the Informed Simplicity podcast (jocrharris)

Follow Jesse here: https://www.multiculturalorientation.com/

Check out his book here: https://www.apa.org/pubs/books/4317453

Learn more about his friend Scott Miller here:   https://www.scottdmiller.com/

Listen on YouTube

Listen on iTunes 

Contact me at InformedSimplicity@gmail.com

or on Twitter @jordanharrisphd

P.S. If you enjoyed this episode check out my interview with Tony Rousimanerrie. He also talks about the micromoves of therapy. 

Follow the blog here. 

Follow this post here : https://www.jordanthecounselor.com/post/career-advice-counselors

 

My research findings were not unique. The late sex therapist Bernie Zilbergeld studied 100 couples...to [his] surprise, his overwhelming finding was the unimportance of technique. What [mattered?] The sexually active partners had a closer friendship and were committed to making sex a priority.  

-John Gottman "What Makes Love Last"

 

Contact me at Jocrharris@gmail.com

Check out more about Gottman's Affair Recovery Model here. 

Watch on YouTube here. 

P.S. If you enjoyed this check out my other review on what DOES make therapist better here.

Get the book here.

Find Linda Weiner here. 

Contact me at InformedSimplicity@gmail.com

Listen on YouTube

P.S. If you enjoyed this check out my interview with Peggy Kleinplatz She's another amazing sex therapist.

Listen on YouTube

Listen on iTunes : https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-informed-simplicity-project/id1427537186

Learn more about Deliberate Practice here : https://www.dpfortherapists.com/tonyrousmaniere

Contact me at InformedSimplicity@gmail.com

P.S. If you enjoyed this episode check out my lecture on how to become a master therapist. 

Sign up for the training at Jordanthecounselor@gmail.com

Allyson Clemmons is a clinical social worker, couples therapist and owner Bridgetown Clinical, a counseling practice specializing in couples therapy and divorce recovery.

In this conversation Allyson and Jordan discuss:

 

• The time freeing benefits of group practice.
• How to run a healthy business.
• How to market for your group practice
• and more..!

You can find Allyson at her clinical website ( bridgetownclinical.com ) or get coaching on building your practice at her therapists facing website ( www.allysonclemmons.com )

  Follow me:

 

Blog: jordanthecounselor.com/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@InformedSimplicitywithDrJordan

"Thank you for what you do...The fact that you listen is a huge deal."

Jennifer Allen.  

 

Contact me at InformedSimplicity@gmail.com

Listen on YouTube

P.S. If you enjoyed this check out this interview with Katheryn Sneed. She also talks about her experience as a client.

Since you're here you might as well earn CEs. Find out how to earn CEs for this course here.

Find us on iTunes here.  

Find us on YouTube here.

 

Check out more of blog or find this blog post here: https://www.jordanthecounselor.com/blog

Earn CE's by listening to my podcast. Find out more here: Check out more of blog or find this blog post here: https://www.jordanthecounselor.com/polyvagalseries

 

 "A lot of learning comes through failure. That's been a good teacher for me."

Contact me here: informedsimplicity@gmail.com

Watch here on YouTube

Learn a more about Ryan Rana here. If you want more from Ryan check out his podcast on EFT here, on Leadership here, or his video chat with former ISP guest Anabelle Bugatti Here. 

P.S. If you enjoyed this, make sure to check out this episode on How to Become a Supershrink. The two are thematically linked. 

Additional Notes and Resources for Ryan Rana

Ryanranatraining.com (Ryans personal website)

Arkansaseft.com (The branch of ICEEFT that Ryan does the most training through)

Thejoshuacenter.com (Ryan's private practice counseling center)

Two recent podcast interviews with Ryan:

Couples therapy couch – episode 116 Attuning to the Attachment Dilemma 

We heart Therapy – Attuning to the Attachment Dilemma

 The Charismatic {Speakers}: This is the kind of person who spends all their time talking. Lecturing. Weaving shimmering webs of ideas into the air. They’re often quite eloquent and charismatic; listening to them can be great fun. Which is precisely the problem — because in the end, passively listening to someone talk is a really inefficient way to learn. We learn by doing, exploring, discovering for ourselves. By asking questions, interacting, engaging with ideas. (Another reason why Socratic method works so well.)

-Dan Coyle "A Field Guide to Avoiding Toxic Teachers/Coaches"

 

Contact me at Jocrharris@gmail.com

Check out what actually makes teachers good here. 

Watch Perel's lecture HERE

P.S. If you enjoyed this check out my other review on what DOES make therapist better here.

"Sex is always contextual. It's about about the relationship. It's always about the hopes, and dreams, and fears of each of the people involved in those sexual relations. It's always complex and that's where the media gets it wrong. ...it's never what it seems to be."

Peggy Kleinplatz.  

 

 

Listen on YouTube

 

Learn more about Peggy and get trained here optimalsexualexperiences.com

 

Contact me at InformedSimplicity@gmail.com

 

P.S. If you enjoyed this mini-episode check out this episode where I talk about John Gottman and his take on sexual issues in therapy.

A few weeks ago I ran into Dr. Albert Cheng of the University of Arkansas. We started talking, and he mentioned he was in the department of education reform. I asked him, "What's one thing about education that you know, that you wish everyone knew?" "Well," he said, "that teacher training, teacher certification, has no relationship to teacher quality. Just because someone has a master's degree doesn't mean they are a better teacher than someone with a bachelor's." I was floored. I knew this happened in the counseling field. Despite what we say, certification in various models doesn't make you a better counselor. But to see the same in education was fascinating. So I had to have him on the podcast. In this interview we talk all about the problems education and how to fix it. Enjoy!   Links mentioned 1) Primer on Teacher Quality: https://www.educationnext.org/in-schools-teacher-quality-matters-most-coleman/ 2) No-Excuses Charters: https://scholarworks.uark.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1047&context=edrepub 3) More No-Excuses Charters: https://futureofchildren.princeton.edu/sites/g/files/toruqf2411/files/resource-links/charter_schools_compiled.pdf 4) AI: https://www.educationnext.org/a-i-in-education-leap-into-new-era-machine-intelligence-carries-risks-challenges-promises/ 5) Albert Cheng himself: https://edre.uark.edu/people/faculty/uid/axc070/name/Albert+A.+Cheng/

Register here : Click me!

