Last week, you heard part 1 of the live work with Sunny. Today, you will hear the dramatic conclusion of that session. My wonderful co-therapist is Dr. Jill Levitt, the Director of Training at the Feeling Good Institute in Mountain View, California. Jill also co-leads our Tuesday training group at Stanford. This session took place between 5 and 7 PM at a recent Tuesday group because we feel that personal healing is a critical part of psychotherapy training. We will begin with a summary of A = As...
Nov 09, 2020•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 215
In today's podcast, we will work on another common Self-Defeating Belief, the Approval Addiction. Here are two definitions: My worthwhileness as human being depends on getting approval. I need approval to feel happy and fulfilled. I thought of calling this podcast "Curing a Case of Siliconitis" because here in Silicon Valley, there is a pronounced tendency for people to measure their self-esteem based on their accomplishments, so today's program also has some overlap with the Achievement Addicti...
Nov 02, 2020•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 214
In today's podcast, we discuss a few of the many differences between Feeling Good , my first book, and my new book, Feeling Great , which was just released. We also discuss some of the differences between the cognitive therapy that I launched in Feeling Good , and the powerful new TEAM therapy that I feature in Feeling Great . I wrote Feeling Great because there's been a radical and enormous evolution of the treatment methods and theories in the 40 years that have elapsed since I first published...
Oct 26, 2020•53 min•Ep. 213
How to Change a Self-Defeating Belief (SDB) (cont'd) Last week, you had the chance to listen to our Tuesday training group at Stanford as we worked on the "Achievement Addiction," Part 1 (Podcast 211). Although we were working with a therapist named Zeina Halim, it turned out that just about everybody in the group had this belief, and perhaps you do, too--thinking that your worthwhileness as a human being depends on your achievements, hard work, and productivity. This belief, which is also known...
Oct 19, 2020•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 212
How to Change a Self-Defeating Belief (SDB) Many of you have expressed an interest in my free Tuesday training group for mental health professionals. Today, you can attend, thanks to the generosity of our group in allowing the group to be recorded on Zoom, and thanks Zeina, the group member who courageously volunteered to have us work on her "Achievement Addiction." I also want to thank my beloved and brilliant co-teacher, Dr. Jill Levitt, who always adds tremendously to our group, on so many di...
Oct 12, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 211
Corona Cast 8: Live Therapy with Dan. How Could You Treat an "Existential Depression" in the Midst of a Pandemic? Today David and Dr. Jill Levitt feature live work with Dan, a licensed clinical social worker who's been struggling with an "existential depression" for 15 years, but it has been recently exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The session took place in one hour and forty minutes on a Tuesday evening on July 23rd, 2020, in David's and Jill's Tuesday training group at Stanford. Live per...
Oct 05, 2020•2 hr 6 min
Social anxiety has been one of our most popular topics. It seems like lots of people get anxious in social situations. and a great many have even greater difficulties talking to strangers and people they might be interested in dating. When I was in private practice, social anxiety, and "singleness," were exceptionally common. In fact, 60% of my patients were single—they'd been divorced and didn't know how to get back into the dating scene, or, they'd never developed romantic relationships in the...
Sep 28, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 210
Last week you heard Part 1 of David's TEAM Therapy session with Neil Sattin, who became pretty despondent and discouraged right after the first shut down because of the covid-19 pandemic in March of 2020. David and Neil went through the T = Testing and E = Empathy parts of TEAM, and David helped Neil develop a Daily Mood Log so he could record his negative thoughts and feelings at one specific moment at the end of a day when he was feeling like he hadn't gotten enough work done. Perhaps you've h...
Sep 21, 2020•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 209
Rhonda begins with a plug for David's new book, Feeling Great , which will be released on Amazon, on September 15, the day after after this podcast will be published. You can check it out at the link at the bottom of today's show notes. Today and next week you will hear parts 1 and 2 of a live therapy session I (David) did with Neil Sattin, host of his own terrific " Relationship Alive " podcast, which has received 5 million downloads. But as you know, we all sometimes need a little mental tune-...
Sep 14, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 208
Ask David What do you do when someone won't stop asking questions? Hello David, It's been a while since I've emailed you, but that's because I've been doing really well thanks to you! I started a new job 3-1/2 months ago, & this woman seemed to take to me right from the start. It was nice at first having someone to talk to etc, but it has quickly turned bad. She sits in the cubicle right next to me. All day long she talks to me asking me questions. What did I do after work? Who was I with? H...
