Release date: December 29th, 2023

Welcome back to Psychiatry Unbound, the podcast from the Publishing department of the American Psychiatric Association. In this episode, Dr. Laura Roberts is joined by Dr. John Barry, and Dr. “Dr.” Sepideh Bajestan to discuss their careers in the realms of Neuropsychiatry and Neurology, and their roles in the creation of the Concise Guide to Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Neurology, Third Edition.

In this episode:

Introduction (0:45)
The background to the book’s creation and Neuropsychiatry (3:42)
Bias in diagnosing and treating patients (14:28)
Dr. Barry’s professional journey (20:20)
Dr. Bajestan’s professional journey (23:32)
When to reach for a second opinion (27:55)
Thinking Fast and Slow (33:15)
Keeping the curiosity ‘on’ and the importance of saying “I don’t know” (38:10)
Empathy (39:12)
Last thoughts (42:20)

Show Notes and Resources:
Concise Guide to Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Neurology, Third Edition
(American Psychiatric Association Publishing) 2023

John J. Barry, M.D., is Fellowship Director of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Neurology, Director of the Neuropsychiatry Clinic, Co-Director of the Individual Psychiatry Clinic, and Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine and Stanford University Hospital in Stanford, California.

Sepideh N. Bajestan, M.D., Ph.D., is Chief of Neuropsychiatry Services, Associate Director of the Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Neurology Fellowship, Co-Director of the Individual Psychotherapy Clinic, and Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, California.

Transcript and Further Episodes here.

Dr. Laura Roberts is joined by Art Walaszek to discuss his recent book Late-Life Depression and Anxiety, which he created using a rich and deep team of contributors. The conversation explores our preconceptions of the aging population and their “default mindset”, how to identify the early-warning signs, mitigating the risk of suicide, access to medical and MH services, and thoughts about the motivations our writers have while creating their books.

In this episode:
Introduction (0:32)
Why we need this book (2:24)
Our assumptions about mindset in an aging population (4:30)
Early warning signs – what to look out for (8:18)
What should a primary care physician look for? (14.10)
Suicide risk reduction and social isolation (19:32)
Access to services (25:56)
Principles of management (31:04)
Community action and responses (39:10)
Writing books to reinforce and support (44:48)
Exciting news about the future of Unbound! (47:15)

Show Notes and Resources:
Late-Life Depression and Anxiety by Dr. Art Walaszek
(American Psychiatric Association Publishing) 2023
Learn more about Dr. Art Walaszek.
Transcript and More Episodes:
https://psychiatryonline.org/psychiatry-unbound

Dr. Laura Roberts is joined by Lucy Hutner MD and Lauren Osborne, MD, two of the editorial group who developed The Textbook of Women’s Reproductive Mental Health, written along with 60 contributing authors. As is touched upon in the episode, it is unbelievable that this is not a reissue or a new edition, but a pioneering, flag-on-the-moon, brand-new title. Especially timely given recent decisions made by the Supreme Court, this book is an invaluable textbook on this fundamental topic.

In this episode:

Introduction (0:25)
Motivation for, and intention behind, book (3:12)
How the writers were assembled (12.23)
The very first textbook on Women’s reproductive mental health (18:10)
Overturning of Roe v. Wade (24:00)
A living document (27:50)


Show Notes and Resources:
Textbook of Women's Reproductive Mental Health (American Psychiatric Association Publishing) 2022
Learn more about Lucy Hutner and Lauren Osborne

Transcript and More Episodes:
https://psychiatryonline.org/psychiatry-unbound

Release date: July 29th, 2022

In the latest episode of APA Publishing’s Psychiatry Unbound, host Dr. Laura Roberts is joined by Paul Summergrad, M.D., to discuss his recent Textbook of Medical Psychiatry, written for the wide range of clinicians who grapple with the diagnostic and treatment challenges inherent in this clinical reality: medical and psychiatric illnesses do not occur in isolation from one another. Because assessment in these cases may be challenging, the book addresses general medical conditions that directly cause psychiatric illness and the medical differential diagnosis of common psychiatric illnesses. It’s a hugely readable, elegantly-structured, and well-written book which took over thirty years to gestate, and covers a wealth of subjects, making for a truly invaluable read – which in turn has made for a very entertaining episode of the podcast.

