Practical for Your Practice Podcast

CDP is excited to announce the fourth season of our podcast, "Practical for your Practice." This bi-weekly podcast features stories, ideas, support and actionable intel to empower providers to keep working toward implementing EBPs with fidelity and effectiveness. Check out Drs. Jenna Ermold, Kevin Holloway, Carin Lefkowitz and national expert guests as they discuss practical issues between colleagues which can enhance the work you do. Don't forget to subscribe on your favorite platform!


Want to request a specific topic or ask a question of our hosts for our end-of-season wrap-up episode? Click the button below to leave a voicemail now! In the voicemail message, please include a name you are comfortable with, where you are calling from (your city/state is fine), and any feedback or questions you may have for the show host.

This podcast is produced by the Center for Deployment Psychology at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. The views expressed are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Uniformed Services University, the Department of Defense, or the US Government. In addition, reference to any specific company, products, processes, or services does not necessarily constitute or imply endorsement by the Uniformed Services University, the Department of Defense, or the US Government.

Podcast Episodes

Practical for Your Practice, Season 4

Dr. Carin LefkowitzListen to Episode 12, Season 4:  EBP Confessionals Part 2: Listeners’ Confessions
Hosts: Drs. Carin Lefkowitz, Kevin Holloway & Jenna Ermold
We asked for your EBP Confessionals and you delivered! Carin, Jenna, and Kevin are relieved to know they are not the only ones who have made blunders while delivering treatment. Today we discuss two “confessions” submitted by our listeners and Carin shares her experience of working with a client who was viscerally impacted by exposure therapy. Tune in for the season 4 finale of The Practical for Your Practice Podcast!

Dr. Megan HarveyListen to Episode 11, Season 4:  Saying Nothing is Worse Than Saying The Wrong Thing: Suicide Postvention for Providers
Guest: Dr. Megan Harvey
How do we support providers who are impacted by suicide loss? Although most of us are familiar with the importance of suicide prevention, we are less familiar with the concept of suicide postvention. Dr. Megan Harvey of the Rocky Mountain MIRECC joins us on this episode to discuss how we can compassionately and effectively support providers coping with a suicide loss, either professional or personal. Tune in for this important discussion.

Khristine HeflinListen to Episode 10, Season 4:  MATCHing Treatment to Kids’ and Teens’ Needs
Guest: Khristine Heflin
In this episode, we discuss MATCH-ADTC, an evidence-based psychotherapy for young people struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma exposure, and/or conduct disorders. Our guest, Khristine Heflin, introduces us to this modular treatment that enables providers to meet each child’s unique needs.
We discuss how this applies to the needs of military children, in particular, and wrap up with actionable intel on how to obtain training in this effective treatment.

Dr. Cynthia YamokoskiListen to Episode 9, Season 4:  Massed Treatments for PTSD: The Quickest Way Through the Fog?
Guest: Dr. Cynthia Yamokoski
What if you could successfully treat PTSD in two weeks instead of 12? Massed delivery of PTSD treatments such as Cognitive Processing Therapy and Prolonged Exposure are gaining empirical support. But how does it work and could you offer it to your patients? Our guest in this episode is at the forefront of research answering these questions. We’re joined by Dr. Cynthia Yamokoski, the Associate Director of the PTSD Mentoring Program at the National Center for PTSD.

Dr. Lydia BartholowListen to Episode 8, Season 4:  Be PreparED to Treat Eating Disorders
Guests: Dr. Deborah Glasofer
For many providers, the term “eating disorders” suggests familiar disorders like bulimia or anorexia. But the category is more varied, not only in types of disordered eating, but also the complex contributions from environment, physiology, crises such as the pandemic, and other influences. Many providers feel ill-prepared to assess or ask about eating disorders in their clients, much less how to address these issues. Fortunately, Dr. Deborah Glasofer shares information on training opportunities being developed to help fill some skills gaps.

