The Matt Townsend Show

Matt Townsend specializes in energizing and involving audiences with his unique approach to building and maintaining successful relationships. Known as one of America’s top presenters in the field of Human Relations and Development, Matt blends humor and story telling with interactive, real-life solutions that motivate and inspire his listeners.

Latest Episodes:

Getting Ready for Retirement Mar 28, 2013

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Brooke Walker filling in for a vacationing Matt Townsend. There's more to retirement than just the money. We explore the psychological element, which includes the anticipation and anxiety of leaving the workforce.

Bragging and Envy Mar 26, 2013

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Brooke Walker filling in for a vacationing Matt. We explore why we feel so motivated to compete with one another, to a point where it can erode self esteem. Is the economy or social media partly responsible?

Becoming Invaluable in Business Mar 25, 2013

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We discuss what makes us valuable in the workplace. There's an argument to be made that we might not want to become too valuable. Matt talks with Dave Crenshaw, author of "The Myth of Multitasking" and "Invaluable: The Secret to Becoming Irreplaceable", about how to define business value and how and why to achieve it. Crenshaw, after surveying over 1000 businesses, says he'd describe it as becoming so valuable your bosses wouldn't ever want to live without you. He says we shouldn't lean back on our past accomplishments, but rather, explain to our bosses what great things we'll accomplish in the year ahead.

Automatic Thoughts Inside Your Brain Mar 21, 2013

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As you think about those little luxuries you just have to have and how angry we get when those go missing. Matt talks with Dr. Charles Parker, psychiatrist and author of "New ADHD Medication Rules," who does a lot of work with brain imaging and cutting-edge brain science. Dr. Parker says we need to get away from labels and truly consider the environment ADHD patients, especially children, struggle or thrive in. A good doctor, he says, looks beyond the neurophysiological brain scans but also learns who the person is. Most diagnostic tests focus on emotions and totally ignore cognitive function, which Dr. Parker says is a mistake.

Being a Parent to Your Adult Children Mar 20, 2013

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As a parent of children who a parents, we discuss how to find that balance between nagging and leaving your kids alone to let the get their own parenting experience. Matt talks with Dr. Nancy Buck of Peaceful Parenting Inc., a developmental psychologist and mother of twin sons. She says the sitution is more complicated than past generations as the economy has led more young families to live with "grandpa and grandma" as new parents start out in their careers. It's easy to fall back into a "back in high school" role which puts stress on everyone involved. She says everyone needs to sit down on a regular basis and set clear boundaries.

Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me) Mar 13, 2013

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Kim Power Stilson fills in for a vacationing Matt Townsend as we explore the bad choices we make and what to do when we need some clarity. Self Justification (22:57) An honest look into how to fix our bad habit of self justification with Dr. Carol Tavris, co-author of the book "Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me)." She describes the psychological phenomenom called cognitive dissonance, where a belief and behavior conflict with each other inside out heads. Tavris says eventually one of the two has to yield. She describes the kind of dissonance that we can't live with most is when information conflicts with something central to the definition of ourselves. For instance, we may consider ourselves a "good friend to all," and reject new information that indicates we are treating one of our friends poorly. We reduce the discomfort by dismissing the new conflicting information. The reason we feel such discomfort, she says, is because our entire identity is brought into question. "Remember, what we're protecting here is a view of myself as a smart, well-informed, ethical person. I come up with this belief that 'X is Y.'" Tavris says. "Now if you tell me I'm wrong, it's not just my belief you're questioning, it's my view of myself as an intelligent person who makes wise decisions." She says science is humanity's one and only "humility control" because it forces a person to test their beliefs, as it tests of confirming evidence and dis-confirming evidence. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:22:57 - Self Justification

Online Safety Mar 12, 2013

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Kristen Hawkins, filling in for Matt Townsend, discusses online safety with Paul Bingham of the FBI.

Being a Team Player Mar 11, 2013

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A person can grow concerned they find themselves not getting enough done at work and discover they have poor communicating skills with their spouse. Matt talks with Marion Chamberlain, who explains it might not be a communication problem, but rather a lack of teamwork skills.

Your Spouse and Their Career Mar 06, 2013

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Matt talks with Jennifer Armitstead, a careet coach, to discuss how to support spouses in their career. Tips on how to balance work and family life when everybody works in a dual-income household. She says new families, especially couples in their 30s, tended to have their mothers stay at home. That means working mothers often have no close role model as they figure out how to juggle professional and parenting responsibilities.

Ask Matt: Trust Mar 05, 2013

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Matt answers your questions live as he discusses the importance trust plays in healthy relationships.