Advertise on podcast: PsychSessions: Conversations about Teaching N' Stuff

In this episode Eric interviews Chelsea Robertson from the Community College of Baltimore County (Maryland). Chelsea shares her teaching load (5,5), current courses (intro psychology and lifespan development) across in-person and asynchronous modalities, and a planned spring overload of eight classes, mostly asynchronous, with extra compensation. She describes CCBC as a primarily minority-serving community college with manageable class sizes and a contract split of 70% teaching, 20% service, and 10% professional development, including conference support and ACUE training. She outlines service roles (Academic Standards Committee, Teaching and Learning Roundtable chair, and psychology faculty convener) and extensive involvement with STP/ACT, including completing a three-year ACT steering committee term. She also recounts her path from Tennessee through graduate school, early-career teaching anxieties, mentoring by Jason Spiegelman, and how STP support kept her in the profession. [Note: Portions of the show notes were generated by Descript AI.]

In this (Re-Release) episode, Eric interviews Regan Gurung of the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay. From his childhood in Bombay to Carleton College, "tend and befriend," reunion planning, and his service to introductory psychology, this wide-ranging conversation reveals a career filled with fascinating stories.

In this APA Publishing-PsychSessions partner series, Garth Neufeld talks with Carlota Ocampo and Diane Forbes Berthoud about their edited book Building Inclusive Campuses: Promoting Mental Health, Wellness, and Success for Students of Color. Carlota links racist incident-based trauma and mental health to learning outcomes, argues for "historically excluded" framing, and outlines the book's three sections: systems, curricular/extracurricular, and individual. She explains the project began in 2023 and stayed focused on students of color despite political backlash to DEI, emphasizing demographic shifts, retention, and accreditation pressures. The conversation highlights trauma-informed principles (safety, transparency, peer support, collaboration, empowerment, cultural/historical/gender awareness), culturally responsive supports, and belonging through recognition, representation in curriculum, student agency, experiential/community-based learning, and leadership support; panelists urge building cross-campus allies and stopping practices that drive first-year dropouts and problematize students. [Note. Portions of the show notes were generated by Descript AI.]

In this episode Eric interviews Tedd McDonald from Boise State University in Boise, ID. Tedd recounts arriving at Boise State in Fall 2001, growing up in Nevada City, California, and being an unmotivated, rebellious high school student who joined the Marine Corps Reserves at 17, gained discipline, and used the Montgomery GI Bill in college. He attended community colleges, earned psychology degrees (BA and terminal MA) at CSU Chico, then completed a PhD in social psychology at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, shifting from lab work to community-based research focused on improving lives. After three years teaching at Chico, he chose Boise State—drawn by the capital-city proximity for agency collaboration—despite higher pay in Chico, and recalls a humorous interview breakfast. Tedd discusses his advocacy through Faculty Senate and the AFT union, the associate chair role (internships, student support, adjunct hiring/evaluation), concerns about adjunct exploitation, reluctance to become chair, and a future focus on generativity and supporting newer faculty while managing compassion fatigue. [Note. Portions of the show notes were generated by Descript AI.]

In this (Re-Release) episode Garth interviews PsychSessions co-founder Eric Landrum from Boise State University in Boise, ID. In November 2019, during a PsychSessions working meeting in Boise, Eric surprised Garth with a request to record a PsychSessions interview (Episode #074). In their first meeting face-to-face since the pandemic, Garth and Eric met again in Boise, and it was only fair that Eric sit still, be patient, and answer Garth's delightful interview questions. You might want to recharge the batteries because this guy is long-winded, but attempting to be a leader during a pandemic with a health scare can make a fella talkative.

In this episode Garth and Eric celebrate the 10th anniversary of PsychSessions: Conversations About Teaching N' Stuff. We mark 10 years of the PsychSessions flagship podcast (dating back to October 2017) by recalling its origins at Highline College, including an original episode later replaced after only five downloads. They thank hosts, sponsors (especially STP), guests, listeners, and supporters such as Sue Franz and Jane Halonen, and note early funding from an APS teaching grant plus later donors. They discuss conference travel, face-to-face versus Zoom conversations, live events, and the show's niche, evergreen "oral history" role, including rapid-response series during COVID and around George Floyd/DEI. They review "assessment" outcomes, highlight many spinoff series and the psychsessions.org archive and newsletter, and attribute longevity to collaboration and commitment. They describe re-releasing older episodes and give career updates: Eric plans to retire in July 2027 after 35 years at Boise State; Garth discusses a transformative sabbatical, starting onmissionconsulting.com, and handing off leadership roles. [Note. Portions of the show notes were generated with Descript AI.]

In this (Re-Release) episode Eric interviewed Garth Neufeld from Cascadia College in Bothell, WA. For Garth growing up in Canada, music and church were key; he also discusses parental inspirations including the first band name. Music, education, and international travel are important themes early and often. His entreprenurial spirit thrives from work ethic, bands, graduate school through to TIP-NW & www.sharedspaceforall.org.

In this episode Garth interviews Theodore Burnes from the University of Southern California Rossier in Los Angeles, CA. Theo is a California-licensed clinical psychologist and licensed professional clinical counselor who teaches in a master's program, maintains a small Los Angeles private practice, and has worked with LGBTQ-spectrum youth since 2004. They discuss evolving language around sexual orientation and gender, why fixed categories can feel outdated or non-inclusive for many young people, and the current challenges youth face finding supportive spaces. He emphasizes educators' responsibility to create safe classrooms for introspection and difficult conversations, suggesting instructors start small by integrating sexuality and gender content across topics like development. He describes writing his textbook Human Sexuality: A Well-Being Approach, a seven-year project intended to be more culturally inclusive, and highlights instructor guides, teaching notes, and Sage Vantage videos and activities. Theo shares a portfolio-based assignment involving experiential learning and reflects on how clinical skills inform facilitative teaching, along with his involvement in APA divisions, including Division 44. [Note. Portions of the show notes were generated by Descript AI.]

Retirement doesn't mean slowing down. In this Re-Release episode, we talk with retired University of Arizona faculty member Beatrice Krause about dispelling retirement myths, staying active in academia, and pursuing an eclectic mix of passions - from harp and tango to poetry. A thoughtful conversation about reinvention, curiosity, and life after academia. 🎧 [Note: Portions of the show notes were generated by Descript AI.]

In this episode Garth interviewed Kendra Thomas from Hope College in Holland, MI. Kendra discusses her applied developmental and educational psychology research in under-resourced public schools in Brazil and with the iThemba Projects nonprofit in South Africa. She explains the challenges of collecting valid cross-cultural data, emphasizing short, context-appropriate measures built with practitioners and designed to provide immediate value (e.g., school safety, home-visit frequency, HIV misconceptions). She discusses defining and measuring "hope" across contexts, including building measures simultaneously in English, Zulu, and Portuguese, and notes how imported measures can fail (e.g., social responsibility reading as compliance). Kendra also describes becoming Kathleen Berger's textbook co-author via chapter reviews, managing time with leave and reduced load, and teaching a "developmental imagination" through five maxims. She shares her Brazil-to-U.S. educational path and teaching-focused career trajectory. [Note. Portions of the show notes were generated by Descript AI.]

🎧 AskPsychSessions Re-Release! When, if ever, should students complete work that doesn't receive feedback? Jane Halonen from the University of West Florida tackles this listener question in a lively conversation about assignments, feedback, and learning. Plus, there's a bonus discussion on grading presentations through peer review and faculty input. Tune in for practical insights and a thought-provoking conversation! 📚🎙️ [Note: Portions of the show notes were generated by Descript AI.]

In this Part 2 episode Eric interviews Chris Hakala from Springfield College in Springfield, MA. Chris discusses his evolving role as executive director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Scholarship, which provides faculty development (workshops, consultations, observations) and also manages online courses, instructional design, LMS/ed tech support, and growing online graduate programs. He discusses gaining tenure and retreat rights, pandemic-driven support for reluctant online instructors, and institutional pressures such as enrollment declines, faculty reductions, and "right-sizing," including pausing a PhD program amid capacity and political challenges. He describes teaching multiple psychology courses, heavy service and leadership work, and deep involvement in POD, STP, and NITOP. Much of the conversation centers on AI, cognitive offloading, and the need to redesign assessments to emphasize clear expectations and learning processes rather than polished products, while acknowledging faculty and student resistance and workload strain. [Note. Portions of the show notes were generated by Descript AI.]

Dr. Andrew Smiler's book Clinical Work with Men: Understanding Masculinity in Psychotherapy was recently released by the American Psychological Association. Andy shared his professional journey from five years in community mental health working with teenage boys, through a PhD in Developmental Psychology, academic work, and eventually into full-time private practice. He traced his entry into men's psychology to a pivotal graduate course on the psychology of gender and formative moments at APA conventions where he encountered Jim Mahalik discussing the CMNI and connected with Fred Rabinowitz from Division 51. The conversation then turned to his book's motivation: with ~80% of mental health professionals female and growing, and existing clinical books on men dating back 20–30 years, he wrote to translate research into practice for clinicians working with male clients. The book is structured with a cultural competence argument, an introduction to his Multifaceted Masculinity Framework (MFMF), and seven composite case studies. Andy then walked through the four facets of the MFMF. Throughout, he challenged the false stereotype that men are simple, emphasizing instead the full complexity of male psychology and inner life.

Lou walks us through exactly what happens inside a men's circle: the opening rituals, the talking stick, the accountability stretches, and yes, even the drumming. He explains the concept of "clearings," a structured practice for owning your own projections rather than directing anger outward, a tool so powerful it was even brought inside Folsom Prison. He's honest about the barriers men face walking into these spaces for the first time, the fear, the unfamiliarity, the cultural scripts that tell men to keep it all in, and why the hardest part is simply getting through the door. He also gives a clear picture of how the Mankind Project works and the remarkable cross-section of men you'll find in these circles: police officers, ex-convicts, CEOs, new fathers, grieving fathers, all showing up and speaking from the heart. And at the center of it all, Lou makes the case that the greatest gift men's work has given him isn't a skill or a technique — it's deep, lasting male friendship, the kind that's increasingly hard to come by as men get older.

I welcomed back Dr. Anthony Isacco to discuss men, religion, and spirituality. Anthony reflected on his personal journey from mandatory childhood Catholicism to a deliberate adult choice to deepen his faith commitment, a decision he credits as transformative. Despite attending Catholic universities for his master's and Ph.D., he struggled to find guidance integrating spirituality into clinical work until his doctoral internship supervisor, John Davies, created space for this integration. Grounding his work in empirical research, Will Courtney's documentation of men's poor health behaviors and research on men's help-seeking resistance, Dr. Isacco connects a striking gap: regular religious practice is a health-promoting behavior comparable to exercise, yet men engage less with religion than women. This reflects a broader field problem: mental health professionals largely don't identify as religious and don't prioritize spirituality in clinical training. He identified two core barriers: gender socialization leaving young men without male mentors in female-dominated parishes, and attachment wounds where paternal relationships shape views of God. We also discussed forgiveness as countercultural masculine virtue, grounded in service and restoration rather than revenge, exemplified by quite different but helpful examples of Pope John Paul II and the Apple TV show Ted Lasso. Young men, he also emphasized, are hungry for meaning, dignity, and purpose. After recently speaking to young men on ontological worth, he witnessed profound resonance as men as they expressed desires for family, meaningful work, and service. Dr. Isacco also proposed the idea of an ordered masculinity, or a purposeful manhood grounded in virtue, morality, vocation, and service-dimensions psychology is less equipped for but for which religion can provide a framework.