The Elements of Being Podcast

Today, I’d like to share the 3rd part of a series on the psychology behind the 2020 US presidential election and the political issues that pervade the campaign airwaves. A few episodes ago, my interview with Dr. Madva dissected the role of implicit biases as an undercurrent of many social injustices, including incidents related to racism and classism. And then, my conversation with Dr. Baron was an examination of the moral judgments surrounding political issues and our decision-making process. In this interview with Dr. Leonie Huddy, we discussed the roles and trends of partisanship in politics as well as the topics of nationalism, individualism, and voting behavior.
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Dr. Huddy is Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science at Stony Brook University. She is co-editor of the 2nd edition of the Oxford Handbook of Political Psychology, served as co-editor of the journal Political Psychology from 2005 till 2010, is past-president of the International Society of Political Psychology (ISPP), serves on the American National Election Studies Board of Overseers, often appears on CBS Radio as an exit poll analyst, and serves on numerous editorial boards in political science. Dr. Huddy has written extensively on social and political identities, emotions, reactions to terrorism, gender and politics, and race relations. She is the co-author (with Stanley Feldman and George Marcus) of Going to War in Iraq: When Citizens and the Press Matter published by the University of Chicago Press. Dr. Huddy was born in Australia and shared an incredible global perspective on the current US political landscape.

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During our interview, we discussed:

-The difference between print and television journalism during the war in Iraq.
-How individualism affects the regulation of empathetic ability.
-Nationalist appeals and the connection to future elections worldwide.
-The difference between nationalism and patriotism.
-The social nature of partisanship and how it’s a form of tribal self-expression.
-The positive and negative consequences of political partisanship.
-What contributes to affective partisanship, and how we can diminish it.
-The role of partisan politics in our democracy.
-The underlying influences of voting behavior.
-The difference in voting behaviors between the US and other democracies.

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To learn more about Dr. Leonie Huddy and her research, check out https://you.stonybrook.edu/leonie/!

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If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/Itunes? It takes less than 60 seconds and other listeners and guests definitely appreciate them!

Welcome to “The Elements of Being” podcast, where I dissect and explore the minds and habits of psychologists, filmmakers, writers, and industry icons. Essentially, we learn what makes them flip the switch to achieve great feats, goals, and milestones…and a chance to geek out over the psychology behind human behavior.

So, what is this podcast specifically about? I examine the mental and emotional narratives and processes that have steered writers, filmmakers, psychologists, and industry icons down their paths in life. Each episode is also a glimpse into the trends and patterns of human behavior and the underlying influences that navigate us into different directions. Whether we primarily focus on nutrition or the unconscious, guests share insights, thought-provoking lessons, the nuances of creativity, and the elements of being….us.

Today, I explore the relationship between racism and implicit biases with Dr. Alex Madva, an Associate Professor of Philosophy and Director of the California Center for Ethics & Policy at Cal Poly Pomona. He recently co-edited the volume, An Introduction to Implicit Bias: Knowledge, Justice, and the Social Mind with his colleague Erin Beeghly, and took the time break down systemic racism and the implicit biases that not only pervade the recent cases involving George Floyd and Kyle Rittenhouse but also steer our perception of such matters. Essentially, we are digging into the unconscious and examining how simple labels of racism may not account for the underlying complexity of these situations.

Dr. Madva’s research and teaching explore how developments in social psychology inform the philosophy of mind, philosophy of race and feminism, and applied ethics, especially prejudice and discrimination. He has written on these topics for journals including Ethics, The Journal of Applied Philosophy, Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews (WIREs): Cognitive Science, Pacific Philosophical Quarterly, Ergo, Mind and Language, and several more. Dr. Madva is currently co-editing another, The Movement for Black Lives: Philosophical Perspectives.

Dr. Madva has taught numerous classes on Race and Racism, Social and Political Philosophy, Cognitive Science, Feminist Philosophy of Science, Contemporary Moral Problems, Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy, and upper-division undergraduate and graduate seminars on social psychology and philosophy, including a new course he developed at CPP, The Philosophy & Science of Implicit Bias.

