Making Therapy Better
Making Therapy Better brings together top minds in psychotherapy and everyday clinicians to discuss the future of the field and how to improve mental health care for everyone. The podcast explores evidence-based practices, emerging trends, and practical insights for therapists and patients alike. Hosted by Bruce Wampold, PhD, it aims to bridge research and clinical practice.
Episodes
"Empathy Is More Than Just Words: Why You Shouldn't Ditch Your Therapist for AI" - Anat Perry, Ph.D.
What is the unique value of psychotherapy in a world where AI can convincingly simulate empathy while delivering evidence-based treatments with better fidelity than many human therapists?In this episode, Bruce Wampold sits down with Dr. Anat Perry -- one of the first and most innovative researchers studying human empathy in comparison with AI-simulated empathy.Together, Bruce and Anat explore:• Wh
"Can Speech Predict Psychiatric Diagnoses? How Computational Psychiatry Is Changing the Field" - Natalia Mota, MD, PhD
Can the structure of speech reveal where a psychotic episode is heading?In this episode, Bruce talks with computational psychiatrist Natalia Mota, MD, PhD, about her research showing how the structure of speech can help differentiate between emerging psychotic disorders earlier and more precisely than traditional methods alone.Using graph theory and natural language processing, Natalia and her tea
"A Psychiatry Failure? The Serotonin Theory of Depression Lacks Evidence" - Joanna Moncrieff, M.D.
Is depression really caused by a chemical imbalance — or is that one of the most enduring myths in modern psychiatry? For decades, the serotonin theory of depression has shaped how mental health is explained, treated, and marketed to the public. But what does the science actually show — and why does evidence that challenges this narrative provoke such intense reactions? In this provocative episode
"Key Factors That Make Psychotherapy TRULY Effective" - With Bruce Wampold, Ph.D.
Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy REALLY superior to Humanistic or Psychodynamic approaches? According to the scientific evidence, what factors ACTUALLY drive the change process, and what skills can therapists strengthen to get better outcomes?In this episode of The Making Therapy Better Podcast, our host Dr. Bruce Wampold takes the guest seat in a lively conversation with a group of young Brazilian
"What NOT to do in therapy! Learning from our common mistakes" - Mick Cooper, Ph.D.
Why do therapists keep making the same avoidable mistakes?In this episode, Dr. Bruce Wampold sits down with Dr. Mick Cooper — Professor of Counseling Psychology at the University of Roehampton and an internationally recognized expert in humanistic, existential, and pluralistic therapies.Together, Bruce and Mick break down common therapist mistakes and their impact on the therapeutic alliance. Thro
"Belonging As Treatment: The Power of Group Therapy" - Cheri Marmarosh, Ph.D.
Despite decades of evidence showing that group therapy is often just as effective as individual therapy, it remains underutilized in clinical training and practice. Why?In this episode, Dr. Bruce Wampold sits down with Dr. Cheri Marmarosh — Professor of Clinical Psychology at The George Washington University and one of the world's leading experts on group psychotherapy. Together, they discuss:Why
"The Changing Landscape of Mental Health Services" - Mark Olfson, M.D., M.P.H. - s3, e5
Has the rise of telehealth truly reduced inequities in who has access to psychotherapy? Who is being left behind? How did COVID-19 impact the prevalence of mental illness? These are just a few of the questions Bruce explores in this timely episode with Dr. Mark Olfson, one of the leading experts on mental health services in the U.S. ...And the answers may surprise you!It's no secret that the menta
"The Surprising Power of Placebo in Psychotherapy!" - John Kelley, Ph.D.
Dive into placebo effects in clinical trials, psychotherapy, and even conditions like Parkinson’s. Can a sugar pill really help someone heal? And what if it’s not just the pill, but the expectation of benefit, that drives the outcomes?In this episode, Dr. Bruce Wampold sits down with Dr. John Kelley, one of the world’s leading placebo researchers, to explore how belief, expectation, empathy and th
"Better Therapist Training & Supervision" with Louis Castonguay, Ph.D.
In this inspiring episode, Bruce sits down with Dr. Louis Castonguay from Pennsylvania State University to delve into the evolution and current state of psychotherapist training and education. The discussion covers a broad range of topics, from the risks of holding rigidly to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in training programs to importance of intellectual humility and the diminishing focus on
"The Roots of Psychotherapy: Persuasion and Healing (revisited)" with Julia Frank, M.D.
