Converging Dialogues

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Camilo Ortiz about evidence-based treatments and elimination disorders within clinical psychology. They discuss the differences in degrees and programs between PhD's and PsyD's in clinical psychology. They talk about the three waves of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) along with the efficacy and effectiveness of CBT for many disorders. They mention the importance of theoretical case conceptualization over just techniques alone. They discuss disruptive behaviors and the importance of training parents with good behavioral parenting skills. They also discuss elimination disorders and the importance of encouraging children to have independence and many other topics.Camilo Ortiz is a clinical psychologist and an associate professor of clinical psychology. He is trained in CBT and focuses his research and work with children and their parents. He specializes in treating elimination disorders. You can find his work here. Twitter: @drcamiloOrtiz Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Talia Welsh about the phenomenology of Merleau-Ponty. Talia provides her background in philosophy and with Merleau-Ponty specifically. She also discusses her work in gender and feminine studies. They discuss the philosophy of Merleau-Ponty and how one understands the experience of their own being. They provide an overview of phenomenology and Merleau-Ponty's contribution to this branch of philosophy. They also talk about how his philosophy can be applied and the juxtaposition that it has with psychology. They also talk about feminism and gender studies generally along with other topics.Talia Welsh has a PhD in philosophy and is currently a UC Foundation professor of Philosophy and Women, Gender, and Sexuality studies at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She spends most of her research with Merleau-Ponty and has translated his lectures given at Sorbonne in the volume, Child Psychology & Pedagogy: The Sorbonne Lectures 1949-1952. You can find her work here.  Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Nicole Barbaro about evolutionary psychology, attachment theory, and challenges with higher education. They give an overview of evolutionary psychology and some of the changes over the years. They also talk about how evolutionary psychology has become more integrated and multidisciplinary. They discuss sexual selection and, specifically, about mate selection and pair bonding. An overview of attachment theory and the 3 sub-categories are presented. They discuss the problems with attachment theory and how forging a new model with some behavioral genetics shows promise. A discussion of higher education and the innumerable challenges are presented. They engage about the challenges of college degrees being less valued in the workforce due to the degree arms race. They also touch on the impact that these challenges have for certain groups and how improved qualitative teaching is one major factor to ameliorate this problem. They also discuss asynchronous vs. synchronous teaching and many other topics. Nicole Barbaro holds a PhD in psychology with an emphasis on evolution and human development. She is currently a research scientist at WGU labs and continues to publish in academia on attachment. You can find all of her publications at her website. Subscribe to her substack to have weekly content on current trends within higher education. Twitter: @Nicolebarbaro  Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Wilfred Reilly about the complex data around race in the United States. Wilfred provides some of the current statistics on racial groups and how this can be received in a mixed way in the media. They discuss some of the differences between equality and equity and the importance of both quantitative and qualitative data. They also talk about the current state of politics and many other topics. Wilfred Reilly is a political scientist and Associate professor at Kentucky State University. He is the author of Hate Crime Hoax and Taboo both of which can be found here. Twitter: @wil_da_beast630 Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Iona Italia about her personal memoirs, mixed-race identity, and current social issues. Iona discusses her various experiences around the world and how they have shaped her identity. Specifically, she mentions her time in Argentina, India, and Great Britain. She also discusses her background in English literature and the impact that had on her development. They talk about race and ethnicity and some of the distinctions for individuals who are mixed races. They also discuss the differences between individualism and group identity and many other topics. Iona Italia is a writer, editor, translator, and podcaster. She has a PhD in English from Cambridge University and currently serves as the copy editor at Areo Magazine. She is fluent in four languages and also enjoys Tango dancing. You can find her at her website. Twitter: @ionaitalia  Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this special episode, Xavier Bonilla moderates a dialogue between Bo Winegard and Nicholas Wolfinger about the similarities and differences between conservatism and liberalism. They discuss immigration and the varying narratives on mass migrations along with conservative nationalism's perspective on immigration. They discuss the current conservative party and whether they can or cannot distance themselves from insurrection and sedition. They talk about the focus on criticizing some groups and not others. They also engage on the importance of studying differences in human variation. They discuss where to draw lines and distinctions on some political issues and how each party can combat extremism from within each party. Both Bo and Nick discuss the current state of academia and how certain topics are taboo within academia. They engage about the need for viewpoint diversity within academia and how to resist double standards. Finally, they end the conversation giving some different perspectives on major court decisions. Bo Winegard is a former Assistant Professor of Psychology. He holds a Ph.D. in social psychology with an emphasis on Evolutionary psychology. Currently, he writes on conservatism, human nature, group