Psyched to Practice

Dr. Ray Christner and Paul Wagner
  • 4.8 (16)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Biweekly

Join us as your hosts, Dr. Ray Christner and Paul Wagner, as we explore the far reaches of mental health and share this experience with you. We’re going to cover a wide variety of topics in and related to the field, as well as having experts share their findings and their passion for mental health. We look forward to taking this adventure with you and hope we can get you Psyched!“ Be well, and stay psyched!”

  1. 4d ago ·  Video

    AI Is Already Changing Mental Health Practice Faster Than We Can Measure

    AI is moving into mental health practice at a pace that is hard to ignore. In this episode of Beyond the Bot, Dan Florell and Adam Lockwood look beyond AI report writers and talk about how psychologists, school psychologists, and other mental health professionals are actually using AI in their work. They discuss the rapid growth in adoption, the role AI is playing in reports, treatment plans, recommendations, emails, documentation, and other everyday tasks, and what current research is beginning to tell us. They also tackle some of the concerns that come with this shift, including confidentiality, bias, environmental impact, hallucinations, and the risk of relying too heavily on technology. One of the bigger questions throughout the conversation is whether AI should simply give us answers or become something closer to a working partner. Dan and Adam discuss how customization, feedback, professional judgment, and psychology-specific tools may shape the way AI fits into clinical practice. The technology is moving quickly. The question for mental health professionals is how we use it without giving up the knowledge, judgment, and responsibility that still belong to us. Brightminds Ad PAR Ad This episode is brought to you by PAR. Explore the AI Report Writer here: https://www.parinc.com/product/ai-report-writer?utm_campaign=38111624-Psyched%20to%20Practice%202026&utm_source=P2P%20Podcast&utm_medium=Related%20Podcasts Learn more about the RIAS-2 NU here: https://www.parinc.com/product/groups/rias-rist-assessments?utm_campaign=38111624-Psyched%20to%20Practice%202026&utm_source=P2P%20Podcast&utm_medium=Related%20Podcasts To hear more and stay up to date with Paul Wagner, MS, LPC and Ray Christner, Psy.D., NCSP, ABPP visit our website at:  http://www.psychedtopractice.com  “Be well, and stay psyched"

    AI Is Already Changing Mental Health Practice Faster Than We Can Measure

  2. Sep 18 ·  Video

    Practice in Action: There’s More to a Mental Health Career Than the Therapy Room

    Private practice is often presented as the goal for mental health professionals. But what if it isn’t the right goal for you? In this episode, Paul Wagner and Dr. Ray Christner talk about the many directions a mental health career can take. They discuss what clinicians can learn from community mental health and school-based settings, how to recognize when it may be time for a change, and why moving too quickly can sometimes mean leaving valuable growth opportunities behind. Ray also shares how his own career developed through mentorship, supervision, teaching, private practice, consulting, writing, presenting, test development, and entrepreneurship. Along the way, the conversation challenges the idea that clinicians need to follow one straight path or eventually own a private practice. The bigger question is not simply what you should do next. It is what you actually want from your career, what you enjoy, what you are willing to take risks on, and how your interests outside of mental health might create unexpected opportunities within it. Your career does not have to be a straight line. It can grow, change, and take you places you never expected. Brightminds Ad PAR Ad This episode is brought to you by PAR. Explore the AI Report Writer here: https://www.parinc.com/product/ai-report-writer?utm_campaign=38111624-Psyched%20to%20Practice%202026&utm_source=P2P%20Podcast&utm_medium=Related%20Podcasts Learn more about the RIAS-2 NU here: https://www.parinc.com/product/groups/rias-rist-assessments?utm_campaign=38111624-Psyched%20to%20Practice%202026&utm_source=P2P%20Podcast&utm_medium=Related%20Podcasts To hear more and stay up to date with Paul Wagner, MS, LPC and Ray Christner, Psy.D., NCSP, ABPP visit our website at:  http://www.psychedtopractice.com  “Be well, and stay psyched"