Limited to 20 participants!

Registration Closes Sept 21st 11:50pm CST!

Check out more of blog or find this blog post here: https://www.jordanthecounselor.com/private-practice

 

Since you're here you might as well earn CEs. Find out how to earn CEs for this course here.

Watch this video to find out more about how Heartrate Variability impacts your health. 

You can pick up Dr. Leah Lagos' book here.

 

 

Check out more of blog or find this blog post here: https://www.jordanthecounselor.com/blog

Since you're here you might as well earn CEs. Find out how to earn CEs for this course here.

Find the Polyvagal Theory whitepaper here.

PS. If you enjoyed this episode check out my previous interview with Julia here. 

 

Since you're here you might as well earn CEs. Find out how to earn CEs for this course here.

Find the about Newcastle Diet here.

Pick up a copy of Bonnie Kaplan's book on  how nutrition impacts your brain here, or listen to my previous interview with her here. 

 

It's only when we feel free to give up hypervigilance that we can give someone our full attention. That requires us to feel safe.

Contact me at InformedSimplicity@gmail.com

Listen on YouTube

P.S. If you enjoyed this check out my interview with Deb Dana. She's the therapist popularizing Polyvagal Theory.

Find this blog post and get the free Check List here: jordanthecounselor.com/post/private-practice-2

{Note: this podcast and show notes were originally part of an online CE course. That course is no longer available.}

Dr. Jordan Harris interviews Kelly Beins and Leah Dawang about their experiences using polyvagal theory in their practices and working with Unyte.

After this training you will be able to meet the following objectives. 

1. Describe a polyvagal perspective of the autonomic nervous system. 
2. Explain the concept of state "blends".
3. Explain the sequential "pyramid of learning" and how it applies to our central nervous system.

More on Jordan Harris, Ph.D, LMFT-s, LPC-s 

Jordan Harris, holds a Ph.D in Marriage and Family Therapy, works as a subject matter expert for Deliberate Practice in Psychotherapy and maintains a private practice where he sees couples and individuals. 

He's also the co-host ofThe Polyvagal Series, a podcast and online course which explores all the ways stress impacts our physical and mental health from a polyvagal lens. 

More on Unyte

For a professional interested in learning more about Unyte and integrating Dr. Porges' Safe and Sound Protocol into their practice, please visit: https://integratedlistening.com/ 

More on Kelly Beins, BA, BHScOT, OTR/L

Kelly Beins is a seasoned Occupational Therapist with over 28 years of experience, including 18 years with certification in sensory integration. Kelly believes in evidence-informed interventions and is passionate about combining sensory integration and mental health practices. 

Kelly has recently joined Unyte as a strategic clinical consultant where she supports development of clinical use guidelines, provider engagement, and product development. Outside of her role at Unyte, Kelly is growing a global mentorship program to make best-practices more accessible for other sensory OT’s in private practice. 

Kelly specializes in Polyvagal Theory, she is an international speaker, has published two children’s books and was named, Autism Parenting Magazine’s “Top OT” for two consecutive years.

While almost an empty nester, Kelly is a sensory parent herself, which has led to many insightful and unexpected learnings along her professional and personal path. 

More on Leah  Dawang, MSP, Somatic Experiencing® Student — Advanced 

Leah Dawang first joined Unyte as a Program Consultant sharing her passion for the Safe and Sound Protocol with professionals. Today, she serves as Unyte’s Strategic Partnerships Manager, envisioning all members of the helping and healing communities linking arms in Love and transforming the world. 

Leah’s initial career in tech start-ups and event management took a sharp turn when her entire being suffered from the effects of trauma. After traveling the world, attending G42 Leadership Academy and plenty of therapy, Leah rediscovered her love for Love and founded Clear The Way, a coaching practice devoted to guiding others in clearing the effects of trauma that block them from receiving unconditional Love.

She is an SSP provider in the final stages of becoming a Somatic Experiencing practitioner and is passionate about all things that lead to Love including the nervous system, spoken word and important, hard and beautiful conversations.  

Find our more about Bonnie here:

Find out more about The Better Brain here:

Contact me at Jordanthecounselor.com

PS. If you enjoyed this episode check out my previous interview with Bonnie here. 

Winn a copy of the book! Contest details. 

1) Go to iTunes.

2) Leave a review.

3) Take a picture of the review.

4) Send me an email at InformedSimplicity@gmail.com with the picture and your address. 

5) I'll pick a random winner by 6/11/2021 who will then be mailed a copy of the book. 

 

 

Check out more of blog or find this blog post here: https://www.jordanthecounselor.com/blog

Earn CE's by listening to my podcast. Find out more here: Check out more of blog or find this blog post here: https://www.jordanthecounselor.com/polyvagalseries

Check out more of blog or find this blog post here: https://www.jordanthecounselor.com/blog

Earn CE's by listening to my podcast. Find out more here: Check out more of blog or find this blog post here: https://www.jordanthecounselor.com/polyvagalseries

 "Connection is always, always, always a long term solution...Empathy and connection techniques are just the more powerful techniques."

Contact me here: informedsimplicity@gmail.com

Watch here on YouTube

P.S. If you enjoyed this, make sure to check out this episode on How to Become a Supershrink. The two are thematically linked. 

 

 

Contact me at InformedSimplicity@gmail.com

Listen on YouTube

P.S. If you enjoyed this check out my interview with Deb Dana. She's the therapist popularizing Polyvagal Theory.

Find out more about Shari here:

Contact me at Jordanthecounselor.com

PS. If you enjoyed this episode check out this interview with Linda Weiner. She talks about the power of presence in sex therapy. 

