Return to Reality
Christian Ulstrup (Virgils Inc)
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Top 10 Return to Reality Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Return to Reality episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Return to Reality for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Return to Reality episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Crisis Response, Coping Skills, and Using Virtual Reality to Connect with Youth in Therapy with Patricia Peace
Return to Reality
08/25/22 • 33 min
Patricia is a licensed mental health counselor in Florida. She has degrees in both psychology and criminal justice, is a trained, gotten in couples, therapist and EMDR clinician, and is currently pursuing a Geek Therapy certification.
She is also a mental health first responder and has worked through natural and human atrocities. She specializes in working with fostered and adopted youth members of the LGBTQ+ community, neurodivergent folks, veterans, and clients dealing with trauma.
OUTLINE
00:00:00 Sizzler
00:00:23 Introduction
00:01:42 Using virtual reality with clients
00:03:57 Using Geek Therapy and virtual reality to meet people where they are
00:06:31 When Patti knew VR was working
00:09:13 Using VR to get kids to open up during therapy
00:10:36 Mixing virtual reality with other media
00:12:36 Working as a first responder and supporting victims of the Pulse and Stoneman Douglas shootings
00:19:55 Advice for parents whose kids are playing multiplayer games
00:24:27 The importance of coping skills
00:32:11 Getting in touch with Patti
SHOW NOTES
- Patti is primarily on Instagram, but handle is the same across both IG and Twitter: @peacefulcounselingllc
- Patti an email at [email protected]
Bring your kid back to reality: https://virgils.io
Clinical Research, VR for Veterans, and Virtual Psychedelics with Professor Skip Rizzo
Return to Reality
10/06/22 • 53 min
Professor Albert "Skip" Rizzo is a clinical psychologist, the director of medical virtual reality at the university of Southern California's Institute for Creative Technologies, a USC department of psychiatry, researcher, and virtual reality pioneer, who has spent over two decades bringing VR into clinical settings for management and treatment of conditions, including PTSD, traumatic brain injury, autism, ADHD, Alzheimer's and stroke.
Outline
(00:00:00) Sizzler
(00:00:34) Introduction
(00:01:21) How Skip became interested in virtual reality
(00:05:53) Virtual reality and clinical research
(00:12:12) BraveMind: A virtual reality intervention for veterans with PTSD
(00:19:15) VR and the hype train: Is the Metaverse here to stay?
(00:23:01) Acceptance of virtual reality in the clinical community
(00:24:57) Areas of clinical VR research that deserve more attention
(00:34:13) Entrepreneurs, clinicians, and researcher working together
(00:36:07) Is there a case for reality in 2022?
(00:41:52) Technology and addiction
(00:46:16) Virtual Psychedelics Inc
(00:51:57) Connecting with Skip and his forthcoming Ukraine project
Links
Skip's Twitter: https://twitter.com/SkipRizzoVR
Bring your kid back to reality: https://virgils.io
Crypto, Mental Health, and Living Off Grid with Sam McCulloch
Return to Reality
09/05/22 • 28 min
Sam McCulloch is the owner and primary therapist at radiant sun therapy and Flagstaff, Arizona. He graduated from Prescott college with his master's degree in mental health counseling in 2019, and then worked in community. For three years before starting his private practice, he currently provides therapy for children and adolescents built around relationships, engagement, and opportunities for growth.
Sam lives off grid with his wife and his nine-year-old son. Sam is a therapist, a data crypto and enthusiast, a hiker, a gamer, and most of all, just another human trying to do his best.
OUTLINE
00:00 Crypto, Mental Health, and Living Off Grid with Sam McCulloch
00:22 Introduction
01:10 How Sam, a therapist, got into crypto
10:22 Living off-grid
14:05 Technology, isolation, and mental health
17:25 Advice for parents regarding their kids' tech use
19:37 Using virtual reality and play in therapy
23:58 Helping kids and teens process the pandemic
26:52 How to connect with Sam
LINKS
IG: @desertdaimond
Twitter: @ddesertddiamond
Website: https://radiantsuntherapy.com
Bring your kid back to reality: https://virgils.io
09/01/22 • 39 min
Dr. Vivian Oberling is a clinical psychologist in Orange County. She works with a wide range of clients, including kids and teens. Vivian also has a foot firmly planted in the tech startup world. She is the founding psychologist at Pace, which is backed by Sequoia and focuses on the power of groups for adult connection in the digital age.