Dr. Madva is also actively engaged in collaborative empirical research. One ongoing project, funded by the NSF, is testing interventions to reduce achievement gaps and increase belonging for underrepresented groups at Cal Poly Pomona, in disciplines such as physics, economics, mathematics, biology, and philosophy. His published empirical research has appeared in journals, including Ratio and the International Journal of STEM Education. He is also collaborating with computer scientists, engineers, and social scientists to study the spread of misinformation and prejudice across social media, ultimately to counteract these trends. Folks, Dr. Madva, has literally written the textbook on implicit bias.

In our interview, here’s what we specifically discussed:

-The intersection of Dr. Madva’s philosophy, psychology, and sociology studies and the evolution of his interest in implicit biases.
-Epistemic humility and the connection to the recent cases regarding police officers in the media.
-The evolutionary function of implicit biases.
-The reasons why unconscious prejudices still exist despite conscious commitments to be fair and unprejudiced.
-How to determine when implicit biases are serving our personal needs and honoring individuals outside of us appropriately.
-How to test our hidden biases.
-How to use debiasing tools, like “If-Then” Plans and the “Common-Ground Mindsets” Tool, to bridge the gap between intention and action.
-The relationship between “trusting our gut” and implicit biases.
-How ingroup-outgroup distinctions and status preferences contribute to our sets of unconscious beliefs.
-How to create structural reform with a cross-experiential approach.

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To learn more about Dr. Alex Madva and implicit biases, visit http://www.alexmadva.com/.

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Interested in sponsoring the podcast or being a guest? Please visit https://www.theelementsofbeing.com/psychology-podcast-contact-us.

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If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/Itunes? It takes less than 60 seconds and other listeners and guests definitely appreciate them!

Today, I'd like to introduce you to Dave Evans, the Codirector of the Stanford Life Design Lab and a co-founder of Electronic Arts, one of the world's largest interactive entertainment companies. He also led the design of Apple's first mouse and laser printer and has a BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford.

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Recently, Dave and his colleague, Bill Burnett, coauthored the #1 New York Times bestseller Designing Your New Work Life....and it served as the foundation of our conversation. It's a job-changing, outlook-changing, life-changing book that shows us how to transform our new uncharted work lives and create a meaningful dream job. With new insights on making our way through disruption-large and small, personal or global-the book helps us navigate during these times of fear and anxiety about the unknown and through our post-COVID work lives and beyond.

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Specifically, we discuss their Disruption Design with a focus on curiosity, reframing, radical collaboration, awareness, bias to action, and storytelling. We also learn how to make possibilities available even when our lives have been disrupted, examine the tools to enjoy the moment, and begin to prototype our future.

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In this episode, we specifically discussed:

-How to redesign our professional lives with unknown disruptions in mind when we've already invested in a specific path.
-How to break the chain of working endlessly without satisfaction and "doing whatever it takes" modeled by our parents and society.
-How to approach the dilemma of serving life of purpose for less pay or settling for a higher wage at a less satisfying job.
-Design thinking and the benefit of applying this mode of thinking to our professional lives.
-The importance of curiosity in our professional lives.
-Prototyping new positions and experiences while serving a current position.
-How we can reframe our current position to change our work experience or career trajectory.
-A distinction between reframing and renaming our work experiences.
-The benefits of radical collaboration.
-The foundation of great storytelling.
-The best exit strategies.

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To learn more about Dave Evans and his book, visit https://designingyour.life..

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Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Please complete our podcast sponsorship form: https://www.theelementsofbeing.com/psychology-podcast-contact-us

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If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/Itunes? It takes less than 60 seconds and other listeners and guests definitely appreciate them! You can also make a monetary contribution to help us with our mental health and environmental advocacy on www.theelementsofbeing.com.

