Think Act Be Podcast

My guest this week is Thomas Moore, a psychotherapist and author of a new book entitled The Eloquence of Silence: Surprising Wisdom in Tales of Emptiness (affiliate link). I was so pleased to have the opportunity to speak with Thomas, since I’ve appreciated his work for about 25 years, going back to Care of the Soul. Topics we discussed included: The role of emptiness in religion and spirituality The possibilities that emerge with emptiness Fostering emptiness as emptiness, not as a space to fill Qualities of emptiness that we often recognize and appreciate in others Dropping the anxious additions we often bring to our interactions The emptiness in good acting Finding the narratives that support unhelpful behaviors Everyday examples of emptiness in our lives Silence in the therapy room Finding meaning in or through emptiness Nicholas of Cusa, author of Sacred Ignorance The value in recognizing how little we know Emptying our concept of what we call “God” Unlearning enough that one is ready to teach Allowing emptiness to be empty Finding that life empties you regularly The disappointments that empty us out—and prepare us for an important change in our lives The difficulty in leaving space in our lives, and the importance of lessening busyness The close association of desire and soul The quiet that seems to have characterized my guest’s life The origins of Thomas’s fear of the water Thomas’s appreciation for the creative individuals in his family, including his wife Joan Hanley’s paintings; daughter Siobhán Moore, also known as the musician Ajeet; and stepson and architect Abraham Bendheim Thomas Moore is the author of The Eloquence of Silence and 24 other books about bringing soul to our personal lives and culture. He wrote the #1 New York Times bestseller Care of the Soul (affiliate link). Thomas has been a Catholic monk and university professor and is also a psychotherapist influenced mainly by C. G. Jung and James Hillman. His work brings together spirituality, mythology, depth psychology, and the arts, emphasizing the importance of images and imagination. For more information visit his website. Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe

My guest this week is psychologist Dr. Noam Shpancer, author of the novel The Good Psychologist (affiliate link). We explored the ongoing crisis in mental health among young people, and discussed possible ways to address it. I really enjoyed talking with Noam and hearing his insights and nuanced perspective on these issues. Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe

My guest this week is Dr. Steve Hayes, one of the most influential psychologists of our time. The first time I had Steve on the podcast back in 2020 we discussed the fundamentals of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). This time you’ll see what those ideas look like in action. The second half of our discussion is Steve leading me through a series of invitations and explorations. It was a pretty incredible experience that I can’t really capture by trying to describe it, so I’m glad I can share it with you in this episode. Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe

My guest this week is Dr. Mark Karris, author of the new book, The Diabolical Trinity: Healing Religious Trauma From a Wrathful God, Tormenting Hell, and a Sinful Self. Mark shared about the damaging effects this trio of doctrines can have on people, himself included, and how to heal. Topics we discussed included: How certain religious beliefs themselves can be traumatic, apart from abusive, authoritarian leaders Differing effects of indoctrination in these beliefs early in life vs. later My guest’s own traumatic religious experiences Anxiety related to the belief in hell and “eternal conscious torment” The question of why some people have trauma reactions to these beliefs and other don’t Possible effects of the family or church environment in which diabolical beliefs were taught The similarities between some depictions of God and abusive partners A wrathful god as a possible vengeful projection of believers Seeing through persistent gut-level beliefs from harmful religious doctrines The practices Mark offers for healing from religious trauma The opportunity cost of not learning about a loving divine presence People who don’t want anything to do with even a benevolent deity The doctrine of universalism, that “love wins in the end” Different ways of understanding hell within the Christian tradition What my guest believes about God now Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe

My guest this week is Thomas Sterner, whose latest book is It’s Just a Thought (affiliate link). As you know, your thoughts aren’t always helpful or true. In this conversation Tom and I talked about how to change your relationship with thoughts, which I think about a lot as CBT therapist. Just knowing that we’re thinking is a huge part of what’s helpful, but awareness alone is usually not enough. We need specific ways to practice new thinking. Tom shares some really interesting techniques for developing more helpful thought patterns. Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe

  My guest this week is Dr. John Astin, author of the excellent book, This Extraordinary Moment (affiliate link). John has a really mind-blowing way of seeing all of reality, as you’ll hear in this great conversation. We talked about familiar concepts from meditation and mindfulness—for example, awareness of reality and finding equanimity—but John expands the frame in a way that’s truly liberating. He shows again and again how the reality we usually take for granted is way more stunning than we can even imagine. The upshot of seeing with new eyes is that our happiness is no longer tied to the ups and downs of whatever is happening. I know you’ll take a lot from the wisdom and insights John shares. Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe

My guest this week is Colin Campbell. He wrote an amazing book called Finding the Words: Working Through Profound Loss with Hope and Purpose (affiliate link), about his experience of incredible grief and loss. I really enjoyed talking with Colin—as you'll hear, he's frank, down-to-earth, compassionate. I know you'll get a lot out of this conversation. Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe

My guest this week is Dr. Mitch Greene. Mitch is a sport psychologist and this is his third time on the podcast. This time we talked about his great new book, which I enjoyed reading, called Courage Over Confidence: Managing Mind Chatter and Winning the Mental Game (affiliate link). This is a great conversation for any competitive athlete, at any level—from doing weekend 5Ks to Olympic competition. Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe

In this engaging discussion, Dr. Brie Turns-Coe, an associate professor and author, dives into her transformative parenting philosophy. She emphasizes the importance of parenting 'the child you have' rather than projecting past experiences. Brie explores how unmet childhood needs can influence current parenting styles and reveals the dangers of reenacting old patterns. They also tackle the contentious topic of spanking, discussing both its immediate effects and long-term harm to relationships. Parents are encouraged to embrace their own imperfections and cultivate grace in their approach.

My guest this week is Dr. Jonah Paquette, author of Happily Even After (affiliate link), who is back for the fourth time on the podcast. Jonah is the happiness guru I turn to for exploring the science of well-being and flourishing. This time we focused on how to cultivate happiness more consistently in our lives—and why we tend to wait till we're seriously unhappy before using the practices that build positive emotions. As always it was a great discussion. Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe