Discover where psychology can take you
Psych Mic is a podcast for you to explore career paths in psychology through candid conversations with leaders in the field.
Subscribe to the newsletter to get career tips, grad school advice, job opportunities, and podcast updates straight to your inbox!
About the Podcast
Psych Mic is a podcast for psychology students to explore the endless ways they can use their psychology background to make an impact! In each episode, host Maya Metser, a former psychology student herself, interviews an industry leader about their career path and advice for students. Because psychology is so widely applicable, it can be a challenge to figure out what to do next. These episodes will give you language to talk about your passions, uncensored tips about graduate school and career development, and lots of confidence in your psych background!
Listen now
About the Host
Hi, I'm Maya, and I started Psych Mic to broaden professional horizons in psychology.
As an applied psychology major, I had spent several years grounding myself in theory and research to better understand how we think, feel, behave, and connect. I decided to study psychology precisely for its diverse applications, but as I neared graduation, I still didn't know how I wanted to apply psychology to make a positive impact. Through 1:1 conversations with 200+ psychology students, I quickly realized this challenge was widespread.
So I created Psych Mic, originally as a live event series, where each week I’d highlight a professional over Zoom in front of an audience who could engage in Q&As. After 12 successful events, I decided to turn Psych Mic into a podcast to share this passion with more people, like you!
I hope the speakers inspire you as much as they've inspired me!
Next Episode
Gerald Drose, PhD
Licensed Clinical Psychologist & Founder of Powers Ferry Psychological Associates
Coming October 28, 2021
For more than thirty years, psychotherapist Gerald has been helping his clients re-write their personal narratives, recognizing that the stories we tell ourselves limit our ability to love and thrive. He works with individuals and couples; has published research on sex therapy; wrote a bi-weekly column on sex, love, and marriage; and has extensive couples’ therapy experience. He also enjoys supervising younger therapists, filling in the gaps left after graduate school training, and firmly believes in the artistry needed to deeply understand the people who come for help. His graduate school experience inspired his first novel, Bird Gotta Land.
Last Episode
Marty Maidenberg, LMHC
Licensed Mental Health Counselor
October 21, 2021
Marty Maidenberg, LMHC, NCC, currently works at a private practice called Pathways Psychological Services in NYC. He received his M.A. in Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness at NYU. Before he became a therapist, Marty spent over 25 years in the music industry, where he spearheaded marketing divisions at major record companies, founded and operated independent record labels, and worked as a talent manager for artists at multiple stages of their careers, including well-known names like Andy Grammer, Joss Stone, Carrie Underwood, Sting, and even Elton John! Read more here.
Testimonials
That was remarkable. Probably one of the most enlightening hours I've spent listening to someone.
Katie, 22, psychology major
Past Speakers
Marty Maidenberg, LMHC
Licensed Mental Health Counselor at Pathways Psychological Services
Marty Maidenberg, LMHC, NCC, currently works at a private practice called Pathways Psychological Services in NYC. He received his M.A. in Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness at NYU. Before he became a therapist, Marty spent over 25 years in the music industry, where he spearheaded marketing divisions at major record companies, founded and operated independent record labels, and worked as a talent manager for artists at multiple stages of their careers, including well-known names like Andy Grammer, Joss Stone, Carrie Underwood, Sting, and even Elton John! Read more here.
Melissa Steach, PhD
I-O Psychologist & Workplace Wellbeing Knowledge Lead at Herman Miller
Dr. Melissa Steach helps organizations implement Herman Miller’s workplace wellbeing research and meet their ergonomic and wellbeing by focusing on their greatest asset: People. Melissa is a bestselling author and award winning fine artist with accreditations in positive psychology interventions as well as ergonomic assessment (CEAS I). She is also a WELL AP and member of the Office Ergonomics Research Committee (OERC). Melissa holds a Ph.D. in industrial-organizational psychology wherein her research focused on human factors and implicit cognition. Read more on her beautiful website here.
David Pizarro, PhD
Social Psychologist & Director of Graduate Studies at Cornell University
Dr. David Pizarro received his PhD from Yale University in Social Psychology. His primary research interests are in moral judgment, the effects of emotion on judgment, and on the overlap between these two. He also has a general interest in the influence of emotional states on thinking and deciding. He is particularly interested in specific emotions (anger, disgust, fear, etc.) and their differential impact on how we process information, how we remember events, and how these emotions impact our moral judgments of others. Dave also co-hosts his own very popular podcast, Very Bad Wizards, with Dr. Tamler Sommers.
