SuperPsyched with Dr. Adam Dorsay

This episode is about the unexpected strengths of autism. My guest, Dr. Temple Grandin (www.templegrandin.com), has written many best-selling books on autism and her life, one of which was made into a film starring Clare Danes as Temple. The film was described by the New York Times as “The best biopic in a very, very long time.”  Temple has received multiple major awards and recognitions including Time Magazine’s 2010 annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Often misunderstood, autism is, broadly, a Neurodevelopmental phenomenon that affects the way people experience the world. It affects every aspect of a person’s development, but processes, behaviors and sensory functioning. Our understanding of autism has improved, and research has revealed underlying strengths of autism. One of the insights I have gleaned from this interview and my preparation for it is that having an autistic person on a team can be a huge advantage. They often notice things that neurotypical people miss. Note, there would be no Star Trek without Spock. Yet, in spite of these advances in research and advantages of autistic people, many of them are not receiving the services and understanding that they need. Book Link: https://amzn.to/43OGsmM 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).

Are you in a long-term relationship and longing for greater sexual passion? If so, you’ll want to listen to this episode! Dr. Pat Love is an internationally-recognized expert, best-selling author,  and a masterful therapist who has specialized in helping couples rekindle their passion and love. Dr. Harville Hendrix has said of her work, “Every couple wanting to deepen or save their relationship should read it.” With humor, intelligence, and useful tips, Dr. Love delivers big in this episode. Book Link: https://amzn.to/3Ns05eE 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).

Our vocabulary for describing sexual identity has expanded and today’s guest, Dr. Ritch Savin-Williams, is the perfect person to discuss this important phenomenon. Ritch is Professor Emeritus of Developmental Psychology at Cornell University and he has written ten books on adolescent development, including Mostly Straight: Sexual Fluidity Among Men. Publishers Weekly has described his work as “An excellent resource.” Please listen in as Ritch helps us to understand sexual fluidity in today’s culture. Book Link: https://amzn.to/3X1uGTE 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).

Today’s guest, the great Dr. Mario Martinez, is a top expert on how thoughts impact our bodies, our success, and our longevity. Mario is a clinical neuropsychologist who researches how cultural beliefs affect health and longevity. He has conducted worldwide studies on large numbers healthy centenarians—that is, people who are 100 years or older—and found that only 20 to 25% can be attributed to genetics. The rest is related to how they live and the cultural beliefs they share. Mario is also the author of the bestselling book The MindBody Code: How to Change the Beliefs that Limit Your Health, Longevity, and Success which, quite simply, is a must-read. Through research, he explains out how to biohack our immune system with our thoughts. In addition, Mario has worked extensively with National Geographic as well as luminaries like Dr. Deepak Chopra and Dr. Christiane Northrup who interviewed him on Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday. Check out Mario’s fantastic work at https://www.biocognitive.com. Book Link: https://amzn.to/3NoxgyT 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).

Have you ever noticed that in the scariest movies only part of what’s happening is revealed? The more that’s left to your imagination, the scarier it becomes. The same idea is true with what we hide from ourselves. That can make the process of self-discovery seem scarier than it needs to be. When we expend energy hiding from ourselves, we miss out on the richness of the Unconscious. And why is that important? Because most of what motivates us is unconscious. And to paraphrase the great psychoanalyst Carl Jung, if we don’t come to know this large part of ourselves, it will drive us, and we will feel as if we have no say in how things turn out. This episode is near and dear to my heart. Many years ago, I was reading a book by today’s guest and thought, “I feel like I’m listening to Yoda. I’m hearing the words of one of the wisest people I’ve ever come across…it would be a huge gift to have a cup of tea with him.” And that is exactly what you’ll be getting today, a gift from one of psychology’s deepest thinkers and I recommend you pour yourself a nice cup of tea as you listen in. Dr. James Hollis received his training at the Jung Institute in Zurich, Switzerland, and he has been a licensed Jungian analyst for almost forty years. He is in private practice in Washington, D.C. and is the author of sixteen truly fantastic books. I like to think of Jim as being an expert detective of the unconscious and this episode reflects his ease at navigating this mysterious area of our lives. I invite you to view the teaser for his film at: https://www.documentary.org/project/soulheal and to consider making a tax-deductible donation to this important non-profit project. Book Link: https://amzn.to/3NpRetX 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).

For this interview on the Science of Happiness, I had the privilege of an in-depth conversation with one of the world authorities on the subject, Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar (http://www.talbenshahar.com/). Tal is an author and lecturer and he taught two of the largest classes in Harvard University’s history, Positive Psychology and The Psychology of Leadership with over 1,400 students in a class. That was 20% of the entire undergraduate population! Today, Tal consults and lectures around the world to executives in multi-national corporations, the general public, and at-risk populations.  The topics he lectures on include leadership, happiness, education, innovation, ethics, self-esteem, resilience, goal setting, and mindfulness. His books have been translated into more than twenty-five languages, and have appeared on best-sellers lists around the world. Tal is a serial entrepreneur, and is the co-founder and chief learning officer of Happiness Studies Academy, Potentialife, Maytiv, and Happier.TV. An avid sportsman, Tal won the U.S. Intercollegiate and Israeli National squash championships.  Today, for exercise, he swims, dances, and practices Yoga.  He obtained his Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and B.A. in Philosophy and Psychology from Harvard. Some other sites relating to our conversation: http://sonjalyubomirsky.com/ https://crucibletherapy.com/about/david-schnarch https://www.oliversacks.com/ Book Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0071492399/ref=cm_sw_r_as_gl_api_gl_i_E5R7XG2FTEV2R179X52T?linkCode=ml2&tag=superpsyche0b-20 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).

