Psychology America With Dr. Alexandra

Text me a question I might answer through the showI'm excited to share the second of a 17 part series of super brief podcasts on the topic of forgiveness.  In each show, I will ask just one question of Dr. Robert Enright, PhD, internationally renowned expert on the science and psychology of forgiveness.   The following brief episode answers the question:   What are the benefits of forgiveness?  (What’s in it for the person forgiving?)  Stay tuned for the third question, which answer the question:  What are the two paradoxes of forgiveness?  Dr. Robert Enright is the 2022 recipient of the Gold Medal Award for Impact in Psychology by the American Psychological Foundation.  As the founder of the scientific study of forgiveness, Dr. Enright has authored seven books and over 100 publications on the topic and related topics, including studies on cross-cultural interpersonal forgiveness.   Dr. Enright developed an early intervention to promote a model of forgiveness that can be self-taught or used in therapeuti

Text me a question I might answer through the showIs there someone from your life that you need to forgive? The following super brief episode is one of a  17 part series on the topic of forgiveness.  In each show, Dr. Alexandra asks just one new question of Dr. Robert Enright, PhD, internationally renowned expert on the science and psychology of forgiveness.  The following brief (five minute) episode answers the question:  What is the definition of forgiveness?   Stay tuned for the next brief episode, which answers:  What are the benefits of forgiveness?  (What’s in it for the person forgiving?)  Dr. Robert Enright is the 2022 recipient of the Gold Medal Award for Impact in Psychology by the American Psychological Foundation.  As the founder of the scientific study of forgiveness, Dr. Enright has authored seven books and over 100 publications on the topic and related topics, including studies on cross-cultural interpersonal forgiveness.   Dr. Enright developed an early intervention to promote a model of forgi

Text me a question I might answer through the showI **really** enjoyed my conversation with Dr. Paul Coleman on the topic of intuition.    Some of the studies he shared are fascinating!  Our conversation went from psychology to quantum physics to the esoteric concept of the future affecting the past. Paul Coleman is a psychologist in private practice specializing in intuition development, rebuilding relationships, grief, anxiety and trauma.  I had a chance to meet Dr. Coleman after I heard him give a beautiful talk at the International Forgiveness Institute’s 2022 Agape Love conference.  Dr. Coleman, the author of Finding Peace When Your Heart is in Pieces, has appeared on national television, including Today, and Fox’s The Morning Show.    Dr. Coleman will be a delight to "spend time with" through this show.  May you enjoy this conversation as much as I did! Support the showThis show was created with love on my volunteer time. One small gift you can give me back is to take the time to leave the sho

Text me a question I might answer through the showThose who are rejection sensitive notice very small slights and interpret them in the worst way.  Rejection sensitive people either need to constantly present themselves in a positive light to earn the approval of others or the complete opposite . . .they withdraw socially so they can remove the risk of rejection.  Rejection sensitive people might also be be fear based perfectionists - their fear is that of somehow being rejected for not getting everything right.  Life is better without so much worry about rejection - learn more about this topic, attachment theory and how to get relief from expert guest Dr. Leslie Becker-Phelps.  Dr. Leslie Becker-Phelps, psychologist, has authored Bouncing Back from Rejection and Insecure in Love.  She also shares her expertise through YouTube and the blog Making Change in Psychology Today. To learn more about Dr. Becker-Phelps and for free resources she offers, visit www.drbecker-phelps.com. Note:  Chris Fraley’s survey, men

Text me a question I might answer through the showBeth Rom-Rymer, PhD is the Chair and President of the Board of Directors of the National Register of Health Service Psychologists, the co-founder and co-chair of the International Movement for Prescriptive Authority (a movement supporting psychologists ability to prescribe medications) and at the time of this recording, a current candidate for the presidency of the American Psychological Association (APA).  Through her leadership and her ability to bring together multiple groups, Dr. Rom-Rymer has greatly increased access to mental health care in the United States.    I hope you will enjoy learning from her as much as I did through this interview!  Support the showThis show was created with love on my volunteer time. One small gift you can give me back is to take the time to leave the show a comment and rating on iTunes. You can also support the production costs of the show by buying me a $3 coffee at buymeacoffee.com/dralexandra. I will be encouraged by your

