A quick note for ABCT attendees: Paul and Ray are getting ready for the ABCT Conference in Baltimore, Maryland! Stop by the Psyched to Practice booth at Booth 305 at the Baltimore Convention Center and Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor. Paul will be there Friday, and Ray will be there Saturday and Sunday. Come say hello, enter the raffle, and pick up some P2P merchandise!

What happens when gratitude becomes another item on your to-do list? In this throwback episode, Paul Wagner and Dr. Ray Christner explore the difference between performing gratitude and actually experiencing it. They discuss how gratitude connects to our values, why turning it into a measurable goal can sometimes miss the point, and how we can make space for appreciation even when life feels difficult.

You’ll also hear practical ways to bring these ideas into therapy, including how to help clients recognize meaningful moments without dismissing their struggles. Plus, Paul and Ray introduce the Three Breaths of Gratitude, a simple exercise focused on appreciating someone who supported you, something that challenged you, and something about yourself.

Website:

https://www.learn.psychedtopractice.com

Social Media:

https://www.facebook.com/PsychedToPractice

https://www.instagram.com/psychedtopractice/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/psyched-to-practice/

“Be well, and stay psyched"

AI chatbots are becoming more than homework helpers. For many teenagers, they’re turning into confidants, sources of emotional support, and even substitutes for human relationships. But what happens when young people start relying on AI to navigate loneliness, anxiety, and other mental health concerns?

In this episode of Beyond the Bot, Dan Florell and Adam Lockwood explore the growing use of AI companions among young people and what mental health professionals need to understand. They discuss why teenagers may find chatbots so appealing, how AI’s tendency to agree and provide reassurance could reinforce existing mental health symptoms, and the potential impact on social development and real-world relationships.

But it’s not all negative. The conversation also explores how AI could provide opportunities for social skills practice, psychoeducation, and support for young people who struggle to connect with their peers.

Most importantly, Dan and Adam discuss why mental health professionals need to start asking teenagers about their AI use without judgment. As AI becomes a bigger part of young people’s lives, understanding how they’re using it may become an important part of understanding their mental health.

Website:

https://www.learn.psychedtopractice.com

Social Media:

https://www.facebook.com/PsychedToPractice

https://www.instagram.com/psychedtopractice/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/psyched-to-practice/

“Be well, and stay psyched"

What if the games already sitting in your therapy office could do more than help kids pass the time?

In this episode of Psyched to Practice, Paul Wagner and Dr. Ray Christner explore how therapists can use everyday games, improv activities, and metaphors to teach practical clinical skills. From using Jenga to practice emotional regulation and manage impulsivity to using chess to build executive functioning skills, they share ways to turn familiar activities into meaningful learning experiences.

You’ll hear how a simple deck of cards can encourage perspective-taking, how magic tricks can build critical thinking, and how improv exercises can help kids approach problems from new angles. They also discuss using games like Perfection to explore frustration, performance anxiety, and coping with unexpected outcomes.

The conversation goes beyond choosing the right activity. Paul and Ray explain why therapists need to identify the skill they want to teach, recognize meaningful moments during play, and help clients apply what they learn to everyday situations.

Whether you work with children, adolescents, or adults, this episode offers practical ideas for making therapy more engaging while keeping clinical goals at the center.

Website:

https://www.learn.psychedtopractice.com

Social Media:

https://www.facebook.com/PsychedToPractice

https://www.instagram.com/psychedtopractice/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/psyched-to-practice/

“Be well, and stay psyched"

What if you could turn a collection of research papers into a podcast, create practice questions from professional guidelines, or build an infographic from dozens of sources? In this episode of Beyond the Bot, Dan Florell and Adam Lockwood explore the features of Google’s NotebookLM and show how it can change the way mental health professionals learn, organize information, and share knowledge.

They demonstrate how to create AI-generated audio overviews, ask questions during an interactive audio discussion, generate video summaries, build flashcards and quizzes, and organize research with infographics and mind maps. They also discuss how these tools could support exam preparation, professional development, and accessible educational resources for families and students.

The conversation also highlights an important distinction: AI can make information easier to understand, but that doesn’t mean its output should be trusted without review. Dan and Adam explain why these tools may be useful for everyday learning while requiring greater care when working with high-stakes information, such as psychological reports and educational decisions.

If you’re a mental health professional, school psychologist, educator, or graduate student looking for practical ways to use AI in your work, this episode offers plenty of ideas to explore.

Website:

https://www.learn.psychedtopractice.com

Social Media:

https://www.facebook.com/PsychedToPractice

https://www.instagram.com/psychedtopractice/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/psyched-to-practice/

“Be well, and stay psyched"

CBT has strong research behind it, but does that mean it’s the right approach for every client? And what should therapists do when progress stalls?

In this episode of Psyched to Practice, Paul Wagner and Dr. Ray Christner explore the limits of cognitive behavioral therapy and why effective treatment sometimes requires a different perspective. They discuss how case conceptualization, supervision, and the client’s environment can shape treatment outcomes, along with the risks of labeling someone as treatment resistant.

You’ll also hear how therapists can integrate psychodynamic, existential, and somatic approaches into their work without abandoning their primary therapeutic framework. From understanding the role of shame and guilt to recognizing when a client’s environment needs to change, this conversation challenges clinicians to look beyond symptoms and consider the full picture.

If you’ve ever struggled to understand why a client isn’t responding to treatment as expected, this episode offers practical ways to rethink your approach, recognize when something isn’t working, and find a better path forward.

Website:

https://www.learn.psychedtopractice.com

Social Media:

https://www.facebook.com/PsychedToPractice

https://www.instagram.com/psychedtopractice/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/psyched-to-practice/

“Be well, and stay psyched"

What if you could ask questions about hundreds of research articles, find the exact sources behind an AI-generated answer, and even turn your reading materials into a podcast? In this episode of Beyond the Bot: AI and Mental Health, Dan Florell and Adam Lockwood explore Gemini Notebook, formerly known as NotebookLM, and what source-based AI could mean for mental health professionals and school psychologists.

Dan and Adam walk through practical ways to use this tool to organize research, review professional guidelines, support psychological report writing, find citations for research papers, and create shared knowledge libraries for teams. They also discuss how AI can help professionals spend less time searching through documents and more time applying what they learn.

But there’s an important catch: AI is only as reliable as the information it uses, and being able to trace an answer back to a source doesn’t mean you should automatically trust it. Dan and Adam explain why checking citations, choosing strong research, and protecting confidential information remain essential.

Whether you’re a school psychologist, counselor, researcher, or other mental health professional, this episode offers practical ideas for using AI more thoughtfully in your work.

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To hear more and stay up to date with Paul Wagner, MS, LPC and Ray Christner, Psy.D., NCSP, ABPP visit our website at:

http://www.psychedtopractice.com

“Be well, and stay psyched"

Psyched to Practice is teaming up with Guilford Press to create new ways for mental health professionals to learn from some of the most respected authors and clinical resources in the field.

In this episode, Paul and Ray talk about what led to the partnership, how Guilford’s extensive collection of mental health books can become new learning opportunities, and why they believe professional development can be more interactive and connected to real clinical practice.

They also share a preview of an upcoming professional book club that will combine reading, discussion, continuing education, and the chance to ask questions directly to the author. Rather than simply reading a book and moving on, participants will have opportunities to discuss the material, explore how it applies to practice, and earn CE credit along the way.

The first books will be announced soon, along with more details about how you can take part.

Psyched to Practice + Guilford Press

We’re excited to partner with Guilford Press to bring you more opportunities to learn from leading authors and experts in mental health and school psychology. Through this collaboration, we’ll be developing new webinars, podcast content, and continuing education opportunities that connect great professional resources with practical clinical learning.

Read the Press Release →

Website:

https://www.learn.psychedtopractice.com

Social Media:

https://www.facebook.com/PsychedToPractice

https://www.instagram.com/psychedtopractice/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/psyched-to-practice/

“Be well, and stay psyched"

AI is moving into mental health practice at a pace that is hard to ignore.

In this episode of Beyond the Bot, Dan Florell and Adam Lockwood look beyond AI report writers and talk about how psychologists, school psychologists, and other mental health professionals are actually using AI in their work. They discuss the rapid growth in adoption, the role AI is playing in reports, treatment plans, recommendations, emails, documentation, and other everyday tasks, and what current research is beginning to tell us.

They also tackle some of the concerns that come with this shift, including confidentiality, bias, environmental impact, hallucinations, and the risk of relying too heavily on technology.

One of the bigger questions throughout the conversation is whether AI should simply give us answers or become something closer to a working partner. Dan and Adam discuss how customization, feedback, professional judgment, and psychology-specific tools may shape the way AI fits into clinical practice.

The technology is moving quickly. The question for mental health professionals is how we use it without giving up the knowledge, judgment, and responsibility that still belong to us.

Brightminds Ad

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This episode is brought to you by PAR.

Explore the AI Report Writer here:

https://www.parinc.com/product/ai-report-writer?utm_campaign=38111624-Psyched%20to%20Practice%202026&utm_source=P2P%20Podcast&utm_medium=Related%20Podcasts

Learn more about the RIAS-2 NU here:

https://www.parinc.com/product/groups/rias-rist-assessments?utm_campaign=38111624-Psyched%20to%20Practice%202026&utm_source=P2P%20Podcast&utm_medium=Related%20Podcasts

To hear more and stay up to date with Paul Wagner, MS, LPC and Ray Christner, Psy.D., NCSP, ABPP visit our website at:

http://www.psychedtopractice.com

“Be well, and stay psyched"