Radically Genuine Podcast with Dr. Roger McFillin

In 2018, the APA released guidelines to help psychologists work with men and boys. These guidelines recognize that some traditional masculine traits are harmful. This in itself can be damaging because those traits serve a purpose in society. Self sufficiency and independence should be fostered in a healthy way, not seen as risk factors. On today’s podcast we discuss the war on masculinity. RADICAL...

Jesse Zook Mann is an Emmy Award-winning TV producer and film director who became disabled due to the harsh side effects from an anti-anxiety medication. After years of dedicated research, he finally found life-saving treatments. He now advocates to educate patients about all the effective interventions available for depression and other mental health struggles.  On today’s podcast we welcome Jess...

In 2011, a paper was published in Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine examining the relationship of antidepressants and akathisia side effects in those with genetic mutations in the metabolizing genes of the CYP450 family. In the study, eight of the subjects had committed homicide and many more became extremely violent while on antidepressants.  On today’s podcast we welcome one of the co-a...

Chances are at some point in your lifetime you will experience an event that could be traumatic. You may witness this. Or it may physically happen to you. But what is trauma and how does the brain and body respond? What are the effective treatments for post-traumatic stress?   On today’s podcast Dr. Susan Hannan joins us to discuss post-traumatic stress and approaches to treatment.  Center for Int...

Dr. Chris Palmer is pioneering the use of the ketogenic diet as a treatment for psychiatric disorders. He is a Harvard Medical School Physician and Researcher dedicated to improving the lives of people suffering from mental illness. Dr. Palmer has been leading the movement at the interface of metabolism, metabolic disorders and mental health.  Preorder Brain Energy By Christopher M. Palmer, MD On...

Mass Shootings are, for the most part, an American phenomenon. Why? Since 2014, mass shootings in the United States have increased 157%. Many groups are advocating for change, which we can all agree is necessary. Identifying the root cause is where we have a lot of debate and are often left asking more questions.   On today’s podcast we discuss the role of mental health in mass shootings.   Center...

Do you tiptoe around your child? Our children are subjected to messages and negative influences that put them at risk of proceeding down a path towards misery. Parenting during this period can be overwhelming if you do not have the core values to guide you. It’s important to define your personal core values and live them everyday as you raise your children.  Center for Integrated Behavioral Health...

Dr. Jessica Taylor is an author, lecturer, speaker and researcher with a PhD from University of Birmingham in Forensic Psychology. Her latest book, Sexy But Psycho argues that there is a specific purpose to convincing women and girls that they are mentally ill, as the world avoids addressing violence against women and their centuries of ignored trauma.  On today’s podcast Dr. Jessica Taylor joins...

Thank you to our community of listeners who engage with us through our social channels and send questions to our email. For this episode of “You Asked. We answer” we touch on the important differences between Psychology and Psychiatry, awareness of benzodiazepine harm and our top frustrations in the mental health industry. On today’s podcast we clean out the inbox and twitter feed to answer our li...

Over the last 150 years, the western diet has shifted away from locally sourced whole foods towards affordable, mass produced processed foods. Our population is now struggling with obesity, chronic inflammation, disease and our overall mental health is suffering. You are what you eat. Separating your physical health from your mental health is a mistake.      On today’s podcast we discuss the impac...

In September 2020, the FDA announced a benzodiazepine boxed warning. Drugs commonly known as: Valium®, Xanax®, Halcion®, Ativan®, and Klonopin® now include the risks of: abuse, addiction, physical dependence and withdrawal reaction.  The warning is only the first step, because many problems have not been addressed. Especially the harmed patients that have been prescribed off-label and without prop...

Traditionally, Gender Dysphoria afflicted roughly 0.01% of the population and almost exclusively boys. In the United States, over the past decade the rates have increased significantly with some studies reporting nearly 2% of all high school students identify as transgender. Why this sudden rise? And why is it occurring in friend clusters?     On today’s podcast we discuss the rise in gender dysph...

