Mind Dive

This episode, the Mind Dive Podcast turns the guest microphone on its co-host, Dr. Kerry Horrell, psychologist at The Menninger Clinic, to talk about her research into the dilemmas that arise with religion, spirituality, sexism and mental health.  Growing up in a religious family, Dr. Horrell became interested in this topic as a student because her early experience of studying psychology was that “religion was something you checked at the door.” As a Christian, she was confused by this and knew she had to delve deeper, deciding to pursue a graduate psychology program that focused on religion and spirituality.  She soon became interested in the intersection with sexism, noting that elements of sexism are present in most religions.  Dr. Horrell notes that there are two types of sexism, benevolent and hostile. She explains the three pillars of benevolent sexism: protective paternalism, heterosexual intimacy, and complementary gender roles. She notes that, generally, the assumption is that men and women are psychologically very different. Then points out that the available data does not support that conclusion. Conversely, the research shows that, when it comes to psychological make up, men and women are strikingly similar.  Dr. Horrell’s research led her to explore whether sexism could positively impact well-being. She discusses two types of wellbeing, hedonistic and eudemonic. Hedonistic focuses on happiness and defines well-being in terms of pleasure attainment and pain avoidance; while eudemonic well-being focuses on meaning and self-realization and the degree to which a person is fully functioning. She discusses research that demonstrates sexism correlates more positively with hedonistic well-being and negatively with eudemonic well-being, giving examples from studies that have been done.  Dr. Horrell says the benevolent sexism in religion can lead to shame. She gives examples, such as the focus on a women’s purity.  She notes that when patients are having struggles with spirituality or religion, it often relates to gender, sexuality, and shame. She observes that these conflicts can cause trauma.   In working with patients, Dr. Horrell says clinicians must “hold space for the importance of religion, family and spirituality in a patient’s life and empower them to think about their values and identify those things that are at odds with that.”  She says one of the best things a clinician can do is to offer patients the space to stay with the tension and the pain, to think about and it talk about it, without closing quickly on what might feel easy.  “I think there's so much goodness in having things in our life that are sacred to us, and having things that feel bigger than us,” said Dr. Horrell, “Whether that's the concept of love, whether that's nature, whether that is divinity or God…and it's why I'm so passionate about it and about giving people space to get to know that side of their life.”Follow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay up to date on new Mind Dive episodes. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu. If you are a new or regular listener, please leave us a review on your favorite listening platform! Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health.

Perinatal mental health concerns affect as many as 20% of US women. Among Asian-American moms, ingrained cultural values can be an impediment to both diagnosis and treatment. In this episode of Mind Dive Podcast, hosts Bob Boland, MD and Kerry Horrell, PhD welcome two colleagues from The Menninger Clinic, psychologists who focus on women’s mental health and the particular needs of perinatal women in the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Nausheen Noor, PhD became passionate about women’s mental health as a community provider in Karachi, Pakistan, working with women struggling with domestic violence, depression and traumatic stress. She is also a strong advocate for mental health and wellness in the AAPI community, working to address lingering stigmas. The podcast also features Rose Yang, PsyD, the adult division coordinator and faculty leader for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at The Menninger Clinic. Dr. Yang became invested in AAPI mental health in her early career, but her own subsequent experiences as a mom led her to explore maternal mental health challenges and attendant cultural issues in the Asian-American community. She is a certified perinatal mental health provider.While it may be helpful at times to consider AAPI individuals as a community and to acknowledge intersecting experiences, Drs. Noor and Yang emphasize that it is critical to also recognize that the community is not a monolith, and is comprised of people from diverse backgrounds and cultures. Dr. Yang notes that the “model minority” stereotype—a 1960’s era term coined in a news article about Japanese American success—has been problematic, as it minimizes the struggles of many AAPI sub-groups, both ethnic and experiential (e.g., refugees). The panel also discusses the impact of the COVID pandemic as a stressor in the AAPI community, as it both catalyzed anti-Asian hate crimes and contributed to “lumping” all Asians together without regard for the rich breadth of their heritages. Drs. Noor and Yang discuss the meaning of perinatal health—perinatal covers the period before, during and after pregnancy—and the factors that can lead to mental health challenges.  While pregnancy can exacerbate pre-existing psychological vulnerabilities, other factors are contributors as well, including hormonal and psychosocial changes and disrupted sleep. Dr. Noor notes that fertility challenges and treatment can also contribute to feelings of stress and depression. Among Asian-American women, cultural and familial norms and differing levels of acculturation can discourage these moms from acknowledging and/or speaking about the feelings they are experiencing and from seeking help.  The solution? Drs. Noor and Yang emphasize the critical importance of timely, frequent and culturally sensitive screening by a variety of health practitioners—at Ob/Gyn and Pediatrician visits, and also by lactation counselors, midwives and doulas. Because this is a time that their focus is on care for the baby, women may be missing out on themselves; multiple check-in points may help to identify mental health concerns early on. They note that the AmeFollow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay up to date on new Mind Dive episodes. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu. If you are a new or regular listener, please leave us a review on your favorite listening platform! Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health.