In this engaging episode, Bruce sits down with Dr. Julia Frank to discuss their collaboration on the newly revised edition of 'Persuasion and Healing,' a groundbreaking book on the science and philosophy of psychotherapy originally written by Julia’s father, Jerome Frank. The book has shaped generations of psychotherapists—including Bruce himself—and remains one of the most influential works in th
"What Makes Therapy Work?" - Scott Miller, Ph.D. interviews Bruce Wampold, Ph.D.
Why haven’t psychotherapy outcomes improved in decades, despite hundreds of new treatment models and thousands of new randomized controlled trials?In this special episode of the Making Therapy Better podcast, renowned psychotherapy researchers Bruce Wampold and Scott Miller discuss how the field’s obsession with inventing and testing treatment methods may have distracted us from strengthening the
"How Can AI Help Improve Therapy?" with Zac Imel, Ph.D. - s2, e8
Zac Imel, PhD is a professor and Director of clinical training in the counseling department at the University of Utah as well as co-founder and Chief Psychotherapy Science officer at Lyssn.io, an AI-powered assessment platform for behavioral health and human services. He has had over 50 papers published in academic journals, with a particular interest in assessing and improving the quality of ment
"Closing the Global Mental Health Care Gap" with Daisy Singla, Ph.D. - s2, e7
Daisy Singla, PhD is a clinical psychologist, associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto, and senior scientist with the Institute for Mental Health Policy Research at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. She has led some of the largest clinical psychotherapy trials in the world, exploring methods for increasing access to mental health services in divers
"Can Psychosis be Treated with Therapy?" with Michael Garrett, M.D. - s2, e6
Michael Garrett MD is professor emeritus of Clinical Psychiatry at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, and previously served as medical director of the Department of Psychiatry at North Central Bronx Hospital, and Deputy Director of Psychiatry at Bellevue Hospital Medical Center in Manhattan. He is the author of Psychotherapy for Psychosis: Integrating Cognitive-Behavioral and Psychodynamic
"What is a Mental Disorder?" with Jerome Wakefield, Ph.D. - s2, e5
Jerome is a Professor of Social Work at New York University as well as a member of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare, and has sat on editorial boards for the Clinical Social Work Journal and Evolutionary Psychology. He is the author of more than 300 publications appearing in journals in psychology, philosophy, psychiatry, psychoanalysis, and social work, and a number of books,
"Psychoanalytic Diagnosis and Supervision" with Nancy McWilliams, Ph.D. - s2, e4
Nancy McWilliams, PhD is emerita visiting professor of Psychology at Rutgers University and a former president of the American Psychological Association’s Division of Psychoanalysis. She is the author of several books including Psychoanalytic Diagnosis, and Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy: a Practitioner’s Guide. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Rosalee Weiss Award, the Laughlin
"Depression and Psychedelic Therapy" with Charles Raison, M.D. - s2, e3
Dr. Raison is a professor of psychiatry and human ecology at University of Wisconsin-Madison, director of Clinical and Translational Research for Usona Institute, and Director of Research on Spiritual Health for Emory Healthcare. In addition, Dr Raison founded the Center for Compassion Studies at the University of Arizona. His research has focused on novel mechanisms involved in the development an
"Treating Depression" with Steve Hollon, Ph.D. - s2, e2
Steven is a professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University. He has over 300 publications to his name and is the recipient of numerous awards, including, in 2020, the American Psychological Association’s Distinguished Scientific Award for the Applications of Psychology. He has served as Editor of the journal Cognitive Therapy and Research, and president of the Association for Behavioral and Cogni
"The Evolution of Depression" with Ed Hagen, Ph.D. - s2, e1
Ed received his doctorate in anthropology from UC Santa Barbara, after which he worked at the Institute for Theoretical Biology in Berlin. He is currently a professor of evolutionary anthropology and director of the Bioanthropology Lab at Washington State University Vancouver. His research focuses on evolutionary medicine and finding evolutionary explanations for the origins of substance use and o
"Technology and Mental Health Care" with Barrett Griffith, Maureen Hart, Ph.D,, and Geoff Gray, Ph.D. - s1, e12
Barrett Griffith is CEO of CarePaths, where he has served for over five years, previously as a developer and then as CTO. He has two decades of experience in the tech industry, with much of that time in healthcare IT.Maureen Hart, PhD and Geoff Gray, PhD are both psychologists with years of clinical and managerial experience who saw the potential for technology to improve the quality of mental hea
"Alliance Rupture and Repair" with Catherine Eubanks, Ph.D. - s1, e11
Catherine Eubanks, PhD is co-director of the Center for Alliance-Focused Training, and professor of clinical psychology at Adelphi University. She is a fellow of the American Psychological Association and received the Outstanding Early Career Achievement Award from the Society for Psychotherapy Research in 2015. Dr. Eubanks helped to develop the Rupture Resolution Rating System and is coauthor of
"The Problem with Clinical Trials" with Jonathan Shedler, Ph.D. - s1, e10
Jonathan Shedler, Phd is a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and faculty member at the San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis. He is author of numerous scientific and scholarly articles, and his article The Efficacy of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy won worldwide acclaim for firmly establishing psychoanalytic therapy as an evidence-based treatment
"Primary Care Integration" with Ed Jones, Ph.D. - s1, e9
Edward R Jones, PhD is a clinical psychologist with years of executive leadership experience in the behavioral healthcare industry, including Vice President roles at Pacific Care Behavioral Health and Value Options. He has worked as a healthcare consultant in connection with both established and start-up companies. In recent years he has focused on health and wellness services, digital health serv
"What is Empathy?" with Terri Moyers, Ph.D. and Bill Miller, Ph.D. - s1, e8
Terri Moyers, PhD is a Professor in the Psychology Department at the University of New Mexico. Her research has focused on the active ingredients of empirically supported interventions for substance use treatments, particularly motivational interviewing. She also has an active line of research investigating therapist characteristics that support more favorable client outcomes. Dr. Moyers has more
"The Power of Professional Humility" with Helene Nissen-Lie, Ph.D. - s1, e7
Helene Nissen-Lie is a professor of clinical psychology at the University of Oslo and a practicing psychologist. She participates in a number of research projects in Norway as well as internationally, including collaborations with the University of Sheffield and the University of Chicago. She has published over 50 papers and articles, and her research interests include therapist effects, the thera
"Tracking Outcomes in Community Mental Health" with Robbie Babins-Wagner, Ph.D. - s1, e6
Robbie Babins-Wagner, PhD has contributed to the mental health field as a clinician, researcher, teacher, and manager. She is CEO of the Calgary Counseling Center, widely recognized as a leading institution in accessible, evidence-based, community mental health care. She is also an adjunct professor in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Calgary, and serves on the board of directors fo
"Case Formulation and Flexibility" with George Silberschatz, Ph.D. - s1, e5
George Silberschatz, PhD is a licensed psychologist in San Francisco and has been practicing, teaching, and doing research on psychotherapy for over 40 years. He is a clinical professor in the department of psychiatry at University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, a past president of the North American chapter of the Society for Psychotherapy Research, and a past president of the In
"Multicultural Therapy" with Jesse Owen, Ph.D. - s1, e4
Dr. Jesse Owen is a Professor in the Counseling Psychology Department at the University of Denver. He is a licensed psychologist with clinical specializations including couple and family therapy and multicultural therapy. He holds various positions including lead psychologist at Lifelong, Inc; Research Director for CelestHealth; Senior Research Advisor for SonderMind; Editor for Psychotherapy. He
"Improving Systems of Care" with Michael Barkham, Ph.D. and Jaime Delgadillo, Ph.D. - s1, e3
Michael Barkham, Ph.D., is a Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Sheffield, UK. He has spent the past 35 years promoting the measurement of psychological therapies in routine practice and the paradigm of practice-based evidence as a complement to trials-based methodologies. His research has also focused on the contribution of therapists as well as securing evidence supporting var
"Measurement-Based Care and Deliberate Practice" with Scott D. Miller, Ph.D. - s1, e2
Scott D. Miller, PhD is the founder of the International Center for Clinical Excellence, a consortium of clinicians, researchers, and educators dedicated to promoting excellence in behavioral health. He conducts workshops and training in the United States and abroad, helping hundreds of agencies and organizations, both public and private, to achieve superior results. He has written numerous books
"The Future of Psychotherapy" with John Norcross, Ph.D. - s1, e1
John Norcross is Distinguished Professor and chair of psychology at the University of Scranton and Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at SUNY Upstate Medical University. He also maintains a part-time practice as a clinical psychologist. He is the author of Changeology and co-author of Changing for Good. Professor Norcross has served as president of the American Psychological Association Division of
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