Making Therapy Better

Can the structure of speech reveal where a psychotic episode is heading?In this episode, Bruce talks with computational psychiatrist Natalia Mota, MD, PhD, about her research showing how the structure of speech can help differentiate between emerging psychotic disorders earlier and more precisely than traditional methods alone.Using graph theory and natural language processing, Natalia and her team transform speech into “word graphs” that mathematically measure thought fragmentation and narrative connectedness. In one striking study with first-episode psychosis patients, for example, Natalia successfully predicted emerging schizophrenia versus bipolar disorder with over 90% accuracy -- simply by analyzing how participants described a recent dream.Together, Bruce and Natalia discuss:• The broader clinical implications of computational psychiatry for early detection and intervention• The classic debate between subjective clinical judgment versus statistical prediction, and why both approaches are needed• Why Natalia’s methodology is not black-box AI• How education and socioeconomic factors shape language• Why technology must "keep the human in the loop”• What speech fragmentation reveals about dementia• The adolescent mental health crisis and social contagionThis conversation explores a powerful idea:There are identifiable structures within natural speech patterns — and these structures can reveal a goldmine of hidden clinical information.If you care about psychotherapy, early intervention, computational psychiatry, or the future of psychiatric diagnosis, this episode will challenge how you think about listening. -----🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, subscribe, and share — your support helps us keep these conversations going.**** Natalia Mota, MD, PhD is a psychiatrist and neuroscientist with a focus on creating novel quantitative methods to measure the flow of thoughts, and to differentiate between causes of psychosis and dementia. Her current research examines speech in psychosis, wake–sleep cycles, and school-based declarative learning.**** Bruce Wampold, PhD is a psychologist and leading psychotherapy researcher known for his work on the contextual model of psychotherapy and the science of therapeutic relationships. His research explores how and why psychotherapy works, integrating clinical insight with rigorous empirical methods.--The Making Therapy Better podcast is brought to you by CarePaths EHR, an electronic health record system designed to help you improve therapy outcomes.https://www.carepaths.comFollow the Making Therapy Better project:🌐 Website: www.makingtherapybetter.com📺 YouTube: /@makingtherapybetter📸 Instagram: /making_therapy_better📘 Facebook: /makingtherapybetter🐦 Twitter: /therapybetter💼 LinkedIn: /9223245Produced and edited by Kevin Riordan and Geissy Araújo. Intro/outro music by Chris Haugen, free for public use.00:00 Bruce intro01:35 Bruce: Kahneman's work on confidence vs. accuracy04:33 Bruce: The practical relevance of computational psychiatry and Natalia’s work06:39 What Is "Computational Psychiatry?"12:28 Graph Theory for thought disorders16:44 Research findings23:18 Predicting clinical trajectories after first-episode psychosis30:58 Beyond "black box AI"35:22 Effects of culture and life experience on language usage40:25 Applications for dementia and other disorders45:18 Language, social bonds, and mental health51:22 Closing remarks55:11 Outro and farewell

Joanna Moncrieff, M.D., a professor at University College London and a vocal critic of biological psychiatry, challenges the long-held serotonin theory of depression. She reveals the lack of consistent scientific evidence linking serotonin to depression and discusses how antidepressants often show minimal advantage over placebo. Joanna explores the emotional numbness caused by medication and the sociocultural factors influencing psychiatric practices. She advocates for viewing depression as a human response rather than a mere brain disease, offering a more hopeful perspective.

In a thought-provoking discussion, Bruce Wampold, Ph.D., a leading psychotherapy researcher, engages with Brazilian psychologists Geissy Araújo, Maurício Majolo, Lucas Cardoso, and Mateus Souza. They explore the debate on therapy approaches, dissecting whether certain methods truly outperform others. Bruce argues for the importance of relationship factors in therapy and the necessity of tailoring approaches to cultural backgrounds. He emphasizes outcomes measurement, advocates for skill development over manual reliance, and discusses the implications of AI in psychotherapy's future.

Join Mick Cooper, a leading expert in humanistic and pluralistic therapies, as he reveals essential insights on what therapists often get wrong. He discusses the pitfalls of being too passive and overly cognitive, which can alienate clients. Learn about the importance of authenticity over the 'therapist voice' and the danger of colluding with clients' narratives. Through engaging role-plays, Mick and Dr. Bruce Wampold demonstrate how to better connect with clients by prioritizing emotional engagement and adapting therapeutic approaches to individual needs.

Despite decades of evidence showing that group therapy is often just as effective as individual therapy, it remains underutilized in clinical training and practice. Why?In this episode, Dr. Bruce Wampold sits down with Dr. Cheri Marmarosh — Professor of Clinical Psychology at The George Washington University and one of the world's leading experts on group psychotherapy. Together, they discuss:Why training programs and reimbursement systems still prioritize individual therapyThe relational and cultural barriers that make therapists hesitant to lead groupsHow group therapy addresses isolation, loneliness, and disconnectionWhat it takes to become an effective group leaderThe challenges and possibilities of running groups onlineHow group dynamics reveal the real-life patterns that shape our relationshipsIf you’re a clinician, educator, or simply curious about how people grow through connection, this episode will remind you that healing doesn’t happen in isolation — it happens in relationship.Correction: Dr. Marmarosh is now a full professor. She was incorectly introduced as associate professor in the introduction.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, subscribe, and share — and stay tuned for more content coming soon!------Cheri Marmarosh, Ph.D. | Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology, The George Washington University; Director, Group Psychotherapy Research Lab; Author of Attachment in Group PsychotherapyBruce Wampold, Ph.D. | Emeritus Professor, University of Wisconsin–Madison; Author of The Great Psychotherapy Debate------The Making Therapy Better podcast is brought to you by CarePaths EHR, an electronic health records system designed to help you improve your therapy outcomes. https://www.carepaths.com------Follow the Making Therapy Better project:🌐 Website: www.makingtherapybetter.com📺 YouTube: /@makingtherapybetter📸 Instagram: /making_therapy_better📘 Facebook: /makingtherapybetter🐦 Twitter: /therapybetter💼 LinkedIn: /9223245------Produced and edited by Kevin Riordan and Geissy Araújo. Intro/outro music by Chris Haugen, free for public use.#GroupTherapy #Psychotherapy #Therapy #CheriMarmarosh #BruceWampold #AttachmentTheory #MentalHealth #PsychotherapyResearch #Loneliness #Teletherapy #ClinicalTraining #MakingTherapyBetter #MentalHealth

Has the rise of telehealth truly reduced inequities in who has access to psychotherapy? Who is being left behind? How did COVID-19 impact the prevalence of mental illness? These are just a few of the questions Bruce explores in this timely episode with Dr. Mark Olfson, one of the leading experts on mental health services in the U.S. ...And the answers may surprise you!It's no secret that the mental health landscape in countries like the U.S. is shifting rapidly — with rising demand for services, changes in who delivers psychotherapy, and new modalities like telehealth and AI transforming the way people receive care. But what do the data tell us about how these changes are actually impacting population mental health, and mental health services?If you’re a clinician, researcher, or anyone interested in the systems that shape mental health, and mental health services, this episode is for you!Featuring:**** Mark Olfson, MD, MPH | Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Columbia University; Psychiatrist, New York State Psychiatric Institute**** Bruce Wampold, PhD | Emeritus Professor, University of Wisconsin–Madison; Author of The Great Psychotherapy Debate: The Evidence for What Makes Psychotherapy Work🔔 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share — and stay tuned for more content on the science of psychotherapy and healing!----The Making Therapy Better podcast is brought to you by CarePaths EHR, an electronic health records system designed to help you improve your therapy outcomes. (https://www.carepaths.com)----Follow the Making Therapy Better project!Website: http://www.makingtherapybetter.comYouTube: / @makingtherapybetter Instagram: ( / making_therapy_betterFacebook: / makingtherapybetterTwitter: / therapybetterLinkedIn: / 9223245----The Making Therapy Better podcast is produced and edited by Kevin Riordan and Geissy Araujo. Intro/outro music is by Chris Haugen and is free for public use.----#MentalHealthServices #Psychotherapy #Therapy #MindBody #MarkOlfson #BruceWampold #Healing #UW-Madison #Columbia #clinicalpsychology #PsychotherapyResearch #MentalHealth

Dive into placebo effects in clinical trials, psychotherapy, and even conditions like Parkinson’s. Can a sugar pill really help someone heal? And what if it’s not just the pill, but the expectation of benefit, that drives the outcomes?In this episode, Dr. Bruce Wampold sits down with Dr. John Kelley, one of the world’s leading placebo researchers, to explore how belief, expectation, empathy and the therapeutic relationship profoundly influence outcomes in both medicine and psychotherapy. Plus, they unpack a groundbreaking study that not only changed how we think about placebo effects, but how we think about healing itself.👉 If you're a clinician, researcher, or just curious about the mind-body connection, this one’s for you.🧠 Featuring:John Kelley, PhD | Deputy Director of the Program in Placebo Studies & the Therapeutic Encounters, Harvard Medical School; Licensed Psychologist, Massachusetts General HospitalBruce Wampold, PhD | Emeritus Professor, University of Wisconsin - Madison; Author of The Great Psychotherapy Debate🔔 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share — and stay tuned for more deep dives into the science of healing.----The Making Therapy Better podcast is brought to you by CarePaths EHR, an electronic health records system designed to help you improve your therapy outcomes. (https://www.carepaths.com)----Follow the Making Therapy Better project!Website: http://www.makingtherapybetter.comYouTube: / @makingtherapybetterInstagram: ( / making_therapy_betterFacebook: / makingtherapybetterTwitter: / therapybetterLinkedIn: / 9223245----The Making Therapy Better podcast is produced and edited by Kevin Riordan and Geissy Araujo.Intro/outro music is by Chris Haugen and is free for public use.----#PlaceboEffect #Psychotherapy #Therapy #MindBody #JohnKelley #BruceWampold #Healing #Expectations #clinicalpsychology #HarvardMedicalSchool #PsychotherapyResearch #MentalHealth

In a dynamic conversation, Dr. Louis Castonguay, a renowned psychology professor, discusses the evolution of therapist training, advocating for an integrated approach over rigid CBT dominance. He highlights the importance of intellectual humility and interpersonal skills in training, stressing that diverse therapeutic methods can better address clients' needs. The dialogue also touches on the relevance of psychotherapy in today's society, arguing for a more holistic view that considers existential factors and fosters effective client engagement.

In this engaging episode, Bruce sits down with Dr. Julia Frank to discuss their collaboration on the newly revised edition of 'Persuasion and Healing,' a groundbreaking book on the science and philosophy of psychotherapy originally written by Julia’s father, Jerome Frank. The book has shaped generations of psychotherapists—including Bruce himself—and remains one of the most influential works in the field. Bruce and Julia delve into the rich history behind the seminal work, Jerome Frank’s unique background, the evolution of psychotherapy research, and the critical role of myth and ritual in therapeutic outcomes. This episode is essential listening for anyone interested in the fundamental principles that underpin the effectiveness of psychotherapy across various approaches.Julia Frank, M.D. is emeritus faculty at the George Washington University School of Medicine, director of the Five Trimesters Clinic for pregnant and postpartum women, and co-author of the 2025 edition of 'Persuasion and Healing: A Comparative Study of Psychotherapy.’ Bruce Wampold, Ph.D. is a leading psychotherapy researcher, developer of the contextual model of psychotherapy, and co-author of ‘The Great Psychotherapy Debate: The Evidence for What Makes Psychotherapy Work.’----The Making Therapy Better podcast is brought to you by CarePaths EHR, an electronic health records system designed to help you improve your therapy outcomes. (https://www.carepaths.com)----Follow the Making Therapy Better project:Website: http://www.makingtherapybetter.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@makingtherapybetterInstagram: (https://www.instagram.com/making_therapy_betterFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/makingtherapybetterTwitter: https://twitter.com/therapybetterLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9223245/----The Making Therapy Better podcast is produced and edited by Kevin Riordan.Intro/outro music is by DELOSound and is free for use under the Pixabay Content License.----

Why haven’t psychotherapy outcomes improved in decades, despite hundreds of new treatment models and thousands of new randomized controlled trials?In this special episode of the Making Therapy Better podcast, renowned psychotherapy researchers Bruce Wampold and Scott Miller discuss how the field’s obsession with inventing and testing treatment methods may have distracted us from strengthening the relational skills that we know drive better treatment outcomes. Bruce and Scott explore why therapy outcomes have plateaued, what makes some therapists consistently more effective than others, and how clinical training must evolve to focus on measurable interpersonal skills.Bruce Wampold, Ph.D. is Emeritus Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and among the most influential psychotherapy researchers alive today. Scott Miller, Ph.D. is the founder of the International Center for Clinical Excellence and a pioneer in improving clinical training through deliberate practice and measurement-based care.----The Making Therapy Better podcast is brought to you by CarePaths EHR, an electronic health records system designed to help you improve your therapy outcomes. (https://www.carepaths.com)----Follow the Making Therapy Better project:- Website: (http://www.makingtherapybetter.com)- Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/making_therapy_better)- Facebook: (https://www.facebook.com/makingtherapybetter)- Twitter: (https://twitter.com/therapybetter)- LinkedIn: (https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9223245/)----The Making Therapy Better podcast is produced and edited by Kevin Riordan.Intro/outro music is by DELOSound and is free for use under the Pixabay Content License.----