Thoughts on Record: Podcast of the Ottawa Institute of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

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The beliefs held around emotions can lead individuals to resist and deny their internal experience.  This can have many potential downstream implications for being able to cope effectively, being properly attuned to one’s needs, and remaining effective in the face of difficult interpersonal situations.  Former president of the Canadian Association for Cognitive Behavioural Therapies,  Dr. Andrea Ashbaugh, C.Psych joins us for a discussion around assessing, conceptualizing and working with client's beliefs around emotions.  In this discussion we cover:     

• the kinds of clinical experiences or observations which have led Dr. Ashbaugh to become  interested in addressing the beliefs clients hold about emotions  
• the factors (e.g., early life experiences, temperament) that can shape one’s stance towards emotions
• prototypically "western" vs "eastern"  views about psychological & physical pain
• cues for the clinician that it is time to start to work on beliefs about emotions
• common types of beliefs about emotions that can cause challenges
• clinical presentations where clients may be more likely to experience challenging beliefs around emotions
• how perceptions around certainty influences the capacity to tolerate emotions
• the impact of our emotional state on perceptions
• the cognitive & behavioural strategies that can be used for beliefs about the dangers of expressing negative emotions to others 
• the cognitive & behavioural strategies that can be used for beliefs about feeling negative emotions 
• caveats around the role of medication in the context of psychotherapy focused on helping clients negotiate their relationship with emotions
• the potential utility of a transdiagnostic approach to working with emotions 
• the role of values & curiosity in helping clients to explore unpleasant emotions 

Dr. Andrea Ashbaugh, C.Psych is an associate professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Ottawa and is a licensed clinical psychologist in the province of Ontario, Canada. She obtained her master's and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and completed a post-doctoral fellowship in the Department of Psychiatry at McGill University and the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

She is director of the Cognition and Anxiety Studies Laboratory (CASL) and the Sex and Anxiety Research Group (SAX-RG). Her research interests as part of CASL centre around understanding the causes and developing treatments for anxiety and fear-related problems. She has recently started a program of research to understand the causes and psychological effects of experiencing traumatic and non-traumatic events that transgress one’s moral beliefs in military personnel and veterans. Her research in the context of the SAX-RG centres around the impact of beliefs about arousal sensations and context on the interpretation of arousal, and its impact on sexual interest and functioning. She has received funding for her research broadly including from Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

Dr. Ashbaugh regularly supervises CBT training and teaches courses on psychopathology and clinical psychology at both the graduate and undergraduate level. She has served on the Editorial Boards of Psychological Assessment. She is currently an Associate Editor for the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry and editorial board member for Behaviour Research and Therapy. She is a former president of the Canadian Association for Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies (CACBT) and was seminal in the development of national CBT training guidelines that were released by CACBT in May 2019.

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While "body and mind" have at times been regarded as separate entities, it is now abundantly clear that the brain & body are continuous elements of a massively interconnected system.  Preeminent professor, researcher & lecturer in the field of behavioural neuroscience, Dr. Hymie Anisman, joins Dr. Pete Kelly, C.Psych for a wide-ranging and discussion of:   

• how stress can impact upon almost any aspect of health
• the mechanisms by which adverse early life events can sensitize emotional, behavioural, cognitive & physiological coping to later stressors, creating vulnerability to mental and physiological illness
• a brief overview of epigenetics and how trauma can be transmitted across generations 
• the relationship between the brain and the immune system including discussion of the microbiome
• the hunt for biomarkers of mental illness 
• perspectives on current diagnostic systems for mental illness vs. plausible alternatives (e.g., Research Domain Criteria - RDoC)
• consideration of the necessity of the appreciation of genetic diversity and genetic polymorphisms to the study of biological determinants of human behaviour, precision medicine etc.
• factors influencing reactivity to stressors at the individual level
• caveats around examining the biological basis of the efficacy of psychotherapy
• a brief consideration of the process of allostasis in the face of chronic stress (and why the "crash" might come after the major stressor has passed)
• the role of social support seeking & providing as well as prosocial behaviour with respect to coping with stressors
• a brief meditation on the utility of tolerating uncertainty in life, research (and other domains)
• Hymie's perspective on the biggest questions left unanswered in behavioural neuroscience right now