Today, I’d like to introduce you to Dr. Itai Ivtzan, a positive psychologist, a Professor at Naropa University, and the School of Positive Transformation Director. Over the past 20 years, he has run seminars, lectures, workshops, and retreats in the USA, UK, and worldwide at various educational institutions and private events. In addition, Dr. Itzvan is a regular keynote speaker at conferences and has published five books and more than 50 journal papers and book chapters. His main areas of research and teaching are positive psychology, mindfulness, and spirituality.

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Accordingly, Dr. Itzvan has invested much time in studying mindfulness academically, writing books about it, teaching it, and training mindfulness teachers. As part of his work, he established the School of Positive Transformation, offering practical well-being courses for practitioners, teaching them how to transform themselves and their clients and students.

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In our interview, we examine the lens of a positive psychologist during a period of crisis. Dr. Ivtzan shared his personal struggles during the onset of the pandemic, and we discussed how to practice empathy when in conflict with family and friends and compassion for loved ones who hurt us. We also dive into the meaning we assign to such disruptions like the recent pandemic and destructive wildfires in Colorado, as well as the role of meditation and mindfulness in our well-being.

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In this episode, we discussed:

-The lens of a positive psychologist during a crisis.
-Making sense of crisis.
-Sitting with ourselves when our physical states are threatened.
-The dialogue regarding collective trauma in the positive psychology community.
-Feeling compassion for others when we've been hurt by even those who love us.
-Practicing empathy when experiencing fiery divisions between family, friends, and people we don't know.
-The role of mindfulness in building resiliency.
-The reasons why solitude is vital to our mindfulness.

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To learn more about Dr. Itai Ivtzan, visit https://schoolofpositivetransformation.com.

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Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Please complete our podcast sponsorship form: https://www.theelementsofbeing.com/psychology-podcast-contact-us

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If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/Itunes? It takes less than 60 seconds and other listeners and guests definitely appreciate them! You can also make a monetary contribution to help us with our mental health and environmental advocacy on www.theelementsofbeing.com.

Today, I’d like to introduce you to Brenna Simmons-St. Onge, the Executive Director of The Alliance Center. She is a pragmatic visionary with over 15 years of leadership experience, including a decade in corporate social responsibility. During the pandemic, Brenna launched the Regenerative Recovery Coalition-a coalition with over 335 members working together to build Colorado towards a regenerative future. Through large public-private partnerships, Brenna is leading the Coalition to create equitable social structures that will foster shared prosperity on a healthy planet. As a dynamic change agent, Brenna leads with a nonprofit heart and a business mind leveraging holistic approaches to implement and scale solutions to some of the largest issues humanity faces.
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In our interview, we break down the concept of a regenerative future and the individual and social efforts required for systems-level change, as well as the gap between idealism and pragmatism. We also examine how to secure the attention of policymakers and corporations and how they should rethink and measure success and growth within a capitalist system.


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To learn more about Brenna Simmons-St. Onge, visit https://www.thealliancecenter.org/.

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Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Please complete our podcast sponsorship form: https://www.theelementsofbeing.com/psychology-podcast-contact-us

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If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/Itunes? It takes less than 60 seconds and other listeners and guests definitely appreciate them! You can also make a monetary contribution to help us with our mental health and environmental advocacy on www.theelementsofbeing.com.

