The Psychology Podcast

Arthur Brooks, co-founder and CEO of DeepMind, dives into the art of happiness and resilience. He discusses how embracing life's ups and downs can lead to personal growth and fulfillment. Relationships, meaningful work, and faith are highlighted as keys to well-being. Brooks shares actionable strategies for managing emotions and habits. The conversation touches on neuroscience and how understanding our emotions, both happiness and unhappiness, can pave the way for a richer life. His insights encourage listeners to view challenges not as obstacles, but as integral parts of their happiness journey.

Troy Carter, co-founder and CEO of Venice Music, discusses spotting creative potential in the music industry, the golden age of hip hop, discovering Lady Gaga, and the impact of AI on music. They also explore the future of talent spotting through platforms like TikTok and YouTube.

Maya Shankar, cognitive scientist and host of 'A Slight Change of Plans', explores the transformative power of change and how it can lead to self-discovery and personal growth. Topics discussed include losing one's lifelong passion, embracing change, the role of inspiration and awe, and the importance of updating beliefs and values.

Seth Gillihan, licensed psychologist specializing in mindful cognitive behavioral therapy, discusses the benefits of adding mindfulness to CBT for improved well-being, finding meaning and peace, and touches on topics of spirituality and openness to experience.

Dr. Robert L. Leahy, Director of The American Institute for Cognitive Therapy NYC, discusses finding freedom from regret. He describes the difference between productive and unproductive rumination, explores cognitive biases related to loss and opportunity, and shares strategies for letting go of regret. Topics include affective forecasting, coping, resilience, existential perfectionism, inaction inertia, hindsight bias, adaptive humility, the boredom technique, and productive guilt.

