You Must Be Some Kind of Therapist

We evolved to take time-saving mental shortcuts. Split-second snap judgments can even save lives. But what are the pitfalls and drawbacks of such heuristics?Can we really see things as they are, or do we see them only through the filters our modern-day tribes have taught us to look through? If a concept is popular, does that mean it’s correct—or could it be merely contagious? What makes an idea viral, and what protects our mind’s psychological immune system from Trojan horse-styled invaders? And how can assuming we’re wrong help us get closer to the truth?In this thought-provoking interview, Gurwinder and I explore numerous topics related to the fallibility of human cognition and emotional reactivity: logical fallacies and cognitive distortions; Richard Dawkins’ meme theory and Gad Saad’s concept of the parasitic mind; empathy versus theory of mind; evolutionary psychology; modern day internet tribalism; scapegoating; the perception and quarantining of “dangerous” ideas; us-versus-them thinking; the safety-versus-freedom dichotomy, and other values clashes; how reckoning with cognitive dissonance helps us grow; the limits of knowledge; the dark side of compassion; attentional blindness; the Karpman Drama Triangle; Error Theorists versus Conflict Theorists; propaganda; Twitter bans and how to avoid them; how deliberate ignorance can be a skill worth cultivating; plus, Web 3 and the future of the internet. Whether you enjoy heady, mind-expanding conversations, or just love a good British accent, you’re not going to want to miss this one.Gurwinder Bhogal is a writer, programmer, and social media influencer based in the UK. His blog about the interplay between psychology and technology can be found at https://gurwinder.substack.com. Follow him on Twitter @G_S_Bhogal for epic mega-threads on cognition. 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 ★

Lisa K Swallow is the co-founder and Executive Director of Crossing Party Lines, Inc., a national nonprofit dedicated to reducing toxic polarization by creating open dialogue between Americans with dissimilar political views. In this interview, she shares a wealth of wisdom derived from helping hundreds of people heal the political divide in their families and communities, exploring insights and tools derived from mindfulness, relational neurobiology, Nonviolent Communication, and Moral Foundations Theory. Trained in Nonviolent Communication (NVC), Lisa hadn't considered bringing her work into the political arena until 2016, when politics became personal. That year, a long-awaited reunion with a conservative cousin turned contentious as soon as conversation became political, which it did regardless of what topic they chose. Then, on the second day of her visit Lisa thought to apply her active listening skills and the conversation shifted from toxic to respectful. On returning to her home in Portland, Oregon, Lisa set about identifying the specific skills that lead to civil, productive political conversations. She learned that the key to talking across differences lies in cultivating a curious, open mind and listening to understand why another person’s views make sense for them. Her nonprofit, Crossing Party Lines, provides two crucial services: workshops teaching the concepts and skills and weekly facilitated meetings where members can practice those skills. Her work is rooted in NVC, inspired by the work of John and Julie Gottman and Stephen Stosny, and draws from cognitive science, neurobiology, and evolutionary psychology. Her workshops emphasize mindfulness, active listening, clear boundaries, and understanding the unspoken contracts at play in any conversation.  Lisa has written two books on the subject: her memoir, No One Was Listening, and a workbook, Yes, You can Talk Politics, which makes it possible for anyone, anywhere, to learn the skills for listening and talking across differences. Find Lisa at www.LisaKSwallow.com. Learn more about Crossing Party Lines at Crossingpartylines.com. Follow CPL on Twitter @crosspartylines or Instagram @crossingpartylines.  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 ★

A lifelong learner, heterodox thinker, and self-taught dabbler in many disciplines, Michael D. C. Bowen brings a wealth of wisdom on the many worlds he has traveled through. After building his career in data engineering and raising his family, he decided to undertake a “martial education” by joining the citizens’ police academy and being trained as a first-responder. What have his life experiences taught him about the process of becoming a fully self-actualized human being?Michael David Cobb Bowen is a writer, data engineer, and entrepreneur. He helped found Free Black Thought, Rights Universal, and the Conservative Brotherhood. Bowen considers himself a wry Stoic and tactical epistemologist. He has been published in Newsweek and was a regular NPR contributor as well as a host at Cafe Utne. His online writing projects on political, cultural and philosophical subjects reach back over 23 years. His latest project, Stoic Observations, focuses on matters of knowledge & power, global frameworks, information theory, and the practical aspects of moving from philosophy to philosophy. His mission is to document the journey of finding the true value of Western Civilization through Socratic dialogue.Follow Michael on Twitter @mdcbowen. Read more about him at mdcbowen.info and check out his blog, Stoic Observations, at mdcbowen.substack.comFollow Free Black Thought @freeblckthought & visit www.freeblackthought.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 ★

During his career working in acute mental health facilities, Benjamin helped people in psychotic states. His professional and personal curiosities led him to developing a unique passion for interpreting and exploring dreams. Benjamin is one of those rare gems who’s calm and collected in a crisis, and comfortable exploring the edges of sanity. He believes his autism has aided him in developing his unique skillsets with logic and curiosity. In this episode, we explore the edges of the known, including hallucinations, misophonia, dementia, fantasy, substance abuse, autism, and parts work. Benjamin Davidson (aka “The Dream Wizard”) is a psychological professional. After over 20 years experience in mental health, he now offers eclectic dream analysis through Dreamscapes Podcasts, available on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. He also curates, edits and sells historical dream literature. WEBSITE: ~ https://BenjaminTheDreamWizard.comBOOKS:~ https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B08Y69ZSTWPODCAST (multiple platforms):~ iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dreamscapes-podcasts/id1540849884~ Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3zkpNkshZwEHBoPBa0VKqd~ etc.SOCIAL MEDIA:~ Twitter https://twitter.com/WizardBenjamin~ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BenjaminTheDreamWizard/~ Locals https://benjaminthedreamwizard.locals.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 ★

Michelle always knew she was different. As a child, she was socially awkward, and got picked on. She never felt comfortable dressing or acting like other girls. Receiving a professional diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder was an important step in her process of coming home to herself with acceptance and understanding. But the explanation didn’t come soon enough to prevent her from getting lost down the wrong path in her search for the missing narrative. In the process, she was harmed both physically and psychologically.Like so many vulnerable, neurodivergent young adults, in her early 20’s, Michelle turned to the internet for comfort, distraction, belonging, and knowledge. That’s where she was introduced to the concept of questioning one’s gender, and therefore began to question her own. The advice of strangers; the sense of community that she found online and in a trans support group; and a complex ideology that fed her intellect, all led her down the path of cementing a trans identity and deciding to pursue medical procedures that were both irreversible and experimental. Michelle identified as transgender for a period of ten years, during which time she was prescribed testosterone and underwent two medically unnecessary surgeries (mastectomy and hysterectomy). Seven years after being prescribed testosterone, at nearly 30 years of age, she was diagnosed with Autism, ADHD, and post-traumatic stress. She detransitioned a few years later.Now 34, Michelle considers writing to be her primary passion in life. She is currently working on her first book, but in the meantime, she blogs about her post-transition experiences on her Substack, "Some Nuance, Please."somenuanceplease.substack.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 ★

As two quirky, strong-minded women who have built our careers on the edges of consciousness, Jessie and I compare notes on our personal and professional experiences with giftedness and sensitivity. What are the unique challenges neurodivergent youth must overcome? How do “abstract-intense” people learn to own our eccentricities while building on our strengths? And how can an over-excitable nervous system lend itself toward a healthy passion for protecting one’s principles?Jessie Mannisto is the founder and editor in chief of Third Factor, a magazine and community for creative, free-thinking individuals trying to chart their unique paths through life. It's grounded in Kazimierz Dabrowski's theory of positive disintegration, which emphasizes the process of sorting out one's authentic values and living with increasing integrity. Formerly a leadership analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency and Google Policy Fellow, Jessie chose to pursue self-employment as an editor and analyst to allow her maximum flexibility for her entrepreneurial and creative work. www.thirdfactor.orgTwitter: @ThirdFactorMag and @jlmannistoIn this interview I mentioned three books: A Hunter-Gatherer’s Guide to the Twenty-First Century by Heather Heying and Bret Weinstein; The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt; and Hold On To Your Kids by Gabor Maté and Gordon Neufeld. All of these, as well as many other excellent books, are now available on my website at sometherapist.com/bookshop. 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 ★

Many people are curious about psilocybin assisted therapy, but the illegal status of all hallucinogens in the United States makes it difficult to find accurate information. Enter Jonas: a former social worker who now facilitates healing retreats in Jamaica, where psychedelics are legal. In this episode, Jonas shares his wealth of wisdom, derived from research and experience, on this intriguing yet taboo topic. We geek out on all things psychedelic: neuroscience, healing, peak experiences, self-actualization, self-transcendence, direct religious experiences, myths vs. facts, set and setting, contraindications, confronting our deepest fears, MDMA treatment of PTSD, and finding peace with death. I truly could not have found a more qualified, eloquent, informative, and otherwise downright delightful guest to educate us on this topic. If I do say so myself, this episode is well worth a listen!In addition to facilitating retreats, Jonas Rosen hosts the YouTube channel Cosmic Consciousness. He brings his background in counseling and social work, as well as an abundance of research, into his advocacy and healing work.To learn more about Jonas, visit his website here: https://innervisionpsychedelics.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 ★

I recently emerged victorious from a harrowing battle and successfully defended myself against false allegations of “conversion therapy.” Part of how I got through the stress of it all was envisioning that some day I would be able to use my story to encourage and inspire others. But what I couldn’t have imagined was that I’d share it with the illustrious Helen Joyce.Under any other circumstances I would have loved to interview Helen. But in this conversation, she actually interviewed me, in the hopes that my story could help her organization demonstrate to UK officials how including “gender identity change efforts” in its "conversion therapy bans” could backfire. So today, this is my story: where I started off; my experiences as a gender-affirming therapist; what brought me around to seeing matters differently; why I decided to take a stand against gender ideology and medicalization; how I found the courage to share my views publicly; who targeted me, and why; how I defeated them; and what I want lawmakers around the world to understand about these proposed “conversion therapy bans” (hint: they’re not what they seem.) This is a very timely conversation, so I bumped it to the front of the queue and am publishing it right away. I hope to have Helen back another time to discuss her own ideas. But for now, I really appreciate this opportunity to share my story with Helen, and the world. If I do say so myself, this is an important conversation for therapists, governing bodies, lawmakers, those seeking therapy, and anyone who cares about the treatment of gender issues in today’s society.Helen Joyce is author of “TRANS: When Ideology Meets Reality”, published in July 2021 by OneWorld and in paperback since May 2022. A Times of London and Spectator book of the year, it is a UK and Amazon top ten bestseller. It received rave reviews in publications ranging from the Telegraph to the New York Times, and endorsements from, among others, Daniel Dennett (“A sane, humane book”), Lionel Shriver (“Utterly unintimidated by extremist orthodoxy”) and Richard Dawkins (“Thoroughly researched, passionate and very brave”). Helen now works as Director of Advocacy for Sex Matters, a human-rights organization that campaigns for sex-based rights. Her journalism can be found on her website: thehelenjoyce.com.You can purchase Helen's book 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 ★

Jane is a treasure trove of wisdom who I initially discovered through the transformational, participatory, experiential Systemic Constellations workshops she facilitates locally at her farm in Oregon. In this interview, she shares her insights into the wisdom of the body, the social brain, personal agency, roles and relationships, and systemic change.Jane Peterson, PhD is the founder of the Human Systems Institute, Inc. She has traveled the world engaging in transformational work at both group and individual levels. She facilitates and teaches Systemic Constellations, an embodied, relational approach to change. Her workshops and private consulting sessions facilitate somatic healing of the relational structures we are embedded in.Find Jane and her offerings at www.human-systems-institute.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 ★

When we are fully present in our bodies and know how to trust our inner guidance, we gain the confidence to navigate any of life’s ups and downs. In this interview, Amy and I explore values and virtues, boundaries versus barriers, the wisdom in our sense perceptions, the concept of inner authority — and why you might want to shift your focus from feeling better to being a better feeler.Amy Sousa, MA, holds degrees from NYU, Tisch School of the Arts, and the Pacifica Graduate Institute. She has 20 years theater education experience, with 15 years in the teaching in NYC public schools teaching peer mediation, conflict resolution, anger management, self esteem building, and literacy using theater engagement. She also served as the Education Director at small regional theater in WA state. Amy's graduate and post graduate doctoral work focused on the creative imagination and ecopsychology as a basis for building embodied awareness. She is currently a women's rights activist, educator, & facilitator whose work focuses on embodiment, boundaries, intuition, instincts, & sense perceptions as an internal authority building practice.For more about Amy follow her on Twitter or Instagram @KnownHeretic, on YouTube, and on her website https://www.littleredreverberations.com For more information email her at amy@littleredreverberations.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 ★