Did you know there are very few psychiatrists in Rwanda? That country, whose population has experienced an intense amount of strife, is not alone. Many mental illnesses go untreated in developing nations because of the lack of mental health resources.  Dr. Stephanie Smith, director of the Program in Global Mental Health Equity at Brigham and Women's Hospital, learned this and many other key insights while working abroad in Rwanda to help improve the population’s access to mental health care diagnosis and treatment. In this episode of The Menninger Clinic’s Mind Dive podcast Dr. Smith shares her insights and experiences with hosts Dr. Bob Boland and Dr. Kerry Horrell,  in looking at how to create greater access to mental health care globally where resources are scarce. An instructor in Psychiatry for Harvard Medical School and a co-director of Mental Health at Partners in Health, Dr. Smith worked in Rwanda to set up a collaborative care model for mental health care. She worked through the government to utilize the existing primary health care clinics and systems to incorporate mental health care resources for patients. This has been particularly successful in treating noticeable and severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder by providing the appropriate medications. “We were at rural continuums, like general hospitals, primary care centers, and the community in thinking about how we incorporate mental health into that care continuum,” says Dr. Smith about her experiences in Rwanda, where she objective, on behalf of Partners in Health, was to strengthen the mental health care system.  “At the time each district in the government had been successful at getting one psych nurse and one psychologist at each district hospital…about 40 or so in the country. Knowing the population is 10 million, it's not very many. That’s why integrating into primary care system makes a lot of sense.”Dr. Smith further explains that expanding care involved looked at existing providers and what basic mental health care services could be provided by a non-specialist provider, in a continuum where they are supported by specialists. Dr. Smith served as one of the specialist consultants. This consultative model is how services were incorporated into the general hospital or clinic setting, with basic mental health care delivered by primary care nurses, and working at the community level, where community health workers are this liaison between villages and communities and the health system. Follow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay up to date on new Mind Dive episodes. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu. If you are a new or regular listener, please leave us a review on your favorite listening platform! Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health.

Why do some bright kids develop an “I don’t care” attitude?  What are the underlying causes? What approaches can help rekindle their motivation? On this episode of Mind Dive Podcast, child psychologist, Harvard professor and author Ellen Braaten, Ph.D. has studied this issue in-depth and worked through this with children and their parents in her therapy practice. In her new book, “Bright Kids Who Couldn’t Care Less,” she dives into this complex issue and provides a guide for parents on how to better understand and help their apathetic child. Dr. Braaten says that while children with processing challenges, such as ADHD or autism, can develop indifference because their learning challenges can lead them to feel overwhelmed, there are also children without any learning issues who develop profound apathy toward school, extracurricular activities and life in general. She adds that clinicians and parents can’t look at one factor when trying to understand a child who lacks motivation because often there are social, biological and psychological factors involved. For example, Dr. Bratten says that some kids are not very motivated because their basic needs aren't being met. Or perhaps they don’t have that peer group of friends that allows them to find their bliss, because their needs for friendship aren’t met. They may have found they are not able to trust others. There’s also the pressure to get good grades and to participate in extracurricular activities to get into a good college that can affect motivation.  When kids get anxious and depressed, Dr. Braaten says, they can become overwhelmed and turn to distractions like video games. Sometimes it’s pressure from parents to achieve that can demotivate children. She says that in some cases a parent’s own desires, the things that gave them pleasure that they put aside, are then put onto their kids with the expectation that they will “fill in the gap” by doing or achieving what the parent didn’t.  Dr. Bratten cautions parents to think about themselves when they think about our child's motivation. Are they being a good role model? “Well, one of the simplest things I say to parents, maybe not directly because it can be hard to hear, but to love the child they have, not the child they wish they had,” said Dr. Braaten.  In showing love and support for an unmotivated child, Dr. Braaten says external rewards can work in some cases, and in others, are not the answer. There is research showing that if a child enjoys an activity, such as reading, adding external rewards to increase reading, such as badges or stickers or awards, can have the opposite effect and serve as a demotivator. Dr. Braaten advises that parents need to find out what their child likes to do and what they are good at doing. What are their personal strengths? What gives them pleasure? Where do they spend their time? In her book she outlines how parents can work through this process to help their child find hisFollow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay up to date on new Mind Dive episodes. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu. If you are a new or regular listener, please leave us a review on your favorite listening platform! Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health.

