Psych With Mike
Episodes
Living in Difficult Times: How to Cope
03 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The anxiety we feel when living in difficult times is the result of cognitive dissonance. Learn to control your dissonance and learn to control your a...
What is an Intimate Relationship
14 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Psych with Mike and Brett: A User's Guide to Being Human Amazon https://a.co/d/cEjB1mG
Reduce Your Anxiety by Getting Off The Hamster Wheel of Rumination
24 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Psych with Mike Amazon: https://a.co/d/0aynTsm
Rumination: The Brain's Hamster Wheel
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Psych with Mike and Brett: A User's Guide to Being Human Amazon: https://a.co/d/1XzJRRU
Learn How to Control Your Anxiety
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Psych with Mike and Brett: A User's Guide to Being Human: Amazon https://youtu.be/VUHCdFHTE3U
Understanding Reality
26 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is reality the same for all of us? The answer is no! Not only that, but reality is actually different for every single human being on the planet! Psyc...
To Get the Love You Want, Learn to Communicate Better
19 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Psych with Mike and Brett: A User's Guide to Being Human https://a.co/d/8pdxdFa
Can AI be a Good Therapist?
12 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Psych with Mike and Brett: A User's Guide to Being Human https://a.co/d/943bGdq Stanford Study https://med.stanford.edu/news/insights/2025/08/ai-chat...
What to Feel LESS Lonely? Put Down Your Phone!
05 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Psych with Mike and Brett: A User's Guide to Being Human Amazon: https://a.co/d/4lD4oJp Surgeon General Report: https://www.hhs.gov/sites/defaul...
Master Your Emotions: How Self Psychology by Heinz Kohut Helps with Emotional Regulation
22 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Psych with Mike and Brett: A User's Guide to Being Human Amazon: https://a.co/d/hoVeZC3
From Chaos to Calm: The Ultimate Guide to Emotional Regulation
15 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Psych with Mike and Brett: A User's Guide to Being Human. Amazon: https://a.co/d/cQxmUGl
Therapist vs. Friend: What's the Real Difference
08 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Psych with Mike and Brett: A User's Guide to Being Human Amazon: https://a.co/d/crlMOPh
How Excessive Screen Time is Causing Loneliness
01 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Psych with Mike and Brett: A User's Guide to Being Human: Amazon: https://a.co/d/4dAY2zV
Reboot Your Brain: The Power of Quality Sleep
25 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Psych with Mike and Brett: A User's Guide to Being Human Amazon: https://a.co/d/39QkouS Sleep Pod Bib: Aluminum and alzheimer's: Is there a connection...
Cry More: Why Sadness is the Healthiest Human Emotion
18 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Psych with Mike and Brett: A User's Guide to Being Human Amazon: https://a.co/d/bYq4sgq
Get Control of Your Anxiety
11 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Psych with Mike and Brett: A User's Guide to Being Human. Amazon https://a.co/d/gBz6HP1
Cognitive Dissonance
27 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Psych with Mike and Brett: A User's Guide to Being Human. Amazon https://a.co/d/eVUL6gA Kendall Hunt https://he.kendallhunt.com/product/psych-mike-an...
A Change is Gonna Come: Psych with Mike in Transition.
19 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pick up the Psych with Mike book, Psych with Mike and Brett: A User's Guide to Being Human. Amazon https://a.co/d/inpCrpc Kendall Hunt https://he.ken...
Can AI Reduce Loneliness
13 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Psych with Mike and Brett: A User's Guide to Being Human Amazon: https://a.co/d/10dtj8p Kendall Hunt: https://he.kendallhunt.com/product/psych-mike-a...
Be More Resilient
06 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Psych with Mike and Brett: A User's Guide to Being Human Amazon: https://a.co/d/aNFqO40 Kendall Hunt: https://he.kendallhunt.com/product/psych-mike-a...
How to Deal With Feeling Unloved
30 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Psych with Mike and Brett: A User's Guide to Being Human Amazon: https://a.co/d/74MgaA6 Kendall Hunt: https://he.kendallhunt.com/product/psych-mike-a...
The Healing Power of Tears: A Case for Sadness as the Most Powerful Human Emotion
23 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Psych with Mike and Brett: A User's Guide to Being Human Amazon: https://a.co/d/8PsQHH2 Kendall Hunt: https://he.kendallhunt.com/product/psych-mike-a...
