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PODCAST

PA Mindset Matters

At PA Mindset Matters, we shine a spotlight on exceptional PAs who are making a difference in mental health across all specialties. Our podcast and webinars are designed to connect and inspire the PA workforce—whether you’re a psych PA or a PA in primary care, emergency medicine, or any specialty—by providing practical insights and resources to integrate behavioral health into your practice. Together, we’re building a stronger, more connected community to raise each other up and deliver better

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All Episodes

23:54

Mini Mindset: The Dual-Diagnosis Trap in Substance...

PA Mindset Matters ·

2026/09/29

When depression, anxiety, insomnia, inattention, or mood instability shows up alongside substance use, the clinical picture can get complicated fast.In this Mini Mindset episode of PA Mindset Matters, we explore how intoxication, withdrawal, rebound symptoms, and neuroadaptation can mimic psychiatric illness—and why good clinical reasoning requires more than matching symptoms to a diagnosis. We discuss: How substance use can act as a clinical chameleon Why building a timeline matters

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44:35

Addiction Medicine, Motivational Interviewing, and...

PA Mindset Matters ·

2026/09/22

Addiction medicine touches nearly every area of healthcare, yet many clinicians receive limited training in recognizing and treating substance use disorders.In this episode of PA Mindset Matters, Jessica Spissinger, PA-C, LICSW, CAQ-Psych, and Mercedes Dodge, MPAS, PA-C, CAQ-Psych, sit down with Kerith Hartmann, MPAS, PA-C, an addiction medicine PA at Oregon Health & Science University. Kerith works across inpatient addiction medicine consultation and outpatient care for patients with substance

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29:04

Mini Mindset: Substance Use Disorder — Opening the...

PA Mindset Matters ·

2026/09/15

You don’t have to work in addiction medicine to care for patients with substance use disorders.Substance use shows up across healthcare—from psychiatry and primary care to emergency medicine, pediatrics, and hospital settings—and it often intersects with anxiety, insomnia, trauma, depression, chronic pain, and relationship stress. In this Mini Mindset episode, Jessica Spissinger and Mercedes Dodge break down practical ways clinicians can recognize substance use disorder, reduce stigma, and feel

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39:32

Bridging the Gap in Addiction Medicine with Arianna...

PA Mindset Matters ·

2026/09/08

What happens when we identify opioid use disorder—but the patient still can’t access treatment?In this episode of PA Mindset Matters, Mercedes Dodge and Jessica Spissinger sit down with Arianna Campbell, DMSc, MPH, PA-C, CAQ-EM, DFAAPA, a PA with more than 25 years of emergency medicine experience and nearly a decade working in addiction medicine and healthcare systems change. Arianna shares how a simple question in the emergency department—What are we actually going to do when we identify opioid

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13:39

Season 2 Reflection: Highlights from Psych PA...

PA Mindset Matters ·

2026/05/12

Hosts Mercedes Dodge and Jessica Spissinger of PA Mindset Matters reflect on wrapping their second season, highlighting interviews largely recorded at the inaugural PA Institute collaboration between Psych Congress and AAPA and previewing its return in early December in Orlando. They discuss their mission to connect psychiatric PAs and share standout guest takeaways. They note psych PA presence at AAPA, announce next season starting fall 2026 focusing on substance use, invite guests via

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27:56

Caring Beyond Diagnosis: Humanity, Intellectual...

PA Mindset Matters ·

2026/05/05

In medicine, it’s easy to focus on diagnoses, treatment plans, and checklists.But some of the most meaningful moments in care happen when we pause long enough to see the person beyond them. In this episode of Mindset Matters, we sit down with a leader in psychiatry to explore what it truly means to care for patients with intellectual and developmental differences—and how these experiences reshape the way we practice medicine as a whole. This conversation goes beyond career paths. It’s about

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20:59

Mini Mindset: Menopause & Mental Health—Recognizing...

