The Psychology Podcast

In this episode, I talk to Joy Lawson Davis and Deb Douglas about gifted education. Specifically, we identify the underrepresented population of gifted students and the unique cultural barriers they face. Joy and Deb share their definition of what self-advocacy is and why it’s a skill everyone should have. They give helpful tips and resources for educators, parents, and advocates on how to find and nurture gifted potential. We also touch on the topics of equity, test preparation, IQ, special education, and intersectionality.BioDr. Joy Lawson Davis is a career educator with over 40 years of experience as a practitioner, scholar, and consultant in gifted education.She holds both master’s and doctorate degrees in gifted education. Dr. Davis has conducted workshops, been a long-term program consultant, and served as a keynote speaker and distinguished guest lecturer in several countries. In 2019 she was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted organization (SENG). S

In this episode, I talk to Kelly Carlin about the human path to wholeness. We delve into Kelly's childhood and what it was like growing up with the influential comedian George Carlin. Recently, she started her own coaching program called Women on The Verge. With a master's degree in Jungian psychology and a coaching certification, Kelly helps women step out of their expected societal roles by empowering them to reclaim their true selves. She finds great joy in seeing others live fuller, authentic lives. We also touch on the topics of parenting, depth psychology, social justice, interconnectivity, and comedy.BioKelly Carlin is an actress, producer, screenwriter, podcast host, and the only daughter of the late comedian George Carlin. Her fascinations range from discovering how to live a true and deep life, to freedom of expression, to the evolution of consciousness and the American psyche. She’s a practitioner of Zen Buddhism, has a master's in Jungian psychology, and comes from a family steeped in comedy, big

Welcome to The Psychology Podcast! In this episode, I talk to Amanda Knox about her wrongful conviction for the murder of Meredith Kercher. Her experience revealed dark truths about the media’s inclination to over sensationalize stories about young women and the glaring human errors in the criminal justice system. We also touch on the topics of trauma, cancel culture, cognitive biases, law, and forensic science. Throughout this episode, I try my best to show the audience the real Amanda Knox, not the version of her that the media has depicted. Along those lines, I give her some of my psychological tests to take, including my test on self-actualization as well as my psychopath test! You won't want to miss this episode.BioAmanda Knox is a journalist, public speaker, and podcaster. From 2007 to 2015, she spent nearly four years in an Italian prison and eight years on trial for a murder she didn’t commit. The controversy over Amanda’s case made international headlines for nearly a decade and thrust her into the s

In this episode, I talk to world-renowned biologist David Sinclair about aging and longevity. David rejects the notion that the deterioration of health is a natural part of growing old and asserts that aging is a disease itself that we need to reverse. But how will a reset of our biological clocks affect our interactions, responses to adversity, morality, and how we live our lives? We discuss the ethical implications of limitless lifespans and also touch on the topics of death, evolution, genetics, medicine, and data tracking.BioDr. David Sinclair is a professor in the department of genetics and co-director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for Biology of Aging Research at Harvard Medical School and co-founder of the scientific journal Aging. He is best known for his work on understanding why we age and how to slow its effects. In addition to being a co-founder of several biotechnology companies, he's the author of the book Lifespan: Why We Age – and Why We Don't Have To. Dr. Sinclair was listed by TIME magazine as

In this episode, I talk to renowned neuroscientist Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett about emotions and the brain. She reveals what the true function of the brain is⎯and it’s not for thinking. We also discuss the impact of past experiences on our cognition and what we can do to overcome our own detrimental patterns. Further into our discussion, Dr. Lisa challenges the traditionally held view that emotions are universal. In her own theory of constructed emotion, she argues that variability in emotional expression exists due to socialization and language differences. We also touch on the topics of hallucinogens, culture, education, relationships, and authoritarianism.BioDr. Lisa Feldman Barrett is among the top one percent most-cited scientists in the world for her revolutionary research in psychology and neuroscience. She is a University Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Northeastern University. She also holds appointments at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, where she is Chief Science O