Dr. Lydia BartholowListen to Episode 7, Season 4:  What Happened To You? Trauma-informed Care and Creating Healing Environments
Guests: Dr. Lydia Bartholow
There is a difference between trauma-specific care (such as Cognitive Processing Therapy or Prolonged Exposure therapy) and trauma-informed care. Join our amazing guest, Dr. Lydia Bartholow, as we discuss trauma-informed care and how we can reorient from a “What’s wrong with you?” to a “What happened to you?” approach and implement psychological “universal precautions” to transform our systems to acknowledge a history of adversity.

Dr. Paula DomeniciListen to Episode 6, Season 4:  “WETting” Our Toes in Trauma Treatment Options
Guests: Dr. Paula Domenici
One of the issues that providers may face in their clinical practice is deciding what treatment options might fit best for a client who has PTSD. While our brains often go to the first line treatments like PE, CPT and EMDR, sometimes a 10 - 12 session protocol isn't the best fit for the client in front of us who can’t commit to that treatment length or has other reasons that drive a different approach. In this episode CDP’s own Dr. Paula Domenici joins us to talk about her experience with using Written Exposure Therapy (WET) and how it has enhanced her clinical practice.

Dr. David RiggsListen to Episode 5, Season 4: Answering Your Top Three Consultation Questions about Insomnia Treatment
Guests: Dr. Tim Rogers
Today we are joined by Dr. Tim Rogers, one of our Subject Matter Experts on sleep disorders. He’s been spearheading CDP’s insomnia consultation offerings and joins Jenna and Carin to share the top 3 questions that have been asked lately. Tim has suggestions for how to score sleep logs most efficiently, dealing with comorbidities, and when to start insomnia treatment.

Dr. David RiggsListen to Episode 4, Season 4: The NEW VA/DoD CPG for PTSD: Giving Providers a Fighting Chance
Guests: Dr David Riggs
As many of our listeners know, the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense (VA/DoD) Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and acute stress disorder (ASD) was released in June of 2023. The CPG, designed to assist clinical decision making, provides recommendations that, in essence, give a clinician a fighting chance of identifying treatments that the research suggests should help their clients. But for many busy providers, it is a lot to unpack and digest!

Dr. Kelly ChrestmanListen to Episode 3, Season 4: Group UP! Transdiagnostic Group Treatment Using Unified Protocol
Guests: Drs. Isler & Hodge
In both the public and private sectors, demand for behavioral health care is outpacing availability and capacity. The pressure on the behavioral health system necessitates innovation with regards to the methods and models of therapeutic interventions. What can we do when there are just not enough therapy slots available on the calendar to accommodate the need? And how can these needs best be met when clinical presentations are becoming more diverse while evidence-based psychotherapies tend to be narrowly focused on specific diagnoses?
Join us for a fascinating discussion with Drs. William Isler and Adam Hodge about an innovative transdiagnostic group therapy approach leveraging Unified Protocol to better serve those who serve–and beyond!

Dr. Kelly ChrestmanListen to Episode 2, Season 4: EBP Confessionals - We Messed Up and Recovered From It
Guests: Drs. Ermold, Holloway & Lefkowitz
Clinicians new to EBPs and protocol-driven treatments understandably worry about what to do when something goes wrong. “What if I explain things wrong?” “What if my client gets worse?” Hiccups are the rule rather than the exception, especially when we’re new to a particular model or technique.
Carin, Jenna, and Kevin have had their EBP fears come to fruition and are ready to “confess” their past struggles. Even more importantly, the team discusses how they recovered from their hiccups and what they learned from them.

Dr. Kelly ChrestmanListen to Episode 1, Season 4: But What if My Client Dissociates?! Practical Strategies From Our Experts
Guest: Dr. Kelly Chrestman
In our first episode of season 4, we tackle one of the top concerns we hear in our PTSD EBP workshops and consultation… “But what if my client dissociates?!”. If this has been on your list of clinical worries, worry no more! Take a listen as we discuss what is dissociation (and what isn’t)? What is its function? How can we best assess it? When is it likely to show up? AND most importantly, what providers can do to manage it in the context of their EBP work! Our own Dr. Kelly Chrestman is back to share actionable intel!

