the Informed Simplicity podcast

EP 22: Adam Mathews and the Digital Future of Therapy

"Most online schools, that are accredited, have a thousand people in their master's program getting online degrees, and so to then say that we don't do online therapy is kind of ludacris. And we don't teach how to do online therapy well, that's kinda ludacris as well."

Adam Mathews was my first supervisor. As I was grinding away as an In-Home therapist I watched him transition smoothly from the world of managed care into private practice. Since then his online presence as a therapist has only grown. He has a wonderful website, a sex therapy podcast, and generally is slowly dominating the world. So when I wondered who could speak to practice building in a way that was practical for the digital age, I knew who I had to talk to. 

In this episode we talk about:

• The three keys every therapist needs to know for building their online presence
• His must read list for building a private practice
• Why he doesn't do group therapy, (and what he does instead)

Listen here on iTunes 

Here on YouTube

or

check us out on PODCAST ADDICT

PS: if you enjoyed this episode check out my interview with Alexis Dubief. She's in influencer and changer maker who also talks about online presence for therapist. 

EP 21: Alex Vaz on Becoming a Practitioner Researcher

 "It's not that we're doing nothing. It's that a lot of the things we're focusing on {don't} seem to map to outcomes."

After talking with Alex I got the sense that if we weren't divided by an ocean we'd be good friends. Living in Lisbon, Portugal he does a little of everything, teaching, research, practice, etc. He first appeared on my radar after I stumbled upon his amazing youtube series for therapist: Psychotherapy Expert Talks where he interviews top therapist and researchers in the field. Not only is he super friendly and incredibly welcoming, he is also uniquely knowledgeable about therapy. In this episode we talk about 

• How explanations and rationals can dramatically improve your outcomes
• The top therapist/ researcher he knows
  
• Why models don't matter, and you should still pick one
• and much much more

 

PS if you enjoyed this episode check out this episode with Scott Miller. He's another one on the frontier of the field. 

Listen HERE on iTunes

Ep 20: Scott Miller and What it Takes To Be a Better Therapist

"I'm not interested in psychotherapy as an enterprise. I'm interested in doing whatever it takes to engage people in helping people help themselves to lead healthier, more functional, happier lives."

 

Scott Miller is easily one of the most important and most underrated psychologist of our time. Listen to him speak for just a few minutes and it's clear why. He has a master of the research that is almost unparalleled. But that is not what makes him great. What makes him great is he knows where to look. All of his energy is focused, not on theory, but on the very specific things which make therapy work. He's a master because he knows where to look. That sort of clarity is rare indeed. In this interview we cover:

• His work with the founders of SFBT and why the group split up.
• How many sessions the average client comes to therapy.
• The importance of tracking outcomes
• The surprising research on which therapies are most effective 
• How therapy needs to return it it's magickal roots. 

If you enjoyed this check out this episode on what separates great therapists from average therapists.

If you'd like to learn more about Scott check out his website, or read his article How Psychotherapy Lost it's Magick (it will blow you away). For more on tracking your outcomes check out his books Deliberate Practice for  Psychotherapist or The Cycle of Excellence, and his FREE outcome measures. 

 

If after all this you still want more his new book Better Results comes out in September. Until then pick up a copy of Peak, its book about becoming the best, and it reads like a novel. 

EP 19: Denise Walker, A.B.D. on In-home Therapy

"How can we educate anybody when they have so much more going on outside of these 6.5 - 7 seven hours of school?"

Denise Walker is one of the few therapist I've seen work. Her ability to connect with teenagers is something to behold. Because of this unique ability, and because of her years of experience working in client's homes, I decided to reach out to her. As you listen, pay special attention to her passion for education, especially for those forgotten and overlooked. 

In this episode we talk about:

• How she started working with youth
• The challenges of in-home therapy, especially when most programs train clinicians for the private practice world
• What a typical week looks like when you're working inhome

 

And much more...

PS. If you enjoyed this episode check out my interview with Noelle Zamunido. She's another with a passion for the disenfranchised. 

Listen HERE on iTunes

or 

search Behind the Mirror on Podcast Addict (for androids)

 

EP 18: An Uncommon Case Report with Eric Greenleaf

"That's all I'm trying to do in therapy, I'm trying to get the patient to teach me how he does things well, [rather] than me to teach him what his mistakes are."

