Passing the baton: Introducing our newest host, Dr. Judy Ho

Savvy Psychologist

Macmillan Holdings, LLC

Self-improvement, Health & Fitness, Education, Mental Health, Science

4.6 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 14 April 2026

⏱️ 20 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

551. In this special "passing of the baton" episode, founding host Dr. Ellen Hendriksen welcomes the newest voice of Savvy Psychologist, Dr. Judy Ho. Dr. Ho is a triple board-certified clinical and forensic neuropsychologist, a tenured professor at Pepperdine University, and the author of "Stop Self-Sabotage" and "The New Rules of Attachment".

Together, they dive into the fascinating world of forensic psychology and the critical importance of making mental health research accessible to everyone. Highlights from the conversation include:

Behind the scenes in the courtroom: Dr. Ho explains her role as an expert witness and how law and psychology intersect during high-stakes trials.
The science of self-sabotage: Discover why self-sabotage is actually rooted in evolutionary biology and protective instincts rather than a desire to fail.
Modernizing attachment theory: An exploration of how attachment styles impact adults under stress and the importance of co-regulation.
Busting mental health myths: The duo discusses the dangers of toxic positivity and why it is essential to allow space for normal negative emotions like sadness or boredom.
The generation gap: Dr. Ho shares her observations on the next generation of thinkers and the trend of over-introspection that can inadvertently lead to negative self-focus.

Join us for this insightful transition as Dr. Ho prepares to lead the show into its next chapter.

Have a mental health question? Email Dr. Judy's team at at psychologist@quickanddirtytips.com

Find Savvy Psychologist on Facebook and subscribe to the newsletter for more psychology tips.

Watch on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@SavvyPsychologist

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi everyone, founding host, Dr. Ellen Hentrickson here. Today is a passing of the baton
0:10.6	episode. Dr. Jade Wu and I have been filling in for a bit while we looked for the absolute
0:15.7	best host to take over the helm of savvy psychologist, and I can finally say, the search is over.
0:22.8	Our newest host is someone who wears different hats.
0:25.6	She's a forensic expert, a professor, a TV host, and a powerhouse clinician.
0:31.6	But most importantly, she's a mental health advocate and has a big heart for this audience.
0:36.5	So please join me in welcoming the incredibly
0:39.2	talented Dr. Judy Ho. Hey, Dr. Ellen, thank you so much for having me take over. This is such an
0:46.4	incredible platform that you've built. So I feel very honored. And congratulations on all of your
0:51.7	achievements. I've been following your work and just think that you have such a great ability to distill evidence-based information for everyone to consume and use in their lives. And that's something that really is important to me to in my own work.
1:06.8	Oh, well, thank you so much. You're so kind. Well, I am delighted to have you here. This is so cool to have you take over and be the steward of this podcast. So let's chat. But before we dive in, let me tell our listeners why we're so lucky to have you. So you are a triple board certified and licensed clinical and forensic neuropsychologist,
1:30.5	which essentially means you understand the brain from not one but three different perspectives,
1:35.3	which is amazing. You're a tenured professor at Pepperdine University. You are a two-time
1:40.7	published author, including the book The New Rules of Attachment. That is your
1:45.2	most recent. And you're a familiar face to many of our listeners from your work on the doctors.
1:51.6	Whether you're testifying as an expert witness in a high-stakes courtroom or conducting
1:57.5	clinical research, your career has been dedicated to one goal, which, like you said,
2:02.1	is making mental health information accessible, actionable, and science-based. So welcome, once again,
2:09.0	to the Savvy family. It is so great to have you here. Oh, thank you so much. And I think that
2:15.8	it's been really interesting, as we've seen our field evolved
2:18.5	to Dr. Ellen. I remember when I was training, at least at my program, it was really important to
2:25.2	focus a lot of your attention on research, which of course is still important. But I remember that
	...

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