When Patricia Resick, Ph.D., became involved with the first-ever crisis center for sexual assault victims in 1974, she found that the psychology field was severely lacking valid answers for how these women responded to the trauma they faced. After years of research and development towards a process that would help survivors of sexual abuse, survivors of domestic violence and veterans, she solidified a therapy that changed the course of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment for good: cognitive processing therapy (CPT).This episode of Menninger Clinic’s Mind Dive Podcast features Dr. Resick, accomplished psychologist, author and developer of CPT joining hosts Dr. Kerry Horrell  and Dr. Bob Boland for a conversation on how CPT became a first-line therapy for PTSD, the fundamentals of treatment, and how to approach it within comorbidities. Dr. Resick is a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University Medical Center and Adjunct Professor at Medical University of South Carolina. She is the co-author of newly published self-help book, “Getting Unstuck from PTSD: Using Cognitive Processing Therapy to Guide Your Recovery.” “The vast majority of people will recover from a trauma, but for some, something was interfering with their natural recovery,” said Dr. Resick. “They haven’t let themselves feel the feelings and think about the trauma differently and they feel they’re just running in a circle. CPT addresses the ‘getting stuck’ feeling.” Follow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to never miss an episode of Mind Dive. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu. Visit www.menningerclinic.org to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health. Listen to Episode 33: Winning the Mental Game, Sport Psychology with Dr. Mitchell GreeneResources mentioned: CPTforPTSD.com Dr. Aaron T. Beck Follow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay up to date on new Mind Dive episodes. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu. If you are a new or regular listener, please leave us a review on your favorite listening platform! Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health.

What happens in the mind of a talented athlete who suddenly cannot perform? Clinical and sports psychologist Mitchell Greene, PhD, works with a range of athletes from hopeful middle schoolers to Olympians on the concept of “mind chatter” and mental health struggles often experienced in sport culture. As explored in his new book, “Courage over Confidence: Managing Mind Chatter and Winning the Mental Game,” he treats younger and younger athletes feeling the pressure to excel at all costs.On this episode of Mind Dive Podcast, dive into a conversation between hosts Dr. Kerry Horrell and Dr. Bob Boland with Dr. Greene on his work guiding athletes from all levels and backgrounds through coach-player relationships, nerves, loss of confidence and mental blocks. Dr. Greene owns Greenepsych Clinical & Sport Psychology in the Philadelphia suburbs and works primarily with athletes pursuing high performance goals and coaches looking to educate their student-athletes on mental health. “These concepts are not just for athletes. We all need a reminder sometimes that it’s courage over confidence,” said Dr. Greene. “Working through that chatter is about who we are, who we think we are and how we can manage the frustrations of life.” Follow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to never miss an episode of Mind Dive. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu.  Visit www.menningerclinic.org to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health. Listen to Episode 32: Balancing Act, Understanding Clinician Burnout with Dr. Ashwini Nadkarni, Dr. Jhilam Biswas Follow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay up to date on new Mind Dive episodes. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu. If you are a new or regular listener, please leave us a review on your favorite listening platform! Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health.

This episode of Menninger Clinic’s Mind Dive Podcast explores burnout and emotional labor experienced by physicians and mental health professionals, particularly in women clinicians. Driven by their observations of burnout within their own psychiatry department at Harvard Medical School, Ashwini Nadkarni, MD, and Jhilam Biswas, MD, take a dive into their quest to understand the factors influencing women who are leaving the field or contemplating career changes. Join hosts Dr. Kerry Horrell and Dr. Bob Boland for this discussion of issues commonly faced by women physicians, such as an increased likelihood of depression due to the strain of balancing work and family life and the emotionally charged experience of discarding professional aspirations for conflicting needs. Dr. Biswas and Dr. Nadkarni are both instructors of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Biswas serves as the Director of Psychiatry, Law and Society program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Co-director of Harvard Mass General Brigham Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship. Dr. Nadkarni also serves as Assistant Medical Director of Brigham Psychiatric Specialties and Associate Vice Chair of Wellness in the Department of Psychiatry. Follow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to never miss an episode of Mind Dive. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu. Visit www.menningerclinic.org to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health. Listen to Episode 31: Neuropsychiatry, Connecting the Brain to Behavior with Dr. Julia Ridgeway-DiazResources:“Gender Disparity in Cognitive Load and Emotional Labor—Threats to Women Physician Burnout” Follow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay up to date on new Mind Dive episodes. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu. If you are a new or regular listener, please leave us a review on your favorite listening platform! Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health.

Once a psychiatrist understands what is happening in their patient’s brain, who gives insight on why this is happening? Join this episode of The Menninger Clinic’s Mind Dive Podcast as hosts Dr. Bob Boland and Dr. Kerry Horrell explore the world of behavioral neurology with Dr. Julia Ridgeway-Diaz, psychiatrist, neurologist and neuropsychiatrist at Menninger. As they dive into the neuropsychiatrist’s role in physical and mental health, explore the important relationship between medical ailments and resulting behavioral changes. Also discussed is the importance of a neuropsychiatric perspective in complex cases, including a real-life example of treatment failure with antipsychotic medication in a comorbid patient experiencing obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and schizophrenia. Julia Ridgeway-Diaz, MD, MS, is a staff psychiatrist in outpatient therapy at the Menninger Clinic. With special expertise in neurocognitive disorders, movement disorders, autism spectrum disorder, sleep disorders, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and traumatic brain injury, she is also an assistant professor in the Menninger Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine. “I like getting to the bottom of why things are happening. In psychiatry, we do a really good job of describing what is happening, but we’re not always able to explain the neurologic processes that are causing what we’re seeing,” said Dr. Ridgeway-Diaz. “When what a clinician is seeing doesn’t make sense, that is where a neuropsychiatrist can make an impactful difference.” Follow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to never miss an episode of Mind Dive. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu. Visit www.menningerclinic.org to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health. Listen to Episode 30: The Troubled Teen Industry with Meg Appelgate, CEO of UnSilencedResources mentioned in this episode: Follow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay up to date on new Mind Dive episodes. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu. If you are a new or regular listener, please leave us a review on your favorite listening platform! Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health.

While child abuse in the home is well defined and often met with clear repercussions, are parents, clinicians and even government agencies missing red flags of institutional child abuse within the troubled teen industry? Dive into this episode of The Menninger Clinic’s Mind Dive Podcast as nonprofit leader Meg Appelgate shares her own teenage experiences with the dangerous shortcomings of the troubled teen industry as a behavioral health solution. Join Meg as she speaks with hosts Dr. Kerry Horrell and Dr. Bob Boland about her work with survivors of the industry and offers advice to clinicians, guardians and parents on how to avoid organizations that raise red flags and focus on a community-centered healing approach for teens.  Meg Appelgate personally experienced over 3 years of abusive tactics in troubled teen facilities in Idaho and Montana after being abducted from her home at 15 years old. In adulthood, she studied psychology and has dedicated her life to serving nonprofits that benefit youth who have faced similar trauma.  Meg currently serves as CEO of UnSilenced, a nonprofit organization aiming to stop child abuse in the industry and advocating to keep youth healthier and safer at home in their communities. “The research suggests that close familial ties in adolescents are extremely beneficial, so we’re really doing a disservice when we put them into these facilities,” said Meg. “Our first steps are to start in the communities—re-educating the decision makers, caregivers, parents, child-placing advocates on what the options are outside of an industry that can cause more harm to a child in distress.”  Follow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to never miss an episode of Mind Dive. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu. Visit www.menningerclinic.org to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health. Listen to Episode 29: Writing the Book on Personality Disorders with Dr. John Oldham  Resources mentioned in this episode: UnSilenced.orgGochnauer Family Foundation Follow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay up to date on new Mind Dive episodes. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu. If you are a new or regular listener, please leave us a review on your favorite listening platform! Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health.

