Think Act Be Podcast

I’ve got a very special guest for you this week. Professor Peter Enns, author of books that include The Sin of Certainty and How the Bible Actually Works (affiliate links), joins me for a discussion about the Bible, Christianity, love, trust, and the evolving nature of faith. I grew up with a very fundamentalist understanding of the Bible, and can relate to so many of the things that Pete writes and talks about, including the fear of getting our facts wrong and offending God. As Pete points out, that’s a pretty limiting view of God—that God can’t tolerate our honest efforts to interpret the Bible as best we can in light of our experience. Our discussion  focuses on Christianity, but I think many of the issues apply across different religious traditions. I look forward to hearing your reactions.  Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe

My guest this week is Alison McKleroy, a psychotherapist who just wrote a book called Essential Strategies for Social Anxiety: Practical Techniques to Face Your Fears, Overcome Self-Doubt, and Thrive (affiliate link). This is episode 109 and I believe my first focusing specifically on social anxiety, so this is long overdue. Alison had a lot to share about the essentials of evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy for social anxiety, including many of the big ideas from her book. Toward the end we got into a really important topic of how to overcome social anxiety even when people are actually critical toward us. Most of us, myself included, deal with some degree of social anxiety, so I’m guessing you’ll find a lot of these ideas really helpful. Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe

My guest this week is none other than the creator of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (or ACT), Dr. Steve Hayes. I was excited for the opportunity to talk with Steve, and he certainly did not disappoint. We got into some really fascinating territory together, starting with the crucial importance of psychological flexibility. From there we ranged into comparisons of ACT and traditional cognitive behavioral therapy, and some of the potential pitfalls of a cognitive approach. Many of the ideas we talked about are described in his most recent book, A Liberated Mind, which is excellent. Toward the end of our discussion we explored Steve’s take on religion and spirituality, and how ACT fits with these deeply human areas. The beauty of ACT principles, as Steve says so clearly, is how widely they apply, really to all areas of human activity. So whether you’re dealing with overwhelming anxiety or panic, or your mind is constantly feeding you self-hating thoughts, or you want to live a fuller and richer life with less strain, I think there’s a lot you’ll find useful in this conversation. Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe

My guest this week is psychologist Dr. Benjamin Hardy. Ben recently wrote an excellent book called Personality Isn’t Permanent: Break Free From Self-Limiting Beliefs and Rewrite Your Story. This conversation is all about overcoming self-imposed limitations so your past doesn’t have to define your future. I find Ben’s message very uplifting, with his focus on the choice that each of us has in determining our path and our identity, and the freedom we can find as we decide who our future self will be. I really enjoyed talking with Ben and getting to know him. I expect you'll get a lot from our discussion. Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe

My guest this week is fellow clinical psychologist and CBT therapist Dr. Paul Greene. We talked about our experiences with mindfulness, both in our own lives and in our clinical practice. We also explored the effectiveness of CBT for treating trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and our thoughts on combining these treatment programs with some of the body-focused treatments (like those I discussed in a recent episode with Ilene Smith). Paul and I also got into some of the personal benefit we find in meditation practices, and the kinds of practices we tend to be drawn to. Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe

My guest this week is psychologist Dr. Jonah Paquette. We focused on his new book, Awestruck: How Embracing Wonder Can Make You Happier, Healthier, and More Connected. Jonah and I explored what awe is and what causes it, and how we can cultivate more experiences of awe in our everyday lives, even in situations that seem anything but awe-inspiring. These experiences have everything to do with attention, and with waking up to what it means to have what we call an “ordinary life.” Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe

My guest this week is Dr. Joseph Luciani, author of a book called Unlearning Anxiety & Depression: The 4-Step Self-Coaching Program to Reclaim Your Life. Joe and I explored some of his background in more depth-oriented psychology, especially a Jungian approach where we explore symbols and dreams and archetypes, and his transition to a more action-oriented style. We got into some pretty interesting territory, especially about the spiritual implications of psychotherapy. As Joe said, if we truly learn that we can handle whatever life throws at us, everything changes. That's good news, of course, because you can handle any challenge, just like you have already to make it this far. Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Dr. Mark Weisberg, a clinical health psychologist specializing in hypnosis, reveals the transformative power of clinical hypnosis in treating stress, anxiety, and digestive disorders. He debunks common misconceptions about hypnosis and explores its connections to neuroscience and the mind-body relationship. Dr. Weisberg shares techniques for anxiety relief, including cognitive-behavioral strategies and self-hypnosis. His insights highlight how individuals can regain control over their mental well-being, ultimately fostering empowerment and healing.

My guests this week are Devon Hase and Craig Hase, authors of the new book, How Not to Be a Hot Mess. These two have a way of making the principles of mindfulness and Buddhism relevant and easy to understand. As you’ll hear, we discussed many points of intersection in how they and I think about mindfulness, and the need for additional practices besides simply being present and open. We talked a lot about “waking up from the dream” to more fully inhabit our lives, what Buddhism has to say about our sex lives, and the importance of bringing ritual into our lives. I think you’ll find a lot here that’s useful. Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe

My guest this week is Ilene Smith, author of the recent book, Moving Beyond Trauma: The Roadmap to Healing from Your Past and Living with Ease and Vitality (affiliate link). If you’ve been through a trauma—and most of us have—then this is a conversation for you. Ilene shared her expertise on how we can use the body to help us heal from traumatic events. If you’ve read anything by Peter Levine or maybe Bessel van der Kolk’s book The Body Keeps the Score (affiliate link), you’ll recognize a lot of what we talk about. One thing I really appreciated exploring with Ilene was how CBT and body-focused trauma treatment can fit together. Ilene also shared about her own trauma experience, and how her background in the techniques she describes helped her to recover. You’ll definitely want to hear about that. Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe