SuperPsyched with Dr. Adam Dorsay

When I was a child, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder was a term that was hardly known by laypeople. Over the past few decades, the condition also known as ADHD, has garnered so much notice that it now appears to be a household term. And yet, much remains misunderstood about ADHD… including the topic of this episode: how it relates to girls. Indeed, many girls and women have this condition...

As a Silicon Valley-based psychologist, I frequently hear from my clients about their work woes. These woes are often the result of companies who erroneously subscribe to harsh techniques in trying to bring out the best in their employees, which is in line with the old cliché “The beatings will continue until morale is increased.” Not surprisingly, that doesn't work. Harsh practices may yield shor...

Anyone familiar with my work knows I care a lot about friendship and relationships. As it turns out, one of the biggest predictors of our health is the quality of our relationships and our sense of community. Sadly, for many of us, our sense of community is on the low end these days. Historically, we tended to grow up in a community, years later, settle down in that community, and then had generat...

Baseball legend Yogi Berra had some of the all-time best quotes. Although he has been gone for nearly a decade, Yogi-isms are plentiful and are still thrown around for their hilarity and brilliance. One of his quotes relates perfectly to this episode: “You can observe a lot just by watching.” Bartenders tend to observe a broad range of human experiences. They see people living fast, loud, full of...

If I asked you what leads to success, what would you say? I imagine most of us think about schooling, work experience, and the quality of our social networks. But there are other things that really matter here. Research reveals a huge predictor of success is empathy, and that is the subject of this episode. As you will hear, empathy has an abundance of positive outcomes that improve our work lives...

A large percentage of the population is under-employed but wants to be a part of the workforce. I’m talking about people who have disabilities of all kinds. Although in some parts of the world there are discrimination laws aimed at protecting them, many are overlooked even though they would be perfectly qualified to be a part of the workforce they are trying to enter. What can be done? I know just...

Summer is here and Season Two of SuperPsyched is a rap! I will be taking a brief break and, in all likelihood, return in late July or early August. To cap season two, I thought I would give a tip of the hat to one of the greatest TV shows in recent history: This Is Us. As a psychologist, I was taken by the show because so much of a human experience was captured in just six seasons. Please note: if...

A few months ago, my family and I plus about 20,000 other people went to see a live comedy event. What made it so unusual was that none of the 20,000 of us had our smart devices available. Instead, those devices were locked away in magnetic pouches required by the venue. The result? We, and everyone we talked to, agreed that the tech-free show was a superior experience. Simply put, we connected be...

The human brain is the most complex structure known in the entire universe. Yet, despite its incredible power, its capacity declines with the passage of time. What can we do to keep our brains in tip-top shape as we age? Fortunately, there’s a lot we can do! And a lot of it is quite simple, as you will hear in this interview with a true expert, Dr. Susan Krauss Whitbourne.  Susan is a profess...

Research indicates that the biggest predictor of happiness—at least for most of us—is the quality of our relationships. And yet, so much of how we’re wired can get in the way of good relationships. Things like pride and stubbornness. When we lean on those, we may erroneously conclude that we should be harsh and teach our partner a lesson. Spoiler alert: you'll hear from the expert on this episode...

Have you ever had such a great conversation that you simply had to have more time? Silly question, I know! We've all had that. One of mine recently was with my guest Lori Gottlieb during her superb interview for episode 104 about 8 weeks ago. After we spoke, I said, “There’s so much more I’d like to ask you!” Fortunately, she was game, so later that same afternoon, we recorded this episode! As you...

Heartbreak is a painful part of life. When we’re in it, it can be all-consuming, exhausting, and overwhelming. And to be sure, the skill to attend to it is not typically taught in school. But what is heartbreak and how does it affect us? Why does the heart actually hurt when we’re in it? And what can be done to fix a heart that’s broken? Fortunately, I know just the guy to ask, and his name happen...

