You Must Be Some Kind of Therapist

Many listeners in their 30’s and beyond fear losing their well-established careers, reputations, or livelihoods should they risk speaking out over controversial issues. But what’s it like for the odd 20-something heretic who dares to dissent from their peers straight out of college? If anyone has “lived experience” of this, it’s Sasha. In 2020, she was fired from her first full time job. Her reputation in the publishing industry was instantly destroyed, stopped before it could start. This wasn’t for lack of talent or dedication, but because she tweeted her opinion that men cannot be women.Sasha didn’t let that crumble her. Instead, she took it as an opportunity to recognize a missing need in society, and got to work creating the Plebity Free Speech Fund, a sort of “cancellation insurance” offering security to those who fear threats to their livelihoods.In this conversation, Sasha and I explore what she’s learned over the past three years and why she still finds it worthwhile to take such risks. We demystify common projections we’ve both faced as public figures who’ve survived in a post-cancellation world. Plus, we examine: who gets to determine what constitutes “hate speech?” Is “free speech” really nothing more than a conservative dog-whistle? Why does censorship backfire? And what can we learn from the cautionary tales of tyrannies past?In this episode, we mentioned Abigail Shrier’s book, Irreversible Damage. You can get that and support the show through this Amazon affiliate link or from my bookshop.We also mentioned episode 13 with Jessie Mannisto, Brains & Bravery: Turning Breakdowns into Breakthroughs. You can watch that on YouTube here or find it on any audio platform of your choice here.And we discussed Sasha’s investigations into the famous TikTok surgeon who “yeets the teets,” Dr. Gallagher. Read Sasha’s article on Gallagher here.In our conversation, I also mentioned I was thinking of writing a book. This episode was recorded back in August 2022, before I decided to write the Dear Detransitioners series. Since then, I did begin writing that book, but then I got busy with Affirmation Generation, so the book is on hold. I do intend to return to it when things settle down.Sasha White co-founded the Plebity Free Speech Fund after getting fired for her tweets in 2020. The Fund awards grants to those who have been severely/materially punished for their speech. She is a columnist at Tablet Magazine and writes on Substack at Notes from the Underground and at Sasha White. Her interviews on gender identity, free speech, and censorship can be found on her YouTube channel. You can follow her on Twitter @iamGrushenka. To support this show, please leave a rating & review on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe, like, comment & share via my YouTube channel. Or recommend this to a friend!Learn more about Do No Harm.Take $200 off your EightSleep Pod Pro Cover with code SOMETHERAPIST at EightSleep.com.Take 20% off all superfood beverages with code SOMETHERAPIST at Organifi.Check out my shop for book recommendations + wellness products.Show notes & transcript provided with the help of SwellAI.Special thanks to Joey Pecoraro for our theme song, “Half Awake,” used with gratitude and permission.Watch NO WAY BACK: The Reality of Gender-Affirming Care (our medical ethics documentary, formerly known as Affirmation Generation). Stream the film or purchase a DVD. Use code SOMETHERAPIST to take 20% off your order. Follow us on X @2022affirmation or Instagram at @affirmationgeneration.Have a question for me? Looking to go deeper and discuss these ideas with other listeners? Join my Locals community! Members get to ask questions I will respond to in exclusive, members-only livestreams, post questions for upcoming guests to answer, plus other perks TBD. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Parents are the ultimate authority in their child's emotional and mental well-being. Sexuality and identity are delicate, personal matters fraught with social and cultural baggage, best discussed in the home. Yet increasingly, K-12 public schools are taking on the invasive role of indoctrinating children into belief systems that have major consequences for their health, sometimes triangulating children by keeping secrets from their parents and otherwise overstepping psychological boundaries. Alvin Lui helps parents find both the emotional strength, and the logistical strategies, to defend their children from indoctrination. In today’s episode, we discuss how the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) has been working against the public interest, and what concerned citizens can do about it.Alvin Lui is a “political refugee” from California. He moved his family to the Midwest only to find the same ideologies that ruined his old home are now spreading across the country. He founded Courage is a Habit to create actionable education and strategies for the average parent, school board candidate, and legislator to take action in defending children from indoctrination in K-12. The twitter account @CourageHabit has been suspended for speaking out about abusive behavior. Please encourage Twitter Support