Mind Dive

If you have ever wondered why therapy that feels life-changing can be so hard to find and so hard to afford, this conversation puts real numbers and real power dynamics on the table. We sit down with Dr. Linda Michaels, licensed psychologist, co-founder of the Psychotherapy Action Network, and author of *Advancing Psychotherapy for the Next Generation: Humanizing Mental Health Policy and Practice*...

TikTok can make autism and ADHD feel instantly recognizable, but recognition is not diagnosis. We sit down with Dr Alton Bozeman, Director of the Menninger Assessment Center, to separate viral “signs” from the clinical reality of neurodevelopmental disorders and to explain what qualified psychological assessment actually looks for: persistent patterns, true deficits, and real life impairment.    W...

This episode dives into history with best-selling author Jack El-Hai to follow psychiatrist Douglas Kelley from wartime trauma work to the Nuremberg prison cells where he tested infamous Nazi defendants and walked away with a conclusion that still chills. Our hosts wrestle with what it means to stop believing in “monsters,” how propaganda exploits ordinary minds, and what Kelley thought democracie...

Ready for a clear-eyed look at AI in mental health care? We kick off Season Five of Mind Dive by interviewing ChatGPT, pressing our AI guest on safety, privacy, and practical use, and then stress-testing its limits with live scenarios. No hype, no doom. Just a grounded conversation about what AI can do for clinicians and patients—and where it can’t go.    We map out the real utility: faster docume...

Hosts' note: We're re-airing this 2022 episode with Dr. Jon Allen, one of our earliest, because it is such a good companion to last month's episode on therapeutic relationships. For those who want a deeper dive into the dynamic of building trust with patients and its role in the therapeutic process, this is worth a listen, whether it's your first hearing or a return to the disc...

What if the most powerful intervention isn’t a technique but a relationship you can feel? We sit down with distinguished psychotherapist Dr. Jon Allen to explore why caring connections—not just procedures—drive real change, especially for patients shaped by trauma. Rather than chasing the next branded model, Dr. Allen makes a clear, evidence-informed case that trust, care, and therapist developmen...

Ever had a thought so disturbing you questioned who you are?  We sat down with Dr. John Abramowitz— clinical psychologist and internationally recognized expert on OCD and anxiety—to unpack intrusive thoughts, the mechanics of obsessions and compulsions, and the practical tools that let people live well with uncertainty. This isn’t a simple chat about perfectionism; it’s an exploration of the forms...

The hardest part of confronting targeted violence is seeing the storm form before it breaks. We sit down with Dr. Pedro Julnes, MD, a psychiatrist who is an expert in lone actor violence. During this discussion with our hosts, he traces how personal grievance hardens into ideology, why extreme overvalued beliefs aren’t delusions, and what real world cues tell us when risk is rising. Along the way,...

Ever worked hard, did everything “right,” and still felt unseen?  Our conversation with Dr. Ellen Astrachan-Fletcher gets to the heart of why: when control becomes a shield, it also becomes a wall. We dig into Radically Open Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (RODBT) and the hidden costs of over-control—perfectionism, emotional inhibition, and the quiet loneliness of feeling unknown—even in a crowded...

Suicide continues to be one of the most important mental health crises of our time, but with compassionate thoughtful treatment, people struggling with suicidal thoughts can find support and healing. In this episode, Menninger Clinic clinicians, Dr. Patricia Daza and Dr. Adrian Lira, explore Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) , an evidence-based approach to assessing and...

Trauma changes us, but it doesn't have to define us. In this insightful conversation with internationally recognized clinical psychologists Dr. Robin Walser and Dr. Darrah Westrup, we explore the transformative potential of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for trauma recovery.  Drawing from their combined six decades of specialized experience and their new book, "You Are Not Your...

What happens when the journey into parenthood collides with mental health challenges? This episode pulls back the curtain on a critical yet often overlooked aspect of becoming a parent - perinatal mental health - and discusses The Menninger Clinic’s innovative "hospital without walls" approach to supporting families.    Clinical social workers Emily Pyle, LPC-S, and Michael Riley, LCSW-S...

