PA Mindset Matters

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At PA Mindset Matters, we shine a spotlight on exceptional PAs who are making a difference in mental health across all specialties. Our podcast and webinars are designed to connect and inspire the PA workforce—whether you’re a psych PA or a PA in primary care, emergency medicine, or any specialty—by providing practical insights and resources to integrate behavioral health into your practice. Together, we’re building a stronger, more connected community to raise each other up and deliver better patient care.

  1. 1D AGO

    Season 2 Reflection: Highlights from Psych PA Institute, Guest Stories, and What’s Next

    Hosts Mercedes Dodge and Jessica Spissinger of PA Mindset Matters reflect on wrapping their second season, highlighting interviews largely recorded at the inaugural PA Institute collaboration between Psych Congress and AAPA and previewing its return in early December in Orlando. They discuss their mission to connect psychiatric PAs and share standout guest takeaways. They note psych PA presence at AAPA, announce next season starting fall 2026 focusing on substance use, invite guests via pamindset.com, and thank APAP and supporters while sharing slide access through membership.

    14 min

  2. MAY 5

    Caring Beyond Diagnosis: Humanity, Intellectual Disability, and the Heart of Psychiatry I Jo A. Hughes DMSc, PA-C, CAQ-Psychiatry

    In medicine, it’s easy to focus on diagnoses, treatment plans, and checklists. But some of the most meaningful moments in care happen when we pause long enough to see the person beyond them. In this episode of Mindset Matters, we sit down with a leader in psychiatry to explore what it truly means to care for patients with intellectual and developmental differences—and how these experiences reshape the way we practice medicine as a whole. This conversation goes beyond career paths. It’s about humanity in care—and the responsibility we carry as clinicians to approach patients with curiosity, compassion, and respect for their lived experience. We explore: Caring for patients with intellectual disabilities in a system not always built for them Shifting from a diagnosis-driven model to a person-centered approach How psychiatry deepens our understanding of behavior, communication, and connection What these patients teach us about presence, patience, and meaning in medicine This episode is a reminder that some of the most impactful care we provide doesn’t come from having the right answer— It comes from being willing to see, listen, and understand more deeply. Whether you work in psychiatry or another specialty, this conversation will challenge you to think differently about what it means to truly care for your patients.

    28 min

  3. APR 28

    Mini Mindset: Menopause & Mental Health—Recognizing Hormonal Drivers Behind Mood Symptoms

    In this Mini Mindset episode, we explore the often-overlooked connection between menopause, perimenopause, and mental health. Many women present with symptoms that look like depression or anxiety—but what if the underlying driver is hormonal? We discuss: The clinical overlap between mood disorders and perimenopause Why some patients experience partial response to SSRIs The role of sleep disruption, vasomotor symptoms, and estrogen fluctuations How to differentiate brain fog vs ADHD vs mood disorders Practical treatment considerations, including SNRIs and collaborative care with OB-GYN We also highlight insights from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) and why clinicians need a broader lens when treating midlife patients. This is a conversation about curiosity, validation, and better care for women in transition.

    21 min

  4. APR 21

    From Life to Lessons: Ava Smith's Path in Psychiatry

    In this episode of The Mindset Matters, psychiatric PAs Mercedes Dodge and Jessica Spissinger interview Ava, a psych PA and clinical assistant professor at Texas A&M, about her transition from emergency psychiatry to outpatient academic practice. She reflects on working across 13 Houston-area hospitals, the lack of continuity in emergency care, and how her mother’s mental illness shaped her path into psychiatry later in life. Ava discusses her current role—primarily adult outpatient care with teaching responsibilities—along with PA advocacy, job-search strategies, and prescribing challenges in Texas. She also shares favorite resources and wellness habits like puzzles and Peloton.

