When East Meets West

Humans are a curious species, although at times curiosity can cause anxiety or pain (i.e., think about the saying "curiosity killed the cat." Sorry to you cat lovers out there). In this episode, Dr. Rubin and Dr. Pete define curiosity as both a feeling AND a behavior, as well as discuss its relationship to willingness, openness, and acceptance. Curiosity is also highlighted as integral p...

Enlightenment is often misunderstood in western culture as something to achieve. In this episode, Dr. Pete clarifies that there actually is no arrival or achievement of enlightenment (what?!) and both docs discuss what this means from a Buddhist lens and how it may connect with spirituality. Dr. Rubin also identifies how our human brains will continue to interfere with this process because we are...

What is a gut instinct? Can you tell the difference between your gut, your emotions, or a premonition? In this episode, Dr. Rubin and Dr. Pete discuss intuition, how to access it, and how its existence is explained from both eastern spiritual traditions and western science. Fun fact: neurons (the cells that are in your brain) are also found in the human GI tract, so our gut instinct really is tell...

Do you know the difference between boundaries and walls? How about the relationship between boundaries and connection? In this episode, Dr. Rubin and Dr. Pete discuss what boundaries are, how they are an essential part of healthy relationships, and why setting  and maintaining them is often so hard to do. Tune in to learn more about importance of boundaries. 

Finally! In this episode, the docs talk through one of their favorite topics on WEMW: values. Dr. Pete and Dr. Rubin define what values are and how they function like directions, discuss their relationship with flexibility, and identify how clarifying and acting in alignment with our values can bring us more meaning, purpose, and fulfillment in our lives. 

Whether to a global pandemic, marriage, the loss of a loved one, or a new job, humans are always adjusting. Dr. Rubin and Dr. Pete highlight the behavioral aspects of adjustment, the diagnosis of adjustment disorder, and how the world is collectively going through an adjustment. Tune in to learn about how best to adjust to new situations. 

Have you been given a trigger warning before? In the service of increasing sensitivity and awareness to the struggles of others, trigger warnings have gained popularity by letting someone know that what’s about to be shared could be distressing. In this episode, Dr. Pete and Dr. Rubin discuss how this well-intentioned approach actually runs  counter  to the behavioral science behind exposure thera...

How do we move towards creating more space and freedom in our lives? In this episode, Dr. Pete and Dr. Rubin discuss a favorite topic on WEMW: flexibility. While you might know from other episodes that psychological flexibility is highly correlated with psychological well-being, you may not have considered how practicing flexibility is a gateway to connecting with more freedom in your life. Tune i...

Dr. Pete and Dr. Rubin have mentioned the Middle Path time and again on When East Meets West. In this episode, they finally dissect and present the foundations of this practice, how it links to behavior, and how it may impact our emotional functioning. The doctors illustrate the three waves of CBT, the goals of finding the middle way in order to create flexibility, and the importance of functional...

What is the difference between the brain and the mind? Is there a difference? In this episode, Dr. Rubin and Dr. Pete discuss how these two parts ourselves are often conflated (especially since they both exist inside our skulls!) They also define and distinguish the brain as an organ in the human body and the mind as something a lot less tangible. Time is also spent addressing how eastern perspect...

Howard Spector co-founded SimplePractice —a business management software solution and an industry-leading SaaS company in the healthtech sector that has been recognized as the Best Overall Practice Management System in 2020 by Software Pundit. As CEO, Howard has actively worked to challenge and redefine what it means to be a successful leader. By emphasizing a human-first approach and leveraging h...

Grief occurs when we have experienced the loss of someone we love, and it is one of the most intense baseline emotions we may encounter. In this episode, Dr. Rubin and Dr. Pete discuss the stages of grief as originally defined by Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, the differences between grief, sadness and depression, and how honoring our emotion of grief can serve to connect us to those we love and have...

Did you ever imagine that most of your human interactions would be two-dimensional? 2020 saw the transition to connecting with others through predominantly digital means to increase safety during the covid-19 pandemic. In this episode, Dr. Pete and Dr. Rubin discuss the impact this significant increase in screen time has on our mental well-being, our ability to feel connected to others, and how to...

