Skinner’s Locker Room

In this episode Vic Lovelace—BCBA and ultra-athlete—shares her path from endurance sports to building trauma-informed extended foster care homes. She discusses passing the BCBA exam after many attempts, training for Ironman and a 100-mile race, and how resilience informs her work with at-risk youth. The conversation covers a holistic approach to behavior therapy, staff training, navigating Medicai...

In this very special episode, we host recent Cocodona 250 finisher, and 5th place female Lindsey Dwyer. Lindsey breaks down her post-Cocodona 250 performance — improving her time by roughly seven hours to finish 253 miles in 72:48:49 and place fifth female. She discusses sleep strategy (about 60–70 minutes total across the race), shifting to a largely liquid nutrition plan, and aiming for ~60 g ca...

Clinical psychologist, ultra runner, and gravel cyclist... Dr. Rue joins Skinner's Locker Room to explain Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in plain terms, walking through the six core processes (acceptance, cognitive defusion, present moment awareness, self-as-context, values, and committed action) with vivid metaphors like the "poison parrot" and the sky-as-self. Dr. Rue connects ACT to re...

In this episode, Coach Kirk Kirby, managing director and co-founder of Team ABA, discusses how applied behavior analysis and precision teaching are used to improve athletic performance. Coach Kirby explains the team’s individualized, data-driven approach, examples like free-throw improvements, and how private events factor into high-pressure performance. Coach Kirby also covers Team ABA’s collabor...

In this episode of Skinner's Locker Room, hosts Amy and Jimmy interview Andrew Houvouras and discuss everything from Andrew's new book The Lives of the Silent, and institutionalization to the effectiveness of ABA-based interventions in endurance and elite sports. They explore the benefits of adopting a scientist-practioner model in behavior analysis and coaching, the strengths of being a good list...

Dr. Scott O'Donnell returns to Skinner's Locker Room to dive deep into Relational Frame Theory (RFT), practical behavior analysis, and how these ideas apply to sports, billiards, and personal performance. We talk fantasy football strategy, transforming stimulus functions, self-monitoring with data charts, breathing and visualization techniques, and real-world interventions for oppositional behavio...

In this intriguing episode, Amy and Jimmy dive into the expansive world of behavior analysis with their guest, Dr. Scott O'Donnell. The conversation navigates through various aspects of behavior analysis beyond its typical applications, steering into golf, billiards, mental health, and RFT. Dr. O'Donnell shares insights from his research reviewing golf swings and schedules of reinforcement and how...

Welcome to another episode of Skinner's Locker Room. In this episode we dive into the fascinating intersection of behavioral science, coaching, and authenticity with our special guest, Dr. Paul 'Paulie Gloves' Gavoni. As a a globally recognized thought leader and bestselling author, Dr. Gavoni shares his thoughts on the science of behavior with straightforward strategies that drive performance and...

Welcome to the latest episode of Skinner's Locker Room, with hosts Amy Bukszpan and Jimmy O'Brien. This episode explores everything from how to be an expert witness to dissecting buzzwords and hot topics in behavior analysis with special guest Dr. Merrill Winston (don't call him Winston Merrill). With over 35 years of expertise, Dr. Winston offers an engaging discussion on the ethical complexities...

Join hosts Amy Bukszpan and Jimmy O'Brien as they delve into a captivating discussion with Sarah Welsh, the owner and head of the Catalyst Behavior Project, in this insightful episode of Skinner's Locker Room. Sarah shares her journey from being a BCBA to creating a transformative behavior analysis practice that transcends traditional boundaries. We explore how her innovative collaborative approac...

Join hosts Amy Bukszpan and Jimmy O’Brien as they engage in a candid conversation about postpartum depression with three guests: Dr. Shannon Arthur, Laura Troy, and Stephanie Ferreira. Each guest shares their unique experiences with postpartum depression, discussing the unexpected challenges and emotional struggles they faced after childbirth. Explore the realities of motherhood as the guests open...

In this episode, join hosts Amy Bukszpan and Jimmy O'Brien, both behavior analysts, as they dive into the fascinating world of ultra running with Ricky Urias, the elite athlete manager for UltraAspire. Discover the unique challenges and experiences that come with managing elite athletes, and delve deeper into Ricky’s personal journey as a runner, exploring his transition from mixed martial arts to...

Welcome to Skinner's Locker Room, the podcast where Amy and co-host Jimmy O'Brien delve into the science of human behavior, behavior analysis, and the intersections with sports, wellness, and human performance. In this episode, Dr. Shannon Arthur joins the discussion to explore the journey of motherhood while being a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. The conversation navigates through the challeng...

Welcome to another engaging episode of Skinner's Locker Room. Join hosts Amy and Jimmy as they dive deep into the world of behavior analysis beyond autism, with a special focus on sports. Joining them are two esteemed guests, Dr. Justin Leaf and Dr. Joe Cihon, who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the conversation. In this episode, they explore the application of behavioral analysis in...

In this episode of Skinner's Locker Room, we're joined by ultra runner and podcaster Marty Gardener to discuss addiction, sobriety, sports, and human behavior. 

Welcome to Skinner's Locker Room! Come and explore the wild world of human behavior and performance. In this episode get to know your hosts Amy and Jimmy, two behavior analysts exploring behavior analysis, human behavior, sports performance, and why you should care at all about this topic. Jump in and get your toes wet. This one is for everyone-- even if you can't spell ABA.