SuperPsyched with Dr. Adam Dorsay

Suddenly, we are at episode 150 of the SuperPsyched Podcast. To celebrate this milestone, I thought I would interview the most influential man in my life. In fact, he was the guy who gave me the idea to start this podcast in the first place! If you haven’t guessed already, that person is my father, Dr. Richard Dorsay. My dad worked as a physician who spent the bulk of his career as the chief of radiology at Kaiser South San Francisco. He was also a top-rated clinical professor of radiology at UCSF Medical School, and a world class mammographer. If that’s not enough, among his other jaw-dropping accomplishments, in 2010 he was awarded an honorary doctorate in public service from his alma mater, Tufts University. Yet, these accomplishments are not what impresses me  most about my father. What impresses me most and the reason I want him to share his story with you on this episode is that he has been doggedly committed to lifelong learning. Lifelong learning is a central theme of the podcast, and my dad could be the poster boy for his willingness to be wrong, make mistakes for the sake of lifelong learning. I mean, can you imagine a man in his 60s being an exchange student in Central America with a home stay mother who is in her 40s? And he did it solely for the joy of learning, and not for any other benefit. In this episode, you will hear about a man who has put himself through all types of self-induced challenges to learn. And I believe you will also hear just how thoughtful and joyful he is as a result and how you can do your version of being a lifelong learner. Book link to Iron John we discussed: https://amzn.to/43Dm1Jy This is an affiliate link. It will provide me with a small commission on purchases made through it and help the podcast (but it won’t affect the price you pay).

You may have heard terms like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or psychoanalysis that describe different schools of thought or orientations for therapy. At last count, there are a few hundred validated orientations to psychotherapy. Which may cause you to ask, “With so many to choose from, which one is the best for me?” For most of us who are considering entering therapy, the therapist’s orientation tends to be far less predictive of successful therapy than the match of the two people in the room. When I was attending a talk from Dr. Dan Siegel, a psychiatrist who is a major thought leader on therapy, he said that a way a client can know if it’s a good match is when the client “feels felt” by the therapist. In other words, the client feels safe and deeply understood. That being said, there are many ways for a therapist to reach a client. I thought it would be cool for you to get to hear a conversation between two psychologists who love the craft and who love geeking out to it, so you’d have a behind-the-scenes look at how two active therapists think about therapy. In addition to therapeutic orientation, having multiple tools to connect with clients can assist the therapeutic process. These tools obviously include empathy and attunement. They can include the scope of knowledge to create good metaphors, improv skills, and being able to land salient stories that can direct a person to their truth. So, with great enthusiasm, I bring you the thoughtful and creative, Dr. Michael Alcee (https://michaelalcee.com/). Mike is a psychologist in private practice in Tarrytown, NY, and the author of a book I loved called Therapeutic Improvisation: How to Stop Winging It and Own It as a Therapist. He is also a pianist, a mental health educator at the Manhattan School of Music, and a lover of the arts which informs his therapy. SuperPsyched guest, Lori Gottlieb reviewed his book and said that Mike succeeded in showing how creativity can be taught and “illuminating the artistry that inspires the work we do as therapists." So, listen in as Mike and I talk about the factors that account for good therapy. Book Link: https://amzn.to/3qGJPxK This is an affiliate link. It will provide me with a small commission on purchases made through it and help the podcast (but it won’t affect the price you pay).

Sleep expert Mollie Eastman shares her vast knowledge of sleep and its impact on our physical and mental well-being. The podcast discusses the importance of sleep optimization and provides tips for improving sleep quality. It explores the relationship between sleep, lymphatic drainage, and brain health, as well as the significance of HRV (heart rate variability) in understanding one's body for better sleep. Strategies for optimizing sleep and the importance of wearable technology for tracking sleep are also discussed.