to bring back Courage is a Habit. In the meanwhile, you can find resources courageisahabit.org. You can also follow Courage is a Habit on Facebook and Instagram.In this conversation, we mentioned Episode 3, How Jennifer Helped Her Daughter Desist, and Episode 8, Helena Kerschner: Peaking Trans. To support this show, please leave a rating & review on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe, like, comment & share via my YouTube channel. Or recommend this to a friend!Learn more about Do No Harm.Take $200 off your EightSleep Pod Pro Cover with code SOMETHERAPIST at EightSleep.com.Take 20% off all superfood beverages with code SOMETHERAPIST at Organifi.Check out my shop for book recommendations + wellness products.Show notes & transcript provided with the help of SwellAI.Special thanks to Joey Pecoraro for our theme song, “Half Awake,” used with gratitude and permission.Watch NO WAY BACK: The Reality of Gender-Affirming Care (our medical ethics documentary, formerly known as Affirmation Generation). Stream the film or purchase a DVD. Use code SOMETHERAPIST to take 20% off your order. Follow us on X @2022affirmation or Instagram at @affirmationgeneration.Have a question for me? Looking to go deeper and discuss these ideas with other listeners? Join my Locals community! Members get to ask questions I will respond to in exclusive, members-only livestreams, post questions for upcoming guests to answer, plus other perks TBD. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Early childhood relational experiences play a vital role in laying the foundation for health, happiness, love, security, and emotion regulation. Laura is an expert in this, as a CASA (court appointed special advocate) who has taken an oath to advocate for the needs of vulnerable children.In this episode, we explore how Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is limited in its ability to reach these deeper layers of the brain formed by our early attachments. Laura makes a case for the value of "right brain therapies," such as Dr. Laurence Heller's Neuro Affective Relational Model (NARM). We discuss the need to re-parent those who have experienced complex/severe developmental trauma, and how mind-body lifestyle therapies such as physical activity, nature, ocean therapy, volunteering, and fostering animals, can all help develop "earned" secure attachment in adulthood. Laura Wiley Haynes grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. She received a degree in English and American Literature from Brown University in 1983, and later her Master of Fine Arts, in Poetry, from The Bennington Writing Seminars. She worked in film in her early career, first in production and development and later as a screenwriter. After having children, she wrote part time from home, and over time became active as both a La Leche League Leader and a Bradley Childbirth Teacher. In 2015 Laura became a Court Appointed Special Advocate for Foster Youth, a trained paraprofessional role which combines advocacy, mentoring, and friendship for each foster youth, for as long they remain in the system. She has studied developmental psychology, neuroscience, and C-PTSD, to better understand the needs of this population, as well as the most effective ways of healing from early trauma.She has been suspended from her Twitter account, @haynes_wiley. Please contact Twitter Support to encourage them to un-suspend her. You can reach Laura at LauraWHaynes@gmail.com.Laura mentioned the Twitter account “Read Some Piaget, Please!” which you can follow @prof_curiosity1, and Darcia Navarez of Notre Dame University, who you can follow @MoralLandscapes. Laura recommends the following books:Dr. John Bowlby: AttachmentDr. Allan Schore: Affect Regulation And The Origin of The SelfSebern Fisher: The Use of Neurofeedback in the Treatment of Developmental TraumaDr. Bessell van der Kolk: The Body Keeps The ScoreDr. Laurence Heller: Healing Developmental Trauma (NARM)Dr. Peter Levine: Healing TraumaDr. Peter Levine: Waking The TigerDr. Pat Ogden: Sensorimotor PsychotherapyDarcia Narvaez: Neurobiology and the Development of Human Morality To support this show, please leave a rating & review on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe, like, comment & share via my YouTube channel. Or recommend this to a friend!Learn more about Do No Harm.Take $200 off your EightSleep Pod Pro Cover with code SOMETHERAPIST at EightSleep.com.Take 20% off all superfood beverages with code SOMETHERAPIST at Organifi.Check out my shop for book recommendations + wellness products.Show notes & transcript provided with the help of SwellAI.Special thanks to Joey Pecoraro for our theme song, “Half Awake,” used with gratitude and permission.Watch NO WAY BACK: The Reality of Gender-Affirming Care (our medical ethics documentary, formerly known as Affirmation Generation). Stream the film or purchase a DVD. Use code SOMETHERAPIST to take 20% off your order. Follow us on X @2022affirmation or Instagram at @affirmationgeneration.Have a question for me? Looking to go deeper and discuss these ideas with other listeners? Join my Locals community! Members get to ask questions I will respond to in exclusive, members-only livestreams, post questions for upcoming guests to answer, plus other perks TBD. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

