14 episodes

Finding Our Voice is an anthology podcast that aligns with the American Psychiatric Association Presidential theme. It brings the viewpoints and opinions of the next generation of psychiatrists—including residents, fellows, and early career psychiatrists—to the forefront. Listen as our host, Dr. Sanya Virani, leads discussions with guests who offer fresh perspectives on difficult issues by sharing their own stories and those of their patients. We hope you come away from each episode with new insights or a change of perspective. “Finding Our Voice” is a production of American Psychiatric Association Publishing and Psychiatric News.

About our host:
Sanya Virani, M.D., M.P.H., is APA’s resident-fellow trustee, a PGY-6 forensic psychiatry fellow at Brown University’s Alpert School of Medicine, and a Laughlin Fellow of the American College of Psychiatrists. She served as the Chief Resident of Education and Research at Maimonides Medical Center, NY and the American Psychiatric Association's (APA's) Assembly Area 2 (New York state) and Brooklyn Psychiatric Society Resident-Fellow Member (RFM) Representative (2019-2020). She is now the RFM Trustee-Elect on the APA's Board of Trustees

Finding Our Voice American Psychiatric Association Publishing

    • Science
    • 4.9 • 7 Ratings

Finding Our Voice is an anthology podcast that aligns with the American Psychiatric Association Presidential theme. It brings the viewpoints and opinions of the next generation of psychiatrists—including residents, fellows, and early career psychiatrists—to the forefront. Listen as our host, Dr. Sanya Virani, leads discussions with guests who offer fresh perspectives on difficult issues by sharing their own stories and those of their patients. We hope you come away from each episode with new insights or a change of perspective. “Finding Our Voice” is a production of American Psychiatric Association Publishing and Psychiatric News.

About our host:
Sanya Virani, M.D., M.P.H., is APA’s resident-fellow trustee, a PGY-6 forensic psychiatry fellow at Brown University’s Alpert School of Medicine, and a Laughlin Fellow of the American College of Psychiatrists. She served as the Chief Resident of Education and Research at Maimonides Medical Center, NY and the American Psychiatric Association's (APA's) Assembly Area 2 (New York state) and Brooklyn Psychiatric Society Resident-Fellow Member (RFM) Representative (2019-2020). She is now the RFM Trustee-Elect on the APA's Board of Trustees

    3.3 Physician Impairment

    3.3 Physician Impairment

    Join Dr. Sanya Virani and her guests, Dr. Iverson Bell and Dr. Allison Ford to discuss the invaluable new title The Psychiatry Resident Handbook which aims to provide support, experience and mentorship to new residents, a book that trainees across the country will benefit from having on their bookshelves. In this episode, our guests -both contributors to the section on physician Impairment- share their experiences and perspectives around the subjects of physician burnout, compassion fatigue and substance abuse among colleagues and professionals, the signs to look out for, the consequences, and strategies for intervention.
    In this episode:
    Introduction (0:11)
    Dr. Bell’s experience of physician impairment (2:45)
    Dr. Ford’s experience of physician impairment (06:05)
    The scope of the problem (10:00)
    Defining “impairment” (16:30)
    Personal experience of encountering stress in physicians (18:35)
    Where to draw the line (24:25)
    Confronting your colleagues (26:55)
    Sobering statistics (30:35)
    Closing thoughts (32:20)

    Dr. Iverson Bell, Jr., MD, son of the AAVMC icon for diversity, earned the MD degree in 1977 from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Dr. Bell specializes in psychiatry and lives with his wife and children in Atlanta, GA.

    Dr. Allison Ford is an Assistant Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at The University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

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    • 35 min
    3.2 Telepsychiatry: the New Normal

    3.2 Telepsychiatry: the New Normal

    Join Dr. Sanya Virani and her guests, Alka Mathur, M.D., and Neal Amin, M.D., Ph.D. to discuss the invaluable new title The Psychiatry Resident Handbook which aims to provide support, experience and mentorship to new residents, a book that trainees across the country will benefit from having on their bookshelves. In this episode, our guests -both contributors to the chapter on telepsychiatry- share their experiences and perspectives around the pros and cons of moving to a remote, digital workspace, how Covid-19 has accelerated our societal transition to reliance on video-screens, and the challenges posed by new technology.
    In this episode:
    Introduction (0:09)
    This episode’s guests (1:14)
    Post-pandemic changes in the role of telepsychiatry (6:20)
    The experience of a trainee during Covid-19 (8:59)
    Experiences with different platforms (12:12)
    Advantages of telepsychiatry (13:53)
    Whither telepsychiatry? (18:37)
    Interstate regulation (24:00)
    Malpractice (25:39)
    Consent and documentation (29:00)
    Emergencies (34:00)
    Platforms and the role of AI (37:01)
    The age spectrum, and privacy concerns (39:14)
    Conclusion (42:20)

