The last decade has seen the ascendency of a number of "public intellectuals" who have come under increasing scrutiny around allegations of misinformation, conspiracy mongering, grifting & intellectual inconsistency.  Importantly, many have achieved "guru" status with millions of followers and devotees on YouTube and other social media platforms.  Professors & podcasters, Drs. Matt Browne & Chris Kavanagh joins us for a conversation in which we cover their critical consideration of the "guru-sphere" in their podcast Decoding the Gurus.  In this conversation we cover ..read more

CBT interventions are often favoured for being empirically supported; however, it is not always clear how efficacy of these interventions maps to the actual functioning of the brain.  Esteemed neuropsychologist and psychoanalyst, Dr. Mark Solms, joins us for an in-depth discussion of the clinical implications of his research into the biological underpinnings of consciousness as discussed in in his wonderful book, The Hidden Spring: A Journey to the Source of Consciousness.   In this discussion we cover :  why Dr. Solms gravitated towards a psychoanalytic framework to explo ..read more

There has been increasing discussion of the metabolic basis of mental disorders and the potential benefit a low-carb/ketogenic approach could hold with respect to the treatment of mental disorders.  Psychiatrist Dr. Georgia Edes joins us for a discussion of major themes of her new book Change Your Diet, Change Your Mind.  In this conversation we cover:  why Dr. Edes wanted to write this book the underlying evidence to suggest that there is likely a fundamentally metabolic mechanism underlying mental disorders what contributes to the evolution of developing a metabolic disorder ..read more

Female involvement with the criminal justice system can prompt significant internal dissonance as well as challenge conceptualizations around female violence, motherhood, mental illness etc.  Forensic psychotherapist Anna Motz joins us for a fascinating discussion of her book “If Love Could Kill: The Myths & Truths of Women Who Commit Violence”.   In this discussion we cover:   why Anna wanted to write this book and the underlying message of the title (“If Love Could Kill”) why Anna has gravitated to the psychodynamic model for working with female offenders the role that tr ..read more

Host note: folks, I invite you to pay very close attention to what Dr. Hollis has to say...could change your life. Jungian/Depth psychology provides a wonderful framework for exploring questions related to meaning and the self that can at time fall outside of boundaries of what is typically explored in cognitive behavioural therapy.  Esteemed author and Jungian analyst Dr. James Hollis joins us for an in-depth discussion of core themes explored in his new book, A Life of Meaning: Relocating Your Center of Spiritual Gravity.  In this conversation we cover:   defining depth/Jung ..read more

Existential boredom is a challenge for many that can lead to a pathological engagement with shallow amusements (which may only deepen the despair and lead to more boredom).  Dr. Kevin Gary joins us for a discussion of some of the core themes covered in his book Why Boredom Matters: Education, Leisure, and the Quest for a Meaningful Life.  In this discussion we cover:  why Dr. Gary wanted to write this book  situational vs. existential boredom  comparing and contrasting existential boredom and depression  the benefits of making our boredom explicit rather than pus ..read more

Understanding the evolutionary significance of depression can quite helpful in its conceptualization and treatment.  Founder in the field of evolutionary medicine, Dr. Randy Nesse, joins us for an encore discussion in which we consider how striving, motivation and desire for control can play into the evolution of depressive symptoms. In this conversation we cover:   why failure to give up an unachievable goal may be a central cause of some forms of depression and why low mood might be advantageous in these situations how understanding dynamics around food-foraging can give us insigh ..read more

For many mental health clinicians, crafting resilience is an afterthought to managing the day-to-day demands of their professional life.  Psychologist, consultant & author, Dr. Marie-Hélène Pelletier, joins us to discuss some of the themes explored in her new book: The Resilience Plan: A Strategic Approach to Optimizing Your Work Performance and Mental Health. the ethos behind the Resilience Plan  what is burnout and what makes someone vulnerable some of the unique traps around burnout that are laid for clinicians in private practice /mental health, including the temperament of ..read more

Music is an under explored tool with respect to the provision of psychotherapy as well as the crafting of peak experiences.  Clinical counsellor, performance coach and opera singer, Dr. Fiona McAndrew, joins us for an eclectic, wide-ranging discussion in which explore: Fiona's alternating journey between psychology and music  a window into the psychological life of a top tier opera singer music as tool to evoke and access emotions and spiritual experiences  the emotional transaction between performer and artist  Fiona's research on peak experience and peak states including ..read more

For many clinicians body dysmorphic disorder or BDD is shrouded in mystery and can be an intimidating and tricky presentation to try and conceptualize and treat.   Physician, scientist, educator, and author, Dr. Katharine Phillips,  who has spent her career caring for patients, mentoring/teaching, and conducting groundbreaking scientific research on BDD joins us for a discussion in which we cover:   what BDD is and how it affects individuals subtypes of BDD the special concern around insight in BDD developmental experiences and factors related to temperament that might predispo ..read more