Thoughts on Record: Podcast of the Ottawa Institute of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Dr. Pete Kelly

Bipolar disorder is often thought of as a mental disorder that is treated exclusively with medication when in fact there are a number of evidence-based psychotherapeutic techniques that can be used to complement traditional pharmacotherapy.  Dr. Holly Swartz joins us for a discussion of the core themes in her new book, Social Rhythm Therapy for Bipolar Disorder.  In this conversation we cover:
a brief overview of bipolar disorderwhat Social Rhythm Therapy (SRT) is and how it is used to treat bipolar disorderthe key principles and components of SRTchallenges or considerations when implementing SRT with adolescents or young adults with bipolar disorderhow SRT complements other treatments for bipolar disorderhow SRT addresses the relationship between daily routines, sleep patterns, and mood regulationimplementing SRT within a family systemaddressing challenges related to sleep from a behavioural vs. pharmacological routethe unique challenge that technology, screen-time etc. pose to forming healthy biological routinesadvice for mental health professionals who are interested in incorporating SRT into their practice for bipolar disorderComments or feedback?  Email the podcast: oicbtpodcast@gmail.com

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Holly A. Swartz is Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She received her undergraduate degree from Harvard College, medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and completed her psychiatric residency training at New York Hospital / Cornell University School of Medicine. Dr. Swartz’s research focuses on understanding and optimizing treatments for mood disorders. She is well known for her work evaluating Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) and Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy (IPSRT) as treatments for depression and bipolar disorder. Her research focuses on the role of IPSRT and pharmacotherapy in the management of bipolar II depression and IPT in the management of maternal depression. She is engaged in collaborative projects to develop computational frameworks to model dyadic interpersonal behaviors in relation to psychotherapy process and outcomes and to understand neural correlates of change in chronotherapeutic behavioral interventions. Her research has been funded by the National Institute of Health, National Science Foundation, and the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation.

Dr. Swartz has held elected leadership positions for national and international professional organizations, including serving as President of the International Society of Bipolar Disorders (ISBD ; 2024-2026), President of the International Society for Interpersonal Psychotherapy (ISIPT ; 2015-17), and Board Member of the American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology (ASCP ; 2021-2029).  She is the 2018 recipient of the Depression and Bipolar Association (DBSA) Gerald L. Klerman Senior Investigator Award in recognition of outstanding research contributing to the understanding, causes, diagnosis, and treatment of mood disorders. She is the author of over 100 publications, co-author of Bipolar II Disorder: Recognition, Understanding and Treatment (American Psychiatric Association Publishing, 2019), author of The Social Rhythm Therapy Workbook for Bipolar Disorder: Stabilize Your Circadian Rhythms to Reduce Stress, Manage Moods, and Prevent Future Episodes (New Harbinger Press, 2024), and Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Psychotherapy. She serves as a member of the Scientific Advisory Boards of DBSA and the International Bipolar Foundation.

https://www.psychiatry.pitt.edu/about-

Challenges related to attachment in relationships - especially in the context of romantic relationships - can evoke very strong emotions and behavioral urges that can often backfire, sometimes causing the very thing we fear most; namely, the dissolution of a relationship.  Psychologist, author, speaker & teacher, Dr. Leslie Becker-Phelps joins us for a discussion of her latest release, The Insecure In Love Workbook.  In this discussion we cover:    
what inspired Dr. Becker-Phelps to write The Insecure in Love Workbook and the clinical realties of this challenge that she had in mind when constructing her approacha brief overview attachment and how it relates to our relationships how early life experiences influence our attachment styles in adulthooddifferentiating between normal relationship challenges and issues stemming from insecure attachment patternsthe most common self-defeating patterns that people engage in when an attachment feels threatened the critical importance of self-awareness in managing issues related to attachmentDr. Becker-Phelps' STEAM model (5 domains of self-awareness: Sensations, Thoughts, Emotions, Actions, Mentalizing)helping clients navigate challenges related to self-acceptance and compassionate self-awarenesswhat determines sustainable compatibility whether it is healthy to accommodate or even “give in” to one’s attachment stylenavigating an intense attraction to someone from the lens of attachment the line between co-regulation & subjugation/unhealthy accommodation in a relationship Comments or feedback?  Email us at: oicbtpodcast@gmail.com 
Dr. Leslie Becker-Phelps is dedicated to helping people understand themselves and what they need to do to become emotionally and psychologically healthy. She is in private practice, hosts a YouTube channel, and is a prolific writer. She has authored The Insecure in Love Workbook, Insecure in Love, and Bouncing Back from Rejection. She also writes the Authentically You blog and the Making Change blog on Psychology Today.