Eric Greenleaf, has plenty of awards. He's a Ph.D, the director of MHEIBA,  editor for the Erickson Foundation Newsletter, and first recipient of the Milton H. Erickson Award of Scientific Excellence for Writing in Hypnosis. However, in this podcast you'll come to see him as a wonderful storyteller. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to him discuss case after case. Whenever I hear stories like this I'm always inspired by what is possible on the far side of therapy. In this episode you'll hear several case reports:

• The case of the trash compactor
• The case of the homemade postcards
• The case of the photographed desk

Find out more about Eric by visiting his website here or by checking out his youtube channel.

PS. If you enjoyed this episode check out my interview with Kershaw and Wade. They combine an Ericksonian approach with Neurofeedback. 

Listen HERE on iTunes

or

search Behind the Mirror on Podcast Addict (for androids)

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Eric Greenleaf, PhD, is offering case consultation to practitioners of Erickson-influenced hypnotherapy, in person or by tele-consulting.

Eric has practiced psychotherapy and hypnosis for 50 years, and taught and consulted Internationally.  He currently consults to therapists in practice in Italy, Poland, Germany, France and the U.S. Contact him at training.MHEIBA@gmail.com to arrange individual or small group consults.

You may also be interested in Eric’s online trainings, for yourself, a small group of colleagues, or your own classes and workshops:

How to Do Hypnosis and Therapy the Erickson Way.

This 8-hour edited video of our live workshop with Betty Alice Erickson LPC, MFT, John Dyckman, PhD and Eric Greenleaf, PhD can be streamed in English or Spanish  8 CEs.

Dr. Greenleaf’s Fundamentals of Advanced Ericksonian Hypnotherapy can also be streamed online. Filmed live at the externship training at MRI in 2014. 38 edited hours of instruction, demonstration and practice exercises. 27 CEs for PhD, PsyD, MFT, LCSW, LPC and RN licenses. MDs, addiction treatment professionals, Feldenkrais practitioners and graduate students can also take this course.  www.miltonherickson.com

EP 17: Deb Dana and the Science of Safety

"[I call polyvagal theory] the science of feeling safe enough to fall in love with life and take the risk of living."

I can't talk about therapy without talking about how important safety is. And I can't talk about safety without talking about polyvagal theory. And I can't talk about polyvagal theory without talking about two names, and one of those is Deb Dana. While others have outlined the steps and stages of safety, Deb's mission is to operationalize safety so that we therapists can use it in practical ways to help our clients. 

In this podcast we talk about:

• How much of mental illness is simply a nervous system which lacks a sense of safety
• The ladder of response and why we can't respond when we don't feel safe
• Innate cues for safety and threat

and more. 

Learn more about Deb Dana here. Also, search her books on Amazon

PS: If you enjoyed this you should check out my episode on how to become a better therapist. It's full of actionable tips. 

Listen HERE on iTunes,

Here on YouTube

or

search Behind the Mirror on Podcast Addict (for androids)

EP 16: Stephen Gilligan and Generative Trance

"Usually with trance you think close your eyes and go away. And that's a good thing to be able to do but I think we always should regard it as a special case. Really what people are needing is how to connect with others and how to participate in life in the present moment with all of who they are."

Before there were therapist there were priest, mystics, magi and the like. Stephen Gilligan is a throwback to the best of those healing traditions. Talking with him and seeing him work is always inspiring and reminds me that what happens between people is more than words. I first got into his work because I was studying hypnosis, but he's gone far beyond traditional hypnosis now and looks at all the ways we can ease suffering through connecting with excluded parts in order to create communities strong enough to hold human suffering. 

In this episode we discuss:

• the importance of tapping in to your center
• how healing comes from connecting to isolated parts
• how the future is all about community
• and much more ...

Read more about Gilligan here. 

PS if you enjoyed this you should check out my episode with Douglas Flemons. I think they're cut from the same cloth. 

Listen HERE on iTunes

or

search Behind the Mirror on Podcast Addict (for androids)

EP 15: Laurence Hirshberg on Neurofeedback and Neuromodulation

"The question I had was, well I could teach people how to cope better, I could teach people how to manage that arousal better, but could I actually turn down that arousal so they weren't having to deal with so damn much."

