Mind Tricks Radio

In this episode of MindTricks Radio, I spoke with Parul Somani, author of The Path of Least Regret, about how to make difficult decisions when there is no perfect answer and no certainty about how things will turn out. Drawing on her experience of being diagnosed with breast cancer at age 31, during the same week her second daughter was born, Parul explains how regret can become a useful guide rather than simply a burden from the p...

In this episode of MindTricks Radio, I spoke with Dr. Kevin Pelletier, an associate professor of English at the University of Richmond, about apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic literature—where the tradition comes from, why it has endured for centuries, and why stories about the end of the world continue to speak so powerfully to the human imagination.

We talk about the deep roots of apocalyptic thinking in early American Purit...

In this episode of MindTricks Radio, I spoke with Dr. Art Markman about the subjectivity of age and time—why we often feel younger than the number on our birth certificate, why time seems to speed up as we get older, and what psychology can tell us about making life feel fuller, longer, and more meaningful.

We talk about the difference between chronological age and subjective age, the strange experience of looking in the mirr...

In this episode of MindTricks Radio, I sit down with Dr. Mathias Clasen, associate professor of literature and media and co-director of the Recreational Fear Lab at Aarhus University in Denmark, to explore why people are so drawn to frightening stories — especially stories about the end of the world.

Our conversation dives into the strange appeal of post-apocalyptic fiction, from its “blank slate” fantasy of start...

In this episode of MindTricks Radio, I caught up with Dr. Liza Wacker to continue our conversation about perfectionism—what it is, where it comes from, and why it can quietly create so much stress, anxiety, burnout, and self-doubt.

We talk about the difference between healthy striving and perfectionism, how perfectionism shows up in relationships, parenting, work, athletics, creativity, procrastination, reassurance-seeking, a...

In this episode of MindTricks Radio, I sit down with Dr. Elizabeth Mateer, a Harvard Medical School neuropsychology fellow, writer, and Psychology Today contributor, to explore how identity is shaped by memory, attention, emotion, and the stories we tell ourselves. We talk about the idea that the self is not fixed, but continually built and rebuilt through experience.

Our conversation dives into neuroplasticity, self-narrative, aut...

In this episode of MindTricks Radio, I sit down with physician and novelist Dr. Peter Weiss to discuss Progeny, his chilling dystopian novel set in a world where every newborn is taken from its birth mother and reassigned by the state in the name of equity. At the heart of our conversation is the book’s most unsettling question: what happens when a society’s drive for fairness begins to override the deepest and most ins...

In this episode of MindTricks Radio, I sit down with author and motivational speaker Carla Ondrasik to talk about a deceptively simple word that may be quietly sabotaging our goals: try. In her book Stop Trying: The Life-Transforming Power of Trying Less and Doing More, Carla argues that the language we use with ourselves matters more than we realize. When we say we’ll “try,” we often leave the door open for hesit...

In this episode of Mind Tricks Radio, I sit down with my friend and colleague, psychologist,  Dr. Adam Dorsay to explore one of the most essential ingredients of psychological well-being: connection. Drawing from his book Super Psyched: Unleash the Power of the Four Types of Connection and Live the Life You Love, Dr. Dorsay introduces a framework for understanding why so many people feel lonely and disconnected despite living ...

In Episode 84 of MindTricks Radio, I’m joined by critical thinking researcher Dr. Christopher Dwyer for a wide-ranging and lively conversation that goes well beyond the basics of what it means to think well. We explore his provocatively titled new book, Knowledge Doesn’t Exist, and unpack what that claim really means. Rather than arguing that truth is meaningless, Dwyer challenges the way we casually treat “knowle...

In this episode of MindTricks Radio, Dr. Kaplan and Dr. Nya Smith dive into a lively and at times heated conversation about the future of artificial intelligence in psychotherapy. With Dr. Smith’s full consent, the discussion itself was generated through AI using cloned versions of both hosts’ voices. The episode takes a bold look at the rapidly changing landscape of mental health technology and challenges listeners to ...

In today’s episode of MindTricks Radio, I sit down with veteran grief counselor and author Cynthia White to explore how children experience and heal from loss. Drawing from over four decades of work with grieving children and families, Cynthia shares her “quantum model” of grief—an approach that views grief as living energy in the body, best understood through movement, play, and connection.

Together, we unp...

What happens in the brain when we step outside our cultural bubble? In this week’s episode of Mind Tricks Radio, I sit down with neuroscientist and science writer Dr. Aditi Subramaniam to explore how cross-cultural experiences literally reshape the mind. From creativity and cognitive flexibility to empathy and resilience, we dig into the neuroscience behind what happens when we immerse ourselves in unfamiliar languages, custo...

Ever catch yourself thinking, “I feel anxious, so something must be wrong” or “I feel guilty, so I must’ve screwed up”? In this episode, Dr. Aaron and Dr. Tyler Ralston unpack the sneaky distortion known as emotional reasoning—the habit of mistaking feelings for facts. They dive into how anxiety, guilt, and anger can trick us into believing our emotions are evidence of truth, explore why our brai...

Today I had a blast interviewing Dr. Noam Shpancer on this episode of Mind Tricks Radio. We talked about his upcoming book, Mental Fitness 101: Principles for Psychological Well-Being, and the timeless psychological lessons he’s distilled from decades of research, teaching, and clinical work. Dr. Shpancer explained how good mental health rests on two fundamental human needs: the need to belong and the need to be. From there, ...

In this episode of Mind Tricks Radio, I sit down with Dr. Catherine Pittman, a psychologist, professor, and author of Taming Your Amygdala. We explore one of the brain’s most fascinating players: the amygdala. Sometimes called the brain’s “alarm system,” the amygdala is central to how we experience fear, anxiety, and even panic. Dr. Pittman brings warmth and clarity as she explains how this tiny almond-shape...

In this episode of Mind Tricks Radio, I sit down with clinical psychologist Dr. Patricia Zurita Ona to explore the concept of Playing It Safe Moves. Growing up in Bolivia during political unrest shaped her early understanding of fear, and her path from philosophy to psychology brings a rich, thoughtful lens to her work. We talk about Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), cognitive-behavioral tools, and her unique “Advisory...