Endless 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 …

Summary In 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 emph…

Summary In 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. T…

Summary In 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 significa…

Summary In 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…

Let 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 …

The 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!By Shift Psych

More 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.By Shift Psych

A 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.By Shift Psych

Flowers & 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.By Shift Psych

In 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.By Shift Psych

Solutions for Seasonal Affective Disorder to Grinch Like Grumpiness, and Everything in Between!By Shift Psych

Why do we let diet and exercise sabotage our well-being? Zac and Sarah point some fingers and round up some solutions.By Shift Psych

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…

Zac and Sarah Explain How the Great Outdoors Makes Us Happier -- and Why We Should Leave Our Phone at HomeBy Shift Psych

In 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.By Shift Psych

Defy 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, Shi…

The 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,…

It’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 …

“Is My Boss Serving Kool Aid?” Sarah Lerner of And Together Discusses the Cost of Toxic Workplaces -- and Maps the Way Forward Toxic 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 …

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.By Shift Psych

In 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 q…

This 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 …

Sometimes 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-s…

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 ex…

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-…

By Shift Psych

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 …

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…

Sometimes 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 co…

Shifter 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 …

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 whi…

Welcome 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 experi…

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 mone…

When 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 the…

How 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:/…