  3. Sep 11 ·  Video

    Beyond the Bot: Should You Trust AI More When You Know Less

    Are we more likely to trust AI when we know less about a subject? Dan and Adam explore the surprising gap between how experts and novices use AI, and what that could mean for mental health and school psychology. They talk about the risks of relying on AI when you do not know enough to spot mistakes, the importance of using multiple sources to check AI-generated information, and why AI should support professional judgment rather than replace it. The conversation also covers major AI developments discussed at the APA conference, including AI report writers, electronic medical records, school data systems, AI agents, and recent changes to Google NotebookLM. Along the way, Dan and Adam consider a bigger question: How can professionals use increasingly powerful AI tools without losing the skills and critical thinking that make them experts? Brightminds Ad PAR Ad This episode is brought to you by PAR. Explore the AI Report Writer here: https://www.parinc.com/product/ai-report-writer?utm_campaign=38111624-Psyched%20to%20Practice%202026&utm_source=P2P%20Podcast&utm_medium=Related%20Podcasts Learn more about the RIAS-2 NU here: https://www.parinc.com/product/groups/rias-rist-assessments?utm_campaign=38111624-Psyched%20to%20Practice%202026&utm_source=P2P%20Podcast&utm_medium=Related%20Podcasts To hear more and stay up to date with Paul Wagner, MS, LPC and Ray Christner, Psy.D., NCSP, ABPP visit our website at:  http://www.psychedtopractice.com  “Be well, and stay psyched"

    Beyond the Bot: Should You Trust AI More When You Know Less

  4. Sep 4 ·  Video

    Practice in Action: Discomfort Isn't Always Dysfunction

    What happens when we start treating normal human experiences as symptoms of a mental disorder? In this episode of the Psyched to Practice Podcast, Paul Wagner and Dr. Ray Christner take a closer look at the line between normal distress and clinical pathology. They discuss how referral bias, self-diagnosis, rating scales, symptom matching, and even our own clinical expectations can lead us to see a diagnosis before we fully understand the person sitting in front of us. They also explore why context, culture, proportionality, persistence, and functional impairment matter when deciding whether a reaction is clinically significant. From grief and anxiety to ADHD, OCD, sleep problems, food preferences, and passive suicidal thoughts, the conversation looks at why a symptom alone does not tell the whole story. Most importantly, the episode asks a difficult question for clinicians: What if our attempts to help can sometimes reinforce the idea that normal emotions are problems that need to be eliminated? Mental health is not about never feeling sad, anxious, angry, or uncomfortable. It is about developing the capacity to experience those emotions without becoming controlled by them. For clinicians, this episode offers a reminder to slow down, stay curious, and understand the experience before deciding what it means. Brightminds Ad PAR Ad This episode is brought to you by PAR. Explore the AI Report Writer here: https://www.parinc.com/product/ai-report-writer?utm_campaign=38111624-Psyched%20to%20Practice%202026&utm_source=P2P%20Podcast&utm_medium=Related%20Podcasts Learn more about the RIAS-2 NU here: https://www.parinc.com/product/groups/rias-rist-assessments?utm_campaign=38111624-Psyched%20to%20Practice%202026&utm_source=P2P%20Podcast&utm_medium=Related%20Podcasts To hear more and stay up to date with Paul Wagner, MS, LPC and Ray Christner, Psy.D., NCSP, ABPP visit our website at:  http://www.psychedtopractice.com  “Be well, and stay psyched"

  5. Aug 28 ·  Video

    Beyond the Bot: Introduction to AI in Mental Health Report Writing Pt. 2

    AI can fix your grammar, rewrite a sentence, summarize your notes, generate recommendations, and eventually start making decisions for you. But where should the line be? In this episode of Beyond the Bot: AI and Mental Health, Dan Florell and Adam Lockwood break down the different levels of AI-assisted report writing, from simple editing to recommendations and clinical judgment. They discuss data security, HIPAA and FERPA concerns, enterprise accounts and BAAs, and why even seemingly harmless AI tools can create privacy risks. They also tackle a bigger question: What happens to our professional skills when we let AI do too much of the thinking? For newer professionals, the risks may be even greater. Dan and Adam discuss why developing strong report-writing and clinical reasoning skills should come before handing those tasks over to AI. They also explore using AI as a thought partner, the limits of AI-generated perspectives, and why clinicians need to remain the expert in the loop. The bottom line is simple: If AI is helping you write the report, you still need to know the data well enough to know when AI is wrong. Brightminds Ad PAR Ad This episode is brought to you by PAR. Explore the AI Report Writer here: https://www.parinc.com/product/ai-report-writer?utm_campaign=38111624-Psyched%20to%20Practice%202026&utm_source=P2P%20Podcast&utm_medium=Related%20Podcasts Learn more about the RIAS-2 NU here: https://www.parinc.com/product/groups/rias-rist-assessments?utm_campaign=38111624-Psyched%20to%20Practice%202026&utm_source=P2P%20Podcast&utm_medium=Related%20Podcasts To hear more and stay up to date with Paul Wagner, MS, LPC and Ray Christner, Psy.D., NCSP, ABPP visit our website at:  http://www.psychedtopractice.com  “Be well, and stay psyched"

