Practical for Your Practice Podcast

CDP is excited to announce the fifth 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 6

Listen to Episode 11, Season 6:  Opening Doors to Processing Emotions (PE)
Allison Hannah, MSW, LCSWGuest: Dr. Sheila Rauch
Evidence-based psychotherapies for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), such as Prolonged Exposure and Cognitive Processing Therapy, are the best tools we have to treat PTSD for most people–at least as long as those in need are able to access these therapies. A number of barriers may exist, such as availability of trained therapists, insurance coverage (or lack thereof), or even life stressors standing in the way. During the COVID-19 pandemic, trauma exposure exploded exponentially while at the same time access to care due to lockdowns and social distancing was severely diminished.

Listen to Episode 10, Season 6:  Math, Science, and Emotional Health: CBT for Suicide Prevention at School
Allison Hannah, MSW, LCSWGuest: Allison Hannah, MSW, LCSW
Suicide is currently the second leading cause of death for youth aged 10 through 14. It’s a horrifying fact that has spurred providers into action. One of those providers is our guest on today’s episode. Allison Hannah, MSW, LCSW, has delivered evidence-based suicide prevention interventions to youth, from elementary school-aged children to teens. Listen in as she provides us with the basics of CBT for Suicide Prevention and ways to adapt it effectively for youth. Her experiences inspire hope for providers, clients and families.

Listen to Episode 9, Season 6:  Not a Fair Fight - Digital Media Addiction in Youth
Dr. Amanda GiordanoGuest: Dr. Amanda Giordano
Most digital media is designed to be addictive, and young brains are especially susceptible. Successful digital media content is stimulating, engaging, and targets the brain’s natural reward centers. This creates an unfair advantage over young brains, which have not yet fully developed their executive functioning. In today’s episode, Dr. Amanda Giordano introduces us to the “Four C’s” model of addiction, healthy vs unhealthy engagement with digital media, and interventions for youth and their families. She also shares who has her “six” and Actionable Intel to hone your skills.

Listen to Episode 8, Season 6:  AI and Mental Health: Why Should I Care?!
Dr. CooperGuest: Dr. David Cooper
If you’ve been side-eyeing the rise of AI in mental health, this episode of Practical for Your Practice is one you don’t want to miss. Dr. David Cooper, Executive Director of Therapists in Tech and member of the APA's Mobile Health Tech Advisory Committee joins us for a down-to-earth and engaging deep dive into what AI actually means for therapists. Spoiler: it’s not Skynet. Dr. Cooper breaks down the basics of generative AI, including what GPT really stands for and why therapists shouldn’t fear it—but should understand it. He explains how AI is being used in the behavioral health field with a focus on doing so ethically.

Listen to Episode 7, Season 6:  It's Not What You're Doing. It's Why You're Doing It: Complex Cases and EBPs
Dr. BrinenGuest: Dr. Aaron P. Brinen
Complex cases… The rule? Or the exception? In this episode of Practical for Your Practice, we sit down with Dr. Aaron Brinen, who argues that complexity is often the norm when it comes to client cases. Dr. Brinen shares valuable insights on how to effectively serve clients with complex issues, emphasizing the importance of a thorough case formulation. We dive deep into how this process can lead to more effective strategies for change.
Tune in to learn why taking the time to understand a client’s “perpetual motion machine” can enhance your evidence-based practice and lead to better outcomes.

Listen to Episode 6, Season 6:  You Are NOT Unacceptable: Traumatic Invalidation and PTSD
Dr. Robin BrodyGuest: Dr. Robin Brody
Traumatic invalidation, a powerful and often misunderstood concept, occurs when a person’s emotions, behaviors, or identity are repeatedly dismissed, belittled, or rejected by important people in their lives. It can manifest as emotional neglect, severe criticism, unequal treatment, or outright denial of one’s reality. In this P4P episode, we sit down with Dr. Robin Brody who shares her insights on how traumatic invalidation can directly challenge a person’s sense of self-worth and belonging in the world and can play a significant role in the development and maintenance of PTSD.

Listen to Episode 5, Season 6:  Getting All Sides of the Story: Responsible Use of Collateral Information in EBPs
Ms Carolyn HewerGuest: Drs. Holloway, Ermold, Lefkowitz
No one knows better than our clients what is going on in their world - their stressors, symptoms, triumphs, values, goals… but sometimes it can also be helpful to hear additional perspectives from others in our client’s world. In this episode the P4P hosts discuss the potential relevance of collateral information in assessment, case conceptualization and treatment planning.

Listen to Episode 4, Season 6:  Confident Connection and Telehealth Suicide Prevention
Ms Carolyn HewerGuest: Dr. Kristyn Heins
For many of us, the idea of assessing and responding to suicide risk via telehealth seems overwhelming. As Jenna says, “the stakes are just a little higher.” But that’s all the more reason to become confident in the process; our patients deserve access to the best possible care, after all. In this episode, Dr. Kristyn Heins addresses common provider concerns about treating high risk patients over telehealth. Her common sense suggestions can reduce our collective anxiety and help us build our confidence in suicide prevention strategies.

Listen to Episode 3, Season 6:  Look Beyond the Obvious! Exploring the Complexity of Military Culture, Identity and Mental Health
Ms Carolyn HewerGuest: Ms. Carolyn Hewer
In this episode we have the honor of sitting down with Australian researcher, Ms. Carolyn Heward, lead author of “A Scoping Review of Military Culture, Military Identity, and Mental Health Outcomes in Military Personnel”. Listen in as we discuss the complexity of military culture's impact on military identity and its effect on mental health. We’ll dig into the Military Identity Model (MIM) and types of identities such as loyal, warrior, hidden and disrupted. But most importantly we’ll consider the clinical benefits of including military identity into case formulation, treatment planning and EBP work. As Heward says “identity work is clinical work” and we couldn’t agree more.

Listen to Episode 2, Season 6:  Don’t Attach Your Sleep Tracker to the Ceiling Fan (and Other Helpful Tips from Insomnia Experts)
Dr. Diana DolanGuest: Dr. Diana Dolan
Sleep trackers - what are they good for? While they may give you an entertaining look at your sleep health, they can complicate treatment of sleep disorders. Our guest today, Dr. Diana Dolan, returns to P4P to provide a balanced view on consumer wearables and their impact on sleep assessment and treatment. Technology has evolved in the past few years, and so have our suggestions for how to work with patients who love their sleep trackers. How can we capitalize on our patients’ enthusiasm for better sleep? Tune in to find out.

Listen to Episode 1, Season 6:  Who's Got Your Six?
Drs. Holloway, Ermold & LefkowitzGuests: Drs. Ermold, Holloway & Lefkowitz
New year! New season! New look! AND new theme! Our hosts kick off season six of the P4P podcast introducing the theme, “Who’s Got Your Six?” (see what we did there?), and talk about the importance of cultivating our own support systems and people. Each host shares a story about someone who has (and has had) their “six”. As mental health providers, we all need and deserve someone to have our backs. So how do we cultivate these supportive relationships? Check out this episode! And as always, thank you listeners for having OUR six.

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 5

Listen to Episode 12, Season 5:  Practically YOU! How It Took 5 Seasons to Have a Call-in Show
Dr. Josef RuzekTap, tap, tap. Is this thing on? Hello? Anyone out there? Turns out, YES! Podcasts are funny things where it sometimes feels like we might just be talking into the void. And what we REALLY want is to have collegial interactions with you, the listeners. So for our 60th episode, we asked for your questions, comments, and “What is your why?” stories, and you delivered! Thank you to all who contributed to this episode. Join us as we respond to listeners' questions and hear about LPCs in clinical practice, clients that aren’t a “perfect” fit with EBP protocols, not mixing EBP “cocktails”, lots of “woohoo!”s, and Jenna being voted “Most Likely to be Ariel in Little Mermaid 2” in high school. What a great community of practice!

Listen to Episode 11, Season 5: A Visit to Dr. Ruzek's PTSD Group Laboratory
Dr. Josef RuzekGuest: Dr. Josef Ruzek
Today we are joined by Dr. Joe Ruzek, a clinical psychologist and former Director of the National Center for PTSD Dissemination and Training Division. Dr. Ruzek recently published a book on group therapies for PTSD and shares his findings and innovations with Jenna and Carin. We discussed the unique benefits of group therapies, more flexible ways of measuring progress, and future directions. As always, we wrap up with Actionable Intel; Dr. Ruzek provides listeners with numerous tips and resources to hone skills in group therapy.

Listen to Episode 10, Season 5: When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Stress First Aid (SFA)
Dr. Patricia WatsonGuest: Dr. Patricia Watson
As behavioral health providers, many of us receive training, and are well positioned to help people after a disaster or traumatic event. But what do you do in situations of ongoing threat, ongoing stress and adversity perhaps lasting months or years? In this episode, we are joined by the amazing Dr. Patricia Watson, a psychologist at the National Center for PTSD, who walks us through the incredibly versatile Stress First Aid (SFA) model to include its essential elements, relationship to the stress continuum model.

Listen to Episode 9, Season 5: Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Ears: The Real Deal With the Righting Reflex
MAJ Abby DiehlGuest: MAJ Abby Diehl
In this episode of Practical for your Practice, we are joined by motivational interviewing maven and one of our USU colleague besties, Dr. Abby Diehl, who challenges us to become more aware of our righting reflex - or our tendency, as behavioral health providers, to become problem detectors who offer immediate solutions to eradicate said problem(s). This is easier said than done when one tries to operate in the larger (quick) “fix it” culture many of us find ourselves in. Her advice? Shut your mouth and open your ears and listen to understand. You might be surprised how just being with people and deeply listening can lead to deeper connection and ultimately profound change. 

Listen to Episode 8, Season 5: Meeting Clients Where They Are: EBPs in Dual Diagnosis Cases
Dr. Alejandra ArangoGuest: Dr. Mark Campanile
One of the most common co-morbid conditions with many of the disorders treated by mental health providers is substance-use disorder (SUD). And while many of us as providers are trained in evidence-based psychotherapies for disorders such as PTSD, MDD, GAD, Primary Insomnia, etc, many of us are not as well trained regarding how to manage or treat co-morbid SUD. Research demonstrates that concurrent treatment of the primary condition and co-morbid SUD has the highest likelihood of positive treatment outcomes.