In this episode:

Introduction (0:25)
Other contributors to the book (1:10)
Genesis of the book (1:29)
What distinguishes this book from other titles in the field? (6:57)
“A textbook you could sit down and read from cover to cover” (14:35)
Thoughts on effects of Covid-19 on global mental health (19:20)
Conclusion (26:45)

Show Notes and Resources:

Textbook of Medical Psychiatry (American Psychiatric Association Publishing, 2020) 
Learn more about Dr. Paul Summergrad. 

Transcript and Other Episodes

Dr Laura Roberts is joined by Professor Douglas Noordsy, M.D., from the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, to discuss his book Lifestyle Psychiatry (2019) which examines the impact of lifestyle interventions -from exercise, yoga, and tai chi to mindfulness and meditation, diet and nutrition, and sleep management- on psychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, and addiction. With chapters that focus on developing a robust therapeutic alliance and inspiring patients to assume responsibility for their own well-being, Dr. Noordsy’s book provides a framework for lasting, sustainable lifestyle changes.

In this episode:

Introduction (0:15)
Genesis of the book (1:30)
Evidence for lifestyle as a valid area for treatment (3:00)
Structure of the book (4:00)
Defining and defending the lay-term “lifestyle” (9:15)
Treating psychosis with exercise (11:35)
Intervening Early in Psychosis (book) (17:35)
Call to action for lifestyle psychiatry as a vital discipline (21:00)
Consciously avoiding judgmental stances (24:25)

Resources:

Lifestyle Psychiatry (2019) - American Psychiatric Association Publishing

Intervening Early in Psychosis (2019) - American Psychiatric Association Publishing

To learn more about Dr. Noordsy, please visit: https://profiles.stanford.edu/douglas-noordsy

Other APA podcasts: www.psychiatryonline.org/podcasts

Dr Laura Roberts is joined by Dr. Victor G. Carrion, Vice-Chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University and Director of the Stanford Early Life Stress and Resilience Program, to discuss two books he co-authored: Assessing and Treating Youth Exposed to Traumatic Stress (2019) and Applied Mindfulness (2019) which both focus on the resilience and well-being of children, and new ways of thinking about child mindfulness.

In this episode:

Introduction (0:22)
Genesis of Carrion’s work in traumatic stress (2:47)
origins of “Applied Mindfulness” (11:02)
Mindfulness in kindergarteners (13:45)
Metrics and tracking (14:58)
Process of writing a book (16:50)
Managing your own mindfulness regime (20:27)

Show Notes and Resources:

American Psychiatric Association Publishing: Assessing and Treating Youth Exposed to Traumatic Stress (2019)
American Psychiatric Association Publishing: Applied Mindfulness (2019)

For more information on Dr Victor Carrion, please visit: profiles.stanford.edu/victor-carrion

Other APA podcasts: https//www.psychiatryonline.org/podcasts

Dr. Susan Hatters Freidman, a forensic and perinatal psychiatrist and editor of the award-winning Family Murder: Pathologies of Love and Hate (2019) joins Dr. Roberts in an intimate conversation about her experiences in this emotive and difficult field, and the risks to practitioners of secondary trauma from working in such potentially distressing areas

Dr. Freidman talks about the origins of the book as well as her work and famous cases

In this episode:

Introduction (0:22)
The genesis of the project (3:25)
Prevention issues for at-risk mothers (6:54)
Andrea Yates case (8:00)
Importance of academic rigor and avoidance of sensationalism (11:06)
Susan Smith case (12:45)
Intended audience and hopes for the book (15:20)
Intimate-partner homicide in the elderly (16:30)
Increased risk during the pandemic era (18:38)
Risk of secondary trauma (20:20)

