Psychology & Neuroscience Episodes

Cass gets a lot of questions about accessing psychology services within Australia. It's not the most linear or straightforward of processes, between Medicare rebates, GP visits, and mental health plans... it can be quite confusing accessing the mental health services we need. Let alone knowing how do you find someone who is a good fit for you?So in this solo episode Cass answers all of these questions and more. Connect with Cass:www.crappytohappypod.comhello@crappytohappypod.com www.instagram.c...

ADHD, especially in adult women, has been a hot topic on social media of late... with questions being raised around its diagnosis being a current trend. Even more so, since the BBC Panorama program, released an expose on private clinics in the UK, misdiagnosing ADHD.So what is all the fuss about? This week, after watching the documentary, Cass weighs in with her thoughts on why there's been an increase in ADHD diagnosis in recent years, and pulls apart the various holes in the BBC exposé (and th...

Lately, there's been a noticeable increase in people behaving badly on the internet, so this week Cass asks the very valid question,'Why are people on the internet so mean?'. Cass explores the history of this phenomenon, where it began, how it's evolving, what are the contributing factors, and how we, as individuals and communities, can better cope and change things. If you found this episode fascinating, check out these episodes in our back catalogue: Why you can't focus with Johann Hari Not g...

Today, Cass is joined by Dr Kristy Goodwin. Dr Kristy is a Digital wellbeing & productivity researcher, consultant, speaker and author. Her latest book is called Dear Digital, We Need to Talk. It’s a guilt free guide to taming your tech habits and thriving in a digital world.There’s no doubt the pandemic has had some major impacts on our life as we know it, and perhaps none more profound than our reliance on digital to live, connect and work. This almost over reliance has left us with a pretty h...

In this episode, Cass Dunn answers another listener question. This time around the links between unhealthy spending habits and childhood trauma.Why is it that sometimes when we find ourselves in times of stress, we hit the shops for a quick fix? Why do we do compulsively shop even though we know we shouldn't and we'll end up feeling guilt, shame or regret? And what are the links between your relationship with money, and self worth? Remember, Cass is not offering personal psychological advice and...

In this weeks episode, Clinical Psychologist, Cass Dunn breaks down everything 'quitting'. And answers the question: how do we know when to hold, or fold?We hear, and are often sold, the idea that the only thing stopping us from success is that we give up too easily or early. But what if that isn't the case? What if some things just are never going to work and we are wasting our time hanging on - like the 90s poster of the cat clinging to dear life from the edge of the cliff. Cass shares the 'su...

Procrastination is a universal struggle. When we leave things up to the very last minute, or we delay things and make it a 'future you' problem, it adds stress and overwhelm to our lives. So knowing all this, why do we continue to procrastinate and what can we do about it?This week we have another listener question. Why do we procrastinate? What does the science say, and what can we do about it? Listen to Cass' latest audiobook, The Imposter Solution, on Audible here. And get on the waitlist for...

Have you heard about 'schemas' and 'schema therapy' but don't quite understand how it works? Responding to a listener voicemail, I explain schema therapy and walk through the 18 maladaptive schemas to help you understand them and recognise them within yourself. Connect with Cass: www.cassdunn.com www.instagram.com/cassdunn_xo Contact Crappy to Happy: Email: hello@crappytohappypod.com www.crappytohappypod.com www.instagram.com/crappytohappypod www.tiktok.com/@crappytohappypod Are you a coach...

Do you often find yourself feeling like you've fluked your way to the success you've achieved? Do you feel like the rug may be pulled from under you at any time... that everyone is about to find out about the 'fraud' you really are?'Imposter Syndrome' is an extremely common experience, particularly in women, where we are unable to attribute our success to our experience, skills and hard work, and believe we are imposters. By reframing our thoughts and consciously being aware of how they can cont...

In this episode, Cass is joined by Candin Phillips, licensed therapist and ADHD coach who runs "Humanity Hive," a community that aims to educate people about ADHD. Candin was achieving and performing in the world, but like many women, she did not realise she was dealing with this particular neuro-divergence, despite her professional qualifications. Candin discusses how we mischaracterise ADHD, particularly in women. Connect with Cass: www.cassdunn.com www.instagram.com/cassdunn_xo Contact Crap...

Are you worried that adversity that you faced in your childhood is negatively effecting your life as an adult? In this episode, I explain the science behind adverse childhood experiences and the detrimental effects they can have on us as we grow up, while also explaining how much positivity in our childhood can benefit us, and how we can learn to live with the things that may have happened to us.Connect with Cass:www.crappytohappypod.comhello@crappytohappypod.com www.instagram.com/crappytohappy...

Do you find that having an optimistic outlook and being grateful is now met with claims of 'toxic positivity'? In this episode, I explain why positivity doesn't have to be toxic, and how a having positive mindset and outlook on life is scientifically proven to have health benefits for you and your family, without invalidating difficult emotions, painful thoughts and feelings. Connect with Cass: www.cassdunn.com www.instagram.com/cassdunn_xo Contact Crappy to Happy: Email: hello@crappytohappypo...

Are you motivated by the pursuit of pleasure or the avoidance of pain? In this episode I explain the difference between avoidance and approach style behavioural responses, what the implications are for each, and how you can apply this mindset to achieve your goals. Connect with Cass: www.cassdunn.com www.instagram.com/cassdunn_xo Contact Crappy to Happy: Email: hello@crappytohappypod.com www.crappytohappypod.com www.instagram.com/crappytohappypod www.tiktok.com/@crappytohappypod Are you a...

In this episode I explain the concept of Epigenetics, which is the 'nuture' in the nature v's nature debate. I'll explain how our the genes we inherit from our parents are not set in stone, meaning our behaviours and environment can cause changes essentially turning gene expression on or off. Connect with Cass:www.crappytohappypod.comhello@crappytohappypod.com www.instagram.com/crappytohappypodwww.tiktok.com/crappytohappypod Join the free 7-day Happiness Challenge:www.cassdunn.com/happiness Con...

In this episode I explain the three circles model of emotions by Paul Gilbert. This model is so useful for helping us see if our emotional systems are out of whack, and how we can get them in balance again. Connect with Cass:www.crappytohappypod.comhello@crappytohappypod.com www.instagram.com/crappytohappypodwww.tiktok.com/crappytohappypod Join the free 7-day Happiness Challenge:www.cassdunn.com/happiness Connect with Cass: www.cassdunn.com www.instagram.com/cassdunn_xo Contact Crappy to Happy...

During the COVID-19 lockdowns of the past few years, Brigid Delaney went searching for ideas that might help us feel a bit better. She stumbled across Stoicism, an ancient Greek philosophy which is all about how not to sweat the small stuff and better appreciate our precious time on earth.Brigid’s new book is called Reasons Not to Worry, and you can follow more of her work on twitter @BrigidWD. Connect with Cass:www.crappytohappypod.comhello@crappytohappypod.com www.instagram.com/crappytohappyp...

In this episode I explain the three key stages of change, and why we so often feel stuck in the middle stage, otherwise known as 'no man's land'. I also share a fascinating psychological experiment on journalling, and what it can teach us about how to better cope with periods of big change in our lives. Connect with Cass:www.crappytohappypod.comhello@crappytohappypod.com www.instagram.com/crappytohappypodwww.tiktok.com/crappytohappypodJoin the free 7-day Happiness Challenge:www.cassdunn.com/hap...

Introducing the first of many new solo episodes where I'll explain a psychological idea or experiment I think will help you feel happier, healthier and more fulfilled. In this episode I explain Dr Dan Siegel's concept of the Window of Tolerance, which is an incredibly effective tool for better understanding and managing our emotions. Connect with Cass:www.crappytohappypod.comhello@crappytohappypod.com www.instagram.com/crappytohappypodwww.tiktok.com/crappytohappypod Join the free 7-day Happines...

Keith Campbell is one of the world’s experts in narcissism, and he’s here to help us understand and interact with all the narcissistic people in our lives. In this chat the psychology professor explains the actual definition of narcissism, the difference between grandiose and vulnerable narcissism, how to spot narcissistic traits in others and what we can do to stop our kids becoming narcissistic, plus so much more.Connect with Keith:https://wkeithcampbell.com/Buy his books here: The New Science...

The positive impacts of mindfulness are undeniable, but neuroscientist Moshe Bar has discovered that there’s also a lot of benefits for its opposite.. Mind wandering. In this chat Moshe Bar explains how mind wandering has the power to improve your mood, boost creativity and help you solve problems. Connect with Moshe:https://twitter.com/moshe1barBuy his book here: booktopia.kh4ffx.net/mindwandering Connect with Cass:www.crappytohappypod.comhello@crappytohappypod.com www.instagram.com/crappytoha...

In this episode, Cass talks with Johann Hari, the New York Times best-selling author of “Chasing the Scream” and “Lost Connections” who is also famous for his TED Talks which have garnered over 80 million views. After experiencing his own declining attention and witnessing people around him being consumed by small screen addiction, Johann has applied his investigative skills to the topic of our inability to pay attention. In his latest book, “Stolen Focus”, Johann outlines 12 different factors t...

This week Cass Dunn chats with Harvard-trained and published neuroscientist Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor. Dr Taylor is most famous for her fascinating TED talk My stroke of insight, where she talked about her experience of having a stroke that caused her the left hemisphere of her brain to 'go offline'.In this chat Dr Taylor unpacks her new book Whole Brain Living, where she argues that we don’t just a left and right hemisphere, we actually have four brain quadrants - left thinking, left feeling and ri...

In this episode, Cass talks with Dr Peta Stapleton who is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Bond University and a leading researcher in the area of Emotional Freedom Techniques. They chat about the latest research supporting EFT (tapping!) as a tool for managing stress, anxiety, food cravings, chronic pain and more. Far from being pseudoscience, tapping is now a recommended treatment for trauma, which is simple, free, effective and for many people, produces lasting results.Buy her book The...

What causes trauma and how can we release it? Trauma expert, Sarah Woodhouse talks with Cass Dunn about how both big and “little” traumatic experiences can leave us trapped in cycles of dysfunctional behaviours, negative thoughts and difficult feelings. When you’re able to recognise your own, and other people’s trauma responses, you’re better able to interrupt those old patterns, reawaken your true self and reclaim your future.Buy Sarah's book You’re Not Broken here: https://tinyurl.com/3vc4jttv...