Ever worked hard, did everything “right,” and still felt unseen? Our conversation with Dr. Ellen Astrachan-Fletcher gets to the heart of why: when control becomes a shield, it also becomes a wall. We dig into Radically Open Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (RODBT) and the hidden costs of over-control—perfectionism, emotional inhibition, and the quiet loneliness of feeling unknown—even in a crowded room We start with the bell curve of emotional control, where under-control and over-control...

Suicide continues to be one of the most important mental health crises of our time, but with compassionate thoughtful treatment, people struggling with suicidal thoughts can find support and healing. In this episode, Menninger Clinic clinicians, Dr. Patricia Daza and Dr. Adrian Lira, explore Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS), an evidence-based approach to assessing and addressing suicidal ideation. With decades of experience in both inpatient and outpatient setting...

Trauma changes us, but it doesn't have to define us. In this insightful conversation with internationally recognized clinical psychologists Dr. Robin Walser and Dr. Darrah Westrup, we explore the transformative potential of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for trauma recovery. Drawing from their combined six decades of specialized experience and their new book, "You Are Not Your Trauma: An ACT Guide for Healing from Within," these pioneering clinicians challenge conventional wisd...

What happens when the journey into parenthood collides with mental health challenges? This episode pulls back the curtain on a critical yet often overlooked aspect of becoming a parent - perinatal mental health - and discusses The Menninger Clinic’s innovative "hospital without walls" approach to supporting families. Clinical social workers Emily Pyle, LPC-S, and Michael Riley, LCSW-S, from Menninger 360 join us to explore their wraparound care model that meets parents exactly wh...

Every therapist has faced that moment: a young client struggles with discrimination, but you're unsure how to help them name and navigate what they're experiencing. Dr. Ryan DeLapp has created a roadmap for this crucial work through his Racial, Ethnic and Cultural Healing (REACH) Program and his groundbreaking workbook, "Empower Yourself Against Racial and Cultural Stress." What began as an undergraduate term paper on health disparities evolved into Dr. DeLapp's lifelong mission to add...

Dr. Meredith Gansner discusses the complex relationship between teen depression and social media, drawing from her groundbreaking research and clinical experience as a child psychiatrist at Boston Children's Hospital. Far from offering simplistic condemnations of digital technology, she presents a nuanced view of how social media both helps and harms vulnerable young people. The conversation reveals how depressed teens often turn to social media as a coping mechanism—finding temporary relief...

What happens when neurodiverse children transition to adulthood without crucial life skills? Kristen Lombardi and Dr. Christine Drew tackle this pressing question in their groundbreaking book "Spectrum of Independence." Drawing from decades of professional experience, they reveal how many children with autism and intellectual disabilities "graduate to the couch" after school ends, lacking the fundamental skills needed for meaningful independence. The conversation unpacks their innovative app...

Sleep takes up nearly a third of a patient’s life, yet its importance to mental health outcomes has been drastically understated in therapeutic conversations. Dr. Myrtle Jeroudi, a neurologist at The Menninger Clinic, weighs in on how deeply intertwined sleep disruption is to mental health disorders and why asking the right questions regarding sleep is a crucial step in clinical assessments. A patient’s disrupted sleep habits often signal deeper disturbances and, if left untreated, can lead t...

Burnout in health care settings is an all-too-common struggle for healthcare professionals. This month Dr. Jesse Gold explores the toll of the pandemic on health care workers and how these workers can overcome the emotional and psychological exhaustion that accompanies such a demanding field. The dangers of allowing burnout to fester can be catastrophic, not just for the individual, but for health systems as a whole, as the silent suffering of their workers can lead to inefficiencies in care ...

The story of the Menninger Clinic is rooted in the history of psychiatry in the United States. To start the new year, we have our very own Dr. Walter Menninger on the podcast to share the hidden history of the Menninger Clinic. Drawing inspiration from his memoir, “Like What You Do,” Dr. Menninger shares anecdotes from his forensic psychiatry career and how Menninger Clinic faced the challenges of psychiatry in the 20th century. Dr. Menninger reflects on the institutional changes Menninger ha...