Sep 07, 2020•44 min•Ep. 207
Today, the Cognitive Distortion Starter Kit Focuses on Blame This is the final podcast on the Cognitive Distortion Starter Kit. Today, we focus on techniques to combat Blame. There are two common forms of Blame, and both can be deadly. Self-Blame: You beat up on yourself and blame yourself for things. Self-Blame is nearly always accompanied with self-directed Should Statements: "I really screwed up. I shouldn't have done that!" Self-Blame triggers depression, worthlessness, and guilt, and someti...
Aug 31, 2020•32 min•Ep. 206
Today, the Cognitive Distortion Starter Kit Continues with Should Statements Rhonda begins by reading a beautiful email from one of our listeners, and I give a brief shout out for my new book, Feeling Great , which can be pre-ordered on Amazon now (see below for the link). Thanks to your support, as of today (July 2) it is already the #1 best seller in the Amazon depression AND anxiety categories for impending new books! David and Rhonda briefly summarize the history of Should Statements, starti...
Aug 24, 2020•44 min•Ep. 205
Today we feature a brilliant and beloved colleague, Dr. Alex Clarke. At the start of today's podcast, Alex describes his unexpected journey from psychoanalysis / psychodynamic therapy to TEAM, but discovered that TEAM can actually be viewed as a type of psychoanalytic therapy. In fact, the two fathers of cognitive therapy, Albert Ellis, PhD, and Aaron Beck, MD, began their careers as psychoanalysts. They were simply looking for specific techniques to help their patients develop rapid and tangibl...
Aug 17, 2020•45 min•Ep. 204
Today, the Cognitive Distortion Starter Kit Continues with Emotional Reasoning Rhonda begins by reading a beautiful emails from a listener who was greatly inspired and helped by the personal work Marilyn Coffee did on several previous podcast. I also give a brief shout out for my new book, Feeling Great , which can be pre-ordered on Amazon now (see below for the link). Rhonda and David begin with a brief overview of Emotional Reasoning. this is a term i coined when I first created the list of te...
Aug 10, 2020•35 min•Ep. 203
Today, Rhonda and David discuss seven great questions submitted by podcast fans like you! Are depression and anxiety states of self-hypnosis? How do you deal with somatic symptoms in TEAM? Should we forgive Hitler and Stalin? What if a patient feels stuck and unable to identify emotions? Do you still really believe that depression and anxiety, regardless how severe, can be treated even without the use of prescription drugs? Do you have to work on your negative thoughts the moment they appear? Wh...
Aug 03, 2020•41 min•Ep. 202
Today, Rhonda and David discuss three great questions submitted by podcast fans like you! This thoughtful question is from our beloved Rhonda! . . . And the answer may surprise you! When something terrible happens, like being raped or having your house burn down, or being a victim of racial discrimination, doesn't the event itself upset you? Do you really have to have a negative thought before you can feel anger, fear, grief, or worthlessness? Hi David! For example, if our house burned down and ...
Jul 27, 2020•35 min•Ep. 201
Podcast #200: Meet Linda Jackson! We celebrated our one hundredth podcast with an interview with Professor Mark Noble, who talked about TEAM-CBT and the brain. Today, we celebrate our two hundredth podcast with another special guest, Linda Jackson, the publisher at PESI Publishing and Media Company. You may know of PESI for their work in continuing education programs as well as training products for mental health professionals. You may not be aware that PESI is the publisher of my new book, Feel...
Jul 20, 2020•36 min•Ep. 200
Today, the Cognitive Distortion Starter Kit Continues with Labeling Rhonda begins by reading two beautiful, inspiring emails from listeners, and I give a brief shout out for my new book, Feeling Great, which can be pre-ordered on Amazon now (see below for the link). Rhonda and David begin with a brief overview of Labeling. There are two types of Labeling: Self-Labeling and Other-Labeling: Self-Labeling is where you attach a negative label to yourself, such as "I'm a loser," or "I'm a failure." S...
Jul 13, 2020•50 min•Ep. 199
Today, Rhonda and David discuss ten great questions submitted by podcast fans like you! I can't find any distortions in my thoughts! What's the cause of this? Crushing Negative Thoughts. Do you have to write them down? Can't you just do them in your head? PTSD Question: Does the trauma have to be life-threatening and experienced in person/ How can I get over anxiety and panic? Do demons cause depression? How is Sara now? Is anger just "ossified tears?" How do you explain the basic concepts of CB...
Jul 06, 2020•40 min•Ep. 198
Loneliness has existed since the dawn of time. I frequently receive questions from lonely individuals wanting to know how to connect, and how to find companionship, intimacy and love. Lonely men ask me, "How do I talk to women?" Lonely women ask, "How can I find a good man?" Regardless of your gender or gender identity, you may struggle to find a loving romantic partner for a variety of reasons, some of which I have outlined in my book, Intimate Connections . Although dating can be an incredibly...
