Shows
The Shift Show035: Scroll, Click, Repeat: Escaping the Internet Addiction TrapEndless scrolling, compulsive clicking, and dopamine-driven distraction—sound familiar? In this episode, Andrea McTague and Alberto Medeiros unpack the reality of internet addiction and how modern tech subtly hijacks our minds. They explore how screen time disrupts sleep, relationships, emotional health, and productivity—often without us realizing it. Drawing from neuroscience and real-life therapy insights, they examine the psychological mechanics behind our digital habits and offer actionable strategies to break free. Whether you're seeking focus and connection, or just want to understand your phone cravings, this is your wake-up call.📥 Download our free Digital Detox Guide:...2025-04-141h 26The Shift Show034: Rewiring Trauma: How to Break Free from Limiting BeliefsSummaryIn this episode, Andrea McTague and Mateo Sestito explore the complexities of trauma, its impact on the brain, and how early experiences shape our responses to life. They discuss the difference between disturbances and trauma, the role of limiting beliefs, and the importance of social connections in coping with trauma. The conversation emphasizes the potential for trauma to be transformed into strength and resilience through understanding and therapy. Listeners are encouraged to embrace change and recognize that trauma does not have to define their lives.TakeawaysTrauma can shape our identity but...2025-03-251h 05The Shift Show033: Parenting with Purpose: The Struggles, The Strategies & The ScienceSummaryIn this episode, Andrea McTague and Sharilyn Theriault explore the complexities of parenting, emphasizing the importance of parental well-being, emotional resilience, and intentionality in parenting practices. They discuss common challenges such as tantrums, the significance of co-regulation, and effective strategies for bedtime routines. The conversation also highlights the importance of scaffolding children's learning and the three C's of parenting: Calm, Connection, and Correction. The episode concludes with insights on the long-term impact of parenting styles on children's development and relationships.TakeawaysParenting is often an unrecognized but crucial job.Taking care...2025-01-291h 02The Shift Show032: Beyond the Call: Navigating Trauma and Transition for Veterans and First RespondersSummaryIn this episode of The Shift Show, Andrea McTague and Amy Gale discuss the unique mental health challenges faced by veterans and first responders, including the impact of trauma, the importance of social connections, and the transition to civilian life. They explore strategies for resilience, the role of humour in healing, and the significance of finding purpose after service. The conversation emphasizes the need for support systems and the potential for trauma to be integrated into one's identity as a source of strength.TakeawaysVeterans and first responders often experience a loss...2024-12-091h 09The Shift Show031: Grit, Growth, and Balance: The High Performer’s Guide to Mental ToughnessSummaryIn this episode of The Shift Show, Andrea McTague and Baldwin Asala delve into the intricacies of performance psychology, focusing on high achievers such as athletes and entrepreneurs. They explore common concerns like performance blocks, burnout, and the challenges of transitioning out of high-performance roles. The conversation emphasizes the importance of understanding limiting beliefs, achieving flow states, and maintaining a balance between personal and professional life. Through their unique backgrounds and experiences, they provide insights into how individuals can enhance their performance while avoiding the pitfalls of excessive pressure and expectations.Takeaways...2024-10-2450 min
More Than MoneyMoney and the fear of not having enough And, how climate change contributes to homelessnessJoin Faisal Karmali & Dave Popowich on More Than Money as they talk to Andrea McTague, Founder of ShiftGrit Psychology and Counselling, about how to change your perspective on spending your money so that you can live your best life in retirement.Also on the show, Tim Richter, Co-Chair of the National Housing Council, discusses the cost of homelessness, how that impacts you directly, and what we have to do to address the issue.We are also speaking with Omar Kaywan, co-founder of Goose Insurance about the role insurance can play when your flight gets delayed...2024-07-1438 minThe Shift Show030: The World Can Be a Scary Place: Here's How To Focus On What You Can ControlLet us know in the comments what other topics you'd like our psychologists Andrea and Zac to cover in the next upcoming episodes! In this episode of The Shift Show, we admit that it's been a while... but we're back and this topic is one that you'll want to sit in on. We'll be talking about External Stressors (things that stress us out that are NOT in our control) such as the war between Russia and Ukraine, the raising inflation, supply chain shortages, political division etc. Our two psychologists will give you tips on how to manage w...2022-09-091h 25The Shift Show029: Let's Talk About Sex: A chat with Natasha Helfer ParkerThe sex experience can be very confusing; on one hand, it is