Sunday, January 17, 2010

A New Plug for Shrink Rap Radio

For a few months, I have been part of the "Shrink Rap Radio" underground, eagerly downloading & listening to an astonishing variety of experts. It is moderated by Dr. David Van Nuys, who could teach professional journalists a thing or two about asking interviewees probing, well-researched, and pertinent questions.

How could a dyed-in-the-wool conservative be so enthused by a podcast series originating from a part of California that's so infested with liberals? The sad fact is, I frequently have to apologize for the primitive state of mental health services in Colorado Springs (it's even worse in the rural counties of our state), and there are even clergymen in our community who subscribe to the "demon possession" theory! One of the best tools we have to help our people is information - we need to be kept up-to-date on the latest cutting-edge research and treatment techniques to fight the epidemic of PTSD-related incidents in nearby military bases, an unacceptably high suicide rate, and the criminalization of mental illness that all too often happens around here. While working with people transitioning out of the criminal justice system, I tell them there is more to life than being just another revenue stream for the Department of "Corrections."

Some of the interviews I particularly liked:
#211 - "Resurrection After Rape" with Matt Atkinson
#207 - "Life-Changing Lessons from Hard-Core Cons" with Dana Houck
#19 - "The Predictive Errors of Political Experts" with Philip Tetlock

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