What’s wrong with thinking positively? Could be a lot. Let’s take another look at the "positive psychology" movement in this episode of The Psych Files podcast. I’ll share some ideas for bringing about more positive events in your life, talk about social comparison theory, and then discuss how important "negative" - that is sad - feelings are in our lives. Those are moments not to run from, but to embrace.

Resources For This Episode

• Newsweek article (January 28, 2008): "The How To of Leading a Happy Life" by Jennifer Barrett. Summarizing the work of Sonja Lyubomirsky in The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want
• Prevention magazine (February, 2008): “Joy - How to make it last” by Siri Carpenter. Summarizing the work of Fred Bryant, Ph.D.
• Time magazine article (February 11, 2008): “Happiness: Enough Already” Sharon Begley
• Sharon Begley’s Blog
• Against Happiness: In Praise of Melancholy
• Chronicle of Higher Education (January 18, 2008) "In Praise of Melancholy", by Eric Wilson, Ph.D.

Social Comparison Theory

• Definition: whenever we are uncertain about ourselves, our skills, our talents, etc., we tend to compare ourselves to other people. Typically we compare to people similar to ourselves in some way (same age, similar background, belong to the same group for example). But we can make upward and downward comparison.
• Upward Comparison: you compare your self to someone who is either older, more experienced, more talented, more well off, etc. Comparisons of this type will probably make you feel worse about yourself.
• Downward Comparison: the opposite of the above: you compare yourself to someone who is less fortunate than you. These comparisons will probably remind you of how fortunate you are and will make you feel better about yourself.

Sad Songs mentioned in this episode

• Played at the end of the episode: the "Intermezzo" from the opera Cavaleria Rusticana by Mascagni. You can learn more about Mascagni and hear another version of the Intermezzo on Erik Bruchez’s excellent Mascagni website.
• "O Mio Babbino Caro" from the opera Gianni Schicchi by Puccini
• The Moonlight Sonata by Beethovan
• Tristesse by Chopin
• Lakme Duet (also called the Flower Duet) from the opera Lakme by Delibes
• Claire de Lune by Debussey
• Feel free to suggest other beautiful sad songs in your comments to this post!

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Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing - what is it about this type of psychotherapy that draws such criticism? In this episode I interview Dr. Scott Lilienfeld of Emory University. Dr. Lilienfeld has been a critic of EMDR and in this episode he explains his reasons why. He also talks a little bit about how exposure therapy works. A fascinating interview with a leading critic and author of a new textbook in Psychology.

Resources for this episode

Authors critical of EMDR:

• Dr. Scott Lilienfeld, who wrote the article on EMDR, has a website here at Emory University where he is a Professor of Psychology.

• You can learn more about Dr. Lilienfeld’s new textbook, “Psychology: From Inquiry to Understanding” here.

• Here is where you can find the full article that Dr. Lilienfeld wrote regarding his criticisms of EMDR treatment. The full title of the article is EMDR Treatment: Less Than Meets the Eye? and it originally appeared in the January/February 1996 issue of the Skeptical Inquirer.

• Another article that is critical of EMDR can be found here on the New England Skeptical Society website.

Authors supportive of EMDR:

• The Perkins Center for Counseling has an article by Byron R. Perkins and Curtis C. Rouanzoin which attempts to address the critics of EMDR.

• The EMDR Institute maintains an FAQ page containing information supportive of the treatment.

• Here is the link to the interview I conducted with Jamie O’Neil, a practitioner of EMDR. This is episode 19.

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Do you get nervous when you perform? Well, you’re not alone. Listen to a few experienced actors talk about performing and then I’ll share some thoughts about what psychologists have to say about those judges in your head who keep you from doing your best. I’ll also share my experiences as a performer as well. Then we end with a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt. What does she have to do with performance anxiety? You’ll have to listen to find out.

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Resources for this Episode

• Here’s the movie I referred to in this episode. It makes a lot of interesting observations on performance anxiety and it’s a great family film: The Greatest Game Ever Played

• Here’s the wonderful book I mentioned in the podcast that I highly recommend: A Soprano on Her Head: Right-Side-Up Reflections on Life and Other Performances

• This great book on performance anxiety was written by a psychologist: The Confident Performer

• The classic book on the mental side of sports performance: The Inner Game of Tennis: The Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Peak Performance

• For a more thorough review of Albert Ellis and Martin Seligman’s ideas, check out my previous episode on the negative side of positive thinking.

• Seligman’s book goes into good detail on his theory of explanatory style: Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life

• Albert Ellis’ ideas on dealing with irrational thinking are explained in his book: A Guide to Rational Living

Thanks to the actors interviewed in this episode:

• Colleen Raney talked about taking risks onstage.
• Scott Laska talked about how you can’t intellectualize during a performance.
• Yvonne Campbell discussed how she kept focused on her performance during a scene from West Side Story.

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If you think that therapy with horses is just another form of "pet therapy" well…so did I…at first. But Equine Assisted therapy is something different. If you love horses and are interested in how they can be used therapeutically, then you’ll definitely want to hear this episode. Learn more about this unique form of therapy from Nancy King, director of A Horse Connection. Recorded outside on a beautiful summer day.

Click to listen to the interview about Equine Assisted Therapy.

Resources for this Episode

• Learn more about Equine Assisted therapy from the Horse Connection website.

• You can also learn more about this type of therapy from the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association.

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Join me for an interview with Dr. Roger Christenfeld, Research Director of the Hudson River Psychiatric Center. Dr. Christenfeld and I talk about how psychiatric patients were treated in the heyday of this incredible center. I think you’d be surprised at some of the things he has to say.

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Related Web Sites

• Here is the homepage for the Hudson River Psychiatric Center.
• This site, called Abandoned But Not Forgotten, contains some fascinating photos of the inside of many of the psychiatric center buildings. The photos show the state of disrepair in many of the buildings. There are also, however, pictures showing the beauty of the victorian-era architecture. It’s a little eerie at times - like looking at pictures of the Titanic.
• Here’s another site, called Historic51, which has some great photos of the Psychiatric Center, as well as digitized images from the Center’s museum.

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Want to learn more about EMDR? Listen to this interview with Jamie O’Neil who explains how EMDR works. Turns out it’s about a lot more than just eye movements. Learn more about “Bilateral Stimulation” and the rest of what goes into EMDR.

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My Interviewee: Jamie O’Neill, LCSW-R
Contact info: 845-876-7600

Resources on EMDR:

Web sites

• The EMDR Institute
• The EMDR International Association
• Interesting Article on EMDR research here on the Mind Hacks site.

Related Episodes

• To listen to a psychologist with a critical point of view on EMDR, check out episode 41

Books

• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Second Edition: Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures
• EMDR: The Breakthrough “Eye Movement” Therapy for Overcoming Anxiety, Stress, and Trauma
• Transforming Trauma: EMDR: The Revolutionary New Therapy for Freeing the Mind, Clearing the Body, and Opening the Heart
• EMDR in the Treatment of Adults Abused As Children

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In the first of a series of interviews with therapists who practice alternative therapeutic techniques, Pat Heavren of Energy Medicine Wellness in Woodbridge, Connecticut joins me for a discussion on the practice of energy medicine. See what you think and leave me an audio message or question about the interview.

Helpful email addresses:

• Energy Medicine Wellness - link to Pat Heavren’s center in Woodbridge, Connecticut.
• The Four Winds - link mentioned by Pat in the interview where you can learn more about Alberto Villoldo.

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What is the frame in psychotherapy and why do we need to keep it from breaking? This week I discuss some guidelines set forth by Robert Langs, MD regarding how to know when your relationship with your therapist is healthy - and when it is not.

Listen to episode 12 on the importance of the frame in psychotherapy.

or use the player below.

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Notes From This Episode

Download a Word doc on Lang’s guidelines for psychotherapy.

Go to the webpage for the European Society for Communicative Psychotherapy where you can learn more about Robert Langs’ work.

Guidelines for Psychotherapy

From the book: Rating your Psychotherapist
Author: Robert Langs, M.D.

1) Ideal conditions which constitute the “frame”

• A single, set fee
• A single, set location
• A set time and length of the session
• A soundproof office (or noise machine)
• Relative anonymity of the therapist (no self-revelations or opinions, focus should be on the patient)
• Total privacy
• Total confidentiality

2) Referrals

Good:

• Local Medical Society, Mental Health Association, or other professional organization
• Recommendation from a friend who is a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker or other mental health worker
• Employer, principal or lawyer recommendation

Bad:

• A co-worker, social acquaintance, or relative sees or used to see him/her and says he/she is good
• Therapist is the wife/husband of one of your friends
• Therapist is a friend or used to be a friend of the family

3) Your first interaction with the therapist

Good:

• He/she was concerned and listening
• Said nothing of a personal nature
• No physical contact except for an initial or concluding handshake
• At the end of the meeting the therapist set the ground rules for treatment

Bad:

• He was very physically demonstrative – hugging, holding your hand
• He/she came on to you sexually
• Was unprofessional – self revealing
• Talked more than you did

4) The fee and Schedule:

Good:

• Set a single, reasonable, fixed fee
• Won’t let you build up debt
• Won’t accept gifts or other forms of compensation beyond the fee
• Arranged a definite schedule for therapy – day, time, length and frequency – and these have not changed throughout the course of therapy (except when necessitated by work or life circumstances)

Bad:

• He/she is willing to falsify a fee to an insurance company
• He/she negotiated a barter arrangement
• There are repeated changes in time/location/day, length of sessions
• Sessions start late because other patients stayed late
• He/she lets you stay longer than the scheduled time

5) Treatment:

Good:

• Treatment types vary a great deal (cognitive, behavioral, humanistic, etc.): but in all cases: Does it make sense to you?
• Does it feel okay?
• It should always remain a professional relationship
• In general, the therapist should let you do most of the talking

Bad:

• Therapist keeps directing you to talk about particular issues (your marriage, your sex life, etc.
• He/she frequently tells you what they think you should be doing with your life (“If I were you I’d go for it”)
• The therapist is hostile, makes you feel guilty, or is seductive

6) Termination:

Good:

• You felt like a sense of new insight and understanding had been reached and your symptoms had largely (though probably not completely) been resolved
• It seemed like the right time to end therapy
• A specific date was set and adhered to (didn’t happen in an unplanned way)
• All the ground rules mentioned previously had been maintained up until the end
• Once therapy was over you had no further contact with the therapist

Bad:

• You decide impulsively to stop therapy and your therapist accepts this without encouraging you to consider your decision
• Therapist badgers you to continue despite your feeling that it is time to stop. He/she insists that you still need help

Resources for this episode

Read Robert Lang’s book on psychotherapy on Amazon.

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What could be bad about thinking positively? That is the question we examine this week on The Psych Files.

Listen to episode 6 on Positive Thinking.

Click the image below to see a concept map for Seligman’s Explanatory Style.

Notes on Positive Thinking

In this week’s episode I discuss two well-known psychologists: Albert Ellis and Martin Seligman.
Here are some of my notes on Seligman’s Explanatory Style concept:

The three kinds of attributions we make are:

• Internal (or Personal) attributions – my failure (or success) has something to do with me (my skills, my abilities, my intelligence, my talents, etc.)

• Global (or Pervasive) attribution – my failure (or success) affects other parts of my life

• Stable (or Permanent) attributions – my failure (or success) continues throughout the rest of my life

Example: student fails a test:

A pessimistic student would interpret this failure as:

• Personal: I’m stupid, I’m not good at this.

• Pervasive: I’m bad at taking tests in general. I’m bad at all types of math too.

• Permanent: I’ll always fail at math tests for the rest of my life.

A more optimistic view:

• Not Personal: This test was hard. I was more tired than usual, and besides, I’m under a lot of stress right now (these are impersonal explanations that are external to the student and if true they can relieve some of the negative feelings and low motivation that can result from an off the cuff “I’m stupid” way of thinking).

• Not Pervasive: I don’t do poorly on all my tests. I’m doing well in History for example (the failure is in one area and is not pervasive)

• Not Permanent: I did well in previous math tests, so I know I can do well again in the future.

Even success could be interpreted in a pessimistic way (ex: student does well on a test):

• Not personal: I got lucky

• Not pervasive: No way I’m going to get that lucky in my other classes

• Not permanent: I’ll never get that lucky again

References on the topic of Positive Thinking

• The article entitled Pathologies of Hope can be found in the Februrary 2007 issue of Harper’s Magazine.

