What does effective therapy actually look like—and how would you measure it without turning the process into something cold or mechanical?
In this episode, Mike sits down with Arron Lin—a UBC psychology graduate with a master's in innovation & entrepreneurship from Queen's, and a deep interest in the future of mental health. Arron is also currently studying counselling psychology, bringing a rare "both-sides" lens: the world of startups and systems on one hand, and the human realities of healing on the other.
Arron shares his story of moving to Canada as a teenager, navigating culture shock, identity, and the emotional pressure that many people carry silently while trying to succeed. From there, we dig into measurement-based care / feedback-informed treatment—how clinicians can track progress, strengthen the therapeutic alliance, and why honest feedback is often the missing ingredient in good therapy (even when everyone says they want it).
We also flip the script. Arron interviews Mike on the difference between self-awareness vs. overthinking, how rumination disguises itself as insight, and how real change comes from pairing insight with action. Finally, we zoom out to the future: where tech and AI can expand access and improve care—without ever replacing the human relationship at the heart of healing.
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Chapters:
00:00 Self-awareness vs overthinking (the big misconception)
00:44 Episode intro + what we're covering today
02:30 Why measurement-based care + tech matters in therapy
03:08 Arron's background + immigration journey
05:56 "Tiger mom" culture + education expectations
10:13 Moving at 17, ESL, first job, discrimination
16:46 What schools miss: emotional health + financial literacy
18:41 Why humans struggle to talk about emotions
22:30 Parenting, boundaries, truth, and responsibility
27:49 Arron's personal mental health tools + therapy journey
29:52 Emotional health = self-awareness (and mindfulness)
32:11 How to tell self-awareness from rumination loops
38:12 Family duty, collectivism vs individualism, immigrant tension
49:58 Measurement-based care / FIT explained (what it is)
52:18 Alliance feedback, therapist defensiveness, radical honesty
1:03:27 AI + tech: enhance humans, don't replace them
Disclaimer
Professional medical care and psychotherapeutic services are not offered on this Youtube channel. It is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast is at the user's own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such condition
Seeking professional support is encouraged if you think you have an issue and that you want help.
