Shrinks Rap

Shrinks Rap was recently ranked #2 among psychotherapy podcasts and included in MillionPodcasts’ 2026 Top 100 Psychology Podcasts list. Thank you listeners!  Can eye movements really help heal trauma? Is joy actually one of our most vulnerable—and least expressed—emotions? And how do trauma therapists spend their days swimming through other people’s pain without needing EMDR themselves after every...

Shrinks Rap was recently ranked #2 among psychotherapy podcasts and included in MillionPodcasts’ 2026 Top 100 Psychology Podcasts list. Thank you listeners!  Today on ShrinksRap , we welcome Beth Foley, a Bay Area somatic trauma practitioner, yoga therapist, and wellness advocate who helps people heal from trauma, addiction, chronic stress, and anxiety by reconnecting with the wisdom of the body....

Shrinks Rap was recently ranked #2 among psychotherapy podcasts and included in MillionPodcasts’ 2026 Top 100 Psychology Podcasts list. Thank you listeners!  Jeremy Hirshberg on Leadership, Burnout, Meaning, and Why Your Boss Shouldn’t Sound Like ChatGPT Jeremy Hirshberg — organizational psychologist, leadership consultant and executive coach  for Organizational Solutions, founder of Kaleidoscope...

Shrinks Rap was recently ranked #2 among psychotherapy podcasts and included in MillionPodcasts’ 2026 Top 100 Psychology Podcasts list. Thank you listeners!  In this thought-provoking episode of Shrinks Rap, yours truly, Dr. James Bramson, sits down with Janis Phelps—clinical psychologist, professor, and founder of the Center for Psychedelic Therapies and Research at CIIS — to explore one of the m...

Shrinks Rap was recently ranked #2 among psychotherapy podcasts and included in MillionPodcasts’ 2026 Top 100 Psychology Podcasts list. Thank you listeners!  Dr. Veronika Mesheriakova is an adolescent medicine physician, addiction specialist, and founder of the Northern California Adolescent Specialty Center. She previously served as an Associate Professor in the Division of Adolescent & Young...

Shrinks Rap was recently ranked #2 among psychotherapy podcasts and included in MillionPodcasts’ 2026 Top 100 Psychology Podcasts list. Thank you listeners!  This week on Shrinks Rap: what happens when a theater guy walks into the boardroom and accidentally teaches Fortune 100 executives how to have feelings? Dr. James H. Bramson sits down with Dr. Mark Rittenberg — executive coach, leadership whi...

Shrinks Rap was recently ranked #2 among psychotherapy podcasts and included in MillionPodcasts’ 2026 Top 100 Psychology Podcasts list. Thank you listeners!  What do documentary filmmaking, executive leadership, and Nelson Mandela have in common? According to Ingrid Gavshon — everything. This week on Shrinks Rap, Dr. James H. Bramson sits down with Ingrid Gavshon — leadership communications expert...

Shrinks Rap was recently ranked #2 among psychotherapy podcasts and included in MillionPodcasts’ 2026 Top 100 Psychology Podcasts list. Thank you listeners!  When you walk into the elegant home of Dr. Peter Carnochan, you’re greeted by a statue of  Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion. Over the course of our dinner together and podcast conversation, it becomes clear that the figure is no...

Shrinks Rap was recently ranked #2 among psychotherapy podcasts and included in MillionPodcasts’ 2026 Top 100 Psychology Podcasts list. Thank you listeners!  What if the real issue isn’t that you lack confidence—but that you’ve been living from the wrong kind of consciousness? And what if worth isn’t something you earn, but something you are born with? In this episode, I sit down with Dawna Daigne...

Shrinks Rap was recently ranked #2 among psychotherapy podcasts and included in MillionPodcasts’ 2026 Top 100 Psychology Podcasts list. Thank you listeners!  Dr. Jim interviews Dr. Julia Sheffield, professor at Vanderbilt University and clinician specializing in psychotic and delusional disorders. She discusses her research and her interview with The New York Times on how AI chatbots may unintenti...

Featuring Dr. Lauren Hartman M.D. Dr. Jim sits down with Dr. Lauren Hartman, a double board-certified specialist in Adolescent Medicine and Pediatrics, contributor to Psychology Today, and author of the forthcoming book Freeing Children & Young Adults from Shame, Scales & Stigma. In this episode, Dr. Hartman breaks down what every parent, clinician, and educator needs to understand about e...

Featuring Drs. Benton-Hardy, Freed, Peterson, and Ehrensaft • Hosted by Dr. Jim Bramson In this special episode, four brilliant clinicians explore what it means to parent mindfully in an age of rapid change, digital overload, and cultural uncertainty. Each expert brings a unique blend of curiosity, expertise, humor, and heart to the conversation. Dr. Lisa R. Benton-Hardy reflects on the risks of “...