Elizabeth Wierba, Ph.D
Licensed clinical psychologist & lecturer at the University of Michigan
Dr. Liz Wierba is a licensed clinical psychologist with an independent private practice in Ann Arbor, MI, and a lecturer in Psychology at The University of Michigan for 18+ years. Liz completed a doctorate in Organizational Psychology and a postdoctoral fellowship from the School of Information, both at The University of Michigan. Her career as a psychotherapist began with a postdoctoral re-specialization in Clinical Psychology from Fielding Graduate University. She has worked in a diverse array of therapeutic, educational and business settings, and volunteered with several non-profit organizations.
Claire Ciliotta, Ph.D
Licensed clinical psychologist
In this live event, we talked about what it means to be a witness, what Claire learned about life through working with children facing their mortality, why Claire listens to what is not being said in the therapy room, the role of intuition, and more. Read her bio here.
Heidi Gardner, PhD
Distinguished Fellow at Harvard Law and Co-founder of Gardner & Co
Heidi K. Gardner, PhD, is a Distinguished Fellow at Harvard Law School’s Center on the Legal Profession. Previously she was a professor of Organizational Behavior at Harvard Business School. Dr. Gardner’s book “Smart Collaboration: How Professionals and Their Firms Succeed by Breaking Down Silos” was published in 2017 by Harvard Business Press, and became a Washington Post bestseller. Named by Thinkers 50 as a Next Generation Business Guru, Dr. Gardner co-founded the research and advisory firm Gardner & Co, which helps clients across professional services, industry, government, and non-profits to drive change through smarter collaboration.
Mark Blumberg, PhD
Psychology Department Head at the University of Iowa
Why do we sleep so much when we're young? This is the question at the heart of Mark's research. We discuss Mark's desire to research topics that people find uninteresting, the uncertainty of science, balancing planning and presence, properly reading faculty CVs to assess mentor fit, pros and cons to an academic career, developing a mentorship philosophy, qualities of an effective research assistant, and so much more. Read more here.
Kevin Scully, M.A., ED.S
School Psychologist & Development Director of nonprofit Students Without Limits
Kevin Scully, M.A., ED.S., is the development director for Students Without Limits, a 501c3 nonprofit based in San Diego that supports underserved and immigrant youth through mental health, legal, and continuing education services. Read more here.
Sara Douglas, Psy.D
Psychologist; Neuropsychological evaluation specialist; School psychologist
Sara Douglas, Psy.D., NCSP, is a licensed psychologist and nationally certified school psychologist. Dr. Douglas received her master's degree in school psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University, and then obtained her doctoral degree in school psychology from St. John's University. Dr. Douglas has worked across a variety of settings including schools (both public and private), treatment clinics, and hospitals. Read more here.
Shelby Cooley, Ph.D
Senior Research Scientist, Seattle Public Schools
On her role as a senior research scientist at the SPS, the role of research in systems-change, productive conversations in antiracism work, why she majored in psychology, how her mentors shaped her, why she wanted to do research but not become a professor, identity development, and more!
Maxine Nwigwe, Psy.D
Behavioral Scientist, Designer, and Futurist
Max Nwigwe, Psy.D. is a behavioral scientist, designer and futurist. She has held multiple roles across educational, corporate and nonprofit settings and has 10+ years experience in designing and developing solutions in learning, mental wellness/psychological wellbeing and workforce development.She holds a PsyD in Psychology from The George Washington University and a BA in Biology & Society (specializing in human behavioral ecology) from Cornell University.
Juliette Lyons-Thomas, PhD
Measurement & evaluation expert at Educational Testing Service
On Juliette's decision to major in psychology, her early academic struggles and how they shaped her, educational psychology, what measurement is and why it's important, how measurement applies to education policy, graduate school application tips, reaching out to professors, the future of and problems with standardized tests, how to make tests more equitable, and more!
Mitch Prinstein, PhD
Chief Science Officer of the American Psychological Association
On all things psychology graduate school, the problems and future of psychological science, the joys of professorship and research, developing writing skills, popularizing a book on popularity, and more! Read more here.
Anton Berzins, Psy.D
School psychologist and Founder of Ecuador Professional Preparation Program
Anton Berzins, Psy.D, founded the Ecuador PPP, a cultural immersion program for education and mental health professionals. He is also a full-time school psychologist within the Great Neck Public School system in NY. We cover his dreams of becoming a pro soccer player, rationale behind his grad school decisions, why school psychology, how boldness, gratitude, and resourcefulness helps him, advice for aspiring psychologists, and more. Read about EcuadorPPP here.
Alpana Choudhury, LMHC
Founder of Wove Therapy
Alpana Choudhury, LMHC founded Wove Therapy in 2018 as a response to the constant request for counseling that takes intersectionality and systems into account. In this episode, we cover her early introductions to the field of psychology, the pros and cons of a psychology major, advice for undergraduate students, biases and barriers around grad school in psychology, whether you need a doctorate to be a good therapist, starting a private practice, and more.
Karen Cogan, PhD
Senior sport psychologist at the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee
Dr. Karen Cogan is a licensed psychologist and certified consultant, AASP and currently serves as the sport psychologist for acrobat and combat sports at the United States Olympic Committee. In her current role, she consults with athletes and teams, including the U.S. Freestyle Moguls Ski team and the U.S. Taekwondo Team. She has attended four Olympic Games (2002, 2006, 2008, 2012, and more) as the sport psychology consultant for several Olympic medalists and their coaches.
Andrea Friedman, PhD
Licensed clinical health psychologist
On Andrea's background as the descendent of Holocaust survivors, advice for current college students, why she was drawn to work with cancer patients, her own journey with cancer, initial clinical experiences at 22, the integration of mental health in medical settings, opening a private practice, and more. Read more about Andrea's private practice here.
Bridget Henry, PhD
Licensed clinical psychologist specializing in OCD and anxiety disorders
On failing on purpose, embracing new experiences, what bartending taught Bridget about her values, why she pursued a PhD in clinical psychology, acceptance and commitment therapy, exposure therapy, building trust with clients early on, using failure to understand strengths, and more. Read more here.
Jackie Audi, PMHNP
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
On the ins and outs of psychiatric nursing! Jackie currently works at an outpatient clinic. In the past, she has worked on an inpatient psychiatric child and adolescent unit, as well as a registered psychiatric nurse on a substance use detoxification unit and a general psychiatry unit. Read more here.
Maggie Dancel, PsyD
Clinical Psychologist in private practice
On becoming a therapist, training experiences in graduate school, dealing with negative criticism from supervisors, developing your therapeutic style, opening a private practice, self-belief and self-doubt, licensure processes, advice for aspiring clinical psychologists, going to therapy as a therapist, and more! Read more here.
Eric Connors, PhD
Neuropsychology Post-Doctoral Fellow
On neuropsychology, clinical psychology PhD programs, advice for undergrads to get clinical experience, training experiences in graduate school, how to deal with uncertainty, the day to day of a neuropsychologist, how to cultivate self-compassion, advice for 22-year-olds, and much more. Read more here.
Melinda Macht-Greenberg, PhD
Clinical, School, and Developmental Psychologist
On growing up with parents in the mental health space, the "why" behind Melinda's work, inpatient vs. outpatient experience, lessons learned from her practice, moving from therapy to consulting, and all things school psychology! Melinda also discusses her vision for schools. Read more here.
Eric Landrum, PhD
Psychology Department Chair at Boise State University
On why psychology, choice paralysis, white male privilege, the future of higher education, strategies for student success, challenging the status quo, teaching in psychology, and much more. Read more here.
Garth Neufeld, LMFT
Professor of Psychology at Cascadia College
On why he got a Master's in Marriage & Family Therapy but chose to become a professor instead, his experience as a professor at a community college, finding friends and mentors who have "inner gold," advice for psych students to harness their skills and knowledge, how to get your feet wet in teaching, advice for preventing burnout among teachers, and so much more! Read more here!
Ashley Darcy-Mahoney, Ph.D
Neonatal Nurse Practitioner and Professor at George Washington University
On becoming a nurse practitioner, the benefits of a PhD, how to figure out if nursing is the right path, the difference between nursing and medicine, the role of psych and mental health in nursing, future directions of nursing as a field, and much more! Read her bio here!
Stacie Spencer, Ph.D
Director of Health Psychology at MCPHS
On her difficulties in undergrad, the relationship between social, personality, and health psychologies, why she became a college professor, the qualities that served her no matter where she went, and lots of practical tips about job searching after college! Read her full bio here!
Eleonora Bartoli, Ph.D
Therapist
On Eleonora's love for teaching, research, and clinical work, her "aha" moments along the way, why a Ph.D was the right degree for her, how she works towards anti-racism as a white clinician, practical tips for choosing graduate school, and much more. Visit her website here.
Ruvanee Vilhauer, Ph.D
Novelist, therapist, and former psychology professor
On her pivot from biology to psych, unending curiosity, achieving balance, being multi-passionate, tips for choosing graduate schools, how to develop your writing skills, the role of psychology in creative writing (and the role of creativity in psychology), and much more. Visit her website here.
Hillary Lin, MD
Founder/CEO of Curio & Physician
[Live Event] On becoming an oncologist, the power of stories from her terminally ill patients, starting her mental health startup, Curio, and how to make leaps of faith to achieve real change. Visit Curio here.
Pascal Wallisch, Ph.D
Professor of Psychology & Data Science
On his "nerdy" beginnings, why he fuses data science with psychology, why he believes data is the future, how he took 80 courses in psychology in undergrad, how teaching became his passion, why you have to be comfortable with uncertainty to be a researcher, and much more. See his website here.
Weiji Ma, Ph.D
Professor of Neural Science & Researcher
On his unconventional childhood, "delusions of grandeur," career pivots, the joys and woes of academia, bolstering the humanity in science, finding nurturing mentors, and more. Read his full bio here.
Nikki Blacksmith, Ph.D
CEO of Blackhawke & Professor of I-O Psychology
[Live Event] On opportunities in the fast-growing field of industrial-organizational psychology, the benefits of an MA vs. Ph.D, and applying psychology research to help organizations function seamlessly, and more. Read her full bio here.
Daniel Lerner, MAPP
Professor of Positive Psychology, Speaker, & Coach
[Live Event] On music as his window into psychology, his journey to understand the pursuit of excellence, coaching top-performers in music, sports, and business, how to re-charge after burnout, and teaching the most popular course at NYU. Read his full bio here.
Shabnam Javdani, Ph.D
Professor of Applied Psychology & Juvenile Justice Researcher
[Live Event] On combining passion with dedicated work, using psychology to affect systems-change, the field of community psychology, the processes behind intervention research, why a Ph.D allows her to "lead, create, and innovate and more. Read her full bio here.
Amanda White, LICSW
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
[Live Event] On the versatility of a social work degree, how to practice self-care when working with people in crisis, the connection between direct service work and policy work, how to incorporate multiple interests into your career, and more. Read her full bio here.
Erasma Monticciolo, MPA
Co-Founder/Executive Director of Power of Two
[Live Event] On how traveling shapes her equity lens, building a nonprofit based on both evidence and community partnership, how psychology helps her understand the individual players in dynamic systems, how nonprofits make money, and more. Read her full bio here.
Christopher Branson, Ph.D
Founder of C. Branson Consulting & Former Trauma Researcher
[Live Event] On why he chose to work with adolescents in the juvenile justice system, how his clinical experience shaped his research, how and why he mastered public speaking, fostering trust with the communities he serves, and much more. Read his full bio here.
Dale Atkins, Ph.D
Psychotherapist & Relationship Expert
[Live Event] On why she switched from education to psychology, how to effectively communicate your knowledge and expertise, what she has learned about herself through practicing therapy, and more. Read her full bio here.
Jess Shatkin, MD, MPH
Psychiatrist & Professor
[Live Event] On his zig-zagged journey through public health and medicine, how he tackles mental illness prevention (as well as treatment), resilience, how he cultivates variety in his current work, and much more. Read his full bio here.
Natalie Brito, Ph.D
Professor of Applied Psychology & Infant Neurodevelopment Researcher
[Live Event] On why her aspirations to be a pediatrician changed, how her research on infancy plays a role in her own parenting, pursuing a Ph.D in human development and public policy, achieving work-life balance, and much more. Read her full bio here.
Let's Talk!
If you have questions, suggestions, or just want to chat!