Hymie Anisman received his PhD in 1972 (University of Waterloo), where he was also on faculty for two years, and has been a Professor at Carleton University, Ottawa, since 1994. He has also held an adjunct appointment with the Institute of Mental Health Research (Royal Ottawa Hospital) since 1993. Professor Anisman was a Senior Ontario Mental Health Research Fellow , is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and held a Canada Research Chair in Neuroscience from 2001-2015, and has since held the position of Canada Research Professor. The principle theme of his research has concerned the influence of stressors on neurochemical, neuroendocrine and immune systems, and how these influence psychological (anxiety, depression) and physical illnesses including neurodegenerative, heart disease, and cancer progression. His work has spanned studies using animal models to assess stress-related pathology as well as studies in humans to assess stress, coping and appraisal processes.  In addition to sitting on the editorial boards of several journals and on numerous grant panels,  Professor Anisman has published more than 400 peer reviewed journal papers, 40 book chapters, and several review papers within neuroscience, immunity, and psychology journals, as well as publishing 3 textbooks, 1 lay book, and 2 edited books. His research has been funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Ontario Mental Health Foundation (OMHF), the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and the Canada Research chairs program (CRC). 

https://twitter.com/Hymie_Anisman

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Music has a unique ability to evoke emotion, enhance motivation and in some cases speak without saying a word.  For many, music can have a profound impact on mood and performance.  Award winning and critically acclaimed composer, John Lunn, (Downton Abbey, The Last Kingdom, The White Queen, The White Princess, Shetland) joins us for a wide ranging conversation around:

• John's background & training and how he broke into the music business
• why humans might have the capacity to create and enjoy music 
• a consideration of musicians of the "ear" vs. musicians of the "eye" 
• the relationship between emotions and music
• how & why John works to ensure the audience is emotionally impacted by his music
• John's creative process and workflow
• John's observations around inspiration and getting around writers block
• a comprehensive breakdown of the origin and development of the theme of Downtown Abbey as well as Uhtred's Theme from The Last Kingdom
• John's creative process around the scoring The Last Kingdom and how he intentionally blended modern electronic elements with the show's historical motif  
• learning how to self-edit when functioning as a solo artist 
• managing “market”, external forces vs. your own, internal creative values
• navigating relationships and interpersonal dynamics within creative pursuits and the value of being cooperative, collaborative & conscientious

John Lunn is a classically trained composer whose musical scores are continuously in high demand. John is probably best known for scoring the hugely successful drama, Downton Abbey, for which he has received two Primetime Emmy Awards and two BAFTA Nominations. John has also scored the Downton Abbey Movie, which was released in September, 2019.  John’s recent work includes The Grantchester Mysteries by author James Runcie; The White Queen and The White Princess (based on the bestselling novels by Phillipa Gregory), the former of which he received a Primetime Emmy nomination; Shetland; The Last Kingdom, To Walk Invisible and The Bronte Sisters.  John has received critical acclaim for three adaptations of Charles Dickens classics: The Mystery Of Edwin Drood, for which he was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award (2013), Little Dorrit (2008), which garnered both a BAFTA nomination and his first Primetime Emmy nomination, and Bleak House (2006), for which he received RTS Best Score and Best Title nominations.

http://www.jlunn.com/
https://twitter.com/jlunn13

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Trauma reflects among the most dynamic and profound of human experiences and can present significant challenges for the mental health clinician and consumer alike; however, effective, time-limited & evidence-based treatments are available.  Experienced trauma clinician, Dr. Michele Todd, C. Psych joins host Dr. Pete Kelly, C. Psych for an extensive discussion of the conceptualization and treatment of trauma from a CBT lens.  In this discussion they cover:   