The Connection Between Faith and Resilience
16 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Psych with Mike and Brett: A User's Guide to Being Human Amazon: https://a.co/d/i3U3viO Kendall Hunt: https://he.kendallhunt.com/product/psych-mike-a...
How Trauma Affects Men and Women Differently
09 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Psych with Mike and Brett: A User's Guide to Being Human. Amazon: https://a.co/d/74mNSLe Kendall Hunt: https://he.kendallhunt.com/product/psych-mike-...
Codependency: What You Need To Know!
02 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Psych with Mike and Brett: A User's Guide To Being Human Amazon https://a.co/d/8MJvdL2 Kendall Hunt https://he.kendallhunt.com/product/psych-mike-and...
Death, The Meaning of Life and Existentialism: The Work of Rollo May
25 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Psych with Mike and Brett: A User's Guide To Being Human Amazon https://a.co/d/65jo4Zs Kendall Hunt https://he.kendallhunt.com/product/psych-mike-a...
How to Identify and Treat Depression
18 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Psych with Mike and Brett book: Amazon https://a.co/d/252XXLs Kendall Hunt https://he.kendallhunt.com/product/psych-mike-and-brett-users-guide...
Skills for Dealing with Difficult People
11 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Check out the Psych with Mike and Brett book! Amazon https://a.co/d/9tzd6wE Kendall Hunt https://he.kendallhunt.com/product/psych-mike-and-brett-us...
Identifying and Working with the Agendas of Difficult People
04 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Psych with Mike and Brett: A User's Guide to Being Human Amazon https://a.co/d/1mKmZAn Kendall Hunt https://he.kendallhunt.com/product/psych-mike-and...
Screens and Loneliness
28 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Grab a copy of the Psych with Mike and Brett book from one of the links below! Amazon https://a.co/d/fZBl8h5 Kendall Hunt https://he.kendallhunt.com/...
Boundaries and Confidentiality in Psychotherapy
21 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Boundaries and confidentiality are important cornerstones to the therapeutic rapport in the psychotherapy relationship. Violations are harmful to the ...
The Best Overall Psychology Book Ever Written?
14 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Brett and I are excited to announce that our book is out! We have written 10 chapters divided into three developmental stages. We cover infancy/childh...
How to Navigate Family Estrangement
07 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Almost everyone who has ever had a family has experienced some kind of estrangement. Sometimes it's a little thing that grows out of proportion. Somet...
Have We Returned to Normal, Post-Pandemic?
28 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have we returned to our pre-pandemic normal? Should we even be able to expect that to happen? What do the answers to those questions mean to the psych...
The Little Known Cluster A Personality Disorders: Schizoid, Schizotypal, and Paranoid.
21 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Even those in the professional field of psychology may not know much about cluster A personality disorders. This episode is a must-watch if you want t...
What is the Difference Between Brainwashing and Indoctrination and Does it Matter.
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What is the difference between indoctrination and brainwashing? Are they interchangeable terms and what is the agenda of those using this language? h...
Questions and Challenges about Starting a Psychotherapy Practice
07 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Setting up a new therapy practice, whether you're just out of school, leaving an agency, or separating from a group, can be nerve-racking and scary. H...
Getting to Know a Personality Disorder: Narcissism
31 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Personality are the enduring characteristics and behaviors that we use to adapt to life (this is the clinical psychology definition). Defense mechanis...
Gerascophobia: The Fear of Getting Older
24 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Our society has a significant issue with age and a negative perception about getting older. As you can see by the title, this is so prevalent that the...
How to Handle Sexualized Transference in the Therapeutic Relationship
17 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The therapeutic relationship is intense by definition. Clients have to be courageous enough to make themselves vulnerable by sharing information about...
Getting to Know the DSM 5-TR
10 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders edition 5 Text Revision (DSM 5-TR) is the current version of the diagnostic manual for menta...
What is Ironic About the Loneliness Epidemic in Our Society
03 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The US Surgeon General recognized loneliness as an epidemic in 2023. The report is linked below. Why is this the case? People are more connected throu...
How to Understand and Improve Your Self-Esteem
27 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Self-esteem is clinically defined as the global perception of self—that is, how one sees oneself. It is difficult to access/change self-esteem itsel...
Viktor Frankl, The Holocaust, and Existential Psychology
20 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Brett and I have discussed existential psychology and Viktor Frankl many times. Every time, I say, "We need to do a show about that." Well, today is t...
