The Mental Health Boot Camp Podcast

Episode 60: This is Your Brain On Food

How does nutrition influence emotion? Can changing your diet really make an impact on your mental health? Where can I find a driver's side rear quarter window for a 2001 Toyota Land Cruiser? All of these questions and more as the Mental Health Book Club reviews Uma Naidoo's book "This is your brain on food: An indispensable guide to the foods that fight depression, PTSD, ADHD, Anxiety, OCD, and more." Spoiler alert: Western diet bad, Mediterranean diet good. 

#Psychology #Food #Nutrition #MindGut #Saffron #WesternDiet

Episode 59: Adversity & Obstacles with Shawn Marsolais

How do you help clients overcome adversity and obstacles? What role does courage play and how do you help foster courage in your clients? After a brief discussion of #tickletrunk culture we welcomed Shawn Marsolais, a visually impaired counselor and Olympian to discuss overcoming adversity, adopting a #limitless mindset, and tapping into courage. 

#limitless #courage #blindness #adversity #perseverence #Olympics 

Shawn's website/documentary/nonprofit: https://www.blindbeginnings.ca

Through My Eyes Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ70qvn_p-s&t=58s

Limitless podcast: https://www.blindbeginnings.ca/limitless/

Episode 58: Defense Mechanisms

What are defense mechanisms? Where do they come from and what is their function? Are they always unhealthy? We welcomed Dr. Stephen Simpson, professor at the Fuller Graduate School of Psychology, to share his wisdom and insight with us. 

#psychology #therapy #defensemechanism #freud #denial

Dr. Simpson's books: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Stephen+w+simpson&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss

Episode 57: Vaccination Talk

Vaccinations have been a hot topic as of late, creating division, discord and distress within our relationships and communities. How have you handled vaccine hesitancy with your clients and within your personal lives? Today we tackle a challenging topic among friends, family, and within the therapy office: how to manage different opinions regarding the Covid vaccines. It's a touchy subject for many. How can we hold different opinions and stay connected? 

#Covid #vaccine #therapy #family #friends #connection #conflict

Episode 56: Love Languages

Love languages! What are they and how can they be helpful in relationships? Bonus question: what is your love language? We dive into Gary Chapman's famous contribution to the ways couples, families, friends, and co-workers tend to relate to each other. The bottom line: know yourself and communicate! 

#LoveLanguages #GaryChapman #NotAHugger #Parenting

Chapman's book: https://www.amazon.com/Five-Love-Languages-Secret-Lasts/dp/B079B7PJMV/ref=sr_1_1?crid=KFLHEUX2CS0C&dchild=1&keywords=the+five+love+languages&qid=1631255089&sprefix=the+five+love+langu%2Caps%2C224&sr=8-1

Ryan's interview with Chapman: https://www.psychotherapynetworker.org/blog/details/930/the-five-love-languages

Love Language test: https://www.5lovelanguages.com/quizzes/love-language

Book club selection: https://www.amazon.com/This-Your-Brain-Food-Indispensable/dp/B08CZZRQ5Q/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3J1NRF29O5JGR&dchild=1&keywords=this+is+your+brain+on+food&qid=1631255251&sprefix=this+is+y%2Caps%2C234&sr=8-1

 

Episode 55: What Happened to You?

The MHBC Book Club returns with our examination of #Oprah and Dr. Bruce Perry's recent book "What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing." We give it high ratings, but have a few bones to pick. Come give it a listen. 

#trauma #mindbody #PTSD #Resilience #JustGoToTherapyOprah

Episode 54: Psychology Past, Present & Future

Tonight you will be visited by 3 ghosts: the ghost psychology past, the ghost of psychology present, and the ghost of psychology future! What are your thoughts on where we’ve been, where we are, and where we are going? After a too-long discussion of the merits of fax machines, we dive into a bit of the history of psychology, the current trends, and where we believe psychology and therapy will head in the future. 

#Psychology #Psychotherapy #Adler #Pavlov #CBT #Somatic #PolyVegal

Episode 53: Stuckness & Breakthroughs

What causes us to get stuck - in a job, a relationship, a mindset, an emotion, a habit - and how can we break through? Is gradual change preferable to breakthroughs? Can we create breakthroughs, or do they spontaneously happen? All of this, along with a survey of international mosquito size on todays episode. 