• Dr. Todd's journey towards a practice focused on trauma therapy 
• a brief description of the clinical features of PTSD and the ways it can affect individuals
• the prevalence rates of trauma generally, as well as as a function of trauma type
• potential cultural overlays to the concept of PTSD
• differentiating between Complex PTSD & Borderline Personality Disorder 
• over-diagnosis of PTSD & clinician observed "drift" in the communication of diagnoses of PTSD for challenging experiences not matching the DSM-5 criteria for trauma (e.g., workplace bullying).   
• conceptualizing PTSD from a CBT perspective 
• a review of the major CBT treatments for trauma including Prolonged Exposure Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy & EMDR
• trauma therapy in the context of video or teletherapy
• common myths & misconceptions around PTSD and trauma therapy
• factors contributing to treatment resistence in trauma therapy
• identifying and preventing so-called "vicarious" trauma among trauma therapy providers
• advice for family members with a loved one struggling with PTSD

Dr. Michele Todd completed her PhD at the university of Toronto and residency in clinical psychology at St Joseph’s healthcare. She has completed training for Prolonged Exposure for PTSD with the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety in Philadelphia.  Dr. Todd provides and disseminates evidence based assessment and intervention for PTSD and other trauma related symptoms, including depression, anxiety disorders.

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Fostering a healthy workplace where difficult issues are discussed openly & effectively is a huge challenge for any leader.  Trier Bryant & Kim Scott, co-founders of Just Work LLC join us for a discussion around: 

• typical stressors experienced by leaders
• helping leaders understand their own bias & how bias can be identified & discussed effectively, openly & safely
• embracing discomfort in the service of difficult, but necessary conversations & the importance of navigating shame to tolerate discomfort 
• differences between an executive coach & psychologist 
• effectively managing difficult interpersonal situations (e.g., bullying) from a management perspective  
• pros/cons of various courses of action when confronted with workplace harassment/bias i.e., active confrontation vs. strategic disengagement
• understanding & appreciating the complex relationship between bias & performance 
• ending the "default to silence" when confronted with unhealthy workplaces  

Trier Bryant is Co-Founder and CEO of Just Work LLC. She previously held leadership roles at Astra, Twitter, Goldman Sachs, & proudly served as a combat veteran in the US Air Force while spearheading diversity, equity, & inclusion initiatives for the Air Force Academy, Air Force, & DoD. Trier advises leading companies like Equinox, Airbnb & SoundCloud. She has been featured by several publications & outlets from USA Today to CNN and SXSW.  Kim Scott is the author of Just Work: Get Sh*t Done Fast and Fair as well as Radical Candor.  Kim co-founded the company Just Work LLC to help organizations and individuals create more equitable workplaces.. Kim was a CEO coach at Dropbox, Qualtrics, Twitter, and other tech companies. She was a member of the faculty at Apple University and before that led AdSense, YouTube, and DoubleClick teams at Google. 

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The formation & maintenance of friendships as well as the emotional turmoil related to the rupture of friendships are common sources of clinical discussion in psychotherapy.  Award-winning science journalist, author and speaker Lydia Denworth joins us for a discussion of major themes explored in her latest book Friendship: The Evolution, Biology, and Extraordinary Power of Life’s Fundamental Bond.  In this discussion we cover: 

• the definition of friendship
• relevant findings from animal, neuroscience & genetic research findings that speak to our evolved  “social brain” and why we may be so predisposed to friendship  
• the impact of social impoverishment and loneliness on health 
• the stability of friendships across the lifespan and barriers to reconnection when a friendship has faded
• "digital" friendships and the benefits of in-person contact with those we care about 
• potential perceptions around the value of friendships post the COVID-19 pandemic
• factors that predict robust, mutually rewarding friendships
• a brief description of the major friendship styles: acquisitive, independent & discerning
• the importance of various forms of vulnerability in forming & maintaining friendships
• a critical consideration of conventional wisdom around how male and female friendships differ e.g., men activity-based vs. women support-based
• Lydia addresses the age old question of whether men and women can truly be friends 
• self-awareness as a tool to enhance the quality of our contribution to friendships

Lydia Denworth is an award-winning science journalist and speaker. She is a contributing editor at Scientific American and the author of Friendship: The Evolution, Biology, and Extraordinary Power of Life’s Fundamental Bond. Among other accolades, Adam Grant called Friendship one of the 20 best leadership books of 2020 and Booklist said it represented “the best of science writing.” The book’s message about the importance of connection was more relevant than ever during our pandemic year of disconnection. Lydia has also written two other books of popular science, I Can Hear You Whisper and Toxic Truth, and her work has appeared in The Atlantic, New York Times, Salon, and many other publications.