This podcast is produced by the Center for Deployment Psychology at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. The views expressed are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Uniformed Services University, the Department of Defense, or the US Government. In addition, reference to any specific company, products, processes, or services does not necessarily constitute or imply endorsement by the Uniformed Services University, the Department of Defense, or the US Government.

Practical for Your Practice, Season 3

Dr. Jeff MannListen to Episode 12, Season 3: Evolving Our Thinking about Thinking in Psychotherapy
Guest: Dr. Jeff Mann
From the time Aaron Beck and Albert Ellis recognized the importance of addressing unhelpful cognitions and cognitive processes in the treatment of depression in the 1960’s, cognitive behavioral therapy has become a driving force in the world of evidence-based practice. Initially, Drs. Beck and Ellis focused on the content of thoughts as the primary target for psychological interventions. Similarly, modern behavioral psychology has emphasized the importance of addressing cognition as a key aspect of successful psychotherapy. However, B.F. Skinner’s focus on verbal behavior as a generalized operant and modern contextual behavioral scientists’ work on Relational Frame Theory tend to emphasize the importance of addressing contextual factors that influence the function or impact of language over the content of thoughts. In this wide ranging episode, Drs. Jeff Mann, Andy Santanello, and Kevin Holloway discuss places of convergence between these two great traditions and look toward the future of process-based approaches to cognition. Make sure you grab some coffee and a snack: this is a LONG one!

Dr. Shannon McCaslinListen to Episode 11, Season 3: Sharpening our EBP Focus Through the Lens of Military Culture
Guest: Dr. Shannon McCaslin
Cultural competency training is an essential component of all behavioral health training curriculums and often a requirement for continuing education for licensed providers. But how often do those training opportunities include “military service” in the mix of cultural dimensions of identity that influence or shape an individual’s experience? Not often enough. In this episode we are joined by Dr. Shannon McCaslin as we explore the importance of keeping “eyes on” military culture to better understand how it can and should inform our EBP work. Come hear how military culture can influence your patients’ perspectives of their symptoms and treatment options level of, engagement, adherence, and treatment outcomes.

David DahlListen to Episode 10, Season 3: Shifting Perspectives Through Moral Injury to Posttraumatic Growth
Guest: David Dahl
Reactions to trauma vary from person to person. Although Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is often a main topic of conversation regarding trauma, two other important post-traumatic trajectories, Moral Injury and Post-traumatic Growth, are gaining recognition. In this episode, Marine Corps Veteran, Social Worker, and Zen priest David Dahl share his unique perspective on trauma recovery, modeling the importance of shared perspective-taking in helping service members in their journey to recovery.

Dr. Greg RegerListen to Episode 9, Season 3: Diamonds in the Rough: Finding and Integrating Evidence-based Apps Into Evidence-based Psychotherapies
Guest: Dr. Greg Reger
Like we’ve heard hundreds of times, “there’s an app for that!” Mobile apps are ubiquitous in modern life. With the proliferation of mental health apps available, it can be difficult to determine which apps have been rigorously tested and validated. Additionally, the mental health app market is largely unregulated, meaning that many apps may make claims about their effectiveness without sufficient evidence to support them. This can be problematic, as using an app without evidence-based support may not only be a waste of time and money but also potentially harmful if it leads to delayed treatment or incorrect self-diagnosis. How is a mental health practitioner to find evidence-based apps to use in therapy? And what are the challenges to NOT considering utilizing mobile apps in clinical work? Join us in a fascinating discussion with Dr. Greg Reger about the current mental health mobile app landscape and you can integrate mobile app use in your clinical practice.

Dr. Abigail AngkawListen to Episode 8, Season 3: Is There an Elephant in Your Room? What to do When Sociocultural and Political Issues Stomp Into Your EBP
Guest: Dr. Abigail Angkaw
You can sense it coming, feel it before you see it and hear it. The small tremors in conversation that warn you the elephant is incoming. You brace, trying to keep the focus on your agenda, perhaps cling to the familiar safety of your EBP protocol. But the elephant is coming into your clinical space and now you have to decide what to do. In this episode of Practical for your Practice, we roll up our sleeves with Dr. Abigail Angkaw to address the topic of what clinicians can do when sociocultural and political issues stomp into their EBP. More specifically, what to do when we clinicians, as humans, have a strong reaction to those issues. THAT, is the elephant in the room. Tune in for some tips to tune up on areas like disclosure, self-reflection, microaggressions, finding empathy, context and case conceptualization, and what is best for your client and YOU when those elephants won’t leave your room.

