Hands holding together, podcast episode about empathy with Dr. Adam Stern & Colter Ray Ph.D.

Psychologically Speaking: Activating Empathy and Other Reward Winning Skills

Original Air Date Wednesday, April 13, 2022 

A cancer or other life-threatening disease diagnosis is a difficult blow to the patient receiving the news. The next steps for the patient include sharing the weight of the news with friends and loved ones. For some, certain expectations of support accompany the disclosure. A response can be difficult because the right thing to say differs from person to person. Is it better in some cases not to say anything and just listen? Our individual personality traits make it difficult to apply a one-size-fits-all communication style to all situations.

But, to explore how we can show up for loved ones as better humans, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host, Lisa Cypers Kamen, speaks with two doctors who research the human condition and communication.

Dr. Adam Stern shares his journey of seeing the doctor-patient relationship change when he received his cancer diagnosis as detailed in his book, Committed: Dispatches from a Psychiatrist in Training.

Dr. Colter Ray studies how human beings support each other during difficult times and the metrics of an emotional scorecard. He shares his findings and offers guidance for those on the receiving end of hard news.

Tune in:

Meet Our Guests:

Psychologically Speaking: Activating Empathy and Other Reward Winning Skills with Dr. Adam Stern & Colter Ray Ph.D.

Adam Stern, MD, is a psychiatrist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He has written extensively about his experience as a physician including in the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of the American Medical Association, and the American Journal of Psychiatry. He lives with his family near Boston.

Book: Committed: Dispatches from a Psychiatrist in Training

Dr. Adam Stern — Activating Empathy:

  • Committed: Dispatches from a Psychiatrist in Training details Adam’s journey from doctor to patient after developing a life-threatening disease. {1:50}
  • The duality of the word ‘committed’ is part of the message Adam intended to relay. {6:36}
  • Adam shares why he chose psychiatry over other types of medicine. {8:18}
  • A terrifying cancer diagnosis comes with an unexpected gift. {10:54}
  • Adam stayed on at Harvard Medical to train new psychiatrists about the empathetic aspects of the profession. {16:39}
  • Psychiatry today is a mix of age-old treatments, neuroscience-based trends, new discoveries in nature, and lifestyle interventions. {22:23}

Follow Dr. Adam Stern:

Psychologically Speaking: Activating Empathy and Other Reward Winning Skills with Dr. Adam Stern & Colter Ray Ph.D.

Dr. Colter Ray is a professor and communication scientist at Louisiana State University whose research focuses on how people support loved ones who have been diagnosed with cancer. His work explores reasons why some attempts to be supportive are viewed negatively by cancer patients, and he also investigates instances when people choose not to communicate with those they know with cancer, and why they make that decision. Colter is also an expert trainer with the organization Empathy Boot Camp — teaching soft skills such as practicing empathy to business and educational leaders.

Colter Ray Ph.D.— Supporting Others During Hard News:

  • Colter describes what led him to research after cancer diagnosis communications. {34:00}
  • There are a variety of reasons people don’t reach out to people they know who receive a cancer diagnosis. {35:37}
  • Why saying the wrong thing during tough times may be better than saying nothing. {38:37}
  • Lisa recalls times when she wasn’t sure quite what to say to a friend in need. {41:14}
  • Showing up for someone can be as simple as being a good listener. {47:11}
  • Colter describes a few of the metrics he will be researching as part of the emotional scorecard many people keep. {50:57}

Follow Colter Ray:

Shareables:

“Connection by way of the written word was powerful to me. So, I started writing and I kept writing.” @adamphilipstern on @HHTalkRadio Share on X “It's a rare person who knows, at the age of 18, what they want to do.” @adamphilipstern on @HHTalkRadio Share on X “Think about who created an indelible mark on your life because of their actions and the things they said and mimic that.” @ColterRay on @HHTalkRadio Share on X “If you are not maintaining a healthy diet, no wonder you might be depressed.” @LisaKamen on @HHTalkRadio Share on X

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