Find this blog post here: jordanthecounselor.com/post/a-deliberate-practice-hero

Since you're here you might as well earn CEs. Find out how to earn CEs for this course here.

Find out about Bruce Perry's Neurodevelopmental model here.

 

Find this blog post here: jordanthecounselor.com/post/how-to-become-a-wealthy-therapist

 

1. Vicki Fountain's Interview

2. JL Collins' Interview 

Since you're here you might as well earn CEs. Find out how to earn CEs for this course here.

Find the about Tend and Befriend Theory Here.

If you want an overview of Polyvagal Theory check out this video. It's short and very clear. 

PS. If you enjoyed this episode check episode one of our series here. 

 

 

"I think it's the listening. You listen you here. You do not actually let one detail go. You're completely there. And this is why as therapist we need to be accountable. We need... to look after our own physical and mental health. We need to be alert  all the time. We can not actually bring outside issues into our work. We have to be there 150 percent."

-Eri Vlass

Listen on YouTube

Contact me at InformedSimplicity@gmail.com

P.S. If you enjoyed this episode check out my interview with Deb Dana. 

Don't get into a power battle, but if you do get into a power battle get back out of it. What I realized is there's not a rule that says once you're in one you have to stay in it. A lot of people feel like once they start down that path they have to stick it out to the bitter end... and it turns out that's just not true.

Contact me here: Jocrharris@gmail.com

Watch on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/mI0cZlqQs-A

Find Mark online here: https://markandreas.com/

Purchase his book here

Sign up for Metaphors of Movement here.

P.S. If you enjoyed this episode, check out my conversation with Connirae Andreas. She's one of the pioneers in the field of NLP. 

Find this blog post and get the free Check List here: jordanthecounselor.com/post/supervision

 

If we had a new antidepressant that resulted in a 1/3 remission in just 12 weeks, with no side effects, except having more energy, sleeping better, having better bowel functions etcetera, it would be on the cover of Time magazine. But nobody knows about the nutrition research because the media won't cover it. 

Bonnie Kaplan is a radical. She's a maverick who holds one of the best kept secrets in mental health: that a major player in mental health is nutrition. Over and over agains she's seen how simple it is to dump the nasty side effects of psychotropic chemicals and receive incredible improvements in mental health by changes in nutrition. Talking with her was energizing. She's as charismatic as she is knowledgeable. 

In this episode we talk about: 

• How nutrition affects mental health 
• The connections between nutrition and trauma treatment
• Where most of the serotonin in your body is made, and which body part uses serotonin the most
• How the big leap isn't to a special diet, but to start cooking in general
• The types of problems most impacted by a micronutional approach
• How to help kids struggling with pill swallowing
• The role of knowledge translation
• Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point
• E Fuller Torrey The Invisible Plague

I'm contemplating this quote from our talk:

One group got dietary counseling... and the other got social support. Now we know social support is very good for people with depression. So of course lots of people in both groups got better. but when they looked at rates of remission (for major depression} in just 12 weeks {meaning no longer qualified for Major Depression}  thirty three percent, a third of them who got diet counseling, were in remission.  and 8 percent who got social support. 33 percent compared to 8 percent and all they were taught was how to eat whole foods, how to cook from scratch, how to eat a mediterranean type of diet. 

You can learn even more about nutrition and Bonnie in the links below:

• For the facebook scroller: https://www.facebook.com/nutritionandmentalhealth/
• For the curious grazer: An introductory 12-min video on the role of nutrition for stress, PTSD.
• For the interested student: TEDx talk by Prof Julia Rucklidge, of Univ of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
• For the hard core believer: A 3-part lecture series “Nutrition and Mental Health,” part of a Continuing Medical Education series run by Mad In America
•  

Ps. If you enjoyed this check out this podcast. It's about another radical in the field. 

Listen HERE on iTunes

 

 

 

"The most important thing of any storytelling is you can't be the hero of your own stories. Nobody wants me to stand on stage for 30 minutes and talk about what a great person I am. So if anything heroic happens in my stories, generally I'm telling about someone else doing it or I'm watching someone else do the heroic act."

Contact me here: Jocrharris@gmail.com

 View on YouTube

Find Bil online here:https://www.leppstorytelling.com/

Check out his YouTube page here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cOv2zJwKA0

P.S. If you enjoyed this episode, check out my conversation with Jeff Zeig. He talks about the connection between the arts and therapy

About a month ago a friend and fellow therapist asked me to give a presentation to his chapter of GAMFT. At first I didn't know what to present on, then it dawned on me. Since day 1 I've been trying to follow in the footsteps of Milton Erickson. While my journey has been roundabout to say the least, what it's left me with is one question "how do you become a better therapist?" As I collected my thoughts I realized I had answered that question. I entitled the presentation So you want to be a Supershrink?: the search for informed simplicity. Suprsingly the answers to becoming better had nothing to do with what model you use or what theory you expose. So how do you do it? Listen and find out. 

If you have any questions, or like this presentation brought to you, free to reach out: Jocrharris@gmail.com 

 Listen here on YouTube

As therapists we have to always be mindful of how safe our clients feel in our presence. This is not always easy to determine. But now we know. There are innate cues and Polyvagal Theory tells us what they are.  

Contact me at InformedSimplicity@gmail.com

Listen on YouTube

P.S. If you enjoyed this check out my interview with Deb Dana. She's the therapist popularizing Polyvagal Theory.

"Attunement and responsiveness are hot topics, and the subject of a fair bit of research, in psychotherapy. The former refers to a therapist’s ability to pick up on the nuances of interactions with clients...The latter concept, responsiveness, refers to doing the right thing at the right time, adjusting interventions on the fly to fit the unique and evolving circumstances of the client and therapeutic interactions"

-Scott Miller and Brooke Mathewes

Contact me at Jocrharris@gmail.com

Read the article Meet You in McGinnis Meadow HERE

Watch Monte Roberts HERE

Check out what Micheal Yapko learned from Elephant trainers HERE. 