• It was written by Barbara Ehrenreich. Click here to go to her website. She also hosts a fascinating blog which you can subscribe to from her website.

• The article on The Secret was written by Jerry Adler and can be found in the March 5th 2007 issue of Newsweek.

• Learn more about Albert Ellis and Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy at the Albert Ellis Institute. Here’s where you can hear the whole program from NPR on Albert Ellis. This program is narrated by NPR’s Alix Spiegel.

• If you want to learn more about Martin Seligman, you can find his book at on iTunes about Learned Helplessness or learn about Learned Helplessness at Audible.com.

Quote of the week

This week’s quote comes from page 27 of the book “Contentment” by Johnson and Ruhl, which can be found at Amazon.

“Many people in our modern world are faced with the awful dilemma of choosing between unreality or being left alone. If you don’t play along with the excesses of our time, you risk being ignored or even tossed aside.”

Video of the Week

This week’s video about sex differences is called “How to Shower - men vs. women.

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It seemed time to do a podcast on Freud. The subtitle of this episode is “Don’t Throw Freud out with the Bathwater”. Too many people dismiss Freud because he had a few controversial ideas, but as I try to point out in this podcast, many of Freud’s ideas were very influential and can, with a little attention, be seen in everyday life.

Click to listen to the episode on Freud’s Defense Mechanisms.

Click the image below to see a concept map of the defense mechanisms discussed in this episode.

Here are my show notes for this episode:

• NOTE: I want to thank listener Allen Esterson for helping to improve the accuracy of the information in this podcast. While I retain here a typical definition and example for repression (holocaust victims), Dr. Esterson points out that Freud’s concept of repression is highly controversial and that there is good argument and evidence to suggest that we do not repress memories and that victims of the holocaust have not repressed their memories of their experiences. For more in-depth information on this topic, he recommends reading Erdelyi, M.H. (2006). The Unified Theory of Repression, Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 29, 499-551, and the work of Richard McNally.

• Repression. Blocking a threatening idea, memory, or emotion from consciousness.
• Reaction formation. Transforming anxiety-producing thoughts into their opposites in consciousness.
• Regression. Returning to more primitive levels of behavior in defense against anxiety or frustration.
• Rationalization. Justifying one’s behavior or failures by plausible or socially acceptable reasons in place of the real reason.
• Denial. Refusing to admit that something unpleasant is happening, or that a taboo emotion in being experienced. Note: Denial distorts the way you perceive events ("I am NOT angry at you") repression blocks or distorts your memory of events (the so-called "repressed memories" in which a person was molested but up to this point had no memory of it).
• Displacement. Discharging pent-up feelings, usually of hostility, on objects less dangerous than those that initially aroused the emotion.

Examples of Rationalization (taken from an Instructor’s Manual for Intro Psych, but I forget which book):

• After Carla rejected him, Phil told his friends that he didn’t think she was very attractive and interesting, and that he really wasn’t all that crazy about her.
• Jack told his parents that he got a C in his psychology course because all the As and Bs went to students who cheated on tests and had professionals write their papers.
• Bill said that the reason he flunked out of college was because of the poor quality of teaching there.

Examples of Reaction Formation:

• George feels that his younger son, Gary, is unattractive and not very smart. He accuses his wife of picking on Gary and favoring their other son.
• Lucy dresses in provocative clothes and uses suggestive language although she fears that she is unattractive and she really isn’t very interested in sex.
• John has a lot of unconscious hostility toward his father but he acts very affectionate toward him and tells other people that he and his father have a wonderful relationship.

Examples of Regression:

• After Sue Ann’s baby brother was born, she began to talk baby-talk and suck her thumb.
• Mary was homesick and anxious when she moved into the dormitory and started her first year in college. She began to sleep with her favorite teddy bear again.

Examples of Denial

• Sixteen-year-old Tom had started using drugs, and the changes in his behavior made it pretty obvious, but Tom’s parents didn’t believe the school principal when she called to talk with them about the problem.
• Bill, who is 50 years old wears clothes that you would see on teenagers and drives a sports car. He can’t see that he doesn’t look 30, or even 40, anymore.
• Shakespeare: “The lady doth protest too much, me thinks.”

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Popularity: 66% [?]