Shrinksrap.com was selected for MillionPodcasts’ 2026 Top 100 Psychology Podcasts list.

Dr. Jim Bramson interviews Dr. Larry Cammarata

Life rarely follows our carefully rehearsed script. Apparently, nobody sent life the agenda.

In this episode of ShrinksRap, we welcome Larry Cammarata, PhD, a psychologist specializing in mindfulness-based psychotherapy and mind-body health. Larry leads Coffee with Shrinks for EBMC Psych Inc and the West Coast Mindfulness Institute (WCMI) and serves as Director of Education for Mindfulness Travels. A Tai Chi and Qigong instructor with four decades of meditation experience, he integrates movement, humor, storytelling, and improvisation. Forty years of meditation—and he still agreed to get on a microphone with me.

Together, we explore how mindfulness and improv help us stay present, listen without rehearsing our next brilliant comment, and connect with the person actually standing in front of us. Larry discusses small joy and big joy—and how both can show up when we say “Yes, and” to what life offers. We also explore the courage to look foolish and what happens when our inner critic loses its position as executive producer.

What can “Yes, and” teach us about relationships, uncertainty, and life going off script? Join us for a conversation about loosening up, leaning into possibility, and making room for joy. We don’t have to know our next line to participate.

Credits:

River is High, Ticketless Traveler

Carl Reisman, guitar, singer, and songwriter

Jenny Goodwine, vocals

James Singleton, bass

Johnny Vidocovich, drums

Dave Easley, steel guitar

Produced by Morgan Orion Reisman

for more information, carlreisman@gmail.com

Copyright 2025

WCMI networking group
A networking group for mindfulness-focused clinicians dedicated to learning together & collaborating for more information click here

Shrinksrap.com was selected for MillionPodcasts’ 2026 Top 100 Psychology Podcasts list.

Dr. Jim Bramson interviews Jonathan Packman, MFT

Technology keeps getting smarter—but are workplaces getting more human?

In this episode of ShrinksRap, Dr. Jim Bramson sits down with organizational consultant, executive coach, and MFT, Jonathan Packman, MFT, to explore what helps people feel motivated, connected, and valued at work. They discuss the difference between a healthy culture and good branding, why organizational dysfunction often begins with relationship problems, and how leaders can build trust, welcome disagreement, and communicate more effectively.

The conversation then turns to the modern tech workplace, where AI, layoffs, restructuring, and the pressure to constantly reinvent yourself can leave even talented professionals questioning their future. They look at how the workplaces will change for Generation Z, Alpha, and Beta. Jim and Jonathan explore burnout, perfectionism, imposter syndrome, office politics, and the challenge of staying ambitious without living in fear of becoming obsolete.

A practical conversation for leaders, tech professionals, and anyone who has ever thought, “I love the work—it’s the workplace that’s wearing me out.”

If technology keeps getting smarter, what do human beings need to get better at - - to feel relevant and purposeful?

Credits:

River is High, Ticketless Traveler

Carl Reisman, guitar, singer, and songwriter

Jenny Goodwine, vocals

James Singleton, bass

Johnny Vidocovich, drums

Dave Easley, steel guitar

Produced by Morgan Orion Reisman

for more information, carlreisman@gmail.com

Copyright 2025

WCMI networking group
A networking group for mindfulness-focused clinicians dedicated to learning together & collaborating for more information click here

Shrinksrap.com was selected for MillionPodcasts’ 2026 Top 100 Psychology Podcasts list.

Dr. Jim Bramson interviews Dr. Tracy Baldo-Senstock

What happens when you spit in a tube—and your origin story changes?

In this episode of ShrinksRap, Dr. James Bramson sits down with his former professor and dissertation committee member, Dr. Tracy Baldo-Senstock, to discuss her lived experience of discovering her biological father through genetic testing.

Dr. Baldo-Senstock is a former dean in Walden University’s School of Counseling, emeritus faculty at the University of Northern Colorado, a Purdue University graduate, and recipient of the Robert O. Stripling Award for Excellence in Standards.

Dr. Tracy is not alone. Most of us know someone who has discovered a biological relative through genetic testing. Pew Research found that 27% of Americans who have used mail-in DNA testing discovered close relatives they previously didn’t know about.

Drs. Jim and Tracy explore her origin story—and what happens when DNA collides with family mythology: identity, family secrets, truth, and transparency. They also discuss the power of emboldened vulnerability and what it means to live more fully in truth.

Why do families keep secrets? Sometimes to protect a parent, preserve a reputation, shield a trauma survivor, or hold an established family structure together. That can work…until somebody spits in a tube. For many people, keeping secrets may not be the psychologically healthy choice.

And before deciding what a DNA discovery means—or what to do about it—perhaps there’s a lesson from Star Trek’s Mr. Spock: stay in the fascination. Lead with curiosity, stay heart- centered, gather the data, and then decide whether—and how—to reconnect.

Part psychology, part genealogy, and part family detective story, this episode explores the risks and surprising power of telling the truth—and what “family” means when DNA suddenly rewrites the cast of characters.

