Thoughts on Record: Podcast of the Ottawa Institute of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

<p>Thoughts on Record is the podcast of the Ottawa Institute of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (OICBT) located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Each week we explore topics relevant to clinicians and mental health consumers from a cognitive behavioural perspective; however, if you’re generally interested in psychology, psychotherapy, evolutionary psychology, mental health, the brain, dynamics of human behaviour, creativity, wellness & performance then this podcast will certainly be of interest to you. Thoughts on Record is hosted by OICBT clinical psychologist Dr. Pete Kelly, C. Psych. Dr. Kelly is a Clinical Professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Ottawa and Adjunct Research Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at Carleton University. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Kelly is actively involved in directing speciality programming at OICBT, teaching and supervision, providing workshops to mental health professionals and is a frequent speaker to organizations around the impact of stress on well-being. Email the show: oicbtpodcast@gmail.com. You can visit the OICBT at www.ottawacbt.ca. Original theme music courtesy of OPK5, outro music courtesy of Baldhero & Van Whelan https://baldherovanwhelan.bandcamp.com</p>

Dr. Maelisa McCaffrey - Clinical Documentation

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! 🎙️ Episode Overview Clinical documentation: every therapist’s frenemy. For many mental health professionals, paperwork is one of the most persistent sources of stress—filled with contradictory advice, defensive writing habits, and the ever-present fear of audits or legal scrutiny. Add to that an endless backlog of notes and inconsistent training, and it’s no wonder documentation can feel more like a burden than a cornerstone of good clinical care. With ...

10-06
57:52

Dr. Claire Sira & Tom Hudock: Feeling Loved With Adult ADHD

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! In this episode, Dr. Claire Sira and Tom Hudock join me to discuss their new book Feeling Loved with Adult ADHD. We explore how ADHD can quietly undermine even the strongest relationships—and how partners can move from shame and blame to empathy and trust. Together we cover: Emotion dysregulation and its impact on intimacyADHD as a “third partner” in relationshipsMoving from criticism to curiosityThe “Trust Account” metaphor for building connectionNavig...

09-08
01:03:43

Dr. Niko Kukushkin - One Hand Clapping: Rethinking the Human Mind

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! In this conversation, neuroscientist and author Dr. Nikolay Kukushkin joins us to explore some of the deepest questions about the human mind. Drawing from his book One Hand Clapping, Dr. Kukushkin offers a rare synthesis of biology, evolution, and philosophy—challenging us to reconsider not only how the mind works, but what it means to be a mind at all. Topics & Questions Covered: What inspired One Hand Clapping and the central questions it seeks to...

08-11
01:07:21

Dr. James Cordova - The Mindful Path to Intimacy

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! Clinicians will often hear their clients express deeply felt needs, only to admit they’ve never shared them with their partner—usually due to fear of vulnerability or a defensive, adversarial dynamic that makes intimacy feel unsafe. In today’s episode, we are joined by Dr. James Cordova—Professor of Psychology at Clark University and creator of The Relationship Checkup—to discuss his new book, The Mindful Path to Intimacy. Dr. Cordova’s book offer...

07-15
59:47

Dr. Meredith Gansner - Depression, Diagnosis & Digital Culture in Teens

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! Digital media is changing the way young people experience—and express—mental health struggles, particularly depression. Child and adolescent psychiatrist, Dr. Meredith Gansner, joins us to discuss themes in her new book Teen Depression Gone Viral. 🔍 Topics We Explore: What inspired Teen Depression Gone Viral and the choice to focus on digital media’s roleCurrent trends in teen depression—what’s driving the rise?Why are so many teens turning to so...

06-16
01:04:56

Dr. Heather Wheeler - Perfectionism in High Performers

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! At first glance, perfectionism looks like an asset; however, the same internal drive that fuels greatness can also erode well-being, leaving success feeling empty and unsatisfying. In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Heather Wheeler, psychologist and former elite athlete, to explore the psychology of perfectionism in high achievers. In this conversation we cover: Defining perfectionism: What is it and is it ever adaptive?Early Conditioning: The ...

06-02
58:05

Dr. Chris Taplin - Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! Dr. Chris Taplin,a psychiatrist and founder of Ottawa’s TMS Life clinic, joins us for a deep dive into one of the most promising frontiers in psychiatric care: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, or TMS. As clinicians, many of us have encountered the heartbreak of treatment-resistant depression — watching clients struggle despite best-practice psychotherapy and pharmacology. TMS offers a non-invasive, evidence-based alternative that is reshaping how we a...

05-05
54:50

Dr. Joe Pierre - Why We Believe What Isn’t True

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Joe Pierre, psychiatrist and author of False, to explore why people believe things that aren’t true—and why challenging those beliefs is rarely as simple as presenting the facts. Drawing from research in psychiatry, cognitive science, and social psychology, Dr. Pierre unpacks the emotional, identity-based, and relational roots of misinformation and conspiratorial thinking. Whether you’re a clinician, educator, or...

04-21
56:38

Dr. Scott Waltman & Kasey Pierce: Stoicism for the Modern Mind

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Scott Waltman and Kasey Pierce coauthors, along with Trent Codd, Ed.S of The Stoicism Workbook - to explore how ancient Stoic philosophy can offer powerful tools for managing today’s challenges. From emotional resilience and anxiety to self-compassion and values-driven living, we unpack how timeless Stoic principles can help you navigate stress, uncertainty, and personal growth. Whether you’re a mental health professio...

04-07
01:01:13

Dr. Betsy Chung - Building Emotional Security Within Relationships

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! Building emotional security and navigating conflict with intention often defines the success of our closest relationships. Join us for an in-depth discussion with psychologist Dr. Betsy Chung to explore these and other topics explored in her new book The Couple Skills Workbook: Manage Conflict, Increase Trust & Intimacy, and Build a Better Relationship. In this conversation we cover: how a lack of emotional security in one’s childh...

03-24
51:44

Donna Jackson Nakazawa: Healing Adverse Childhood Experiences

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! In this episode, we sit down with Donna Jakson Nakazawa to explore a topic at the core of many people's therapeutic journeys: recovering from the impact of adverse childhood experiences. Her new book, The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Guided Journal, offers a compassionate, science-backed approach to understanding how trauma shapes our lives—while providing actionable steps to rewire the brain for healing. Whether dealing with childhood trauma, c...

03-10
56:13

Dr. Yona Bouskila - Do We Have Freewill?

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! Many of us accept freewill as an undeniable truth, assuming that we are the architects of our own decisions and destiny. Yet, a growing body of scientific research challenges this notion, suggesting that our sense of freewill may be more of an illusion than reality. This emerging perspective carries profound implications, urging us to reconsider the foundations of personal responsibility, ethics, and the way we govern our society. Dr. Yona Bouskil...

02-24
58:16

Dr. Sharon Martin - Better Boundaries

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! Whether it's in our personal relationships, at work, or even with ourselves, boundaries are essential for our well-being and peace of mind. Yet, many of us - even clinicians I might add - at times struggle with this practice, often feeling overwhelmed, guilty, or unsure of how to start. In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Sharon Martin discuss insights from your new book "Better Boundaries Guided Journal" which offerings practical advice and thoughtfu...

02-10
57:28

Dr. René Mõttus - Personality Predicts Life Satisfaction

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! While most of us intuitively believe that our assessment of our lives is largely objective and a direct result of what has been happening to us, it's clear that subjective perceptions of objective events play a significant role in shaping the ultimate emotional experience of those events. This highlights the importantly interplay between personality traits and life satisfaction, raising questions about how much flexibility we have to change, reinterpret...

11-11
57:57

Amanda Petrik-Gardner, LCPC - Excessive Reassurance Seeking

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! Compulsive reassurance seeking can be a challenging issue for both clients and therapists to manage. Clients are often highly adept—sometimes knowingly, sometimes unknowingly—at eliciting excessive reassurance from therapists and family members. At the same time, resisting the urge to seek reassurance can feel nearly impossible for clients. In this episode, Amanda Petrik-Gardner, LCPC, joins us to discuss core themes from her new book, "The Compulsive R...

10-28
54:14

Dr. Nina Josefowtiz - Behavioural Activation for Depression

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! Behavioural activation is one of the best, if not the best treatments for depression. Clinical psychologist and author, Dr. Nina Josefowitz joins us for an in-depth discussion of themes contained in her new book The Behavioural Activation Workbook for Depression. In this discussion we cover: The basic premise of behavioral activation and how it differs from other depression treatments.The negative feedback loop of depression and...

10-14
01:21:46

Dr. Lindsay Gibson: Disentangling from Emotionally Immature People

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! Navigating relationships with emotionally immature parents can evoke very strong reactions, which can be difficult to navigate. In many clinician's experience, when this topic comes up, people tend to react in one of three ways: defending their parents as perfect, blaming them for all their struggles, or questioning their own perceptions entirely - all of which can create stuck points. Author and psychologist, Dr. Lindsay Gibson, who has written and lec...

09-30
57:28

Dr. Russell Ramsay - Assessing and Treating Adult ADHD

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! Assessing & treating adult ADHD can be both very challenging as well as highly rewarding for client and clinician alike. Psychologist & author, Dr. Russell Ramsay joins us for an in-depth discussion of the assessment and treatment of adult ADHD building on themes in his new workbook, The Adult ADHD and Anxiety Workbook. In this discussion we cover: why Dr. Ramsay wanted to write a workbook focused on both ADHD and anxiety and why ind...

07-08
01:29:12

Dr. Alec Pollard: When a Loved One Won’t Seek Mental Health Treatment

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! Many clinicians experience a sense of helplessness around effectively managing calls from loved ones of an individual living with a mental illness who is not willing to engage in treatment. There is frequently an impression that little can be done until the affected individual wants to change. Dr. Alec Pollard joins us for a discussion of he and his co-authors new book "When a Loved One Won't Seek Mental Health Treatment". In this conv...

06-24
01:07:14

Emma Lauer, LCSW: DBT Skills for Highly Sensitive People

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! Dialectical behavior therapy or DBT is a wonderful suite of tools that help people to be more effective with respect to managing their emotions and becoming more interpersonally effective. These are challenges that often loom especially large for those who are highly sensitive. Emma Lauer, LCSW joins us for a discussion of her workbook DBT Skills for Highly Sensitive People. In this conversation we cover: what inspired Emm...

06-10
50:39

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