P.S. If you enjoyed this check out my interview with Scott Miller.

Find this blog post here: jordanthecounselor.com/post/effective-counseling-13

 

 

Since you're here you might as well earn CEs. Find out how to earn CEs for this course here.

Find out about the ACE study and sexual assault here. 

Find out the book Come as You Are here.

 

PS. If you're interested in learning more about sex and sex therapy check out my episode with Linda Weiner. She's an expert on making sexual touch safe. 

"One can imagine how revulsion at the physical signs of suffering, of disease, might have had a benefit in reducing contagion, but it comes at the cost of reducing our capacity for empathy and compassion, which can be very useful in building community."

-Paul Ekman "Emotions Revealed"

 

Contact me at Jocrharris@gmail.com

Listen on YouTube

P.S. If you enjoyed this check out my other short on John Gottman. He talks about sex and healthy relationships.

https://hminnovations.org/meditation-app

Follow Simon here: https://centerhealthyminds.org/about/people/simon-goldberg

Check out the App here: https://hminnovations.org/meditation-app

Listen on YouTube

Listen on iTunes 

Contact me at InformedSimplicity@gmail.com

or on Twitter @jordanharrisphd

P.S. If you enjoyed this episode check out my interview with Tony Rousimanerrie. She's the clinician taking Polyvagal Theory to the masses. 

Since you're here you might as well earn CEs. Find out how to earn CEs for this course here.

Read about Polyvagal Theory and Cytokine's role in inflammation here. 

Read my blogpost about polyvagal theory and the paradox is presents

Check out more of blog or find this blog post here: https://www.jordanthecounselor.com/blog

Earn CE's by listening to my podcast. Find out more here: Check out more of blog or find this blog post here: https://www.jordanthecounselor.com/polyvagalseries

Find this blog post here: jordanthecounselor.com/post/imposter-syndrome

 

The transformative work of Dr. Henny Westra and Alyssa Di Bartolomeo in their paper, "Developing expertise in psychotherapy: The case for process coding as clinical training," represents a significant advancement in therapeutic practice.

They introduce a novel framework called "process coding" to enhance therapists’ skills by using session recordings to better understand and refine therapeutic techniques. This method addresses common issues such as therapists' misremembering interactions, enabling a more accurate and effective review and improvement of their sessions. Their approach promises to dramatically enhance therapists' ability to assist clients by offering a systematic way to analyze therapy tapes, which uncovers subtle dynamics and missed opportunities within sessions.

The importance of their work lies in providing a clear, evidence-based path toward refining therapeutic skills beyond traditional training, shifting the focus from theoretical knowledge to practical, observable outcomes. This innovative method could potentially revolutionize the way therapists train and develop their expertise, ultimately leading to more effective client interventions and outcomes.

 

Links and resources mentioned:

Why tough tactics fail and rapport gets results: Observing Rapport-Based Interpersonal Techniques (ORBIT) to generate useful information from terrorists.

This is the article summarizing the early research Laurence Alison et al conducted on police interrogations. I believe it was in this paper they discuss, “you can’t always make things better, but negative interactions can sure make things worse.”

Conditions for Intuitive Expertise: A Failure to Disagree

This is Gary Klein and Daniel Kahneman’s article on the areas where expertise can develop and the areas where it can’t. My big takeaway was areas with clear and quick feedback are the ones who produce expertise.

The wizards of deception detection - Maureen O'Sullivan and Paul Ekman

One of my favorite articles. O'Sullivan and Ekman show that most people, even trained therapists, just aren't that good at reading different facial expressions.

Meet You in McGinnis Meadows: Lessons in Attunement - Scott Miller and Brooke Mathews

Miller and Mathews discuss her path to becoming an expert therapist. I've not read this in a few years but I remember her learning a lot from her work observing horses.

Contact Dr. Henny Westra at hwestra[ at] yorku.ca

Contact Alyssa Di Bartolomeo alyssaad @] yorku.ca; Twitter/X @aadibartolomeo

  Learn more at : Jordanthecounselor.com        

 One of the things that’s important to remember is knowledge is not enough for people to change.

Along the path of life we occasionally bump into exemplars- persons seen from a distance who inspire us by showing us what’s possible. For me, Dr Angela Bethea-Walsh is one of those persons; a highly skilled person of color with a full and diverse career. Because of that, my interview with her was profoundly engaging. I hope you listen as closely as I did, because every other word she speaks is gold. In this episode we cover:

• Her wandering path of success
• An overview of Motivational Interviewing  
• The crucial role of ambivalence in Motivational Interviewing
• And so much more…

If you’d like to learn more about Angela you can check her here. And if you’re in the Georgia area check out her upcoming trainings. 

August 24, 2018: Supervision of MI Practice: http://www.betheacps.com/MI-Workshop-SupEthics-Aug-2018.html November 9-10: MI Fidelity Coding: http://www.betheacps.com/MI-Workshop-MITI-Nov-2018.html LISTEN HERE   PS. If you enjoyed this episode check out this one. With Lisa Diamond. She’s another powerhouse. 

"There's more than enough to go around. If you trust in that flow ... if you have an open hand, things can flow into that hand and things flow out of it. But if it's closed it's hard to flow in and it's hard to flow out."

After talking with Noelle I came away inspired by her clarity and vision. She's committed to providing therapy in a way that's affordable to her clients as well as creating a business that mentors new therapists. Her approach is so refreshing in a world that increasingly only cares about making a profit. I came away reminded about why I got into this field. In this episode we talk about:

• The reality of running a therapy business versus what you're taught in school
• The value of mentorship in her development
• Her practice of combating the scarcity mindset with rituals
• How both perpetrators and victims are victims of trauma

You can learn more about her here.   PS. If you enjoyed this episode check out my episode with Dr. Anglea Bathea-Walsh. She was another inspiring powerhouse. 

"If you want to have a lot of clients you've got to make yourself a brand."