PA Mindset Matters ·

2026/04/28

In this Mini Mindset episode, we explore the often-overlooked connection between menopause, perimenopause, and mental health. Many women present with symptoms that look like depression or anxiety—but what if the underlying driver is hormonal? We discuss: The clinical overlap between mood disorders and perimenopause Why some patients experience partial response to SSRIs The role of sleep disruption, vasomotor symptoms, and estrogen fluctuations How to differentiate brain fog vs ADHD vs mood

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17:26

From Life to Lessons: Ava Smith's Path in Psychiatry

PA Mindset Matters ·

2026/04/21

In this episode of The Mindset Matters, psychiatric PAs Mercedes Dodge and Jessica Spissinger interview Ava, a psych PA and clinical assistant professor at Texas A&M, about her transition from emergency psychiatry to outpatient academic practice. She reflects on working across 13 Houston-area hospitals, the lack of continuity in emergency care, and how her mother’s mental illness shaped her path into psychiatry later in life. Ava discusses her current role—primarily adult outpatient care with

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16:45

Embracing Summertime Mood Challenges: Reverse SAD...

PA Mindset Matters ·

2026/04/14

In this episode of PA Mindset Matters Mini Mindset, hosts Jessica Spissinger and Mercedes Dodge review the third and final seasonal onset mood disorder discussing “reverse seasonal affective disorder,” or summer-onset depression. They note it’s less common than winter-onset SAD (about 0.5–2.5% vs. 5–10%) and can be missed because summer is assumed to be a season which most people enjoy. However, for those who struggle with summer depression, it may present atypically with agitation, irritability,

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16:45

More Than the Patient: How Psychiatry PAs Impact...

PA Mindset Matters ·

2026/04/07

In this episode of PA Mindset Matters, hosts Mercedes Dodge, PA-C and Jessica Spissinger, PA-C connect with psychiatric physician assistant Jasprina Ming, DMS, MPAS, PA-C at Psych Congress to discuss pathways into psychiatry, the mental health workforce shortage, and the broader impact of psychiatric care.Jasprina shares how growing up with a mother with mental illness shaped her perspective, emphasizing that treating one patient often means supporting an entire family and community while helping

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16:02

The Collaborative Shift: Breaking Down Healthcare...

PA Mindset Matters ·

2026/03/31

Mental health doesn’t live in one clinic—it shows up everywhere.In this Mini Mindset episode of PA Mindset Matters, Mercedes Dodge, PA-C and Jessica Spissinger, PA-C take a closer look at collaborative care and why integrating behavioral health across specialties is essential for improving patient outcomes and reducing provider burnout. From primary care to pediatrics to specialty clinics, behavioral health is already present—but too often, care is delivered in silos. In this episode, we explore

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19:00

From Military Service to Mental Health Advocacy:...

PA Mindset Matters ·

2026/03/24

In this episode of The PA Mindset Matters, hosts Mercedes Dodge and Jessica Spissinger interview Edward Traverso about how his military deployment shaped his commitment to mental health. Edward describes discovering the PA profession, working on an adult inpatient involuntary unit, and completing a one-year psychiatry PA residency at the VA in Houston partnered with Baylor. Now practicing addiction psychiatry at New Start Clinic in Washington and Oregon, he emphasizes the role of substances in

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19:23

Mini-Mindset: Spring-Onset Mania--Understanding...

PA Mindset Matters ·

2026/03/17

In this Mini Mindset episode of PA Mindset Matters, Jessica Spissinger and Mercedes Dodge discuss spring-onset mania as a seasonal pattern in bipolar disorder. Seasonal patterns require a consistent relationship with a specific time of year for at least two years, with manic episodes most often peaking in spring and autumn. They review manic symptoms using the DIGFAST mnemonic and distinguish hypomania from mania by duration, functional impairment, and possible psychosis.The episode explores

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19:31

How One Psychiatric PA Combines AI, Psychiatry &...

