The Broken Brain

The myth of Pandora's Box: is it a story of punishment, troubles, or hope? Or maybe all of that. This week's Thursday History lesson is the open episode for November, available to regular listeners as well as Patreon Subscribers. Goto becauseorganization.org to follow this month's highlighted charity, focused on rebuilding the lives of survivors of Human Trafficking.

Cedric Bertelli is a psychotherapist who helps people heal from trauma through somatic and movement based techniques. Somatic therapy is a huge part of modern trauma treatment, and Cedric shares how these techniques can help to impact the unconscious choices that impact our behavior. The charity of focus for November is the Because Organization, helping support survivors of human trafficking in the Philadelphia area. Follow their work at www.becauseorganization.org

Anxiety around making or receiving voice calls on the phone is quite common nowadays. Many suffer from the anxiety caused by feeling out of control, put on the spot, or otherwise stressed about the process. Here are a few tips for mitigating and facing that anxiety. The charity of focus for this month is Because Organization, a nonprofit that provides support for survivors of human trafficking, addressing the often forgotten aftercare. Follow their work and help out at www.becauseorganization.org

Why do we prank at Halloween? Especially tossing rolls of toilet paper all over the land? Let's chat about it, this week on Thursday Thistory! This one is for everyone! Not just Patrons this week!

Second Halloween Episode! AND it's is one of the ongoing episodes to feature Role Playing Games and their usefulness in therapy. The storyline of this game is a team of Vampire Couriers helping a Vampire to relocate safely. Each player has selected strengths and weaknesses of the characters. In a Therapy RPG group these characters and attributes would tie with previously set goals, individually and by the group. Situations are pre-written for emotional experience and a processing time would be held after play session. To learn more about RPGs as group therapy technique, stay tuned for the making-of episode and go to: www.dwighthurst.com/rpg

You can spend a lot of time and energy searching for mindfulness. Sometimes there are opportunities all around us that we don't see. Here are 2 examples of stumbling into mindfulness by accident.

Marcia Holt is the Founder and CEO of Because Organization, dedicated to providing support to survivors of Human Trafficking. They help survivors to find housing, healthcare, employment, therapy, legal aid, and much more. Marcia is here to help us to define what trafficking is, and how to identify and combat it in ways that provide real help. In a world with such frequent misunderstanding of this issue, Because Organization provides true help to a very complex problem. Follow and support their work at www.becauseorganization.org Remember to visit www.stigmafree.art to support this month's focus charity: Mental Health Awareness Creative Arts Gallery.

Jessica Morgan & Christopher Carter joined me to talk about their indie horror film "Night of the Harvest," a slasher type Halloween film that plays around with the traditional tropes and roles within that type of story. They shared deep reflections on their approach to storytelling, horror, and what it's like to step into the mindset of the movie's characters. Follow their work at www.carterinkfilms.com This is the Halloween episode of The Broken Brain for 2024. Be sure to have a happy, safe, and spooky holiday! Go to stigmafree.art to learn more about Mental Health Awareness and Creative Arts Gallery, this month's charity-of-focus

What makes a thought healthy? Cognitive Psychologists say there are 2 important elements, both must be present for things to be healthy upstairs. What are they, how do we define them, and most importantly what do we do about it after labeling them? Remember to go to www.stigmafree.art to support our charity-of-focus this month: Mental Health Awareness Creative Arts Gallery.

Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment (DDA) in video games is the automatic adjustment of difficulty levels within a game intended to keep a player in Flow State. What does that mean? Funny you should ask...that's what this week's Thistory episode is all about! Enjoy the first 6 or 7 minutes of this one for all listeners. If you would like to hear the entire episodes of the weekly dive into psychological history, consider joining the Patreon at www.patreon.com/brokenbrain

Fabian Stumm is the writer, director, and star of the movie "Sad Jokes," a wholesome & sincere film showcasing the roles played by sadness and humor in trying to balance a modern life.

Gratitude is supes healthy, and one way to experience it is in sharing something you love with others. Heres some tups about how to do that in a way that will maximize its effectiveness and help your mental health. Oh yeah, and HAPPY COLOMBO DAY for all of you detectives out there. Check out www.stigmafree.art to support this month's charity of focus: Mental Health Awareness Creative Art Gallery.

Gratitude is supes healthy, and one way to experience it is in sharing something you love with others. Heres some tups about how to do that in a way that will maximize its effectiveness and help your mental health. Oh yeah, and HAPPY COLOMBO DAY for all of you detectives out there. Check out www.stigmafree.art to support this month's charity of focus: Mental Health Awareness Creative Art Gallery.