OUTLINE
00:00 Sizzler
00:36 Introduction
01:14 How Vivian decided to become a clinical psychologist
04:13 What would you say to a parent whose child was just diagnosed with autism?
05:50 Autistic superpowers
07:51 Making moves into the tech startup world by joining Pace
11:53 Words of advice for therapists who are interested in, but skeptical of, the technology startup world
13:08 Advice for startup founders who want to work in the mental health space
14:37 Insights from being at an early-stage tech startup
16:25 Social media and youth mental health
22:56 What parents can do to facilitate their kids' healthy relationships with and through social media
27:54 What parents can do to improve their own relationships with tech
30:46 Discerning information online with mindfulness and critical thinking
38:24 Connecting with Vivian
Check out Pace: https://pace.group + @pace.groups on Instagram
Bring your kid back to reality: https://virgils.io
Quality Screentime, Delayed Gratification, and Meeting Kids Where They Are with Jamie Ziegler | MHAM #5
Return to Reality
06/13/22 • 41 min
Jamie Ziegler is training to be a licensed professional counselor in New Jersey, where he works adolescents and families and uses technology like VR to connect with clients.
OUTLINE
(00:00:00) Introduction
(00:05:41) Growing up with technology and video games
(00:10:37) The dissolution of boundaries between us and technology
(00:14:21) How much screen time is too much?
(00:20:24) Can technology improve mental health?
(00:23:49) How do you teach a kid delayed gratification in 2022?
(00:30:59) How to help a directionless kid develop a sense of purpose?
(00:37:07) Virtual reality in counseling sessions
(00:40:54) Connect with Jamie
EPISODE LINKS:
Jamie's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-ziegler-b12a8452/
ABOUT THE PODCAST:
Mental Health in the Age of the Metaverse is hosted by Christian Ulstrup, CEO of Virgils Inc. Each episode, Christian speaks with therapists, scientists, founders, technologists, and activists about how tech impacts our mental health — the bad as well as the good — and what parents can do about it.
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4U5c06aPN1tIMhChc120Tr?si=0bf23b777d054179
ABOUT VIRGILS INC:
Healthy tech habits program for adolescents: https://virgils.io
HIPAA-compliant VR platform for therapists: https://virgils.io/therapists
SOCIAL:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/virgilsvr
Facebook: https://facebook.com/virgilsvr
Instagram: https://instagram.com/virgilsvr
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/virgils
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmu1qAWtxzDxA5DFBUzW01g
Superpowers, Neurodiversity, and Raising Kids in the Digital Age with Dr. Adryon Burton Denmark
Return to Reality
10/03/22 • 67 min
Dr. Adryon Burton Denmark is a clinical psychologist based in Utah. She earned her PhD in counseling psychology from UT Austin, and has practiced in Austin, San Francisco and Salt Lake City.
She works with parents and young adults, especially adolescents. In recent years, she practices internal family systems and other mindfulness-based therapies, including hypnosis.
Outline
(00:00:00) Sizzler
(00:00:41) Introduction
(00:01:26) Neurodiversity
(00:14:07) Increase in diagnosis of ADHD and autism
(00:16:43) How does Adryon work with neuroatypical clients?
(00:21:54) Information processing in the neurodivergent mind
(00:27:47) Neurodivergence and information technology
(00:35:58) Neurodivergent superpowers
(00:39:09) Novel approaches to education?
(00:42:43) Virtual reality in clinical practice
(00:46:44) Raising kids in the digital age
(00:56:29) Advice for other parents
(01:03:02) Is there a case to be made for reality in the digital age?
(01:06:37) Connecting with Adryon
Show links
Adryon's practice site: http://burtondenmarkcounseling.com
Bring your kid back to reality: https://virgils.io
Spirituality, Technology, and Dungeons & Dragons with Justin Woulard
Return to Reality
09/14/22 • 123 min
Justin is a pastor, dad, techie, and dungeon master in Pennsylvania. He also was a Virgils customer and recently joined the team as Virgils no. 7.
