The Psych Central Show: Candid Chat on Mental Health & Psychology

In this episode, Gabe talks with PsychCentral.com editor-in-chief Dr. John Grohol about the importance of planning for the end of life.  We all know that everybody dies, but at the same time, no one wants to think about their own inevitable death. Do you know how you would like the end of your life to go?  What if you needed to make that decision for a loved one? Do you know what they want? Would they want to be resuscitated? Do they want to die at home or in a hospital? Do you even know what kinds of decisions need to be made, or what the options are?  Listen in as Dr. John explains that there is a degree of wisdom in realizing that everything must pass, and your time will come.  When death is approaching, you don’t have to welcome it, but you also don’t have to fight it. Learn how planning for your own (or a loved one’s) death doesn’t have to be an existential crisis, but can instead provide a degree of safety and comfort.

Today’s guest is Okpara Rice, CEO of Tanager Place, a mental health facility for children in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  Unlike adults, children are not in control of their own environment, and anything that affects a child will affect their families, and vice versa.  So, what is the best way to help these kids?  Join us as Okpara and Gabe talk about the importance of a holistic approach to mental illness in children, approaches which may or may not include medication. Okpara joined , Iowa in July 2013, and became CEO in July 2015. Okpara is the first African American to hold executive office at Tanager Place in its more than 140-year history.

Police officers are often the first responders when someone is having a mental illness crisis.  But are members of law enforcement properly equipped for this job?  There are plenty of horrifying stories that would indicate that the answer is “no.”  How do we change this?  Join us as Gabe speaks with Officer Rebecca Skillern from the Huston, Texas, Police Department about how Houston is training its officers to respond to these difficult calls.   Officer Rebecca Skillern, senior trainer within the mental health division of the Houston Police Department, joins as a special guest to explain police protocol in answering crisis emergencies and what people with schizophrenia and their loved ones should do when an episode puts someone in danger. She is an expert in Crisis Intervention Team Training (CIT ) which is a program that provides the foundation necessary to promote community and statewide solutions in assisting individuals with a mental illness and/or addictions. The CIT Model reduces both stigma and the need for further involvement with the criminal justice system. CIT provides a forum for effective problem-solving regarding the interaction between the criminal justice and mental health care systems and creates the context for sustainable change. Learn more by visiting 

Do you remember the disturbing images from the Sandy Hook school shooting in December 2012 after a gunman killed 26 people, including 20 first-grade children?   It was traumatic for all of us, but what was it like to live there?   Today’s guest worked for 20 months on the Newtown Recovery and Resiliency Team. Melissa Glaser is a licensed professional counselor and author of .

Dr. Russell Morfitt explains the differences between stress, worry, and anxiety. He tells us how using the techniques of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can be life changing. Listen to learn how you can free yourself from the burdens of anxiety. Dr. Morfitt is the co-founder of and the Chief Psychology Officer of .