Connection Therapy

The research is becoming more and more clear that the line between mental and physical is not so distinct. The practicing mental health practitioner is in a bind though, because our training is only for mental health, and yet we lose a lot of assessment information if we do not observe physical health indicators.This episode highlights some more reasons why it is imperative for mental health clinicians to be aware of physical health implications. It also provides some guidance on how to collaborate with medical professionals in support of patient overall outcomes.For more Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Episodes: https://feeds.captivate.fm/connection-therapy/physiology-psychology-heart-rate-variability-affective-systems-and-more/Attend a Course at Connection Therapy:https://connection-therapy.com/courses-and-eventsWe Want to Hear Your Feedback! Please Contribute to the Conversation: Share your thoughts on the podcast and how these concepts work in your practice, or ask a question and I’ll answer it in an upcoming episode: https://connection-therapy.com/contact-usLeave feedback or ask a question with a message on Instagram: @theconnectiontherapypodcastReferences:Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) Information:https://www.nimh.nih.gov/research/research-funded-by-nimh/rdocWoody, M. L., McGeary, J. E., & Gibb, B. E. (2014). Brooding rumination and heart rate variability in women at high and low risk for depression: Group differences and moderation by COMT genotype. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 123(1), 61–67. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035450

Mental health practitioners need to be aware of patients’ somatic experiences as indicators of their ability to have success in treatment, particularly when the timing of an interventions might be most effective.Working across disciplines, Dr. Murrow demonstrates how being observant of somatic and nervous system states, and the way they present during session, will support the effectiveness of interventions and treatment overall.Attend a Course at Connection Therapy:https://connection-therapy.com/courses-and-eventsWe Want to Hear Your Feedback! Please Contribute to the Conversation: Share your thoughts on the podcast and how these concepts work in your practice, or ask a question and I’ll answer it in an upcoming episode: https://connection-therapy.com/contact-usLeave feedback or ask a question with a message on Instagram: @theconnectiontherapypodcastEnjoying the podcast?There are now playlists for you to navigate to your favorite topics: https://connection-therapy.com/playlistReference:Peper, E., Yoshino, A., & Harvey, R. (2026). Hope for dry eyes and eye strain: How breathing-blinking patterns influence dry eye experience. Biofeedback, 54(1), 25–30. https://doi.org/10.5298/1081-5937-54.01.25

Did you know there is a scale for Guts, Resilience, Integrity, and Tenacity (GRIT), and there is interest in learning about these factors as they relate to academic potential?So, what does this have to do with the practice of therapy? Dr. Murrow considers how we see these concepts display in session. She provides ways to utilize the concepts in support of patients, whether or not a practicing clinician explores the GRIT assessments.Also, the Connection Therapy Podcast is celebrating 3 years of publishing this month! Thank you for your support!Attend a Course at Connection Therapy:https://connection-therapy.com/courses-and-eventsWe Want to Hear Your Feedback! Please Contribute to the Conversation: Share your thoughts on the podcast and how these concepts work in your practice, or ask a question and I’ll answer it in an upcoming episode: https://connection-therapy.com/contact-usLeave feedback or ask a question with a message on Instagram: @theconnectiontherapypodcastEnjoying the podcast?There are now playlists for you to navigate to your favorite topics: https://connection-therapy.com/playlistReferences:American Psychological Association Dictionaryhttps://dictionary.apa.org/gritBritto, D. R., Rizvana, A. M. S., George, N., Subramaniyan, D., Narayanan, D., Mani, D. K. R., Annadurai, E., & Prakas, E. J. (2023). Guts, Resilience, Integrity, and Tenacity (GRIT) Among Mid Adolescent School Students in a District of South India: A Cross-Sectional Study. Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, 45(3), 243–249. https://doi.org/10.1177/02537176231151709Sanchez, L. L. (2019). The psychology of the colonized mind: The relationship between grit and ethnic identity among among Puerto Ricans [ProQuest Information & Learning]. In Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering (Vol. 80, Issue 8–B(E)).

There are so many terms to describe human experience and by extension ways to describe how to do mental health treatment. The number of terms can be overwhelming, especially to new professionals.In this episode, Dr. Murrow integrates some of these terms by going back to the original definitions of them in earlier centuries. This translation is offered in order to support both new and experienced psychotherapists in finding resonance with new terms and to re-establish their confidence.Attend a Course at Connection Therapy:https://connection-therapy.com/courses-and-eventsWe Want to Hear Your Feedback! Please Contribute to the Conversation: Share your thoughts on the podcast and how these concepts work in your practice, or ask a question and I’ll answer it in an upcoming episode: https://connection-therapy.com/contact-usLeave feedback or ask a question with a message on Instagram: @theconnectiontherapypodcastEnjoying the podcast?There are now playlists for you to navigate to your favorite topics: https://connection-therapy.com/playlistReferences:Freud, Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis, 1977/1917, p. 443Freud, The Dynamics of Transference, 1990/1912, p. 8Jung, Memories, Dreams, Reflections, 1989/1963, p. 212Jung, The Practice of psychotherapy, 1985/1929, p. 61McWilliams, Psychoanalytic Diagnosis, 1999, p. 106

Most therapy is reported as successful when the client feels a relatedness to their therapist. Yet, a lot of talk-therapy interventions are based on insight or the ability to cognitively react, and the relatedness between therapist and client largely goes un-assessed.In this episode, Dr. Murrow advocates for an increased awareness of non-verbal communication and specifically interpersonal synchrony between clients and therapists. Interpersonal synchrony is the idea that body movements, nervous system dynamics, and more tend to synchronize between beings, often below conscious awareness. She gives some possibilities of how this works and can improve the delivery of mental health services.Attend a Course at Connection Therapy:https://connection-therapy.com/courses-and-eventsWe Want to Hear Your Feedback! Please Contribute to the Conversation: Share your thoughts on the podcast and how these concepts work in your practice, or ask a question and I’ll answer it in an upcoming episode: https://connection-therapy.com/contact-usLeave feedback or ask a question with a message on Instagram: @theconnectiontherapypodcastEnjoying the podcast?There are now playlists for you to navigate to your favorite topics: https://connection-therapy.com/playlistReferences:Embodied Cognition: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embodied_cognitionTschacher W (2026) Applications of synergetics in psychology: interpersonal synchrony in social systems. Front. Netw. Physiol. 5:1739213. doi: 10.3389/fnetp.2025.1739213