When Matt was 15 years old, he was told that he was an “Indigo Child” with a special “aura.” Today, he is an atheist who attributes his most mystical experiences to rock’n’roll. In this episode, we compare our observations of how quasi-mystical belief systems can rush to fill the religious voids left by our secular society, leading to magical thinking that idealizes children while neglecting their true psychosocial developmental needs. In what ways are today’s “trans children” similar to the “indigo children” of 30 years ago? This conversation covers a lot of ground. Matt assuages my ego, explaining why it wasn’t my fault that history was my worst subject in school. Later, I explain what I miss about being a quasi-Hindu hippie, as we compare my peak experiences drumming in call-and-response kirtan circles with the ecstatic joy he found in mosh pits. We also discuss the elements of ritual, transcendent unity, heuristics, adolescent development, social status, negative partisanship, historiography, subtypes of narcissism, family dynamics, parenting, our disconnection from nature, Jazz Jennings, spectral harms, the vital role of hardship in life, the long term mental health risk factors today’s trans youth are likely face as they age, and what might happen when we realize: the kids aren’t alright. Buckle up!Matt Osborne is a US Army signals intelligence and electronic warfare veteran, political scientist, and historian. He spent ten years in "netroots" as an online progressive activist. In 2012, he went from covering wonky policy topics and "movement news" to the strangest political "scene" in America upon the death of Andrew Breitbart, becoming the first "blogger" to write about Ali Alexander of 1/6 infamy. Later in 2016, he was one of the first people to write about Cambridge Analytica, Donald Trump, and all things Russia, but with the warning that it was too easy to lose direction in a "wilderness of mirrors." He was featured in the HBO documentary "After Truth" about his role in online information spaces during the 2017 special US Senate election in Alabama. Now disenchanted with the state of liberalism, and a repeat victim of "Cassandra syndrome," he has given up politics and become a conflict historian. His website Polemology.net is focused on the intersection of human minds and military revolutions. As an editor for The Distance, he puts the "gender identity" phenomenon in historical context as an emerging American New Age religious movement.In this episode, we mentioned Matt’s conversation with Graham Lineman. You can watch that on YouTube here. My interview with Gurwinder Bhogal also came up. Watch episode 18, Gurwinder Bhogal: Hubris, Heuristics, and Human Error, here, or listen to it wherever you get this podcast.I mentioned Kelly McGonigal’s book, The Joy of Movement. You can find that in my bookshop or directly on Amazon. Your purchases made through my affiliate links help support the show. Thank you! To support this show, please leave a rating & review on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe, like, comment & share via my YouTube channel. Or recommend this to a friend!Learn more about Do No Harm.Take $200 off your EightSleep Pod Pro Cover with code SOMETHERAPIST at EightSleep.com.Take 20% off all superfood beverages with code SOMETHERAPIST at Organifi.Check out my shop for book recommendations + wellness products.Show notes & transcript provided with the help of SwellAI.Special thanks to Joey Pecoraro for our theme song, “Half Awake,” used with gratitude and permission.Watch NO WAY BACK: The Reality of Gender-Affirming Care (our medical ethics documentary, formerly known as Affirmation Generation). Stream the film or purchase a DVD. Use code SOMETHERAPIST to take 20% off your order. Follow us on X @2022affirmation or Instagram at @affirmationgeneration.Have a question for me? Looking to go deeper and discuss these ideas with other listeners? Join my Locals community! Members get to ask questions I will respond to in exclusive, members-only livestreams, post questions for upcoming guests to answer, plus other perks TBD. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Long-time listeners of this show have heard from numerous voices in the post-trans community, all of whom feel that the beliefs and medical practices surrounding transgender identification have been harmful to them. Today’s guest, on the other hand, has a different perspective. Zander Keig is a "trans man” with no regrets after 17 years on testosterone. As it turns out, though, Zander and I have a few things in common. We’re both mental health professionals who share practical concerns about how certain culturally sanctioned ways of thinking and relating to others impact wellbeing. We’ve both been accused of bigotry for expressing concerns about whether “transitioning” is right for everyone. And we’re both world-bridgers, who respect viewpoint diversity, and see the need to help society collectively navigate sensitive issues more gracefully.In this episode, Zander debunks the myth of the "trans monolith,” arguing there is