I think most of us have, at some point, wished we had certain information years ago that is available today. That’s certainly how I felt after I read the book my guest and I will discuss on this episode. But, according to a brilliant Chinese proverb says, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago; the second best time is now. I find comfort in that idea, and I, for one, am very excited to plant trees from the seeds that came from my guest’s brilliant work. Jeremy Utley (https://www.ideaflow.design/) is Director of Executive Education at Stanford d.school and an Adjunct Professor at Stanford’s School of Engineering. He is also the host of the d.school's widely popular program, "Stanford's Masters of Creativity." Indeed, creativity and ideas make a huge difference, and just how big a difference is reflected the title of the book he co-wrote with his Stanford colleague, Perry Klebahn. The title is Ideaflow: The Only Business Metric That Matters. I loved this book so much that I’m committing to listening to it three times so I can better implement the practices. And I’m not alone in my love. It has an average of 4.9 stars on Amazon and people like Dr. Frederik G. Pferdt, Google’s Chief Innovation Evangelist and many other thought leaders have publicly praised the book. So, if the most innovative companies tend to have the best bottom lines financially, and the technology of idea creation described in this book can have positive impacts on virtually EVERY area of your life, I’m guessing you’ll want to listen in! Book link: https://amzn.to/3P6UE6c This is an affiliate link. It will provide me with a small commission on purchases made through it and help the podcast (but it won’t affect the price you pay).

What if I told you that there was an exercise that anyone can do in just 15 seconds three times a day that, when researched, showed a decrease depression by as much as 35%, a decrease anxiety by up to 20%, and a substantial decrease physical pain? You might ask about side effects of the exercise, and I would too. It seems that the major side effect is this: a significant increase your quality of life. Would you be interested in knowing more? I know I would and I’m guessing you would too. Since you’ve seen the title of this episode, you’ve probably guessed I’m talking about awe. The dictionary describes awe as "a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder." The way I’m describing it now, simply put, is something that makes you say, WOW or WHOA, like, when your breath is taken away after seeing something amazing. And, if you become a practitioner of awe, you can find it in more ordinary things like appreciating the way your body responds to a warm shower, seeing something on TV or YouTube that inspires you, or looking at an image of the human heart recognizing that it supports you through life whether you’re awake or asleep. My guest, physician Dr. Michael Amster (https://thepowerofawe.com/about/) co-authored a book with Jake Eagle called The Power of Awe: Overcome Burnout & Anxiety, Ease Chronic Pain, Find Clarity & Purpose—In Less Than 1 Minute Per Day. I loved the book and I’m not alone. SuperPsyched guest, Dr. Judson Brewer describes it perfectly as “A powerful, practical, science-backed book that shows us how finding awe everywhere, every day is essential to our health and well-being.” So, listen in as Michael and I delve into the Power of Awe and what it can do for you. Book Link: https://amzn.to/3NpncGJ This is an affiliate link. It will provide me with a small commission on purchases made through it and help the podcast (but it won’t affect the price you pay).

As you might imagine, the most talked about topic in my office is relationships. To paraphrase a great quote, relationships are one of life’s biggest predictors of our happiness… or misery. Yet, as we all know, relationships can be super challenging, and they tend to require practice, humility, resilience, and learning. Worse still, we can easily get in our own way and sabotage our love connections by using our voices in ways that we think will protect us, only to discover that we’ve actually broken a bridge rather than strengthened it. Fortunately, relationship therapy has come a long way, and many thought leaders have helped move the ball forward with exceptional insights and tips. One of the most inspiring models for relationship therapy I’ve ever seen comes from the field of Internal Family Systems, also known as IFS. At first, understanding IFS may seem daunting but, by the time you’re done with this episode, I’m confident you’ll have a good basic grasp of the model and how it can help you in your relationships. My brilliant guest, Toni Herbine-Blank, MFT (https://toniherbineblank.com/), is a relationship therapist who found a way to weave the IFS model in a way to help couples connect more fully. She calls the model Intimacy From the Inside Out (IFIO), and I love it. She is also the co-author of two books on how to perform this type of relationship therapy and she trains therapists all over the world in this model. So, listen in, as Toni and I talk about how to get out of your own way to enjoy Intimacy From the Inside Out! Book Link: https://amzn.to/3Cn7Dcz This is an affiliate link. It will provide me with a small commission on purchases made through it and help the podcast (but it won’t affect the price you pay).

