Thoughts on Record: Podcast of the Ottawa Institute of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! What if chronic pain isn't simply a reflection of tissue damage, but also of how the brain interprets and responds to danger? In this episode of Thoughts on Record , Dr. Pete Kelly sits down with health psychologist and pain researcher Dr. Carly Hunt to explore the neuroscience of chronic pain and the remarkable capacity of the brain to change. Drawing on...

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! What if dissociation isn't a disorder to be feared, but an extraordinary adaptation that once helped a child survive? In this episode of Thoughts on Record , Dr. Pete Kelly speaks with licensed marriage and family therapist Sally Maslansky about her memoir, A Brilliant Adaptation , and her remarkable journey of discovering that much of her childhood was i...

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! Why do some teens continue to experience chronic pain long after an injury has healed? And what if the brain—not damaged tissue—is keeping the pain alive? In this episode of Thoughts on Record , Dr. Pete Kelly speaks with Dr. Penina Zilberberg and Paulina Soble, LCSW, co-authors of The Pain Reprocessing Therapy Workbook for Teens . Together, they explore the e...

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! Autistic burnout has become one of the most important—and least understood—topics in autism research and clinical practice. Often mistaken for depression, anxiety, or simple exhaustion, it reflects a profound depletion of cognitive, emotional, and physical resources that can leave autistic individuals unable to function in ways they once could. Yet despite its...

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! Dr. George James joins the podcast to discuss his new book I Give Myself Permission: Take Risks. Be Imperfect. Live Boldly and the psychological barriers that keep people stuck even when they have insight into their patterns, trauma, and history. The conversation explores the idea that lasting change is not simply about awareness, but about developing an inter...

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! If you work with adults with ADHD, you quickly realize this isn’t simply a disorder of attention or intelligence — it’s a disorder of self-regulation across time. The real suffering often lives in the gap between intention and follow-through: knowing exactly what needs to happen, but struggling to consistently execute it in daily life. In this episode, I’m joi...

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Barbara Minton, a clinical psychologist and neuroscientist who integrates music and frequency-based tools into mental-health treatment. We explore how music affects the brain, how these principles can be woven into psychotherapy, and why sound-based interventions may offer unique advantages for clients struggling with regu...

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! In this episode, we sit down with psychologist and CBT expert Dr. Deborah Dobson to discuss her new book Living Well with Social Anxiety . Drawing on decades of clinical experience, Dr. Dobson offers a compassionate and highly practical look at what social anxiety is, how it develops, and most importantly—how to move beyond avoidance and toward a more connecte...

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! Life transitions—whether expected or sudden, joyful or painful—have a way of shaking loose our assumptions about who we are and what matters most. They invite reflection, loss, growth, and the often uncomfortable process of becoming someone new. In this conversation, clinical psychologist Dr. Rana Pishva joins Thoughts on Record to explore how we can move thro...

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! Parenting is often described as the most important job in the world — but it may also be the most emotionally demanding. In this episode of Thoughts on Record , we sit down with clinical psychologist Dr. Alissa Jerud to explore her new book, Emotion-Savvy Parenting: A Shame-Free Guide to Navigating Emotional Storms and Deepening Connection . Drawing from CBT,...

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! Empathy is widely viewed as the cornerstone of effective therapy—but what if we’ve been misunderstanding it all along? In this episode, Dr. Pete Kelly sits down with Dr. Douglas Flemons , to discuss his new book Empathic Engagement in Clinical Practice . Flemons challenges the common assumption that empathy is something therapists simply have , reframing it in...

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Jesse Finkelstein to discuss Real Skills for Real Life , co-authored with Dr. Shireen Rizvi . The book offers a practical, accessible introduction to Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), translating a well-established clinical framework into skills that can be applied in everyday life. Rather than focusing on diagnoses, Rea...

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! In this episode of Thoughts on Record , we’re joined by Drs. Robyn D. Walser and Darrah Westrup—two of the world’s leading experts in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and trauma treatment. Their new book, You Are Not Your Trauma , offers a compassionate and practical guide to healing that helps readers move beyond symptom management and toward a life an...

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! In this episode of Thoughts on Record , we sit down with Dr. Shirley Hershko , one of the foremost voices in the understanding of ADHD in girls and women. Her work has been central in challenging long-standing assumptions about how ADHD presents across the female lifespan—from childhood and early adulthood through motherhood, career transitions, perimenopause,...

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! In this conversation, we speak with psychotherapist and author Melissa Fulgieri, LCSW about her powerful book Healing Relational Trauma , which offers a deeply human and integrative approach to understanding the ways our early relationships shape who we become. We explore how awareness, compassion, and self-trust can help us move from survival to connection—tr...

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! Parenting can often feel like a relentless series of checkboxes—milestones to hit, skills to teach, problems to solve. Yet beneath all of this lies something far deeper: the opportunity to cultivate wholeness, authenticity, and love, both in ourselves and in our children. In this episode, When At the Zoo Watch the Humans author Patrick Ney joins Dr. Pete Kelly...

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! 🎙️ Episode Overview Clinical documentation: every therapist’s frenemy. For many mental health professionals, paperwork is one of the most persistent sources of stress—filled with contradictory advice, defensive writing habits, and the ever-present fear of audits or legal scrutiny. Add to that an endless backlog of notes and inconsistent training, and it’s no w...

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! In this episode, Dr. Claire Sira and Tom Hudock join me to discuss their new book Feeling Loved with Adult ADHD . We explore how ADHD can quietly undermine even the strongest relationships—and how partners can move from shame and blame to empathy and trust. Together we cover: Emotion dysregulation and its impact on intimacy ADHD as a “third partner” in relatio...

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! In this conversation, neuroscientist and author Dr. Nikolay Kukushkin joins us to explore some of the deepest questions about the human mind. Drawing from his book One Hand Clapping , Dr. Kukushkin offers a rare synthesis of biology, evolution, and philosophy—challenging us to reconsider not only how the mind works, but what it means to be a mind at all. Topic...

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! Clinicians will often hear their clients express deeply felt needs, only to admit they’ve never shared them with their partner—usually due to fear of vulnerability or a defensive, adversarial dynamic that makes intimacy feel unsafe.  In today’s episode, we are joined by Dr. James Cordova—Professor of Psychology at Clark University and creator of The Relationsh...

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! Digital media is changing the way young people experience—and express—mental health struggles, particularly depression. Child and adolescent psychiatrist, Dr. Meredith Gansner, joins us to discuss themes in her new book Teen Depression Gone Viral.   🔍 Topics We Explore: What inspired Teen Depression Gone Viral and the choice to focus on digital media’s role C...

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! At first glance, perfectionism looks like an asset; however, the same internal drive that fuels greatness can also erode well-being, leaving success feeling empty and unsatisfying. In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Heather Wheeler , psychologist and former elite athlete, to explore the psychology of perfectionism in high achievers. In this conversation we...

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! Dr. Chris Taplin,a psychiatrist and founder of Ottawa’s TMS Life clinic, joins us for a deep dive into one of the most promising frontiers in psychiatric care: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, or TMS. As clinicians, many of us have encountered the heartbreak of treatment-resistant depression — watching clients struggle despite best-practice psychotherapy and...

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Joe Pierre, psychiatrist and author of False , to explore why people believe things that aren’t true—and why challenging those beliefs is rarely as simple as presenting the facts. Drawing from research in psychiatry, cognitive science, and social psychology, Dr. Pierre unpacks the emotional, identity-based, and relational roo...

Comments or feedback? Send us a text! In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Scott Waltman and Kasey Pierce coauthors, along with Trent Codd, Ed. S of The Stoicism Workbook - to explore how ancient Stoic philosophy can offer powerful tools for managing today’s challenges. From emotional resilience and anxiety to self-compassion and values-driven living, we unpack how timeless Stoic principles can help...