Credits:

River is High, Ticketless Traveler

Carl Reisman, guitar, singer, and songwriter

Jenny Goodwine, vocals

James Singleton, bass

Johnny Vidocovich, drums

Dave Easley, steel guitar

Produced by Morgan Orion Reisman

for more information, carlreisman@gmail.com

Copyright 2025

WCMI networking group
A networking group for mindfulness-focused clinicians dedicated to learning together & collaborating for more information click here

Shrinksrap.com was selected for MillionPodcasts’ 2026 Top 100 Psychology Podcasts list.

Dr. Jim Bramson & Lisa Rosenthal interview Daria Flowers and her Dude, Greg

What happens when the woman you love enters perimenopause and suddenly neither of you got the instruction manual?

In this episode of ShrinksRap, Jim and Lisa sit down with women’s health professional, educator, and author Daria Flowers and her husband, Greg—aka “The Dude”—for a funny, candid, and compassionate conversation about menopause, marriage, and the fine art of not trying to fix everything.

Daria was inspired to write her book while navigating her own perimenopause and its impact on her health, identity, and relationship. Greg readily confesses that he has lived every chapter. His hard-earned Dude wisdom? Be patient. Stay curious. Be humble. Stop trying to fix it. And keep your sense of humor.

We explore what happens when estrogen and progesterone start behaving like they’ve misplaced the car keys: brain fog, night sweats, sleep disruption, weight and mood changes, shifting identity, and changes in sex and intimacy. Women can feel like strangers in their own bodies, while partners may feel confused, rejected, lonely—or simply wonder, “Dude, where's my wife?”

But menopause doesn’t have to untether a relationship. It can be an opportunity to adapt, laugh, communicate, and grow closer. The key for Dudes everywhere: educate yourself, don’t take everything personally, and learn to show up without immediately reaching for the toolbox.

With Daria’s practical hacks and Greg’s lessons from the front lines, this episode offers a roadmap for navigating one of life’s biggest biological—and relational—transitions together.

Your wife hasn’t disappeared, Dude. The operating system is just getting an update.

Credits:

River is High, Ticketless Traveler

Carl Reisman, guitar, singer, and songwriter

Jenny Goodwine, vocals

James Singleton, bass

Johnny Vidocovich, drums

Dave Easley, steel guitar

Produced by Morgan Orion Reisman

for more information, carlreisman@gmail.com

Copyright 2025

WCMI networking group
A networking group for mindfulness-focused clinicians dedicated to learning together & collaborating for more information click here

Shrinksrap.com was selected for MillionPodcasts’ 2026 Top 100 Psychology Podcasts list.

What can being a lifelong Detroit Lions fan teach us about addiction, recovery, resilience, and life? Apparently, quite a lot—something yours truly, a long-suffering Lions fan, knows all too well.

In this episode of ShrinksRap, Dr. James Bramson sits down with Joel Walkowski, author of Honolulu Blues: How Loving a Losing Football Team Created a Winning Man, to explore the unlikely intersection of football, comedy, recovery, and learning to love something almost certain to let you down.

Joel describes being a Lions fan as being a musician on the Titanic: every Sunday the ship may be sinking, but you still show up and play. The Lions haven’t won an NFL championship since 1957 and have never appeared in a Super Bowl. Yet we diehards keep coming back.

Joel explores the parallels between football fandom and addiction—the obsession, anticipation, emotional highs and lows, magical thinking, and eternal belief that this time will be different. Recovery taught him to feel disappointment without staying stuck in it. Sometimes that means heading straight to the basketball court after a Lions loss rather than spending Sunday marinating in Honolulu Blue misery.

One of the most touching moments involves Joel’s dying father, “Banjo Bob,” who encouraged him to attend the Lions’ 2023 NFC Championship Game—where, naturally, Detroit blew a second-half lead. Bob’s humor remained intact to the end, wearing a shirt declaring, “I’m Not Dead Yet.” Clearly, funny runs in the family.

Joel also takes us from living in a van in Vallejo to completing his education, working in stand-up comedy and celebrity roasts, and ultimately helping others through SMART Recovery.

It’s a conversation about football that’s really about life: acceptance, resilience, recovery, humor, and learning to keep showing up when life doesn’t follow the script. Joel may have discovered the elixir for Lions diehards like me: how to keep winning at life even when your favorite team is losing.

Credits:

River is High, Ticketless Traveler

Carl Reisman, guitar, singer, and songwriter

Jenny Goodwine, vocals

James Singleton, bass

Johnny Vidocovich, drums

Dave Easley, steel guitar

Produced by Morgan Orion Reisman

for more information, carlreisman@gmail.com

Copyright 2025

WCMI networking group
A networking group for mindfulness-focused clinicians dedicated to learning together & collaborating for more information click here

Shrinks Rap was recently ranked #2 among psychotherapy podcasts and included in MillionPodcasts’ 2026 Top 100 Psychology Podcasts list. Thank you listeners!