In this episode, I talk to renowned developmental psychologist Paul Bloom about the pleasures of suffering. We start by discussing the value of suffering in pursuit of meaning and make the distinction between unforeseen tragedy and chosen suffering. Paul also elaborates on BDSM and horror as examples of benign masochism⎯activities that people find comfort and enjoyment in despite the experience of fear. We also touch on the topics of meditation, Buddhism, attachment, parenting, and empathy.BioPaul Bloom is professor of psychology at the University of Toronto and the Brooks and Suzanne Ragen professor emeritus of psychology at Yale University. His research explores the psychology of morality, identity, and pleasure. Dr. Bloom is the recipient of multiple awards and honors including most recently the million-dollar Klaus J. Jacobs Research Prize. He has written for scientific journals such as Nature and Science and for the New York Times, The New Yorker, and Atlantic Monthly. He’s the author or editor of eight

In this episode, I talk to renowned psychotherapist and author Esther Perel about love and relationships. We tackle the true essence of the word “eros” and “freedom” in the context of romantic relationships. Esther offers her perspective on marriage and affairs, getting to the root cause of why people cheat. With the redefinition of fidelity and sexuality, our current society is still learning how to navigate new patterns of relationships. We also touch on the topics of soulmates, masculinity, how to keep passion alive during a global pandemic, and Esther’s practice as a cross-cultural therapist. BioEsther Perel is a psychotherapist and a New York Times bestselling author, recognized as one of today’s most insightful and original voices on modern relationships. Fluent in nine languages, she hones a therapy practice in New York City and serves as an organizational consultant for Fortune 500 companies around the world. Her celebrated TED Talks have garnered more than 30 million views and her best-selling books

In this episode, I talk to Richard Tedeschi about post-traumatic growth (PTG). We dive into how Richard became interested in PTG and the findings from his many years of research. As a clinical psychologist, Richard emphasizes the lived experiences of individuals⎯acknowledging that trauma and transformative change are very context-specific. We also touch on the topics of cultural differences, personality, and Boulder Institute’s post-traumatic growth program. BioDr. Richard Tedeschi is professor emeritus of psychology at University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He’s a licensed psychologist specializing in bereavement and trauma, and has led support groups for bereaved parents for over 20 years. With his colleague Lawrence Calhoun, he published books on post-traumatic growth, an area of research that they have developed that examines personal transformations in the aftermath of traumatic life events. Their books include Trauma and Transformation, Posttraumatic Growth, Facilitating Posttraumatic Growth, Helpin

Hi everyone, today is a very special episode of The Psychology Podcast. A few nights ago, the legendary psychiatrist Dr. Aaron Temkin Beck passed away peacefully in his sleep at the age of 100. Tim, as his friends and family affectionally called him, lived an exemplary, full life well lived. Personally, he was a dear mentor and friend of mine. I used to live in the building next door to him in Philadelphia and we'd have tuna sandwiches together on Sundays at his place and discuss humanistic psychology and how to treat patients as humans first. He was always so encouraging of my work, and I enjoyed our discussions about his life and work immensely. I will miss his bow tie, fist bumps, and a sharp mind, which lasted all the way until the end. In my last in-person meeting with him just before the pandemic hit, I handed him a microphone and asked if he would talk about what research he was most excited about these days and whether he could give any advice to young psychologists. That recording is what you will he

In this episode, I talk to Isaac Prilleltensky about well-being and happiness. We start our discussion by highlighting the environment and community’s role in well-being instead of conceptualizing it as a purely individualistic construct. Isaac further elaborates on the dangers of mattering “too much” and why we need to balance personal and collective wellness. We also touch on the topics of fairness, social justice, humanistic psychology, and Isaac’s works as a humor writer. BioIsaac Prilleltensky holds the inaugural Erwin and Barbara Mautner Chair in Community Well-Being at the University of Miami. He’s published 12 books and over 140 articles and chapters. His interests are in the promotion of well-being in individuals, organizations, and communities; and in the integration of wellness and fairness. His most recent book is How People Matter: Why It Affects Health, Happiness, Love, Work, and Society, co-authored with his wife, Dr. Ora Prilleltensky. Website: www.professorisaac.com/ Topics 00:01:10 Isaac’s d

In this episode, I talk to George Bonanno about trauma and resiliency. We start off by discussing what people get wrong about trauma and how this led to the invention of the PTSD diagnosis. George defines what resilience is, how it’s different from growth, and its paradoxical correlation to individual differences. Finally, he elaborates on how the flexibility mindset and sequence help us get through personal traumatic events or global tragedies like 9/11 or the COVID-19 pandemic. Bio Dr. George Bonanno is a professor of psychology, chair of the department of counseling in clinical psychology, and director of the Loss, Trauma, and Emotion Lab at Teachers College Columbia University. He’s the author of The Other Side of Sadness and The End of Trauma. Website: www.tc.columbia.edu/LTElab/ Twitter: @giorgiobee Topics 00:01:41 Jerome L. Singer’s influence on George 00:05:42 Society’s skewed view of trauma 00:08:15 Explaining the PTSD diagnosis 00:10:38 People are more resilient than you think 00:14:23 Resilience VS

Today it’s great to have Steven Pinker on the podcast. Dr. Pinker is the Johnstone professor of psychology at Harvard University. A two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist and the winner of many awards for his research, teaching, and books. He’s been elected to the National Academy of Science, and named as one of Time’s “100 Most Influential People”, and one of Foreign Policy’s “100 Leading Global Thinkers”. His books include How the Mind Works, The Blank State, The Stuff of Thought, The Better Angels of Our Nature, The Sense of Style, Enlightenment Now, and most recently, Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters.  In this episode, I talk to Steven about the definition of rationality, how it relates to truth, and how it’s different from logic. We also discuss the trade-offs in decision making, the limited usefulness of strategic irrationality, the boundaries of socially acceptable fiction, and why people have weird beliefs among other things.Website: stevenpinker.comTwitter: @sapinker Topics01:02

Today it’s great to have Annie Murphy Paul on the podcast. Annie writes about how the findings of cognitive science and psychology could help us to think and act more intelligently. Annie contributes to the New York Times Magazine and the New York Times Book Review, Slate, and O, The Oprah Magazine, among many other publications. She’s also the author of a number of books including The Cult of Personality, Origins, and most recently, The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain. In this episode, I talk to Annie about the research and concepts in her new book The Extended Mind. We debunk the notion that intelligence is only in the brain by discussing how our bodies, spaces, and relationships all contribute to thought processes. Finally, we also touch on how to build knowledge and expertise through productive cognitive loops, cognitive unloading, and imitation.  Topics 01:05 Thinking outside the brain 03:54 Individual differences in interception 09:51 Annie’s definition of intelligence 13:30 Cogni

Today it’s great to have Paige Harden on the podcast. Dr. Harden is a professor of clinical psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, where is the director of the Developmental Behavior Genetics lab and co-director of the Texas Twin Project. Her new book is called The Genetic Lottery: Why DNA Matters for Social Equality. Topics· Heritability does not imply determinism· What is the value of the heritability coefficient?· Nature and nurture are always intertwined· Genes, giftedness, and responsibility· Separating individual differences from hierarchy· Genetics as a tool for social policy· Can we systematically improve general intelligence?· Prioritizing self-actualization in education· Group differences data, racism, inequality· Anti-eugenics and the great synthesis· Polygenic scores: evaluations, correlations, and applicationsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today it’s great to have Nick Gillespie on the podcast. Nick is a libertarian journalist who is currently an editor at large at Reason. A two-time finalist for digital National Magazine Awards, Gillespie’s work has appeared in the New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, Slate, Salon, Time.com, Marketplace, and basically any other publication that you’re ever going to read. The Daily Beast named Nick one of “The Right’s Top 25 Journalists”, calling him “clear headed, brainy…among the foremost libertarians in America.” Topics· Reason: “free minds and free markets”· What does being a libertarian mean?· A critique of American’s intervention in Afghanistan· Nick’s childhood and upbringing· The values of libertarianism· Parallels between Maslow and libertarianism· Nick’s pseudonym Mr. Myxzptlk· Child-proofing the world· How parenting styles and expectations shape children· The millennial experience of pressure and self-actualization· The paradox of mar

