Focus Forward: An Executive Function Podcast Beyond BookSmart

Today’s episode is a conversation I had with Dr. Deborah Korn, a licensed clinical psychologist with over 30 years of experience treating trauma with EMDR therapy. If you haven’t heard of EMDR before, you’re in for a treat because this therapy technique is pretty mind-blowing. From our conversation, you’ll learn what EMDR therapy is, how it works, and who might be a good candidate for this innovative intervention for coping with trauma (spoiler alert: you don’t need to have had a big traumatic experience to benefit from EMDR!) Best of all, Dr. Korn shared some inspiring and heartwarming stories about people whose lives have been changed for the better (or maybe even saved) by EMDR therapy. I hope you enjoy the episode!

Show notes
Learn more about Dr. Korn
https://www.everymemorydeservesrespect.com/about-deborah-korn-psyd

Every Memory Deserves Respect Book
https://www.everymemorydeservesrespect.com/book

Learn More About EMDR
EMDR International Association
https://www.emdria.org/about-emdr-therapy/

EMDR Institute
https://www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr/

Today’s episode is all about obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD. I met up with Dr. Anthony Bram, a clinical psychologist in Lexington, Massachusetts to learn more about this fascinating brain-based condition. Dr. Bram works with adults and kids, providing support for a wide range of mental health challenges, including OCD, anxiety, depression, and learning differences. He explained to me that he became interested in helping people with OCD during his predoctoral internship. He realized that the traditional kinds of psychotherapy that he had been learning were not so effective in alleviating the distressing symptoms of his patients with OCD. This led him to discover a specialized form of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) called exposure with response prevention (ERP). Dr. Bram continued to learn more during his postdoctoral work at the Menninger Clinic, which was in Topeka, KS at the time. There, while primarily pursuing advanced training in traditional modalities of treatment and assessment, he also sought the supervision of a cognitive behavioral therapist who specialized in OCD so he could begin learning and applying ERP and other CBT techniques. This experience taught him the importance of being flexible and expanding his therapeutic skills to better meet the diverse needs of his clients. I’m so happy to bring Dr. Bram on so we can all learn about OCD, its connection to executive functioning, and how to support people in our lives who may be struggling with it and its related challenges. Enjoy!

Show notes:
Learn more about Dr. Bram
http://www.dranthonybram.com/

Learn more about OCD
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd

https://iocdf.org/about-ocd/

OCD activity in the prefrontal cortex (image)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1x6W41yZhcbsnf4ZJ9qCY1R8J4-_jv0sl/view?usp=sharing

Find a Provider
https://iocdf.org/find-help/?_provider_proximity=42.3600825%2C-71.0588801%2C50%2CBoston%252C%2520MA%252C%2520USA

Okay, so this week is a tasty episode! I invited Becca King, a registered dietitian and social media influencer with nearly 200k followers, to join me on Focus Forward to talk about food, ADHD, and Executive Function as the three are more interconnected than you might think. We talk about many aspects of food and cooking - how to lower or get rid of barriers that may prevent us from cooking or eating nourishing food, meal planning and how to make it work for you and how it may change as your life situation changes. We also talked about the importance of crunch (haha!), finding satisfaction in the food we eat, and how to remove the guilt or shame we might feel when we don’t cook or eat how we feel like we “should”. Becca follows an “all foods fit” approach to nutrition and really helps people get to a place where they can nourish themselves with nutrient-dense foods and eat the fun stuff, too. Thanks for listening and be sure to check out Becca’s instagram in the show notes!

Show Notes
Learn more about Becca King
Instagram: www.instagram.com/adhd.nutritionist
https://linktr.ee/adhd.nutritionist

Becca’s Tips for Remembering to Eat: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Os3jH51Y-7BwNQdn7zSntTzj1b2FBswP/view?usp=drive_link


Becca’s Sensory Descriptors to help understand your sensory preferences with food: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gjbDnVhwDIvYbodCGtu7tGB0vbWS60aU/view?usp=drive_link


ADHD and Food
Executive Dysfunction 101: How to Treat ADHD's Most Difficult Symptom: https://www.beyondbooksmart.com/executive-functioning-strategies-blog/executive-dysfunction-101-how-to-treat-adhds-most-difficult-symptom#howtotreatED


ADHD Diet For Adults: Foods To Eat And Avoid:
https://add.org/adhd-diet/
Nutrition in the Management of ADHD: A Review of Recent Research:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10444659/


Nutrition and ADHD: https://chadd.org/about-adhd/nutrition-and-adhd/

As Executive Function coaches, we often talk about how working on Executive Function skills is really an act of building self-confidence. Learning to be confident in yourself and believing you can get through the hard stuff is the key to trying new things, reaching your goals, and truly making a lasting difference in all areas of life. We work hard to build this confidence in our clients, just as my guest today does with his college students. James Sanders the third is a professor of public speaking and interpersonal communication at Fayetteville Technical Community College in North Carolina. He joined me to share how teaching public speaking has shown him firsthand how students can truly blossom when they step outside of their comfort zone. I’ll let him tell you more about the work he does, but this man is making positive change happen wherever he goes. We talked about the importance of community, of trusting yourself, and saying yes to the scary things that are a stepping stone towards reaching your goals. In addition to being interesting to talk to and an inspiring ray of sunshine, James shared a lot of useful resources and links with me, including his recent commencement address, so be sure to check out the show notes when you’re done listening (listed below!)

Show notes

Watch us on Good Morning America! - https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/family/video/biggest-challenges-facing-boys-high-school-110494888?utm_content=294855601&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&hss_channel=fbp-836347533047033

Here are some resources that James shared with our listeners.