Dr. Brian PileckiListen to Episode 7, Season 3: The Beginning of the Beginning: What Might be Promising about Psychedelic Assisted Therapy
Guest: Dr. Brian Pilecki
Psychedelic Assisted Therapy. Perhaps reading that phrase brings about word associations like “mushrooms” “LSD” “Molly” “Mescaline” “altered state”, “euphoria” and even “the 60’s”. Or perhaps just seeing those words makes you curious enough to take a listen to this awesome podcast with Dr. Brian Pilecki, a clinician and researcher in the emerging field of integrating psychedelics into the treatment of behavioral health disorders. Listen in and learn as Dr. Pilecki explains some of the ins and outs of psychedelic assisted therapy to include what it is, who might benefit, types of psychedelics that have been most studied, where the research stands, as well as how to get more information.

Listen to Episode 6, Season 3: Is it Really Taboo? Inviting Spirituality into Evidence-Based Practices
Guest: Dr. Andy Santanello
Any guide to “small talk” will tell you that there are just some topics that you shouldn’t broach in most social situations. One of those topics is spirituality. But should spirituality be taboo in psychotherapy? Does the direct discussion of spirituality have a place inside evidence-based practice? In this episode, Andy, Kevin, and Jenna chat about some practical ways to answer these questions and offer ideas for “going there” when spirituality might be a useful domain to explore with your clients.

Listen to Episode 5, Season 3: ACTing on Anger, but in a Good Way
Guest: Dr. John Donahue
Anger is something all humans experience. It can be uncomfortable for us as therapists when it shows up in therapy, whether it is the focus of intervention, or when expressed in session. Indeed, traditional clinical approaches have often focused on managing, preventing, or suppressing anger. But perhaps anger itself isn’t always the problem, but rather aggression or other values-inconsistent behavioral choices. Join us as we discuss being curious about anger and its function from an ACT-informed perspective with our guest, John Donahue, Psy.D.

Listen to Episode 4, Season 3: Practicing Being with Scary Things: Helping Clients Get Better at Being With Their Difficult Stuff
Guest: Mike Twohig
Exposure-based interventions are some of the most powerful tools that therapists can offer to their clients, especially those who struggle with anxiety. However, there are different models of exposure with different proposed mechanisms and different desired outcomes. In this episode, anxiety disorders and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy expert Mike Twohig exposes us to some useful ways to help clients get better at being with their difficult stuff.

Listen to Episode 3, Season 3: If We Just Say All the Right Things, Everyone Will Love This Episode - Talking About the "Just World Belief"
Guest: Dr. Carin Lefkowitz
The Just World Belief (JWB), or the notion that good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people, is a fundamental and often problematic assumption for both clients and therapists. Believing that doing all the “right things” will lead to the outcome we want doesn’t match up to the realities of life in many cases and can lead to stress and perfectionism. In this episode, Kevin and Andy chat with Senior Military Behavioral Health Psychologist Carin Lefkowitz about the impact of the JWB on clients and therapists and some practical ways to make all the right moves to address it.

Listen to Episode 2, Season 3: Take That Nap! Strategies and Tips for Working with the Sleep Deprived
Guest: Dr. Diana Dolan
When we think of “sleep problems,” most of the time, our brains go to insomnia – that group of people we work with who have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep despite adequate opportunity to sleep. But what about the opposite side of the sleep coin… or pillow, if you will? What about the group of folks who desperately want sleep, need sleep, crave sleep, AND could sleep if only given adequate opportunity to do so? In this episode, we sit down once again with one of CDP’s sleep experts, Dr. Diana Dolan, to talk about sleep deprivation and the associated functional impairments.

Listen to Episode 1, Season 3: Making Room for Emotions: Emotionally Focused Therapy for Military Couples
Guest: Ms. Liz Polinksy
Emotionally-Focused Couples Therapy (EFT) is an evidence-based psychotherapy for couples that helps couples get better understanding and accepting their emotions, to be vulnerable in communicating those emotions to each other, and to get better at validating and supporting their partners. A challenge that therapists often face when working with military clients who are in committed relationships is deciding when to address relationship issues in individual therapy and when to refer your client to couples therapy. In this episode, certified EFT therapist Liz Polinksy share some actionable intel related to her work with military couples.

This podcast is produced by the Center for Deployment Psychology at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. The views expressed are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Uniformed Services University, the Department of Defense, or the US Government. In addition, reference to any specific company, products, processes, or services does not necessarily constitute or imply endorsement by the Uniformed Services University, the Department of Defense, or the US Government.

Practical for Your Practice, Season 2

Listen to Episode 12, Season 2: “Helping My Younger Professional Self”: Partnering with Providers in the Clinical Trenches to Anticipate and Resolve Barriers to EBPs
Guest: Dr. Lisa Cuccurullo
Have you ever thought “I want to implement EBP’s effectively with my clients but I’m running into barriers!”. Well help is here! Listen in as we sit down with Dr. Lisa Cuccurullo whose job it is to help solve the problems people face every day in their clinical practice. We dig into some clinical barriers, what mechanisms need to be in place administratively to do these treatments with fidelity, as well as how to do these treatments in the real world with all of the chaos of day to day life. We all need that “clinical family” to support our work so join us to find out about resources to expand yours! Come hear about common challenges, potential solutions, and Dr. Cuccurullo’s uplifting consultation story!

Listen to Episode 11, Season 2: "Practical for Your (and Your Client’s) Pronouns: What to do when you or a colleague misgenders a client"
Guest: Dr. Jacob Eleazar
Why are pronouns important when working with your clients? Well, as this week’s guest, Dr. Jacob Eleazer, explains, misgendering clients is a form of medical harm, especially for members of the Trans* community. As we all move toward greater awareness and competency when it comes to working with Trans* clients, mistakes will be made. In this episode, Dr. Eleazar provides some practical advice for responding compassionately and directly to examples of misgendering.Also, in a P4P first, Dr. Eleazar and the crew demonstrate a few key techniques through candid role plays!

Listen to Episode 10, Season 2: "Is There an ECHO in Here? Just-in-time Training and Provider Self-Care in Times of Crisis"
Guests: Dr. William Brim & Dr. Andrea Israel

As behavioral health providers, our jobs often are primarily helping patients heal when their worlds are in turmoil. But we don’t often talk about doing that work while our own world or even the whole world is in turmoil. What can we learn from efforts to support mental health providers working in the heart of real-time geopolitical aggression? Join us as we discuss the experience of CDP’s own Drs. Bill Brim and Andrea Israel partnering with UNM’s ECHO project providing just-in-time training in psychological first aid and provider resilience to providers in Ukraine.

Listen to Episode 9, Season 2: "So You Want to be a Military Psychologist"
Guests: Lt. Col. David Tubman & Maj. John Blue Star

Two active duty psychologists sit down on a podcast and try to set the record straight about some of the ins and outs about becoming and serving as a military mental health provider. What does it take to serve simultaneously as a mental health provider AND an officer? What opportunities exist in areas such as leadership, prevention (individual and systemic), as a clinician, and for training? How might YOU collaborate or consult with a military mental health provider? Listen as popular myths are busted and unique opportunities are discussed!

Listen to Episode 8, Season 2: "But…my client is pregnant.! How and why you CAN treat PTSD during pregnancy"
Guest: Dr. Yael Nillni

A common question posed in our PE and CPT consultation groups is, “What do I do if my client is pregnant and has PTSD… ?” To treat or not to treat? That is the question! In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Yael Nillni to discuss the benefits of trauma-focused treatment for women during the perinatal period. Come join us to learn about how clients who enter pregnancy with PTSD are at higher risk for adverse reproductive health outcomes and what behavioral health providers can (and should) do to help improve those outcomes. Is the perinatal phase a period of increased risk or a window of opportunity? We invite you to listen and learn.

