Dr Aaron Kaplan, 438 Hobron Lane Suite 311, Honolulu, HI (2025)

11/07/2025

Episode 83: AI and the Future of Psychotherapy, with Dr. Nya Smith

In this episode of MindTricks Radio, Dr. Kaplan and Dr. Nya Smith dive into a lively and at times heated conversation about the future of artificial intelligence in psychotherapy. With Dr. Smith’s full consent, the discussion itself was generated through AI using cloned versions of both hosts’ voices. The episode takes a bold look at the rapidly changing landscape of mental health technology and challenges listeners to consider where AI fits in the world of human connection and healing.

Together, Dr. Kaplan and Dr. Smith explore some of the most provocative questions facing the field. Can AI simulate empathy well enough to support real therapeutic change? Where does simulated presence break down when compared to the felt, intuitive experience between two people? How should clinicians think about ethics, emotional nuance, and the potential for AI to reshape access to care? Their debate moves from the promise of AI supported CBT to the limits of deep relational work and the risks that emerge when technology begins to feel almost human.

This is a nuanced and evolving topic, one that is sure to stir strong feelings among therapists, technologists, and anyone curious about the future of mental health care. The conversation is candid, cordial, and intellectually charged. Whether you are excited about AI or deeply skeptical, this episode will leave you thinking about where we are headed and what role human connection should play in a world where our digital tools are becoming more emotionally convincing every day.

Podcast Episode · Mind Tricks Radio · 11/07/2025 · 32m

11/07/2025

Artificial intelligence is pushing deeper into the mental health world, and it is forcing all of us to reconsider what therapy actually is. Tools like Woebot and Wysa are already helping people regulate anxiety and depression at any hour of the day. They are accessible, consistent, and often surprisingly effective for certain types of distress. When someone feels calmer at two in the morning after talking to a chatbot, it raises an important question about whether the power of therapy comes from the content of the interaction or from the human presence behind it....

Artificial intelligence is pushing deeper into the mental health world, and it is forcing all of us to reconsider what therapy actually is. Tools like Woebot and Wysa are already helping people regulate anxiety and depression at any hour of the day. They are accessible, consistent, and often surpris...

11/03/2025

Episode 82: Understanding and Supporting Children Who Grieve

In today’s episode of MindTricks Radio, I sit down with veteran grief counselor and author Cynthia White to explore how children experience and heal from loss. Drawing from over four decades of work with grieving children and families, Cynthia shares her “quantum model” of grief—an approach that views grief as living energy in the body, best understood through movement, play, and connection.

Together, we unpack the differences between how children and adults grieve, the importance of honesty and safety in supporting young mourners, and the transformative power of allowing children to express emotion in their own way. Cynthia also reflects on the founding of Kids Hurt Too Hawaii, her years leading grief programs across the U.S. and Japan, and the universal human need to be seen, comforted, and believed in after loss.

This heartfelt conversation offers parents, teachers, and clinicians fresh insight into the world of childhood grief—and reminds us that sharing grief is, in itself, an act of love and strength.

Podcast Episode · Mind Tricks Radio · 11/03/2025 · 1h 3m

11/03/2025

Few experiences are more difficult to witness than a grieving child. Adults often feel helpless, uncertain of what to say or how to provide comfort. Yet, as clinician and grief expert Cynthia White has shown through decades of work with bereaved children, grief in childhood follows its own unique patterns. It is rooted not in words or reasoning but in the body, energy, and movement....

Few experiences are more difficult to witness than a grieving child. Adults often feel helpless, uncertain of what to say or how to provide comfort. Yet, as clinician and grief expert Cynthia White has shown through decades of work with bereaved children, grief in childhood follows its own unique pa...

10/17/2025

When people hear “PTSD,” they often picture combat veterans or first responders — those who’ve faced life-threatening situations and come home with invisible scars. But as Dr. Tyler Ralston and I explored in our recent Mind Tricks Radio conversation, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is both broader and more misunderstood than most realize. It’s one of the few mental health conditions that requires an ...

When people hear “PTSD,” they often picture combat veterans or first responders — those who’ve faced life-threatening situations and come home with invisible scars. But as Dr. Tyler Ralston and I explored in our recent Mind Tricks Radio conversation, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is both br...

10/17/2025

Episode 81: PTSD and Differential Diagnosis, with guest co-host Dr. Tyler Ralston

In this episode of Mind Tricks Radio, I meet up with guest co-host Dr. Tyler Ralston for a fast-moving deep dive into one of the most recognize, and often misunderstood, diagnoses in mental health: PTSD. Together they trace its fascinating evolution from “shell shock” and “combat fatigue” to today’s broader understanding that trauma comes in many forms. Then they get practical, unpacking what really counts as trauma, what the four PTSD symptom clusters look like in real life, and how to tell PTSD apart from its close cousins: acute stress disorder, adjustment disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia, depression, even OCD.

Whether you’re a clinician, a student, or just curious about why the word trauma seems to be everywhere, this episode will leave you smarter about how clinicians actually diagnose, and sometimes misdiagnose, post-traumatic stress.

Podcast Episode · Mind Tricks Radio · 10/17/2025 · 52m

10/11/2025

Episode 80: How Exposure to Different Cultures Expands the Mind, with Dr. Aditi Subramaniam

What happens in the brain when we step outside our cultural bubble? In this week’s episode of Mind Tricks Radio, I sit down with neuroscientist and science writer Dr. Aditi Subramaniam to explore how cross-cultural experiences literally reshape the mind. From creativity and cognitive flexibility to empathy and resilience, we dig into the neuroscience behind what happens when we immerse ourselves in unfamiliar languages, customs, and perspectives.

Dr. Subramaniam, who trained at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences in India and now works with the Neuroscience Education Institute, shares fascinating insights about how bilingualism sharpens cognition, how rituals act as “neural training,” and why diverse cultural exposure can reduce prejudice and expand empathy. It’s an engaging, hopeful conversation about what it means to stay mentally agile in an increasingly interconnected world.

Tune in for a lively blend of psychology, culture, and neuroscience, and discover why broadening your cultural horizons might be the best brain workout you’ll ever have.

Podcast Episode · Mind Tricks Radio · 10/11/2025 · 38m

10/11/2025

What actually happens in your brain when you step outside your cultural comfort zone? In this episode of Mind Tricks Radio, I sit down with neuroscientist and science writer Dr. Aditi Subramaniam to explore how immersing yourself in different cultures can literally rewire the brain — expanding creativity, empathy, and mental flexibility. Drawing from her background in neuroscience and her own life as someone who’s lived between India and the U.S., Dr....

What actually happens in your brain when you step outside your cultural comfort zone? In this episode of Mind Tricks Radio, I sit down with neuroscientist and science writer Dr. Aditi Subramaniam to explore how immersing yourself in different cultures can literally rewire the brain — expanding cre...

10/07/2025

Mind Tricks Radio Podcast Episode 79: I Feel Therefore It's True: Deconstructing Emotional Reasoning, with guest co-host Dr. Tyler Ralston.

Ever catch yourself thinking, “I feel anxious, so something must be wrong” or “I feel guilty, so I must’ve screwed up”? In this episode, Dr. Aaron and Dr. Tyler Ralston unpack the sneaky distortion known as emotional reasoning—the habit of mistaking feelings for facts. They dive into how anxiety, guilt, and anger can trick us into believing our emotions are evidence of truth, explore why our brains fall for it, and share practical tools to break the cycle. From everyday examples to mindfulness and cognitive reframing, this episode will help you learn to see emotions as data, notdirectives.

Podcast Episode · Mind Tricks Radio · 10/07/2025 · 33m

09/26/2025

Episode 78: Core Principles for Psychological Well-Being, with Dr. Noam Shpancer

Today I had a blast interviewing Dr. Noam Shpancer on this episode of Mind Tricks Radio. We talked about his upcoming book, Mental Fitness 101: Principles for Psychological Well-Being, and the timeless psychological lessons he’s distilled from decades of research, teaching, and clinical work. Dr. Shpancer explained how good mental health rests on two fundamental human needs: the need to belong and the need to be. From there, he shared practical principles that can help anyone strengthen their psychological resilience—embracing knowledge and competence, honoring but not overvaluing experience, developing flexibility instead of rigidity, and learning to face fear directly rather than avoiding it.

What I loved most about this interview is how Dr. Shpancer makes these big ideas both accessible and immediately useful. He broke down how to manage emotions without being ruled by them, why we should treat our thoughts like “shoes in a store,” and how love, attachment, and even awareness of mortality can guide us toward a healthier and more meaningful life. Our conversation was both insightful and fun, with plenty of memorable examples and a few laughs along the way. If you’re looking for wisdom you can put into practice right now, this episode is a great place to start.

Podcast Episode · Mind Tricks Radio · 09/26/2025 · 1h 2m

Dr Aaron Kaplan

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