Jun 29, 2020•54 min•Ep. 197
in today's podcast, Rhonda and David address eight fascinating questions submitted by fans like you: What's the difference between David's Therapist Toolkit , his eBook ( Tools, Not Schools, of Therapy ), and the EASY Diagnostic system? Is there a dark side to human nature? Is being "forceful" or confronting patients ever important in therapy? What's the 5-session schizophrenia cure? How do you suddenly switch into "Sitting with Open Hands" during a session? Questions about OCD Questions about r...
Jun 22, 2020•37 min•Ep. 196
Today, the Cognitive Distortion Starter Kit Continues with Magnification and Minimization Rhonda begins by reading two beautiful, inspiring emails from Heather Clague, MD and Dipti Joshi, PhD. Heather and Dipti are dear friends and esteemed colleagues of David and Rhonda. Rhonda and David begin with a brief overview of distortion #6: Magnification and Minimization. Magnification is when you blow things out of proportion. This is common in anxiety and is also called "Catastrophizing." For example...
Jun 15, 2020•45 min•Ep. 195
Today, the Cognitive Distortion Starter Kit Continues with Jumping to Conclusions Rhonda opens today's podcast by reading beautiful email comments from Kevin Cornelius and Thai-An Truong. Both are dear friends and colleagues of Rhonda and David. Then Rhonda and David discuss Jumping to Conclusions, which is the fifth cognitive distortion. It's defined as jumping to conclusions that aren't necessary supported by the evidence. There are two common forms: Fortune Telling and Mind-Reading. Fortune-T...
Jun 08, 2020•52 min•Ep. 194
On February 24, 2020 we published Podcast 181, "Live Therapy with Sarah: Shrinks are Human, Too!" This was a live session with Sarah, a certified TEAM-CBT therapist, conducted at my Tuesday psychotherapy training group, because Sarah was struggling with intense anxiety, bordering on panic, during therapy sessions with her patients. It was a phenomenal session with outstanding results. The Hidden Emotion technique was the main focus of that session, bringing to conscious awareness some feelings o...
Jun 01, 2020•2 hr 12 min•Ep. 193
"I don't matter!" Did you ever feel like you aren't important? Did you ever feel like you don't matter? These thoughts are extremely common and can be extremely painful. I know from my clinical experience over the years, with more than 40,000 hours of therapy with people struggling with mild to extreme depression and anxiety. I know from personal experience as well, because I've been there personally at times! And one of the reasons I love doing therapy is because of the joy of helping someone t...
May 25, 2020•1 hr 55 min•Ep. 192
This is the fourth in our podcasts series on the best techniques to crush each of the ten cognitive distortions from my book, Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy . Today, we focus on Mental Filtering and Discounting the Positive. (This will be the last Episode recorded remotely with poor sound quality. We thank you for your perseverance listening to it, and guarantee better sound quality in the future with our new recording equipment.) Mental Filtering, You focus on something(s) negative, like a ...
May 18, 2020•28 min•Ep. 191
This is the third in our podcasts series on the best techniques to crush each of the ten cognitive distortions from my book, Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy . Today, we focus on Overgeneralization. There are two common forms of Overgeneralization: You generalize from some specific flaw or failure to your "Self." So, instead of telling yourself that you failed at this or that, you tell yourself that you are "a failure" or "a loser." You generalize from right now to the future, using words like...
May 11, 2020•34 min•Ep. 190
Rhonda begins by reading several brief heart-warming endorsements from listeners like you. We are grateful for all of your kind and thoughtful emails endorsing our efforts! Announcement: My upcoming one-day workshop with Dr. Jill Levitt on the "Cognitive Distortion Starter Kit" on May 17, 2020 WILL happen. It will be exciting and entirely online so we hope you can join us from wherever you are. See the write-up below. We are joined in today's podcast by Michael Simpson, who was among the first t...
May 07, 2020•36 min
This is the second in a series of podcasts by David and Rhonda focusing on the best techniques to crush each of the ten cognitive distortions I first published in my book, Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy . Today, we focus on All-or-Nothing Thinking. that's where you look at the world in black-or-white categories, as if shades of gray do not exist. For example, if you're not a complete success you may tell yourself that you're a complete failure. All-or-Nothing Thinking is one of the most comm...
May 04, 2020•38 min•Ep. 189
On April 9, 2020, David and Rhonda did a live TEAM-CBT session with Dr. Taylor Chesney , a former student of David's who is now the head of the Feeling Good Institute of New York City. Her husband, Gregg, is an ER / ICU (Emergency Room / Intensive Care) doctor in New York, and she was terrified he might contract the corona virus and die. Gregg was also terrified, as he had to intubate two of his colleagues who are struggling in the ICU, and recently had trouble breathing. He is working long hour...
Apr 30, 2020•33 min