Trauma sucks. And, to varying degrees, we’ve all experienced it. Research shows that its effects can impact and disturb developmental phases of life. Studies of transgenerational trauma show that trauma can even have negative consequences for future generations of people who aren't even born yet. What is trauma? How does it impact our lives? What can we learn from its impact? And how can we heal t...

Sigmund Freud once said, “Love and work are the cornerstones of our humanness.” Whether or not you agree, love and work are certainly a big deal. On any given day, much of what crosses our minds falls under the headings of love and/or work. And that’s why I’m so excited to speak with my guest, Eric Barker (https://www.bakadesuyo.com/), who is a thought leader and an expert on the topics of love an...

Last September, I read a brilliant piece in TIME Magazine by an inspired high school sophomore. The title was It’s Time For Boys To Talk About Emotional Health. I read it with my teenage sons, and it resonated deeply. It certainly makes sense that the article hit because, while children can take instruction and feedback from grownups, research suggests that there are instances when they listen mor...

Puzzles have a long history and are loved by millions of people worldwide. The New York Times crossword alone attracts 20 million people daily. And puzzles come in multiple forms: jigsaws, mazes, manipulable objects like Rubik’s Cubes, and even puzzles that require teams like escape rooms and scavenger hunts. Why do we love puzzles? Can they make us smarter? If so, how? Can they improve our mental...

I'm going to guess that, like me, you have written out some resolutions or aspirations at some point. Perhaps it was New Year’s or a birthday and it related to exercise, diet, or some other area of importance to you.  And that, like me, you had fun writing those resolutions—especially imagining how incredible life looked in your mind’s eye as you imagined the benefits of those realities coming to...

A common theme that shows up on SuperPsyched relates to the importance of naming things. When we don’t have a name for a stressor, it tends to be even more distressing. You may have even heard me say that you need to “name it to tame it.” And that is why I am pleased that there is a working name for an anxiety that has perplexed many people living in the modern world in the face of climate change....

One way to ensure that we are living, and I mean truly living, during this lifetime, is to live an examined life. By that, I mean living consciously with the humility to examine what’s going on, how we’re living, the choices we’re making, and the unconscious drivers that may lead us down the wrong roads. A good method to deal with this, of course, is through psychotherapy. I am so grateful for my...

From 1 to 10, how would you rate yourself as an influencer? Would you like to improve your strength in this area? And, imagine the people in your life who have been positive influencers. How do you hold them in your mind? What qualities do they have in common? Whether or not you think you are an influencer, you are. And whether or not you think you are influenced by others, you are as well. And, f...

Parenting is a tough gig. We love and adore our children and, yet, there are so many aspects of their lives over which we don’t have control.  Our instinct is to want to protect them from the impacts of failures and their bad choices -- all while keeping them physically and mentally and healthy. We intellectually know that protecting our children too much isn’t good for them, either. So, how do we...

Imagine that you've just come back from running your first half marathon. Imagine further that you’re not a natural runner and that the half marathon took you months of preparation.  You feel excited to share the news on social media when, lo-and-behold, you see a post of a friend that reads, “I just finished my 3rd Iron Man Triathlon.” You think, “Damn.  I ran 13.1 miles, and my friend swam a few...

I can hardly believe it—we are at episode number 100! And, for this special mile-marker, I thought I would do a solo on a topic I care about deeply: mentorship.  One of the biggest difference makers in my life (and nearly every awesome guest’s life on the SuperPsyched Podcast) has been mentorship.  Nearly everyone I have spoken to has acknowledged a mentor who fundamentally changed their...

Parenting can be tough. To be sure, there are external challenges like when our children behave in ways we don’t like. But there are also internal challenges—like when we beat up on ourselves as we undertake this enormous task. And when we beat up on ourselves, it tends not to be good for our children. What if there was a way to be kinder to ourselves and simultaneously be better parents? Turns ou...

Our brains cause us to crave many things. It might be material like a new car. It might be an experience like a vacation. It might be advancement like a promotion at work. And, of course, it might be a substance like sugar or alcohol. For too many of us, this craving can lead to addiction and we can begin to feel as though the addiction controls our very lives. Why do we become addicted to things...