SuperPsyched with Dr. Adam Dorsay

Dr. Adam Dorsay, psychologist and host of the SuperPsyched podcast, reflects on attending his 40th high school reunion and argues that reunions can be emotionally activating yet healing, echoing Frank McCourt’s idea that they reveal who you are now and who you were then. He shares key takeaways: many classmates were silently suffering in high school (family problems, neglect, loneliness, anxiety, abuse, substance issues, and even being unhoused), and nearly everyone has since faced humbling life challenges such as divorce, illness, or addiction, creating unexpected similarities and deeper connection. He notes the poignancy of classmates who have died, the energy of reconnecting, and the value of organizers’ choices (outdoor venue, quiet music, good lighting, and photo name tags). He encourages staying in touch sooner than every 10 years and reaching out via social media or Zoom to build friendships.
00:00 Welcome to SuperPsyched
00:28 Why Reunions Matter
00:50 Frank McCourt Wisdom
02:23 The Reunion Reality Check
03:44 Takeaway One Shared Suffering
05:57 Takeaway Two Life Humility
07:17 Distance and Missing Classmates
08:23 Loss and In Memoriam
10:09 The Night’s Energy
11:34 Organizer Tips That Work
12:59 Stay in Touch Sooner
13:51 Final Encouragement and Goodbye

Dr. Adam Dorsay introduces SuperPsyched and interviews board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Zeshaan Maan about myths and realities of plastic surgery and its psychological impact. Maan explains “plastic” comes from Greek for molding and shaping, and describes plastic surgery as restoring form and function through principles of tissue handling and blood supply. He discusses the demands of training and long operations, self-care, and the team required in the OR and office. Maan frames cosmetic surgery as aligning external appearance with internal identity, citing breast reduction as especially high-ROI for quality of life and explaining motivations and outcomes for breast augmentation and rhinoplasty, including functional breathing benefits. He describes evaluating patient motivations, screening for body dysmorphic disorder and social-media-driven expectations, and declining inappropriate requests. Maan also shares volunteer work operating on children in Israel and the West Bank, and ends by naming empathy as the key skill to reduce conflict.
00:00 Welcome to SuperPsyched
00:28 Why Plastic Surgery
01:44 Meet Dr Zeshaan Maan
02:51 What Plastic Surgery Means
04:06 Choosing the Specialty
06:01 Training and Stamina
08:23 Self Care and Music
09:47 The OR Teamwork
12:52 Psychology and ROI
13:57 Breast Reduction Benefits
15:42 Breast Augmentation Outcomes
17:14 Rhinoplasty Stories
19:35 Form Meets Function
21:05 Screening Dysmorphia
23:14 Social Media Pressures
25:04 When Surgeons Say No
27:39 Humanitarian Reconstructive Work
30:00 Misconceptions and Reality
35:31 Not Just Skin Deep
38:47 Empathy and Farewell

Helpful Links:
Dr. Zeshaan Maan
Dr. Zeshaan Maan LinkedIn
Dr. Zeshaan Maan Instagram

Dr. Adam Dorsay introduces SuperPsyched and highlights that women have ADHD yet up to 75% may be undiagnosed, then interviews psychologist Dr. Michelle Frank, co-author of A Radical Guide for Women with ADHD. They discuss why girls and women are often overlooked, the relief and grief that can accompany later-in-life diagnosis, and how medication should feel supportive rather than numbing or euphoric amid stigma. Frank describes how ADHD can be misattributed to character, the need to rule out or address co-occurring issues (depression, anxiety, trauma/PTSD, sleep disorders, head injury), and women-specific considerations including PMDD, postpartum risk, and hormonal impacts across the menstrual cycle and menopause. Frank shares her own late-recognized ADHD experiences, masking and imposter syndrome, and notes children with ADHD may receive 20,000 more negative comments by age 10. They outline multimodal supports for a teen diagnosis (curious adults, accommodations, coaching, therapy, family validation), emphasize avoiding shame spirals when symptoms recur, and recommend learning about ADHD, connecting with community, self-compassion, and taking small risks toward vulnerability.
00:00 Welcome to SuperPsyched
00:28 Women and Undiagnosed ADHD
01:09 Meet Michelle Frank
04:21 Late Diagnosis Relief and Grief
07:40 Medication That Fits
08:27 Stigma and Self Blame
11:16 Ruling Out Lookalikes
12:47 Hormones PMDD and Menopause
16:51 Michelles ADHD Journey
22:59 Imposter Syndrome and Masking
27:24 Negativity Bias and Shame
29:05 Susie Treatment Roadmap
34:47 Practical Tips and Connection
36:41 Final Insight Vulnerability
38:13 Closing and Share
Helpful Links:
Michelle Frank, PhD
Michelle Frank, PhD LinkedIn
A Radical Guide for Women with ADHD Book

Dr. Adam Dorsay hosts University of Virginia behavioral scientist and engineering/architecture professor Dr. Lediy Klotz to discuss Klotz’s book In a Good Place on how spaces affect psychology and how people can thrive by making small, actionable changes. They explore habituation and the idea that subtracting (removing obstacles, noise, or clutter) can improve environments, including using available outdoor space differently (like eating outside). Klotz emphasizes agency as a core psychological need, citing a nursing home study where residents allowed to customize their rooms were 50% more likely to be alive 18 months later, and discusses regaining agency when it’s constrained (e.g., sealed hotel windows). They examine space and dominance in negotiation and sports (goalkeepers, Emiliano Martínez), intentional design to foster interaction (Pixar), “space before screen,” and Klotz shares the loss of his daughter Josie and creating “Josie’s Way” as a memorial space.
00:00 Welcome to SuperPsyched
00:28 Why Spaces Feel Good
00:47 Meet Dr Lediy Klotz
02:09 Arrive Early Hack
03:16 The Research Behind It
04:38 Five Years to Write
05:56 Spaces Shape Psychology
07:06 Small Tweaks Big Control
09:04 Subtract to Improve Space
10:04 Eat Outside Reframe
12:08 Designing Outdoor Space
12:56 Office Choices and Agency
15:33 Defining Agency in Space
16:55 Soccer and Agency Lessons
18:31 Goalie Mindset and Space
20:18 Owning the Penalty Area
22:22 Agency Life or Death Study
24:18 Mandela Garden Agency
25:40 Churchill Shapes Commons
26:49 Designing Serendipity
30:01 Digital vs Real Space
31:17 Space Before Screen
32:41 Grief and Boundaries
35:18 Josies Way Memorial
38:50 Spirit Lives in Stories
40:22 Josie Joke Punchline
43:49 Miracle Skill Reaction
46:25 Closing Thanks Farewell
Helpful Links:
Lediy Klotz, PhD
Lediy Klotz, PhD Linked
InIn a Good Place Book

Host Dr. Adam Dorsay interviews developmental psychologist Dr. Alexis Redding, faculty co-chair of higher education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and editor of Mental Health in College, about supporting college student mental health. Redding explains the book emerged from connecting experts who cared about students but weren’t in conversation, and argues mental health support matters for student engagement, belonging, retention, and the broader developmental work colleges can foster. Drawing on archival interviews from the 1940s and 1970s and contemporary studies of the classes of 2025–2026, she finds core emotions like loneliness and insecurity during transitions remain consistent across generations, despite changes like COVID and social media. She recommends avoiding a constant crisis narrative, training staff to ask clarifying questions about clinical language, and replacing “kids these days” and “best four years” stories with more nuance and vulnerability.
00:00 Welcome to SuperPsyched
00:49 Meet Alexis Redding
02:16 Why This Book Exists
04:56 Mental Health Pays Off
07:55 Loneliness Then and Now
10:37 Roommate Mirror Effect
13:45 Transitions Shape Wellbeing
16:46 Are Kids Really Different
20:33 TikTok Therapy Language
26:18 Stop the Crisis Narrative
29:29 Ditch Kids These Days
35:26 Archeology and Connection
38:43 Vulnerability as the Skill
43:16 Closing Thanks and Subscribe
Helpful Links:
Dr. Alexis Redding
Mental Health in College - What Research Tells Us About Supporting Students Book
Dr. Alexis Redding Instagram