49 episodes

Join psychotherapist Tom Parkes as he has meaningful conversations to help you build mental flexibility. Each episode will explore topics related to psychology, mental health, and creativity. With an open mind and a sense of curiosity these conversations will help you better understand yourself, others, and the world around you. 

Mentally Flexible Tom Parkes, LCSW

    • Health & Fitness
    • 5.0 • 2 Ratings

Join psychotherapist Tom Parkes as he has meaningful conversations to help you build mental flexibility. Each episode will explore topics related to psychology, mental health, and creativity. With an open mind and a sense of curiosity these conversations will help you better understand yourself, others, and the world around you. 

    Dr. Diana Hill | Self-Compassion for Wise Effort

    Dr. Diana Hill | Self-Compassion for Wise Effort

    My guest today is Diana Hill, PhD. Diana is a clinical psychologist, international trainer, and sought-out speaker on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and compassion. Host of the podcast Wise Effort with Dr. Diana Hill and author of The Self-Compassion Daily Journal, The ACT Daily Journal, and the upcoming book Wise Effort, Diana works with organizations and individuals to develop psychological flexibility so that they can grow fulfilling and impactful lives.
    Some of the topics we explore include:
    - The value in stretching outside of our comfort zone
    - Ways to help carry the heaviness in life 
    - Fears related to being more self-compassionat
    - Diana’s process of releasing a new book while also navigating personal challenges
    - How we can minimize our difficulties and struggle to ask for help
    - Dealing with the pain of past regrets and forgiving ourselves
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    Diana’s website: https://drdianahill.com/
    The Self-Compassion Daily Journal: https://a.co/d/aBwmnIM
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    Thank you all for checking out the episode! Here are some ways to help support Mentally Flexible:

    You can help cover some of the costs of running the podcast by donating a cup of coffee! www.buymeacoffee.com/mentallyflexible


    Please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It only takes 30 seconds and plays an important role in being able to get new guests.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mentally-flexible/id1539933988


    Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mentallyflexible/


    Check out my song “Glimpse at Truth” that you hear in the intro/outro of every episode: https://tomparkes.bandcamp.com/track/glimpse-at-truth

    • 58 min
    Dr. Steven C Hayes | Moving Beyond the DSM

    Dr. Steven C Hayes | Moving Beyond the DSM

    My guest today is Dr. Steven C. Hayes. Steven Hayes is an Emeritus Professor of Psychology at the University of Nevada, Reno and President of the Institute for Better Health, a 45-year old charitable organization dedicated to better mental and behavioral health. With 47 books and nearly 700 scientific articles published, Dr. Hayes is one of the most cited psychologists in the world as he continues to innovate in the field of psychology. He is the developer of Relational Frame Theory (RFT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).


    Some of the topics we explore include: 
    - The launching of the PsychFlex and Mindgrapher apps
    - How this opens the potential for 24/7 integration of treatment
    - The ways we can better attend to often ignored client issues
     - The limitations of the DSM and its history
    - Moving away from a one size fits all approach to treatment
    - The current development of new data sets and statistical methods
    - Hope for the future of behavioral health and helping people

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    Dr. Steven Hayes’ Website: https://stevenchayes.com/
    PsychFlex: https://psychflex.com/signup/
    A Liberated Mind: https://a.co/d/aGBpF8S


    —————————————————————————


    Thank you all for checking out the episode! Here are some ways to help support Mentally Flexible:


    You can help cover some of the costs of running the podcast by donating a cup of coffee! www.buymeacoffee.com/mentallyflexible


    Please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It only takes 30 seconds and plays an important role in being able to get new guests.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mentally-flexible/id1539933988


    Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mentallyflexible/


    Check out my song “Glimpse at Truth” that you hear in the intro/outro of every episode: https://tomparkes.bandcamp.com/track/glimpse-at-truth

    • 1 hr 9 min
    Anna Lembke, MD | Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence

    Anna Lembke, MD | Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence

    My guest today is Anna Lembke, MD. Dr. Lembke is a professor of psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine and chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic. A clinician scholar, she has published more than a hundred peer-reviewed papers, book chapters, and commentaries. She sits on the board of several state and national addiction-focused organizations, has testified before various committees in the United States House of Representatives and Senate, keeps an active speaking calendar, and maintains a thriving clinical practice.
    Her new book, Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence was an instant New York Times Bestseller,  and explores how to moderate compulsive overconsumption in a dopamine-overloaded world.


    Some of the topics we explore include:
    - Dr. Lembke’s path through medical school and psychiatry training
    - Early lessons learned about substance use and addiction
    - The neurobiological overlap between addictive and compulsive behavior
    - How Dr. Lembke navigates some of the highly stimulating parts of the modern world
    - Childhood development and technology 
    - The way compulsive overconsumption can lead to a dopamine deficit state
    - What it’s like having Dopamine Nation be so well known 
    - What matters most to Dr. Lembke in her life today


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    Dr. Lembke’s Website: https://www.annalembke.com/
    Dopamine Nation: https://a.co/d/5VQODAp


    —————————————————————————


    Thank you all for checking out the episode! Here are some ways to help support Mentally Flexible:


    You can help cover some of the costs of running the podcast by donating a cup of coffee! www.buymeacoffee.com/mentallyflexible


    Please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It only takes 30 seconds and plays an important role in being able to get new guests.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mentally-flexible/id1539933988


    Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mentallyflexible/


    Check out my song “Glimpse at Truth” that you hear in the intro/outro of every episode: https://tomparkes.bandcamp.com/track/glimpse-at-truth

    • 49 min
    Dr. Jud Brewer | Why We Eat When We're Not Hungry

    Dr. Jud Brewer | Why We Eat When We're Not Hungry

    My guest today is Dr. Jud Brewer. Dr. Jud is a New York Times best-selling author, neuroscientist, addiction psychiatrist, and thought leader in the field of habit change. He is the Director of Research and Innovation at Brown University’s Mindfulness Center, where he also serves as an associate professor. He is the executive medical director of behavioral health at Sharecare Inc. and a research affiliate at MIT. Dr. Jud has developed and tested novel mindfulness programs for habit change, including treatments for smoking, emotional eating, and anxiety. His new book is called The Hunger Habit: Why We Eat When We're Not Hungry and How to Stop, which we discuss in the episode.

    Some of the topics we explore include: 
    - How all urges converge in one place in the brain
    - How our biological drives around food cause challenges in the modern context
    - The way we  use food to numb ourselves from difficult emotions
    - The healing potential of curiosity
    - Challenges with mindless eating
    - The difference between hunger and craving
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    Dr. Jud’s Website: https://drjud.com/
    The Hunger Habit: https://a.co/d/5VQODAp
    —————————————————————————
    Thank you all for checking out the episode! Here are some ways to help support Mentally Flexible:


    You can help cover some of the costs of running the podcast by donating a cup of coffee! www.buymeacoffee.com/mentallyflexible


    Please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It only takes 30 seconds and plays an important role in being able to get new guests.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mentally-flexible/id1539933988


    Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mentallyflexible/


    Check out my song “Glimpse at Truth” that you hear in the intro/outro of every episode: https://tomparkes.bandcamp.com/track/glimpse-at-truth

    • 50 min
    Dr. Sarah Pegrum | ACT, Loss, and Body Image Struggles

    Dr. Sarah Pegrum | ACT, Loss, and Body Image Struggles

    My guest today is Dr. Sarah Pegrum. Sarah is a Clinical Psychologist and ACT Peer-Reviewed Trainer who has been working in the field of body image, weight stigma, and eating disorders for over 15 years. Dr. Pegrum is the outgoing president of the Atlantic Canada Chapter of ACBS. She is also the author of the new book, Break the Binds of Weight Stigma: Free Yourself from Body Image Struggles Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy


    Some of the topics we explore include: 

    - Dr. Pegrum's move from Australia to Canada
    - How she was first introduced to ACT
    - How ACT helped Sarah moved through loss and grief 
    - Challenges people face related to body image and weight stigma
    - Some of the unhelpful messages we receive about our bodies
    - And how seeing our bodies as problems can keep us from what is most important


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    Dr. Pegrum's Website: https://drsarahpegrum.com/
    Break the Binds of Weight Stigma: https://a.co/d/9jq1A5L
    —————————————————————————


    Thank you all for checking out the episode! Here are some ways to help support Mentally Flexible:


    You can help cover some of the costs of running the podcast by donating a cup of coffee! www.buymeacoffee.com/mentallyflexible


    Please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It only takes 30 seconds and plays an important role in being able to get new guests.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mentally-flexible/id1539933988


    Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mentallyflexible/


    Check out my song “Glimpse at Truth” that you hear in the intro/outro of every episode: https://tomparkes.bandcamp.com/track/glimpse-at-truth

    • 51 min
    Steve Haberlin, PhD | Meditation in the College Classroom

    Steve Haberlin, PhD | Meditation in the College Classroom

    My guest today is Steve Haberlin, PhD. Steve is a researcher and academic who has studied mindfulness and meditation in higher education settings for the past decade. As an assistant professor in the College of Community Innovation & Education at the University of Central Florida, he currently researches meditation practices with undergraduates. Steve’s most recent book is called Meditation in the College Classroom, which we discuss in this episode.


    Some of the topics we explore include: 
    - How Steve first got into meditation and mindfulness
    - The benefits of meditation on unhelpful mind wandering 
    - Why only a small percentage of people regularly meditate 
    - Some nuances using meditation in a clinical setting
    - What led Steve to research meditation in the college classroom
    - The need for education systems to  focus on the development of a whole person
    - And how teachers to start integrating meditation into the classroom
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    Steve’s Website: https://www.stevehaberlin.com/
    Meditation in the College Classroom: https://a.co/d/2jwzVMr
    —————————————————————————
    Thank you all for checking out the episode! Here are some ways to help support Mentally Flexible:


    You can help cover some of the costs of running the podcast by donating a cup of coffee! www.buymeacoffee.com/mentallyflexible


    Please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It only takes 30 seconds and plays an important role in being able to get new guests.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mentally-flexible/id1539933988


    Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mentallyflexible/


    Check out my song “Glimpse at Truth” that you hear in the intro/outro of every episode: https://tomparkes.bandcamp.com/track/glimpse-at-truth

    • 54 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
2 Ratings

2 Ratings

bairdbrain ,

Like a comfy chat with friends

Great podcast, I listen on my way to work and I love how comfortable Tom makes the guests feel - it feels like I have friends in the car with me. Even good friends that have similar professional interests to me.

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