Text me a question I might answer through the showThis is a “bonus” short form episode offers practical skills that you can apply today so that you can focus less on anxiety and more on the things that matter most.  Guest Hillary Grennan is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who specializes in working with clients struggling with anxiety, depression and trauma.  She has over ten years of clinical experience working with young children, adolescents, adults, and families.  As a Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional (CCATP) with a certificate in Intensive Cognitive Therapy, Hillary’s theoretical approach is rooted in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Recently she completed the ACT Immersion course taught by Dr.Steven Hayes.  Hillary guides her clients on how to utilize their strengths and inner resilience to overcome the challenges of life with compassion, creativity and empowerment.This episode is dedicated to InternationalForgiveness.comSupport the showThis show was created with love on my volunte

Text me a question I might answer through the showWhat is bravery and does bravery always have to be “big?”  We have the opportunity to challenge ourselves with small acts of bravery in our every day world.  Bravery can mean psychological bravery, such as getting ourselves to speak to someone when we’d normally avoid them, or taking a first action step on a creative endeavor that feels like a risk.My guest on this show is Dr. Kristen Lee, Ed.D, a 2022 Next Big Idea Club nominee and the author of 2022 book “Worth the Risk:  How to Microdose Bravery and Grow Resilience, Connect More and Offer Yourself to the World.”    Dr. Kris leads the Behavior Science program at Northeastern University and is the author of “RESET:  Make the Most of your Stress.”  She is the winner of the Next Generation Indie Book Awards Motivational Book 2015.  Lastly, Dr. Kris has over two decades of experience as a mental health clinician.Support the showThis show was created with love on my volunteer time. One small gift you can give me

Text me a question I might answer through the showThis episode is about an area that has *not* been researched very much in psychology, but which I think is worthy of a conversation:  our hair and its impact on our self esteem.  We will hear about the experience of folks with thick frizzy hair texture as well as those that have completely lost their hair.   The show features interviews with two hairdressers, a woman who has lost her hair to cancer and my husband, Neill Clark, attorney, who will share his non psychologist “regular guy” perspective on some of these topics.  I’m happy to share that at the release of this episode 12 states have passed laws to ban race based hair discrimination and last month the US House of Representatives passed federal legislation (the “CROWN Act”) that bans race based hair discrimination, such as telling folks they can’t wear braids or cornrows because it looks “unprofessional.”I like to dedicate each of these shows to a non-profit and today’s show is dedicated to The Internat

Text me a question I might answer through the show“I’ve had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.”  Mark TwainSpend time with myself and guest Dr. Simon Rego as we discuss the latest strategies psychologists are using to help those who worry too much.    Dr. Simon Rego, is Chief of Psychology, Director of Psychology Training and Director of the CBT Training Program at Montefiore Medical Center in NYC and Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.  Simon has been sought out as an expert by the media, with appearances on CBS News TV, Fox News TV, and in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and more. He is the author (along with Sarah Fader) of the #1 Amazon Best seller: The 10 Step Depression Relief Workbook, which has now been translated into German, Polish, Russian and Simplified Chinese, and most recently he and Sarah Fader released another book, which also hit #1 on Amazon’s best sellers if cognitive psychology, The CBT W