no consensus in his community about the right way to approach certain issues. We exchange ideas about how certain prevalent mentalities, narratives, and dialectics impact behavioral health and social wellbeing. Zander articulates his pragmatic understanding of how and why emotional health should not be taken for granted, nor can it be catered by the outside world, but must be actively cultivated by the individual. We share our mutual concerns for the welfare of trans-identifying people in general, whether or not they will eventually desist. And we debate important questions for which there are no easy answers, such as: what should the future of healthcare for trans identifying people look like, and how should it be governed? Plus, Zander shares about his own personal history. Zander began his “transition” in his late 30’s, after a lifetime of facing discrimination as a gender-nonconforming butch lesbian. Zander had no history of dysphoria earlier in life, yet he felt as though a weight had been lifted the moment he started taking testosterone. What does this tell us about the relationships between sexism, homophobia, social pressures, and transition? Zander also tells us about how counseling would have been helpful during such a disorienting time in his life, and how, despite the horror stories we’ve all heard, his marriage survived his transition just fine.If I do say so myself, I believe we had an excellent discussion. We each represented a different voice with which many others will find themselves agreeing. I believe an ongoing dialectic between these two different perspectives is necessary in order to help move society forward constructively while navigating unprecedented challenges.Zander Keig is an award-winning licensed clinical social worker, educator, and author who served in the US Coast Guard. Zander serves as an Advisory Board member and Senior Fellow for the Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism (FAIR) and helps develop and deliver FAIR's corporate diversity training, emotional wellness, and interpersonal growth courses. As a trans man and first-generation American of Mexican heritage with subject matter expertise in transgender health, social care, and mental wellness, Zander brings a unique perspective to all aspects of his work. You can find Zander’s work at ZanderKeig.net, Zanderology on Locals, or FairForAll.org.A note on pronouns and my choice of guest: My audience comprises many thoughtful people with a wide range of viewpoints on controversial issues in the field of gender. Many open questions are up for debate in the broader community, such as the notion of “true trans;” conceptualization around “dysphoria” and social contagion; and of course, the question of pronouns. Perhaps you recall how I spoke with Jayme in episode 28, and what I stipulated in that show’s notes and introductions, or how I spoke with Corinna Cohn in episode 31. Given that I have grown increasingly comfortable over time with sticking to biology-based pronouns despite social pressures to do otherwise, some listeners who favor this approach may find themselves disappointed or frustrated that I reverted to calling Zander, a biological female, “he.” I understand this frustration. The erosion of truth in language has real consequences for the human psyche, and broader cultural implications as well. On principle, I remain committed to speaking truth, and honesty is one of my topmost guiding values. I don’t want to be manipulated, coerced, or frightened into denying reality. However, many social situations challenge us to strike a balance between competing values, and selecting one guiding principle above all others may come across as rigid, inflexible, and imbalanced. For instance, those who choose brutal honesty in all situations, without incorporating kindness as a counterbalancing virtue, can often come across as insensitive jerks, and have difficulty making friends with anyone but the thickest-skinned.In the case of my conversation with Zander, it simply would have felt stilted to remain committed to this form of honesty at all costs and insist on calling Zander “she.” Not only do I know that Zander goes by “he” and prefers not to talk about it; not only was I in the earliest stages of building a relationship with a colleague who kindly offered his time to be a guest on my show; but also, frankly, everything about Zander’s appearance and presentation, not the least of which include his bald head, enormous beard, and deep voice, intuitively reads as "male.” We are an unprecedented situation that evolutionary biologists I admire (Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying) might call “hyper-novelty.” Never before in human history has there been such a thing as a female whose physiology has been altered by years of exposure to large doses of male hormones. Whenever faced with such a radical and complex challenge, I think it advisable to summon patience, goodwill, and temperance.It seems to create a sort of psychic split when we have to reckon with such a profound inner tension between what we cognitively know to be the reality (“this is a female on testosterone”), and how we intuitively read it (sensing maleness or