You can use code MENN2023 for 50% off your New Personality Self Portrait (NPSP25) personality test! Visit npsp25.com to learn more. This episode of the Menninger Clinic’s Mind Dive podcast features the psychiatrist who wrote the book on personality and personality disorders. Dr. John Oldham is co-author of, “The New Personality Self-Portrait: Why You Think, Work, Love and Act the Way You Do,” the book is largely credited for spearheading the DSM-5 alternative model for personality disorders. Dive in with hosts Dr. Kerry Horrell and Dr. Bob Boland and explore the factors that make personality as unique as a fingerprint and learn if the alternative model of understanding personality will overtake the DSM-4 categorical model. Also, Dr. Oldham reacts to the individual NPSP25 test results of Dr. Boland and Dr. Horrell. John M. Oldham, M.D., M.S., currently serves as Distinguished Emeritus Professor in the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine. He previously served as senior vice president and chief of staff at the Menninger Clinic, president of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and president of The American College of Psychiatrists. Dr. Oldham has also recently served as the APA’s co-chair of the Work Group on Personality and Personality Disorders for the most recent edition of the DSM-5.  “I like to explain the personality through a blood pressure metaphor,” said Dr. Oldham. “In a dimensional sense, you have to have blood pressure or you’re not human or alive. You have to have a personality or you’re not human or alive. However, have too much or too little of a necessary thing, and you’re going to have a real problem.”  Follow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to never miss an episode of Mind Dive. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu. Visit www.menningerclinic.org to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health. Listen to Episode 28: Making the Case for Psychotherapy with Dr. JoFollow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay up to date on new Mind Dive episodes. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu. If you are a new or regular listener, please leave us a review on your favorite listening platform! Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health.

Hotly debated in mental health care, psychoanalytic therapy has been criticized for lacking evidence in comparison to other approaches. Now, many clinicians attest to the benefits of this evidence-based treatment and see great need in their patients for relationship-centered therapeutic approaches from their doctor and an emphasis on knowing oneself in order to heal. Dr. Jonathan Shedler, psychologist and author of, “The Efficacy of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy,” is staunchly advocating for clinicians to keep an open mind about what suits their patients best on this episode of Menninger Clinic’s Mind Dive podcast. This internationally acclaimed article is known for his work in establishing psychotherapy as an evidence-based treatment.  Alongside hosts Dr. Kerry Horrell and Dr. Bob Boland, Dr. Shedler explores the dilemmas and nuances of psychotherapy throughout its history and how clinicians can use it to their benefit under a modern lens. Jonathan Shedler, PhD, is a consultant, master clinician, clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California (UCSF) and faculty member at the San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis. He also leads workshops for professional audiences, consults to U.S. and international government agencies and provides expert clinical consultation to mental health professionals worldwide. “I think it’s perfectly fine to say we don’t fully know our own hearts and minds. The things that we don’t know cause suffering and can cause symptoms and limitations. Because of this, there’s a tremendous value in coming to know ourselves more fully,” said Dr. Shedler. “That’s what can happen in the context of psychoanalytic therapy and what can allow our patients to ultimately feel more free and more whole.” Follow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to never miss an episode of Mind Dive. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu. Visit www.menningerclinic.org to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health. Listen to Episode 27: OCD, An Expert’s Insider Perspective with Dr. Elizabeth McIngvaleResources mentiFollow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay up to date on new Mind Dive episodes. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu. If you are a new or regular listener, please leave us a review on your favorite listening platform! Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health.

At 12 years old, Dr. Elizabeth McIngvale was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). By age 17, she found success in evidence-based treatment and became a national spokesperson for patients. Now, 20 years later, she treats OCD patients of her own, while still advocating to end stigma and misconceptions about OCD and perfectionism.  Dive into this episode of The Menninger Clinic’s Mind Dive Podcast with hosts Dr. Kerry Horrell and Dr. Bob Boland for an expert’s insider journey of OCD. Also explored are the contrasts of OCD and obsessive compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) and how doctors can improve patient treatment by recognizing and acknowledging the differences.  Elizabeth McIngvale, PhD, LCSW, is the director of McLean OCD Institute at Houston. She currently serves on the faculty at Harvard Medical School and has founded the Peace of Mind Foundation and OCDChallenge.com, both now within the International OCD Foundation. “My message to patients is that we are going to get them back to functioning, but we should really be fighting for freedom from their illness,” said Dr. McIngvale. “We are fighting to get them to a life where they can make decisions for themselves and live by their values, not their diagnosis.” Follow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to never miss an episode of Mind Dive. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu. Visit www.menningerclinic.org to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health. Listen to Episode 26: Bridging Faith & Mental Health Care with Dr. Marcy VerduinResources mentioned in this episode: Episode 21: OCD From the Front Lines with Dr. Wayne Goodman, Dr. Eric Storch Follow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay up to date on new Mind Dive episodes. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu. If you are a new or regular listener, please leave us a review on your favorite listening platform! Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health.