Show Notes and Resources:

available in print and as an audiobook
Family Murder: Pathologies of Love and Hate (2019)

More about  Dr. Susan Hatters Freidman 

Journal articles by Dr. Hatters Friedman

Textbook of Women's Reproductive Mental Health  Dr. Hatters Friedman contributor 

Other APA Podcasts

There is functional, healthy engagement with technology – ubiquitous and necessary in our everyday lives – and addictive use, and it can be difficult to know when that line has been crossed,” Petros Levounis, 

In a return to Psychiatry Unbound Dr. Petros Levounis, incoming president-elect of the American Psychiatry Association, and professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, discusses  Technological Addictions (2022) co-edited with Dr. James Sherer.  Drs. Roberts and Levounis explore the ways new technologies are impacting us, where the potential dangers are, early approaches to treatment, and how the pandemic has increased everyone’s dependency on the devices and applications that helped us through the lockdown.

In this episode:

Introduction (0:20)
working with Dr. James Sherer (2:13)
When does extreme technology usage become an addiction? (3:30)
The legitimacy of “technology addiction” as a newly emergent diagnosis (5:45)
How widespread are these addictions? (7:13)
Diagnosing the condition in younger patients (8:10)
Impact of technological addiction across the population in the short-term future (9:55)
The process of writing the book (11:55)
Likely effects of the pandemic upon technological addiction (17:28)
Possible effects of healthcare disparities (20:13)
Understanding and treating technological addictions (22:37)
Reacting to “new” forms of addiction (25:50)

For more information on Dr. Petros Levounis, please visit: https://njms-web.njms.rutgers.edu/profile/myProfile.php?mbmid=levounpe

Books edited by Petros Levounis

 Technological Addictions (2022)
 The Pocket Guide to LGBTQ Mental Health (2020)
 Office-Based Buprenorphine Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder, 2nd Edition (2018)
Motivational Interviewing for Clinical Practice (2017)
 Pocket Guide to Addiction, Assessment and Treatment (2016)
The Behavioral Addictions (2015)
Addiction Casebook (2014)
The LGBT Casebook (2012)

Other resources

Are You Addicted to Technology?

APA bookstore

Psychiatric News article

Dr. Laura Roberts is joined by Dr. Petros Levounis, president-elect of the American Psychiatric Association, deputy editor at APA  Books to discuss The Pocket Guide to LGBTQ Mental Health (2020) and understanding the spectrum of human sexuality and fluidity. He also discusses his approach to motivational interviewing and his other published works.

In this episode:

The Pocket Guide to LGBTQ Mental Health (1:20)
Understanding sexual fluidity (6:50)
Understanding barriers to care (8:00)
Other writings (11:02)
Motivational Interviewing (12:30)
the Buprenorphine waiver (20:09)

Petros Levounis is professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Stanford University where he studied chemistry and biophysics, before receiving his medical education at Stanford University School of Medicine and the Medical College of Pennsylvania. During medical school, he received an MA degree in sociology from Stanford before moving to New York City where he trained in psychiatry at Columbia University. He graduated from Columbia receiving the National Institute of Mental Health Outstanding Resident Award and went on to complete his fellowship in addiction psychiatry at New York University.
He has written numerous articles and monographs; has lectured extensively on addiction topics throughout the United States and abroad; and has been interviewed by all major television networks. Dr. Levounis is a Betty Ford Scholar, a recipient of a U.S. State Department Speaker and Specialist Award, and an honorary member of the World Psychiatric Association.