femaleness via the same unconscious processes that have allowed us to correctly intuit one another's sex without thinking about it 99% of the time since time immemorial). This split is at the heart of many contentious issues within the community of those of us who debate gender issues in any capacity. Radical activists on the pro-trans side of the debate would like the rest of us to feel guilty and repent for committing “literal violence” for having dared refuse to comply with their attempts to deceive us. Meanwhile, activists on the gender critical side see the blatant, glib, remorseless choice to deceive us as Machiavellian, dangerous, and unworthy of our respect or compliance. While I generally align with gender critical views, I sometimes depart ideologically from other GCs’ stances by favoring such virtues as nuance, world-bridging, forgiveness, redemption, grace, charity, and cooperation. For example, I was recently name-called, slandered, and blocked by a gender critical feminist who followed me on Twitter when I came to the defense of EJ Rosetta, who I respect for having publicly acknowledged she was wrong about something — a mature and principled move many people go their whole lives without risking. You can see a part of this exchange here. I can no longer view the whole thread, as the other person involved has blocked me.Many GCs and radfems will forever draw hard lines that exclude people like Zander and declare them unworthy of the sort of collegial dialogue we had in this episode. And, as I am unfortunately reminded every month or two on Twitter, some of th...

David Teachout is a licensed therapist specializing in religious abuse, as well as the host of Humanity’s Values podcast and author of Journeys of a Spiritual Atheist. In today’s episode, we explore: what differentiates a religion from a cult? According to David, there’s no clear distinction, but much of it comes down to mind control. How do people who have been indoctrinated into mistrusting their own minds and senses learn to regain trust in their inner guidance? And how does a fervent obsession with moral purity obscure well-intentioned people from recognizing true injustice?David Teachout is a mental health therapist and photographer, focused on and teaching how creativity intersects with mental flexibility in working through the inevitable difficulties in life. David grew up as a Christian fundamentalist, attending a bible college and receiving a bachelor’s in theology and psychology. During his studies there, David de-converted and has been on a journey of appreciating the many faces of humanity. David has a master’s in both forensic psychology and counseling psychology, and is currently at work on a doctorate in clinical psychology. David has been actively working within the field of psychology as therapist, social worker, advocate, and subject-matter-expert, for over fifteen years. In his spare time, David enjoys reading a copious amount, both fiction and non-fiction, exploring perspective through photography, and maintains a blog at www.lifeweavings.com and a podcast at www.humanitysvalues.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @lifeweavings.In this episode several books were mentioned. You can find each of these in my bookshop or by following the Amazon affiliate links below. A small portion of each purchase helps support the show.David Teachout’s own book: Journeys of a Spiritual AtheistJohn McWhorter - Woke Racism: How a New Religion Has Betrayed Black AmericaSteven Hassan - Freedom of Mind: Helping Loved Ones Leave Controlling People, Cults and BeliefsKatherine Schulz - Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of ErrorFrancis Fukuyama - Identity: The Demand for Dignity and the Politics of Resentment To support this show, please leave a rating & review on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe, like, comment & share via my YouTube channel. Or recommend this to a friend!Learn more about Do No Harm.Take $200 off your EightSleep Pod Pro Cover with code SOMETHERAPIST at EightSleep.com.Take 20% off all superfood beverages with code SOMETHERAPIST at Organifi.Check out my shop for book recommendations + wellness products.Show notes & transcript provided with the help of SwellAI.Special thanks to Joey Pecoraro for our theme song, “Half Awake,” used with gratitude and permission.Watch NO WAY BACK: The Reality of Gender-Affirming Care (our medical ethics documentary, formerly known as Affirmation Generation). Stream the film or purchase a DVD. Use code SOMETHERAPIST to take 20% off your order. Follow us on X @2022affirmation or Instagram at @affirmationgeneration.Have a question for me? Looking to go deeper and discuss these ideas with other listeners? Join my Locals community! Members get to ask questions I will respond to in exclusive, members-only livestreams, post questions for upcoming guests to answer, plus other perks TBD. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

