Writing can be a powerful tool to help people work through challenges in their lives and improve their mental health. James Pennebaker, PhD, of the University of Texas at Austin, talks about why expressive writing can be good for mental health and how to try it. He also discusses his research on language use, and how analyzing the words that people use in th ... Show More
Oct 8
Dyslexia myths, misconceptions and facts, with Tim Odegard, PhD
Dyslexia is one of the most common learning differences, yet it’s still widely misunderstood. Tim Odegard, PhD, talks about how dyslexia is diagnosed and defined; his own experience growing up with dyslexia; how kids at risk can be identified early; what interventions work best; ... Show More
39m 5s
Oct 1
Lefties, righties and mixed-handers: The psychology of brain asymmetry, with Sebastian Ocklenburg, PhD
Left-handers make up about 10.6 percent of the world’s population. Sebastian Ocklenburg, PhD, talks about why handedness and other brain asymmetries exist; the genetic and environmental factors that influence handedness; whether there’s any truth to the stereotype that lefties ar ... Show More
36m 46s
Sep 24
Teens, AI and the science of risky decisions, with Valerie Reyna, PhD
You might think the best way to make decisions is to know all the facts. But psychologists’ research suggests that getting the “gist” – the core meaning behind the facts – is more important than focusing on every last detail. Valerie Reyna, PhD, talks about why gist matters; how ... Show More
34m 33s
Sep 2021
Managing mental health - maintaining your wellbeing in a post-pandemic world
In this episode, we speak with Dr Sophie Homer a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Plymouth. Her research interests include clinical and applied psychology, and the role of negative, intrusive mental imagery in mental health and its potential as a target for interventio ... Show More
36m 12s
Apr 2021
Are Mental Health Apps Safe?
At last count, there were over 300 mental health-related apps in the app stores. With this many, how do you choose? How do they differ from each other, and do they actually help? Most importantly, how do we know which ones are safe? On today’s episode, we discuss mental health ap ... Show More
25m 38s
Jan 2023
The Brain-Gut Microbiome Axis and Its Impact on Mental Health
Your gut health directly impacts your mental health. From nutrient absorption that impacts the physical building blocks of the brain, to inflammation which can lead cytokines to damage the brain, to your microbiome which impacts your physical and mental health, your gut health is ... Show More
10m 16s
Jun 2021
Turn Your Inner Dialogue Into Productivity and Confidence w/Dr. Ethan Kross EP 1118
“Negative emotions aren’t something that we should be trying to avoid.”Today's guest is Dr. Ethan Kross, who is a psychologist, author, and professor at the University of Michigan. Ethan is one of the world’s leading experts on controlling the conscious mind and in his new book C ... Show More
1h 38m