Resources:
American Psychiatric Association Publishing: Technological Addictions (2022)
American Psychiatric Association Publishing: The Pocket Guide to LGBTQ Mental Health (2020)
American Psychiatric Association Publishing: Office-Based Buprenorphine Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder, 2nd Edition (2018)
American Psychiatric Association Publishing:  Motivational Interviewing for Clinical Practice (2017)
American Psychiatric Association Publishing: Pocket Guide to Addiction, Assessment and Treatment (2016)
American Psychiatric Association Publishing:  The Behavioral Addictions (2015)
American Psychiatric Association Publishing:  Addiction Casebook (2014)
American Psychiatric Association Publishing: The LGBT Casebook (2012)

Dr. Lawrence Fung, a leader in the field of Neurodiversity discusses his new book Neurodiversity: From Phenomenology to Neurobiology and Enhancing Technologies with Dr. Laura Roberts to explore this fascinating new area. Because the field is in its infancy, there are few authoritative resources for clinicians and educators who wish to understand their neurodiverse patients and students. Dr. Fung and Dr. Roberts provide real-life examples of Neurodiversity in our world.

In this episode

The benefits of SBNM (strengths-based model of neurodiversity) vs deficit model

The opportunities for the neurodiverse workforce and benefits to the companies who hire them

Guidance for families with neurodiverse members

Neurodiversity, is it a disorder or a trait? 

Lawrence K. Fung, M.D., Ph.D., is Director of the Stanford University Project and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine in Palo Alto, California.  More about Dr. Fung

Purchase Neurodiversity here

For more podcasts by the APA including Mentally Healthy Nation, our newest podcast visit here

Dr. Laura Roberts interviews Dr. Paul Putman, the author of Rational Psychopharmacology: A Book of Clinical Skills. Rational Psychopharmacology is designed to advance practitioner's clinical knowledge, methodical assessment expertise, and diagnostic sophistication. Unlike other psychopharmacology books, this guide transcends lists and tables of dosages and side effects, instructing the reader in the reasoning that undergirds treatment decisions.  

The podcast includes discussions about

Why the psychiatric community needed a book of this nature.

The uses of medicines, supplements, and lifestyle issues in treating patients. 

Misunderstanding the term rational psychopharmacology

The difference the book will make in a practitioners approach to patient care

Effects of COVID-19 infection on mental health

Self-discovery during the writing process

Laura Weiss Roberts, M.D., M.A., is Chairman and a Katharine Dexter McCormick and Stanley McCormick Memorial Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California.

H. Paul Putman III, MD is a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, a member and former Laughlin Fellow of the American College of Psychiatrists (ACP), and past President of the Central (now American) Neuropsychiatric Association. Board Certified in General Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Dr. Putman graduated from Austin College in Sherman, Texas, received his MD at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, and completed his internship and residency in General Psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, where he was Chief Resident.

A practicing psychiatrist for over thirty years, he has also performed Phase I-IV studies in psychopharmacology, published in peer-reviewed journals, served as a supervisor for the Austin Graduate Medical Education/UT Medical Branch Residency Program in Psychiatry, and lectured and consulted regularly on psychiatric diagnoses and practice, with particular focus on mood and anxiety disorders. He currently chairs the Committee for Continuing Medical Education of the ACP and writes and lectures full-time.

“Every important change in our society, for the good, at least, has taken place because of popular pressure-pressure from below, from the great mass of people.”- Edward Abbey. 

The editors of the new book A Psychiatrist’s Guide to Advocacy join Laura Roberts for a discussion exploring the diverse definitions of advocacy and how personal passions in medicine and life can have an impact on the world.

During this spirited round table conversation, they discuss efforts to include advocacy training during residency, a blueprint to build best practices, making the material in the book applicable to any type of advocacy, public policy and medicine, the inspiration for bringing a volume that would work as a toolkit for mental health advocacy in its myriad forms.

A Psychiatrist’s Guide to Advocacy is a call for action and a blueprint for change, providing clinicians with the foundation for recognizing their opportunities and embracing their roles as advocates.

Release date: October 27th, 2023

Dr. Laura Roberts is joined by Dr. Carolyn Rodriguez and Dr. Randy Frost, authors of the new book Hoarding Disorder – A Comprehensive Clinical Guide, which tackles a condition which has been part of the zeitgeist for a while now (just ask fans of Marie Kondo) yet was only codified as a disorder in the DSM-5 in 2013. This is therefore a pioneering new work in the field, and the authors discuss the book’s genesis and their ambitions for understanding and treating a condition now thought to be more prevalent than OCD.

