Best Jonathan Berent Podcasts (2025)

1
Parenting The Socially Phobic & Avoidant Adult: Episode 16 - Mom Resolves “Break Your Heart Syndrome” to “Cure” Selective Mutism 15:21

8d ago15:21

15:21

Think of the last time someone tried to engage your child verbally and there was no response. As a loving parent you want to rescue your child from the stress of this kind of encounter. You probably experienced your own discomfort and anxiety, which typically results in the reflex of rescuing your child (and yourself) by talking or thinking for the…

1
Episode 18: Public Speaking Anxiety & Fear of Being Noticeably Nervous: 7 Figure Salesman Addresses Performance Anxiety 16:55

8d ago16:55

16:55

Hear “Ray” describe his battle and success with performance anxiety and fear of public speaking in an ultra-competitive business. Core work included resolution of embarrassment, shame, and unresolved anger and rage at non-conscious levels. The client evolved from not getting out of bed in the morning due to anxiety and depression to major career ad…

1
Leor Zmigrod on the Ideological Brain 22:27

15d ago22:27

22:27

Flexibility is a cardinal virtue in physical fitness, and according to political psychologist and neuroscientist Leor Zmigrod, it can be a cardinal virtue in our mental health, too. How she came to that conclusion and how common rigid thinking can be are themes explored in her new book, The Ideological Brain. “I think that from all the research tha…

1
David Autor on the Labor Market 27:34

1M ago27:34

27:34

When economic news, especially that revolving around working, gets reported, it tends to get reported in aggregate – the total number of jobs affected or created, the average wage paid, the impact on a defined geographic area. This is an approach labor economist David Autor knows well. But he also knows that the aggregate often masks the effect on …

1
Bruce Hood on the Science of Happiness 24:23

3M ago24:23

24:23

Are university students unhappy? We won’t generalize, but many are, and this was something Bruce Hood noted. Being an experimental psychologist who teaches at the University of Bristol, an opportunity presented itself. Why not start a course on the science of happiness, and while teaching it collect data from the students attending? The resulting c…

1
Parenting The Socially Phobic & Avoidant Adult: Episode 15 - Performance Anxiety, Depression, Medication Dependence, Learning Disability - Freedom from Medicine & the Belief “I Was Born This Way” 10:49

3M ago10:49

10:49

“Mike”, a 26 yr. old ambitious entrepreneur describes his resolution of multiple psychological challenges. With dramatic insight he communicates the impact his special education experience had on his social anxiety and self- esteem. He originally “did not understand what was going on” regarding his panic and anxiety. Before treatment he believed “h…

1
Episode 17: Public Speaking Anxiety & Fear of Being Noticeably Nervous: "“I’d Rather Be Back in Chemotherapy Than Speak in Front of a Group”: Erythrophobia Resolved 7:47

3M ago7:47

7:47

“Carol” an ovarian cancer survivor, and mother of two, describes the intensity of her anxiety. “Cancer shook me to my core. It was just me with the fight of my life vs. with blushing it’s people putting judgment and expectations on me. It’s my bright red burning face larger than life for everyone to see”. The social anxiety-driven blushing made her…

1
Jens Ludwig on American Gun Violence 27:16

4M ago27:16

27:16

Let’s cut to the chase: “The overwhelming majority of murders in the United States involve guns,” says economist Jens Ludwig. “And in fact, most of the difference in overall murder rates between the United States and other countries are due to murders with guns.” This may seem intuitively obvious to outside observers, but studying guns within the U…

1
Parenting The Socially Phobic & Avoidant Adult: Episode 14 - Special Needs Selective Mutism 12 yr Old 6:31

4M ago6:31

6:31

Mom describes how “Jessica” age 12 struggled with selective mutism since age 8. In addition, profound developmental and social challenges were present. “Jessica” developed a system of body language to replace her own voice. Teachers were unable to test for IQ or reading level. She totally shut down with her speech therapist. She was bullied! She to…

1
Episode 16: Public Speaking Anxiety & Fear of Being Noticeably Nervous: Anxiety vs Character Disorder: Alcohol Insights 11:48

4M ago11:48

11:48

In this candid discussion “Mike” describes the “grey cloud over his head” caused by his daily worry regarding public speaking. His primary fear was that his voice would “quiver or shake”. High on the food chain of a small company he had been in a position to become quite proficient at avoiding anxiety inducing situations. His career as a salesman w…

1
Crystal Abidin on Influencers 29:11

4M ago29:11

29:11

A new people has emerged in the digital age, that of ‘internet famous’ celebrities. And that new people has a class of social scientist focused on studying them, the digital anthropologist. Crystal Abidin, a professor at Australia’s Curtin University and founding director of the Influencer Ethnography Research Lab there, is such as digital anthropo…

1
Parenting The Socially Phobic & Avoidant Adult: Episode 13 - "Adult Selective Mutism" 5:07

5M ago5:07

5:07

This is the perfect interview for people who think and wish that the young child will simply outgrow selective mutism. “Mike”, a 35-year old with SM and social anxiety describes his “avoidance of talking” because he thought “he had nothing to say”. He eventually learned this was not true as his belief and behavior were manifestations of obsessive c…

1
Episode 15: Public Speaking Anxiety & Fear of Being Noticeably Nervous: High Performance Use of Beta Blockers 15:07

5M ago15:07

15:07

All too often I encounter patients who have become overly dependent on prescription medication for their social and performance anxiety. A common problem scenario is over-dependence on beta blockers. While this dependence is more psychological than physical, the results can be devastatingly negative. Frequently prescribed for stage fright and perfo…

1
Katy Milkman on How to Change 35:21

5M ago35:21

35:21

Everyone, we assume, wants to be their best person. Few of us, perhaps, none, hits all their marks in this pursuit even if the way toward the goal is generally apparent. If you want to know how to do a better job hitting those marks, whether its walking 10,000 steps, learning Esperanto, or quitting smoking, a good person to consult would be Katy Mi…

1
Parenting The Socially Phobic & Avoidant Adult: Episode 12 - Physician Describes How 5-Year Old Daughter Resolved Selective Mutism 21:40

6M ago21:40

21:40

"It was like a miracle." This interview highlights a comprehensive treatment process, which occurred via telephone and skype. The father describes the steps of The Berent Methodology including; productive diagnostics, empowering parenting, “processing”, which is the challenging, but profoundly important task of helping the child identify thoughts, …

1
Episode 14: Public Speaking Anxiety & Fear of Being Noticeably Nervous: Public Speaking Anxiety Resolved by "Gifted Salesman" 9:47

6M ago9:47

9:47

Robert described his anxiety upon initiating treatment with the following: “As I approached the boardroom I would experience a spiraling effect. I was having bad recurring experiences with anxiety which were getting worse with each challenge. It was horrible because when I was on a speaking cycle of every 2-3 months the anxiety was worse because of…

1
Janet Currie on Improving Our Children’s Futures 24:31

6M ago24:31

24:31

There is a natural desire on the part of governments to ensure that their future citizens -- i.e. their nation's children -- are happy, healthy and productive, and that therefore governments have policies that work to achieve that. But good intentions never guarantee good policies. Here's where economist Janet Currie steps in. Currie is the Henry P…

1
Joshua Greene on Effective Charities 25:23

8M ago25:23

25:23

1
Parenting The Socially Phobic & Avoidant Adult: Episode 11 - 20 Year Old Emerges from Avoidance, Depression, and Primitive Functioning 16:06

8M ago16:06

16:06

Numerous variables can enable primitive functioning, which is defined as “spending the minimal amount of energy required to sustain a baseline lifestyle”. “Baseline” refers to substantially substandard emotional growth and development. In this case the variables include learning challenges which drove performance anxiety, family distress and divorc…

1
Episode 13: Public Speaking Anxiety & Fear of Being Noticeably Nervous: Perfectionism, Public Speaking Dysfunction and Burnout 8:44

8M ago8:44

8:44

Perfectionism is a symptom of obsessive compulsive personality disorder. It is a characteristic of insecurity. The rigidity of perfectionism inhibits flexibility, performance and productivity. It causes “burnout”, which is mental exhaustion, and depression.. “Lauren”, a straight A student at an Ivy League College and high level businesswoman, descr…