Laurence Hirshberg is a brainach. You'll get two minutes into this conversation and his intelligence will simply smack you in the face. I love that. I love brilliant people. But he's also the kind of smart person who deeply cares. That is why Laurence was such an awesome guest to have on. Not only does he know his stuff, he also deeply believes in what he's doing and has seen the power of it to change peoples lives. In this episode you'll learn about:

• His early research with babies (and why they made him feel guilty)
• His work with autism
• Why Big Data won't change the world
• how infrared light can heal the brain
• How we've come a long way from Electro Convulsive Therapy
• The book he recommends as a study break
• The book every student should read
• and much more. 

P.S. If you enjoyed this check out my interview with Sebern Fisher. She's the one who opened my eyes to the world of neurofeedback. 

Listen HERE on iTunes

 

EP 14: How to Get your Baby to Sleep (and build a following) with Alexis Dubief

 

{No one is successful by themselves.} It takes a village. And I found my village and I'm super grateful because possibly the 100,000 people we've helped on the facebook group, that would have never have happened if it was just me. 2930

When I learned I was having a child one of my biggest fears was, "How am I going to handle everything when I'm exhausted?" Then, by chance, a friend recommended Alexis' blog Precious Little Sleep and everything changed. Make no mistake, the first few weeks were hard, but they were also more doable because I felt I had a road map, a wise guide, and a strong sense of what was normal. After I survived those first few weeks I knew I had to have Alexis on the podcast. My interview with Alexis was so wonderful. She's so full of energy and incredibly down to earth. In this episode we talk about:

• How and why she started her blog Precious Little Sleep
• Her forthcoming audio book and how it helped her overcome imposter syndrome
• The perils of vocal fry
• How her blog developed out of problems she was trying to solve for herself
• The problem with sleep schedules
• The insidious nature of "parental judgement"
• The question you have to ask when building a platform
• Her 20/80 rule of making content
• The struggles of transitioning to into parenthood
• Why she recommends Smart Passive Income and CopyBlogger for building your niche

PS If you're open to suggestions you'll want to start with this blog post of hers. It's one of my favorites. And if you enjoyed the episode check out this one with another blogger/influencer 

Listen HERE on iTunes

EP 13: Bonnie Kaplan and Nutritional Treatments for Mental Health

If we had a new antidepressant that resulted in a 1/3 remission in just 12 weeks, with no side effects, except having more energy, sleeping better, having better bowel functions etcetera, it would be on the cover of Time magazine. But nobody knows about the nutrition research because the media won't cover it. 

Bonnie Kaplan is a radical. She's a maverick who holds one of the best kept secrets in mental health: that a major player in mental health is nutrition. Over and over agains she's seen how simple it is to dump the nasty side effects of psychotropic chemicals and receive incredible improvements in mental health by changes in nutrition. Talking with her was energizing. She's as charismatic as she is knowledgeable. 

In this episode we talk about: 

• How nutrition affects mental health 
• The connections between nutrition and trauma treatment
• Where most of the serotonin in your body is made, and which body part uses serotonin the most
• How the big leap isn't to a special diet, but to start cooking in general
• The types of problems most impacted by a micronutional approach
• How to help kids struggling with pill swallowing
• The role of knowledge translation
• Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point
• E Fuller Torrey The Invisible Plague

I'm contemplating this quote from our talk:

One group got dietary counseling... and the other got social support. Now we know social support is very good for people with depression. So of course lots of people in both groups got better. but when they looked at rates of remission (for major depression} in just 12 weeks {meaning no longer qualified for Major Depression}  thirty three percent, a third of them who got diet counseling, were in remission.  and 8 percent who got social support. 33 percent compared to 8 percent and all they were taught was how to eat whole foods, how to cook from scratch, how to eat a mediterranean type of diet. 

You can learn even more about nutrition and Bonnie in the links below:

• For the facebook scroller: https://www.facebook.com/nutritionandmentalhealth/
• For the curious grazer: An introductory 12-min video on the role of nutrition for stress, PTSD.
• For the interested student: TEDx talk by Prof Julia Rucklidge, of Univ of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
• For the hard core believer: A 3-part lecture series “Nutrition and Mental Health,” part of a Continuing Medical Education series run by Mad In America
•  

Ps. If you enjoyed this check out this podcast. It's about another radical in the field. 

Listen HERE on iTunes