In this episode:

Introduction (0:30)
Why did the world need this book? (2:27)
The Collyer Brothers (4:45)
The natural history of the condition in younger patients (7:00)
The status of research in the area (10:25)
the tipping point (14:24)
Who’s psychologically uncomfortable here? (22:10)
How do we do a better job of recognizing this disorder earlier? (28:10)
Hoarding, affluence and popular culture (37:03)
Understanding the nature of the attachments that people have (38:50)

Show Notes and Resources:
Hoarding Disorder – A Comprehensive Clinical Guide by Dr. Carolyn Rodriguez and Dr. Randy Frost
(American Psychiatric Association Publishing) 2023

Learn more about Dr Rodriguez and Dr Frost.
Read more about the Collyer Brothers.

Transcript and More Episodes:
https://psychiatryonline.org/psychiatry-unbound

With an aging population, the rates of Major and Mild Neurocognitive Disorders are due to rise dramatically.  Join Dr. Laura Roberts as she welcomes Dr. Art Walaszek, a board-certified geriatric psychiatrist and an expert in the field of dementia to Unbound.  Dr. Walaszek’s research focuses on public health approaches to improving the care of people with dementia.  He is the author of the recently published book, Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia. 

Discussed during this episode

Why this book had to be written  2:26

Differentiations between the types of dementia  4:18

Holistic approaches to patients with dementia  8:11

Becoming the writer and authoring a first book  11:30

The effect of quarantine on a vulnerable population   16:53

Psychiatry and the CORONA virus pandemic   22:05

Dr. Art Walaszek is a board-certified geriatric psychiatrist and Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. He is Vice-Chair for Education and Faculty Development and Director of Psychiatry Residency Training. He is past president of the American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training (AADPRT). His research focuses on public health approaches to improving the care of people with dementia. Dr. Walaszek works with the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, where he is Co-Leader of the Outreach, Recruitment and Education Core, and with the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute, where he leads the Public Health Pillar.  Dr. Walaszek provides care to older adults with depression, anxiety, dementia, and other mental health conditions, and teaches others to do the same.

 twitter: @artwalaszek

Laura Roberts, M.D.

Laura Weiss Roberts, M.D., M.A., is Chairman and a Katharine Dexter McCormick and Stanley McCormick Memorial Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California.

Resources

• The National Institute on Aging (NIA) Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center is a terrific repository of information for patients and family members regarding Alzheimer' disease and other causes of dementia. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/about-adear-center
• The Wisconsin Alzheimer's Institute (WAI) has collected resources on caring for people during the COVID-19 pandemic. https://wai.wisc.edu/covid19-caregivers/
• At WAI, Dr. Walasczek is involved in research that uses the DICE Approach, a method for understanding and addressing behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. https://diceapproach.com/page/about
•  

You can subscribe to Psychiatry Unbound on Google podcast, Spotify, iTunes, Podcast Addict, Deezer, RadioPublic and through our RSS feed

If you would, please take a moment to rate us on iTunes.  

Altha J. Stewart, M.D. comes from a family of storytellers and in this episode of Psychiatry Unbound she brings her own personal stories to life in rich detail.  During an intimate conversation with Laura Roberts, M.D., M.A., she relives her own stories about how she came to be the person she grew into and the significance of becoming the first black President of the APA.   

In this episode:

• How the book, Black Mental Health, came together (1:40)
• Altha’s reflection on her journey (5:45)
• Parable of the sower and the need to be a bicultural being (11:39)
• The idea of racist practices in psychiatry (16:40)
• Progress and change in the psychiatric profession (26:00)
• The way we discuss and write about race (32:38)

From the point of view of doctors and patients, Dr. Stewart and her fellow editors, Ezra E. H. Griffith, M.D., Billy E. Jones, M.D., M.S., brought together Black Mental Health to contribute to the conversation about the role of race in mental healthcare and education with the hope that it will provide a path forward for the next 50 years. 