#stuck #breakthrough #therapy #motivationalinterviewing #CBT #Psychodynamic #repetitioncompulsion #habits

Motivational Interviewing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motivational_interviewing

What Happened to You?: https://www.amazon.com/What-Happened-You-Understanding-Resilience/dp/1250223180

 

Episode 52: Evolutionary Psychology

Let’s talk about evolutionary psychology. What lessons (if any) can our ancient ancestors teach us about wellness? An extended banter about the Olympics, hustle culture and mental health leads us into one of Chris's favorite topics, evolutionary psychology. Which one of us will top the podium?

#Olympics #hustle #mentalhealth #SimoneBiles #Sapiens #evolutionarypsychology

Sapiens: https://www.amazon.com/Sapiens-Humankind-Yuval-Noah-Harari/dp/0062316095

Why Beautiful People Have More Daughters: https://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-People-Have-More-Daughters-ebook/dp/B000UZQHN4/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2TYZVX2LC7SJK&dchild=1&keywords=why+beautiful+people+have+more+daughters&qid=1627625849&s=books&sprefix=why+beautiful%2Cstripbooks%2C242&sr=1-1

 

Episode 51: What is Reality?

Is what we perceive reality or just a construct of our minds? Can our minds correctly interpret reality or is reality subjective? We kick of Year Two of the MHBC Podcast with a deep discussion of sensation & perception, objective & subjective reality, photo albums in psychotherapy, and many other tasty topics. Thank you for listening!

Episode 50: The Black Swan

"Book club. Book club. It's time for...book...club." - Jo

Today we reviewed Nassim Taleb's bestselling book The Black Swan, a strong challenge to our ability to predict life-altering events. Is there value to making plans? Should we build narratives around events in our past? Our general assessment of the book: meh. But hey, our next book club is only 5 weeks away, and our selection is What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing by Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey. 

#TheBlackSwan #NassimTaleb #Narrative #Meh #WhatHappenedToYou #Oprah

Next Book: https://www.amazon.com/What-Happened-You-Understanding-Resilience/dp/1250223180

Episode 49: Psychology in Media

Therapy, psychology and mental health in media. How is field portrayed in popular media? How has it changed over the decades? Any shows that stand out as highly accurate or inaccurate? After exploring Canada's love of Halloween fireworks, Brooke, Chris & Ryan dive into our favorite and cringiest depictions of therapy and mental illness on TV and in film. 

#psychology #media #TV #Film #Jung #archetype #whataboutbob #cringe

Book club: https://www.amazon.com/Black-Swan-Improbable-Robustness-Fragility/dp/081297381X/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&qid=1625811193&refinements=p_27%3ANassim+Nicholas+Taleb&s=books&sr=1-6&text=Nassim+Nicholas+Taleb

Ryan's chapter: https://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Illusion-media-sold-fairytale/dp/0415728703/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=the+happiness+illusion&qid=1625811258&s=books&sr=1-3

 

Episode 48: Relaxation

Why should we relax? What is the best way to rest and relax? What is intentional relaxation? Is it better to be busy on vacation or do nothing? Summer is here, and for many this means vacations and relaxation. But are you really relaxing, or just zoning out? This, along with a Canada Day vs. Independence Day explainer, and we're helping you find that summer bliss. 

#relaxation #netflix #lazy #intentionalrelaxation #mindfulness #jacuzzi

Don't forget about the book club: https://www.amazon.com/Black-Swan-Improbable-Robustness-Fragility/dp/081297381X

Episode 47: Who Would You Talk To, Dead or Alive?

If you could sit down with anyone (dead or alive) and have a conversation with that person for an hour, who would it be and what would you ask? What do you think they'd tell you? What would they wish for you? All this and more about #projection and #wishfulfillment on today's podcast!

Episode 46: Distorted Thinking

What are some common thinking traps or cognitive distortions and what can we do about them? Jo serves up a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy delight causing us to confront our #overgeneralization, #personalization, #catastrophizing, #mind reading, #shoulding, and many other favorites. You'll see yourself in at least one of these examples, we all did.

Helpful websites: https://www.heretohelp.bc.ca

https://www.anxietycanada.com

Anxiety Relief for Teens: https://www.amazon.com/Anxiety-Relief-Teens-Essential-Mindfulness/dp/0593196643/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=anxiety+relief+for+teens&qid=1623218302&sr=8-1

The Boot Camp: www.mentalhealthbootcamp.com

 

 

Episode 45: "The Gift" and Mental Prisons

The MHBC Book Club continues with our review of Holocaust survivor Dr. Edith Eger's book "The Gift." This book shares a bit of Eger's powerful stories of overcoming obstacles during and after her time in Auschwitz, and helping her clients navigate their own challenges. Eger's story is incredible, but we had some mixed reviews of the tone and content of the book. Give a listen to find out, and pick up a copy of our next book club selection "Black Swan" by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. 

Edith Eger's TEDx talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/dr_edith_eva_eger_the_journey_of_grieving_feeling_and_healing

Nassim Nicholas Taleb's book, Black Swan: https://www.amazon.com/Black-Swan-Improbable-Robustness-Fragility/dp/081297381X/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&qid=1622787309&refinements=p_27%3ANassim+Nicholas+Nicholas+Taleb&s=books&sr=1-8&text=Nassim+Nicholas+Nicholas+Taleb

Episode 44: Codependence & Gaslighting

Co-dependency, gaslighting, and other toxic relationship patterns. What are they, what causes them, and how do we treat them? Lots of stories and metaphors in this Brooke episode focused on toxic relational patterns. 

#Gaslighting #Codependent #narcissism #dependency #selfesteem #therapy #toxic #NPD #BPD #empathy #listening

Codependent no more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0894864025/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&aaxitk=44094defccd0141faaabdc0b01c6f4f5&hsa_cr_id=5097088900901&pd_rd_plhdr=t&pd_rd_r=6db14fc4-4b3a-4280-8678-53c1c587e311&pd_rd_w=KeayO&pd_rd_wg=UcHJb&ref_=sbx_be_s_sparkle_mcd_asin_1_title

Gaslight: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036855/

Episode 43: ADHD w Adrienne Meier

What is ADHD? How would you know if you have it? What can you do if you or a loved one have ADHD? We welcome Dr. Adrienne Meier to the podcast to share professional and personal knowledge about ADHD, its assessment, and its treatment. 

#AppleWatchvsFitBit #ADHD #ADD #Ritalin #Adderall #mentalhealth #AdrienneMeier #attention #focus #memory #videogames #wheresmykeys

Dr. Meier: https://www.drmeier.com

Interview with Ned Hallowell: https://www.psychotherapynetworker.org/magazine/article/2443/point-of-view

Leonard Sax book: https://www.amazon.com/Boys-Adrift-Epidemic-Unmotivated-Underachieving/dp/0465040829/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=Leonard+sax&qid=1621577584&sr=8-3

ADHD Effect on Marriage: https://www.amazon.com/ADHD-Effect-Marriage-Understand-Relationship/dp/1886941971/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1SXV4OCRGQ5LJ&dchild=1&keywords=add+effect+on+marriage&qid=1621577642&sprefix=add+effect+on%2Caps%2C207&sr=8-1

 

Episode 42: Support for Someone Feeling Suicidal w David Lindskoog

How do you support a family member or friend who is feeling suicidal? How do you respond to theses suicidal feelings and thoughts if you are experiencing them yourself? All of this and much more as we are ambushed by David Lindskoog, a Registered Clinical Counsellor who specializes in suicide prevention. 

#suicide #prevention #youth #mentalhealth #selfharm #depression #kevinhines #StaceyFreedenthal #Papageno

David Lindskoog's private practice: https://davidlindskoog.com

Kevin Hines, Golden Gate jump survivor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcSUs9iZv-g

Stacey Freedenthal interview: https://www.psychotherapynetworker.org/magazine/article/2467/point-of-view

The Papageno Effect: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Lifeline-Papageno-Effect.pdf

Suicide Prevention Hotline US: 1 (800) 273- TALK

Suicide Prevention Hotline Canada: 1 (833) 456-4566

 

Marsha Linehan's story: https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/23/health/23lives.html

 

Episode 41: Play & Childhood Memories

What do you miss about being a kid? If you could go back in time, what’s one piece of advice you’d give to your younger self? How often do you play as an adult and what does that look like? Jo serves up a great #MHBCP topic that has us all grooving with childhood play and finding ways to tap into play as adults. 

#MHBCBC selection, Edith Eger's The Gift: https://www.amazon.com/Gift-Lessons-Save-Your-Life/dp/1982143096/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=the+gift&qid=1620368411&sr=8-2

Dungeons and Dragons therapy: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/ab3db202-341f-4dd4-a5e7-f455d924ce22

Mental Health Boot Camp: www.mentalhealthbootcamp.com