Overwhelmed with requests for mental health support during the COVID-19 pandemic, religious leaders faced a dilemma: How do we bridge the elusive gap between healing the mind with both science-based approaches and spiritual guidance? With the help of “insiders” like Dr. Marcy Verduin—both a person of faith and psychiatrist—many clinicians and religious leaders are on a productive path forward in resolving historic notions of mental health struggles as a shameful failure of faith. Dive into this episode of The Menninger Clinic’s Mind Dive Podcast with hosts Dr. Kerry Horrell and Dr. Bob Boland exploring Dr. Verduin’s transformative work. Since 2020, Dr. Verduin has dedicated ample time in the U.S. and abroad to teaching and exploring the idea of church communities, religious leaders and clinicians coming together for the overall improvement of religious patients’ mental health. Marcy Verduin, MD, is the Associate Dean for Students and Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine. She has been invited to speak nationally and internationally to help people of faith, and specifically Christian pastors, to better understand mental health and well-being.  “The most important thing is to really ask the person in front of you about their beliefs,” said Dr. Verduin. “Even if you’re not an expert on their spirituality, you can still encourage them to pursue that part of it and help them see how it can fit into mental health overall.” Follow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to never miss an episode of Mind Dive. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu. Visit www.menningerclinic.org to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health. Listen to Episode 25: Questions from the Mailbag with Dr. Bob Boland, Dr. Kerry Horrell  Resources mentioned in this episode: Mind Dive Episode 7: Religion & Spirituality in Therapeutic Approaches with Dr. Jim LomaxFollow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay up to date on new Mind Dive episodes. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu. If you are a new or regular listener, please leave us a review on your favorite listening platform! Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health.

On this Season 2 premier of Mind Dive Podcast, hosts Dr. Bob Boland and Dr. Kerry Horrell dive into topics posed by their Menninger Clinic colleagues that have not yet been explored on the podcast.In this mailbag episode, listen in as our hosts discuss topical questions on the minds of mental health professionals at The Menninger Clinic and their implications on clinical practice.A new social contagion—self-diagnosis of mental health disorders. Is TikTok to blame for young adults self-diagnosing attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and dissociative identity disorder (DID) before consulting a professional? The real relationship between mental health and mass gun violence. Is psychiatry truly the answer to combatting this crisis? Addressing the disconnect between physical and mental health. Should attending therapy be considered as important to your physical health as eating vegetables or hitting the gym? Bob Boland, MD, is Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff at The Menninger Clinic. Co-host of the Mind Dive Podcast, he is also Vice Chair of the Menninger Department of Psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM). He also serves as Brown Foundation Endowed Chair in Psychiatry at BCM. Kerry Horrell, PhD, is a staff psychologist on Menninger’s Compass Program for Young Adults as well as the coordinator of the Youth Division. Co-host of the Mind Dive Podcast, she is also an assistant professor at BCM. Follow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to never miss an episode of Mind Dive. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu. Visit www.menningerclinic.org to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health. Listen to Episode 24: Racial Bias vs. Informed Patient Care with Dr. Carmen Black Follow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay up to date on new Mind Dive episodes. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu. If you are a new or regular listener, please leave us a review on your favorite listening platform! Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health.

