Wise Counsel - psychology podcast review

A great podcaster is Dr. David van Nuys. He makes two psychology podcasts (Shrink Rap Radio and Wise Counsel) that rank among the best of podcasts by all accounts. They are of great educational  value in the realm of psychology. They are a great form of information and entertainment for a wider public on account of their accessibility. And last but not least, they are great podcasts in general with a good balance of the right music, a phenomenal radio voice and all such elements that mark professional radio quality.

Here I would like to draw your attention to two recent issues of Wise Counsel that I can warmly recommend.

1- An interview with Natalie Rogers, on expressive arts therapy. Rogers very effectively explains the quality of creative energy, as opposed to rational energy. The advantage in therapy is that the client is not just met on the rational, verbal level, but in a more complete way that allows more healing effect. An interesting dimension to Natalie's career is that she is the daughter of the famous psychologist Carl Rogers and even if there are differences in her approach, she still feels she elaborated on her father's work.

2- An interview with Marc Kern about various approaches in therapy for addiction. Notably Kern proposes alternatives to twelve step programs which are the dominant stream in specifically the US. He sees a couple of disadvantages in these programs in that that they instill guilt upon relapse. Relapse, however is perfectly normal in the way out of addiction and one needs not feel so bad about that. In addition, twelve step programs aim at abstinence, whereas Kern claims people can lead a normal life with moderate intake of substances, also those that have a history of excess. In that respect he thinks it to be more realistic and healthier to aim for damage reduction than elimination altogether.

More Wise Counsel:
Irvin Yalom,
David H. Barlow,
Richard Heimberg,
Tony Madrid,
Francine Shapiro.