Today it’s great to have Richard Ryan on the podcast. Dr. Ryan is a professor at the Institute for Positive Psychology and Education at the Australian Catholic University in North Sydney and professor emeritus in psychology at the University of Rochester. Dr. Ryan is a clinical psychologist and co-developer of Self-Determination Theory (SDT), one of the leading theories of human motivation. He’s among the most cited researchers in psychology and social sciences today, ranking among the top 1% of researchers in the field. Dr. Ryan has been recognized as one of the eminent psychologists of the modern era, listed among the top 20 most influential industrial organizational psychologists and has been honored with many distinguished career awards. He’s co-author with Edward Deci of the book Self-Determination Theory: Basic Psychological Needs in Motivation, Development, and Wellness. Topics· Dr. Ryan’s interest in psychology· Dr. Ryan’s influences in psychology and philosophy· What is self-determination?· The conti

Today we have Ron Friedman on the podcast. Dr. Friedman is an award-winning social psychologist who specializes in human motivation. He has served in the faculty of the University of Rochester, Nazareth College, and Hobart and William Smith Colleges, and has consulted for Fortune 500 companies, political leaders, and world’s leading non-profits. His books include The Best Place to Work: The Art and Science of Creating an Extraordinary Workplace and most recently Decoding Greatness: How the Best in the World Reverse Engineer Success.  Topics· Achieve greatness through reverse engineering· Reverse Outlining, the most popular TED Talk· The Xerox Story with Steve Jobs and Bill Gates· Why complete copycats fail· Originality is not creativity· Start a collection of masterpieces· How The Ritz-Carlton Hotel uses the Scoreboard Principle· Courage alone is not enough for success· Strategic practice and cross-training· Does visualization increase chances of success?· How copying can facilitate creativity      See omnyst

Today we have Brad Stulberg on the podcast. Brad is an internationally known expert on human performance, well-being, and sustainable success. He’s co-author of the bestselling Peak Performance and The Passion Paradox. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Wired, Forbes, and more. He’s a contributing editor to Outside Magazine. In his coaching practice, Brad works with executives and entrepreneurs on their performance and well-being and he regularly speaks to large organizations on these topics as well. His latest book is called The Practice of Groundedness: A Transformative Path to Success That Feeds−Not Crushes−Your Soul. Topics · The truth with a capital T · Brad’s coaching practice · The Practice of Groundedness · Benefits of exercise and movement · What is groundedness? · The right way to strive · The problem with hustle culture, optimization, and biohacking · Research findings about loneliness, alcoholism, and anxiety · Accepting where you are to get where

Today it’s great to have Irvin Yalom on the podcast. Yalom is emeritus professor of psychiatry at Stanford University’s School of Medicine and author of many internationally bestselling books including Love’s Executioner, The Gift of Therapy, Becoming Myself, and When Nietzsche Wept. He was the recipient of the 1974 Edward Strecker Award and the 1979 Foundations’ Fund Prize in Psychiatry. His textbooks Inpatient Group Psychotherapy and Existential Psychotherapy are classics and have influenced me personally, deeply. Dr. Yalom lives in Palo Alto, California. Topics · Dr. Yalom’s childhood and upbringing · Dr. Yalom’s interest in existential psychology · Group therapy and death anxiety · Rollo May’s influence on Dr. Yalom · Dr. Yalom’s books · Death anxiety and regret · Coping with his wife’s death · Meeting Viktor Frankl, Carl Rogers, and other legends in psychology · Last moments with Rollo May · A Matter of Death and Life with the Yaloms · Dr. Yalom’s advice to therapists · Overcoming the terror of death ·

Today we have Heather McGhee on the podcast. Heather is an expert in economic and social policy. The former president of the inequality-focused thinktank “Demos” McGhee has drafted a legislation testified before Congress and contributed regularly in news shows including MBC’s “Meet the Press”. She now chairs the board of “Color of Change”, the nation’s largest online racial justice organization. McGhee holds a BA in American Studies from Yale University and a JD from the University of California Berkeley School of Law. Her latest book is called “The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together”. Topics · Disconnect between policy makers and working families · Heather’s hope for America · Zero-sum racial competition in White and Black People · The true definition of “White Privilege” · Racist policy-making in determining economic opportunity · How the Subprime Mortgage Crisis was fueled by racism · Heather meeting a white supremacist-turned-anti-racist advocate · “The Big Lie” in elec