James P Gannon & Matt Ferrin are creating a feature film, and decided to turn their research into a short documentary about the psychology & culture of Demolition Derby. A cool creative move by 2 creative souls, they ended up with a short film debuting at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) This episode is a part of my coverage of TIFF, looking at the psychological elements of indie films, all of which are available on the Patreon feed as well as here. The highlighted charity for this month is the Mental Health Awareness and Creative Arts Gallery Inc, of Hudson NY, providing free arts classes and using art to help people with addiction and mental health problems.

3 minute sample of this week's patrons-only episode: How do Astronauts prepare themselves psychologically? What are the mental health risks for Space Travel? This week we dive a bit into the history, experience, and research associated with the rigors of being an Astronaut.

Julia Baird is a journalist, author, and broadcaster. In her new book, "Bright Shining: How Grace Changes Everything," she shares ways that people use Grace to make sense of the world, heal from suffering, and (when necessary) challenge the status quo. Far from passive, she discusses how Grace is a motivation to action. Remember to check out www.stigmafree.art to get involved with our highlighted charity this month, bringing art instruction and creativity to those struggling with mental health and addiction.

The use of our senses for meed management and immediate stress-reduction is a quick and effective technique. Today the focus is on our sense of smell, how to use it, and why the future smells rosy...especially when you're smelling roses.

A live play session of a one-shot RPG called "Cage Fight," where the players adopt the powers of Nicolas Cage characters to defeat aliens and save the world. This episode is another exploration into how RPGs can be used for fun, social skills, and building a sense of community. Check out www.dwighthurst.com/rpg to see how I am applying TTRPG play to mental health.

The American Society for Addiction Medicine (ASAM) is the largest organization of addiction professionals in the world, and has developed a model for assessment and treatment planning. This is a look at where it came from, how it has changed, and the 6 areas for assessment that they recommend. Go to www.stigmafree.art to view and participate with Mental Health Awareness & Creative Arts Gallery, this month's highlighted charity

Do you struggle with burnout, waver in self-acceptance? Would you like to get into the head of a mental health clinician? And for professionals, how much of yourself do you bring into session? Dr Jessi Gold is a psychiatrist and author who is here to share her story in treating healthcare professionals, and her journey through addressing her own mental health needs. Her book "How Do You Feel: One Doctor's Search for Humanity in Medicine," is a look into the trends of modern medicine, Personalism vs Professionalism, and how being yourself can moderate burnout and help others. You can order a signed copy of her book at: https://www.novelmemphis.com/pre-order-signed-copy-how-do-you-feel-jessi-gold Our Charity of focus this month is Mentla Health Awareness Creative Arts Gallery, in Hudson NY, where they provide free Art Education and those with Psychological Illness to showcase their healing through Art. Follow their work at www.stigmafree.art. If you join the Patreon this month and half your donation will go to them each month.

This week's Mental Health Tip is all about counting & celebrating things going well, especially when anxiety or depression get in the way. Today is the last day to join Patreon and have 50% of your monthly donation go to Horses of Hope, Puerto Rico each month. Tomorrow we start our October challenged

Darryl Mansel, AKA Seed, joins to talk about "Batman: White Knight vol 1," an alternate storyline where Batman must confront his own demons when The Joker is (possibly) cured from his mental health problems and organizes a citizen's drive against him. Happy Batman Anniversary Day 2024!

Ian Bawa is a filmmaker who joins to discuss his Short Film "The Best," which is currently being shown at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). His short "Strong Son," premiered at TIFF in 2020. Both films showcase father-son relationships and complexities of masculine identity. He is currently working on a feature film that further explores these topics. Ian joins to discuss storytelling and integrating his own experiences through film. Follow his work at www.ianbawa.com The Broken Brain's highlighted charity this month is www.horsesofhopepr.org bringing equine therapy to adults and children with disabilities and trauma.

If you've been in or around therapy before you are probably familiar with the concept of journaling your thoughts & feelings. Many find this to be a difficult task, and some get overwhelmed by it completely. As always, I am a fan of individualization and empowerment. You should make journaling work for you, not the other way around. Here are a few tips to help personalize and adjust the goal of journaling.

