A targeted psychotherapy approach shows promising results in treating chronic back pain, and potentially other forms of chronic pain. The approach was studied at the University of Colorado, Boulder. “For a long time, we have thought that chronic pain is due primarily to problems in the body, and most treatments to date have targeted that,” said lead author Yoni Ashar, who conducted the study. “This treatment is based on the premise that the brain can generate pain in the absence of injury or after an injury has healed, and that people can unlearn that pain. In their weekly conversation, psychologist Dan Gottlieb and WHYY’s Maiken Scott discuss the approach and results. 

Voices in the Family

Could Pain Reprocessing Therapy play a role in treating chronic pain?

This prolonged period of living with uncertainty has put many people into a state of limbo, feeling like they are languishing. 

What to do when it feels like your life is on hold

When you have a health issue that requires surgery and a prolonged recovery period, you can feel a lot of anxiety and dread. How will you get through this time?

How to prepare for an unpleasant experience

We tend to look for silver linings - even during this difficult past year with the pandemic. What will we learn or take away from this time?

Looking for lessons from the pandemic

Many people continue to feel a lot of anxiety because of the pandemic. What is safe or not safe once somebody is vaccinated?

Coping with new waves of anxiety

Human touch is important for our well-being and health, but with the pandemic, lots of people are experiencing much less of it.

The Power of Human Touch

A new study finds that people who are cheerful and content, what psychologists call "positive affect," are less likely to experience memory decline as they age.

Does a positive outlook positively affect memory?

Being rejected hurts, not being accepted into a group, being turned down for a date, or being ditched by a friend.

Understanding the emotional impact of rejection

A lot of people feel overwhelmed by the news lately. The pandemic continues, the political landscape is polarized, wildfires rage on the West Coast. This kind of upsetting information can leave people feeling conflicted if they are otherwise having a good day. In their weekly conversation, WHYY’s Maiken Scott and psychologist Dan Gottlieb discuss these feelings, and how we can handle them.

Feeling guilty for feeling happy?

The beginning of the school year is coming into very sharp focus for many families - and it's a time of high anxiety that can be tough to navigate.

Calming Parents’ Anxiety

Healthcare workers have witnessed so much suffering and tragedy, worked long hours, dealt with PPE shortages, and feared for their own safety.

Healthcare workers feel the mental health toll of the pandemic

Do you remember that old Turtles song that goes “you and me, and me and you”?? That sounds great when you’re newly in love, but during a pandemic all this togetherness can become very difficult to manage! Especially when you add all of this stress. How is this impacting relationships? In their weekly conversation, WHYY’s Maiken Scott and psychologist Dan Gottlieb discuss. 

Too much togetherness can be challenging for couples

A recent editorial in the New York Times urges families to have “the talk” – that is, the end of life talk. If you were critically ill, what would you want, what are your wishes? It’s a conversation that makes us uncomfortable, and we tend to avoid it. In their weekly conversation, WHYY’s Maiken Scott and psychologist Dan Gottlieb discuss how families can get started. 

Talking about critical care and death with loved ones

Remember when social distancing and staying at home was going to last for about two weeks? Weeks later, with little change, some aspects of this new life are becoming a bit more routine. Is that helping or hurting our mental health? In their weekly conversation, WHYY’s Maiken Scott and psychologist Dan Gottlieb discuss. 

Accepting the New Normal

We’re well into 2020, how are you doing with your New Year’s resolutions? Still going strong? Or, already back to your old habits? If so, is that a bad thing? In their weekly conversation, WHYY’s Maiken Scott and psychologist Dan Gottlieb discuss what to do when our goals to do better get derailed.

Is letting go of New Year’s resolutions a good thing?

Thoughtful discussions dealing with the many aspects of personality, psychology, and inter-personal relationships.

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Voices in the Family

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