We live in a world where therapists are expected to do more than merely see clients. We now must become a personal brand. Who better to learn from then the people are have mastered personal branding: Influencers.  In this episode Ryan and I sat down with influencer and therapy client, Kathryn Sneed. As a therapy client and influencer she offers unique insights into how therapists can build their brand and grow their platform. In this episode we cover:

• The importance of self promotion and facebook groups
• Social media marketing,
• What to include in your bio

And more...

My takeaway from our discussion: Small businesses are different than influencers in one big way- influencers have groups which support each other's work. How can we as therapist use the power of groups to reach people who need our services? 

You can learn more about her experience in counseling here.

Listen on iTunes HERE 

PS. If you enjoyed this episode check my talk with Noelle Zamudio. She also talks about practice building. 

 

{No one is successful by themselves.} It takes a village. And I found my village and I'm super grateful because possibly the 100,000 people we've helped on the facebook group, that would have never have happened if it was just me. 2930

When I learned I was having a child one of my biggest fears was, "How am I going to handle everything when I'm exhausted?" Then, by chance, a friend recommended Alexis' blog Precious Little Sleep and everything changed. Make no mistake, the first few weeks were hard, but they were also more doable because I felt I had a road map, a wise guide, and a strong sense of what was normal. After I survived those first few weeks I knew I had to have Alexis on the podcast. My interview with Alexis was so wonderful. She's so full of energy and incredibly down to earth. In this episode we talk about:

• How and why she started her blog Precious Little Sleep
• Her forthcoming audio book and how it helped her overcome imposter syndrome
• The perils of vocal fry
• How her blog developed out of problems she was trying to solve for herself
• The problem with sleep schedules
• The insidious nature of "parental judgement"
• The question you have to ask when building a platform
• Her 20/80 rule of making content
• The struggles of transitioning to into parenthood
• Why she recommends Smart Passive Income and CopyBlogger for building your niche

PS If you're open to suggestions you'll want to start with this blog post of hers. It's one of my favorites. And if you enjoyed the episode check out this one with another blogger/influencer 

Listen HERE on iTunes

"The question I had was, well I could teach people how to cope better, I could teach people how to manage that arousal better, but could I actually turn down that arousal so they weren't having to deal with so damn much."

Laurence Hirshberg is a brainach. You'll get two minutes into this conversation and his intelligence will simply smack you in the face. I love that. I love brilliant people. But he's also the kind of smart person who deeply cares. That is why Laurence was such an awesome guest to have on. Not only does he know his stuff, he also deeply believes in what he's doing and has seen the power of it to change peoples lives. In this episode you'll learn about:

• His early research with babies (and why they made him feel guilty)
• His work with autism
• Why Big Data won't change the world
• how infrared light can heal the brain
• How we've come a long way from Electro Convulsive Therapy
• The book he recommends as a study break
• The book every student should read
• and much more. 

P.S. If you enjoyed this check out my interview with Sebern Fisher. She's the one who opened my eyes to the world of neurofeedback. 

Listen HERE on iTunes

 

"[I call polyvagal theory] the science of feeling safe enough to fall in love with life and take the risk of living."

I can't talk about therapy without talking about how important safety is. And I can't talk about safety without talking about polyvagal theory. And I can't talk about polyvagal theory without talking about two names, and one of those is Deb Dana. While others have outlined the steps and stages of safety, Deb's mission is to operationalize safety so that we therapists can use it in practical ways to help our clients. 

In this podcast we talk about:

• How much of mental illness is simply a nervous system which lacks a sense of safety
• The ladder of response and why we can't respond when we don't feel safe
• Innate cues for safety and threat

and more. 

Learn more about Deb Dana here. Also, search her books on Amazon

PS: If you enjoyed this you should check out my episode on how to become a better therapist. It's full of actionable tips. 

Listen HERE on iTunes, Here on YouTube or search Behind the Mirror on Podcast Addict (for androids)

"Usually with trance you think close your eyes and go away. And that's a good thing to be able to do but I think we always should regard it as a special case. Really what people are needing is how to connect with others and how to participate in life in the present moment with all of who they are."

Before there were therapist there were priest, mystics, magi and the like. Stephen Gilligan is a throwback to the best of those healing traditions. Talking with him and seeing him work is always inspiring and reminds me that what happens between people is more than words. I first got into his work because I was studying hypnosis, but he's gone far beyond traditional hypnosis now and looks at all the ways we can ease suffering through connecting with excluded parts in order to create communities strong enough to hold human suffering. 

In this episode we discuss:

• the importance of tapping in to your center
• how healing comes from connecting to isolated parts
• how the future is all about community
• and much more ...

Read more about Gilligan here. 

PS if you enjoyed this you should check out my episode with Douglas Flemons. I think they're cut from the same cloth. 

Listen HERE on iTunes or search Behind the Mirror on Podcast Addict (for androids)

"That's all I'm trying to do in therapy, I'm trying to get the patient to teach me how he does things well, [rather] than me to teach him what his mistakes are."

Eric Greenleaf, has plenty of awards. He's a Ph.D, the director of MHEIBA,  editor for the Erickson Foundation Newsletter, and first recipient of the Milton H. Erickson Award of Scientific Excellence for Writing in Hypnosis. However, in this podcast you'll come to see him as a wonderful storyteller. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to him discuss case after case. Whenever I hear stories like this I'm always inspired by what is possible on the far side of therapy. In this episode you'll hear several case reports:

• The case of the trash compactor
• The case of the homemade postcards
• The case of the photographed desk

Find out more about Eric by visiting his website here or by checking out his youtube channel.

PS. If you enjoyed this episode check out my interview with Kershaw and Wade. They combine an Ericksonian approach with Neurofeedback. 

Listen HERE on iTunes or search Behind the Mirror on Podcast Addict (for androids)

 

Eric Greenleaf, PhD, is offering case consultation to practitioners of Erickson-influenced hypnotherapy, in person or by tele-consulting.