How much do you know about milieu therapy and how it works? This episode of The Menninger Clinic’s Mind Dive Podcast features Michael McClam, MD, medical director for Menninger’s youth division, for a conversation about milieu therapy and how clinicians and patients play an active role in its effectiveness. It also explores the hidden dynamics that emerge within communal therapy. Dr. McClam shares his wisdom about the challenges and rewards that clinicians face as they naviga...

This episode of The Menninger Clinic’s Mind Dive Podcast features Christine Moutier, MD, chief medical officer at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), for a conversation about how clinicians and community members can become better educated on the signs of mental health crisis and aid one another in supporting individuals who suffer from suicidal ideation. Dr. Moutier shares her insights into the evolving journey of understanding the many factors that surround su...

Carlo C. DiClemente, Ph.D., codeveloper of the transtheoretical model of behavior change, discusses bringing a human touch to the fabric of therapeutic intervention. Dr. DiClemente’s work emphasizes the importance of creating an environment where patients feel comfortable expressing their hesitation about change and tying a patient’s personal values to their therapeutic goals. Given his years of experience, Dr. DiClemente has concluded that a straightforward path to recovery is a misconceptio...

David Miklowitz, Ph.D., has been pioneering family psychoeducational treatments for bipolar disorder by integrating psychotherapy and family therapy with medication. Dr. Miklowitz’s research emphasizes the critical role families play in identifying the early signs of bipolar disorder and how family members can help a patient implement effective strategies in managing their symptoms. This episode of Menninger Clinic’s Mind Dive Podcast features Dr. Miklowitz, accomplished psycholo...

Willem Kuyken, Ph.D., has been at the forefront of merging Eastern mindfulness practices with Western psychological standards. Dr. Kuyken’s academic work significantly contributed to the World Health Organization’s Quality of Life measure which set the standard for evaluating an individual’s perception of their position in life across cultural and national boundaries. Drawing on his years of experience, Dr. Kuyken discusses how important mindfulness practices are in clinical settings and how ...

Dr. Neil Puri is at the forefront of combating treatment-resistant depression, spearheading new ways to use brain stimulation treatment to offer relief to patients. Building off recent advancements in transcranial magnetic stimulation, Dr. Puri’s team is using focused bursts of electromagnetism to rewire individual neural pathways in the brain. Dr. Puri explains how this tailored approach allows for treatment plans unique to the patient and has resulted in unprecedented levels of success with...

William R Miller, PhD, is one of the pioneers of motivational interviewing, a psychological technique that helps individuals overcome apathy and create change in their lives. Dr. Miller’s research has become the standard practice in psychology, especially when clinicians are treating patients with addictive behaviors and patients who are recovering from depression that need help reigniting their personal motivation. His latest book, “8 Ways to Hope: Charting a Path through Uncertain Time...

Have you ever found solace in the rhythmic verses of a poem or the gentle brushstrokes of a painting? Dr. Frank Clark joins us to reveal the extraordinary synergy between psychiatry and the arts, and how this fusion enhances the therapeutic journey. Raised in Chicago, where culture thrived around every corner, Dr. Clark was imbued with an appreciation for the arts from an early age. As an adult outpatient psychiatrist and clinical associate professor, he brings the healing power of poetry int...

Discover the profound insights of Dr. Jonathan Shedler, a leading expert in psychodynamic psychotherapy, as he joins us to unravel the intricate tapestry of the human psyche in therapy. In a landscape where evidence-based treatments are hailed as the gold standard, our conversation spotlights the stark contrast between what clinical trials dictate and the nuanced realities of patient experiences. Dr. Shedler champions the enduring success of psychodynamic methods, which persist as the backbon...

Mentorship is a cornerstone in professional development, yet its intricacies and benefits are often overlooked. Dr. Sean Blitzstein unravels the profound impact of mentorship within psychiatry and its transformative power across various careers. Through a candid conversation, Dr. Blitzstein, with his background at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, shares insights into the art of mentoring, drawing from his rich experiences as an educator and clinicia...