Dr. Jim Bramson interviews his esteemed colleague and good mate - Jeff Cohen.  Jeff Cohen is an articulate, deeply knowledgeable couples therapist with a background as unique as his approach. Before becoming a therapist, Jeff trained as an architect—and that foundation in design informs both his artistry as a visual artist and his craftsmanship as a clinician. In this episode, Jeff shares his jour...

Dr. Jim interviews Dr. Lisa Hardy, M.D. In this insightful episode, Dr. Jim sits down with psychiatrist Dr. Lisa Hardy to explore the intersections of medication, therapy, and mindful parenting. Dr. Hardy shares her wisdom on when medication can be helpful versus when therapy may be most effective, the unique challenges of treating ADHD and twice-exceptional (2E) children, and how hormonal shifts...

Married for over 48 years, Michael and Vivienne Aronowitz transformed their own journey into Marriage Aces—a playful, research-based game designed to help couples strengthen emotional safety, gratitude, kindness, and a solid foundation. Each trip around the board and every card drawn from the four decks creates new opportunities for closeness and better communication. In this lively episode, they...

Dr. Jim Bramson interviews Lisa Rosenthal, J.D. and Johanna Murphy, Ph. D.  In this episode, Dr. Jim sits down with Lisa Rosenthal (lawyer, coach, and all-around human potential wrangler) and Dr. Johanna Murphy (psychologist and midlife whisperer) to talk about their group for moms navigating the wonderfully confusing second act of life. They delve into subjects like menopause, changing roles, tra...

Dr. Jim interviews Dr. Josh Wilson Parenting is the only gig where you’re expected to be a Zen monk, a crisis negotiator, and a part-time mediator — all before breakfast. In this episode of Shrinksrap, Dr. Jim Bramson sits down with Dr. Josh Wilson to explore mindful parenting through the lenses of IFS, ACT, and Imago —and, yes, how social media is both helping and wrecking us in equal measure. We...

In this episode, you’ll be regaled by the brilliant stories and psychiatric hacks of Dr. Sheldon Zablow—known to his friends and patients as Dr. Z, and to me as Dr. Shelly. Dr. Z is a retired child, adolescent, and forensic psychiatrist who practiced in San Diego for over four decades. He taught child psychiatry at UCSD for 25 years, earning multiple teaching awards, and worked with everyone from...

An Interview with Carl Reisman In this special episode, I sit down with my cousin Carl Reisman—a published poet, musician, chef, and lawyer who ran his law practice out of a converted Phillips 76 Station in Urbana, Illinois. We explore what it means to be fully human across disciplines, reflecting on two AI-generated pieces that deeply resonated with Carl (about Carl) and what it means to be fully...

Dr. Jim welcomes back his podcast comrade, Rafael Cortina, who returns to the studio after stepping into his new role as President of the International Association for the Advancement of Gestalt Therapy (IAAGT). In this episode, Rafael shares insights from his leadership journey and offers a fresh take on the impact of Gestalt Therapy. He explores key principles including existentialism, parts wor...

In this heartfelt episode, Dr. Jim interviews Ben Yalom about his moving collaboration with his father, renowned psychiatrist Dr. Irvin D. Yalom, on their co-authored book, Hour of the Heart: Connecting in the Here and Now.  Ben reflects on what it was like growing up in the shadow of a famous father—and in Palo Alto, no less, where not inventing a technological breakthrough by age 14 made you see...

Dr. Jim Interviews Dr. Richard Freed In this powerful episode, Dr. Jim sits down with psychologist and author Dr. Richard Freed, whose new book Better Than Real Life examines how persuasive design is reshaping childhood—and not for the better. Dr. Freed’s work has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and other major media outlets. And he’s also the author of the influential bo...

Andre DeCary returns for his third episode—just two more, and he earns the coveted ShrinkRap jacket, SNL-style! In this conversation, Andre shares his distinctive approach to couples therapy, highlighting the key differences between working with individuals and couples. He also reflects on personal insights from his own life in this domain. Together, we explore the profound impact of reactivity on...

An Exclusive Interview with Dr. Diane Ehrensaft, a.k.a., the John Lennon of Pediatric Gender Care Dr. Jim sits down with the prolific and brilliant Dr. Diane Ehrensaft, a leading expert in pediatric gender care who envisions a more inclusive world for gender expression. A scholar, psychologist in private practice, author, child advocate, parent coach, and UCSF researcher, she plays a pivotal role...

In this powerful episode, Dr. Jim Bramson interviews Dr. Lindsay C. Gibson, clinical psychologist and bestselling author of Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents. Together, they delve into the lasting impact of emotionally immature parents on their children’s lives—from feelings of neglect and rejection to lifelong challenges with self-worth, relationships, and parenting. Dr. Gibson expla...