The Broken Brain

Gratitude is supes healthy, and one way to experience it is in sharing something you love with others. Heres some tups about how to do that in a way that will maximize its effectiveness and help your mental health. Oh yeah, and HAPPY COLOMBO DAY for all of you detectives out there. Check out www.stigmafree.art to support this month's charity of focus: Mental Health Awareness Creative Art Gallery. 

James P Gannon & Matt Ferrin are creating a feature film, and decided to turn their research into a short documentary about the psychology & culture of Demolition Derby. A cool creative move by 2 creative souls, they ended up with a short film debuting at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) This episode is a part of my coverage of TIFF, looking at the psychological elements of indie fil...

3 minute sample of this week's patrons-only episode: How do Astronauts prepare themselves psychologically? What are the mental health risks for Space Travel? This week we dive a bit into the history, experience, and research associated with the rigors of being an Astronaut.  

Julia Baird is a journalist, author, and broadcaster. In her new book, "Bright Shining: How Grace Changes Everything," she shares ways that people use Grace to make sense of the world, heal from suffering, and (when necessary) challenge the status quo. Far from passive, she discusses how Grace is a motivation to action. Remember to check out www.stigmafree.art to get involved with our highlighted...

The use of our senses for meed management and immediate stress-reduction is a quick and effective technique. Today the focus is on our sense of smell, how to use it, and why the future smells rosy...especially when you're smelling roses. 

A live play session of a one-shot RPG called "Cage Fight," where the players adopt the powers of Nicolas Cage characters to defeat aliens and save the world.  This episode is another exploration into how RPGs can be used for fun, social skills, and building a sense of community. Check out www.dwighthurst.com/rpg to see how I am applying TTRPG play to mental health.

The American Society for Addiction Medicine (ASAM) is the largest organization of addiction professionals in the world, and has developed a model for assessment and treatment planning. This is a look at where it came from, how it has changed, and the 6 areas for assessment that they recommend.  Go to www.stigmafree.art to view and participate with Mental Health Awareness & Creative Arts Gallery, t...

Do you struggle with burnout, waver in self-acceptance? Would you like to get into the head of a mental health clinician? And for professionals, how much of yourself do you bring into session? Dr Jessi Gold is a psychiatrist and author who is here to share her story in treating healthcare professionals, and her journey through addressing her own mental health needs. Her book "How Do You Feel: One...

This week's Mental Health Tip is all about counting & celebrating things going well, especially when anxiety or depression get in the way. Today is the last day to join Patreon and have 50% of your monthly donation go to Horses of Hope, Puerto Rico each month. Tomorrow we start our October challenged

Darryl Mansel, AKA Seed, joins to talk about "Batman: White Knight vol 1," an alternate storyline where Batman must confront his own demons when The Joker is (possibly) cured from his mental health problems and organizes a citizen's drive against him. Happy Batman Anniversary Day 2024! 

Ian Bawa is a filmmaker who joins to discuss his Short Film "The Best," which is currently being shown at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). His short "Strong Son," premiered at TIFF in 2020. Both films showcase father-son relationships and complexities of masculine identity. He is currently working on a feature film that further explores these topics. Ian joins to discuss storytellin...

If you've been in or around therapy before you are probably familiar with the concept of journaling your thoughts & feelings. Many find this to be a difficult task, and some get overwhelmed by it completely. As always, I am a fan of individualization and empowerment. You should make journaling work  for you, not the other way around. Here are a few tips to help personalize and adjust the goal of j...

This is the first 7 minutes of a 37 minute bonus episode for Patrons. This week we will be looking into the way Token Economy systems are formed, mostly for residential and inpatient healthcare units, although they occur naturally in any structured environment. Also a look into the history of Behavioral Psychology, and the first time a Token Economy was used to help shape behavior. Subscribe to th...

Dr Mary E. Anderson is a Clinical Psychologist and author of the new book "The Happy High Achiever," in which she outlines her approach to bringing goals of personal health & happiness into your definition of success. Noticing that highly motivated people often experience self-doubt & dissatisfaction, she developed tools to help people to prioritize excellence in emotional health over perfectionis...

This weeks Mental Health Tip is the concept of addition and subtraction, in behavioral health terms, and how to apply them towards making changes. Go to www.horsesofhopepr.org to check out this month's charity-of-focus. Horses of Hope is an organization that makes equine therapy available to individuals with Trauma or Disabilities. 

In 1952 the Documentary "A 2 Year Old Goes To Hospital" was released as a collaboration between 3 of the founders of our understanding of Attachment Theory: John Bowlby, James Robertson, and Joyce Robertson This film changed policies that prevented visitors, including parents, to see their child during a hospital stay. It played a pivotal role in the modern understanding of psychological developme...

Brian Belt is a Peer Specialist, Mental Health Advocate, and Artist. He is the Founder & Director of Mental Health Awareness and Mental Health Gallery, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting artists with mental health issues, and providing free art education for anyone in the Community.  Brian talks with us about his own journey through mental health and addiction treatment, and the pivot...

This week's tip is 3 ideas to try to interrupt or change gears from mindlessly scrolling on those wonderful little screens we are always carrying around. Remember to check out www.horsesofhopepr.org for this month's highlighted charity: Horses of Hope.

Patreon Sample (first 5 minutes) of this week's history chat, looking at the history and use of the Empty Chair in therapy. This includes some history about Gestalt Therapy, Psychoanalysis, trauma, and group therapy.  This episode is brought to the Patrons of the show exclusively, if you would like to hear weekly dives into psychological history, go to www.patreon.com/brokenbrain to subscribe for...

These are the final hours of the replay of the 5 hour live stream for Opioid Overdose Awareness Day, 8/29, broken into small bite size elements.

This is Hour 3 of the replay of the 5 hour live stream for Opioid Overdose Awareness Day, 8/29, broken into small bite size elements.

This is Hour 2 of the replay of the 5 hour live stream for Opioid Overdose Awareness Day, 8/29, broken into small bite size elements.

This is a replay of the 5 hour live stream for Opioid Overdose Awareness Day, 8/29, broken into small bite size elements.

Dr JJ Pursell, Naturopathic Physician, educator, and author joins the podcast to discuss her experience using Psilocybin to treat trauma, mental health, and end-of-life care. She shares the process of screening & treatment planning in the medical use of psychedelics. Dr Pursell is an expert in the history, neurology, and current research of of psychedelic assisted therapies. Her latest book is "Ps...

This week's Monday Mental Tip is a nod to my friend, and sometimes guest of the show, Sam Led. Those of us with ADHD often experience intrusive or impulsive thoughts. We feel like we have to DO something, but today I'll talk about a different goal: Leaning in, Observing, and watching for our brain to Reboot. (BTW, you may want to check out Sam's book: Beyond ADHD)