Practical for Your Practice

• Mama Mia, Peachy Keen! Stress as a Team Sport

  Feeling stressed? You’re not alone! And that’s exactly the point of this lively episode of Practical for Your Practice! Hosts Jenna Ermold and Carin Lefkowitz welcome back the always-animated (and self-proclaimed “gesturing Italian”) Dr. Gabriel Paoletti for a refreshingly human take on stress.From cheesesteaks to “mamma mia” stress cues, this conversation dives into how we can rethink stress, not as something to eliminate, but as a signal that something meaningful is at stake. Dr. Paoletti breaks down how stress can actually help performance, especially when we approach it as a shared experience, a “team sport”, instead of a solo battle.Tune in for practical strategies (and a few laughs) on how to build your “stress team,” use humor to stay grounded, and create simple cues that help you, and those around you, catch stress before it catches you.Bonus: Find out why “halloumi” might be the most unexpectedly perfect stress word ever.You can leave us a voice mail message at speakpipe.com/cdpp4p, or send us an email at [email protected]. Your message could be featured in an upcoming episode!Dr. Gabriel Paoletti is the Director of Human Performance Optimization (HPO) Integration and HPRC in support of the Advanced Research for Military Optimization, Readiness, and Rehabilitation (ARMORR) – Consortium for Health and Military Performance (CHAMP), a center at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Maryland. He oversees the strategic and operational components of delivering comprehensive health and performance education on Total Force Fitness and Human Performance Optimization to the DoD and national security community. Over the past 15+ years, Dr. Paoletti has applied the latest human performance research to create and lead over 400 distinct human performance optimization and leadership development programs for audiences throughout the world, ranging from leaders at the Pentagon, Army, Marine, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard service members to Fortune 500 companies, professional athletes, CEO’s and government leaders. Under his leadership, his team has been officially selected to develop holistic human performance curricula for half of the U.S. Armed Forces. Dr. Gabriel Paoletti graduated from Saint Joseph’s University with a double major in economics and philosophy, graduating first in his class in both majors. He received his Master of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and his Doctor of Education in Leadership from Creighton University.Resources mentioned in this episode: https://www.hprc-online.org/mental-fitness/stress/unlock-your-full-potential-hprcs-personal-stress-toolkithttps://www.hprc-online.org/mental-fitness/mental-health/build-your-stress-team Calls-to-action: For example:Identify who is on YOUR stress teamReview the resources from HPRCSubscribe to the Practical for Your Practice PodcastSubscribe to The Center for Deployment Psychology Monthly Email Leave us a question or comment on Speakpipe

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• I'm Not Here to take Your Guns Away: Firearm Safety with Patients

  Suicide prevention isn’t only about assessing current risk for self-harm. It’s also about recognizing that we can’t predict if and when that risk will increase. Patients spend most of their lives outside of our office, and an unexpected crisis can increase their risk of self-directed violence exponentially. The risk may be especially heightened for firearm owners, who have immediate access to a highly lethal method of injury. Fortunately, that risk can be reduced if we simply put a few moments’ delay between impulse and action in the form of secure firearm storage. Yet many clinicians, including our hosts, shy away from that conversation, especially with military-connected patients. Our guest today, Dr. Curt West, offers common sense and clinically sound advice for how to engage in this important discussion. Dr. James “Curt” West is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and a Scientist at the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS). He is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and has presented to the APA on physician and patient conversations on firearm safety. In addition, he has participated in the forum on health and family firearm safety and created an online course for the APA on firearm safety. Dr. West is the host of the podcast “Let’s Talk About Your Guns.” Prior to his work at USUHS, he worked as a military psychiatrist and deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan as an Operational Stress Control and Readiness psychiatrist, and later served as the Deputy Commander of Behavioral Health at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.Resources mentioned in this episode: An article from the APA Monitor, “Navigating Firearm Safety Discussions in Clinical Settings.” https://www.apa.org/monitor/2025/07-08/firearm-safety-clinical-settingsThe BulletPoints Project, a clinical resource for preventing firearm injury www.bulletpointsproject.orgFact sheets published by the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress: www.cstsonline.orgLet’s Talk About Your Guns podcast: https://www.cstsonline.org/suicide-prevention-program/projects/talk-about-gunsPause To Protect, a resource for safely storing firearms: www.pausetoprotect.org Calls-to-action: For example:Explore the resources mentioned in this podcast to learn more about firearm safety and its connection to suicide preventionListen to the “Let’s Talk About Your Guns” podcast to empower yourself to engage in conversations about firearm safety with your patients.Subscribe to the Practical for Your Practice PodcastSubscribe to The Center for Deployment Psychology Monthly Email Leave us a question or comment on Speakpipe

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• Evidence-Based Treatment of Nightmare Disorder: Skeptics Welcome!

  We often think of nightmares as a symptom that occurs as part of another condition, like PTSD or depression. But nightmares can be frequent and disruptive enough that they require their own clinical focus. We currently have 3 gold standard options for treatment: Imagery Rehearsal Therapy; Exposure, Relaxation, and Rescription Therapy; and Lucid Dreaming. Our guest today, Dr. Courtney Worley, introduces us to the diagnosis of Nightmare Disorder, explains why it deserves its own attention, and gives us an overview of the most effective treatments. Join us for a discussion that appeals to sleep nerds and healthy skeptics alike. Dr. Courtney Worley is a Diplomate In Behavioral Sleep Medicine and Board-Certified Clinical Psychologist. She completed her Ph.D. in clinical psychology in 2012 at The University of Alabama with specialized coursework in health and geropsychology. Dr. Worley specializes in providing Evidence Based Psychotherapies for PTSD, Insomnia, Nightmares and Depression. She has an active clinical practice in the Department of Veterans Affairs, at Upward Behavioral Health, and with NOCTEM Health. She is the co-author of The nightmare and sleep disorder toolkit: A workbook to help you get some rest using imagery rehearsal therapy and other evidence based approaches from New Harbinger Publications.Resources mentioned in this episode: The Nightmare and Sleep Disorder Toolkit: A Workbook to Help You Get Some Rest Using Imagery Rehearsal Therapy and Other Evidence-Based Approaches by Courtney Worley and Michael Nadorff.Geoffroy, P. A., Borand, R., Ambar Akkaoui, M., Yung, S., Atoui, Y., Fontenoy, E., Maruani, J., & Lejoyeux, M. (2022). Bad Dreams and Nightmares Preceding Suicidal Behaviors. The Journal of clinical psychiatry, 84(1), 22m14448. https://doi.org/10.4088/JCP.22m14448 Calls-to-action: For example: Routinely ask about nightmares and dreams as part of your clinical assessmentObtain training in at least one of the evidence-based treatments for nightmare disorderSubscribe to the Practical for Your Practice PodcastSubscribe to The Center for Deployment Psychology Monthly Email Leave us a question or comment on Speakpipe or our social media channels

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• Unboxing Season 7

  Welcome back to Practical for Your Practice! In our Season 7 kickoff, hosts Drs. Jenna Ermold, Kevin Holloway, and Carin Lefkowitz set the stage for a new theme: The Seven Sins of Evidence-Based Practice. Inspired by Carin’s favorite film Seven, this season dives into the common pitfalls clinicians face when delivering EBPs and how we can learn, grow, and support each other through them.In this episode, our hosts get candid about their own “sins”:Kevin reflects on the dangers of “EBP stew” – straying from validated protocols without consultation.Carin admits to the “sexy assessment sin” – neglecting routine and thorough assessment, both at intake and throughout treatment.Jenna opens up about perfectionism – the belief that you must be flawless before implementing EBPs, which can hold clinicians back from valuable learning experiences.Together, they emphasize that these “sins” aren’t failings, they’re part of being human and growing as providers. With humor, food analogies, and lots of honesty, the team models how to normalize mistakes, seek consultation, and embrace imperfection on the path to better care.Actionable Intel:Stick close to validated EBP protocols and get consultation to avoid drift.Invest in both initial and ongoing assessment to guide treatment decisions and track progress.Don’t let perfectionism keep you from starting – growth happens in the doing.Join the Conversation: Have your own “EBP sin” to confess? Share your stories with us! Email, leave a voicemail on SpeakPipe, or connect with us on social media. Stay tuned for more episodes this season as our guests share their own challenges, lessons learned, and strategies for avoiding (or recovering from) the Seven Sins of EBP.Until next time—stay curious, and mind your EBPs.Calls-to-action: Share your "EBP sin" via SpeakPipe, email ([email protected]) or on social media Subscribe to the Practical for Your Practice PodcastSubscribe to The Center for Deployment Psychology Monthly Email: https://deploymentpsych.org/CDP-MED-Opt-In

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• Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Do Mental Health Providers Have a Role?

  Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an increasingly common diagnosis. Yet most behavioral health providers are unaware that they can play a role in both the assessment and treatment of OSA in their patients. Today we’re joined by an expert in the subfield of sleep psychology, Dr. Phil Gehrman. He shares basic information about what OSA is, how providers can effectively screen for it, and how they can facilitate treatment for this dangerous condition. Despite what you might have heard before, Dr. Gehrman posits that behavioral health providers can play “a huge potential role that really is untapped.” Dr. Phil Gehrman is Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He directs the Sleep, Neurobiology and Psychopathology lab at Penn. He has an active research program exploring the mechanisms and treatment of sleep and circadian dysregulation in the context of mental health disorders. Dr. Gehrman’s clinical specialization is on the delivery of cognitive behavioral and chronotherapeutic interventions for insomnia, circadian rhythm disorders, and other sleep disorders. The overarching goal of his work is to advance the understanding of the links between sleep and mental illness through translational research that spans biology to therapeutics.Resources mentioned in this episode: STOP Screening tool for Obstructive Sleep Apnea: https://deploymentpsych.org/content/insomnia-toolsMotivational Interviewing for CPAP Adherence: Rapelli G, Pietrabissa G, Manzoni GM, Bastoni I, Scarpina F, Tovaglieri I, Perger E, Garbarino S, Fanari P, Lombardi C and Castelnuovo G (2021) Improving CPAP Adherence in Adults With Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome: A Scoping Review of Motivational Interventions. Front. Psychol. 12:705364. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.705364Motivational Interviewing resources: https://deploymentpsych.org/Clinical-Skills-ResourcesSystematic desensitization: https://www.veterantraining.va.gov/insomnia/docs/PAP_Desensitization.pdfPractical for Your Practice voice mail: speakpipe.com/cdpp4pPractical for Your Practice email: [email protected] Calls-to-action: Incorporate the STOP into your practiceBecome familiar with behavioral and motivational approaches listed aboveConnect with your local sleep medicine clinicReach out to us via Speakpipe with your questions and commentsSubscribe to the Practical for Your Practice PodcastSubscribe to The Center for Deployment Psychology Monthly Email at https://deploymentpsych.org/CDP-MED-Opt-In

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