The brain is hard wired to judge, so don’t judge the judging! In this episode, Dr. Pete and Dr. Rubin discuss both the evolutionary and biological function of judgments, as well as how mindfulness can help us to cultivate the ability to practice nonjudgmental stance in order to experience the world more accurately. While we can’t turn off this part of our brain, we can learn to interact it with in...

Motivation may be one of the most misunderstood emotions that we have, often leading to a belief that we need to feel motivated in order to make changes in our lives. In this episode, Dr. Rubin and Dr. Pete define motivation and identify its limitations in helping us to change our behavior, and contrast it with willingness, which is a requisite for behavior change. While motivation may come and go...

The pandemic has increased the onset of unhealthy eating habits, which can lead to body image issues as well. In this episode, Dr. Rubin and Dr. Pete welcome clinical psychologist and author Danielle Keenan-Miller, Ph. D. to discuss different types of disordered eating, ways to address it, and how to reconnect with eating as an important and often times joyful part of human experience. Dr. Keenan-...

In this episode, Dr. Pete and Dr. Rubin start a conversation about the role of sex in human connection, while also distinguishing between the biological function of sex, sexual behavior, and intimacy. They model a mindful approach to exploring a discussion about sex by cultivating curiosity and nonjudgment, while also understanding behavioral functions of this aspect of human experience. By the en...

Cancel culture is "the popular practice of withdrawing support for ( canceling ) public figures and companies after they have done or said something considered objectionable or offensive. [It's] generally discussed as being performed on social media in the form of group shaming” (Dictionary.com y'all). Dr. Rubin and Dr. Pete discuss why cancel culture may have developed, the differe...

Dr. Pete and Dr. Rubin discuss the Zen Buddhist of concept of Shoshin, aka Beginner's Mind, in which individuals learn to approach each moment with curiosity and openness as if experiencing something for the first time. They identify ways to begin to behaviorally practice this and Dr. Pete discusses specific examples from his new book, Mindfulness Workbook for Beginners .

Welcome back to WEMW with your two favorite psychologists, Dr. Pete and Dr. Rubin. Most people avoid change, and yet in 2021 there were millions of people ecstatic for it. In this first episode of season 2, Dr. Rubin and Dr. Pete discuss the relationship between change and discomfort, and how growth and evolution can’t exist without it. Tune in to learn about change, acceptance, and concepts from...

Well, Dr. Pete and Dr. Rubin took this journey in 2020 starting When East Meets West. It feels like they have been doing this for ages, and their relationship is palpable. They discuss the time together this first season, and reflect on the past 34 episodes! If you have topics to share with us and you wish to contact the docs to discuss, send us a note: info@wheneastmeetswest.us. We can’t wait for...

Dr. Rubin presents how the past 6 months has felt like 60 years, as she discusses the role of acceptance in behaviorism with Dr. Pete.  On the next to last episode in 2020, Dr. Rubin and Dr. Pete address ways to practice acceptance within western behaviorism and eastern philosophy. If you are like most humans in the year 2020, and beyond, you would benefit from learning about ways to practice acce...

There is nothing that we do that cannot  be understood through behaviorism. Nothing. Dr. Pete and Dr. Rubin explain how learning theory is fundamentally woven into all aspects of being human. Whether it is a holiday dinner, career, or romance, we can use behavioral science to learn to improve how we interact with one another and ourselves . Tune in to learn how. 

P eople and animals benefit from one another biologically, psychologically, and more.  Dr. Pete and Dr. Rubin discuss the evolutionary history of the relationship between dogs and humans  (you can learn more here: https://apple.news/AGtTvq4x_ROSLiBhO84Mo4w ), as well as share their love for dogs (no offense cat people), and identify how behavioral science is related to dog ownership.

Everyone loves a good laugh, right? Have you ever watched some of those videos online of a child belly-laughing? There are real psychological benefits of humor, including cultivating joy and connection, increasing psychological flexibility, and tolerating distress. In this episode, Dr. Rubin highlights how humor may behaviorally present in both helpful and unhelpful ways, and Dr. Pete shares how B...