This is the first 7 minutes of a 37 minute bonus episode for Patrons. This week we will be looking into the way Token Economy systems are formed, mostly for residential and inpatient healthcare units, although they occur naturally in any structured environment. Also a look into the history of Behavioral Psychology, and the first time a Token Economy was used to help shape behavior. Subscribe to the Patreon to hear weekly dives into mental health history! www.patreon.com/brokenbrain

Dr Mary E. Anderson is a Clinical Psychologist and author of the new book "The Happy High Achiever," in which she outlines her approach to bringing goals of personal health & happiness into your definition of success. Noticing that highly motivated people often experience self-doubt & dissatisfaction, she developed tools to help people to prioritize excellence in emotional health over perfectionistic focus on external wins. This month's charity of focus is Horses of Hope, a nonprofit organization in Isabella, Puerto Rico, providing Equine Therapy for Trauma Recovery in young people. Go to www.horsesofhopepr.org to learn more

This weeks Mental Health Tip is the concept of addition and subtraction, in behavioral health terms, and how to apply them towards making changes. Go to www.horsesofhopepr.org to check out this month's charity-of-focus. Horses of Hope is an organization that makes equine therapy available to individuals with Trauma or Disabilities.

In 1952 the Documentary "A 2 Year Old Goes To Hospital" was released as a collaboration between 3 of the founders of our understanding of Attachment Theory: John Bowlby, James Robertson, and Joyce Robertson This film changed policies that prevented visitors, including parents, to see their child during a hospital stay. It played a pivotal role in the modern understanding of psychological development and the importance of attachment patterns.

Brian Belt is a Peer Specialist, Mental Health Advocate, and Artist. He is the Founder & Director of Mental Health Awareness and Mental Health Gallery, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting artists with mental health issues, and providing free art education for anyone in the Community. Brian talks with us about his own journey through mental health and addiction treatment, and the pivotal role that Art and Mental Health Services have played in his life and the lives of those he helps. Learn more at www.stigmafree.art And check out the charity of the month, Horses of Hope, providing Equine Therapy for youth in Isabella, Puerto Rico, at www.horsesofhopepr.org

This week's tip is 3 ideas to try to interrupt or change gears from mindlessly scrolling on those wonderful little screens we are always carrying around. Remember to check out www.horsesofhopepr.org for this month's highlighted charity: Horses of Hope.

Patreon Sample (first 5 minutes) of this week's history chat, looking at the history and use of the Empty Chair in therapy. This includes some history about Gestalt Therapy, Psychoanalysis, trauma, and group therapy. This episode is brought to the Patrons of the show exclusively, if you would like to hear weekly dives into psychological history, go to www.patreon.com/brokenbrain to subscribe for bonus materials.

These are the final hours of the replay of the 5 hour live stream for Opioid Overdose Awareness Day, 8/29, broken into small bite size elements.

This is Hour 3 of the replay of the 5 hour live stream for Opioid Overdose Awareness Day, 8/29, broken into small bite size elements.

This is Hour 2 of the replay of the 5 hour live stream for Opioid Overdose Awareness Day, 8/29, broken into small bite size elements.

This is a replay of the 5 hour live stream for Opioid Overdose Awareness Day, 8/29, broken into small bite size elements.

Dr JJ Pursell, Naturopathic Physician, educator, and author joins the podcast to discuss her experience using Psilocybin to treat trauma, mental health, and end-of-life care. She shares the process of screening & treatment planning in the medical use of psychedelics. Dr Pursell is an expert in the history, neurology, and current research of of psychedelic assisted therapies. Her latest book is "Psilocybin Therapy: How to Use Nature's Psychedelics for Mental Health." Follow her work at www.drjjpursell.com This Thursday (8/29) go to www.dwighthurst.com/live to watch or JOIN the 3rd annual Live Stream for Overdose Awareness!

This week's Monday Mental Tip is a nod to my friend, and sometimes guest of the show, Sam Led. Those of us with ADHD often experience intrusive or impulsive thoughts. We feel like we have to DO something, but today I'll talk about a different goal: Leaning in, Observing, and watching for our brain to Reboot. (BTW, you may want to check out Sam's book: Beyond ADHD)

This is the first 7 minutes of this week's Patreon dive into mental health history! Elisabeth Kubler-Ross pioneered the concept of psychological care for those with terminal illness, and her best known contribution is the concept of the 5 stages of grief. But are these stages really so universal, and what does research show about this idea? Today's dive into mental health history is a look at the origins of this approach, and more recent developments in the study and treatment of grief & loss. This one is just for the Patrons! Grateful for all of you!

Rosie Schaap is an author, columnist, & teacher. Follow her work at www.rosieschaap.net "The Slow Road North" is a powerful new Creative Nonfiction, a story of grief & healing. Following the tragic death of her husband, Rosie started a journey of pain and reflection that led her to find healing & community in the town of Glenarm, Ireland. A vibrant, visually evocative, and vulnerable book that is a great read for anyone experiencing or interested in the process of healing from loss. Please tune in or join the Broken Brain's 3rd annual live broadcast for Opioid Overdose Awareness, a 5 hour event on Thursday 8/29. You can watch OR JOIN the livestream at: www.dwighthurst.com/live

Monday Mental Tip: Avoiding scammy cure-all claims in the psychological world is tricky, but an important part of mental-health management Here are a couple of things to keep in mind when evaluating claims

Welcome to weekly history dive, a feature for Patreon supporters. The rest of you out there, please enjoy the first 5 minutes in this SAMPLE. In 1938 the March of Dimes was officially formed. Or at least named. 10 years earlier, President Roosevelt started efforts to protect children from polio. That mission has expanded to raise funds for all sort of healthcare applications, education, and advocacy. This week's dive into psychological history looks at the March of Dimes organization, its history, and the nature of charity & giving. AND why and how do we select a powerful name for a cause? This is the Patron's only weekly Thistory lesson, glad to create and share it with all y'all!

Dr Kristin Collier is a MD specializing in Internal Medicine & Medical Education, and a clinician providing direct patient care. She is active in the practical and philosophical examination of how AI tools can (and are) shaping modern medicine. In this episode we discuss the risks and potential traps we can fall into with increasing reliance on technology, especially when the tools can become an actual member of the treatment team. Follow her on X-Twitter @HSdirector Looking forward to The Broken Brain's 3rd annual live stream event for Opioid Overdose Awareness, Thursday 8/29! For details on how to watch or JOIN the stream go to www.dwighthurst.com/live

Parenting a young child with ADHD presents many challenging & positive experiences, both of which are amplified by school. Today Dwight share several tips for helping plan for success in school, along with a reference to the organization Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD), which is chock-full of cool resources at www.chadd.org Please listen or Join the 3rd annual live streaming event for Opioid Overdose Awareness on Thursday August 29th, go to www.dwighthurst.com/live for more details

Monthly History episode for all listeners! Anger management has been the purview of therapy since way back in...1970? Well, the TERM may have been coined around then, but the actual roots go all the way back. to the Romans. This week's history dive is a look at the concept and the practice of Anger Management.

Something a bit new, it's a real-play RPG session! Role Playing Games (RPG) have great potential for development in Bonding, Social Skill Development, and even healing from Addiction & Trauma. As they currently are blowing up in popularity, this is a great time to apply Table-Top Games to therapy. In this episode a team of 3 cool people join to play a one-shot game (written by our host) escaping from a barbecue that turns out to be way more hope-abandoning than they bargained for, in the game: H-E-Double The game itself is available for free download at: www.dwighthurst.com/rpg

Many (if not most) people are worried about world and local events. Today's tip is focused on finding empowering & effective actions that become a sense of self-care. Find what actually helps and doing it is a powerful way to reduce this kind of anxiety. Mark your calendars for Thursday 8/29, for the 3rd annual live stream for Opioid Overdose awareness. Listen, watch, or join the program live! See links and times at: www.dwighthurst.com/live

Advertising in linked to psychology, and always had been. This week's dive into psychological history is about how a pair of brothers shifted the entire industry and cultural practice of how we travel in order to sell tires, and the weirdly omnipresent impact the creation of the Michelin Guidebook has played in our lives. This is the first several minutes of the weekly Patreon bonus: Thursday Thistory. Join at www.patreon.com/brokenbrain to get this and more bonus materials, including videos of all of our episodes. Each Brainiac member has 50% of their monthly donation sent to the charity highlighted in the month they join, which this month is Color Outside The Lines, coloroutside.org, an organization in California and Oregon helping youth in foster care to express themselves through art, music, and dance

Dr Deborah Bryon is a Psychologist, Jungian Psychoanalyst, and Author. Her new book "Time and Trauma in Analytical Psychology and Psychotherapy: The Wisdom of Andean Shamanism," focuses on the things she learned while simultaneously studying Jungian Analysis and the teachings of Andean Shamans. She shares insights into the relativity of time from an internal, emotional perspective, particularly when trauma is involved.

This Monday's Mental Tip is focused on a few ideas for dealing with Manic or Hypomanic episodes for those of us with Bipolar, Bipolar II, or some serious bouts of impulsivity with ADHD. Plan to listen or join the 3rd annual Broken Brain Live Feed for Opiate Overdose Awareness. Go to www.dwighthurst.com/live for details.

WARNING this episode is about suicide, although it is not graphic. This is the first 7 minutes of this week's dive into mental health history for the Patreon members. In 2003 subway companies around the world installed blue LED lights in their terminals, based on the belief that it has a calming influence, and will discourage suicidal individuals from attempting to jump onto the tracks. But is the research really there ot justify this choice? And is it enough? This week's dive into mental health history is all about these questions. Remember this month's highlighted charity: www.munchausensyndrome.com. Also everyone is invited to watch or join the 5 hour live-stream event on Thursday 8/29. Go to www.dwighthurst.com/live for information and links.