Quick question—when you do math, what’s easier for you: addition or subtraction? For most of us, I’m guessing the answer is addition. While you may think it’s because we learn addition before subtraction, another part of the answer is less apparent. For our survival, we have evolved to seek more and we have an aversion to the idea of less. Yet, all of us know that less truly can be more. When is that true? When is that not true? How can we override our tendencies to acquire when it’s not good for us? And, related to less being more, why do donuts have holes? My expert guest answers these, and many other questions related to the science of less being more. Leidy Klotz, Ph.D. (https://www.leidyklotz.com/) is a professor at the University of Virginia’s Schools of Engineering, Architecture, and Business where he’s part of an initiative merging the fields of engineering AND behavioral science. He’s also the author of a book I loved called Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less. Thought leaders of all types love the book, including SuperPsyched guest, Dr. Barry Schwartz, who said, “Subtract is simply brilliant.” So, listen in as Leidy and I have an engaging and user-friendly conversation about the untapped science of less. Book Link: https://amzn.to/3Xibstj This is an affiliate link. It will provide me with a small commission on purchases made through it and help the podcast (but it won’t affect the price you pay).

I have the pleasure of working with many leaders in Silicon Valley. And among the things that are discussed in my office, the quality of leadership shows up a lot. Stories emerge when leaders are kind and inspirational. And, of course, stories emerge in toxic ways when leaders are unkind, unconscious, or even bullies. I have taken great interest in how leaders step into their roles. Not only does it impact the people in their company, but their actions may have ripple effects that go far beyond the walls of the enterprise they serve and into the homes of employees and local communities.  Over the last several decades, I think most of us have come to understand the impact that leaders emotional intelligence can have on our collective performance and individual wellbeing. And that is why I am so glad to host my friend and colleague, Dr. Yosi, Amram (https://intelligensi.com/). Yosi has been a leader in various capacities throughout his career. He has been the CEO of two publicly traded companies, he has taught at Stanford graduate school of business, and in addition to being a licensed psychologist and an executive coach, he has a Harvard MBA and an MS in engineering from MIT. Indeed, Yosi is the right person to talk to us about spiritual intelligence and how it can impact leadership regardless of one’s religious leanings. Yosi’s and other research has shown that the qualities of spiritual intelligence have a tremendous business payoff in terms of organizational productivity, team morale, employee commitment, as well as financial performance. Most impressive, it can be implemented by anyone even if they are atheists. In fact, spiritual leadership qualities and intelligences are not at all dependent on one’s religious leanings and you will hear how and why that is the case. Also promising is that research shows Spiritual Intelligence contributes to many other domains of functioning beyond leadership that I believe matter to us all, including satisfaction with life, quality of life, better self-care, general health, happiness, work productivity, job satisfaction, and resilience to name just a few. So, if those measures are important to you—and I’m guessing they are—then listen in as Yosi and I discuss the compelling case for spiritually intelligent leadership.

Guest Blake Eastman, an expert in reading nonverbal behavioral patterns, shares his expertise on reading people. Topics include the importance of cues and nonverbal behavior, the myth of 93% nonverbal communication, and the power of cognitive empathy.

There are no two ways about it. Parenting is hard. Add a full-time job to the mix and the pressures of modern life and, wow! It’s a miracle we can do it at all. How can we balance all of life’s pressures, and be the best parents for our most precious beings, our children? And how can we do it and remain kind to ourselves? To answer these and many other related questions, I’m calling on one of my newest friends, Dr. Yael Schonbrun (https://yaelschonbrun.com/). Yael is a psychologist in private practice, an assistant professor of psychology at Brown University, and the host of a podcast on which I recently guested called Psychologists Off the Clock. She has also written a book I loved called Work, Parent, Thrive: 12 Science-Backed Strategies to Ditch Guilt, Manage Overwhelm, and Grow Connection. Wharton Professor and bestselling author Adam Grant said, “As a working parent, it will save you more time than it takes to read.” So, listen in as I converse with Yael, who shares how we can work, parent, and thrive! Book link: https://amzn.to/3N4Uutn This is an affiliate link. It will provide me with a small commission on purchases made through it and help the podcast (but it won’t affect the price you pay).