Helping Clients Find Boundaries
13 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In a recent episode, Brett and I talked about ethics in the practice of counseling. A corollary topic is that of boundaries. Helping clients find thei...
Ethics in Practicing Counseling and Psychotherapy
06 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How are ethics different from statutes and/or laws? Why do ethics matter? How do you know if your interpretation of ethics is correct? This episode wi...
How did Adolescence Become a Stage of Human Development? How to Understand the Adolescent Brain.
29 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Adolescence has only been considered a stage of human development for about 125 years. H Stanley Hall is credited with defining this stage of developm...
Real Talk About Death and Dying with Two Professional Therapists
22 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Death and dying is difficult for most people to talk about or even think about, even though it is the only experience other than birth that every huma...
How to Improve Your Relationships by Understanding Empathy
15 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Empathy is defined as the ability to feel the emotions of another as if they were your own. It is a powerful tool for understanding and improving our ...
Want People to Like You More? You Need to Understand Emotional Intelligence!
08 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Emotional Intelligence is a concept in psychology that describes the capability to regulate one's own emotions and to accurately interpret the emotion...
Want to Understand Your Attachment Style?... Listen to This!
01 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Attachment and bonding are essential to the health of our relationships and play a vital role in the development of emotional regulation. To find out ...
Understanding Guilt
25 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As psychotherapists, Brett and I have had literally thousands of conversations with clients about guilt. It is one of the most common issues that peop...
Healing Trauma
18 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It is now universally accepted that trauma (both acute and chronic) has real biological impacts on the brain. Today Brett and I discuss how to treat a...
The Man, The Legend, Rollo May
11 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Rollo May (1909-1994) is one of the true greats in the annals of psychology. Even though he was integral in the evolution of existential and humanisti...
What is a Doorknob Bombshell in Therapy?
04 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In therapy, clients often disclose significant/important information just as a session is ending. Today we discuss why this happens and what therapist...
Mirroring in Heinz Kohut's Self Psychology
27 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In Kohut's Self Psychology, mirroring is an important concept integral to developing self-esteem and emotional regulation. Mirroring is also important...
What is Rumination
20 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Rumination, or feeding thoughts (usually negative) back on themselves in a vicious loop, is something all of us have experienced in our lives. Sometim...
Why it's Hard to Think Rationally When You are Having an Emotion
13 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Because of the way the human brain is designed, it feeds resources to the most basic functions first. This is for survival, so our autonomic functions...
What is the Parental Introject?
06 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
While writing the book we are working on, Brett and I often use terms familiar to those who work in psychology but may not be familiar to others. The ...
The Difference in the Emotional Life of Men And Women
30 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Big boys don't _____________. Fear is a sign of _______________. If you know the answers to these questions, then you know that the way our culture co...
The Biology of Emotions
23 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What are emotions? Brett and I delve into the biology of how emotions work in the human body.
What is an Emotion
16 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Do you know what an emotion is? Well listen to the next two Psych with Mike and Brett episodes and see if your definition changes.
The Psychology of Aging
10 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
According to the Census Bureau, this year (2024) the largest proportion of the baby boomer generation will turn 65. By 2030 all baby boomers will be 6...
Good versus Bad Stress
07 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We usually think that all stress is bad, but that is actually not true!
The Most Listened to Psych with Mike
30 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is the most listened-to Psych with Mike that Brett and I did. The episode is all about Transactional Analysis. When reviewing the numbers it was ...
The First Ever Psych with Mike
16 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This was the first Psych with Mike that Brett and I ever did. The audio is horrible and there was no video but the conversation was great!
Finding Closure
09 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With Brett no longer on the show, I am looking for the path forward for the show! https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acceptance https:...
The Psychology of Saying Goodbye
02 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It is often very difficult to say goodbye. Whether the result of life passing, ending a relationship, or, moving far away, there is a period of our li...
How To Get The Most Out Of Therapy
26 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You make the decision to go to therapy. Good on you! Now make sure you are ready to make it a useful and rewarding experience! https://psychcentral.c...
Emotional Regulation in Adulthood
19 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is a revisit of one of the most downloaded episodes of Psych with Mike. This is a topic close to my heart since I believe that emotional regulati...
How to Feel Less Lonely
12 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Surgeon General of the US recently released a report on loneliness. In it, the physiological effects of loneliness were found to be equivalent to ...