Despite the importance of supervision to the field of mental health—it is a building block of learning and a fundamental stepping-stone to unsupervised practice—most mental health supervisors receive little to no training in how to supervise. Supervision also remains the least developed and researched aspect of clinical training.

APA Publishing Books Editor-in-Chief Laura Roberts, M.D. talks with editors Sallie G. De Golia, M.D. M.P.H., and Kathleen M. Corcoran, Ph.D. about applying approaches to supervision in the clinical practice setting and the challenges as first-time editors in bringing together this important work.

Be sure to let your colleagues know about the podcast, and please rate and review it on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to it. The podcast is now on Spotify.

Listen to other podcasts produced by the American Psychiatric Association.

Peter Yellowlees, MBBS, M.D., and Jay H. Shore, M.D., M.P.H. believe that psychiatry increasingly will focus on the treatment of populations and that technology offers the best hope of doing so efficiently and effectively.
Listen as Laura Roberts, M.D. discusses with her guests the way telepsychiatry is revolutionizing Psychiatry and standardized care.

Societal awareness of transgender and gender-nonconforming (TGNC) individuals is greater now than at any point in history, owing to the education of policy makers by advocacy organizations, the education of clinicians by research and scientific organizations, and the education of the general public by movies, television, and other media. However, most professional training programs for mental health professionals provide little to no education regarding gender diversity.

Psychiatry Unbound examines these issues in an honest and intimate conversation between Drs Laura Roberts and Eric Yarbrough.  Dr. Roberts then discusses with Dr. Lawrence McGlynn his experience working within the LGBTQ community. 

Dr. Laura Roberts discusses the history and future of psychopharmacology with Alan. F. Schatzberg, M.D., editor of The American Psychiatric Association Publishing Textbook of Psychopharmacology, Fifth Edition. Dr. Schatzberg talks about the most recent edition and reveals the history of this groundbreaking textbook.  A work of uncommon scientific rigor and clinical utility, this resource provides state-of-the-art information on both the principles and the practice of psychopharmacological treatment of psychiatric disorders.

Dr. Roberts second guest, Christopher M. Bartley, M.D., Ph.D. covers the application of psychopharmacology in clinical settings. 

Dr. Laura Roberts talks with Peter Yellowlees, MBBS, M.D.  author of Physician Suicide, Cases and Commentaries.  Together they examine the multiple risk factors that account for the higher rates of burnout, depressive symptoms, and suicide risk physicians experience compared with the general population. Burnout is especially common and is frequently due to workload, work inefficiency, lack of autonomy and meaning, and work-home conflict.

On the second half of the show, Dr. Roberts discusses physician wellness with Dr. Grace Gengoux.

The definition of narcissism can be a moving target. Is it an excess of self-love? Profound insecurity? Low self-esteem? Too much self-esteem? Because of the multifaceted nature of narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), treating this disorder presents clinicians with a range of wholly unique challenges.

Dr. Laura Roberts, M.D. unwraps Narcissism with Glen O. Gabbard, M.D., and Holly Crisp-Han, M.D. authors of the book Narcissism and Its Discontents, Diagnostic Dilemmas and Treatment Strategies with Narcissistic Patients.

Release date: June 30th, 2023

Dr. Laura Roberts is joined by Ezra Griffith, M.D., Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine and recipient of the 2023 Chester Pierce Human Rights Award, to discuss his book Race and Excellence: My Dialogue with Chester Pierce, the culmination of his personal and professional relationship with Pierce. In the second of two episodes, Ezra looks back on his own journey into psychiatry, his life’s work, and his own legacy.