    17 min

  5. APR 14

    Embracing Summertime Mood Challenges: Reverse SAD Explained

    In this episode of PA Mindset Matters Mini Mindset, hosts Jessica Spissinger and Mercedes Dodge review the third and final seasonal onset mood disorder discussing “reverse seasonal affective disorder,” or summer-onset depression. They note it’s less common than winter-onset SAD (about 0.5–2.5% vs. 5–10%) and can be missed because summer is assumed to be a season which most people enjoy. However, for those who struggle with summer depression, it may present atypically with agitation, irritability, restlessness, insomnia, appetite loss, and weight loss, sometimes resembling anxiety or manic irritability, and is linked to prolonged daylight, humidity, heat, and circadian disruption (including spring time change). They emphasize planning ahead, screening for seasonal patterns over at least two years, and prioritizing environmental management (dimming evening light, reducing screens, blue-light blockers, blackout curtains, temperature control, avoiding the “indoor trap,” and timing outdoor activity). We review psychotropic, lifestyle and treatment planning approaches.

    17 min

  6. APR 7

    More Than the Patient: How Psychiatry PAs Impact Entire Families

    In this episode of PA Mindset Matters, hosts Mercedes Dodge, PA-C and Jessica Spissinger, PA-C connect with psychiatric physician assistant Jasprina Ming, DMS, MPAS, PA-C at Psych Congress to discuss pathways into psychiatry, the mental health workforce shortage, and the broader impact of psychiatric care. Jasprina shares how growing up with a mother with mental illness shaped her perspective, emphasizing that treating one patient often means supporting an entire family and community while helping reduce stigma around mental health. She also discusses her clinical approach to depression, anxiety, and ADHD, highlighting the importance of both psychopharmacology and psychotherapy in outpatient care. Her career journey includes transitioning from a registered vascular technologist (RVT), where she performed vascular ultrasounds, to becoming a PA to be more involved in the full continuum of patient care. Despite being told that opportunities for PAs in psychiatry were limited in her area, she pursued the field through dedicated training and mentorship. The conversation also explores the realities of practicing psychiatry, including maintaining boundaries, avoiding burnout, and staying present outside of work. She shares practical strategies such as completing documentation during the workday and intentionally disconnecting after clinic to be fully present with family. This episode highlights the human side of psychiatric care and reinforces that mental health is health, and that every clinician plays a role in recognizing and supporting it.

    17 min

  7. MAR 31

    The Collaborative Shift: Breaking Down Healthcare Barriers | Mini Mindset Series

    Mental health doesn’t live in one clinic—it shows up everywhere. In this Mini Mindset episode of PA Mindset Matters, Mercedes Dodge, PA-C and Jessica Spissinger, PA-C take a closer look at collaborative care and why integrating behavioral health across specialties is essential for improving patient outcomes and reducing provider burnout. From primary care to pediatrics to specialty clinics, behavioral health is already present—but too often, care is delivered in silos. In this episode, we explore how shifting toward a team-based, integrated model can help close gaps in care, reduce fragmentation, and support more comprehensive, patient-centered treatment. Whether you’re in psychiatry, primary care, or any specialty managing complex patients, this episode offers practical insight into how collaborative care can be applied in real-world settings.

    16 min

  8. MAR 24

    From Military Service to Mental Health Advocacy: Edward Traverso's Story

    In this episode of The PA Mindset Matters, hosts Mercedes Dodge and Jessica Spissinger interview Edward Traverso about how his military deployment shaped his commitment to mental health. Edward describes discovering the PA profession, working on an adult inpatient involuntary unit, and completing a one-year psychiatry PA residency at the VA in Houston partnered with Baylor. Now practicing addiction psychiatry at New Start Clinic in Washington and Oregon, he emphasizes the role of substances in mental health, the importance of empathy and motivational interviewing, and building a non-paternalistic therapeutic alliance. He shares resources like The Carlat Report, NEI, and PCSS training, discusses diversifying roles to reduce burnout, and highlights interests including correctional psychiatry and interventional psychiatry. Edward’s path is a story of service, purpose, and redefining what it means to practice patient-centered care.

    19 min
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About

At PA Mindset Matters, we shine a spotlight on exceptional PAs who are making a difference in mental health across all specialties. Our podcast and webinars are designed to connect and inspire the PA workforce—whether you’re a psych PA or a PA in primary care, emergency medicine, or any specialty—by providing practical insights and resources to integrate behavioral health into your practice. Together, we’re building a stronger, more connected community to raise each other up and deliver better patient care.

Information

  • Creator
    jspissinger
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    34
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    PA Mindset Matters

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