Shoe Leather Psychology

with Dr. Heath

We first engineer our thoughts, then our thoughts engineer our lives.

Plain-spoken psychology for adults who are done with pop-psych labels. One idea per issue, the mechanism behind it and no jargon.

Free. Twice a week. Leave any time.

Twice a week

What lands in your inbox

Monday

TherapyBites

A short issue. One idea and the mechanism behind it. A quick read to start the week.

Thursday

The full issue

A popular label or myth, and what's really going on behind it.

What you won't read here

Labels pretending to be explanations

  • Myth: Your emotions are running the show.What's real: Emotion is always downstream of thought.
  • Myth: The body keeps the score.What's real: The body shows what your thinking and behavior have fed it.
  • Myth: A diagnosis explains the behavior.What's real: Behavior can be observed. A label can't do anything.
  • Myth: Feeling sure means you're right.What's real: Your own certainty is not evidence.

From the archive

A few lines worth keeping

Emotions don't mature. Cognitive skills do.@therapy_bites
Therapy is not to heal you because you are not a disease.@PTSD_psych
Increasing your volume does nothing to increase understanding.@parent_psych

The writer

Dr. Heath

  • Ph.D., Neuropsychology
  • Ph.D., Forensic Psychology
  • 40+ years in cognitive behavioral psychology
  • Arkansas

I've spent more than 40 years watching people get stuck on the same thing: believing their feelings are in charge. They aren't. Thoughts come first, and thoughts can be changed.

Every issue does three things. It explains the mechanism, gives you a picture of it from ordinary life and leaves the decision with you.

I also drink coffee while I'm making coffee.

Catch me live on X, @therapy_bites, weekdays from noon to 1 PM Central.

Do the work together

Dr. Heath's Mindset MasterClass

The MasterClass is my community on Skool, where members practice the method together each week.

  • The 12 Ignition Cognitions practice series
  • Round Table, a live call every Thursday at 7 PM Central
  • A 7-day free trial to look around

Free

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