Eric has practiced psychotherapy and hypnosis for 50 years, and taught and consulted Internationally.  He currently consults to therapists in practice in Italy, Poland, Germany, France and the U.S. Contact him at training.MHEIBA@gmail.com to arrange individual or small group consults.

You may also be interested in Eric’s online trainings, for yourself, a small group of colleagues, or your own classes and workshops:

How to Do Hypnosis and Therapy the Erickson Way.

This 8-hour edited video of our live workshop with Betty Alice Erickson LPC, MFT, John Dyckman, PhD and Eric Greenleaf, PhD can be streamed in English or Spanish  8 CEs.

Dr. Greenleaf’s Fundamentals of Advanced Ericksonian Hypnotherapy can also be streamed online. Filmed live at the externship training at MRI in 2014. 38 edited hours of instruction, demonstration and practice exercises. 27 CEs for PhD, PsyD, MFT, LCSW, LPC and RN licenses. MDs, addiction treatment professionals, Feldenkrais practitioners and graduate students can also take this course.  www.miltonherickson.com

"How can we educate anybody when they have so much more going on outside of these 6.5 - 7 seven hours of school?"

Denise Walker is one of the few therapist I've seen work. Her ability to connect with teenagers is something to behold. Because of this unique ability, and because of her years of experience working in client's homes, I decided to reach out to her. As you listen, pay special attention to her passion for education, especially for those forgotten and overlooked. 

In this episode we talk about:

• How she started working with youth
• The challenges of in-home therapy, especially when most programs train clinicians for the private practice world
• What a typical week looks like when you're working inhome

 

And much more...

PS. If you enjoyed this episode check out my interview with Noelle Zamunido. She's another with a passion for the disenfranchised. 

Listen HERE on iTunes

or 

search Behind the Mirror on Podcast Addict (for androids)

 

"I'm not interested in psychotherapy as an enterprise. I'm interested in doing whatever it takes to engage people in helping people help themselves to lead healthier, more functional, happier lives."   Scott Miller is easily one of the most important and most underrated psychologist of our time. Listen to him speak for just a few minutes and it's clear why. He has a master of the research that is almost unparalleled. But that is not what makes him great. What makes him great is he knows where to look. All of his energy is focused, not on theory, but on the very specific things which make therapy work. He's a master because he knows where to look. That sort of clarity is rare indeed. In this interview we cover:

• His work with the founders of SFBT and why the group split up.
• How many sessions the average client comes to therapy.
• The importance of tracking outcomes
• The surprising research on which therapies are most effective 
• How therapy needs to return it it's magickal roots. 

If you enjoyed this check out this episode on what separates great therapists from average therapists.

If you'd like to learn more about Scott check out his website, or read his article How Psychotherapy Lost it's Magick (it will blow you away). For more on tracking your outcomes check out his books Deliberate Practice for  Psychotherapist or The Cycle of Excellence, and his FREE outcome measures. 

 

If after all this you still want more his new book Better Results comes out in September. Until then pick up a copy of Peak, its book about becoming the best, and it reads like a novel. 

 "It's not that we're doing nothing. It's that a lot of the things we're focusing on {don't} seem to map to outcomes."

After talking with Alex I got the sense that if we weren't divided by an ocean we'd be good friends. Living in Lisbon, Portugal he does a little of everything, teaching, research, practice, etc. He first appeared on my radar after I stumbled upon his amazing youtube series for therapist: Psychotherapy Expert Talks where he interviews top therapist and researchers in the field. Not only is he super friendly and incredibly welcoming, he is also uniquely knowledgeable about therapy. In this episode we talk about 

• How explanations and rationals can dramatically improve your outcomes
• The top therapist/ researcher he knows
• Why models don't matter, and you should still pick one
• and much much more

 

PS if you enjoyed this episode check out this episode with Scott Miller. He's another one on the frontier of the field. 

Listen HERE on iTunes

If you really want to be a superior therapist then you got to keep getting trained. And you can, and it it will show up... I really care about not just being a good therapist, but an amazing therapist.

Anabelle Bugatti first popped onto my radar through her interview with George Faller. They spent an hour dissecting the nuances of working through client anger in ways which validate and transform rather than dismiss and invalidate. It was a phenomenal interview. As I watched that and her other interviews, two things become very clear, very quickly. First, she is dedicated to becoming one of the best. Second, she's brave enough to ask the questions we all think, but rather not ask. Both are qualities I admire. In our far ranging talk we discussed:

• How attachment theory is about more than just bonding
• How she began her YouTube channel
• Her best advice for students

Find out more about her here.

Listen here on iTunes 

or

check us out on PODCAST ADDICT

PS: if you enjoyed this episode check out my interview with Wesley Little. She's my favorite EFT Blogger.

"Most online schools, that are accredited, have a thousand people in their master's program getting online degrees, and so to then say that we don't do online therapy is kind of ludacris. And we don't teach how to do online therapy well, that's kinda ludacris as well."

Adam Mathews was my first supervisor. As I was grinding away as an In-Home therapist I watched him transition smoothly from the world of managed care into private practice. Since then his online presence as a therapist has only grown. He has a wonderful website, a sex therapy podcast, and generally is slowly dominating the world. So when I wondered who could speak to practice building in a way that was practical for the digital age, I knew who I had to talk to. 

In this episode we talk about:

• The three keys every therapist needs to know for building their online presence
• His must read list for building a private practice
• Why he doesn't do group therapy, (and what he does instead)

Listen here on iTunes 

Here on YouTube

or

check us out on PODCAST ADDICT

PS: if you enjoyed this episode check out my interview with Alexis Dubief. She's in influencer and changer maker who also talks about online presence for therapist. 

Watch on Youtube:, follow on Medium:,Listen on iTunes:

"It can't be imposed on someone. It's for everyone who's interested in a better life."