Can we expect patients to trust modern medicine before addressing racial disparities in research and diagnoses? Dr. Carmen Black, Yale School of Medicine Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Director of Social Justice and Health Equity Education, Adult Psychiatry joins this episode of The Menninger Clinic’s Mind Dive podcast. This conversation with hosts Dr. Kerry Horrell and Dr. Bob Boland explores how clinicians can make a meaningful impact while still facing centuries of racial disparities that are sometimes difficult to spot in daily clinical practice. Dive in to hear approachable steps clinicians of any type can take to address inequity and racial bias in mental health care. “We are more powerful to delivery equity than we can image because the disparities are so great,” said Dr. Black. “It starts with being able to acknowledge it in real time.” Carmen Black, M.D. is a family-oriented African American physician and strong supporter of racial diversity in medicine. Her research interests focus on promoting racial diversity within academic medicine and addressing influences on poor patient care, specifically racial and mental health discrimination. Follow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to never miss an episode of Mind Dive. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu. Visit www.menningerclinic.org to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health. Listen to Episode 23: Brainwashing & Master Persuasion with Dr. Joel Dimsdale Resources mentioned in this episode: Select publications by Dr. Carmen BlackThe Menninger Clinic’s Continuing Education Black History Month SeriesFollow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay up to date on new Mind Dive episodes. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu. If you are a new or regular listener, please leave us a review on your favorite listening platform! Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health.

How can good people make terrible decisions? To fully understand brainwashing, more formally known as “coercive persuasion,” mental health clinicians must dive into the potentially dangerous outcomes that can result from a mix of factors such as high stress situations, sleep deprivation and isolation.On this episode of The Menninger Clinic’s Mind Dive podcast, Dr. Joel Dimsdale joins hosts Dr. Bob Boland and Dr. Kerry Horrell for a discussion on the history of brainwashing, the ease of slipping into Stockholm Syndrome and modern tools of persuasion—like social media—and the effects that clinicians need to be mindful of in patient care. Bringing a unique perspective to the conversation, Joel Dimsdale, MD, began his exploration of brainwashing and its pervasive role in the 20th century after living next door to the Heaven’s Gate religious group, led by Marshall Applewhite until the group’s highly publicized mass suicide in 1997. He is also the author of “Dark Persuasion: A History of Brainwashing from Pavlov to Social Media.”Dr. Dimsdale is a distinguished professor emeritus and research professor in the department of psychiatry at UC San Diego. He is also an active investigator and past president of the Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research, the American Psychosomatic Society and the Society of Behavioral Medicine. “Much of my work reflects that I feel coercive persuasion—brainwashing—is not an old wives tale,” said Dr. Dimsdale. “It still exists in the modern day, and we have to be on the lookout for it.” Follow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to never miss an episode of Mind Dive. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu. Visit www.menningerclinic.org to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health. Listen to Episode 22: Preventing Shame & Loneliness in Childhood Trauma with Dr. Melissa Goldberg Mintz Resources mentioned in this episode: Follow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay up to date on new Mind Dive episodes. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu. If you are a new or regular listener, please leave us a review on your favorite listening platform! Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health.

A majority of children in the U.S. will experience some type of adverse event before their 18th birthday that could traumatize them. Most will heal naturally, but what can parents expect when their child does not? Joining this episode of The Menninger Clinic’s Mind Dive Podcast is Dr. Melissa Goldberg Mintz, childhood trauma expert and author of the bestselling book for parents, “Has Your Child Been Traumatized?” Dive in with hosts Dr. Bob Boland and Dr. Kerry Horrell for this exploration into how clinicians can help parents and guardians prevent shame, secrecy and loneliness from taking hold of a child as they process their experience. Dr. Melissa Goldberg Mintz is an author, psychologist and parent who has worked with traumatized children, adolescents and families for over ten years. “Even though clinicians are trained in the gold standard of treatment, our one-hour session each week won’t have as much of an impact on a traumatized child as what’s going on at home,” said Dr. Mintz. “The single best way a child can deal with their emotional pain from an adverse event is through connecting with a caregiver they feel close to.” Follow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to never miss an episode of Mind Dive. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu. Visit www.menningerclinic.org to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health. Listen to Episode 21: OCD From the Front Lines with Dr. Wayne Goodman, Dr. Eric StorchResources mentioned in this episode: Has Your Child Been Traumatized? How to Know and What to do to Promote Healing and Recovery by Dr. Melissa Goldberg Mintz, Foreword by Dr. Jon Allen Follow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay up to date on new Mind Dive episodes. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu. If you are a new or regular listener, please leave us a review on your favorite listening platform! Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health.

Commonly misunderstood and misused as shorthand for perfectionism or some personal fixation, the reality of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is much more complex for patients and their clinicians than the general public may realize. This episode of The Menninger Clinic’s Mind Dive podcast features nationally recognized OCD experts Dr. Eric Storch and Dr. Wayne Goodman of Baylor College of Medicine (BCM). Dive in with hosts Dr. Bob Boland and Dr. Kerry Horrell to explore the realities of intrusive thoughts for patients with OCD, what is known or surmised about the causes, plus the future of the “brain pacemaker” and more on the lifechanging strides in treatment, such as deep brain stimulation. Wayne Goodman, M.D., serves as Chair of the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at BCM and specializes in OCD and deep brain stimulation. He is also the principal developer of the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), the gold-standard for assessing OCD, and co-founder of the International OCD Foundation.Eric Storch, Ph.D., is a professor and McIngvale Presidential Endowed Chair in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at BCM. Dr. Storch also serves as Vice Chair and Head of Psychology at BCM while co-directing the Obsessive Compulsive and Related Disorders Program.Follow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to never miss an episode of Mind Dive. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu. Visit www.menningerclinic.org to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health. Listen to Episode 20: Healing Adult Mother-Daughter Relationship with Lacey Tezino, Angela KorethFollow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay up to date on new Mind Dive episodes. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu. If you are a new or regular listener, please leave us a review on your favorite listening platform! Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health.

Family therapy traditionally focuses on adults with younger children. When the strong influence of the mother-daughter relationship is considered, how can clinicians tell the time is right for their adult women patients to work on relationship strengthening and intentional bonding with their mother? With such a diverse array of women wearing the title of mother, daughter, or both simultaneously, the answer to healing can begin with a face-to-face conversation and lead to a months-long healing journey.This episode of The Menninger Clinic’s Mind Dive podcast features founder of Passport Journeys Lacey Tezino on her mission to make mother-daughter healing more accessible for patients in therapy through her background in the intersection of technology and healthcare, all in honor of the healing journey she took with her own late mother. Lacey is joined by Angela Koreth, a member of the Passport Journeys Clinical Advisory Board and licensed professional counselor-supervisor and program director of The Menninger Clinic’s Partial Hospital and Intensive Outpatient Programs. Join hosts Dr. Kerry Horrell and Dr. Bob Boland as these four professionals from all corners of the mental health field explore how clinicians can utilize the relevancy of the entire family system when working with a patient in crisis. Dive into this conversation on how to sow hope that the ship has never sailed for mother-daughter duos to build stronger relationships as long as the desire to heal the relationship remains. Follow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to never miss an episode of Mind Dive. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu. Visit www.menningerclinic.org to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health.Listen to Episode 19: Borderline Personality Disorder, Unpacking Causes & Treatments with Dr. Lois Choi-KainFollow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay up to date on new Mind Dive episodes. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu. If you are a new or regular listener, please leave us a review on your favorite listening platform! Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health.

Identifying what causes borderline personality disorder (BPD) is as difficult as understanding the creation of the personality itself. In this podcast, our expert describes BPD as instability in four key areas: interpersonal relationships, emotions, behavior, and cognition/sense of self. The treatment complexities of this disorder can be intimidating for clinicians. We’ll explore a variety of questions about BPD, such as whether a certain psychiatric history make someone more vulnerable to this disorder. Are issues with attachment at a young age to blame? What is the relationship, if any, to trauma?Dive into this episode of Mind Dive podcast from The Menninger Clinic as hosts Dr. Kerry Horrell and Dr. Bob Boland are joined by one of the most accomplished minds in the evolution of borderline personality disorder treatment, Lois W. Choi-Kain, MEd, MD. As director of the Gunderson Personality Disorders Institute at McLean Hospital, Dr. Choi-Kain is an expert in one of the best known treatments for BPD, dialectical behavioral therapy. In this discussion, psychiatrist and psychotherapist Dr. Choi-Kain explores the challenges of working with your patient to achieve emotional regulation.“The steps forward are necessarily messy for everyone involved, but the right treatment provides a clearer understanding of why the patient reacts the way they do and what it does to the people around them,” said Dr. Choi-Kain.Follow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to never miss an episode of Mind Dive. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu. Visit www.menningerclinic.org to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health.Listen to Episode 18: Eating Disorder Treatment is a Family Affair with Empowered U Resources Mentioned in this Episode: McLean Hospital’s General Psychiatric Management for Borderline Personality Disorder Online Training Follow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay up to date on new Mind Dive episodes. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu. If you are a new or regular listener, please leave us a review on your favorite listening platform! Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health.