The twentieth century saw enormous gains in our understanding of children’s psychological development. So why is our school system still designed as if children are miniature adults? Education expert Deb Fillman fills us in on what’s broken in the American education system today. We examine the vital role of promoting embodied, experiential, naturalistic and age-appropriate learning that support the student taking ownership of their own mind. We explore the risks of teaching abstract concepts to concrete thinkers, enforcing one-size-fits-all curriculum, expecting children to sit still and be quiet for 7 hours a day, emphasizing reading and math at too young ages, and forcing everyone to be “friends.” We compare the different needs of male-typical and female-typical children when it comes to learning styles, socialization, aggression, and conflict resolution. Deb shares her concerns at how teachers’ roles are rapidly evolving into uncharted territory, such as taking on the role of untrained counselors, violating children’s emotional boundaries, and using inappropriate methods misleadingly called “social and emotional learning.” And we explore: should teens really be encouraged to think they can (and should) change the world?Deb Fillman is a homeschooling mother of three with a Masters Degree in Education, and a background in teaching and tutoring. After spending the past decade studying, and monitoring the impact of current trends and practices in American K12 education, Deb concluded parents needed an advocate; someone to help them take charge of their children’s education. Over the past three years, her knowledge, passion and experience have helped thousands of families to understand why their children are struggling, and to help them find effective, innovative ways to give their kids the best K-12 education possible.She offers private consulting for families of home-based learners, parent educator coaching, and custom course development for families committed to independently educating their children. Deb is also available for public speaking engagements and media appearances. She can most easily be found on her YouTube, Substack, Locals channel and website of the same name, The Reason We Learn. You can follow Deb on Twitter @deb_fillman and @reasonwelearn.Find Stephanie’s guest appearance on Deb’s channel here: Are We Pathologizing Childhood & Adolescence?During this episode Stephanie recommended several books by Leonard Sax. You can purchase those links and support the show through her bookshop or these Amazon affiliate links:Leonard Sax: Why Gender MattersLeonard Sax: Boys AdriftLeonard Sax: Girls on the EdgeStephanie also mentioned her conversation with Michael DC Bowen. You can listen to episode 16, The Wisdom in World-Bridging with Michael DC Bowen, here. To support this show, please leave a rating & review on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe, like, comment & share via my YouTube channel. Or recommend this to a friend!Learn more about Do No Harm.Take $200 off your EightSleep Pod Pro Cover with code SOMETHERAPIST at EightSleep.com.Take 20% off all superfood beverages with code SOMETHERAPIST at Organifi.Check out my shop for book recommendations + wellness products.Show notes & transcript provided with the help of SwellAI.Special thanks to Joey Pecoraro for our theme song, “Half Awake,” used with gratitude and permission.Watch NO WAY BACK: The Reality of Gender-Affirming Care (our medical ethics documentary, formerly known as Affirmation Generation). Stream the film or purchase a DVD. Use code SOMETHERAPIST to take 20% off your order. Follow us on X @2022affirmation or Instagram at @affirmationgeneration.Have a question for me? Looking to go deeper and discuss these ideas with other listeners? Join my Locals community! Members get to ask questions I will respond to in exclusive, members-only livestreams, post questions for upcoming guests to answer, plus other perks TBD. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In today’s modern world, we are constantly fed mental shortcuts that can influence our thoughts and ideas. We aren’t required to do a lot of deep thinking into what we’re consuming, because all too often, an algorithm does that for us. Where does the responsibility lie? How reliant are we on mental shortcuts and the absence of deep thought? Are we satisfied with only being shown part of the whole picture? Are we getting full on what Xavier describes as the “junk food mental diet”? In this thought-provoking conversation, we investigate how topics such as social incentives, groupthink, and heuristics, can all have an impact on our mental health, behavior and relationships. We shift our conversation to explore different strategies and questions we can ask ourselves to counteract our natural cognitive biases.Xavier Bonilla holds a Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) and has been a licensed clinician doing mental health work for 15 years. He has worked in various inpatient and outpatient settings and has numerous experiences working with individuals that have serious mental illness. He is a former seminarian and is also a podcaster. His podcast, Converging Dialogues, is a podcast designed to have honest and authentic conversations with a diversity of thought and opinions from a wide-range of guests. You can follow Xavier on Twitter @xavierbonilla87Xavier's podcast, Converging Dialogues: https://linktr.ee/convergingdialoguesXavier’s