Listen to Episode 7, Season 2: "Making Space for Your Imposter Syndrome"
Guest: Dr. Joshua Semiatin

We’ve all been there–wondering if we measure up to the expectations we have from others and for ourselves. Imposter Syndrome, as its been sometimes called, is almost universal, and yet feels so unique to ourselves. Join us as we discuss imposter syndrome, how it shows up for us in EBP implementation, and how we can make room for it.

Listen to Episode 6, Season 2: "Showing up for Immunocompromised Clients"
Guest: Dr. Amanda Rhodes

In the context of a global pandemic where every one of us lives daily with uncertainty and barriers to connection with others, these challenges and burdens are magnified in the lives of our immunocompromised clients. From expanding our understanding of who is immunocompromised to empathy for their unique challenges to discussing practical strategies in clinical care, join us as we sit in the uncertainty together, discussing showing up, connecting with, and serving these clients.

Listen to Episode 5, Season 2: "Enhancing Resilience with Psychological Flexibility Training"
Guest: Dr. Wyatt Evans

What is resilience? What is Psychological Flexibility? What are the points of convergence between these two concepts? Practically speaking (and you know we LOVE practical stuff), it turns out that the Psychological Flexibility model may offer a unique pathway to the direct enhancement of resilience. In this episode, we chat with Dr. Wyatt Evans about his exciting insights and research about the role that psychological flexibility may play in resilience.

Listen to Episode 4, Season 2: "Living Our Best Second Lives"
Guest: Dr. Carin Lefkowitz

In this episode, Andy, Kevin, and Jenna chat with Dr. Carin Lefkowitz about CDP’s Second Life training assets.Unique affordances of virtual worlds (including some funny mishaps) are discussed along with some practical tips for making the best use of Second Life to improve your practice.

Listen to Episode 3, Season 2: "Making Cognitive Health a Priority in Practice: Getting back to basics with Compensatory Cognitive Training (CCT) and CogSMART"
Guest: Dr. Elizabeth Twamley

In this episode, we talk about the ways brain injury, sustained in the context of trauma, can have longer-lasting effects than other mTBI’s, and why mental health providers are in an ideal position to help clients focus on cognitive health by teaching strategies to improve functioning. Join us as Dr. Beth Twamley demystifies how the strategies used in Compensatory Cognitive Training (CCT) and Cognitive Symptom Management and Rehabilitation Therapy (CogSMART) can help to address impairments in prospective memory, attention, learning and memory, and executive functioning.

Listen to Episode 2, Season 2: "Stress Is...Your Friend? Reinterpreting Stress as Fuel for Performance"
Guest: Dr. Gabe Paoletti

Who isn’t stressed these days? Stress seems ubiquitous in ourselves, our clients, and everyone else! The good news? According to our guest this episode, Dr. Gabe Paoletti, stress doesn’t have to mean that things are going wrong. Stress is actually an indicator of the things that matter to us and what we care about.

Listen to Episode 1, Season 2: "Making an Uncomfortable Conversation more Comfortable: Collaborating with our Clients to Increase Means Safety"
Guest: Dr. Sharon Birman

In this episode we are joined by one of CDP’s suicide prevention experts, Dr. Sharon Birman, to talk about means safety counseling and how to work collaboratively with a person in suicidal crisis to more effectively mitigate harm. Come join us as we talk about how this public health initiative has become a key one-on-one intervention. We’ll review common myths and barriers to the use of means safety counseling as well as resources to shore up providers’ skills in this area. Come get more comfortable with what can be an uncomfortable topic.

This podcast is produced by the Center for Deployment Psychology at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. The views expressed are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Uniformed Services University, the Department of Defense, or the US Government. In addition, reference to any specific company, products, processes, or services does not necessarily constitute or imply endorsement by the Uniformed Services University, the Department of Defense, or the US Government.

