Connection Therapy Podcast

Connection Therapy Podcast

This is a podcast about the craft of psychotherapy. We share research about the science and stories about the art of psychology. Together we explore topics so you can better understand psychology, and if you are a therapist, we share ways you might want to apply these findings to benefit your practice. Listen to the Connection Therapy Podcast today to broaden your skills and community.

Looking for something specific? We cover a wide range of topics, so we’ve created playlists to help you find what interests you.

Recent Episodes

For decades, the cognitive model has shaped therapy with the idea that our thoughts determine how we feel and behave. But new research suggests the opposite may be true—that emotions might actually be in the driver’s seat. In this episode, Dr. Brenda Murrow takes a closer look at a newly published article, “Primary Appraisal Is...
In this episode of the Connection Therapy Podcast, host Dr. Brenda Murrow explores what surprising new research on goats can teach us about human connection and therapy. Two recent studies shed light on how these social animals respond to emotional cues, offering valuable lessons for anyone working in a helping profession. The first study, published...
What we show on the outside doesn’t always reflect what’s happening on the inside—but sometimes the signals are there if we know how to read them. In this episode, Dr. Brenda explores her curiosity about the connection between behaviors, especially in children, and what’s happening internally for survivors of trauma. She draws from polyvagal theory...
Working with children can be challenging, especially when they are experiencing emotional struggles. In this episode, Dr. Brenda Murrow examines how children decode emotions in voices and what this means for supporting their social and emotional development through therapy. Drawing on a 2023 study published in Cerebral Cortex, Dr. Murrow highlights how a child’s ability...
In this episode of the Connection Therapy Podcast, Dr. Brenda Murrow explores the concept of voice prosody — the way something is said beyond the words themselves. Prosody includes the tone, pitch, rhythm, and other vocal qualities that carry emotional meaning and influence how language is experienced, which has implications for therapy. Dr. Murrow draws...
In this episode of the Connection Therapy Podcast, Dr. Brenda Murrow explores how our most basic emotional systems—shared with other mammals—shape both our behavior and overall well-being. Drawing from the work of Jaak Panksepp, Mark Solms, and Temple Grandin, she breaks down how concepts like allostasis, heart rate variability, and emotional flexibility connect to mental...
In this episode, Brenda explores the often-overlooked mismatch between what clients say and what they do. It’s a common experience in therapy: insight is there, but behavior doesn’t shift. This conversation dives into why that happens—and how unconscious motivation plays a powerful role in human behavior. Grounding the conversation with contributions from the work of...
In this episode, Dr. Brenda Murrow shares how learning from Dr. Rachaël Draaisma, an expert in horse behavior, has changed the way she shows up in the therapy room. What started as curiosity turned into a deeper appreciation for the power of observation, body awareness, and learning from unexpected places. Brenda talks about what it...
In part three of her conversation with Dr. Rachaël Draaisma, Brenda dives straight into one of the most persistent myths in the horse world: that chewing always means a horse is thinking—or being submissive. Turns out, it’s not that simple. Dr. Draaisma helps us unpack what chewing actually communicates and why assuming a single meaning...
In today’s episode Brenda continues her conversation with Dr. Rachaël Draaisma. In part two of this discussion, they move deeper into what it means to support emotional health in animals—not just by shaping their behavior, but by helping them feel safe, curious, and motivated from within. Dr. Draaisma shares how she builds training sessions that...

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