 

Connirae Andreas is the last of the mavericks. There was a time in the world of psychotherapy when the field was advanced by people unafraid to ask bold questions and make even bolder moves. Much of modern day hypnosis and NLP was born during this time. In the thick of it all sat Connirae Andreas adding her unique blend to the process of change and personal evolution. She brings that maverick spirit into her newest work- the Wholeness Process. Connirae is not just dedicated to helping people solve problems, she's hoping to evolve the soul. And she's developed the approaches to do it. 

In this episode we talk about:

• How her newest work was birthed out of her own emotional and physical health crises. 
• How she brought NLP modeling skills to eastern philosophy
• How you can use the power of awareness for your own healing the evolution

Feel free to pick up a copy of the book, check out her online trainings or live trainings. 

 

 

PS: if you enjoyed this episode check out my interview with Stephen Gilligan. He's another NLP/Hypnosis practitioner who's interested in evolving the soul. 

 

"We go through life underestimating the goodness of human beings and we overestimating the negative and then it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy."

Learn more about Alan here: www.alanberkowitz.com

Get his EXCELLENT book here:  

http://www.lulu.com/shop/alan-berkowitz-phd/response-ability-a-complete-guide-to-bystander-intervention/paperback/product-4843519.html

 

P.S. If you enjoyed this check out my conversation with Lisa Diamond, she's another changing social norms. 

 

"[Attachment] it's a protection systems that's built into our bodies, so when that's in distress, like with a couple, and you don't know if that person has your back, you don't know if you're safe with that person, or that person becomes a threat, then we go into survival mode. Literally our body goes into a fight-flight freeze response because we don't know if we're safe, we don't have that other person to keep us safe, to help us watch for danger, and to protect us when there's danger there."

 

View on YouTube

Contact Debbie Here:debbie@thejoshuacenter.com

P.S. If you enjoyed this episode, check out my conversation with Deb Dana. She talks about polyvagal theory. 

 

"It's a matter of utilizing, not analyzing, what the client is bringing to you, what exists in the total weave of the therapy situation, learning how to join into that moment rather than trying to instruct in some cognitive about how to get out of that situation."

 

View on YouTube

Learn More about Jeff here.

Learn about the Milton Erickson Foundation here. 

P.S. If you enjoyed this episode, check out my conversation with Connirae Andreas. She also studied with Milton Erickson. 

 

"For me humility is super important. Humility, I think a lot of people think, means humbling yourself and bringing yourself down, But it's also about bringing yourself up. it's about right sizing where you fit." 

View on YouTube

Contact Jesse at: jas945@drexel.edu

Learn about the ABFT here. 

P.S. If you enjoyed this episode, check out my conversation with Debbie Pridemore. She's another attachment clinician. 

My first guest on the podcast, and little-known wonder, was Katie Gudde. Practicing in the small (but growing) area of Northwest Arkansas, Katie Gudde is, in my humble opinion, one of those hidden Supershrinks, a wonder therapist who has grown her skills through practice and dedication and regularly helps people that stump other therapists.

In this episode we talk about:

• Feeling like a failure and fraud even after years of being in the field
• The cyclical nature of change
• EFT and motivation
• How attachment needs are survival needs, just like hunger and thirst
• Does EFT work with families?
• The dreaded “still face” 

Click here to listen

PS. If you enjoyed this episode check out this blog post. I think it’ll also resonate with you.

Drs. Kershaw and Wade are, in my my opinion, pioneers of the field. Their approach to therapy which combines neurofeedback and hypnosis puts them on the forefront of innovative change work. In this episode we talk about:

• How they taught me to ask the miracle question
• Jaak Pansepp’s emotional states
• The hidden common factor in therapy
• Alpha/Theta training and it’s connection to hypnosis
• How to know when someone’s in an Alpha/Theta state
• How you brain makes it only cannabis
• Their best advice for students

Click here to listen

P.s. If you want more information you can subscribe to their newsletter here.Also, if you liked this podcast check out this one on Douglas Flemons. There’s a good bridge between his work and theirs. Also check out this letter I wrote you. It’ll make a lot more sense after listening to them. 

I stumbled upon Wesley Little’s blog Becoming A Couples Therapist a few months ago and was dumbstruck. Here was someone who spoke with both passion and precision about couples therapy. Not only was her blog offering specific, actionable steps in helping therapists work with couples, she also spoke with a simplicity that revealed a deep heart for couples in pain. Becoming a Therapist has been my favorite therapy blog ever since. So you can imagine how excited I was when I sat down for our interview.

On Episode 4 we talk about:

• Her favorite therapy blog
• The wisdom behind blogging as a therapist
• How therapy might go slower than you think, and that’s a good thing
• The importance of apologizing to clients
• The three questions she asks to distill emotion
• Why she’s still in supervision, and probably will be forever

Click here to listen

P.s. If you enjoy this episode you should check out my interview with Katie Gudde. She’s also an EFT therapist and talks about EFT. Also check out this blog post– I think you might enjoy it. 

“When you watch your own tapes you’ve got to be so careful to not look for all your mistakes … how we learn is yeah, notice something you may have missed, but also make sure you catch the things you did right. ” Karyn Bristol

For this episode I finally got to sit down and talk with Karyn Bristol. Besides being one of the top EFT bloggers, she’s also an EFT supervisor and founding member of the New Jersey chapter of EFT. 

One of the things that I didn’t expect was how warm she was, even the cadence of her voice lulled me into a sense of, “Oh, yeah, this is what safety feels like.” I imagine this transfers over wonderfully with her clients. Also, look at how she answers questions. Almost every time she starts off saying something like, “That’s a great question, ” or, “I really like how you said that.” I think those are the little things which make therapy flow. In this episode we talk about:  

• Her process of continual supervision
• Her new journey into Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP)
• The process of writing, struggling, and now publishing her novel The Truth is a Theory

You can preorder he new novel here and find her author website here.

Click here to listen

PS. If you enjoyed this episode listen to this one next. Also, you might enjoythis blog post about the importance of relationships.

“Neuroplasticity, which we talk a lot about, is in the frequency domain of the brain. We know it’s not in the chemical because we provide chemicals and they don’t create brain change. They create sedation.”

My talk with Sebern Fisher was phenomenal! What impressed me the most was her honesty. In her book and in the interview she was remarkably candid about her failure to help the most troubled of children, that is until she found neurofeedback. If you’ve ever found yourself stuck with patients who have had horrendously extensive trauma histories then this is the episode for you. In this episode we talk about a LOT. Check out the show notes below.

PS. If you liked this episode check out his episode on how to become a better therapist. It's full of actionable tips.  

Listen here!

 

Show Notes

• Her early work with severely troubled kids
• The role of fear and emotional regulation in therapy
• The wild child video which shows the DRAMATIC changes that can occur with neurofeedback

 

• How trauma informed care is coming into the mainstream. Even Oprah’s talking about it.

 

• How Texas Christian University is Using TBRI to help kids

 

• The importance of neuroscience and how it’s changing the way therapy is conducted
• The periaqueductal grey and the default mood network
• Taking her kids to see Foster Kline 
• Her work with Thich Nat Hanh
• Her view of meditation, hypnosis, and neurofeedback
• The chief work of therapy being making yourself known
• The importance of constraint for the nervous system

This is one of the few times I cannot recommend her book. I loved her book, and my copy is marked, underlined, and dogeared….. BUT the book is highly technical. Still, if you’re just rapt you can order it on amazon.

 

“Our society does not respect attachment relationships that are neither family nor sexual and I think that’s a fundamental weakness and something that runs counter to what we know about ourselves as a species.”

Lisa Diamond is one of the top researchers in the world on sexual fluidity, the capacity for a person’s sexual orientation to change over time. Talking with her was an acid trip. Every other thing she said blew my mind and opened up whole worlds of questions. What surprised me the most was how quickly the conversation turned towards …wait for it… attachment. 

 In this episode we delve into a bunch of topics such as :

• Sexual fluidity
• The links between attachment and sexuality 
• The importance of nonsexual attachment relationships
• Her ultimate quest to unite the fields of relationship and sexuality
• The numbers on how many people experience fluidity in their sexuality (it’s MUCH higher than you’d think)

Listen here!

ENJOY!

PS. If you enjoyed this episode check out this blog post on sex. It’s my most popular. 

Listen on YouTube

Listen on iTunes 

Contact me at InformedSimplicity@gmail.com

or on Twitter @jordanharrisphd

P.S. If you enjoyed this episode check out my interview with Deb Dana. She's the clinician taking Polyvagal Theory to the masses. 

Since you're here you might as well earn CEs. Find out how to earn CEs for this course here.

You can pick up Dr. Allan Abbass' book here.

 Not only is it okay to make mistakes or to fail at something, but it's good in a way. If your not, if your not making mistakes and you're not failing your not growing."

Contact me here: Jocrharris@gmail.com

Watch here on YouTube

 Learn a more about Josh here Check out Josh's book here

Also, check out https://theartoflearningproject.org/

P.S. If you enjoyed this, make sure to check out this episode on How to Become a Supershrink. The two are thematically linked. 

"I hear so many political pundits and talking heads now and when they talk about reconciliation or why there's is disproportionate levels of income and crime rates and all of these things now and they'll point to things such as 'well it's because of single motherhood' or 'lack of fathers in african america or minority communities'... okay that's fine, but that didn't just happen overnight. There's a reasons. I never hear anyone talk about reason and there's a reason."

  

"Some people may think I'm only doing this, Jordan, for minorities, but that's not true. I believe we're all trapped by this trauma."

James Hawkins: soldier, healer, pastor, prophet. James and I first got connected when I found out about his work with racial reconciliation in christian communities. As someone with my own troubled relationship with the church and a deep investment in racial healing I was enthralled. Since then I've had the opportunity to attend one of his trainings. Wow. His approach is direct and kind, confronting and compassionate. If you're looking for a diversity trainer he should be on your short list. And on your short list he should be at the top. 

In this episode we talk about:

• The parallels between racial reconciliation and marital affairs. 
• Why he's specializes in working with christians and reconciliation.
• The need for prophetic lament.
• Why christians can't ignore racial divisions and be congruent with the message of the bible.

Find out more about James at: 

https://amoreexcellentwayrelationship.com/

Listen here on iTunes 

Here on YouTube

or

check us out on PODCAST ADDICT

PS: if you enjoyed this episode check out my interview with Noelle. She also talks about social justice. 

 

 

Hello! 

I'm pleased to announce the Informed Simplicity Project!

This project is all about mastery in the field of psychotherapy. Part of this project will be same- I'll still be interviewing amazing guest in the field of psychotherapy. And part of this podcast will be very different. You'll have access to book reviews (such as Anne Herrington's Mind Fixers) and curated content from around the web. This is no longer just for students in an online program, now it's for students of the field of psychotherapy. 

So, make sure to subscribe.

and 

look for videos and more on medium: https://medium.com/@informedsimplicity

Ryan and I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Douglas Flemons. A wonderful therapist and a personal mentor we’ve been talking about hypnosis and change for some time now. A brief therapist in practice in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Douglas specializes in hypnosis, sex, and suicide.

In this episode we talk about:

• How his approach is a mix of Gregory Bateson’s theory of mind and Daoism
• Why he doesn’t let clients set the goals of therapy (sort of)
• Why Flemons doesn’t encourage clients to use hypnosis
• How he thinks about brief therapy
• The wisdom he took from Olga Silverstein, one of the lost gems of therapy
• Where he and Jack Kornfield agree, and where they disagree
• A case where he deals with a kid’s fear with art therapy, but not really
• Why he doesn’t believe in mentors
• And why he recommends Shunryū Suzuki’s Zen Mind, Beginners Mind 

Click here to listen

Check out his book Of One Mind. It’s one of the books which changed my life so much I talk about it in my manifesto. If you want a brief summary of his brief approach I recommend his article “Making Symptoms Vanish.”

P.S. If you enjoyed this episode check out this blog post. I think you’d enjoy it.