Practical for Your Practice, Season 1

Listen to Episode 13: "Wide Awake to Talk About Sleep - Common Pitfalls in the Assessment and Treatment of Sleep Disorders"
Guest: Dr. Diana Dolan
While disrupted sleep is one of the number one presenting concerns for military-connected clients, it remains under assessed and mis- or undertreated. In this episode, we pull the covers back to reveal the most common pitfalls for providers when it comes to addressing sleep disorders with CDP’s own sleep guru, Dr. Diana Dolan. There are a lot of ways sleep can go wrong and often sleep problems take on a life of their own and become a primary diagnosis. Come join us for a discussion on how to improve your assessment of sleep problems and hear actionable intel to strengthen your treatment approaches.

Listen to Episode 12: "There’s (already!) an app for that! Utilizing lighter, targeted, ecologically valid tech in EBPs"
Guest: Dr. Peter Tuerk
The future is now. Technology augmentation of the dissemination and implementation of EBPs has never been more widely accepted, from mobile apps to synchronous telehealth to asynchronous post-workshop support. Join us as we geek out with Dr. Peter Tuerk about the merits of technology adoption in EBPs, thinking creatively about using familiar technologies in new ways, provider-crowd-sourcing, and avoiding the trap of insisting that technology solutions must be replications of the old ways of doing things. Come for the tech talk, stay for the “skewmorphs.”

Listen to Episode 11: "Commiting to Consultation: Five Barriers and Tips for Facing Them"
Guest: Dr. Andrew Sherrill
Almost all of us clinicians agree that consultation helps us to be better at our jobs. Committing to the consultation can be another story. In this episode, Dr. Andrew Sherril of the Emory University Prolonged Exposure Consultant Training Program shares some actionable intel on facing, and overcoming, five common barriers to committing to consultation.

Listen to Episode 10: "Manifesting the Spirit of Motivational Interviewing in the Context of EBP"
Guest: Dr. Onna Brewer
Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a style of communication that can be useful in many different clinical situations. Maintaining the spirit of MI while practicing EBP presents a challenge. In this episode, Dr. Onna Brewer shares some actionable intel that will help you to listen with an ear for connection and change talk and to do what comes naturally (or maybe NOT so naturally) in practicing EBPs.

Listen to Episode 09: "Making Common Factors Common in EBP Practice"
Guest: Dr. Michael Jones
When learning a protocol for evidence-based psychotherapy, the question commonly arises about common factors: “Why do I need to learn this protocol if most of the change in psychotherapy can be traced back to common factors?” or conversely “If I follow the steps on this protocol checklist, I don’t have to worry about common factors at all like therapeutic alliance, right?” Join us as we discuss the interplay of common factors and EBP protocols, how they are not mutually exclusive, and how to make sure you are attending most to the real person and the real relationship with you in the room while applying EBP techniques.

Listen to Episode 08: "Angry Again: Tips on Managing Emotions to Reduce Aggression"
Guest: Dr. Shannon Miles
Anger is the most highly reported challenge, across disorders, for Service members and Veterans, especially postdeployment. In this episode we get fired up talking about anger, aggression and the role of other secondary emotions such as guilt, shame and fear. Our guest, Dr. Shannon Miles, helps us distinguish between impulsive and premeditated aggression and walks us through the main components of her protocol Managing Emotions to Reduce Aggression.

Listen to Episode 07: "Recognizing and Responding to Microaggressions in Clinical Practice"
Guest: Dr. Ryan C. Warner
Microaggressions are subtle, covert forms of discrimination that impact marginalized populations. In this episode, Dr. Ryan Warner shares his insights on the importance of recognizing and responding genuinely to microaggressions in a clinical context as well as some of his own experiences of microaggressions.

Listen to Episode 06: "Practicing What We Preach - Applying Best Clinical Practices to Caring for Ourselves"
Guest: Dr. Carin Lefkowitz
Provider self-care is an important and ethical responsibility for all providers. Our training as behavioral health providers does not render us immune from stress and even symptoms of mood or anxiety difficulties. Many of us found that some of the self-care behaviors we relied on prior to the COVID-19 pandemic were suddenly unavailable. What can be done? Consider creatively applying the advice we give to our clients to ourselves. Listen as Andy discusses with Dr. Carin Lefkowitz practical adjustments we can make to our self-care routines in the current environment.

