truly meaningful connections. 

From shared learning experiences to local adventures, we talk about ways to actively foster those deeper bonds we all long for. Please join us for an inspiring and actionable conversation that’ll leave you feeling more connected than ever!

Dr. Adam Dorsay is a licensed psychologist and executive coach in Silicon Valley where he serves high-achieving adults. Adam is a TEDx speaker and the host of SuperPsyched, an award-winning podcast with over 200 episodes which we at psychologists off the clock love. And his book by the same name, Superpsyched: Unleash the power of the 4 types of connection and live the life you love will be available on October first and is what we are here to discuss today. Adam has provided keynotes and trainings to multiple corporations and organizations, including Microsoft, Linkedin, and the California Psychological Association. He is happily married, the father of young boys, and he has a hypoallergenic 33-pound Australian Labradoodle therapy dog named Raffi, who lives at his home and works at his office.

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Do you feel like you are constantly on an emotional rollercoaster with your children? 

Get stuck into this lively chat with Dr. Carla Naumburg, a licensed clinical social worker, and the mind behind 'How to Stop Losing Your It with Your Kids'.

Carla introduces us to her new book, 'How to Stop Freaking Out', which is written specifically for kids, and talks about how a mix of compassion and humor can make all the difference. 

Whether you're a parent looking for ways to stay calm or a kid trying to understand your own feelings, Carla shares practical tips and fun mindfulness techniques that you can learn and introduce to your family in a gentle and impactful way. 

Give it a listen and discover how you can bring more calm and connection to your family. You never know—you might just find the perfect strategy to make those daily challenges a little easier!

Carla Naumburg, PhD, LICSW is a clinical social worker and the author of five books, including the bestselling How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t With Your Kids and its forthcoming middle-grade companion How to Stop Freaking Out. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, CNN, and Mindful Magazine, among other places. Carla lives in Massachusetts with her husband and two daughters.

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What if there's more to happiness and fulfillment than what you've been taught? Speaking about her book The Art of the Interesting, Lorraine Besser questions accepted notions of what constitutes a fulfilling life. She doesn’t just explore happiness and meaning; she challenges their dominance, exposing how chasing these ideals can sometimes leave us feeling empty and disillusioned.

Lorraine invites us to consider a different path: pursuing a psychologically rich life. This isn’t about endless joy or a sense of fulfillment that’s always just out of reach. It’s about diving into experiences that are novel, complex, and challenging—experiences that make us think deeply and feel intensely. Drawing from her own life and philosophical reflections, Lorraine shows us how to find interest and meaning in the every day, and she offers practical advice on how to weave psychological richness into the fabric of our lives.

This is more than just a conversation; it’s an important call to rethink what it means to live fully.

Lorraine Besser, PhD, is a professor of philosophy at Middlebury College, who specializes in the philosophy and psychology of the good life and teaches popular courses for undergraduates on happiness, well-being, and ethics. An internationally recognized scholar, she was a founding investigator on the research team studying psychological richness. She is the author of two academic books (The Philosophy of Happiness: An Interdisciplinary Introduction and Eudaimonic Ethics: The Philosophy and Psychology of Living Well) and dozens of professional journal articles on moral psychology.

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What if the key to healing our fractured society lies not in silencing our differences, but in harnessing them?

In this conversation with Diana M. Smith, a renowned thought leader in conflict resolution and organizational change, we're not just talking about the pressing issue of political divisiveness—we're talking about the power to reshape our society by rethinking how we engage with one another and transform conflicts into constructive forces for societal progress. 

Drawing from her extensive career, including her newest book, 'Remaking the Space Between Us,' Diana touches on compelling insights on how collaboration across groups can solve today's complex problems. 

Tune in to explore practical steps individuals and communities can take to foster understanding and unity in a polarized world and learn about the importance of shifting from an outrage mindset to an engaged mindset.

Diane’s books: 

Find Diana online: 

Diana McLain Smith is a renowned thought leader who has led change efforts for thirty-five years in some of America’s most iconic businesses and cutting-edge non-profits. A former partner at the Monitor Group and a former chief executive partner at New Profit, Smith developed an approach to conflict and change called Leading Through Relationships (LTR)TM.

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