pleasurable and we desire it but on the other hand, it’s associated with shame and disgust. Tune in and hear what we have to say about sex!2022-05-1251 minThe Shift Show028: From Stress to Chronic Burnout: Here’s How to Combat These Common ConditionsMore and more we see clients listing “stress” as a common reason our clients come in. It’s talked about in the news frequently, we hear friends complain of it, and we have all experienced some aspect of it from time to time.2022-03-242h 00The Shift Show027: Yoga for PTSD? How Building Your Mind-Body Connection Enhances TherapyA lot has changed from the days when yoga burst into the West. The beloved past-time of Lululemon-sporting women now invites more diverse populations, including first responders suffering from – or at risk for – PTSD.2022-02-171h 33The Shift Show026: Tune up Your Relationship by Breaking down Your NeedsFlowers & Blowjobs: Listen to the rerelease of this podcast for gems on navigating your needs, whether you’re trying to communicate better in your current relationship or are in the market for a new one. 2022-02-101h 42The Shift Show025: Stop Self-Sabotage, Get Your Brain on Your Side and Be Your Best SelfIn this podcast, Andrea McTague and Zac Erickson dissect the human brain to explain why we often act against our own interests and how to get back in the driver’s seat.2022-01-271h 30The Shift Show024: How to Combat the Winter BluesSolutions for Seasonal Affective Disorder to Grinch Like Grumpiness, and Everything in Between!2021-12-232h 06The Shift Show023: How Mindfulness Can Help You Eat Better and Move MoreWhy do we let diet and exercise sabotage our well-being? Zac and Sarah point some fingers and round up some solutions.2021-11-251h 00
The Shift Show022: Face Your Fears with Shift Psychs: Dare to visit Deadmonton, the haunted house from hell.Ah, Halloween - the time our society brings our love of scaring ourselves to light, in the funnest possible way. Overgrown pumpkins, tricked out yards, and all-you-can-eat candy. A chance to slap on a wig, paint your face, and glimpse the horrors that lurk inside your neighbour's’ foyer.Chime in to hear what we have to say!Disclaimer: Please note that this podcast is a re-release and that after this episode we will begin releasing our podcasts once a month!2021-10-2853 min
The Shift Show021: We’re Walking, Talking Pieces of Nature!Zac and Sarah Explain How the Great Outdoors Makes Us Happier -- and Why We Should Leave Our Phone at Home2021-10-141h 06
The Shift Show020: Why Porn ‘Addiction’ is Like a Comfy Couch -- and How to Get up off Your AssIn Andrea and Zac’s 360 on porn compulsion, they discuss what the real problem is (spoiler alert: it’s not the sexy bodies), how it’s compounded by modern-day society, and what to do if you or a loved one is struggling with it.2021-09-301h 06
The Shift Show020: Why Porn is Like a Comfy Couch -- and How to Get up off Your AssIn Andrea and Zac’s 360 on porn compulsion, they discuss what the real problem is (spoiler alert: it’s not the sexy bodies), how it’s compounded by modern-day society, and what to do if you or a loved one is struggling with it.2021-09-3050 min
The Shift Show019: Life is a Teeter-TotterDefy Gravity, Embrace Yourself: Floating Entrepreneurs Matthew Smith and Jamie Phillips Twelve inches of water, half a ton of salt, 34-degree water, that’s all. No sound. No light. No sensory input. Just you and your thoughts.Whether that sounds divine or demonic, this conversation with Modern Gravity founders Matthew Smith and Jamie Phillips, Shift Clinician Zac Erickson, and Shift Operations Manager [Name…?] offers new perspectives on the experience of floating -- the good, the weird and the downright trippy.Smith and Phillips discuss the history of float...2021-09-161h 17
The Shift Show018: Let's Talk About HappinessThe Holy Grail of emotions, happiness is everywhere -- and yet so hard to see. Everything from a pleasant sunny afternoon to a once-in-a-lifetime winning lottery ticket could sit under the umbrella of happiness. The problem is, wanting to be happy without knowing what that means, is a recipe for unhappiness. In the first episode of this new series, Shift’s Zac Erickson, Andrea McTague and Sarah [...?] poke around under the blanket of happiness to demystify it from a physiological, psychological and evolutionary perspective. As they do so, they ask two que...2021-09-031h 07
The Shift Show017: ADD/ADHD - Let's Discuss How to Identify and Treat this Disorder on the RiseIt’s ADHD’s moment in the spotlight. Thanks to Tiktok, today there’s an unprecedented level of interest around ADHD. But so many of the symptoms of this neurodevelopmental disorder can also be caused by lifestyle factors -- diet, sleep, exercise, social activity -- exacerbated by the pandemic. In other words, if you’re bouncing off the walls after a year and a half of being cooped up, it’s probably more an environmental issue than a clinical one.In this episode, Shift’s Zac Erickson and Andrea McTague discuss ADD/ADHD fro...2021-08-191h 41
