My guest today is Steven C. Hayes, PhD. Steve is a clinical psychologist, researcher, and one of the most influential figures in modern psychotherapy. He is the originator of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), developer of Relational Frame Theory (RFT), and co-developer of Process-Based Therapy. An Emeritus Professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, Dr. Hayes has authored more than 45 books and over 700 scientific publications, making him one of the most cited psychologists in the world. His work has fundamentally changed how clinicians understand and treat human suffering, with a focus on psychological flexibility, values, and living a meaningful life.

Some of the topics we explore include:

• Why the original ACT Hexaflex needs to expand — and what's missing from the classic six processes
• How to define ACT functionally so it can grow without losing its identity
• The case for adding sociocultural and biophysiological levels to the psychological flexibility model
• What Process-Based Therapy (PBT) actually is — and why it's both a Trojan horse and an open invitation
• Why middle-level clinical terms like "emotional flexibility" are scientifically legitimate and practically essential
• The ergodicity problem: why group-level research can't tell us what works for individual people — and what to do instead
• Three principles for the future of clinical practice: practice-based evidence, every voice matters, and if you're not personalizing, you're not treating

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Steve’s Website: https://stevenchayes.com/

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Thank you all for checking out the episode! Here are some ways to help support Mentally Flexible:

You can help cover some of the costs of running the podcast by donating a cup of coffee! www.buymeacoffee.com/mentallyflexible

Please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It only takes 30 seconds and plays an important role in being able to get new guests.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mentally-flexible/id1539933988

Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomparkestherapy

Check out my song “Glimpse at Truth” that you hear in the intro/outro of every episode: https://tomparkes.bandcamp.com/track/glimpse-at-truth

Check out my new album, Holding Space! https://open.spotify.com/album/0iOcjZQhmAhYtjjq3CTpwQ?si=nemiLnELTsGGExjfy8B6iw

Tamara Hubbard, MA, LCPC, is a licensed clinical professional counselor with more than 20 years of clinical experience. She specializes in helping parents of children with food allergies find the balance between managing anxiety and living fully. An active allied health member of professional allergy and immunology organizations, Tamara is a national speaker and has created several widely used resources within the allergy community. She is also the author of May Contain Anxiety: Managing the Overwhelm of Parenting Children with Food Allergies.

Some of the topics we explore include:

-Tamara’s own experience parenting a child with food allergies shaped her work as a therapist

-How ACT informs her clinical approach and writing

-Balancing appropriate safety precautions with quality of life, flexibility, and values-based living

-Common clinical challenges families face, including post-diagnosis overwhelm, school transitions, OCD, eating disorders, and more

-How parents can model healthier coping for their children, collaborate effectively with allergy care teams, and help kids build resilience rather than fear-driven identities

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Tamara’s Website: https://www.tamarahubbardlcpc.com/

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Thank you all for checking out the episode! Here are some ways to help support Mentally Flexible:

You can help cover some of the costs of running the podcast by donating a cup of coffee! www.buymeacoffee.com/mentallyflexible

Please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It only takes 30 seconds and plays an important role in being able to get new guests.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mentally-flexible/id1539933988

Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomparkestherapy

Check out my song “Glimpse at Truth” that you hear in the intro/outro of every episode: https://tomparkes.bandcamp.com/track/glimpse-at-truth

Check out my new album, Holding Space! https://open.spotify.com/album/0iOcjZQhmAhYtjjq3CTpwQ?si=nemiLnELTsGGExjfy8B6iw

My guest today is Paul Eastwick, a social psychologist and professor at the University of California, Davis, whose research focuses on attraction, romantic relationships, and the gap between what we think we want and what actually unfolds in real life. His latest book, Bonded by Evolution, challenges a lot of common assumptions about dating and compatibility.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why many of our inherited “rules” about attraction—like mate value, having a type, or alpha/beta dynamics—don’t hold up in real life
• How attraction is far more dynamic and often grows over time rather than appearing instantly
• The gap between what people say they want in a partner and who they actually choose
• How context (social environments, timing, even a first kiss) plays a powerful role in shaping connection
• What dating apps get wrong—and why real-life networks and shared spaces matter more than we think
• How loosening rigid expectations allows attraction and relationships to unfold more naturally

Thank you all for checking out the episode! Here are some ways to help support Mentally Flexible:

You can help cover some of the costs of running the podcast by donating a cup of coffee! www.buymeacoffee.com/mentallyflexible

Please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It only takes 30 seconds and plays an important role in being able to get new guests.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mentally-flexible/id1539933988

Follow me on Instagram: @tomparkestherapy

Check out my song “Glimpse at Truth” that you hear in the intro/outro of every episode: https://tomparkes.bandcamp.com/track/glimpse-at-truth

Check out my new album, Holding Space! https://open.spotify.com/album/0iOcjZQhmAhYtjjq3CTpwQ?si=nemiLnELTsGGExjfy8B6iw