Connection Therapy

It is so natural to want changes at this time of the year, and as mental health therapists we are very likely going to support someone with a significant change that makes them anxious. Knowing how to support their exploration of possibilities while intervening non-verbally can help keep the momentum going in a way that simultaneously encourages a more regulated response that sustains the change p...

As mental health therapists, it is common to hear someone speak of New Year’s Resolutions or other big changes they hope to see in the New Year. The challenge is sometimes people are not fully bought into the anticipated changes, despite their discussions of wanting them to happen. Learning to view nonverbal signals, such as eye-contact, can support the mental health therapist in best supporting t...

Brenda reflects on the highlights from the year on the podcast, including guest interviews and her own explorations. This year, episodes integrated the works of scholars including Stephen Porges, PhD and Jaak Panksepp, PhD, as well as reviewed many clinical research articles in the pursuit of improving the practice of mental health. As she reviews in the highlights, the podcast strives to find a b...

Kinsey Rone returns to the podcast for some reflections on the year. She and Brenda consider what interventions worked in their own practices. Brenda also shares feedback she has heard, particularly in the discussions across disciplines with the practice of equine-assisted services. And, the invitation is enthusiastically extended for listeners to share their feedback and questions, which will be...

This episode begins by normalizing difficulties over the holidays by sharing national statistics that demonstrate the commonness of this experience.  Supporting patients with concerns over the holidays can be a challenge, in part because of the difficulties themselves and also because of the strong tendency to isolate these concerns at this time.  Brenda then considers how nature operate...

In this episode, Dr. Brenda Murrow goes back to one of the foundational studies in psychology that still has resonance today.  The Pygmalion or Rosenthal effect is from research that explored how when teachers viewed their students as having high-potential, the students did better.  It speaks to the uncanny experience that when we expect greatness from others, especially young children i...

Brenda continues the discussion about the research on mental health treatment with veterans, as referenced in earlier podcasts in order to assist practitioners in understanding the implications for practice.  She provides historical context to some of the current treatments for PTSD and invites consideration for future possibilities. Enjoying the podcast? There are now playlists for you to na...

Dr. Brenda Murrow reflects on recent experiences of spending time with specialized professionals including interviewing Adam Magers, MA, LPC and presenting at the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH), International conference. In this episode, she shares an understanding about how to tie clinical practice to the existing research in support of veterans.  This is done to...

In this final segment of the conversation with Adam Magers, MA, LPC, he shares his views on how to improve mental health treatment for veterans.  He provides specific steps that practicing clinicians can take immediately to see benefits. He draws from both perspectives, as a clinician and as a veteran receiving support, in his own work with veterans, first responders, and frontline medical pr...

The conversation continues with Adam Magers, MA, LPC who joined the podcast to discuss his work with veterans, first responders, and frontline medical professionals.  He has experience both as a clinician and as a veteran receiving support, and he draws from both perspectives to share his expertise.  This unique and candid discussion offers many engaging insights, and is likely to widen...

Adam Magers, MA, LPC joins the podcast to discuss his work with veterans, first responders, and frontline medical professionals.  He has experience both as a clinician and as a veteran receiving support, and he draws from both perspectives to share his expertise.  This unique and candid discussion offers many engaging insights, and is likely to widen your perspective on the treatment of...

In this episode, Brenda reviews the links researchers found between self-disgust and avoiding self-gazing, in studies with both veterans and older adults.  While the research is nascent in the ability to make significant conclusions, it does seem to have implications for clinical practice, especially in light of all the other factors associated with gaze and eye-contact.   Brenda ex...

As a mental health therapist, you probably have had the intuition that there is some type of shared experience between brains, in the therapy session, in a community setting, perhaps in the world. Today’s research review confirms this notion and even opens up more possibilities in that it appears the shared connections are enhanced by cooperation and amplified with eye contact.  Listen to con...

