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Holding Space with Dr. Barker
Welcome to Holding Space with Dr. Barker—a podcast dedicated to fostering personal growth, emotional healing, and professional development. Hosted by Dr. Christopher Barker, a seasoned psychologist with over two decades of clinical experience, this podcast offers a thoughtful, compassionate space for meaningful conversations about mental health and psychotherapy.
Whether you're on your own path toward greater self-awareness and well-being, or you're a fellow therapist committed to deepening your clinical skills, you’ll find insightful discussions, evidence-based strategies, and expert guidance to support your journey.
Each week, Dr. Barker draws on his extensive training—including a Ph.D. from Seton Hall University, a Master of Science in Counseling Psychology from Radford University, and a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from The New School for Social Research—to explore topics like trauma recovery, emotional regulation, therapeutic techniques, and the art of holding space for others.
Join us for educational series, interviews with leading voices in the field, and practical tools designed to inspire personal discovery and professional transformation.
This is your space for reflection, learning, and connection.
Welcome to Holding Space.
Holding Space with Dr. Barker
What Is “Normal”? Understanding Mental Health and the Bell Curve with Dr. Christopher Barker
In this insightful episode of Holding Space, Dr. Christopher Barker, a licensed clinical psychologist in New Jersey, explores one of the most common and misunderstood questions in mental health: “What is normal?”
Dr. Barker dives into how psychologists define “normal” not as a judgment of worth, but as a statistical and contextual concept — something that changes depending on culture, population, and circumstance. Using the classic bell curve as a guide, he explains how behaviors and emotions that fall outside of “average” aren’t necessarily abnormal or pathological.
Listeners will learn how mental health exists on a spectrum, why distress (not difference) defines pathology, and how being “different” can often mean being extraordinary. Dr. Barker emphasizes compassion, understanding, and the importance of seeking help — whether from a therapist, trusted friend, or loved one — rather than struggling in silence.
This conversation invites you to reframe your self-view: you are normal enough, human enough, and worthy of being understood.
If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Am I normal?”, this episode offers a grounded, thoughtful answer that might just change the way you see yourself and others.
💬 Connect with Dr. Christopher Barker:
📧 barkerholdingspace@gmail.com
Holding Space For You