Psychologists Off the Clock

Julia Minson, Harvard public policy professor and founder of the Constructive Disagreement Lab, studies why disagreements escalate. She explains why trying to win backfires. She describes naive realism, the gap between thinking and showing receptiveness, and the HEAR language framework. She shares stories and metaphors that show curiosity can restore willingness to keep talking.

Kerry Makin-Byrd, a clinical psychologist and burnout expert, shares a simple illustrated toolkit for moments when thinking feels impossible. She explains how overwhelm shows up in body and mind. Short practices to calm the nervous system, shift perspective with self-compassion, and take one small values-aligned step are highlighted.

Jill Stoddard, psychologist, bariatric coach, and TEDx speaker, shares her personal weight journey and work with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. She discusses choosing gastric bypass, life after major weight change, cultural stigma around medical weight tools, and therapeutic strategies like values work and experiential craving practices. Short, candid conversations about body judgment, health motives, and long-term maintenance.

Sonja Lyubomirsky, happiness researcher and author, and Harry Reis, relationship scientist on intimacy, discuss why people can be loved but not feel loved. They explore how being truly seen and understood matters, how small mindset shifts and going first change connection, and why stress, attachment patterns, and misread gestures block feeling cared for.

Leslie John, a Harvard Business School behavioral scientist and author studying self-disclosure, explores the surprising social power of revealing more about yourself. She discusses why we hold back, how slight vulnerability sparks reciprocity, techniques to move past small talk, and when sharing helps or harms in friendships and at work.

Ingrid Clayton, a licensed clinical psychologist and author focused on relational trauma, joins to explore fawning and people-pleasing. She explains how fawning develops as a survival response, how it hides in success, and why reconnecting with the body is key. Conversation covers beginning to 'unfawn,' setting boundaries, expecting backlash, and small practices to reclaim authenticity.

Allison Daminger, a sociologist at UW–Madison and author of What’s on Her Mind, unpacks cognitive household labor as the invisible mental work of running a family. She explores why thinking tasks drain energy, how gender shapes who carries the load, differences across couple types, and practical ways to shift and share mental work at home and in institutions.

Elissa Strauss, journalist and cultural critic who writes about parenting and caregiving, discusses caregiving as a source of self-knowledge and meaning. She reframes care beyond sacrifice. She reviews research on when care helps or harms, explains how men’s brains and identities shift with care, and argues for structural support that integrates care into public life.

Jennifer B. Wallace, award-winning journalist and author who founded The Mattering Institute, explores why feeling valued and adding value shapes resilience and connection. She discusses how attunement, everyday interactions, technology’s impact, and small repair moments create or erode mattering. Practical practices and stories illustrate rebuilding significance in relationships and communities.

Ethan Kross, a leading researcher on emotion regulation and bestselling author, delves into the fascinating world of emotions. He explains their vital role in shaping our thoughts and actions, highlighting the importance of teaching emotional skills from an early age. Ethan discusses the Dunedin study, linking early emotional regulation to lifelong health and success. He also shares practical tools like sensory and perspective shifters for better emotion management, emphasizing that it's not about suppressing emotions but learning to navigate them effectively.