    Alka Mathur M.D. is a Stanford trained Psychiatrist where she is a Clinical Assistant Professor on the Affiliate Faculty Line. She previously served as the Medical Director of Virtual Behavioral Health Services for the VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, overseeing Telehealth services for all Mental Health Programming. Dr. Mathur has a strong interest in health innovation and digital applications to increase access to care.

    Neal Amin M.D., Ph.D. is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Stanford University. He completed the Research Track Psychiatry Residency Program at Stanford University. He earned his MD and PhD degrees from the University of California, San Diego where he conducted his graduate studies at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.

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    • 46 min
    3.1 Psychiatric Residency

    3.1 Psychiatric Residency

    Join Dr. Sanya Virani and her guests, Dr. Sallie De Golia, Dr. Raziya Wang, and Dr. Csilla Lippert to discuss the invaluable new title The Psychiatry Resident Handbook which aims to provide support, experience and mentorship to new residents, a book that trainees across the country will benefit from having on their bookshelves. Editors De Golia and Wang are joined by an early career psychiatrist, Dr. Csilla Lippert, who contextualizes the book in terms of the differing experiences common in training and residency.

    In this episode:
    Introduction (0:10)
    What led to the creation of this book? (2:59)
    Why now? (6:23)
    How is Psychiatry different from other residencies? (9:05)
    The best ways to use this book (13:47)
    The professional development journey of residency training (19:15)
    Diversity in training (25:30)
    Differing experiences of supervision (28:03)
    Deliberate practice (39:00)
    Seeking a mentor (44:30)

    Sallie G. De Golia, M.D., M.P.H., is a Clinical Professor, Associate Chair of Clinician Educator Professional Development, and Co-Residency Director in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, California.

    Raziya S. Wang, M.D., is the former Designated Institutional Official and Program Director of Psychiatry Residency Training Program at San Mateo County in San Mateo, California. She is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor, in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, California.

    Dr. Csilla Lippert earned her undergraduate degree from the California Institute of Technology followed by a combined MD and PhD in Biomedical Sciences from University of California, San Diego. She completed her psychiatry residency training at Stanford University, where she had additional specialized training in psychotherapy and teaching other physicians. Since 2021, Dr. Lippert has been working with veterans as a telehealth staff psychiatrist for the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System.

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    • 48 min
    Climate Change

    Climate Change

    Dr. Virani focuses on the impact of Climate Change, and associated emergent anxieties, on our underlying mental health. Climate Change is affecting our livelihoods, our environments and our perceptions of the future; with implications on how we act and how we perceive our day-to-day lives. Virani (and guests) consider examples of patients presenting with climate-change specific conditions, discuss case-histories, and look for evidence that organizations are acting to address the causes and effects of Climate Change.

    Discussed in the episode:
    Current data on Climate Change anxiety as a factor impacting mental health (3:00) Case study: “Jim” (5:15) Transformational Resilience (7:00) Don’t Look Up (11:45) Examples of improvement in climate change response at APA (13:15) Mental-health factors affecting “Jim” (15:15) Case-study: “Hannah” (18:30) Mental-health factors affecting “Hannah” (21:52) APA conference carbon footprint study (24:45) Guests:
    Elizabeth Haase is Medical Director of Psychiatry for Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center and an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at the University of Nevada at Reno School of Medicine. She chairs the Committees on Climate Change and Mental Health for the American Psychiatric Association and the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry and is a founding member of the Climate Psychiatry Alliance. Joshua Wortzel is a chief resident in psychiatry at the University of Rochester, and he will be starting his child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at Brown University in June. During residency, he is pursuing a Master’s in Health Professions Education at the University of Rochester. He is a member of the APA Committee on Climate and Mental Health, a steering committee member of the non-profit Climate Psychiatry Alliance, and a participant of the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry – Climate Committee. He also serves as the chair of the APA/APAF Leadership Fellowship.
    Links:

    Visit the CPA website here.
    The effects of Climate Change on Mental Health film
    Carbon Footprint JAMA article

    Don’t Look Up (Adam McKay, 2021) is available on Netflix.
    Climate Psychiatry: What Every Psychiatrist Should Know APA course
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    • 30 min
    Exposure to War, Violence, Shootings, and the Impact of Migration

    Exposure to War, Violence, Shootings, and the Impact of Migration

    Dr. Virani focuses on exposure to war, violence, shootings, and the impact of migration.   These migrants are forced to flee from their homes due to threats of violence and death due to cultural or religious beliefs.    Just as traumatic for these individuals is the ability to adapt and be accepted in their new homes. 
    Discussed in the episode: Cultural Psychiatry Pre-migration stressors Post Migration stressors  Misdiagnosis of mental health issues in the migrant population Tips for diagnosing and working with refugees  The emergence of compulsive symptoms years after trauma  The importance to individualize each case.   Trust in leaders of the community Working with the religious communities to identify mental health issues Today's guests 
    Dr. G. Eric Jarvis is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at McGill University and Director of the Cultural Consultation Service, the First Episode Psychosis Program, and the Culture and Psychosis Working Group at the Jewish General Hospital.
    Dr. Victor Pereira-Sanchez is a child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist based in New York. He obtained his medical degree (MD) in 2014 at Universidad de Navarra, in Spain, where he also completed a clinical residency program in psychiatry in 2019 and received his Ph.D. in 2021.
     

    • 44 min
    Adverse Early Life Experiences

    Adverse Early Life Experiences

    In this episode, Dr. Virani and her guests, Dr. Qayyum and Dr. Conrad, focus on the impact of Adverse Child Experience (ACE) and Adverse Early Life Experiences (AELEs) on mental health and provide some insights through case discussions about the downstream impact of these experiences.
    Subjects discussed
    Inability to trust and build safe relations by victims of early childhood experiences
    The effect of trauma on the social determinants of mental health as an adult
    Post-traumatic growth
    Unpredictable behavior of parents
    The power of close good relationships for a victim of ACE.
    This episode is the second in a series covering the social determinants of mental health.
    Dr. Zheala Qayyum is the Training Director for the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Program and the Medical Director of the Emergency Psychiatry Services at Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School. She also serves as an officer in the United States Army reserves medical corps
    Dr. Rachel Conrad is a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She is now director of the Child Psychiatry Track in the BWH/ HMS Psychiatry Residency Program.
     
    Listen to this podcast on your favorite podcast platform or here
    Other APA podcasts
    Social Determinants of Mental Health book
     

    • 27 min

Customer Reviews

4.9 out of 5
7 Ratings

7 Ratings

Tyrion Cannister ,

Very insightful

As someone who is in the formative years of his psychiatry training, I find the podcasts very insightful and inspiring. The variety of topics covered and the diverse range of speakers makes the listening very engaging.

Victor Pereira-Sanchez ,

The voice of young psychiatrists in the USA

‘Finding our voice’ is my favorite podcast. I biased by the fact of being a young psychiatrist myself and knowing very well the hostess, Sanya Virani MD, MPH, who is a global leader in mental health, a highly skilled and hard working psychiatrist, and a wonderful person. In any case, this podcast brings perspectives of US early career and senior psychiatrists on the challenges of patients and colleagues affected by racism and social injustices. The first segment, 2020-2021, presented the voices of minorities affected by systemic racism and discrimination, including but not limited to Black, Hispanic, Asian American, Indigenous, and women in academic psychiatry. The next segment will be focused on the social determinants of mental health. Stay tuned and don’t miss the great Dr. Virani and her guests!

Dr Pedro Natalia ,

Innovative podcast led by a great host

Dr. Virani offers a whole new perspective for psychiatrists. She covers a broad range of topics relevant to traditionally under-represented groups (e.g., LGBTQ, BIPOC) that are desperately needed for the field. She herself is an international medical graduate and first generation immigrant who has built her own career going through the many challenges. This is one of my favorite podcasts and I follow her show with great pride!

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