In this episode of the EZ Conversations podcast, I sit down with Dr. Shannon Sauer-Zavala, a clinical psychologist with 15 years of experience, and talk about her research on mental health treatment, specifically anxiety, depression, and personality disorders. Dr. Sauer-Zavala discusses the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for anxiety and the role of personality traits in mental health. We explore the 'Big Five' personality model, the limitations of online personality tests, and the impact of temperament. Dr. Sauer-Zavala also shares her methods for increasing therapy accessibility, including modifying symptom-based treatments to target personality traits and using science-based indicators for ending therapy. We address the issues and potential of unlicensed 'life coaches' within the industry, emphasizing the importance of proper vetting and public education on effective treatment. The episode concludes with a discussion on the static nature of intelligence compared to the fluidity of personality and ways to contact Shannon for more information. Dr. Sauer-Zavala is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist with over 15 years of experience working with people struggling with anxiety and depression. She is also an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Kentucky (UK). She develops new treatments for common mental health conditions and tests them in rigorous clinical trials. Dr. Sauer-Zavala is the lead developer of a short-term intervention for personality difficulties to address common mental health problems – COMPASS (a loose acronym for cognitive behavioural modules for personality symptoms). Dr. Sauer-Zavala is also the Founder and Director of Compass Mental Health Training & Consulting. Dr. Sauer-Zavala received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the UK in 2011; she completed her predoctoral residency at Duke University Medical Center and her postdoctoral fellowship at Boston University. Dr. Sauer-Zavala is well-regarded in her field. She has co-authored over 120 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and an academic book on personality. Her research has been supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the Canadian Institute of Health Research, and the Templeton Foundation. Her work is internationally respected – in 2023 alone, Dr. Sauer-Zavala was invited to give keynote talks at mental health conferences in Sydney, Australia and Cambridge, UK. She has also worked closely with the Canadian government to develop a mental health prevention program for cadets training to become Royal Canadian Mounted Police. 04:40 Introduction and Guest Welcome 05:10 Guest Background and Research Focus 05:57 Understanding Anxiety and Effective Treatments 07:30 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Insights 10:39 Personality Traits and Mental Health 28:29 Challenges in Mental Health Accessibility 43:30 The Role of Intelligence in Therapy 47:56 Conclusion and Contact Information Sponsors of the Podcast: BetterHelp: https://betterhelp.com/ez10 for 10% off your first month of therapy WeShape: https://weshape.postaffiliatepro.com/scripts/dcfogwyuk?a_aid=FurkhanDandia&a_bid=d7508fa8 for 35% all plans. Aura: https://aura.com/ez10 for a free two-week trial Plunge: https://plunge.com/ez Mint Mobile: https://trymintmobile.com/ez10 for 15$ for an unlimited cell phone plan Mental: https://getmental.com/ez Or find Furkhan's Book, Pursuit of Self Love: 30 Uplifting Messages and Reflections. The Kindle version is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Pursuit-Self-Love-Uplifting-Messages-Reflections-ebook/dp/B0C4D1XYL1 Subscribe to the EZ Reflections Newsletter: https://ez-reflections-newsletter.beehiiv.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