    Beyond the Bot: Introduction to AI in Mental Health Report Writing Pt. 2

  6. Aug 21

    THROWBACK EPISODE: Schools Back, Bye Summer

    It’s that time of the year again, one of the biggest transitions for families is back with back to school. Whether you’re a parent or student this is a time of change. And that’s exactly what Ray and Paul explore in this week’s episode. They review some helpful and healthy recommendations to ease back into the school routine, and make this school year the best it can be. We hope you enjoy this Living Psyched episode Schools Back, Bye Summer.  Brightminds Ad PAR Ad This episode is brought to you by PAR. Explore the AI Report Writer here: https://www.parinc.com/product/ai-report-writer?utm_campaign=38111624-Psyched%20to%20Practice%202026&utm_source=P2P%20Podcast&utm_medium=Related%20Podcasts Learn more about the RIAS-2 NU here: https://www.parinc.com/product/groups/rias-rist-assessments?utm_campaign=38111624-Psyched%20to%20Practice%202026&utm_source=P2P%20Podcast&utm_medium=Related%20Podcasts To hear more and stay up to date with Paul Wagner, MS, LPC and Ray Christner, Psy.D., NCSP, ABPP visit our website at:  http://www.psychedtopractice.com  “Be well, and stay psyched"

  7. Aug 14 ·  Video

    Beyond the Bot: Introduction to AI in Mental Health Report Writing Pt. 1

    This episode focuses on AI report writing in psychological assessment, with a special emphasis on school psychology. Dan Florell and Adam Lockwood look at why AI is being adopted so quickly, where it genuinely helps, and where human judgment still matters. They also dig into the tension between compliance-heavy technical reports and the need for parent-friendly, usable summaries. In this episode, Dan Florell, a professor at Eastern Kentucky University and founder of Psyched to Practice, is joined by Adam Lockwood of Kent State University, who consults on AI implementation and AI report writing. Together, they explore report quality, defensibility, readability, and the practical realities of using AI in educational and clinical settings. Brightminds Ad PAR Ad This episode is brought to you by PAR. Explore the AI Report Writer here: https://www.parinc.com/product/ai-report-writer?utm_campaign=38111624-Psyched%20to%20Practice%202026&utm_source=P2P%20Podcast&utm_medium=Related%20Podcasts Learn more about the RIAS-2 NU here: https://www.parinc.com/product/groups/rias-rist-assessments?utm_campaign=38111624-Psyched%20to%20Practice%202026&utm_source=P2P%20Podcast&utm_medium=Related%20Podcasts To hear more and stay up to date with Paul Wagner, MS, LPC and Ray Christner, Psy.D., NCSP, ABPP visit our website at:  http://www.psychedtopractice.com  “Be well, and stay psyched"

    Beyond the Bot: Introduction to AI in Mental Health Report Writing Pt. 1

  8. Aug 7 ·  Video

    Practice in Action : Estrangement Should be the Nuclear Option

    Social media often makes it sound like there’s only one answer to difficult family relationships: cut them off. But is that always the healthiest choice? In this episode, Paul Wagner and Dr. Ray Christner take a thoughtful look at family estrangement, toxic relationships, and the role of boundaries in protecting your well-being. They explore why the word “toxic” has become so common, how clinicians can avoid black-and-white thinking, and why firm but flexible boundaries often deserve consideration before permanent no-contact decisions. You’ll hear practical ways to think through difficult family dynamics, the potential long-term costs of estrangement, situations where immediate separation is appropriate, and how therapists can support clients without steering them toward a predetermined outcome. Whether you’re a mental health professional or someone navigating a challenging family relationship, this conversation offers a balanced, compassionate framework for making decisions that align with your values instead of reacting from the moment. Brightminds Ad PAR Ad This episode is brought to you by PAR. Explore the AI Report Writer here: https://www.parinc.com/product/ai-report-writer?utm_campaign=38111624-Psyched%20to%20Practice%202026&utm_source=P2P%20Podcast&utm_medium=Related%20Podcasts Learn more about the RIAS-2 NU here: https://www.parinc.com/product/groups/rias-rist-assessments?utm_campaign=38111624-Psyched%20to%20Practice%202026&utm_source=P2P%20Podcast&utm_medium=Related%20Podcasts To hear more and stay up to date with Paul Wagner, MS, LPC and Ray Christner, Psy.D., NCSP, ABPP visit our website at:  http://www.psychedtopractice.com  “Be well, and stay psyched"

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Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
16 Ratings

About

Join us as your hosts, Dr. Ray Christner and Paul Wagner, as we explore the far reaches of mental health and share this experience with you. We’re going to cover a wide variety of topics in and related to the field, as well as having experts share their findings and their passion for mental health. We look forward to taking this adventure with you and hope we can get you Psyched!“ Be well, and stay psyched!”

Information

  • Creator
    Dr. Ray Christner and Paul Wagner
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    149
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Psyched to Practice
  • Show Website
    Psyched to Practice

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