Have you recently felt down, anxious, or out of touch with why we are here? If so, you are not alone. Today’s episode is about a surprisingly easy way to feel happier and more connected to life. And how you do it is tapping into the experience of awe and wonder. Science shows overwhelming evidence that tapping into this feeling is one of the most protective and healthful things we can do for our body and our mind. But what exactly is awe? And how do we quantify it let alone explain what it is and how it can help? My guest, Dr. Jonah Paquette, explains it to you in this episode. Jonah is a clinical psychologist, international speaker, and author.  He is the author of Real Happiness, a self-help book in which he distills the key findings in the field of happiness research and offers user-friendly tools to achieve lasting well-being. His second book, The Happiness Toolbox is a research-based self-help workbook and it provides easy-to-use handouts and worksheets designed to increase happiness and life satisfaction. His newest book, Awestruck, explores the science of awe, and how moments of wonder benefit our physical and emotional health. Dr. Paquette is a psychologist at Kaiser Permanente in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he serves as the Assistant Regional Director of Mental Health Training. Spanning 20 medical centers and consisting of nearly 200 mental health trainees, it is the largest non-governmental training program in the United States. In addition to his clinical work and writing, Dr. Paquette offers training and consultation to therapists and organizations on the promotion of happiness and conducts professional workshops around the country and internationally. He is also a frequent media contributor, having been featured regularly in print, online, and radio outlets. Dr. Paquette’s clinical experiences have spanned a broad range of settings, including Veterans hospitals, community mental health clinics, college counseling centers, and his current work at Kaiser Permanente. For more information about Jonah and his work, please visit www.jonahpaquette.com. Book Link: https://amzn.to/3X1tX4S 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).

Have you ever loved or been loved by a pet? Have you ever lost a pet? If so, it was likely a big loss. For several years, I served as a pet loss counselor at the Humane Society. I have never seen so many tears before or since. And I’m not surprised: pets give so much to us, especially, the unconditional love we so need. Right now, we are in the midst of Shelter in Place with COVID and for many of us, everything can be a bit harder, including pet loss. I thought it would be a good time to talk to the best person I know when it comes to pet loss, my mentor, Dr. Betty Carmack. Betty is Professor Emerita at the University of San Francisco School of Nursing, who has worked with pet loss since 1982. She initiated and led the monthly pet loss support groups at the SF/SPCA from 1982 to 2015. In addition to working with individuals grieving the death of their companion animals, she has worked with the staff of humane societies, veterinary hospitals and animal care organizations.   She has authored articles in both the professional and lay literature, presented at numerous professional conferences, and engaged in research related to pet loss. She is the author of the book Grieving the Death of a Pet. Her work was inspired by the accidental death of her beloved dog, Rocky, in 1979, and her recognition of the need to have support available to those struggling with the loss of their beloved animal companions.   Deciding when to put a pet down can be an incredibly hard and painful decision. In the event that you have an ailing pet and need help in assessing if it is time to consider saying goodbye to your pet, here is the link for the Quality of Life Questionnaire by Dr. Alice Villalobos,: https://www.aplb.org/resources/quality-of-life_scale.html Book Link: https://amzn.to/3N70Fxi 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 a grim statistic to report: over the past four years, the number of hate groups operating across America has risen to a record high of over 1,000 in total (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/20/us/hate-groups-rise.html); this is more than a 30% increase since 2016.  Prior to that, the groups’ numbers were rapidly declining. When you hear about white supremacists, Neo Nazis, or other hate groups, have you ever asked yourself, “How in the world do they think that way?”  What could compel people to join a hate group?  And, after joining, is there any hope that someone can leave a life of hate? Today we have a guest who can give us insight into the answers to these questions and more because of his unique experience. Arno Michaelis is a former Neo Nazi who, in the 80’s and early 90’s, was a leader of a worldwide racist skinhead organization.  He was even the lead singer of a hate metal band that sold over 20,000 CD’s.  In a 180-degree turn around, Arno now works tirelessly to educate the public about hate and hate groups. and tries to help get people out of hate groups of all kinds.  Arno and I have worked together to provide education at both Facebook and Digital Ocean, and I have come to know him well. He is regularly interviewed by the national media to provide his valuable insight into the activity of hate groups and he assists organizations including Against Violent Extremism (http://www.againstviolentextremism.org/), The Forgiveness Project (https://www.theforgivenessproject.com/), Search For Common Ground (https://www.sfcg.org/), and Parents for Peace (https://www.parents4peace.org/). He is also the author of My Life After Hate (https://medium.com/@arnomichaelisIV) and the co-author of the Gifts of our Wounds (http://giftofourwounds.com/). On a personal note, Arno has had dinner with my family and has spoken to my book club.  I have experienced him as a man of great integrity, transparency, and kindness who has reinvented himself in ways that I find both stunning and inspiring. So, please listen in as Arno Michaelis and I do a deep dive into the psychology of a former Neo Nazi. Book Link: https://amzn.to/42vY7OQ 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).

This episode explores music and the psyche with two of the most gifted musicians I’ve ever heard. Ethereal and contemplative, the music of Katie Gray and Kurt Baumann, collectively known as Sea Stars (https://seastars.bandcamp.com/), have been seen nationally on the Today Show with Hoda Kotb and around the globe. Kurt and Katie are married and work both together and apart in their artistic and musical ventures. Katie (www.katiegray.com) writes and records her own music and has been a guest vocal with groups such as Band of Horses (live on Jimmy Kimmel) and has worked with numerous artists including Ani Difranco. Kurt performs and records with his band The Burned (www.theburnedmusic.com), was the founder of the band Kan’Nal and has recorded and toured with electronic super hero Adam Freeland. Here are some links to listen further: Live on The Today Show - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrorsNKVxIs Mind over Matter - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oLtL_S3Fng The Maker - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpMvZE07ixM