Every therapist has faced that moment: a young client struggles with discrimination, but you're unsure how to help them name and navigate what they're experiencing. Dr. Ryan DeLapp has created a roadmap for this crucial work through his Racial, Ethnic and Cultural Healing (REACH) Program and his groundbreaking workbook, "Empower Yourself Against Racial and Cultural Stress."   W...

Dr. Meredith Gansner discusses the complex relationship between teen depression and social media, drawing from her groundbreaking research and clinical experience as a child psychiatrist at Boston Children's Hospital. Far from offering simplistic condemnations of digital technology, she presents a nuanced view of how social media both helps and harms vulnerable young people. The conversation...

What happens when neurodiverse children transition to adulthood without crucial life skills? Kristen Lombardi and Dr. Christine Drew tackle this pressing question in their groundbreaking book "Spectrum of Independence." Drawing from decades of professional experience, they reveal how many children with autism and intellectual disabilities "graduate to the couch" after school en...

Sleep takes up nearly a third of a patient’s life, yet its importance to mental health outcomes has been drastically understated in therapeutic conversations. Dr. Myrtle Jeroudi, a neurologist at The Menninger Clinic, weighs in on how deeply intertwined sleep disruption is to mental health disorders and why asking the right questions regarding sleep is a crucial step in clinical assessments. A pat...

Burnout in health care settings is an all-too-common struggle for healthcare professionals. This month Dr. Jessi Gold explores the toll of the pandemic on health care workers and how these workers can overcome the emotional and psychological exhaustion that accompanies such a demanding field. The dangers of allowing burnout to fester can be catastrophic, not just for the individual, but for health...

The story of the Menninger Clinic is rooted in the history of psychiatry in the United States. To start the new year, we have our very own Dr. Walter Menninger on the podcast to share the hidden history of the Menninger Clinic. Drawing inspiration from his memoir, “ Like What You Do ,” Dr. Menninger shares anecdotes from his forensic psychiatry career and how Menninger Clinic faced the challenges...

How much do you know about milieu therapy and how it works?  This episode of The Menninger Clinic’s Mind Dive Podcast features Michael McClam, MD, medical director for Menninger’s youth division, for a conversation about milieu therapy and how clinicians and patients play an active role in its effectiveness. It also explores the hidden dynamics that emerge within communal therapy.    Dr. McClam sh...

This episode of The Menninger Clinic’s Mind Dive Podcast features Christine Moutier, MD, chief medical officer at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), for a conversation about how clinicians and community members can become better educated on the signs of mental health crisis and aid one another in supporting individuals who suffer from suicidal ideation.     Dr. Moutier shares h...

Carlo C. DiClemente, Ph. D. , codeveloper of the transtheoretical model of behavior change, discusses bringing a human touch to the fabric of therapeutic intervention. Dr. DiClemente’s work emphasizes the importance of creating an environment where patients feel comfortable expressing their hesitation about change and tying a patient’s personal values to their therapeutic goals. Given his years of...

David Miklowitz, Ph. D ., has been pioneering family psychoeducational treatments for bipolar disorder by integrating psychotherapy and family therapy with medication. Dr. Miklowitz’s research emphasizes the critical role families play in identifying the early signs of bipolar disorder and how family members can help a patient implement effective strategies in managing their symptoms.    This epis...

Willem Kuyken, Ph. D ., has been at the forefront of merging Eastern mindfulness practices with Western psychological standards. Dr. Kuyken’s academic work significantly contributed to the World Health Organization’s Quality of Life measure which set the standard for evaluating an individual’s perception of their position in life across cultural and national boundaries. Drawing on his years of exp...

Dr. Neil Puri is at the forefront of combating treatment-resistant depression, spearheading new ways to use brain stimulation treatment to offer relief to patients. Building off recent advancements in transcranial magnetic stimulation, Dr. Puri’s team is using focused bursts of electromagnetism to rewire individual neural pathways in the brain. Dr. Puri explains how this tailored approach allows f...

William R Miller, PhD , is one of the pioneers of  motivational interviewing , a psychological technique that helps individuals overcome apathy and create change in their lives. Dr. Miller’s research has become the standard practice in psychology, especially when clinicians are treating patients with addictive behaviors and patients who are recovering from depression that need help reigniting thei...