The Shift Show016: Toxic Workplaces Hurt Us All: Here’s How to Identify and Shift the Dynamic“Is My Boss Serving Kool Aid?”Sarah Lerner of And Together Discusses the Cost of Toxic Workplaces -- and Maps the Way ForwardToxic workplaces cost big. If you’re cowering in your cubicle or dodging bullies, you aren’t bringing your “A”-game to the office. You’re probably waist-deep in a job search.If that’s you, you’re not alone: According to a 2020 study, 20% of all U.S. employees reported fleeing a toxic workplace over the previous five years, at an estimated pr...2021-08-0556 min
The Shift Show015: Who Said Parenting Was Easy?Parents are human, it’s okay to make mistakes! Shifters Zac and Sarah talk about the highs and lows of parenting during the peak of COVID.2021-07-221h 17
The Shift Show014 “Who Are You and Why Are You Talking to Me about This Stuff?” A chat with Shift CEO and founder, Andrea McTagueIn case you’re just joining the party, Shift Psychs, Zac Erickson and Sarah [...], sit down with Shift CEO and founder, Andrea McTague, for a chat on who we are and why we’re talking to you about all this stuff.Born out of Andrea’s love-hate relationship with traditional psychology (love the foundation, hate the delivery), Shift kicks the status quo to the curb. Here's the traditional equation: therapy = (couch + talking) x ∞. There’s no game plan -- and if there is, you don’t get to see it -- and no end in sight. 2021-07-081h 16The Shift Show013: How First Responders Deal with Trauma/PTSDThis is a really important issue that we’re passionate about. First responders of all kinds, including firefighters, paramedics and police officers, deal with trauma every day. The long term (and short term) impacts of experiencing traumas are by no means light. We wanted to bring light to this issue by providing some education around the types of traumas that first responders experience, how it impacts them and some of the proactive measures we can take to lessen the impacts of those traumas. In The Shift Show Episode 13 we speak to Daniel Sundahl of DanSun Ph...2021-06-241h 15The Shift Show012: The Impact of Pregnancy and Infant LossSometimes life confronts us with tragic events, things out of our control, which bring on a myriad of emotions and impact our beliefs about ourselves and the world. One of these heartbreaking arenas is infant loss and pregnancy loss. Once shrouded in quiet suffering and stigma, we are thankful that more and more open conversations about these not-so-uncommon events are occurring. Still, hesitation to discuss a loss of a pregnancy or child still abounds. Sometimes this is because the pregnancy was not yet disclosed, sometimes it is because the grief pushes people into hiding, sometimes it is beca...2021-06-1052 minThe Shift Show011: Creating Friendships as an Adult (and Maintaining Them During a Pandemic)Do you find it difficult to create and maintain friendships as an adult? Well, you’re not the only one. Only a small number of Canadians would say they are ‘satisfied’ with their social lives.Why is this? What are the barriers to making friends in adulthood and what are some ways to get past these barriers? Zac and Shift clinician Sam Greenwood explore all of these questions.They’ll also look at some of the limiting beliefs that tend to sabotage our friend making efforts. Join us for this super relatable episode of The Shift Sh...2021-05-2750 minThe Shift Show010 Why Community Matters (with the Westmount Community League)What is community? What on earth is a 'block connector' and what does it mean to 'be elfed'? Andrea and Zac sit down with our guests this week: Carla Stolte and Jay Summach of the Westmount Community in Edmonton to get into all of this and more.As members of the Westmount Community League, Jay and Carla share their experience of living in a tight-knit community in a disconnected world.What makes a community connected? How has community connectedness changed over time? What can we do to be more connected with our neighbours? ...2021-05-131h 06The Shift Show009 Loneliness and Social ConnectivityRecorded during the wake of the pandemic, Andrea and Zac have a timely discussion about the widespread issue of loneliness and the importance of social connection. Where does our drive for social interaction and connectivity come from? What hinders social connectivity and what fosters it? How can we improve our relationships and feel closer to the people in our lives? All this and more on this episode of The Shift Show! https://shiftpsych.com/shift-show/social-isolation/Shift Psych: https://shiftpsych.com/ Inst...2021-04-291h 31The Shift Show008 Cancer: Moving Forward Emotionally (with Michelle Okere; CEO of Compassion House Foundation)Shift psychologist Sarah O'Brien sits down with Michelle Okere, the CEO of Compassion House Foundation, to try and understand the emotional journey that many individuals experience during their cancer treatment and recovery. Michelle and Sarah discuss some of the common, and even surprising, emotions that cancer survivors experience, from guilt to relief. They also take a look at some tips to help cancer survivors with emotional regulation and coping. Michelle and Sarah explore some of the ways that friends and family can support the cancer survivor in their lives an...2021-04-151h 06The Shift Show007 ADD: Where's the Deficit?Zac shares his experience of dealing with Attention Deficit Disorder. He discusses being able to understand some of the