Bilingual and bicultural psychologist Dr. Carlos Canales
expands on how humans develop emotionally, learn to
express emotions constructively or otherwise, and
become more attuned to themselves and others through
group psychotherapy.

Psychologist Dr. Joshua DeSilva and the graduate
students they train help marginalized individuals and
groups give more to and receive more from their
communities—not by telling them what to do, but by
listening to who they are.

Dr. Jessi Gold—psychiatrist, educator, media presence,
and author—describes healthcare workers and others
who delay or altogether avoid obtaining help for their own
mental health needs, which increases their risks for
burnout and worse. She encourages individuals in need
to get help promptly, encourages healthcare institutions to
set realistic expectations for employees, and has
chronicled her own journey of growth in the October 2024
book How Do You Feel? One Doctor’s Search for
Humanity in Medicine. Geoff said reading it was “a
human experience worth having."

Psychologist and group psychotherapist Dr. Kavita Avula
specializes in conflict resolution and large group
dynamics. She explains how we make collaboration
possible and grow community when we “avoid the wish to
convince” people to think and feel as we do.

Guest Maria Kontarini, as a diplomat for the Greek
Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the early 2000s, helped
restore stability in Bosnia after the Bosnian War—a
conflict known for human-to-human atrocities. Years later,
with a person-centered understanding of people and the
powerful influence of social context on behavior, she
believes humans’ potential for good will outshine their
potential for violence, as long as we create communities
of listening, empathy, and shared responsibility.

Tobacco users in every state in the U.S. can connect with
well-trained helpers who listen—not lecture—and provide
encouragement and resources to individuals who want to
leave tobacco behind. On request, some states,
including Vermont, send free nicotine replacement
therapy (NRT) such as patches, gum, and lozenges.
Guest Dana Bourne MPH manages telephone and online
“quit” services for Vermont residents and describes how
call centers operate locally and nationally. Many
individuals quit tobacco simply because they keep at it
and don't go it alone.

Dr. Theresa Moyers, Professor of Psychology at the
University of New Mexico, has collaborated on the
methods, research, and dissemination of motivational
interviewing since the early 1990s. In this episode, Terri
describes therapist attitudes and skills that promote
successful addiction treatment and deeper connections in
relationships.

Recommended video: The Confirmed Smoker
https://vimeo.com/457308021

Recommended book: Effective Psychotherapists: Clinical
Skills that Improve Client Outcomes (Miller & Moyers,
Guilford Press, 2021)

Also mentioned: Bill Miller on Social Dominance
https://vimeo.com/281421233

Paul Rodrique—psychotherapist, teacher of insight
meditation and self-compassion, and serious bicyclist—
converses with Geoff and Erin about how Buddhist
psychology informs his work with clients and shares his
view that references to an “authentic self” can distract us
from awareness of a greater whole.