Listen to Episode 7, Season 5: Reclaiming Power with Scooby Snacks - Nightmare Rescripting Therapy for Youth
Dr. Alejandra ArangoGuest: Dr. Shantel Fernandez-Lopez
Treatment of nightmares is an evolving field. Today we’re joined by Dr. Shantel Fernandez Lopez, who introduces us to a treatment option for youth. Exposure, Relaxation, and Rescripting Therapy (ERRT) is one of the evidence-based treatments for nightmares. Though it was originally developed for adults, modifications have been made for use with children and adolescents. As one of the treatment developers, Dr. Fernandez Lopez walks us through those evolutions and shares examples of ERRT in practice….including how to use Scooby Snacks to reclaim good sleep!

Listen to Episode 6, Season 5: The Big Bears: Medication-Assisted Treatment of Substance Use Disorders with Comorbidities
Dr. Alejandra ArangoGuest: Catherine Perri, LCSW, LCDC
Medication-Assisted Treatment may be intimidating, but it can also be life-saving for clients who are facing withdrawal from opioid or alcohol dependency. Today we’re joined by Catherine Perri, Clinical Director of the Ripple Ranch. Catherine provides us with a crash course in understanding what MAT is, addressing the stigma associated with dual diagnoses, and the goal of utilizing MAT in conjunction with evidence-based psychotherapies to treat “the whole person.”

Listen to Episode 5, Season 5: E is for "Enhanced": CBT-E for Eating Disorders
Dr. Alejandra ArangoGuest: Suzanne Straebler, Ph.D., PMH-BC
Eating disorders often have a “bad rap” as being intractable, difficult to treat, and dangerous. There is a wide range of eating disorders, each with their own unique features and challenges. And to make matters more complicated, many mental health providers do not receive focused training on how to treat these disorders, oftentimes leading to reticence to engage, worried that we’ll say or do the wrong thing. Fortunately there is an effective evidence-based psychotherapy for eating disorders–CBT-E (The E is for “Enhanced”).

Listen to Episode 4, Season 5: Special Considerations for Working With Guard/Reserve Service Members
Dr. Alejandra ArangoGuest: Jennifer Nevers, MSW, LCSW
Always been curious about working with the National Guard or Reserves? In this not-to-miss episode we sit down with CDP’s own Jennifer Nevers, who not only serves as an integral team member of the Star Behavioral Health Providers Program (SBHP) that aims to expand the availability of high-quality behavioral health services, especially for those in the reserve components, BUT Jennifer is also a Major in the Indiana Army National Guard serving as a Behavioral Health Officer (BHO).

Listen to Episode 3, Season 5: Don't Forget the Caregivers - Support for Caregivers of Children and Teens After Self-Directed Violence
Dr. Alejandra ArangoGuest: Dr. Alejandra Arango
Working with clients with suicidal thoughts and behaviors is one of the more challenging aspects of being a behavioral health provider. This is perhaps even more so when the client is a child or adolescent. An important, and sometimes overlooked, aspect of working with suicidal youth is working with and supporting their caregivers–moms, dads, grandparents, whoever may be primarily responsible for their care. How can we best support them while they are dealing with the scary unknown territory of suicide risk management for their child? At at time when almost 20% of high school students report suicidal ideation in the past year, and 10% report a suicide attempt in the same time period, join us for this vital discussion about caregiver care after youth self-directed violence.

Listen to Episode 2, Season 5: What is Your Why? How Did We Get Here, and Why Do You Care?
Dr. Andy SantanelloGuests: Dr. Andy Santanello
On this episode, Carin and Kevin are joined by long-time host and Friend of CDP, Dr. Andy Santanelllo. Andy has been focused on dissemination and implementation science through The ACT Academy, and returns to the P4P Podcast to share ideas about how we can deliver EBPs more consistently and competently.
His suggestions are not just aspirational or “fanciful,” but rather small tweaks that we can make to existing training, supervision, and consultation efforts. Join us as we catch up with Andy and discuss ways to merge cutting-edge science with practical applications for learners, instructors, supervisors, consultants, and everyone in between.

Dr. Kelly ChrestmanListen to Episode 1, Season 5: What is Your Why? How Did We Get Here, and Why Do You Care?
Guests: Drs. Ermold, Holloway & Lefkowitz
Guess who's back? Back again… Welcome to Practical for your Practice (P4P) Season 5! Your hosts are excited to kick things off with a reveal of this season’s theme. On P4P, we believe in the importance of relating to each as a behavioral health podcast community. So in that vein, for Season 5 we will be asking our guests “What is their why?”
What drew them into the field of behavioral health and the specific slice of the field that they're in? Behavioral health provider origin stories, if you will. What better way to kick things off than to have your hosts disclose theirs. You might even hear about their superpowers. So tune in for some actionable intel about career paths and get excited for a great season!

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 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.