The Power of Self-Forgiveness
05 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Many people find it harder to forgive themselves than they do to forgive others. We may feel like we do not deserve forgiveness or that if we forgive ...
Nihilism and Psychology
28 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What is nihilism and what does it have to do with psychology? Most of us have heard of the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche and some know that he is cr...
Does Personality Chamge
21 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Does our personality change and evolve over the lifespan? Or does personality remain consistent and static from adolescence? https://psyche.co/ide...
What is Brain Fog?
14 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The term "Brain Fog" has been around for a long time but has gained increased significance during the pandemic. What IS brain fog and can we do anythi...
Good Communication Skills
07 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Communication is the most basic way that humans connect. Good knowledgeable skills are the foundation of good interactions! https://www.inc.com/minda...
How Trauma Changes Connections in the Brain
31 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Research is building an indisputable record of evidence supporting the belief that the experience of trauma changes the way the brain is wired. Trauma...
What is Positive Psychology?
24 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The introduction of concepts like "mindfulness" and "positive psychology" is only helpful if they can be defined. In science, this is called operation...
Are There Learning Styles and Why Does it Matter?
17 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As long-time educators, Brett and I have always accepted the concept that different people learn in different ways. A recent article in Aeon magazine ...
Heinz Kohut and Self Psychology
10 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Heinz Kohut and Self Psychology establish the foundational understanding of the development of emotional regulation. But perhaps his most impressive c...
How Much Should You Know About Your Therapist?
03 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Clients are often very curious about the private lives of their therapists. But therapists are educated to present themselves as a blank slate. The am...
Just Breathe
24 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Breathwork is a core technique in counseling and psychotherapy. It has also been a central tenet of practices as old as Zen meditation. But what are t...
Otto Kernberg is Still Alive! Who Knew?
17 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Otto Kernberg is one of the most influential theorists responsible for our understanding of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)! https://www.ve...
What Does it Mean to be a Dry Drunk?
10 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There is a whole vocabulary associated with recovery from alcohol and drugs. For those who are not in the program or do not work professionally with t...
Ketamine and Depression
03 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ketamine is the only psychedelic substance that has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of depression, so far. How does this drug help depressi...
What is the Enneagram
27 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Enneagram is a personality classification system based on the work and theories of Carl Gustav Jung.
The Best Advice from 2022
20 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In early 2023, Brett and I discuss 10 lessons from 2022. https://www.wellandgood.com/best-advice-from-therapists/
Understanding Insecure Attachment
13 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Attachment styles play a huge part in successful and enjoyable relationships. But most of us do not even know what our attachment style is. https...
Are There Narcissistic Kids?
06 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A current buzzword in psychology and also society at large is, entitled child. But before that psychology had a word for those who saw themselves as w...
How to Create Resolutions You Can Actually Stick With
30 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Happy New Year to you and your loved ones from us at Psych with Mike. This is a revisit of a conversation that Brett and I had on making resolutions t...
Habits of Unhealthy People
23 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's been a long two years. Over this holiday season, many of us may be re-evaluating our behavior in the hopes of making better choices and improving...
The Power of Letting Go
16 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
All of us have past trauma that affects us in the present. It is cliche to hear someone say "you have to let it go". But how do you do this? https:...
Avoidant Attachment Style
09 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Relationships are at the core of being a healthy human being. We develop attachment styles as a result of our experiences early in our lives. One of...
The Neurology of Fear and Anxiety
02 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As better ways of exploring the way our brains are connected become available, we are mapping these connections with greater precision. Does a better,...
The Language of Passive Aggression
25 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We all have heard someone accuse someone of being passive-aggressive. But how many of us really know what that means or how to identify the behavior? ...
Why Therapy Sucks
18 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Therapy and mental health are recognized as being in epidemic-like short supply. With the pandemic and political division, people are finding their me...
The Epidemic of Loneliness
11 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As we move beyond the pandemic we are seeing a significant increase in the number of persons who express that they are feeling lonely. What are the fa...
Self Talk to Boost Your Confidence
04 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We could all use a little boost to our self-esteem. You're welcome! https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/18/want-to-sound-and-feel-more-confident-ditch-these...
What is Happening to the Human Attention Span?
28 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Studies indicate that the human attention span has significantly shortened since the rise of social media. Why is it getting so hard for us to focus o...
The Neuroscience of Enlightenment
21 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Enlightenment, self-actualization, and, mindfulness are ideal states of being that we are all striving for. But what is the neuroscience that supports...