In this episode:

Introduction (0:46)
Ezra’s journey (2:40)
Interest in the black question (09:25)
Thinking about injustice (11:35)
On becoming a psychiatrist (18:40)

Show Notes and Resources:
Race and Excellence: My Dialogue with Chester Pierce by Ezra Griffith
(American Psychiatric Association Publishing) 2023

Learn more about Dr. Ezra Griffith.

Transcript and More Episodes:
https://psychiatryonline.org/psychiatry-unbound

Dr. Laura Roberts is joined by Ezra Griffith, M.D., Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine and recipient of the 2023 Chester Pierce Human Rights Award, to discuss his book Race and Excellence: My Dialogue with Chester Pierce, the culmination of his personal and professional relationship with Pierce, (1927 – 2016) a tenured professor of education and psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, the first African-American full professor at Massachusetts General Hospital, and past-president of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and the American Orthopsychiatric Association. Pierce was a fellow in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a senior consultant for the acclaimed educational children's television series Sesame Street and coined then developed the term "microaggression". In the first of two episodes in the company of Ezra Griffith, he discusses the life of the pioneering psychiatrist Pierce, and explores his legacy.

In this episode:

Introduction (0:41)
Why the book had to be put together (3:41)
“Who was Chester Pierce to you?” (7:07)
How Ezra came to speak regularly with Chester (9:23)
The notion of dignity (12:45)
Leadership (17:05)
On microaggressions (19:00)
Contribution by, and legacy of, Chester Pierce (29:43)

Show Notes and Resources:
Race and Excellence: My Dialogue with Chester Pierce by Ezra Griffith
(American Psychiatric Association Publishing) 2023
Learn more about Dr. Ezra Griffith.

Transcript and More Episodes:
https://psychiatryonline.org/psychiatry-unbound

Release date: April 7th, 2023

Dr. Laura Roberts is joined by Fredric N. Busch, M.D. -a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst in New York City specializing in Depression, Panic and other Anxiety Disorders, and Bipolar Disorder- to discuss his new book: Problem-Focused Psychodynamic Psychotherapy published by American Psychiatric Publishing. Amongst the topics they discuss: how the psychodynamic approach can seem initially overwhelming, that the key concepts are easy to assimilate and can be applied with confidence by trainees, and, in a slam-dunk of a tangent, how Freud helped revive the composer Mahler’s sex life.

In this episode:

Adaptability of the approach (0:01)
Introduction (2:17)
Why the world needed this particular book (3:24)
An example of a presenting problem (5:47)
Conceptual Framing (11:07)
What other principles can the book convey to practitioners? (14:20)
Mahler’s potency (16:30)
Challenges confronted in creation of the book (20:19)
The Chief Complaint (24:40)
Problems faced during the creation of the book (29:10)
Trauma (33:25)
Importance of doctor and client working together to define the problem (36:50)

Show Notes and Resources:
Problem-Focused Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (American Psychiatric Association Publishing) 2023

Learn more about Fredric N. Busch.

Transcript and More Episodes:
https://psychiatryonline.org/psychiatry-unbound

‘Timmy was never in the well. Yet, the phrase “Lassie! Timmy’s in the well,” inspired by a 60-yearold television show, lives on.’ With a foreword by Patricia McConnell, author of The Other End of the Leash, APA is very excited to publish a brand-new book on Companion Animals. In this 22nd episode of Psychiatry Unbound, Nancy R. Gee, Ph.D., editor of The Role of Companion Animals in the Treatment of Mental Disorders sits down with Dr. Laura Roberts to go between the covers of this fabulous book -a passion project for Nancy and the contributors- which examines the therapeutic bond between humans and animals. Gee also discusses her work at the Centre for Human Animal Interaction at VCU.

In this episode:

Introduction (1:00)
Dr. Gee reflects on the book’s creation (1:52)
Pookie the dog’s influence on APA editorial policy (2:50)
What’s it like to be surrounded by psychiatrists? (3:11)
Therapy dogs (5:09)
Partnering with animals in the context of mental health (8:00)
The role of aquariums in boosting the caloric intake of seniors (10:40)
Dr. Gee’s background in psychology (13:10)
Intended take-aways from the book (15:40)
End credits (18:28)

Show Notes and Resources:
The Role of Companion Animals in the Treatment of Mental Disorders (American Psychiatric Association Publishing) 2023

Learn more about Nancy R. Gee, Ph.D.