1) TED Talks: Watching TED Talks is a great way to learn from some of the best public speakers in the world. The TED website and YouTube channel offer a wide range of topics and styles that can provide inspiration and techniques for your own speaking.


2) Talk Like TED by Carmine Gallo: This book breaks down the techniques used by the best TED speakers and provides actionable tips to improve your own presentations. It covers storytelling, emotional connection, and delivery skills.


3) Toastmasters International: Toastmasters is a nonprofit organization that offers a supportive environment for practicing public speaking and leadership skills. Local clubs provide regular meetings where you can practice and receive feedback.


4) The Public Speaking Project: This online resource offers free materials including a textbook, videos, and interactive activities focused on various aspects of public speaking. It's a comprehensive guide that covers everything from speech preparation to delivery techniques.


Watch James’s commencement address at Fayetteville Technical Community College
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUPK7VvjJf0&t=1505s


Resources for Building Self-Esteem and Confidence


How to Help Students with Learning Challenges Build Healthy Self-Esteem
https://www.beyondbooksmart.com/executive-functioning-strategies-blog/how-to-help-students-with-learning-challenges-build-healthy-self-esteem

BBS on Good Morning America!
https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/family/video/biggest-challenges-facing-boys-high-school-110494888

Hi everyone! Today we’re having another Q&A with some of our amazing Executive Function coaches. Together, we answer your top questions pertaining to summer support, motivation, transitions, and so much more! Our last coach Q&A episode was in December and became our second most listened to episode of all time - so we figured why not do it again? The three Beyond BookSmart coaches I met with this time are Vin Kachurik, Cass Estey, and Maria Ares. If you’ve attended any of our free webinars, you may recognize a few of their voices. Although many of the questions we answered were about high school and college life, the tools and strategies we discuss can be used by anyone at any age. So tune in and get some support for the inevitable transitions and challenges that we all face at this time of year! And when you’re done listening, be sure to check out the show notes for some links to more resources and deeper dives into some of the tools we talked about today.

Webinar: Finishing Strong: Executive Function Solutions for End-of-Year Success
https://www.beyondbooksmart.com/finishing-strong-executive-function-solutions-for-end-of-school-year-success

James Clear (Atomic Habits) Resources
https://jamesclear.com/eisenhower-box
https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits

Covey Quadrants Explained
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/covey-time-management-matrix

How to Increase Motivation With ADHD: 10 Tips From Treatment Experts
https://www.beyondbooksmart.com/executive-functioning-strategies-blog/how-to-increase-motivation-with-adhd-10-tips-from-experts

Spoon Theory Explained
https://butyoudontlooksick.com/articles/written-by-christine/the-spoon-theory/

80/20 College Split
https://drive.google.com/file/d/198Yao_AjXR8KwBxUoRu8IGGIQIgg0wAa/view?usp=drive_link

College Readiness Skills List
https://drive.google.com/file/d/125bkdoLNuBA-3qagORblx7ICSBBVGm74/view?usp=sharing

A Day in the Life of a Sumo Wrestler
https://web-japan.org/kidsweb/virtual/sumo/sumo04.html

Today we’re talking all about creativity. You may have already known that Executive Function skills benefit our creativity, but what you might know is that creative hobbies can actually have huge benefits for the development of our Executive Functioning. In this episode, we explore this symbiotic relationship so you can learn how to enjoy the brain benefits of both creativity and Executive Function. The full episode is now available to stream on all your favorite podcast platforms (linked above!)

As always, thank you for being part of the Focus Forward community! If you enjoy this episode, be sure to leave us a 5-star rating on the platform you're listening on ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  

Here are the show notes from today's episode:

Benefits of Creative Hobbies
Association of Enjoyable Leisure Activities With Psychological and Physical Well-Being
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2863117/

Crafts as serious hobbies: Impact and benefits in later life
https://intellectdiscover.com/content/journals/10.1386/crre.9.1.93_1

Window of Tolerance
What Is the Window of Tolerance, and Why Is It So Important?
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/making-the-whole-beautiful/202205/what-is-the-window-tolerance-and-why-is-it-so-important

How to Help Your Clients Understand Their Window of Tolerance
https://www.nicabm.com/trauma-how-to-help-your-clients-understand-their-window-of-tolerance/

Managing Perfectionism
Conquering Failure: Expert Tips for Building a More Resilient Life
https://www.beyondbooksmart.com/overcoming-procrastination-webinar-on-demand-registration-0

Focus Forward Ep 11: Procrastination: Why We Wait & What to Do About It
https://www.beyondbooksmart.com/podcast?wchannelid=y1lzulxlcs&wmediaid=n2bmc91r6d

The Perils of Handmade Perfectionism
https://luvliness.net/2024/02/the-perils-of-handmade-perfectionism/

5 Teachings From The Japanese Wabi Sabi Philosophy That Can Drastically Improve Your Life
https://www.omaritani.com/blog/wabi-sabi-philosophy-teachings

Creative Hobbies and EF
Directions Practice
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zIOa53QyoJkx98mhLCluX2NGNgZ4iXN-ag2hW-gHUL0/edit

Sewing with Threads Podcast - Sewing and Neurodiversity
https://www.threadsmagazine.com/2024/04/03/sewing-and-neurodiversity-with-hannah-choi-episode-76

Learn more about Hannah and Bonnie

Bonnah Co Fiber Arts
www.bonnahco.com and www.instagram.com/bonnahcofiberarts