opinion pieces on centrism, nationalism, and Latinos: https://xavierabonilla.medium.com/ To support this show, please leave a rating & review on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe, like, comment & share via my YouTube channel. Or recommend this to a friend!Learn more about Do No Harm.Take $200 off your EightSleep Pod Pro Cover with code SOMETHERAPIST at EightSleep.com.Take 20% off all superfood beverages with code SOMETHERAPIST at Organifi.Check out my shop for book recommendations + wellness products.Show notes & transcript provided with the help of SwellAI.Special thanks to Joey Pecoraro for our theme song, “Half Awake,” used with gratitude and permission.Watch NO WAY BACK: The Reality of Gender-Affirming Care (our medical ethics documentary, formerly known as Affirmation Generation). Stream the film or purchase a DVD. Use code SOMETHERAPIST to take 20% off your order. Follow us on X @2022affirmation or Instagram at @affirmationgeneration.Have a question for me? Looking to go deeper and discuss these ideas with other listeners? Join my Locals community! Members get to ask questions I will respond to in exclusive, members-only livestreams, post questions for upcoming guests to answer, plus other perks TBD. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Society is divided over how to conceptualize “human rights,” particularly when it comes to transgender medicalization and school policies. Political scientist Leor Sapir is uniquely qualified to help us understand how we got here. He explains how the laudable legacy of the civil rights movement shaped Americans’ vulnerability to deceptive narratives about “social justice;” how the Office of Civil Rights’ attempts to address bullying in schools led to the erosion of Title IX protections for girls; and how the American Civil Liberties Union turned against its own mission. This comprehensive deep-dive then shifts from politics to philosophy and psychology. Leor and I explore matters such as virtues and values, rights and responsibilities, hubris and corruption, good and evil, the sexual revolution, and moral instincts. We also do a Q&A, presenting Leor with some of our Twitter followers’ questions. Leor Sapir is a fellow at the Manhattan Institute. A driven researcher with a Ph.D. in Political Science from Boston College, Dr. Sapir previously completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Program on Constitutional Government at Harvard University. His academic work, including his dissertation on the Obama Administration’s Title IX regulations, has investigated how America’s political culture and constitutional government shape public policy on matters of civil rights.Similarly, at the Manhattan Institute, Dr. Sapir applies his knowledge of political theory and American government to policy issues, honing in particularly on issues of gender identity and transgenderism. His inaugural essay in the Winter 2022 issue of City Journal explores a series of recent court rulings surrounding transgenderism, demonstrating how bad ideas translate from fringe academic theory into law and policy. Previous web pieces for City Journal have explored evolving athletic guidelines and media coverage surrounding transgender issues. He discussed these pieces in a recent episode of City Journal’s 10 Blocks podcast.You can follow Leor on Twitter @leorsapir.Resources mentioned in the show:Leor recommended Rights Talk: The Impoverishment of Political Discourse, by Mary Ann Glendon I recommended The Case Against the Sexual Revolution: A New Guide to Sex in the 21st Century, by Louise Perry. We also mentioned my conversation with Robin Atkins, Two Therapists Debate Abortion (episode 27), as well as the episode I did with Oliver Davies, Healing Through Detransition (episode 22). I alluded to my conversation with Matt Osborne, but this has yet to come out; it will be released as a future episode. During the Q&A, I recommended listeners follow these Twitter accounts:@couragehabit - Alvin Lui, president of Courage is a Habit, will be a guest on a future episode of this podcast.@buttonslives - Christina Buttons@SEGM_ebm - Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine To support this show, please leave a rating & review on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe, like, comment & share via my YouTube channel. Or recommend this to a friend!Learn more about Do No Harm.Take $200 off your EightSleep Pod Pro Cover with code SOMETHERAPIST at EightSleep.com.Take 20% off all superfood beverages with code SOMETHERAPIST at Organifi.Check out my shop for book recommendations + wellness products.Show notes & transcript provided with the help of SwellAI.Special thanks to Joey Pecoraro for our theme song, “Half Awake,” used with gratitude and permission.Watch NO WAY BACK: The Reality of Gender-Affirming Care (our medical ethics documentary, formerly known as Affirmation Generation). Stream the film or purchase a DVD. Use code SOMETHERAPIST to take 20% off your order. Follow us on X @2022affirmation or Instagram at @affirmationgeneration.Have a question for me? Looking to go deeper and discuss these ideas with other listeners? Join my Locals community! Members get to ask questions I will respond to in exclusive, members-only livestreams, post questions for upcoming guests to answer, plus other perks TBD. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