behavior, and socially conservative thought in society. His articles can be found here and here. Twitter: @epoe187 Nicholas Wolfinger has a Ph.D. in Sociology from UCLA and is professor of family and consumer studies as well as sociology at the University of Utah. He is the author of four books on marriage, family, and divorce. Currently, he is writing a new book on single motherhood. He is widely published and cited within academia and has written for The Atlantic, National Review, Huffington Post, and other outlets. You can find all links to his articles and books at his website. Twitter: @nickwolfinger Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Nicholas Wolfinger about marriage, divorce, and single motherhood. They start the conversation with an overview of sociology today and some of the differences between quantitative and qualitative methods. They discuss the history of marriage in American Society in the 20th century and some of the societal norms and changes in the 1960's. Nicholas provides an overview of the current data on marriage and the family unit along with data on divorce, both historically and currently. They discuss the positive impact of religion on marriage and some of the reasons for divorce. They also dialogue about the legal aspects of divorce and the data on remarriage. Nicholas also discusses the data on single motherhood and many other topics. Nicholas Wolfinger has a Ph.D. in Sociology from UCLA and is professor of family and consumer studies as well as sociology at the University of Utah. He is the author of four books on marriage, family, and divorce. Currently, he is writing a new book on single motherhood. He is widely published and cited within academia and has written for The Atlantic, National Review, Huffington Post, and other outlets. You can find all links to his articles and books at his website. Twitter: @nickwolfinger Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a in-depth dialogue with Tyler VanOstrand on his recently finished thesis discussing the divergence between the ideas of Nietzsche and Freud. At the start of this dialogue, Tyler provides a summary of the juxtaposition of Nietzsche and Freud's ideas. There is a discussion about Nietzsche's main concept of will to power and how this is an active idea along with the dimensions and extensions of this concept. They also talk about will to power as sitting within a super structure/hierarchy and some of the directionality that it encompasses. There is also a discussion about will to power as observational and descriptive but also some of its prescriptive elements. Freud's formulation of life and death through tension reduction is also discussed. There is a discussion on the death instinct as a primary way of returning to the inanimate primordial origins. There is also a discussion about the role of sex as tension reduction and how this corresponds with the expenditure of power. Throughout this dialogue there is a discussion about how Nietzsche's ideas and Freud's ideas intersect and then diverge. There is a discussion about the misreading of Nietzsche by Deleuze and Derrida, specifically on difference. There is also a discussion about pleasure and pain within the instincts for both Nietzsche and Freud. Finally, there is a discussion about Nietzsche's complex concept of the eternal recurrence of the same and some of the nuances within this concept. Tyler VanOstrand is a former seminarian and has a Master of Arts in New Testament. He also has a Master of Arts in Liberal Arts and a Master of Arts in Philosophy, with a minor in psychoanalysis. He is currently pursuing studies towards a Ph.D. in Philosophy analyzing Nietzsche's thought.  Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Sanjana Rajagopal about her experience in philosophy, the ideas of Martin Heidegger and Hannah Arendt, and philosophy in general. Sanjana talks about what led her into studying philosophy as a woman and as a Hindu and the roles they play in her life and studying philosophy. They discuss the general differences between continental and analytic philosophy. There is a discussion around the major tenets of Heidegger's concepts, namely: death and idle talk, Dasein and being, thrownness and worldhood, spatiality- de-severance and directionality.They also discuss Hannah Arendt and her ideas on labor, work, and action, the vita activa and vita contemplative, along with her work on Kant's judgment and her political theory. They also discuss Arendt's idea of the banality of evil and her complicated relationship with Heidegger. Sanjana Rajagopal is a PhD student in philosophy and has been primarily studying the work of Hannah Arendt along with Martin Heidegger.  She also writes poetry. You can find her work here. Twitter: @sanjanawrites Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Simona Efanov about the neurophysiology of stress, clinical psychology, and the dangers of self-help psychology. They discuss the various definitions of stress and talk about the aspects of positive stressors. They provide a review of neuroanatomy and discuss the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis and the cycle of stress. They define emotions in general and then explain the impact of chronic stress. There is also a discussion on the differences between chronic stress and trauma and how trauma can impact development and attachment. In the second half of this dialogue, there is a broad discussion of what clinical psychology is and some of its functions and efficacy. Specifically, there is a description of the development and creation of statistical methods and psychological assessment. They discuss the differences between PhD's and PsyD's along with talking about some of the current challenges in the field of Psychology. They talk about the importance of explaining psychological science and research concretely to the general public. They offer a critique of self-help and pop psychology with a specific case example and critique of Brene Brown along with other topics. Simona Efanov is a licensed clinical psychologist who has done research on stress and currently does clinical work in a private practice. She also is involved with clinical training and is a professor of neuropsychology and other clinical courses.   Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe