111. Suicide Prevention and Exposure Therapy: Training Therapists to Fear Less and Help More

111. Suicide Prevention and Exposure Therapy: Training Therapists to Fear Less and Help More

Suicide assessment is one of the most anxiety-provoking responsibilities in mental health care—but what if clinicians could use the same evidence-based principles they teach their clients to overcome their own fears? In this episode Zack interviews Emily Becker-Haimes, Ph.D., [https://www.med.upenn.edu/apps/faculty/index.php/g275/p8162081] psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania and Clinical Director of the Pediatric Anxiety Treatment Center (PATCH), about groundbreaking research using exposure-based training to help therapists become more confident, competent, and effective when working with suicidal clients. Together they explore why fear can lead clinicians to avoid difficult conversations, over-refer to hospitalization, or struggle with suicide risk assessment, and how carefully designed exposure exercises can improve clinical decision-making while maintaining compassion and safety. Listeners will learn current best practices for suicide screening, suicide risk assessment, safety planning, means restriction, and working collaboratively with families and support systems. Dr. Becker-Haimes also discusses emerging research showing how exposure-based clinician training may improve the quality of suicide prevention care while reducing provider anxiety and avoidance. This episode is an essential resource for therapists, psychologists, social workers, counselors, graduate students, and anyone interested in suicide prevention, exposure therapy, clinician resilience, and evidence-based mental health treatment. Zack's Hack- In this week's anxiety hack Zack shares a quote from Tony Robbins, an inspiring motivational speaker and life coach. Fear Less is sponsored by Mountain Valley Treatment Center [https://mountainvalleytreatment.org/]

110. Exposure to Exposure: Dr. Emily Bilek on Building Confidence in Anxiety and OCD Treatment

Why do so many therapists hesitate to use one of the most effective treatments for anxiety and OCD? In this episode, Zack sits down with Dr. Emily Bilek, a clinical psychologist at the University of Michigan, [https://medschool.umich.edu/profile/4080/emily-l-bilek] to explore an innovative approach to training clinicians in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). Dr. Bilek shares how her work focuses not only on helping children and adolescents with anxiety and OCD, but also on improving access to evidence-based care by increasing therapist confidence and competency in delivering exposure therapy. Together, they discuss why ERP can feel counterintuitive to clinicians and how fear often becomes a barrier to implementing effective treatment. The conversation dives into Dr. Bilek's groundbreaking "Exposure to Exposure" training model, which asks therapists to face their own fears as part of learning how to deliver ERP. Drawing from research, adult learning science, and real-world clinical practice, she explains how experiential training can increase clinician confidence, improve treatment fidelity, and ultimately expand access to quality anxiety and OCD care. The episode also explores emerging innovations, including the use of AI and simulated patients to train therapists, and highlights the broader implications of exposure-based learning for suicide risk assessment, clinician development, and the future of mental health treatment. This is a must-listen episode for psychologists, social workers, counselors, trainees, and anyone passionate about evidence-based treatment for anxiety disorders and OCD. Zack's Hack- In this week's anxiety hack Zack shares a quote from Henry Ford who was an American industrialist. Fear Less is sponsored by Mountain Valley Treatment Center [https://mountainvalleytreatment.org/]

109. The Stories We Carry: Making Meaning After Losing My Friend to Suicide

What happens when someone you love dies by suicide—and you never saw it coming? In this deeply personal and vulnerable solo episode, Zack shares the story of losing one of his closest friends to suicide during Memorial Day weekend in 2017. Through raw reflection, Zack revisits the shock, confusion, grief, and unanswered questions that followed, while offering an honest look at how that loss shaped his understanding of mental health, fear, and human connection. This episode is for anyone who has experienced the suicide of a friend, family member, teammate, or loved one, as well as those struggling to make sense of grief and loss. Zack explores the fear that often exists beneath the surface of emotional suffering, the importance of reaching out for support, and how painful experiences can eventually become part of a meaningful life story. While acknowledging the profound tragedy of suicide, he offers a message of hope: that healing is possible, that our stories are still being written, and that even in life's darkest chapters, there can be purpose, connection, and reasons to keep moving forward. Fear Less is sponsored by Mountain Valley Treatment Center [https://mountainvalleytreatment.org/]

108. Healing by Design: The Powerful Connection Between Mental Health and Nature

In this episode Zack speaks with landscape architecture experts Amy Wagenfeld and Daniel Winterbottom about the growing role of therapeutic gardens, healing landscapes, and nature-based environments in supporting mental health. Drawing from work in hospitals, prisons, refugee programs, autism centers, and healthcare campuses, the conversation explores how thoughtfully designed outdoor spaces can reduce anxiety, support trauma recovery, improve emotional regulation, and create opportunities for healing connection. The episode dives into the science and ancient wisdom behind nature's impact on the nervous system, including the calming effects of green spaces, water, wildlife, sensory design, and gardening itself. Amy and Daniel explain how healing environments can be tailored for individuals struggling with anxiety, PTSD, autism, burnout, and emotional overwhelm, while also offering practical ideas listeners can use in their own homes and communities. For anyone interested in mental health, wellness, gardening, landscape design, trauma healing, or the therapeutic power of nature, this episode offers an inspiring and deeply hopeful look at how reconnecting with the natural world can help people restore balance, meaning, and resilience. Zack's Hack- In this week's anxiety hack Zack shares a quote from Anne Frank, German-born Jewish Diarist and Holocaust Victim. Fear Less is sponsored by Mountain Valley Treatment Center. [https://mountainvalleytreatment.org/]

107. Fear, Loneliness, and Finding Yourself: Why Vulnerability Feels So Scary

In this deeply personal and wide-ranging episode Zack welcomes therapist Keeleigh Mahler back to Mountain Valley Treatment Center for a candid conversation about anxiety, loneliness, vulnerability, and identity. After leaving residential treatment work to practice outpatient therapy in Washington D.C., Keeleigh reflects on burnout, personal growth, fear-driven decision making, and the emotional challenges many young adults face while trying to figure out who they really are. Together, Zack and Keeleigh explore how modern culture, social isolation, perfectionism, and fear of being misunderstood are contributing to a growing loneliness epidemic among teens and young adults. The conversation also dives into exposure therapy, authenticity, relationships, grief, self-compassion, and the courage it takes to embrace change. Keeleigh openly shares her own fears around career transitions, starting a private practice, purpose, belonging, and learning to slow down emotionally and professionally. This episode is an honest and relatable discussion for anyone struggling with anxiety, uncertainty, fear of vulnerability, or the pressure to constantly have life figured out. Zack's Hack- In this week's anxiety hack Zack shares a quote from Mary Morrissey of the Brave Thinking Institute to help you fear less! Fear Less is sponsored by Mountain Valley Treatment Center. [https://mountainvalleytreatment.org/]