How does gaze following and responses to vocalizations from cats and dogs apply to the practice of psychology?  This article was published by the American Psychological Association in the Journal of Comparative Psychology in order that mental health therapists would consider that exact question and we explore together in this episode how that might apply to your practice. Enjoying the podcast...

Dr. Brenda Murrow reflects on the life and legacy of Dr. Jane Goodall, who recently passed away, leaving behind a world forever changed by her compassion, curiosity, and scientific brilliance.  In this episode, Dr. Murrow shares how Dr. Goodall’s discovery that chimpanzees use tools reshaped our understanding of what it means to be human and how her presence, kindness, and unwavering curiosit...

In this episode, Dr. Brenda Murrow reflects on her journey as a clinician and how her early training shaped her approach to emotion-focused therapy (EFT), developed by Drs. Greenberg and Johnson. She explores the idea that all therapy, no matter the approach, involves emotions—because clients most often seek help in response to emotional challenges. Dr. Murrow discusses research by Steffen & A...

Welcome back to the Connection Therapy Podcast . In this episode, Brenda shares her reflections on Emotion Focused Therapy and the powerful contributions of Dr. Leslie Greenberg, a tremendous mentor in the field. Brenda walks through what makes this approach stand out from more traditional models. Rather than moving too quickly into problem-solving, EFT asks therapists to slow down and notice what...

Most interventions in our field are taught as cognitive-based. But in practice, what actually works often comes down to emotions, nonverbal cues, and affect. That gap between graduate training and what really helps clients is something every clinician has to navigate. In this episode, Brenda takes a closer look at why emotions sit at the center of lasting change. She reviews the landmark article T...

For decades, the cognitive model has shaped therapy with the idea that our thoughts determine how we feel and behave. But new research suggests the opposite may be true—that emotions might actually be in the driver’s seat. In this episode, Dr. Brenda Murrow takes a closer look at a newly published article, “Primary Appraisal Is Affective Not Cognitive: Exploring a Revised Transactional Model of St...

In this episode of the Connection Therapy Podcast , host Dr. Brenda Murrow explores what surprising new research on goats can teach us about human connection and therapy. Two recent studies shed light on how these social animals respond to emotional cues, offering valuable lessons for anyone working in a helping profession. The first study, published in Frontiers in Zoology in 2019, found that goa...

What we show on the outside doesn’t always reflect what’s happening on the inside—but sometimes the signals are there if we know how to read them. In this episode, Dr. Brenda explores her curiosity about the connection between behaviors, especially in children, and what’s happening internally for survivors of trauma. She draws from polyvagal theory and highlights research like the study by Park et...

Working with children can be challenging, especially when they are experiencing emotional struggles. In this episode, Dr. Brenda Murrow examines how children decode emotions in voices and what this means for supporting their social and emotional development through therapy. Drawing on a 2023 study published in Cerebral Cortex , Dr. Murrow highlights how a child’s ability to recognize emotional ton...

In this episode of the Connection Therapy Podcast, Dr. Brenda Murrow explores the concept of voice prosody — the way something is said beyond the words themselves. Prosody includes the tone, pitch, rhythm, and other vocal qualities that carry emotional meaning and influence how language is experienced, which has implications for therapy. Dr. Murrow draws from her personal experience with voice dif...

In this episode of the Connection Therapy Podcast , Dr. Brenda Murrow explores how our most basic emotional systems—shared with other mammals—shape both our behavior and overall well-being. Drawing from the work of Jaak Panksepp, Mark Solms, and Temple Grandin, she breaks down how concepts like allostasis, heart rate variability, and emotional flexibility connect to mental health and personality....

In this episode, Brenda explores the often-overlooked mismatch between what clients say and what they do. It’s a common experience in therapy: insight is there, but behavior doesn’t shift. This conversation dives into why that happens—and how unconscious motivation plays a powerful role in human behavior. Grounding the conversation with contributions from the work of Fonagy, Freud, Schore, Panksep...