Research Matters Podcast

• Louis Castonguay, PhD, on Practice Research Networks, Mutual Respect in Science, and the Joy of Collaboration

  Louis Castonguay, Ph.D., is a professor of psychology at Penn State University and a leading figure in contemporary psychotherapy research. With a career spanning decades, Dr. Castonguay has focused on what truly makes psychotherapy work—examining the variables that shape client outcomes, therapeutic relationships, and the process of change.  But perhaps what sets him apart most is his leadership in Practice Research Networks (PRNs), collaborative research communities that unite clinicians, researchers, and stakeholders to study therapy as it actually happens in real-world settings. In this episode, we talk about how these networks got started, what keeps them going, and why Dr. Castonguay believes collaboration across differences isn’t just productive—it’s essential.  We also explore the balance between research rigor and clinical relevance, the hidden power of motivation and respect in research partnerships, and how his counterphobic drive led him to take on big challenges others avoided. This is a rich, behind-the-scenes look at a man who’s helped change the culture of clinical research by running toward the hard stuff—with humility and heart. In this episode, you’ll learn…  • What Practice Research Networks are and why they matter  • How clinicians and researchers can work together effectively without burnout  • Why studies that are “clinically syntonic” are more sustainable and valuable  • What makes Louis Dr. Castonguay run—not walk—to a meeting  • How to navigate power dynamics and avoid “empirical invasions”  • Why flexible participation and shared ownership are key in PRNs  • How humility, curiosity, and a love of process shape good science  Tips from the episode:  Tip 1: On sustaining clinician involvement in research:  • Design studies that serve both scientific and clinical purposes  • Let clinicians co-create the research questions and methods  • Be transparent about power and open to hearing doubts  • Participation should be flexible, not all-or-nothing  Tip 2: On what makes a successful PRN:  • Shared goals with diverse expertise  • Mutual respect between all team members  • Freedom for each member to contribute in the way that fits them  • A culture where research and practice grow each other  Tip 3: On Louis’s personal approach:  • Counterphobic drive means he runs toward hard problems  • Collaboration isn’t a tactic—it’s a value  • Being a generalist helps bridge gaps between orientations and settings  • Excellence and perfectionism can be double-edged—learn to aim “imperfectly right”  Links from this Episode:  Fostering collaboration between researchers and clinicians through building practice-oriented research: An introduction  Faculty homepage  Lab  Publications 

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• Dr. Jackie Persons on Integrating Research into Private Practice and Advancing CBT

  Dr. Jacqueline (Jackie) Persons is a distinguished clinician, researcher, and Clinical Professor at the University of California, Berkeley. She served as president of the Association of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies (ABCT) in 1999 and currently works in private practice at the Oakland Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center. With over 35 years of experience, Dr. Persons is recognized globally for her pioneering work in integrating research into private practice, particularly in the areas of case formulation and measurement-based care.  In this insightful conversation, we dive into Dr. Persons' unique journey, exploring how she built a thriving private practice while contributing significantly to scientific research. She shares practical strategies for clinicians interested in research, the importance of data collection in therapy, and how she navigates collaboration with graduate students and academic institutions. Dr. Persons also talks about balancing her clinical and research roles and why she continues to find research personally rewarding.  In this episode, you’ll learn…  How Dr. Persons integrates cutting-edge research into her private practice  The benefits of measurement-based care and data-driven therapy in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)  Practical steps for clinicians who want to combine private practice with research  How to collaborate with academic institutions and bring research skills into a clinical setting  Tips from the episode:  On integrating research and practice:  Set up systems that allow seamless data collection during therapy sessions to improve clinical outcomes and generate research data.  Use measurement-based care not only to inform treatment but also to guide research questions.  On balancing multiple roles:  Collaborating with students and academic institutions can expand your research capabilities without overwhelming your practice.  Creating structured time set aside for research—such as a dedicated day per week—can help maintain a balance between clinical and research work.  On clinical and research success:  Stay involved in professional organizations like the Association of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies to maintain your network and stay updated on new developments.  Regularly attend and present at conferences to contribute to and learn from the wider scientific community.  Links from this episode:  Oakland CBT Center - Jacqueline B. Persons, Ph.D  Oakland CBT Center - Research at the Oakland CBT Center  Behavioral Health Research Collective (BHRC) - Resources  Research Matters Podcast is hosted by Jason Luoma, who can be found on Twitter @jasonluoma or Facebook at facebook.com/jasonluomaphd. You can download the podcast through iTunes, Stitcher, or Spotify. Reach out with suggestions, questions, or comments to [email protected]. 

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• Patricia Arean, PhD: Effective Strategies for Community Engagement and Digital Innovations in Mental Health Research.

  Dr. Patricia Arean is is the Director of the Division of Services and Intervention Research at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), as well as a clinical researcher and former professor at the University of Washington’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. With over 30 years of experience, Dr. Arean has focused her career on increasing access to mental health services for underserved communities. She has led multiple research initiatives, including the UW Alacrity Center, which aims to redesign psychosocial interventions for underserved populations, and the Creative Lab, which explores digital mental health solutions using mobile technology.  In this insightful conversation, Dr. Arean shares how her early experiences in public hospitals and community mental health centers shaped her passion for working with underserved communities. She discusses her journey of developing partnerships with community organizations and navigating the challenges of research in marginalized populations. Dr. Arean also delves into her groundbreaking work in integrating technology with mental health services and how she has managed to conduct large-scale studies in underserved communities using innovative digital tools. This episode provides valuable lessons for researchers interested in social justice, technology, and community-based research.  In this episode, you’ll learn…  How Dr. Arean’s early work experiences influenced her commitment to underserved communities  The steps she took to build trust and partnerships with community organizations  Why understanding the unique needs of marginalized populations is crucial for effective research  Strategies for navigating the challenges of recruitment and participation in underserved communities  The role of technology in expanding access to mental health services for populations with limited resources  How Dr. Arean approaches collaborations with technology companies to create evidence-based mental health solutions  Tips from the episode:  On Building Partnerships with Underserved Communities:  Approach community organizations with a genuine desire to understand their needs and challenges.  Be prepared to adapt your research goals based on the community's priorities.  Establish relationships with key gatekeepers or champions within the community to facilitate trust and access.  On Developing Effective Research Practices:  Accept that working with underserved populations may involve messy samples and unexpected challenges.  Engage with clinicians, staff, and community members to ensure your research is relevant and respectful.  Incorporate community input when designing research protocols and collecting data.  On Leveraging Technology in Mental Health Research:  Digital tools can significantly improve recruitment and engagement in underserved communities.  Flexibility is key when working with technology partners, as their products and services may evolve.  Maintain a focus on developing solutions that work for marginalized populations, even if it means overcoming technological barriers like limited broadband access.  Links from this Episode:  Article on Dr. Patricia Arean’s Position at the National Institute of Mental Health  UW Alacrity Center  The Creativ Lab Homepage 

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• Tony Biglan, Ph.D., on balancing funding with following your true passions

  Tony Biglan, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist at Oregon Research Institute and Co-Director of the Promise Neighborhood Research Consortium. For the past thirty years, he has conducted research in the development and prevention of child and adolescent problem behavior. He is a former president of the Society for Prevention Research and was a member of the Institute of Medicine Committee on Prevention. As a member of Oregon’s Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission, he has helped to develop a strategic plan for implementing comprehensive evidence-based interventions throughout Oregon. Dr. Biglan is the founder of Values to Action, an organization dedicated to evolving more nurturing societies. He has helped to identify effective family, school, and community interventions to prevent the most common and costly problems of childhood and adolescence around the world. Working to advance the reforms called for in his most recent book, Rebooting Capitalism: How We Can Forge a Society That Works for Everyone, Dr. Biglan advocates for the creation of  “Action Circles,” small groups of like-minded people who devote as little as 15 minutes a day to come together to study a problem in an effort to devise a solution. In this episode, you’ll learn… A powerful lesson about not taking the criticism and advice of others too seriously. About the tensions between administration and scientists and the balance of doing what it takes to gain funding while remaining true to callings and passions. About the groundbreaking work done from the 1970s to the present at Oregon Research Institute in Eugene, OR and the creation of the first behavior change clinic in Oregon. That being politically and socially active and fighting for justice are possible and needed, even while remaining dedicated to science and research work and keeping a good balance, including family and leisure. The importance of science support people and participatory democracy. That serendipity and luck can play a part in success and that there are many paths, not just one “right” one. The importance of idleness. About some frustrations with NIH and the problem of addressing individual issues instead of the whole social context. About prevention and the concept of “Action Circles.” Tips from the episode  On the weight of the opinions of others, even older mentors and those in leadership positions… Learn from Dr. Biglan’s personal account of having suicidal thoughts because his dissertation methodology was judged so harshly. Be encouraged by his later discovery that the very same dissertation became one of his greatest life accomplishments and his name is now attached to the concept of “the Biglan Model” because of it. Remember his advice: If you’re working on your dissertation and they tell you it’s no good or not worthwhile and so on, just remember they could be mistaken. This, of course, applies to most things in life, not just dissertation work. On participatory democracy… Support people are vital to everything. Honoring them and giving them a voice will only improve success. Listen to colleagues who hold different priorities than yours and release some power and control. On gaining funding while holding on to personal passions and what’s important … A lot depends on luck or serendipity as to who you meet or how fate happens to put you in the right place at the right time. Having a good system and good support people for writing grants is important. Scientists also have a responsibility to fight for things to get done. As Dr. Biglan says,  It’s imperative that scientists speak up and not simply wait outside the halls of the federal government and hope that somebody will do the right RFA. On making use of idleness… Dedicate time and thought to your passions during your “idle” time. Let your mind focus on what is important to you. Follow Dr. Biglan’s example of getting up early in the morning to write what he wants, not what work requires. Spend time during vacations or days off so that there is no tension or guilt about neglecting work. On implementing reform and Values to Action… If you are concerned about the state of the world and you’re not sure what to do about it, join or create an Action Circle at Values to Action. To learn about implementing reforms, read Rebooting Capitalism: How We Can Forge a Society That Works for Everyone. We all need to look up from our work and be addressing those problems.     Links from the episode: Website Nurture Effect: http://www.nurtureeffect.com/ Website Values to Action: https://www.valuestoaction.org/ Dr. Biglan’s books on Amazon Twitter: https://twitter.com/ABiglan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-biglan-093b7710/ French and Raven Bases of Social Power Bertrand Russell Essay Psychological Bulletin Article on Stress Research Matters Podcast is hosted by Jason Luoma, who can be found on Twitter @jasonluoma or Facebook at: facebook.com/jasonluomaphd. You download the podcast through iTunes, Stitcher, or Spotify. Reach out with suggestions, questions, or comments to [email protected]

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• Dean McKay, Ph.D., A.B.B.P. on mental health in academia, getting into grad school, authorship, and personal planning