Listen to Episode 05: "Functionally Speaking: Conceptualization with the Head and the Heart"
Guest: Dr. Robyn Walser
In this episode we sit down with Dr. Robyn Walser for a rich discussion on how clinicians can get better at conceptualizing cases on the fly. We talk about moving from technical to functional, from fidelity to competence, the importance of contextual factors, and most importantly, balancing the need to be present with our clients with our hearts as well as our heads. Come hear Dr. Walser’s actionable intel about improving case conceptualization through understanding the purpose of behavior (the clients and ours), the client’s desired trajectory and the importance of understanding the psychological inflexibility processes that keep clients stuck.

Listen to Episode 04: "When Chronic Pain Enters the Room: Responding Effectively when Physical Pain is Reported by Your Clients"
Guest: Dr. Sharon Birman
Physical pain can be tough to address when it is a focus of psychotherapy, and it can be even tougher when it “shows up” unexpectedly like an unwanted guest. In this podcast, our colleague Dr. Sharon Birman shares some practical, evidence-based tips for responding to comorbid physical pain during the course of therapy for other presenting issues. Dr. Birman’s take-home message… don’t be afraid to engage with chronic pain!

Listen to Episode 03: "This IS the Track - How Talking About Afghanistan Doesn't Have to Derail an EBP"
Guests: Drs. Kelly Chrestman and Sonya Norman
The recent events in Afghanistan have left many military-connected clients (and providers!) reeling, creating a sense of anxiety in clinics about how to best provide support. In this episode, we bring lead EBP consultants from VA and DoD together to talk about the importance of examining our own reactions, making room for our client’s grief, anger and other emotions and how to be fully present in the room as our clients struggle to (re)create balance and meaning. We explore how validation serves as the essential substrate across EBP’s, as well as ways providers can support clients to examine values and move with intention through these historical events. Don’t miss this special episode as your colleagues discuss “doom scrolling,” the “EBP police” and much more!

Listen to Episode 02: "Flexing New Muscles When Doing Prolonged Exposure Therapy (and Assigning in vivo Exercises) Amidst a Pandemic"
Guest: Dr. Kelly Chrestman
Masks, social distancing and hand sanitizer, oh my! This week we are joined by Dr. Kelly Chrestman, one of CDP’s Prolonged Exposure mavens, to talk about practical tips for doing in vivo work during the pandemic. We dig into how assigning in vivo items may or may not have changed in the midst of the pandemic and creative ways to maintain momentum. Not doing PE? There is still actionable intel for you on how to collaborate with clients to get them engaged in meaningful activities despite all the barriers of COVID. This is the time to flex new muscles and think outside the box with us as we talk about doing PE (via telehealth) during the pandemic.

Listen to Episode 01: "I Went to the Workshop. Now What? Tips for Improving EBP Skills"
Guests: Drs. Kevin Holloway and Andy Santanello
All of us have been to multiple day workshops to learn new clinical skills. Although we might leave with some enthusiasm, new skills, and new information, that doesn’t always mean that we are proficient in applying new learning. In this podcast, Drs. Holloway and Santanello chat about some of the strategies that they have used as EBP practitioners to improve their skills.

Listen to Episode 00: "The Most Impractical Episode - The Why Behind Practical for Your Practice"
Guests: Drs. Andy Santanello, Jenna Ermold and Kevin Holloway
Three clinical psychologists and trainers from the Center for Deployment Psychology (CDP) at the Uniformed Services University (USU) come together to talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly of actually implementing Evidence-Based Psychotherapies (EBPs). Practical for your Practice is a bi-weekly podcast featuring stories, ideas, support, and actionable intel to empower providers to keep working toward implementing EBPs with fidelity and effectiveness. In this first episode your hosts Drs. Jenna Ermold, Kevin Holloway, and Andy Santenello share the who, what, where, and why behind this podcast and more importantly how these conversations between colleagues can enhance the work you do.

This podcast is produced by the Center for Deployment Psychology at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. The views expressed are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Uniformed Services University, the Department of Defense, or the US Government. In addition, reference to any specific company, products, processes, or services does not necessarily constitute or imply endorsement by the Uniformed Services University, the Department of Defense, or the US Government.