Welcome to the Asylum of Paradox, where we're broadcasting live! Join Eliot Kaplan, Ph.D., Naftoli Sobel, LCSW, and others in the field as they delve into the worlds most dangerous therapy - Paradox Psychology. Discover how this revolutionary therapy overcomes treatment resistance and more through the key ingredient to therapy - the therapeutic alliance. Tune in to explore the power of paradox - why it works, when to apply it, and how to harness its potential for transformative healing. To learn more or contact us visit Paradoxpsychology.com
#67- Empty Chair / Parts Work: What’s Really Going On?
Therapy has various techniques to help clients address trauma and disowned aspects of the self. Among the most popular are the ‘Empty Chair’ technique and ‘Parts Integration Work’. In the 1960’s, Gestalt Therapy, developed by Fritz Perls promoted the Empty Chair technique. Here the client projects a person (or parent) on the ‘empty chair’ and enters a dialogue to resolve conflict. More recently Internal Family Systems (IFS) developed by Richard Schwartz further expanded this type of dialogue to include ‘disowned parts’ that keep the client stuck and limited. The logic of conventional wisdom is that growth depends on the client’s ability to ‘integrate’ these projected or disowned parts.
While this is true to a certain degree, there is a whole aspect to this healing process that is taken for granted and overlooked. Sometimes clinicians accidently touch on this ‘secret ingredient’ which dramatically increases therapy success. However – because it happens accidentally - the clinicians are often unaware of how and why certain clients benefit more from ‘empty chair / parts work’ than others do. While the technique is often the vehicle that brings an issue to the surface, it is actually the presence of the ‘secret ingredient’ that allows change and growth to happen. Today’s podcast will address both the technique and secret ingredient that bring life and success to the therapy
24 Sept 2026
#66- What Makes Narcissists So Loveable
hat’s the secret that makes narcissists so loveable? Some might say it’s having an unreasonable degree of self-importance; the feeling of being superior, so that one can ‘look down’ at others. Maybe it’s their lack of personal awareness and difficulty adapting to change? Or is it the need to be admired – with or without any real achievements? Or how about being arrogant and coming across as conceited? Or could it be their difficulty with managing their emotions, behavior, and easily feeling slighted. Maybe it’s their desire to always be ‘right’ and never admit when they might be wrong or made a mistake? Or lack of flexibility, and being impatient with others who disagree with them? Or maybe it’s that they have trouble handling anything that seems like criticism, and have contempt for those who do not see things their way?
In this podcast, we will discuss all these aspects, as well as the core underlying issue that makes them so ‘loveable’. And what ultimately has to happen if treatment is ever going to have a chance to work….?
17 Sept 2026
#65- Guilt and Shame
‘Guilt and shame’ are common feelings that are part of the human experience and are regularly addressed in the process of therapy. Animals who live by their limiting and rigid instincts do not suffer from the internal struggle of these emotions. It is the struggle around these emotions that is often tied to addictions and mental health issues. In this podcast we will discuss the difference between guilt and shame as well as the difference between ‘healthy shame’ and ‘toxic shame’. While toxic shame can overwhelm and paralyze a person, healthy shame is value-based and can motivate a person to align with one’s integrity and toward healthy social interaction. Join us for a discussion of the paradoxical aspects that encompass guilt and shame and our struggle to stay balanced as part of the human condition.
Healthy shame is a temporary, value-based signal that you've done something wrong (e.g., "I did something bad"), prompting you to correct behavior, make amends, and learn, unlike toxic shame, which is a global, paralyzing belief that "I am a bad person," leading to self-disgust and stagnation. It's an adaptive emotion for social connection, helping you align with your integrity, understand social rules, and foster humility, while toxic shame stems from feeling inherently flawed and unworthy.
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