When you entrust a therapist with your personal struggles, you expect her to see you as a unique individual, and greet you with non-judgmental curiosity. The last thing anyone wants in their counseling relationship is to be treated prejudicially, stereotyped on the basis of their immutable characteristics, or made to feel guilty for the color of their skin. And yet, to students like Leslie, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that that is exactly what is being taught in graduate programs.Therapy is a place you hope to be able to work through shame; learn to see your foibles with compassion; and internalize your locus of control, while releasing any undue sense of responsibility for issues you may have been scapegoated for. It is also ideally a process that helps cultivate peace, understanding, and perspective when dealing with people you find challenging. And in therapy, we expect to learn to recognize and correct for distorted ways of thinking that amplify our stress. Unfortunately, according to Leslie and whistleblowers like her, many modern counseling programs do just the opposite.Listen as Antioch University whistleblower, coach, and founder of the Radical Center Leslie Elliott describes the disturbing series of events that unfolded over the past two years. We explore ethical dilemmas and differences of opinion in how people in our field are conceptualizing complex matters such as “social justice,” victimhood, “allyship,” gender, the role of the therapist, politics and activism, racism and “anti-racism,” cultural competence, stereotyping, neutrality, individuality, and responsibility.Leslie Elliott is a holistic wellness coach in Washington State who works with clients from a person-centered, existential perspective, taking into account the whole person: mind, body, and spirit. She earned a BA in Psychology in 2008 and went straight to law school in 2009. During her second year of law school, she decided a legal career was not for her and went back to the drawing board.Leslie spent the next several years raising her 4 children and working part-time in the field of natural medicine before returning to higher education, enrolling in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Master’s program at Antioch University in 2019. There she had the opportunity to learn and improve counseling skills and therapeutic approaches, but also encountered something deeply disturbing: the usurpation of traditional therapy values by Critical Social Justice ideology. Near the end of her Master’s coursework, she took a leave of absence after her courses began requiring students to sign a Social Justice “civility pledge.” Frustrated in her attempts to communicate her concerns to the university, she decided to go public in October of 2022 and expose how ideology is corrupting the fields of mental health and higher education.Undeterred from her work, Leslie began her coaching practice in late 2021, working in a non-clinical setting that allows her to use her counseling skills and her passion for natural health to support her clients. She works with individuals and families, and areas of interest include but are not limited to: life-span, aging, and fertility issues; parent coaching; spiritual growth and integration; technology and pornography addiction recovery; infidelity trauma and recovery; gender confusion and detransition; ADHD; institutional abuse & “DEI” discrimination; medical abuse trauma; and more.Leslie’s consulting practice, The Radical CenterLeslie’s blog, The Radical Center on SubstackLeslie’s YouTube channel, The Radical Center on YouTubeLeslie’s GiveSendGo legal fundIn this episode, I mentioned Jonathan Haidt’s work; in particular, his book “The Righteous Mind.” You can find that in my bookshop, or purchase it directly from this Amazon Affiliate link. To support this show, please leave a rating & review on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe, like, comment & share via my YouTube channel. Or recommend this to a friend!Learn more about Do No Harm.Take $200 off your EightSleep Pod Pro Cover with code SOMETHERAPIST at EightSleep.com.Take 20% off all superfood beverages with code SOMETHERAPIST at Organifi.Check out my shop for book recommendations + wellness products.Show notes & transcript provided with the help of SwellAI.Special thanks to Joey Pecoraro for our theme song, “Half Awake,” used with gratitude and permission.Watch NO WAY BACK: The Reality of Gender-Affirming Care (our medical ethics documentary, formerly known as Affirmation Generation). Stream the film or purchase a DVD. Use code SOMETHERAPIST to take 20% off your order. Follow us on X @2022affirmation or Instagram at @affirmationgeneration.Have a question for me? Looking to go deeper and discuss these ideas with other listeners? Join my Locals community! Members get to ask questions I will respond to in exclusive, members-only livestreams, post questions for upcoming guests to answer, plus other perks TBD. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★