Today, I’d like to introduce you to Dr. Damien Thompson, the co-founder of the organization, Frontline Farming, and director of the Center for Food Justice and Healthy Communities.
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In addition to his training in anthropology, Dr. Thompson holds a certification in Permaculture Design and a 200-hour Yoga Alliance Teaching Certification. His interests center on the building of community food systems, small-scale urban food production, developing community and cultural practices related to food and medicine, teaching and learning in education, and permaculture. Dr. Thompson has a keen interest in how communities can utilize traditional and modern information and practices to build food systems that uplift marginalized and oppressed peoples, restore ecosystems, build biodiversity, support cultural diversity as well as provide individuals and families with the highest level of access to the means to support their own health (and we talk quite a bit about these topics today). I should mention that Dr. Thompson is also a mayor-appointed member of the Sustainable Food Council for the City of Denver, and a co-chair for the city’s Good Food Purchasing policy group. No doubt, he plays a significant role in the necessary trend of regenerative agriculture and our future connection to food.
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In our interview, we bridge his education in anthropology to his farming practice and social work as the co-founder of Frontline Farming. Specifically, we geek out on the fundamentals of farming and the benefits of permaculture and a regenerative agriculture focus. We further dissected the social challenges surrounding food security, justice, and sovereignty as well as the equitable changes needed in our food system.
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During our interview, we specifically discussed:
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-Frontline Farming's mission.
-Advantages and disadvantages of regenerative agriculture practices with a focus on no-tilling/conservation tilling, water conservation, terracing, and cover crops.
-Inequality in our present food systems and the need for changes in food security, food justice, and food sovereignty.
-The connection between big data, food systems, and racial equity.
-The importance and repercussions of the language we use in our discussion about food systems and the policy that supports them.
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To learn more about Dr. Thompson, visit https://www.frontlinefarming.org/.
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Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Please complete our podcast sponsorship form: https://www.theelementsofbeing.com/psychology-podcast-contact-us.
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If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/Itunes? It takes less than 60 seconds and other listeners and guests definitely appreciate them! You can also make a monetary contribution to help us with our mental health and environmental advocacy on www.theelementsofbeing.com.

In today's episode, I examine emotional regulation and self-injury in adolescence with research scientist, Dr. Janis Whitlock. She has worked in the area of adolescent and young adult mental health, resilience, and wellbeing for over 30 years. She is dedicated to bridging science, practice, and lived experience wisdom in ways that inform, enhance and support the human capacity to thrive. She has experience as a frontline provider and program developer and, for the past two decades, as a researcher, educator, author, and public speaker in these and related areas.
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As the founder and director of the Cornell Research Program on Self-Injury and Recovery and the co-founder of the International Society for the Study of Self-Injury, she has deep expertise in areas of self-injury and related mental health challenges, including suicide, depression, and anxiety. She has also studied and written about connectedness, resilience, the role of social media in mental health and prevention, and sexual health. She earned a doctorate in Developmental Psychology from Cornell University, a Masters of Public Health from UNC Chapel Hill, and a BA from the University of California at Berkeley.
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During our interview, we discussed:
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-The call to understand our emotional selves.
-Common emotional regulation strategies.
-Learning the value of awareness and detachment when appropriate.
-The concept of emotional dysregulation and how it contributes to the cycles in our lives.
-Rethinking the role of controlling our thoughts and emotions.
-How emotional regulation strategies can vary among populations.
-Connection between emotional regulation and adolescent and young adult mental health challenges.
-Emotion as an allowable part of your life.
-Reasons for the classification of non-suicidal self-injury and suicide cases.
-Assumptions and reasons for self-injury among adolescents
-Patterns of adolescent self-injury and the likelihood of the same patterns in adulthood.
-The role of social media and other technological affordances in mental health and development.
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To learn more about Dr. Whitlock, visit https://www.human.cornell.edu/people/jlw43 and check out her book “Healing Self-Injury: A Compassionate Guide for Parents and Other Loved Ones.”
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Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Please complete our podcast sponsorship form: https://www.theelementsofbeing.com/psychology-podcast-contact-us.
***
If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/Itunes? It takes less than 60 seconds and other listeners and guests definitely appreciate them!

You can also make a monetary contribution to help us with our mental health and environmental advocacy on www.theelementsofbeing.com.

Today, I’d like to introduce the very talented, Dr. Sera Lavelle, owner of NY Health Hypnosis & Integrative Therapy and co-founder of the soon-to-be-launched mindful eating app, Bea Better Eating. It’s practically a sin that we didn’t discuss her current project in great detail (especially with my interest in our relationship to food and the psychology of our eating behaviors). Instead, we took a deep dive into the role of hypnosis in the clinical setting and the intriguing dynamics of marriages and conflict resolution. A fitting topic as everyone reflects on their relationships during the last 12 months of the pandemic.
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Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Lavelle, is an expert in using hypnosis and integrative therapy for weight loss, eating disorders, anxiety, depression, infertility, and relationship issues. She also served as an Adjunct Professor at Brooklyn College and Adelphi University where she taught Psychology of Sex and Gender and Psychology from a Multi-Cultural Perspective. Dr. Lavelle’s work with eating disorders has been highly recognized, with articles about her and her team appearing in Forbes, Prevention, Elle Magazine, NY Times, and NY Magazine.
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In our interview, we discussed hypnosis and the broader implications for one's inability to reach a hypnotic state as well as its integrative role in the restoration of a failing marriage. We also dissect the fair expectations in the marriage dynamic, maladaptive patterns that lead to the most conflict and sustained tension, the idea of “settling down,” and the new relationship challenges experienced during the shelter-in periods of the pandemic.

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To learn more about Dr. Lavelle, visit https://www.nyhealthhypnosis.com/dr-sera-lavelle. Check out her latest project, Bea Better Eating, on https://www.beabettereating.com/, as well.

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Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Please complete our podcast sponsorship form: https://www.theelementsofbeing.com/psychology-podcast-contact-us

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If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/Itunes? It takes less than 60 seconds and other listeners and guests definitely appreciate them!

Today, we examine the role of mindfulness in the transformation of your physical health with Asha Gala, a lifestyle coach and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MSBR) Teacher from the farm at Ethos Primary Care. No doubt, a relevant topic for those listeners interested in improving their health and reversing illness. We discussed the early cultural influences of Mumbai on her diet and the challenges of transitioning to the American way of life and diet as an adult. Most certainly, Asha’s experience with her daughter’s chronic sickness opened up a new world of “food as medicine” as she sought a remedy…and we explored the connection of that journey to the challenges her patients face today.
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We also dissected the early influences on Asha’s dietary and lifestyle approach and how to convince ourselves to move outside of our wired way of life. Our conversation naturally flowed to the common obstacles to transforming your health, the role of compassion, and the importance of the readiness for change. We highlighted the foundation of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and the role of awareness and the breath, as well.

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To learn more about Asha Gala, https://www.ethosprimarycare.com/asha-gala!

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Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Please complete our podcast sponsorship form: https://www.theelementsofbeing.com/psychology-podcast-contact-us

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If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/Itunes? It takes less than 60 seconds and other listeners and guests definitely appreciate them!

Today, we explore our connection to racism with Dr. Michelle Maidenberg. We examine how cultural perspectives and experiences shape much of the racist rhetoric and perspectives in our lives, and how we might perceive and manage the guilt and shame we feel. We also dive into how we might approach situations in which friends, family, or colleagues consciously or unconsciously share racist rhetoric. And finally....besides breaking down the role of biases, sitting in discomfort, and facing social fears in relation to racism, we break down the importance of mindfulness in our daily approach.
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  I’m excited to share my genuine and thought-provoking conversation with you. I’m excited to share my genuine and thought-provoking conversation with you. Michelle P. Maidenberg, Ph.D., MPH, LCSW-R maintains a private practice in Harrison, NY. She is the Co-Founder and Clinical Director of “Thru My Eyes”, a nonprofit 501c3 organization that offers free clinically-guided videotaping to chronically medically ill individuals who want to leave video legacies for their children and loved ones. She is also adjunct faculty at New York University (NYU) teaching a graduate course in Mindfulness Practice. Dr. Maidenberg is a Certified Group Therapist through the American Group Psychotherapy Association and a Diplomate and certified member of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy.
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  Dr. Maidenberg has advanced training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Structural Family Therapy, Mindfulness, and is a Level II trained Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) therapist. As a health/mental health advocate, she is also the author of the book “Free Your Child From Overeating: 53 Mind-Body Strategies For Lifelong Health” and is a blogger for Psychology Today.

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To learn more about Dr. Maidenberg, visit https://michellemaidenberg.com/!

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Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Please complete our podcast sponsorship form: https://www.theelementsofbeing.com/psychology-podcast-contact-us

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If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/Itunes? It takes less than 60 seconds and other listeners and guests definitely appreciate them!