symptoms that his ADD created in childhood, like not being able to sustain mental effort in early assignments in school. When something was not stimulating enough to hold his attention in childhood he often encountered shame-based accusations of being lazy, stupid or destructive. Zac also discusses the often neglected, positive coping strategies and behaviours which ADHD may produce. Zac also refers to the book, “Delivered from Distraction: Getting the Most ou...2021-04-011h 02The Shift Show006 Limiting Beliefs in RelationshipsSometimes people think they need couples counselling, when they actually need some intense individual therapy. Zac Erickson and Dr. Lindsay Sewall help tease these apart so you can recognize when limiting beliefs are at the core of relationship issues.Limiting beliefs can look like perfectionism, sensitivity to rejection, or an unwillingness to consider someone else’s perspective. We go over several different limiting beliefs and how they show up in your relationship.https://shiftpsych.com/shift-show/limiting-beliefs-in-relationships/ Shift Psych: https://shiftpsych.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shiftpsych/2021-03-181h 15The Shift Show005 A Pregnancy and Postpartum Survival GuideShifter and full-time mom Sarah O'Brien shares her experience with pregnancy, birth and everything in between.What are some of the secret struggles women go through during pregnancy? What are postpartum depression and anxiety really like and how common are they? How do men and women experience pregnancy and birth differently? Is there a right way to give birth? How about a right way to care for your newborn? Andrea and Sarah discuss all these questions and more on this episode. Episode webpage: https://shiftpsych.com/shift-show/postpartum-survival-guide/ Shift Psych: https://shiftpsych.com/ 2021-03-041h 28The Shift Show004 Let's Talk About Sex (with Sex Therapist Natasha Helfer Parker)Join Zac and Natasha as they discuss some of the feelings of disgust and shame which often arise in regards to conversations about sex. These ideas are embedded in historical issues of control, whether it be religion or family inheritance. They explore the age old question of, “What makes for a good healthy sexuality?” There are a lot of things which we see as being tied to a healthy sexual relationship. Some of these things are culturally ingrained or learned through our family or friend groups growing up. Some are tied to evolutionary or biological programs running uncons...2021-02-1852 minThe Shift ShowEpisode 0 - The Shift Show TrailerWelcome to the Shift Show, where we use psychological insight to unravel the craziness of life for you. From childhood traumas to why you’re attracted to narcissists. From overthinking your social interactions to why you’re struggling to grow your business. It’s all here, and we’ve left the psychobabble out.This especially delicious podcast experience is brought to you by our friends at Shift Psych, the people who deliver a results-driven and innovative approach in therapy-land.Podcast website: https://shiftpsych.com/shift-show/ Shift Psych: https://shiftpsych.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagra...2021-01-2103 minThe Shift Show001 Can Money Buy Happiness?Zac and Andrea discuss money; specifically, how to spend in a way that allows you to have a fulfilling life. Referencing a study from Purdue University, Zac and Andrea analyze how people spend money and look into the factors that cause bad spending habits. Andrea shares her experiences with money and offers insight to the age old question: Can money buy happiness?Purdue University study: https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2018/Q1/money-only-buys-happiness-for-a-certain-amount.htmlEpisode Website: https://shiftpsych.com/shift-show/money-cant-buy-happiness/Shift Psych: https://shiftpsych.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shiftpsych/Facebook...2021-01-2147 minThe Shift Show002 Toxic Parents: Dealing With The FalloutWhen we’re young, we have to figure things out and navigate our realities very quickly. During periods of high stimulation we place demand on our emotional systems to determine threats or unbalance in our environments. We are wired to trust our parents and depend on them to protect us. If they aren’t placing adequate protections in place for us then we assume that it must be our fault. This will almost always show up later in life in different ways. What are some ways to deal with the aftermath of toxic parenting? Tune in as Zac a...2021-01-211h 10The Shift Show003 Changing Family DynamicsHow are family dynamics changing over time? What needs to be done to create a nurturing and stable family? Zac and Andrea take an in-depth look into the family dynamic. Specifically, what each partner needs to do in order to satisfy the needs of the family members and what communication between one another should look like.Episode website: https://shiftpsych.com/shift-show/changing-family-dynamics/ Shift Psych: https://shiftpsych.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shiftpsych/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShiftPsych/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ShiftPsych/videos2021-01-211h 26