To learn more about Dr. Becker-Phelps, visit www.drbecker-phelps.com

The last decade has seen the ascendency of a number of "public intellectuals" who have come under increasing scrutiny around allegations of misinformation, conspiracy mongering, grifting & intellectual inconsistency.  Importantly, many have achieved "guru" status with millions of followers and devotees on YouTube and other social media platforms.  Professors & podcasters, Drs. Matt Browne & Chris Kavanagh joins us for a conversation in which we cover their critical consideration of the "guru-sphere" in their podcast Decoding the Gurus.  In this conversation we cover:    
why they started the Decoding the Gurus podcast and the ethos of the podcastwhy they have chosen to focus on secular gurus a consideration of their "gurometer" with pertinent examplesguru "adjacent" individuals who frequently host discussions with the gurusthe guru mindset: Machiavellian bad actors or delusional self-belief (or both)?  the natural history of the guru from anonymity to ascendency what gurus tell us about ourselveswhy gurus curry command so much loyalty in their followers factors in the current landscape that may be contributing to the rise of the guruwhy more gurus have not taken up the "right to reply" opportunity on Decoding The GurusFeedback or comments?  Email us at: oicbtpodcast@gmail.com

An Australian psychologist and numbers-guy, Dr. Matt Browne is a research professor in psychology at CQU where he does research on all manner of things, but particularly enjoys looking into why people believe the things they do: religion, conspiracy theories, alternative medicine and stuff. He's into social media in the same way people slow down for car accidents.

Dr. Chris Kavanagh is Northern Irish cognitive anthropologist who occasionally moonlights as a social psychologist. Chris has long standing interests in the psychology of conspiracy theorists and pseudoscience. His academic research focuses on the Cognitive Science of Religion and ritual psychology.. Chris is an Associate Professor in Psychology at Rikkyo University and a Researcher at the University of Oxford Centre for the Study of Social Cohesion.

Mindfulness is an area of clinical and intellectual focus which has grown tremendously in popularity and includes many secular practices such as breath work, body scanning & self-compassion.  OICBT psychologist Dr. Kiran Vadaga joins us for an in-depth conversation in which explore observations around the importance, and potential benefits, of being a more mindful observer of our feelings (particularly those which are pleasant.  In this conversation we cover:  
a quick primer on some of the assumptions of Buddhist Psychology; namely, the impermanent nature of reality and the impersonal nature of realitywhy are so quick to struggle against these assumptionsthe four Noble truths (1. there is suffering, 2. there are causes for suffering, 3. there is a way out of suffering 4. the way out of suffering is by following the eightfold noble path)contrasting buddhist psychology with the three waves of Western psychology (behavior therapy, cognitive therapy, and secular mindfulness practices)current secular mindfulness practices current evidence for mindfulness-based interventionsmindfulness of feelingsBuddha’s discourse on the Four establishments of mindfulness (i.e., mindfulness of mind, mindfulness of body, mindfulness of feelings, and mindfulness of phenomenathe law of dependent originationa self-inquiry approach around the investigation of the four establishments of mindfulness and the law of dependent originationfindings and implications in treating different mental ailments (i.e., depression, mania, anxiety, inattention, and addictions)
Comments or feedback?  Email us at: oicbtpodcast@gmail.com

Dr. Kiran Vadaga obtained his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Concordia University, Montreal. He completed his pre-doctoral internship at the McGill University Health center and supervised practice at the Ottawa Institute of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (OICBT). He provides Psychodiagnostic assessment and treatment for adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Borderline personality disorder (BPD). He also provides treatment for adults and the elderly struggling with mood and anxiety-related disorders. Dr. Vadaga uses an integrative approach to treatment drawing from cognitive, behavioral, interpersonal, and mindfulness traditions.