1
Julia Ebner on Violent Extremism 23:58

8M ago23:58

23:58

As an investigative journalist, Julia Ebner had the freedom to do something she freely admits that as an academic (the hat she currently wears as postdoctoral researcher at the Calleva Centre for Evolution and Human Sciences at the University of Oxford) she have been proscribed from doing - posing as a recruit to study violent extremist groups. Tha…

1
Parenting The Socially Phobic & Avoidant Adult: Episode 10 - Social Anxiety: The Real & Untold Story - A Deep Clinical Dive 34:35

9M ago34:35

34:35

Welcome. This is Jonathan Berent. I’m going to tell you the real story about social anxiety. You are not going to hear the real story anywhere else. I guarantee you that! This is a deep dive into a complex subject the reality of which remains very misunderstood… so let’s get clinical! KENDRA age 46, mother of two, is a world renown physician who ha…

1
Episode 12: Public Speaking Anxiety & Fear of Being Noticeably Nervous: Social Anxiety: The Real & Untold Story - A Deep Clinical Dive 34:35

9M ago34:35

34:35

Welcome. This is Jonathan Berent. I’m going to tell you the real story about social anxiety. You are not going to hear the real story anywhere else. I guarantee you that! This is a deep dive into a complex subject the reality of which remains very misunderstood… so let’s get clinical! KENDRA age 46, mother of two, is a world renown physician who ha…

1
Nick Camp on Trust in the Criminal Justice System 22:57

10M ago22:57

22:57

The relationship between citizens and their criminal justice systems comes down to just that - relationships. And those relations generally start with essentially one-on-one encounters between law enforcement personnel and individuals, whether those individuals are suspects, victims or witnesses. When those relations get off on the wrong foot - or …

1
Daron Acemoglu on Artificial Intelligence 27:33

11M ago27:33

27:33

Listening to the ongoing debate about artificial intelligence, one could be forgiven for assuming that the technology is either a bogeyman or a savior, with little ground in between. But that’s not the stance of economist Daron Acemoglu, professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the author, with Simon Johnson, of the new book Power…

1
Iris Berent on the Innate in Human Nature 16:48

12M ago16:48

16:48

How much of our understanding of the world comes built-in? More than you’d expect. That’s the conclusion that Iris Berent, a professor of psychology at Northeastern University and head of the Language and Mind Lab there, has come to after years of research. She notes that her students, for example, are “astonished” at how much of human behavior and…

1
Parenting The Socially Phobic & Avoidant Adult: Episode 9 - Depression, Social Inhibition, & Medication Dependence Resolve: "My Quietness in social situations made people feel weird" 6:22

12M ago6:22

6:22

“I avoided social situations; especially ones where I had to walk in by myself. More and more I made excuses to avoid. I had problems with my relationship. I was depressed”. “Vicki” discusses the process of healing.By Jonathan Berent, L.C.S.W.

1
Episode 11: Public Speaking Anxiety & Fear of Being Noticeably Nervous: College Athlete Resolves Social Anxiety and Obsessive Disorder 17:24

12M ago17:24

17:24

“Jack”, a standout golfer, discusses the process by which he resolved his conversation anxiety, social avoidance, and obsessive perfectionism. His healing journey started when his parents initiated treatment when he avoided going to a cocktail party during school vacation. He never would have initiated treatment on his own. His anxiety was driven b…

1
Megan Stevenson on Why Interventions in the Criminal Justice System Don’t Work 21:23

1y ago21:23

21:23

Do policies built around social and behavioral science research actually work? That’s a big, and contentious, question. It’s also almost an existential question for the disciplines involved. It’s also a question that Megan Stevenson, a professor of law and of economics at the University of Virginia School of Law, grapples with as she explores how w…

1
Parenting The Socially Phobic & Avoidant Adult: Episode 8 - A Profile of Anger: Bullied as a Child 9:10

1y ago9:10

9:10

Anger and rage occur at different levels of consciousness. Anger is energy. Unresolved; it recycles and drives obsessive worry , anxiety, and a myriad of problems from substance dependence to pain. Internalized anger causes depression. While it may sound a bit weird, repressed anger is the core emotion which drives panic. “Eric” describes the “ener…

1
Episode 10: Public Speaking Anxiety & Fear of Being Noticeably Nervous: Pharmaceutical Rep Resolves Chronic Public Speaking Phobia and Fear of Being Noticeably Nervous 12:03

1y ago12:03

12:03

“Bill” had achieved a relatively high level of success in sales relying on one to one scenarios and spontaneous interactions with physicians in hospitals. Career pressure and advancement required that he face the anxiety scenarios that he had been very adept at avoiding; group presentations and meetings. In fact he had been avoiding job opportuniti…

1
Rob Ford on Immigration 32:01

1y ago32:01

32:01

1
Episode 9: Public Speaking Anxiety & Fear of Being Noticeably Nervous: "Discovering Self-Nurturing after Decades of Self-Help & Therapy" 6:14

1y ago6:14

6:14

“Richard”, a successful businessman and dedicated family man describes his “core” work of self-acceptance that had been eluding him after experiencing “every type of motivational technique from positive thinking to programming your unconscious”. His long term struggle with social anxiety grew out of his “conflict with authority figures and his fath…

1
Parenting The Socially Phobic & Avoidant Adult: Episode 7 - "Selective Mutism: Free Seminar With Professional Baseball Player" 55:10

1y ago55:10

55:10

Kirk Rueter was a pitcher in the major leagues for 13 years. He won the most games as a lefthander for the San Francisco Giants. He and his wife Karla had two wonderful children. One had selective mutism. In this stimulating, realistic, and frank interview, the Rueters describe, in detail, their treatment experience. After non-productive encounters…

1
Episode 8: Public Speaking Anxiety & Fear of Being Noticeably Nervous: Performance Anxiety and Hyper-hidrosis Resolved Without Medication: Successful Lawyer 12:10

1y ago12:10

12:10

Hear “Kevin”, a successful lawyer describe insightfully how he learned to resolve his hyperhidrosis-driven public speaking anxiety and fear of being noticeably nervous. He describes how he controlled his “internal critical script”, which in turn stopped his sweating during a business meeting. While learning to control his “perfectionism” he states …

1
Parenting The Socially Phobic & Avoidant Adult: Episode 6 - Intimacy Phobia Resolved - “I Had Been Celibate My Whole Life.” 10:05

1y ago10:05

10:05

“Mike” a corporate vice president describes his long term suffering; “I never had the possibility of finding a girlfriend. I was petrifies about finding a real relationship. Now I can let loose and socialize”. This interview includes dramatic insight into the cognitive distortions and self-esteem challenge that drive intimacy anxiety and phobia.…

1
Episode 7: Public Speaking Anxiety & Fear of Being Noticeably Nervous: The Power of Alcohol and the Pharmaceutical "Cocktail" 7:30

1y ago7:30

7:30

“Sam” remembered experiencing anxiety since he was 15 in high school when there was any situation where he was the focus of attention. His anxiety became especially debilitating in college where he would skip the first day of classes to avoid the panic that would occur during introductions in class. He realized that his use of Xanax and beta blocke…

1
Parenting The Socially Phobic & Avoidant Adult: Episode 5 - 18 Year Old Woman Conquers Social & Performance Anxiety 18:45

1y ago18:45

18:45

In this rare interview patient "Z" describes how she overcame debilitating perfectionism and performance anxiety. The average teen suffering with social anxiety does not have initiative for their mental health which requires therapeutic parenting concurrent to individual work. In her year before college "Z" beat the odds and accomplished therapeuti…

1
Tavneet Suri on Universal Basic Income 21:33

1y ago21:33

21:33

Here's a thought experiment: You want to spend a reasonably large sum of money providing assistance to a group of people with limited means. There's a lot of ways you might do that with a lot of strings and safeguards involved, but what about just giving them money -- "get cash directly into the hands of the poor in the cheapest, most efficient way…

1
Episode 6: Public Speaking Anxiety & Fear of Being Noticeably Nervous: Technology Exec Makes Friends with Adrenaline 20:51

1y ago20:51

20:51

Learn from this technology executive of a 30 billion dollar company who suffered from intermittent, but long term social anxiety and public speaking anxiety. Hear how he integrated the adrenaline control technique to make adrenaline his “friend” and source of power! Gain insight into the ingrained nature of hyper-vigilance and detachment.…

1
Parenting The Socially Phobic & Avoidant Adult: Episode 4 - School Phobia, Avoidant Personality, Learning Disability: From School Refusal to a Graduate Degree 11:58

1y ago11:58

11:58

With special insight into the avoidance-dependence dynamics of a close knit and loving family, “David” describes his struggle with learning disabilities, social anxiety, phobic avoidance, and eventual success. David’s healing journey evolved from hiding in his dorm room in college; not going to classes, alone and depressed, and avoiding all social …

1
Parenting The Socially Phobic & Avoidant Adult: Episode 3 - Adolescent Selective Mutism Resolved 20:33

1y ago20:33

20:33

The older the child, the more that selective mutism becomes ingrained into the personality and lifestyle. It can evolve into a developmental challenge as many aspects of maturation are impacted. In this case avoidant personality disorder was in full swing concurrent with an underlying depression. This was driven by social anxiety. In this case, the…

1
Episode 5: Public Speaking Anxiety & Fear of Being Noticeably Nervous: “Blush, Sweat and Tears” - Clinical Proof that Blushing-Erythrophobia is Controllable 52:54

1y ago52:54

52:54

This unique discussion may be one of a kind! Four patients who suffered from Erythraphobia and social anxiety discuss their healing journey and treatment experience. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being the best measuring treatment progress) two of the participants self -evaluated as 9, one a 7, and the other was just beginning treatment; a 1. Listen caref…

1
Parenting The Socially Phobic & Avoidant Adult: Episode 2 - School Phobia, Social Phobia, Social Isolation, and Depression “Cured” - From School Refusal to “Social Butterfly” 12:02

1+ y ago12:02

12:02

The last thing 16 yr. old “Arthur” wanted was to go to therapy when he was in the midst of his school phobia. This social anxiety-driven problem had persisted since elementary school. He spent his days depressed; in his room playing computer baseball. His only friend was his cousin. His parents “didn’t know what to do”, but they learned how to enli…

1
Episode 4: Public Speaking Anxiety & Fear of Being Noticeably Nervous: Senior Exec Resolves Public Speaking Anxiety 10:47

1+ y ago10:47

10:47

Brought to you by Jonathan Berent L.C.S.W. & Social-Anxiety.com Sr. Executive of a Multi-billion Dollar Company, Describes How He Changed His Life by Resolving His Deep Rooted Public Speaking Anxiety “Tom” a senior executive and former semi-pro football player and military swat team member describes how he changed his life by resolving his deep roo…

1
Episode 3: Public Speaking Anxiety & Fear of Being Noticeably Nervous: World Renowned Physician Describes “Cure” for Public Speaking Anxiety Disorder 23:43

1+ y ago23:43

23:43

Brought to you by Jonathan Berent L.C.S.W. & Social-Anxiety.com This is a remarkably insightful clinical/medical description of a journey into healing.By Jonathan Berent,L.C.S.W.

1
Alex Edmans on Confirmation Bias 19:32

1+ y ago19:32

19:32

How hard do we fight against information that runs counter to what we already think? While quantifying that may be difficult, Alex Edmans notes that the part of the brain that activates when something contradictory is encountered in the amygdala - “that is the fight-or-flight part of the brain, which lights up when you are attacked by a tiger. This…

1
Alison Gopnik on Care 25:11

1+ y ago25:11

25:11

1
Tejendra Pherali on Education and Conflict 29:09

1+ y ago29:09

29:09

Consider some of the conflicts bubbling or boiling in the world today, and then plot where education – both schooling and less formal means of learning – fits in. Is it a victim, suffering from the conflict or perhaps a target of violence or repression? Maybe you see it as complicit in the violence, a perpetrator, so to speak. Or perhaps you see it…

1
Safiya Noble on Search Engines 28:24

1+ y ago28:24

28:24

The work of human hands retains evidence of the humans who created the works. While this might seem obvious in the case of something like a painting, where the artist’s touch is the featured aspect, it’s much less obvious in things that aren’t supposed to betray their humanity. Take the algorithms that power search engines, which are expected to pr…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Jonathan Berent Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide