My guest today is Professor Ross White. Ross is award-winning clinical psychologist who specializes in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of adults working in high-performance environments. He is also an expert in global mental health and has conducted research in collaborations with the World Health Organization and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. He is currently Professor of Clinical Psychology at Queen’s University Belfast, and is a director of Strive2Thrive, a training and consultancy organization.

Some of the topics we explore in this episode include:
- How Ross got into ACT and the inspiration for his new book, The Tree That Bends
- The concept of strong intention, light attachment
- The value in developing flexible mindsets
- The “Get, Threat, and Rest” modes we share with trees
- Transcendent emotions of wonderment, gratitude, and compassion
- And how we can amplify the creative process through collaboration

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Ross’s X page: https://x.com/RossGWhite

The Tree That Bends: https://amzn.eu/d/6UEAEqM

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Thank you all for checking out the episode! Here are some ways to help support Mentally Flexible:

Sign up for PsychFlex through the Mentally Flexible link! PsychFlex.com/MentallyFlexible

You can help cover some of the costs of running the podcast by donating a cup of coffee! www.buymeacoffee.com/mentallyflexible

Please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It only takes 30 seconds and plays an important role in being able to get new guests.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mentally-flexible/id1539933988

Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mentallyflexible/

Check out my song “Glimpse at Truth” that you hear in the intro/outro of every episode: https://tomparkes.bandcamp.com/track/glimpse-at-truth

Check out my new album, Holding Space! https://open.spotify.com/album/0iOcjZQhmAhYtjjq3CTpwQ?si=nemiLnELTsGGExjfy8B6iw

My guest today is Dr. Charles Schaeffer aka Dr Chuck. Dr. Chuck is a clinical psychologist and author of the new book, When Panic Happens: Short Circuit Anxiety & Fear in the Moment.

Dr. Chuck completed his training at New York University and is in private practice in New York City. He has over 15 years of experience providing strength-focused, evidence-based therapy to help individuals overcome sleep, mood, and anxiety disorders to thrive at work and at home. He has been an adjunct clinical faculty member at NYU for over a decade supervising hundreds of counselors and therapists. His research has focused on masculinity and culture among men and women seeking help inside and outside of the workplace. His work has been quoted and featured in a variety of media, including NBC Health, Vice, Psychology Today, and the Huffington Post.

Some of the topics we explore in this episode include:

- How Dr. Chuck got into the field of psychology

- How to work with and around stigma mental health stigma

- The concept of short-circuiting panic

- Integrating different stances towards anxiety

- Polyvagal Theory and its use for self-regulation

- How people can get stuck in the sympathetic (fight or flight) nervous system

- And the importance of core life patterns like diet and sleep

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Dr. Chuck’s website: https://www.drchuckschaeffer.com/

When Panic Happens: https://a.co/d/eoUwogC

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Thank you all for checking out the episode! Here are some ways to help support Mentally Flexible:

Sign up for PsychFlex through the Mentally Flexible link! PsychFlex.com/MentallyFlexible

You can help cover some of the costs of running the podcast by donating a cup of coffee! www.buymeacoffee.com/mentallyflexible

Please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It only takes 30 seconds and plays an important role in being able to get new guests.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mentally-flexible/id1539933988

Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mentallyflexible/

Check out my song “Glimpse at Truth” that you hear in the intro/outro of every episode: https://tomparkes.bandcamp.com/track/glimpse-at-truth

Check out my new album, Holding Space! https://open.spotify.com/album/0iOcjZQhmAhYtjjq3CTpwQ?si=nemiLnELTsGGExjfy8B6iw

My guest today is Cory Richards. Cory is an internationally renowned photographer, filmmaker, and author of new memoir, The Color of Everything. He is the first and only American to climb one of the world’s 8000m peaks in winter. His documentation of the climb and aftermath of the experience was made into the award-winning documentary COLD and appeared on the cover of the 125th anniversary issue of National Geographic. Richards is a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, Photographer Fellow, and a two-time recipient of an Explorers Grant. He has an active speaking career, in which he speaks about conservation, the future of psychology and mental health, leadership, the tenuous line of risk and reward, and vulnerability.

Some of the topics we explore in this episode include:
- Unique dynamics involved in writing a memoir
- The spectrum of vulnerability and its various functions
- How we can get stuck in stories about our trauma or diagnoses
- The seduction of fame and success
- The point of of life arriving in the present moment
- And what it’s like climbing some of the tallest peaks in the world

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Cory’s website Cold (documentary): https://www.coryrichards.com/

The Color of Everything: https://a.co/d/i36wx4Q

Cold (documentary): https://youtu.be/-OBX25ix4eU?si=SrZxheNjMLr7aDue

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Thank you all for checking out the episode! Here are some ways to help support Mentally Flexible:

Sign up for PsychFlex through the Mentally Flexible link! PsychFlex.com/MentallyFlexible

You can help cover some of the costs of running the podcast by donating a cup of coffee! www.buymeacoffee.com/mentallyflexible

Please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It only takes 30 seconds and plays an important role in being able to get new guests.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mentally-flexible/id1539933988

Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mentallyflexible/

Check out my song “Glimpse at Truth” that you hear in the intro/outro of every episode: https://tomparkes.bandcamp.com/track/glimpse-at-truth

Check out my new album, Holding Space! https://open.spotify.com/album/0iOcjZQhmAhYtjjq3CTpwQ?si=nemiLnELTsGGExjfy8B6iw