Transcript and further episodes:
https://psychiatryonline.org/psychiatry-unbound

Release date: November 25th, 2022

Dr. Laura Roberts is joined by Shashank V. Joshi, M.D., FAAP, DFAACAP, and Andrés Martin, M.D., M.P.H. to discuss their new book, Thinking About Prescribing, which explores the psychology of psychopharmacology with diverse youth and families. They discuss the creation and editorial approaches taken, their hopes for the book, and what areas of the work might endure as the profession and practices evolve over the coming years. This is an erudite and incisive conversation about a book whose appeal to a wide-ranging readership is -already- beyond question.

 In this episode:

Introduction (0:23)
Reasons for writing the book (2:49)
“The B.P.V.” (6:40)
Sold out! (7:34)
Hitting a nerve (8:25)
Focus on diversity (10:15)
Structure of the book (17:40)
Who this book is for (24:30)
Back… to the Gerund (30:45)

Show Notes and Resources:
Thinking About Prescribing (American Psychiatric Association Publishing) 2022

Learn more about Dr. Shashank Joshi and Dr. Andrés Martin.

Transcript and More Episodes here

Laura Roberts M.D.,M.A.  is joined by Peter Novalis M.D., Ph.D and Carol Novalis, M.A., two of the editors of a new book: Psychotherapy in Corrections.

Where so many existing books on psychiatry in a prison setting focus on either standards or issues of medication, Psychotherapy in Corrections is unique in its focus on the actual practice of psychotherapy in correctional facilities. With a particular emphasis on supportive psychotherapy with adult patients, this guide draws on the authors' extensive experience in the field and features case vignettes that serve to bring some of the most important points to life.

The editors discuss their paths to the creation of the book and career experiences that have shaped their thinking.

In this episode:
Introduction (0:33)
Peter’s path (2:45)
Carol’s career (6:53)
Why the world needs this book (8:20)
Difference between counselling and psychotherapy in a correctional setting (10:40)
Therapeutic pies! (12:20)
Lack of resources supporting practitioners in correctional contexts (13:25)
Challenges of putting the book together (15:00)
The Hunt for Red October (18:20)
Hopes for the book (21:00)
The next book? (22:55)

Show Notes and Resources:
Psychotherapy in Corrections (American Psychiatric Association Publishing) 2022

Transcript and More Episodes:
https://psychiatryonline.org/psychiatry-unbound

Release date: September 30th, 2022

Dr. Laura Roberts is joined by J. David Kinzie M.D., co-editor of The Psychiatric Evaluation and Treatment of Refugees. They discuss Kinzie’s career-spanning work in this field, and hear his thoughts on treating people suffering from intense trauma and stigmatization, some of whom have suffered horrific experiences in their lives. He discusses the toll such work can have upon clinicians and counsellors, but also outlines his approach to the work and how to lean into it for the best results. Producer’s note: Regrettably, some parts of this recording are less than perfect, so be sure to check out the full transcript on the episode’s dedicated page: https://psychiatryonline.org/psychiatry-unbound

In this episode:

Introduction (0:31)
Why the world needs this book (2:25)
Thoughts on difficulties and demands posed by treating refugees (6:54)
The work of David’s department (10:15)
Sample cases from the book (11:45)
The role of stigmatization (14:19)
Special ways of working with counsellors (15:30)
Advice to “everyday psychiatrists” (17:15)
The importance of story-telling (26:00)

Show Notes and Resources:
The Psychiatric Evaluation and Treatment of Refugees (American Psychiatric Association Publishing, 2022)

Learn more about Dr. J. David Kinzie here.

Transcript and More Episodes:
https://psychiatryonline.org/psychiatry-unbound