Can eye movements really help heal trauma? Is joy actually one of our most vulnerable—and least expressed—emotions? And how do trauma therapists spend their days swimming through other people’s pain without needing EMDR themselves after every session? In this episode of ShrinksRap, Dr. James Bramson sits down with nationally recognized trauma expert Dr. Jason N. Linder to explore the powerful intersection of EMDR, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT),
mindfulness, and attachment neuroscience. Together, they discuss how these approaches complement one another, when each is most effective, and why healing isn’t simply about reducing symptoms—it’s about creating safety, secure connection, resilience, and the freedom to fully engage in life. The conversation also ventures beyond the therapy office to explore what gives therapists joy
and meaning, why the ability to say “no” is essential for emotional safety and effective clinical supervision, and how today’s immigration climate is affecting Latino and immigrant communities. Along the way, Dr. Linder shares practical wisdom for clinicians, hope for those recovering from trauma, and lessons learned from decades of helping people heal. Whether you’re a therapist, psychology student, or simply fascinated by how people grow and recover, this episode is filled with warmth, clinical insight, and just enough humor to remind us that even
trauma therapists occasionally laugh… usually after making sure everyone has completed their resourcing exercise.

Credits:

River is High, Ticketless Traveler

Carl Reisman, guitar, singer, and songwriter

Jenny Goodwine, vocals

James Singleton, bass

Johnny Vidocovich, drums

Dave Easley, steel guitar

Produced by Morgan Orion Reisman

for more information, carlreisman@gmail.com

Copyright 2025

WCMI networking group
A networking group for mindfulness-focused clinicians dedicated to learning together & collaborating for more information click here

Shrinks Rap was recently ranked #2 among psychotherapy podcasts and included in MillionPodcasts’ 2026 Top 100 Psychology Podcasts list. Thank you listeners!

Today on ShrinksRap, we welcome Beth Foley, a Bay Area somatic trauma practitioner, yoga therapist, and wellness advocate who helps people heal from trauma, addiction, chronic stress, and anxiety by reconnecting with the wisdom of the body. Beth also offers wellness trainings and consultation for individuals, groups, and organizations, and will be a featured panelist at the next Human Potential Conference in Berkeley, California, on October 22, 2026.

In this conversation, we explore the powerful link between addiction and the nervous system, why insight alone is often not enough for lasting recovery, how trauma gets stored in the body, and what healing can look like when we move beyond symptom management toward greater connection, meaning, freedom, and aliveness.

Whether you’re interested in recovery, mindfulness, trauma, or personal growth, Beth offers practical wisdom and a refreshing reminder: sometimes the body knows the way forward before the mind catches up.

Credits:

River is High, Ticketless Traveler

Carl Reisman, guitar, singer, and songwriter

Jenny Goodwine, vocals

James Singleton, bass

Johnny Vidocovich, drums

Dave Easley, steel guitar

Produced by Morgan Orion Reisman

for more information, carlreisman@gmail.com

Copyright 2025

MillionPodcasts helps you find the best podcasts on the web.

Podcast Database for PR Outreach & Guest Booking - MillionPodcasts

WCMI networking group
A networking group for mindfulness-focused clinicians dedicated to learning together & collaborating for more information click here

Shrinks Rap was recently ranked #2 among psychotherapy podcasts and included in MillionPodcasts’ 2026 Top 100 Psychology Podcasts list. Thank you listeners!

Jeremy Hirshberg on Leadership, Burnout, Meaning, and Why Your Boss Shouldn’t Sound Like ChatGPT

Jeremy Hirshberg — organizational psychologist, leadership consultant and executive coach for Organizational Solutions, founder of Kaleidoscope Collaborative, and host of Resiliency Rounds and The Good Life, Reconsidered — joins the podcast for a wide-ranging conversation on AI, leadership, resilience, and what happens when technology starts moving faster than the human nervous system. Drawing on his work at the Center for Creative Leadership and Booz Allen Hamilton, Jeremy explores how organizations can integrate AI without losing empathy, creativity, psychological safety, or their collective soul.

We discuss burnout, “AI theater,” executive anxiety, emotional intelligence, adaptability, meaning-making, and why the future belongs not simply to companies with the best technology — but to those combining high AI capability with being fully human. This taps into an interdependent cultural framework. Along the way we ask uncomfortable questions: What work should humans still own? What decisions should never be delegated to AI? Can mindfulness survive Slack notifications? And is your company innovating… or just panic-Googling the future with better branding?

Credits:

River is High, Ticketless Traveler

Carl Reisman, guitar, singer, and songwriter

Jenny Goodwine, vocals

James Singleton, bass

Johnny Vidocovich, drums

Dave Easley, steel guitar

Produced by Morgan Orion Reisman

for more information, carlreisman@gmail.com

Copyright 2025

MillionPodcasts helps you find the best podcasts on the web.

Podcast Database for PR Outreach & Guest Booking - MillionPodcasts

WCMI networking group
A networking group for mindfulness-focused clinicians dedicated to learning together & collaborating for more information click here