Pocket Therapist

You've probably heard of the placebo effect at some point. But did you know that placebo is much more than a false treatment used in research studies? Did you know that you can access the power of placebo using hope, expectancy, and faith, in addition to a healing ritual? In this episode, I'll go into some practical ways you can use your mind to heal itself

Six must-do items to make it through another holiday season alive.

What on Earth would possess someone to become a mental health professional? What kind of mental and emotional gymnastics are required to sit with people in pain all day long and want to wake up the next morning and do it all over again? Join me as I talk to Sam Major, our newest hire at Utah Valley Counseling, about why he and I decided to pursue therapy as a career, how we survive each day, and what skills you might need if you ever consider becoming a professional counselor.

A personal view into infertility and pregnancy loss.

Let's talk about mental health stigma. I share my own history of depression.

Understanding window of tolerance will help you get into the "sweet spot" of stress that helps you get things done and find optimal productivity in life.

My wife joins me in this episode to get real about what it's really like being married to a therapist.

Unscripted answers to three questions about affairs, trust, happiness, and motivation.

How do I know when to push for things that are important to me and when to just accept things as they are?

You have a friend that wants to vent about their marriage, but then feels bad for doing it. What should you consider when providing support?

Do you want to live a better, more enjoyable life? I share eight practical ideas gleaned from the research that you can implement today to improve how you live.

I show you how to get people to accept new ideas and feedback by bypassing mental defenses and implanting powerful ideas into others' minds.

In this episode, I talk about how to deal with the one parent who is all about fun, but doesn't do a very good job at helping with structure and discipline in the home. This is useful for people who are still together or who are separate or divorced.

I share some magical tricks based on human motivation research to help you get your kids to actually clean up around the house.

In this episode, I answer my first question from a listener. We get into stopping emotional spirals and talk about methods of using self-talk to keep emotions from taking over causing a meltdown. I even finally get my answer about what "full bore" means.

Everybody lies. Kids start lying at a really young age. As adults, we lie, often thinking we’re doing a service or helping someone by keeping the truth from them. But lies are dangerous when you’re trying to build or maintain trust in a relationship. What happens when you find out your partner is lying to you about something big? How do you confront it without blowing up the relationship?

This is where it begins. I'll talk some about why I'm focusing a mental health podcast on words and language. I'll share some starter insights and set it up for the adventure to come.