Text me a question I might answer through the showLearn about symptoms of adult ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), what research has found about consequences of untreated ADHD, structural brain differences for those diagnosed with it and natural and pharmaceutical approaches to treatment.     My guests are Heidi Keller, PhD and Tiffany Heineman, Esq .  Tiffany Heineman bravely shares her personal story and experience with having ADHD and Heidi Keller, PhD, psychologist, shares her favorite natural treatment approach to improving executive skills.  This episode is dedicated to Girls on the Run non-profit (www.gotr.org) - an organization dedicated to teaching girls service, social and emotional skills and the value of exercise, all at once.    Note that guest Tiffany Heineman is the Chair of the Board of our local chapter of Girls on the Run - I asked her to talk about it at the end of the show.  Enjoy!  Support the showThis show was created with love on my volunteer time. One small gift you can g

Text me a question I might answer through the showIf it’s true that the average American adult has about about five hours of free time per day. . . why do so many of us still feel as if we have no free time to get things done?  This short episode offers a practical technique that will help avoiders and procrastinators get things done. Support the showThis show was created with love on my volunteer time. One small gift you can give me back is to take the time to leave the show a comment and rating on iTunes. You can also support the production costs of the show by buying me a $3 coffee at buymeacoffee.com/dralexandra. I will be encouraged by your support, and thank you!

Text me a question I might answer through the showDr. Boykin and I discuss Black America, and reflect on myths and research about Black America (especially as found in the 2020 book From Here to Equality: Reparations for Black Americans in the Twenty-First Century by William Darity and Kirsten Mullen).   Throughout the episode Dr. Boykin shares heartwarming stories, including his strategy for raising his GRE (Graduate Record Exam) score by 550 points in about 100 days. Malik Boykin, aka Malik Starx, is the first Black professor in the Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences (CLPS) at Brown University.  He is also a hip-hop artist and we feature his song “Dancing for Freedom,” a jazzy, Afro-Carribbean single, early in the show.  Learn more about Dr. Malik Boykin at https://www.boykinlab.com , https://www.malikstarx.com)Enjoy!  Support the showThis show was created with love on my volunteer time. One small gift you can give me back is to take the time to leave the show a comment and rati

Text me a question I might answer through the showIn this show we discuss the push and pull between the budding independence of young adults in college and the task parents have of “letting go,” among other related topics, including: Self starting and procrastination tips for studentsComing back home:  sleep pattern differences and messy roomsDr. Shane Owens answers direct questions from some students about their current worriesGuest Dr. Shane Owens, PhD had a wonderful "dad voice" that I believe will comfort anyone interested in this topic.  Dr. Owens is a board-certified behavioral and cognitive psychologist dedicated to helping college students, young adults, and parents.  He has been serving campus mental health services at Farmingdale State College for many years and holds a private practice in Commack, New York.   Dr. Owens is frequently a contributor/speaker at professional conferences and is an editorial board member of Evidence-Based Practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health.This show

Text me a question I might answer through the showAre you narrowing your life by “managing” your worries and obsessions for a good portion of your day?   Listen to this episode while folding your laundry or doing your dishes and learn about:  What it’s like for people who experience “sticky” thoughts that don’t go awayHow feelings are like waves in the ocean . . . they come and go.  We can’t always control our feelings, but we can control how we respond to them.How to use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to live your deepest values while getting relief from “sticky thoughts” and compulsions from OCD and moreToday’s guest is psychologist Dr. Patricia Zurita Ona, known as “Dr. Z,” author of six books including Escaping the Emotional Roller Coaster, ACT for the Emotionally Sensitive and The ACT Workbook for Teens with OCD: Unhook Yourself and Live Life to the Full.  Dr. Z has led over 140 workshops at national and international conferences and runs a private practice in San Francisco where she works with

Text me a question I might answer through the showGet out your pen, there are so many helpful and practical morsels of wisdom offered in this episode!  Expert guest Brittany Wool shares with listeners Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) concepts such as “wise mind,” “opposite action” and how to “pause” with mindfulness.     Hear stories about a married couple getting angry over dishes, a middle schooler learning to tame their reactions to “mean girls” and what to do when feeling absolutely exasperated.  Support the showThis show was created with love on my volunteer time. One small gift you can give me back is to take the time to leave the show a comment and rating on iTunes. You can also support the production costs of the show by buying me a $3 coffee at buymeacoffee.com/dralexandra. I will be encouraged by your support, and thank you!

Text me a question I might answer through the showHow can we stop uncontrollable and unintentional weight gain?  What can we do about it, what works and how do we stick to it?   Should those with serious weight problems consider bariatric surgery and medication?I recently learned so much about obesity from incredibly informed health psychologist Dr. Dina Goldstein Silverman.  After watching her excellent presentation at the 2020 NJPA Conference I asked her if she would be a guest on podcast.  We are joined in this conversation by attorney and my husband, Neill W. Clark.Expert guest Dr. Dina Goldstein Silverman is the recipient of the Frank and Mary Ann Dattilio Education Award from the Pennsylvania Psychological Association. She was recently recognized by South Jersey Magazine for the Reader's Choice Award in 2019 and 2017.  She is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology at Cooper University Hospital where she teaches evidence-based psychotherapy and provides individual supervision to psychia

Text me a question I might answer through the showHow do exceptional leaders use emotions to effectively lead and persuade?  Enjoy stories and new learning about these topics and more, including:  *  The EQ characteristics of outstanding leaders*  Authenticity versus strategically bringing in emotion*  Emotional contagion*  Daydreaming in the workplaceMy guests on this episode are Cary Cherniss and Cornelia Roche, authors of Leading with Feeling, Nine Strategies of Emotionally Intelligent Leadership (2020), a book based on their in depth study of 25 outstanding leaders. Cary Cherniss, PhD was my dissertation chair at Rutgers, where he serves as Professor of Applied Psychology Emeritus.  Cary spent much of his professional life studying Emotional Intelligence and he has published seven books, including Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace, and over 70 scholarly articles, many on this same topic.   Dr. Cherniss is the Director of the Emotional Intelligence Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in

Text me a question I might answer through the showIt surprised me to learn that we have over two million people in prison in the United States.  The majority of individuals in prison will eventually be released into the community. . . and who will they become after the prison experience?  This episode presents the results of research just completed on a novel therapy for rehabilitating men in a maximum security prisons.    Learn the elements of an approach which seeks to address the root of the problem, and in the process learn techniques for healing and breaking free of anger and resentment.Guest Dr. Maria Gambaro is a licensed psychologist who has dedicated the last twelve years of her life to forgiveness counseling, research and assessment. She is one of the principle authors of the research and paper we will cover today. Guest Dr. Robert Enright is the founder of the International Forgiveness Institute and has been featured in Time Magazine and ABC’s 20/20 as the pioneer of the scientific study of forgive

Text me a question I might answer through the showHistorical figures like George Washington and Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus can teach us about humility and virtue in politics and life.   Host Randolph "Wolf" Shipon and I discussed these topics and more on the American Unity Radio podcast, in which Dr. Shipon seeks to bring a divided America closer together.  He talks about putting red, white and blue together to form “purple people.”  Enjoy!Support the showThis show was created with love on my volunteer time. One small gift you can give me back is to take the time to leave the show a comment and rating on iTunes. You can also support the production costs of the show by buying me a $3 coffee at buymeacoffee.com/dralexandra. I will be encouraged by your support, and thank you!

Text me a question I might answer through the showGoogle Scholar data ranked Steven C. Hayes among the top 1,500 most cited scholars on the planet, in all areas of study, living and dead.  He is the founder of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) which brings in mindfulness, acceptance and value based methods to relieve human suffering.  I enjoyed and recommend his most recent book “A Liberated Mind: How to Pivot Toward What Matters.”   Learn more about him at stevenchayes.com.  May you enjoy the wisdom of Steven C. Hayes as much as I did!  Support the showThis show was created with love on my volunteer time. One small gift you can give me back is to take the time to leave the show a comment and rating on iTunes. You can also support the production costs of the show by buying me a $3 coffee at buymeacoffee.com/dralexandra. I will be encouraged by your support, and thank you!