https://www.ottawacbt.ca/mr-kiran-vadaga

CBT interventions are often favoured for being empirically supported; however, it is not always clear how efficacy of these interventions maps to the actual functioning of the brain.  Esteemed neuropsychologist and psychoanalyst, Dr. Mark Solms, joins us for an in-depth discussion of the clinical implications of his research into the biological underpinnings of consciousness as discussed in in his wonderful book, The Hidden Spring: A Journey to the Source of Consciousness.   In this discussion we cover : 
why Dr. Solms gravitated towards a psychoanalytic framework to explore the underlying neuroscience of brain functionthe definition of consciousness that Dr. Solms employs when considering matters related to consciousnessthe brain's "workflow" with respect to constructing conscious experiencehow the brain weighs the importance of various competing needs the unexpected role of the brain stem and cortex in consciousness levering critical implications of this model of information processing to enhance standard CBT interventions consideration of therapeutic potential of the therapeutic alliance through the lens of Dr. Solm's system of consciousnesswhat his model can teach us about the origins of psychopathology and challenges with personalityleveraging the content of our dreams knowing their biological basis (Dr. Solms elucidated the specific neurobiological origins of dreaming, beyond REM sleep)Comments or feedback?  Email us at: oicbtpodcast@gmail.com

Mark Solms, PhD, is Director of Neuropsychology at the University of Cape Town. He is Director of Training of the South African Psychoanalytical Association, Member of the British Psychoanalytical Society and Honorary Member of the New York Psychoanalytic Society. He is Director of the Science Department of the American Psychoanalytic Association and Co-Chair of the International Neuropsychoanalysis Society. He was Research Chair of the International Psychoanalytical Association.  He was awarded the Sigourney Prize in 2012. He has published more than 350 papers in both neuroscientific and psychoanalytic journals, and six books, including The Brain and the Inner World (2002), which was a bestseller translated into 12 languages and his latest book The Hidden Spring. His selected writings were published as The Feeling Brain (2015). He is the editor of the Revised Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud (24 volumes) and the Complete Neuroscientific Works of Sigmund Freud (four volumes). 

There has been increasing discussion of the metabolic basis of mental disorders and the potential benefit a low-carb/ketogenic approach could hold with respect to the treatment of mental disorders.  Psychiatrist Dr. Georgia Edes joins us for a discussion of major themes of her new book Change Your Diet, Change Your Mind.  In this conversation we cover: 
why Dr. Edes wanted to write this bookthe underlying evidence to suggest that there is likely a fundamentally metabolic mechanism underlying mental disorderswhat contributes to the evolution of developing a metabolic disorder within the brainsigns that one could be in a danger zone from a metabolic perspectivecontroversies and emerging views around cholesterol and other markers of metabolic health from an energy balance perspectivewhat a brain healthy diet looks like from a metabolic perspectivethe role inflammation plays a potentially in the development and maintenance of mental disordersDr. Edes staged model or algorithm of progression through paleo to keto to carnivore to evaluate what benefits a metabolic approach might offer measures beyond nutritional factors that could impact upon metabolic healthdiscriminating between a metabolically-based depression vs. depression precipitated by loss of a job, relationship or similar (i.e., perhaps an expected and reasonable response to a stressor)safely and effectively combining pharmacological and nutritional strategies how can psychologists & psychotherapists, how can we leverage knowledge of the underlying metabolic processes to optimize their clinical - mainly psychotherapeutic - interventionsFeedback or comments?  Email the podcast: oicbtpodcast@gmail.com

Dr. Georgia Ede is an internationally recognized expert in nutritional and metabolic psychiatry. Her twenty-five years of clinical experience include twelve years at Smith College and Harvard University Health Services, where she was the first to offer students nutrition-based approaches as an alternative to psychiatric medication. Dr. Ede co-authored the first inpatient study of the ketogenic diet for treatment-resistant mental illness, developed the first medically accredited course in ketogenic diets for mental health practitioners, and was honored to be named a recipient of the Baszucki Brain Research Fund’s first annual Metabolic Mind Award. Her new book Change Your Diet, Change Your Mind was released on January 30, 2024.