Psychology America with Dr. Alexandra

Text me a question I might answer through the show This episode inspired me to change the way I eat and I’m excited to share this topic with others.   Guest Jeanne Petrucci and I discuss the connection between our mood, our health and the gut, including:  *  Promising research on how our gut impacts our mood and vice versa *  What it means for the gut to be “leaky” and its relation to inflammation...

Text me a question I might answer through the show With compassion and elegance the guest on today’s episode, Dr. Nancy McWilliams, helps listeners understand the following and more:   What is healthy versus pathological narcissism?  Can certain parenting create narcissistic personalities? What are some practical suggestions for those in a romantic relationship with a partner with narcissistic ten...

Text me a question I might answer through the show Guest Dr. Deb Bernstein ( drdebbernstein.com ) endured the loss of her young brother, her young romantic love and most recently both her mother and father.  As a clinical psychologist she has specialized in grief through research and through her 35 year private practice in Warwick, NY.   In this episode Dr. Deb and I discuss the following and more...

Text me a question I might answer through the show Did you know that most people with dementia don’t notice that they’ve had memory loss or personality changes?  It tends to be relatives and close friends that notice it and then encourage the individual to seek an evaluation. I learned from the guest on this episode that the “self awareness” part of the brain is likely to be one of the areas harme...

Text me a question I might answer through the show Your heart is racing,  your hands are tingling, you can’t breathe and you wonder:  “Is this a heart attack?  Why does it feel like the world is crashing down on me?” In this episode learn:  * What a panic attack is and is not * Evidence-based strategies for overcoming panic * The role of medication when treating panic disorder  *  The treatment ap...

Text me a question I might answer through the show Two days after my first baby Rebecca was born, as I held her, nursed her and loved her so much, I also mourned. . . knowing that one day I would need to let her go.    Now she’s seventeen, lovely, and about to enter her senior year of high school.  At the end of next summer she’ll be living at college.  It’ll soon be the start of her launch, and h...

Text me a question I might answer through the show Parents like myself would like to know that their children will “be okay” and bounce back should bad things happen to them, and tough times will inevitably happen in life.  How can we build skills in ourselves and in our children to be able to “bounce back” and grow stronger from adversity? Expert guest Heidi Keller, PhD discusses resilience, how...

Text me a question I might answer through the show I am excited to share this episode with you not only because Kevin is a dear friend from college but because he is one of the most delightful and interesting people I know!    Our conversation in this episode includes:    What it’s like for non-traditional and African American fathers battling stereotype expectations about fatherhood How men’s bod...

Text me a question I might answer through the show Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is characterized by having a combination of obsessions (when you have repetitive persistent worries that are hard to dismiss) and compulsions or rituals (these provide temporary relief from obsessions).  These obsessions and compulsions are very disruptive - disruptive enough to create problems in one’s relation...

Text me a question I might answer through the show Individuals identified as having Borderline Personality Disorder may show some or all of these symptoms: intense emotions, frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment, recurring conflict in relationships, impulsive or reckless behavior, self harm, chronic feelings of loneliness or boredom, frequent outbursts of anger, switching between l...

Text me a question I might answer through the show If you haven’t had a chance to hear this podcast episode I highly recommend it!  Fascinating new learning from Robert McGrath, Ph. D. who just co-authored (with Ryan Niemiec) The Power of Character Strengths:  Appreciate and Ignite Your Positive Personality ( https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578434296/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_-xVFCb972S2HK ), a book which...

Text me a question I might answer through the show You and your loved one have each had busy and full working days and you both feel mentally and physically tired.  It’s now evening and you’re both home.  At this point, who continues to “work?”  Who is still seen moving  around - getting things cleaned, getting things ready, cooking, and caring for the needs of the home and/or children?  The time...

Text me a question I might answer through the show Worry about the unknown can take up our precious time and energy.  We may feel like the worry is going to help us control the outcome, but chances are constant worrying about the unknown is wasting our time!  This podcast offers a few practical steps for productively dealing with the unknown so that we can instead turn our energy toward our more f...

Text me a question I might answer through the show Forgiving isn’t excusing or forgetting; it is a decision that gives greater physical and psychological health to the forgiver.  In this episode Dr. Enright provides profound insights into forgiveness including: *  How and why forgiveness benefits the forgiver *  Practical, proven steps on how to actually forgive *  How to forgive after being betra...

Text me a question I might answer through the show I’ve been experiencing chronic pain in my arm very recently which I attributed to overuse from playing tennis.  This conversation got me really thinking about what this injury could mean on a deeper level.  In this episode my expert guest and I explore:  Can negative thoughts such as “unspeakable anger" manifest as pain in our bodies? Why is...

Text me a question I might answer through the show In my podcast Episode 7 entitled “Commitment to Self Care and Self Care for Commitment” I discuss five life habits that I found helpful for taking care of my energy… because what good is free time if we have no energy within that free time to pursue our most meaningful commitments?  One of the strategies I mentioned is to take care of my sleep thr...

Text me a question I might answer through the show *   Learn four ways to have a civil political discussion with someone with whom you disagree. *   Learn how to talk politics when you and your family member are on opposites side of the political spectrum. *   Learn what researchers have discovered about how terrorists think and how can this help us with our own heated discussions. *   How does ha...

Text me a question I might answer through the show This was a delightful and interesting conversation with Dr. Robert McGrath, psychologist and author.  Among other topics, we discuss: *  What are the six virtues that religious and moral traditions across the planet have in common? *  What have Dr. McGrath's studies of over one million people determined to be the “essential three” virtues? * ...

Text me a question I might answer through the show Psilocybin, a hallucinogen derived from certain mushrooms, is receiving a lot of attention lately in the research community and Johns Hopkins University has just recommended that this compound be reclassified for medicinal use to treat depression, anxiety and to help people stop smoking.  What is psilocybin and does it have lasting beneficial effe...

Text me a question I might answer through the show The esteemed author and poet Maya Angelou once said: “I have written eleven books, but each time I think, uh oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody , and they’re going to find me out.” Imposter Syndrome is when you feel like a phony, as if you are fooling others, and are afraid of being somehow exposed as someone who doesn...

Text me a question I might answer through the show I enjoyed this wonderful conversation as we explored the following profound and often perplexing questions: Why forgive? How does psychology define forgiveness and how do Judaism, Christianity and Islam see forgiveness? Does forgiving mean we are pardoning bad behavior? Do you need the offender to participate if you want to forgive? What steps can...

Text me a question I might answer through the show Enjoy our conversation as we span a range of interesting topics within psychology, including: Can we increase our Emotional Intelligence (EQ) through an app? What is “Digital Cocaine?” What is happening with artificial intelligence and facial recognition, and what are the implications? Can we learn from micro expressions on the human face? How can...

Text me a question I might answer through the show The honeymoon phase of love is one of the greatest human experiences. Learn from this episode: What is the honeymoon phase? What is happening in our brains? How long does the honeymoon phase last? How can learning about the honeymoon phase apply to smart dating? How can knowledge about the honeymoon phase inform us about marital affairs? How can t...

Text me a question I might answer through the show Precepts 1 and 4 are especially for single parents but the rest apply to all parents. I created this list based on three things: what research has found in psychology, what I have learned from experience with my patients over fifteen years of private practice, and my own experience as a single mother of four children. Some precepts have to do with...

Text me a question I might answer through the show I hope you will enjoy listening to this live event, recorded at my book signing and podcast launch April 26th, 2018 in Sparta, New Jersey at Interplay Couture. After some brief introductions you will hear my talk. I was asked to speak on the topic: “There is Hope: Life Balance and Self Care” but you’re going to hear why I renamed the talk to “Comm...