School of Psych | Insightful interviews and stories about psychology, culture, and relationships.

Dr. Colleen Mullen knows that breaking free from a bad situation isn’t always smooth sailing. Scapegoated and physically abused in her childhood home, she had to find her own ways of solace and escape until striking out on her own at age 17.

Find out how Colleen reached escape velocity with the help of a therapist and the inspiration of her father…a man who struggled with the disabling strictures of childhood polio.

Colleen reac...

Dr. Janina Scarlet may not be faster than a speeding bullet or able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but she knows a thing or two about superheroes. Instead of x-ray vision or super speed, her superpowers include compassion, courage, and empathy. 

Author of the upcoming book ‘Superhero Therapy’, due out in late 2016, Janina has worked with active duty military service members and civilians by using the power of stories, c...

Sara Eckel was a self-improvement guinea pig. As a freelance writer for women’s magazines and a single woman in her 30s, she talked to psychologists, coaches, yoga teachers, and even took an acting class in a quest to figure out why she was still single and what to do about it. At age 39, without a serious boyfriend in eight years, one man actually looked at her and said: “What’s wrong with you?”

The answer to that question is the ...

Jocelyn Charnas, PhD is New York’s “Wedding Doctor”, but it hasn’t always been bouquets and bridal gowns for her along the way. Jocelyn shares her journey on how she went from a reluctant bride ready to slap on her sneakers for a quick “I do” at City Hall for her own wedding to counseling couples through the stresses and strains of their big wedding day.

Jocelyn runs a private practice in Manhattan and has been interviewed for the...

For Margee Kerr, PhD, dangling from the ledge of a 1,000 ft. tall tower with nothing but a harness, a carabiner, and an odd set of safety instructions is just another day in the life. Whether it’s hanging out in haunted prisons, trekking the globe to find the world’s tallest and fastest rollercoasters, or contemplating life and death in Japan’s Suicide Forest, Margee investigates the effects of fear on our minds, bodies, and brains...

Lisa A. Phillips knows first-hand how love can make us do some crazy things. The summer she turned 30, she found herself in the throes of romantic obsession with a man who didn’t love her back.

From there, Lisa’s personality took a dark turn into becoming someone she didn’t recognize. She would talk about him frequently, call him compulsively, and one day snuck into his apartment building to be met with a moment and a confrontatio...

Welcome to the School of Psych psychology podcast, featuring insightful interviews and stories about psychology, culture, and relationships from amazing experts with great stories to tell and meaningful wisdom to share.  

I'm your host, Jared DeFife, Ph.D., a therapist and personal storytelling consultant in Atlanta, GA. Every other week, I'll bring you episodes that are less about giving "5 simple tips for a great marriage" and mor...