  Dean McKay, Ph.D., A.B.B.P. is Professor of Psychology at Fordham University where he is a member of the clinical psychology doctoral program. His lab, Compulsive, Obsessive, and Anxiety Program (COAP) provides instruction to undergraduate, masters, and doctorate levels. Dr. McKay’s expertise is in anxiety and obsessive-compulsive behavior, with his current focus being on Covid-19 related stress and anxiety. He has further interest in anxiety pertaining to political conditions, and he has a passion for clinicians to receive ongoing continuing education. Dr. McKay conducts some private practice and does some consultation as well. He has published over 200 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and he is the editor or co-editor of 19 books. He is board-certified in Clinical and Cognitive-Behavioral Psychology from the American Board of Professional Psychology. Today Dr. McKay shares his thoughts about the obligation of people in academia having to do work that “may potentially raise some uncomfortable questions and allow us to advance topics that maybe people in other settings don’t have the luxury of doing.” Dr. McKay addresses the types of things mentors look for in students who are applying to their programs and offers tips on identifying and screening good candidates. It could be surprising to hear that a major thing he asks about in an interview is how they manage to relax. In a day when being accepted to programs is increasingly difficult, Dr. McKay sees this ability as an indicator of how the student will manage in the future. He addresses the intense struggles with stress that come from the benchmarks of performance students must achieve. His compassion for students and sound advice to regularly disconnect from work stem from personal experiences where he actually found himself bedridden from stress and at one point needing surgery for gastrointestinal issues at a very young age. While he is quite serious about his counsel to take vacations and guard weekend time for rest and non-work activities, he admits that during the past COVID-year the lines between work and home have become increasingly difficult to maintain. As he jokes with his colleagues, “every day is Blursday.” Time has little meaning, and schedules and organized events are difficult to maintain. Dr. McKay wishes to be a good example to his students and believes that, as a psychologist, it is important to do the things he would advise his clients to do. Protecting his down time in an environment where work is constantly in his space is vital. In addition to his recommendations to take time out for self-care, Dr. McKay discusses the tricky territory of defining what a “co-author” actually is. In a world where everyone needs to be published, he sees a need for mentors to be careful with balancing the desire to be generous with credits and making sure there is legitimate call to cite names. Allowing a student recognition is important, but the students must be able to defend work they contributed. Dr. McKay shares a personal anecdote in which he worked on a project with a litany of co-authors and two of the credited authors contributed only two sentences to the work. He sees situations like this as doing a disservice to students who, when faced with the real-world demands, won’t have the knowledge to back up their claims on their resumes.  Finally, Dr. McKay shares some of his personal methodology for balancing writing time to make it more productive and his thoughts on taking stock of the “50,000 foot overview” of his future plans. He concludes with his ideas about his personal clinical work and suggests that, “researchers do themselves a little bit of a disservice by not actually seeing clients periodically.” In this episode, you’ll learn…   The obligation academia has to advance causes that could raise some uncomfortable questions. Things to look for when screening students for a graduate program as well as things students should think about when picking a mentor. The importance of guarding personal time and taking vacations. The difficulties of disconnecting from work in Covid times.   The importance of giving valid credit for co-authors on published works.   How to manage writing time and maintain productivity.   Mental tools for organization.   About balancing a clinical practice while maintaining research work and how the two dovetail. Tips from the episode  On finding good candidates for a research program… Students need to have a baseline ability to relax and destress. The rigors of the graduate program world are intense and will take a mental and physical toll if a student does not understand how to balance time and seek time disengaged from the work. Students should be able to back up their research work and defend their publications. Too often mentors are generous with credit, which does a student a disservice when they enter the real world and don’t have the actual background or knowledge to function well. While conducting a stress interview for the sole purpose of making students uncomfortable is not a good choice, asking the hard questions and requiring a student to defend their ideas is not unreasonable. How they respond is a good indicator of how they will handle other things in the future. On finding a mentor … Remember to look for someone who is genuinely nice and compliments your values. Remember that it is a six-year commitment and that is a long time to live with a person who wears you down instead of builds you up. On the balance of work and relaxation … It is vital to disengage from work to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Vacations should be enjoyed. Going off grid is advisable. Weekends should be protected as non-work times. The Covid year has made it increasingly difficult to separate work and home, but now more than ever a firm determination to be away from work for scheduled periods is advisable. On co-author credit… There is a delicate balance of mentor generosity in sharing credit and making sure the claimed acknowledgement is legitimate. Offering co-authorship to someone who has not contributed much paves the way for students to enter research programs and real life unprepared. On maintaining productivity in writing while balancing work and home… Take stock of your week in the beginning and plan for times to focus on writing. Have “protected time.” Stay away from emails and social media. Facilitate blocking out the world by maintaining your environment. Some people work well with music, some do not, for example. If you need to step away from the computer, go exercise or do something alone where you can think and work through ideas mentally. On maintaining a clinical practice while doing research … Seeing clients periodically is important to keep a perspective and learn. It is important to see procedures implemented rather than just talk about them. You need to know about clinical care if you’re going to teach people about clinical care. Links from the episode: Dr. McKay’s Fordham profile: https://www.fordham.edu/info/21660/psychology_faculty_and_staff/5430/dean_mckay Research Lab: https://www.fordham.edu/homepage/2789/coap Psychology Today profile and list of books: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/contributors/dean-mckay-phd Twitter: https://twitter.com/docmckay?lang=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dean-mckay-71b14310/ P.E. Meehl Article: http://www.dgapractice.com/documents/meehl_case_conferences_adapted.pdf Research Matters Podcast is hosted by Jason Luoma, who can be found on Twitter @jasonluoma or Facebook at: facebook.com/jasonluomaphd. You download the podcast through iTunes, Stitcher, or Spotify. Reach out with suggestions, questions, or comments to [email protected]

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