Behavior Bitches

This week, Liat and her sister Talia sit down with Dr. Maya Shankar, cognitive scientist, former Senior Advisor and founder of the White House Behavioral Science Team, Head of Behavioral Economics at Google, host of A Slight Change of Plans, and author of The Other Side of Change.
Maya shares how she landed in rooms that didn’t even have a role for her yet (BCBAs, take notes), and opens up about losing the identity she built as a Juilliard-trained violinist after a career-ending injury. We unpack why change is so threatening to our sense of self, why our brains hate uncertainty, and how to build a “soft landing” when life makes other plans.
Liat also shares her own story of navigating serious health struggles and letting go of what she thought her career was going to look like. We talk identity, loss, growth, Love Is Blind takes, and why you are so much more than what you do.
Maya’s new book, The Other Side of Change: Who We Become When Life Makes Other Plans, is out now - click the link below to get your copy!
Behavior Concepts Covered:
Pairing
Reinforcement
Antecedent
Consequence
Contingency
Variable ratio schedule
High response effort
Connect with Dr. Maya:
Order Maya’s book and join our book club on Mar 10th!
Listen to a Slight Change of Plans
Instagram
Youtube
X
Substack
MayaShankar.com
Connect with Behavior Bitches
Insta: @behaviorbitchespodcast
Facebook: Behavior Bitches Podcast
Website: BehaviorBitches.com
Contact Us: For podcast inquiries, episode ideas, or just to say hi, email us at [email protected]
Leave us a 5-star review in the Apple Podcast App so we can read it to everyone during our episodes and make us super happy!
Looking for BCBA Exam Prep or CEUs?
• Whether you need help passing the BCBA exam or are looking to earn CEUs, Study Notes ABA has you covered. Check out our website for comprehensive exam prep materials, prep courses, and CEUs
• Test Prep: StudyNotesABA.com
• CEUs: CEU.StudyNotesABA.com
• PairABA: PairABA.com

If you know the material but your brain completely melts the second the exam starts, this episode is for you.
In How to Outsmart Test Anxiety, Liat sits down with Dr. Nicole Cain, author of Panic Proof, to explain why anxiety hijacks your brain and how to shut that down. We break down what your amygdala, nervous system, and “autopilot brain” are doing when panic shows up, plus real tools to calm your body so your executive brain can actually access the right info.
No “just relax” nonsense. Just science, behavior, and practical strategies for BCBAs, RBTs, and everybody inbetween.
Behavior Concepts Covered:
Antecedent
Determinism
Consequence
Pairing
Behavior chain interruption
Function of behavior
Operant conditioning
Positive reinforcement

Connect with Dr. Nicole Cain:
Website: www.DrNicoleCain.com
Book: Panic Proof
Instagram: @drnicolecain
Facebook: Dr. Nicole Cain
Linktree / Resources: https://campsite.bio/drnicolecain
Connect with Behavior Bitches
Insta: @behaviorbitchespodcast
Facebook: Behavior Bitches Podcast
Website: BehaviorBitches.com
Contact Us: For podcast inquiries, episode ideas, or just to say hi, email us at [email protected]
Leave us a 5-star review in the Apple Podcast App so we can read it to everyone during our episodes and make us super happy!
Looking for BCBA Exam Prep or CEUs?
• Whether you need help passing the BCBA exam or are looking to earn CEUs, Study Notes ABA has you covered. Check out our website for comprehensive exam prep materials, prep courses, and CEUs
• Test Prep: StudyNotesABA.com
• CEUs: CEU.StudyNotesABA.com
• PairABA: PairABA.com

What if fitness, food, and stress weren’t about discipline, but about behavior?
This week, Liat sits down with Brittnay Duguay, BCBA, functional nutritionist, IFBB Bikini Pro, and founder of Better Habits by Britt, to talk about why most wellness plans (and your New Year’s resolutions) fail, and how behavior science can actually make habits stick. From undoing diet culture and perfectionism to breaking down why “starting on Monday” is a total behavior trap, Brittnay shows how ABA principles apply way beyond the clinic and straight into real life.
If you’ve ever said “I don’t have time,” spiraled after one off day, or wondered why you can’t stick to your routine, this episode is for you.
Behavior Concepts Covered:
Pragmatism
Antecedent
Reinforcement
Motivating Operations
CMO-R
Ratio Strain
Mentalism
Shaping
Task analysis
Connect with Brittnay:
Instagram: @betterhabitsbybritt
Website: www.betterhabitsbybritt.com

Register for Stone Soup 2026!
Register here with code SNABA26 for $20 off!
Check out the SNABA Stone Soup Giveaway here!
Connect with Behavior Bitches
Insta: @behaviorbitchespodcast
Facebook: Behavior Bitches Podcast
Website: BehaviorBitches.com
Contact Us: For podcast inquiries, episode ideas, or just to say hi, email us at [email protected]
Leave us a 5-star review in the Apple Podcast App so we can read it to everyone during our episodes and make us super happy!
Looking for BCBA Exam Prep or CEUs?
• Whether you need help passing the BCBA exam or are looking to earn CEUs, Study Notes ABA has you covered. Check out our website for comprehensive exam prep materials, prep courses, and CEUs
• Test Prep: StudyNotesABA.com
• CEUs: CEU.StudyNotesABA.com
• PairABA: PairABA.com

This week, Liat sits down with transformation coach and author Keith Crossley, whose work on healing, relationships, and enlightenment has gone viral. Keith breaks down the science and psychology behind betrayal, why we cling to relationships that hurt us, and how to stop living in fear of your own emotions.
If you’ve ever wondered why breakups feel like withdrawal, why your feelings seem so damn big, or how to start healing instead of spiraling, this episode is your guidebook to face betrayal and find freedom on the other side.
Behavior Concepts Covered:
Private verbal behavior
Variable ratio schedule
Replacement behaviors
Matching Law
Stimulus
Conditioned reinforcement
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Negative reinforcement
Function of Bx
Tacting
Extinction

Connect with Keith:
KeithCrossley.com
Find him on Facebook or LinkedIn!
Instagram
TikTok
Youtube
Get the Book!
Connect with Behavior Bitches
Insta: @behaviorbitchespodcast
Facebook: Behavior Bitches Podcast
Website: BehaviorBitches.com
Patreon: Patreon.com/BehaviorBitchesPodcast
Contact Us: For podcast inquiries, episode ideas, or just to say hi, email us at [email protected]
Leave us a 5-star review in the Apple Podcast App so we can read it to everyone during our episodes and make us super happy!
Looking for BCBA Exam Prep or CEUs?
• Whether you need help passing the BCBA exam or are looking to earn CEUs, Study Notes ABA has you covered. Check out our website for comprehensive exam prep materials, prep courses, and CEUs
• Test Prep: StudyNotesABA.com
• CEUs: CEU.StudyNotesABA.com
• PairABA: PairABA.com

AI is here…but is it taking your BCBA job, or just saving you from writing session notes? Beth Garrison, Ph.D., BCBA, and AI wizard, breaks down the hype, the way it works, and what humans will always do better than robots. We talk weird searches, the ethical red flags every behavior analyst should know before plugging client info into ChatGPT, and the ultimate ABA AI assistant.
Connect with Behavior Bitches
Insta: @behaviorbitchespodcast
Facebook: Behavior Bitches Podcast
Website: BehaviorBitches.com
Patreon: Patreon.com/BehaviorBitchesPodcast
Contact Us: For podcast inquiries, episode ideas, or just to say hi, email us at [email protected]
Leave us a 5-star review in the Apple Podcast App so we can read it to everyone during our episodes and make us super happy!
Looking for BCBA Exam Prep or CEUs?
• Whether you need help passing the BCBA exam or are looking to earn CEUs, Study Notes ABA has you covered. Check out our website for comprehensive exam prep materials, prep courses, and CEUs
• Test Prep: StudyNotesABA.com
• CEUs: CEU.StudyNotesABA.com