About The Hardcore Self Help Podcast with Duff the Psych
Hey, friends! My name is Robert. I am a neuropsychologist and self-help author. In this podcast, I interview fascinating individuals and provide information about psychology, mental health, neuroscience, relationships, and more. I have been told that I ask amazing questions and that I am talented at breaking down complex science into digestible information. Come have a listen and let me know if you agree!
The Secrets of Good Daughtering with Dr. Allison Alford
Host Duff the Psych interviews Dr. Allison Alford, a communication scholar, about the hidden emotional labor of adult daughters and how they can set boundaries within their families, ultimately finding pride instead of burnout in their roles.
27 Jan 2026TRANSCRIPT
Intimacy, Breakups, and Dating in the Real World: A Conversation with Dr. Justin Garcia
Host Duff the Psych interviews Dr. Justin Garcia, Executive Director of the Kinsey Institute, about the biology of love and desire, technology's impact, and navigating modern relationships, offering insights into intimacy and breakups.
20 Jan 2026TRANSCRIPT
Compassionate and Effective Schizophrenia Care with Dr. Tracy Hicks
In this episode, I'm honored to welcome Dr. Tracy Hicks, a dual-certified family and mental health nurse practitioner with over two decades of clinical experience—and a deeply personal connection to serious mental illness. Dr. Hicks is both the daughter of a parent and the mother of a child with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Her perspective blends professional expertise with lived experience in a way that is both deeply compassionate and refreshingly practical.
We talk about what schizophrenia really is (and isn't), the impact of stigma on individuals and families, and the importance of person-centered, empathetic care. Dr. Hicks shares her personal journey—raising a daughter with serious mental illness while navigating barriers in the healthcare system—and offers guidance for both providers and caregivers who want to better support those living with schizophrenia.
This is a powerful and deeply human conversation for anyone touched by serious mental illness.
Topics We Cover
What schizophrenia is and how it's commonly misunderstood
Growing up with a parent who has schizophrenia
Early warning signs and delays in diagnosis for her daughter
How stigma and systemic bias impact treatment access and quality
Long-acting injectable medications: what they are and why they matter
Creating space for curiosity and shared decision-making in care
How to support loved ones without losing yourself
Advice for providers on building trust and improving outcomes
The power of grace, boundaries, and self-care for caregivers
Timestamps
00:00 – Introduction to Dr. Tracy Hicks and her personal/professional background
03:00 – From nursing to psychiatry: building a whole-person care model
07:00 – Childhood memories of a parent with schizophrenia
11:00 – Explaining what schizophrenia is and is not
14:00 – Challenging stereotypes: what schizophrenia actually looks like
18:00 – Early signs in Dr. Hicks' daughter and missed opportunities for intervention
22:00 – Racism, bias, and provider assumptions
24:00 – Treatment begins with the story, not the symptoms
26:00 – Why empathy and curiosity matter more than credentials
28:00 – The question that opens everything: "What's your goal for today?"
32:00 – Including family and support systems in the care plan
36:00 – Communication shifts that changed lives
41:00 – What long-acting injectables are and how to present them as an option
47:00 – Combating clinical inertia and provider bias
51:00 – What Dr. Hicks would do differently as a parent
54:00 – Creating your own space when the system doesn't serve you
58:00 – Boundaries, burnout, and filling your own cup as a caregiver
1:02:00 – Final thoughts on stigma, advocacy, and asking for what you need
1:03:30 – Where to follow Dr. Hicks and access her work
Guest Links
Website: https://www.cfcmentalhealthoutreach.org
Instagram: https://instagram.com/drhicksnp
Stay Connected
Email: duffthepsych@gmail.com
Send a message or question: https://www.duffthepsych.com/contact
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@duffthepsych
Instagram: https://instagram.com/duffthepsych
If this episode resonated with you, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with someone who could benefit. Conversations like this one can make a world of difference for people who feel alone in their experience.
Until next time, take care of yourself.
Inside a recent episode
The Secrets of Good Daughtering with Dr. Allison Alford
Published 17 Feb 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] My goal and intention is to help everyone see the ways that daughters are doing daughtering all over their life. Even a 22 year old daughter is exerting effort toward and time and energy and resources to keeping up that connection with her family. And families aren't formed just by the mom or the dad filling up the daughter, parenting her. In adulthood, there's this mutuality that the connection can't be sustained unless the daughter is doing some stuff too. And so the easy things to see are those task things that we do. You know, maybe we drive the kids over there and we pack them up, we drove them over, we spent the time, you know, people traveled during the holidays. […]
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