Today we welcome Caroline Leaf to the podcast. Dr. Caroline Leaf is a communication pathologist and cognitive neuroscientist with a Masters and PhD in Communication Pathology and Logopaedics. Since the early 1980s, she has researched the mind-brain connection, the nature of mental health and the formation of memory. Dr. Leaf is also the bestselling author of Switch on Your Brain, Think Learn Succeed, and Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess. Her latest book is called How to Help Your Child Clean Up Their Mental Mess. In this episode, I talk to Dr. Caroline Leaf about managing the mind. The world is a crazy place and our minds can get disorderly trying to keep up with it! But according to Dr. Leaf, to have a messy mind is to be human. We don’t have to pathologize our emotions and thoughts. Instead, we can embrace them and implement strategies that allow us to better direct ourselves. Dr. Leaf shows us how to make sense of the messy mind and the scientific research behind those steps. We also touch on the topics of self-compassion, consciousness, trauma, and neuroplasticity. Website: drleaf.com & mentallyresilientkids.comInstagram: @drcarolineleaf Topics02:10 Dr. Leaf’s background and expertise08:23 Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess16:14 Managing the mind23:47 Emotions are warning signals 30:26 Intrusive rumination34:40 Detox from trauma42:24 The Neurocycle 46:22 Where CBT works best 49:13 Dr. Leaf’s research See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we welcome Gabe Howard to the podcast. Gabe is an award-winning podcast host, author, and sought-after speaker. He hosts the Inside Mental Health podcast and is the author of Mental Illness is an Asshole and Other Observations. He’s been featured in numerous publications including Bipolar Magazine, WebMD, Healthline.com, and the Stanford Online Medical Journal. Among his many awards, he is the recipient of Mental Health America’s Norman Guitry Award and received a resolution from the Governor of Ohio naming him an “Everyday Hero.” In this episode, I talk to Gabe Howard about living with bipolar disorder, an illness that is characterized by emotional highs and lows. Gabe shares what phases of mania and depression are really like and how the sudden shifts feel so jarring. Even though the disorder has its own set of challenges, Gabe is a staunch believer in taking responsibility for his actions. He opens up about his journey of recovery and the coping strategies that have benefited him. We also talk about the common misconceptions about people with bipolar disorder and public figures who may have had this mental illness.Website: gabehoward.comTwitter: @gabehoward29 Topics03:22 Gabe’s childhood and diagnosis05:36 Experiencing a wide range of moods11:31 True mania is not productive 14:47 Bipolar disorder does not control me22:03 Hypersexuality 30:28 Feeling dead inside32:49 Mania changes what you see36:07 Working on coping skills39:53 Everyday mindfulness42:03 Perception is reality45:09 The dangers of bipolar disorder48:01 Public figures with bipolar disorderSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we welcome Eric Zimmer to the podcast. Eric works as a behavior coach and has done so for the past 20 years. He has coached hundreds of people from around the world on how to make significant life changes that serve them well in achieving the goals they’ve set for themselves. He also hosts the award-winning podcast, The One You Feed. With over 30 million downloads, the show features conversations with experts across many fields of study about how to create a life that has less suffering and more fulfillment and meaning. His story and his work have been featured in the media including TedX, Mind Body Green, Elephant Journal, the BBC and Brain Pickings.In this episode, I talk to Eric Zimmer about how to have a meaningful engagement with life. When we feel connected to what matters, it becomes easier to create an action plan that gets us moving in the right direction. At times, our emotions can get in the way but Eric believes that focusing on behavior changes can help us re-train our thoughts while leading us to our desired outcomes. Eric combines principles from religion, philosophy, and psychology to give us tips on how we can live out our values more mindfully day by day. We also touch on the topics of spirituality, agency, self-love, addiction, and emotions. Website: oneyoufeed.netTwitter: @oneyoufeed Topics02:35 Eric’s background and expertise06:25 Behavioral activation11:47 Be on your own side17:54 Recovering from addiction21:15 Spirituality is connection26:02 Victimhood and agency33:43 The Middle Way40:00 The emotional storm model45:06 Creating feels spiritual49:00 Kenshō awakening51:44 Spiritual direction See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we welcome Niall Breslin to the podcast. Niall is one of Ireland’s most formidable and inspiring mental health advocates and public speakers. He is the lead singer and songwriter for “The Blizzards”, and was a coach on “The Voice of Ireland”. His award-winning mental health charity “A Lust for Life” teaches young people to be effective guardians of their own minds. He works with a diverse range of clients, including Apple, Google, international NGOs, and The European Parliament. Niall hosts the ‘Where Is My Mind’ and “Wake Up Wind Down” podcasts, both of which are regularly in the UK and Ireland’s top podcast charts. In this episode I talk to Niall Breslin about mental health. During his early days as an entertainer and athlete, Niall has always tried to put his best foot forward. But behind this confident exterior, he was silently suffering. It was only after he came forward about his struggles that he sought the help he needed. Instead of avoiding negative emotions, Niall encourages us to face them bravely, either through therapy or mindfulness. We also touch on the topics of education, introspection, resilience, community, and empowerment.Website: niallbreslin.comInstagram: @bressie Topics02:07 Niall’s background and upbringing 09:12 Surviving a panic attack on TV 14:41 Opening up about mental health18:40 You can run, but you can't outrun27:36 Buddhist meditation practice33:57 Re-conceptualizing masculinity 39:09 Community values42:31 Living bravely with mindfulness50:33 Vitamin P54:01 The Chill Skill58:44 Where is My Mind?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we welcome Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris to the podcast. Daniel Simons is a professor of psychology at the University of Illinois where he heads the Visual Cognition Laboratory. His research explores the limits of awareness and memory, the reasons why we often are unaware of those limits, and the implications for our personal and professional lives.Christopher Chabris is professor and co-director of the Behavioral and Decision Sciences Program at Geisinger Health System. He is also faculty co-director of Geisinger's Behavioral Insights Team. From 2014 to 2017, he wrote a monthly column called GAME ON for The Wall Street Journal. His essays have been published in several media outlets.Daniel and Christopher met at Harvard University in 1997, where they began to collaborate on research. In 2004 they shared the Ig Nobel Prize in Psychology, awarded for The Invisible Gorilla experiment. Together, they co-authored the New York Times bestselling book of the same name. Their latest book is called Nobody's Fool: Why We Get Taken In and What We Can Do About It.In this episode I talk to Daniel and Christopher about scams and how NOT to get scammed! With enough information and persuasion, anybody can fall for a scheme. According to Daniel and Christopher, certain cognitive biases can make us vulnerable to deception. To help us outsmart con artists, they elaborate the different types of scams and how they work, all the while giving us tools to navigate shady situations. Website: dansimons.com & chabris.comTwitter: @profsimons & @cfchabris Topics03:20 Nobody’s Fool07:54 Using AI for deception10:13 The truth bias12:42 Fixed belief bias16:40 The possibility grid22:27 Scamming through social media24:21 The Nigerian email scam27:19 Scam baiting29:01 Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme 35:16 Are mediums scammers?36:47 Why do people ignore red flags?38:59 The Tinder Swindler and romance scams44:05 Highly successful people get scammed too47:17 When to be skeptical54:37 Accept less, check moreSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.