PA Mindset Matters ·

2026/03/10

Psychiatric PA Serah Sulaiman, MPAS, PA-C joins PA Mindset Matters to discuss pediatric mental health, emotional dysregulation, and Partial Hospitalization (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient (IOP) treatment programs.In this episode, hosts Mercedes Dodge, PA-C and Jessica Spissinger, PA-C explore Serah’s path from teaching to psychiatry and her work supporting high-acuity youth transitioning from inpatient care, residential programs, or periods of school disruption back into daily life. We discuss

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13:44

Mini Mindset: Prescribing Movement — Exercise as a...

PA Mindset Matters ·

2026/03/03

Exercise is not just a lifestyle recommendation. It’s neurobiology.In this Mini Mindset episode of PA Mindset Matters, we take a clinical deep dive into exercise as a prescriptive tool in psychiatric care. We review: • Moderate to large effect sizes in depression • The Duke SMILE study (8% relapse with exercise vs 38% with medication alone) • Muscle–brain crosstalk and BDNF upregulation • Neuroplasticity, inflammation, and dopamine signaling • The F.I.T.T. framework for clinical prescription • Red

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19:33

Bridging Psychiatry and Integrative Medicine with...

PA Mindset Matters ·

2026/02/24

In this Mindset Matters podcast, we feature Miriam Dineen, PA-C, interviewed at the PA Institute in Orland. Dineen shares her path from infectious diseases and hospital medicine to integrative medicine, and ultimately outpatient psychiatry during COVID due to rising mental health needs. She integrates lifestyle medicine into psychiatric care, sees pediatric and adult patients via in-person and telehealth visits, and earned her psychiatry CAQ to deepen her knowledge. In private practice she

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17:50

Navigating Winter-Onset Depression: A Conversation...

PA Mindset Matters ·

2026/02/17

In this Mini-Mindset episode, Jessica Spissinger and Mercedes Dodge break down seasonal affective disorder (SAD) as a seasonal subtype of depression—not just the “winter blues.” They review winter triggers, common symptoms (hypersomnia, carb cravings, weight gain, low energy), and key risk factors. The episode highlights evidence-based treatments including light therapy (10,000 lux in the morning), CBT tailored to SAD, and medications like bupropion and SSRIs. They also share practical coping

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15:11

From Pediatrics to Psychiatry: Victoria Starner's...

PA Mindset Matters ·

2026/02/10

In this episode of The Mindset Matters podcast, hosts Mercedes Dodge and Jessica Spissinger interview Victoria (Tor )Starner, a psychiatric physician assistant (PA). Tor discusses her journey from pediatric outpatient care to her current role in psychiatry, working initially in a fully remote setting due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She highlights the importance of mentorship and the value of networking in advancing her career. Tor shares her passion for mental health, continuous learning through

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14:57

Beyond Pathology: The Journey of Trauma-Informed Care...

PA Mindset Matters ·

2026/02/03

Trauma shows up everywhere in healthcare—not just in psychiatry. In this Mini Mindset episode, Mercedes Dodge, PA-C, CAQ-Psychiatry, and Jessica Spissinger, PA-C take a focused deep dive into how trauma presents across clinical settings, including primary care, pediatrics, urgent care, orthopedics, and mental health.We explore the history of trauma and PTSD, from early concepts of dissociation to formal recognition in DSM-III and the expanded understanding in DSM-5. The discussion includes the

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15:57

No Expectations, Deep Impact: Curiosity, Addiction...

PA Mindset Matters ·

2026/01/27

In this episode of Mindset Matters, we sit down with Yuliya Bjorgan, a Psychiatric PA practicing in outpatient private care with experience spanning general psychiatry and addiction medicine.Yuliya shares how a lifelong curiosity about psychiatry, supportive preceptors, and openness to opportunity shaped her path into mental health care. We explore her current work treating bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety, how addiction medicine deepened her understanding of patient behavior, and why

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38 results

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