https://lydiadenworth.com

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The emotional perils of dating - in particular online dating - frequently rank near the top of psychosocial stressors that are discussed in psychotherapy.  Award-winning magazine writer, Fortune contributor, and author of Date-onomics: How Dating Became a Lopsided Numbers Game, Jon Birger, joins host Dr. Pete Kelly, C.Psych for a discussion of his new book Make Your Move: The New Science of Dating and Why Women Are in Charge.  In this discussion they cover:  

• Jon's journey from writing about the stock & oil market to the dating market including a brief summary of some of the major conclusions of his previous book on this topic, Date-onomics
• the macro-scale dynamics that are facing men and women dating at the moment (i.e., disproportionately more college educated women etc.)
• the core self-defeating perceptions that men & women have been labouring under with respect to dating
• the “suitor’s advantage” and why it is suggested that being assertive in picking a partner (rather than waiting to be picked) is the best strategy
• an in-depth description of common complaints around online dating
• a discussion of the data around the effectiveness of online dating platforms  
• the opportunities and risks of dating at the office, including reflections on the cultural evolution of dating within the workplace
• some of the ways in which progressive companies have struck a balance between the reality of large groups of humans of all sexual orientations working together but also respecting that for many, they simply want the workplace to be a workplace and not have to navigate being solicited for dating
• Jon's thoughts on prioritizing a career vs a relationship 
• a guide for critical thinking around common dating stereotypes (e.g., men should generally date younger women, women should not date men less educated than them, women shouldn’t propose to men)
• application of the principles discussed to LGBTQ singles.  

Host note: the book that I  was struggling to reference at about the 13 minute mark was The Game by Neil Strauss

Jon Birger is an award-winning magazine writer, Fortune contributor, and author of Date-onomics: How Dating Became a Lopsided Numbers Game.  A former senior writer at Fortune and Money, Jon was named to AlwaysOn Network’s list of “Power Players in Technology Business Media”.  His work has also appeared in Barron’s, Bloomberg Businessweek, New York Magazine, Time, the Daily Mail, the New York Post and the Washington Post.  Jon is a familiar face and voice on television and radio, having made guest appearances on ABC’s Good Morning America, BBC World Service, CNBC, CNN, MSNBC, National Public Radio, and Fox News – discussing a wide range of topics from the dating market to the stock market to the oil market.  A graduate of Brown University, Jon lives with his family in Larchmont, New York.

https://jonbirger.com/

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While we all have a voice in our head, we may not often stop to consider the implications - both positive and negative - of these ongoing conversations with ourselves.  Psychologist and author of the book Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why it Matters & How to Harness It, Dr. Ethan Kross, joins us for an illuminating discussion around:   

• the nature and function of our inner voice
• how and when this inner voice can become negative/dysfunctional and begin to impact our mood, social connections and performance (i.e., "chatter")
• how attention and focus is directed with respect to our inner voice
• a brief consideration of the nature and function of worry and rumination 
• the reasons we gravitate towards worry and rumination, despite these strategies predicting negative outcomes for mood and functioning 
• the evolutionary significance of, and utility of our proclivity for negative thoughts
• the paradoxical outcomes associated with "positive self-talk" 
• the mechanism behind why thought suppression backfires  
• the impact of social media on our inner voice and how to conceptualize social media constructively
• a review of some of Ethan's top strategies for managing "chatter"
• the role that green spaces can play in managing our inner voice

Ethan Kross, PhD, is one of the world’s leading experts on controlling the conscious mind. An award-winning professor in the University of Michigan’s top ranked Psychology Department and its Ross School of Business, he is the director of the Emotion & Self Control Laboratory. He has participated in policy discussion at the White House, and has been interviewed about his work on CBS Evening News, Good Morning America, and NPR’s Morning Edition. His pioneering research has been featured in The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New England Journal of Medicine and Science.

https://www.ethankross.com/

Host note: Voices Inside My Head is copyright The Police from their 1980 album Zenyatta Mondatta (Sting, if you object to me using this song, I would be happy to have you on the podcast to discuss further)

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Combining MDMA with commonly employed, evidence-based cognitive behavioural therapies for trauma is an area of increasing clinical investigation.  Founder of Remedy and clinical investigator Dr. Anne Wagner, C.Psych,  joins us for a discussion of psychedelic assisted psychotherapy including a  MAPS funded trial of Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for PTSD + MDMA that she is currently leading.  In this discussion we cover:    

• the origin of Anne's interest in exploring MDMA augment psychotherapy  
• a brief history of the combining of psychoactive compounds with psychotherapy to improve clinical outcomes   
• the features of trauma work that make it amenable to this paradigm and potential applicability to depression, anxiety & couples work.  
• a brief description of the psychopharmacology of MDMA 
• consideration of the factors contributing to MDMA not being more broadly adopted as a therapeutic agent   
• the typical subjective experience of someone who has taken MDMA within a clinical setting
• a brief overview of the MDMA + CBT protocol
• a brief summary of available data around the effectiveness of the combination of MDMA + CBT
• consideration of which clients are most likely to benefit from MDMA assisted psychotherapy
• discussion of the commodification of psychedelic assisted psychotherapy   

Dr. Anne Wagner, C.Psych  is the Founder of Remedy, a centre for mental health innovation. Anne’s work focuses on the treatment and prevention of posttraumatic stress disorder, with a particular interest in novel combination interventions such as CBCT + MDMA and CPT + MDMA, as well as understanding and delivering trauma-competent care. She has done significant work with communities affected by HIV, and is particularly interested in the needs of women and interpersonal relationships.Anne is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychology and an Associate Member of the Yeates School of Graduate Studies at Ryerson, and is a trainer in CBCT and consultant for CPT.

www.remedycentre.ca

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Ongoing engagement in values-driven activities through personal projects reflects among the most powerful ways to foster a sense of meaning, achievement and confidence as well as ward off low motivation, lethargy and low mood.  Graeme Jenvey, owner of the YouTube channel Woodness Goodness  which chronicles the technical and psychological journey around many of Graeme's ongoing projects, joins host Dr. Pete Kelly, C.Psych for an epic chat in which they touch a number of topics including:    

• a brief overview of Graeme's personal and professional background
• finding a balance between preparation & action when taking on a project 
• the psychological journey around growing his Woodness Goodness YouTube channel (e.g., public-facing persona, managing success, reflexes around "people pleasing", handling negative feedback)
• reflections on why vulnerability and authenticity are critical to resonating with an audience 
• balancing novelty with contentedness when pursuing projects
• managing internal expectations to stay grounded while respecting one's ambitions
• the importance of saying "no" to foster new growth and the evolution of new life chapters
• the healing potential for projects via principles of behavioural activation (i.e., mastery, pleasure) 
• Graeme's personal experience with anxiety and depression and the preventative coping formula that he has developed 
• the power of being "still" in order to build awareness of one's inner experience
• the necessity of tolerating uncertainty & failure in the service of realizing longer term goals & personal growth
• leveraging a routine and schedule to enhance motivation and mood regulation  
• leveraging music & visual arts for enhancing creative pursuits and regulating mood
• curating self-awareness to effectively self-edit creative pursuits
• reflections on sustainability of modern lifestyle to human happiness 
• a brief discussion around fatherhood - lessons learned & shifts in perspective

Based in Virginia, Graeme Jenvey is a multidisciplinary filmmaker, directing, shooting, producing and editing commercials and work for nonprofits. He specializes in automotive content but is also driven by good people, nature, and stories yet to be told.  Originally from Canada's British Columbia, Graeme has both traveled and lived throughout North America. His passion for exploration is evident in his visual storytelling.  Graeme's creative spark was ignited at an early age—building tree forts and making videos for fun. Fast forward 20 years, he now enjoys house projects, woodwork, and telling stories through film. Graeme’s YouTube Channel, Woodness Goodness, features a number of Graeme’s projects, has nearly 100k subscribers and over 8 million views.

Woodness Goodness
https://www.instagram.com/instagreyum/