The MindStew Podcast

Joshua Kugel
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  • Mental Health

A podcast aiming to inspire and empower psychology, counselling and cognitive sciences students to be wise and effective practitioners, through conversations with academics and professionals.

  1. 06/16/2025

    Psychedelics and the Brain's Hemispheres - Adam Levin

    Dr. Adam Levin, a psychiatrist and researcher, based at Ohio State University's Center for Psychedelic Drug Research and Education (CPDRE). Adam works at the intersection of psychedelics, psychiatry and neuroscience. In this conversation, we discuss Adam's recent paper, which proposes a new theory about how psychedelics work, focusing on the intriguing role of brain lateralisation in psychedelic experiences and therapeutic outcomes.

  2. 10/15/2024

    The effectiveness of therapy - Bruce Wampold and Pim Cuijpers

    My guests today are Bruce Wampold and Pim Cuijpers, two of the leading experts in the research of the effectiveness of psychotherapy. Bruce is Emeritus Professor of Counseling Psychology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and author of the seminal book, The Great Psychotherapy Debate: The Evidence for What Makes Psychotherapy Work. Pim is Professor Emeritus of Clinical Psychology at the Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and is also director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Dissemination of Psychological Interventions. In this conversation, we discuss the evidence for psychotherapy as a whole, the evidence for how the effectiveness of different psychotherapies compare, how to study the drivers of change in psychotherapy (such as the "therapeutic alliance") and discuss what the current evidence suggests as fruitful avenues for the future of psychotherapeutic research and practice.

  3. 12/12/2021

    The Philosophy of Psychedelics – Chris Letheby

    My guest today is Dr Chris Letheby, a philosopher working on issues related psychedelic drugs who is currently a lecturer in philosophy at the University of Western Australia and a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Adelaide. Chris is also the author of the book Philosophy of Psychedelics, which was published in 2021 by Oxford University Press. In this conversation we touch on the account given in Chris' book of the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics, and then go deep into Chris' account of the phenomenology of psychedelics. This conversation was a lot of fun, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

  4. 10/29/2021

    A guide to seeing a psychologist – Ros Knight

    My guest today is Ros Knight is a Clinical and Counselling Psychologist with over 25 years experience and the President of the Australian Psychological Society (the largest professional organisation of psychologists in Australia) from 2017-20 was the Clinical Director at Macquarie University for nearly 14 years. This conversation is something of a guide for people who may be considering getting professional psychological support for the first time. We discuss when to see a psychologist, what to look for in a psychologist, how to know if you and your therapist are a good fit and how to get the most out of therapy.

    A guide to seeing a psychologist – Ros Knight

  5. 09/01/2021

    Incorporating the Numinous into Psychological Practice - Ralph Piedmont #2

    My guest today is Professor Ralph Piedmont, Professor of Pastoral Counselling at Loyola University in Maryland and a past president of the APA's Society for the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality. In this conversation, we discuss spirituality as a clinically-relevant personality trait, and how one can go about integrating spirituality into clinical practice. Ralph is also co-author (with Teresa Wilkins) of the recently published book, Understanding the Psychological Soul of Spirituality. **20% Discount Available to MindStew listeners - with the code BSE20**

    Incorporating the Numinous into Psychological Practice - Ralph Piedmont #2

  6. 07/19/2021

    The Psychological Soul of Spirituality - Ralph Piedmont

    My guest today is Professor Ralph Piedmont, Professor of Pastoral Counselling at Loyola University in Maryland and a past president of the APA's Society for the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality. In this conversation, we discuss the nature of spirituality as a personality trait (arguably the sixth personality trait!) that cuts across cultures and religions, it's relevance for clinical practice and wellbeing and the nature of the FFM domain of openness to experience and its maladaptive expressions. Ralph is also co-author (with Teresa Wilkins) of the recently published book, Understanding the Psychological Soul of Spirituality. **20% Discount Available to MindStew listeners - enter the code BSE20 at checkout**

    The Psychological Soul of Spirituality - Ralph Piedmont

  7. 04/29/2021

    The Wandering Mind - Jonathan Smallwood

    My guest today is Professor Jonathan Smallwood (@the_mindwanders), Professor of Psychology at Queens University in Canada. Jonny researches the neuroscience of the phenomenon of spontaneous, internally generated thought, as exemplified by mind-wandering and day-dreaming. To me, this is an interesting topic because it is; a) something that we do all the time, b) relevant to high-prevalence mental health conditions (such as rumination and worry in depression and anxiety), and c) is quite different from other most neuroscience areas that tend to be studied through specific tasks. In this conversation, we discuss the function of mind-wandering, whether it makes us unhappy, its relationship to the default-mode network, the position of the default-mode network in the brain's processing hierarchy and the challenges and opportunities of studying spontaneous thought.

    The Wandering Mind - Jonathan Smallwood

  8. 09/12/2020

    Technoboosting mindfulness - Jay Sanguinetti

    In this episode I speak with Jay Sanguinetti, Research Assistant Professor and Director of the NICE Lab (Non-Invasive Cognitive Enhancement Lab) at the University of New Mexico, and Science Director of the SEMA Lab (Sonification Enhanced Mindful Awareness) Associate Director of the Center for Consciousness Studies at the University of Arizona.  Dr. Sanguinetti investigates the use of noninvasive brain stimulation to enhance cognition and well-being. We discuss Jay's work investigating whether focused ultrasound can be used to augment meditation practice in the development of mindfulness. I found this conversation fascinating as it highlights how modern brain technologies could enhance wellbeing and also because the impact could be significant; while mindfulness is an effective intervention for pain, addiction, and mood disorders, many people don't persist with mindfulness training long enough to experience the full benefits.

    Technoboosting mindfulness - Jay Sanguinetti
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About

A podcast aiming to inspire and empower psychology, counselling and cognitive sciences students to be wise and effective practitioners, through conversations with academics and professionals.

Information

  • Creator
    Joshua Kugel
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Joshua Kugel
  • Show Website
    The MindStew Podcast