Episode outline
(00:00:00) Sizzler
(00:01:59) Introduction
(00:02:56) The effects of instant access to global information
(00:20:39) The problem of self-centeredness in the digital age
(00:52:58) Learning about human nature and reality through D&D
(01:10:42) The virtues of being a generalist
(01:18:46) Technology and spiritual life
(01:27:53) The destabilizing effects of information technology
(01:36:26) Discerning information online
(01:44:52) Trustworthy sources of information
(01:50:37) Justin's experience as a Virgils customer
(02:01:47) Connecting with Justin
Links
Justin's Twitter: https://twitter.com/justinwoulard
IG: @justinwoulard
Bring your kid back to reality: https://virgils.io
Reality Maximalism, Small Data, and Urbit with Josh Lehman
Return to Reality
10/05/22 • 96 min
Josh is the executive director of the Urbit Foundation. Previously, he was the Chief Product Officer at Tlon, which is the primary developer of Urbit.
Outline
(00:00:00) Sizzler
(00:00:54) Introduction
(00:01:27) What is Urbit?
(00:10:02) A new networked computing architecture
(00:16:26) How does Urbit "feel" different?
(00:21:49) There's always someone listening on the old web
(00:24:35) Identity on Urbit
(00:36:53) What's on Urbit right now?
(00:41:34) Friction in software is...good?
(00:44:33) How will Urbit fit with the existing internet?
(00:50:23) How Josh thinks about the role of technology in his own family life
(00:58:16) Calm computing
(01:02:08) The attention economy is an accident of architectural design
(01:07:59) The metaverse
(01:17:04) Josh's healthy tech habits
(01:24:54) Is there going to be a case for reality in the future?
(01:32:42) Connecting with Josh, Assembly 2022, and what's next for the Urbit Foundation
Episode links
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jlehman_
Understanding Urbit: https://urbit.org/understanding-urbit
Convivial Networks: https://urbit.org/blog/convivial-networks
Assembly '22: http://assembly.urbit.org
Bring your kid back to reality: https://virgils.io
09/19/22 • 54 min
Dr. Spirit is an Atlanta, Georgia–based licensed psychotherapist, media personality, entrepreneur, researcher, and devoted wife and mother of 7. She works with couples, adults, adolescents, and families in her clinical work, and has a new Disney+ series called Family Reboot, which is premiering on June 15th.
Outline
(00:00:00) Sizzler
(00:01:12) Introduction
(00:02:32) How Spirit got into media and entrepreneurship
(00:08:56) Advice for other therapists who are interested in growing their platform
(00:18:31) The role of technology in the mental health crisis
(00:25:52) Disinformation and radicalization online
(00:32:57) Mental health and gun violence
(00:47:21) Fighting atomization through relational work
(00:52:07) Connecting with Spirit
Episode Links
Social: @talk2spirit (all platforms)
Family Reboot on Disney+: https://www.disneyplus.com/series/family-reboot/6rlwPiV8K5zp
Free Advice Friday every Friday from 12p - 1p ET on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Talk2Spirit
Bring your kid back to reality: https://virgils.io
Virtual Reality, Kids' Online Relationships, and Counseling with Melissa Bartholomew, LMHC | MHAM #2
Return to Reality
05/18/22 • 38 min
Melissa Bartholomew is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor on the Big Island of Hawai'i who uses virtual reality to meet remotely with kids & teenage clients.
OUTLINE:
(00:00) - Introduction
(01:12) - Mel's background
(06:23) - COVID pandemic + lockdowns have made adolescents lonely
(12:45) - Healthy and unhealthy digital relationships with "Internet friends"
(17:38) - Parental involvement in kids' digital lives
(21:18) - Social media and quality content
(24:35) - Using virtual reality in therapy with the Virgils platform
(28:57) - Mother and daughter open up on a walk-and-talk in VR
(34:13) - Tip for parents who are concerned about kids' tech use
EPISODE LINKS:
Mel's private practice: https://brighterbound.com
Mel's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ahelpfulcounselor/
Mel's email: [email protected]
ABOUT THE PODCAST:
Mental Health in the Age of the Metaverse is hosted by Christian Ulstrup, CEO of Virgils Inc. Each episode, Christian speaks with therapists, psychologists, counselors, and social workers about how tech impacts our mental health — the bad as well as the good — and what parents can do about it.
ABOUT VIRGILS INC:
Healthy tech habits program for adolescent boys: https://virgils.io
HIPAA-compliant VR platform for therapists: https://virgils.io/therapists
SOCIAL:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/virgilsvr
Facebook: https://facebook.com/virgilsvr
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/virgils
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmu1qAWtxzDxA5DFBUzW01g
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FAQ
What is the most popular episode on Return to Reality?
The episode title 'Clinical Research, VR for Veterans, and Virtual Psychedelics with Professor Skip Rizzo' is the most popular.