How do you react in a crisis moment? Hopefully the answer changes over the course of your life, because every experience is an opportunity for growth. We have to learn how to respond in a healthy way and not let our emotions drive our actions.      On today’s podcast we discuss the art of not panicking.  Center for Integrated Behavioral Health - https://www.centerforibh.com/ Roger K. McFillin, Psy...

Grief is a normal human response to loss. However, Prolonged Grief Disorder was recently added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). This attempts to establish an “acceptable” duration to mourn the loss of a loved one. The consequences of this could be profound. We need to openly share and normalize our experiences with grief.   On today’s podcast we discuss prolonged...

If today was the last day of your life, how would you live? By defining your values and purpose in this world, those virtues will provide the guardrails on your path every day. The wisdom of the stoics has been passed down through centuries. However, we ignore that wisdom and let the noise of today distract us from what is truly important.      On today’s podcast we look to the stoics for the idea...

The world is moving fast. The global pandemic forced many industries to accelerate their digital transformation forward in order to survive. And the mental health system is no different. The need for mental health services forced clients to become comfortable with telehealth services, direct-to-consumer apps or simply into an already overwhelmed and often dubious system. A system that soon probabl...

Back in Episode 12, Roger, Kelly and Sean shared daily habits they incorporate into their day to improve their overall well-being. Kelly shared his journaling routine where he writes ideas or thoughts inspired by his exposure to other readings. He calls this journal his “Edge Thoughts”. We’ve challenged him to share a few as prompts to an open, free-flowing conversation.     On today’s podcast Kel...

Can therapy be harmful? The belief that “just talking” leads to change is a common misconception. For many, it’s their behaviors in life that contribute to a pattern of negativity. Ineffective therapy creates emotional dependence with no purpose, no direction or scientific backing. Good therapy prepares you for the end of therapy.      On today’s podcast we discuss when therapy can be harmful.  Ce...

There is a disturbing trend amongst teens in the U.S. seeking to identify as “mentally ill” and achieve a diagnosis as a means of establishing a group identity.  Human behaviors and emotions are contagious. We learn behaviors through the modeling of others to be accepted into the group. This has always existed. What is contributing to this dramatic increase?   On today’s podcast we discuss the con...

Pop culture and film have characterized sociopaths, or psychopaths, as manipulative murderers and criminals. Individuals like that surely exist, but portrayals are based upon those in the news or incarcerated criminals.  But who are the people that lie and manipulate to gain power without physically harming? Harvard psychologist Martha Stout, Ph. D. published the book The Sociopath Next Door in 20...

Our goal as a podcast is to take a critical approach, to educate each other and hopefully motivate you to investigate for yourself and be more informed.  We also want our community of listeners to engage with us through our social channels, providing feedback and to ask questions. After 23 episodes, many of you have already asked some great questions, so this month we answer questions on Antidepre...

During the early 1900’s, the United States went through a period of rapid expansion establishing a free public school system. Educators believed that higher levels of education would improve citizenship and produce the managerial and professional leadership needed for modernization.  The structure of education migrated towards a top-down hierarchy, with age based classrooms and a curriculum design...

Throughout history there are examples of communities, regions and even entire countries acting irrationally towards a perceived adversary. And sometimes that “adversary” is not a physical presence, but simply an idea, or the threat of an occurrence. Examples such as the Salem Witch Trials, the Dancing Mania, and Nazi Germany often leave us asking the question, “How did this happen?” The phenomenon...

“Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing,” Coach Vince Lombardi said.  But that is not true when it comes to youth sports. Whether it is team sports or individual, those failures along the way help shape us. With the right coaches and parenting, those moments of struggle and loss can really build character.  As a parent, we must avoid the “parent trap” where we live out our goals through our...

The longer you practice as a therapist does not correlate with improved outcomes. Time is not enough. To improve, you need to work at it. This is true in sports, music and yes, as a clinician working in mental health.  In this part 2 of our discussion with Dr. Ahmad, he touches on common struggles he experienced early in his clinical rotations and how clinical training needs to evolve towards deli...