January is my traumaversary month (4 trauma events in the course of 2 weeks), so in anticipation of having strong self-harm urges, I use the Cope Ahead skill! I imagine what sort of emotions and urges I anticipate having, and create a plan for what skill I want to use when in distress. Spoiler: it's Wise Mind! I also drop in some The Office & High School Musical references for a little extra spice. Helpful resources from this episode:DBT references: DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheet...
Jan 31, 2022•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 14
Where are my burnout buddies at? We've really got to stop meeting like this. I'm on a mission to identify the cause of my persistent burnout in every job I've ever had. I use a chain analysis (spoiler, that's NOT the effective skill here), switch over to a missing-link analysis (spoiler, that IS the effective skill here), and dive into my shame around setting boundaries. This is a very messy episode and it takes me a while to find my way. Join me as I meander along and set up future episodes! He...
Jan 23, 2022•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 13
My kingdom for a tissue! I made the bulk of this episode's recording sitting in my car in the gym parking lot, crying. A lot. Sadness hit me like a ton of bricks, so I focus on observing and describing my emotions, validating myself, and looking for both/ands rather than BUTs. I go over the skill of Mindfulness of Current Thoughts as a way of getting some space between my emotions and my thoughts. I end on a pretty upbeat note and do a bit of celebrating! Helpful resources from this episode:DBT ...
Jan 14, 2022•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 12
With this many interpretations going on, I could get a job at the United Nations. After a conversation with my former partner, I talk about my interpretations (i.e. thoughts), realizing that I was relating to those interpretations as if they were REALITY, and the impact that that realization has on me. There's a lot of sadness, regret, remorse, and grief that comes up. Then, I practice radical acceptance around those interpretations (not accepting the interpretations but rather accepting that I ...
Jan 06, 2022•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 11
You know there aren't any great idioms or quotes to be had about urges, which makes writing a podcast description challenging. This episode, I process some some self-destructive urges via a bit of self-inquiry. I ask the urges what they're trying to do for me, I sit with some shame that comes up, use the urge-surfing skill, and finish it up by going over a TIP skill to get rid of the nervous energy that's left in my body. Helpful resources from this episode:DBT references DBT Skills Training Han...
Dec 27, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 10
Butterflies in the stomach, sweat on the palms, and terror on the mind!! I launch the podcast and am instantly flooded with a hurricane of anxiety. I go over the justified causes of my fear and label the interpretations, body sensations, and urges I have as a result. And then I check the hell out of all the facts and walk you through that process. I start off all jittery and nervous, and by the end, I'm actually remarkably calm. Therapizing for the win! Anonymous survey about self-harm beliefs F...
Dec 19, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 9
Listen to me go from playing varsity to little league as I tackle an emotion I'm not at all skilled at: disgust. Never fear, if you've got a weak stomach, you're totally fine cause in this case, my disgust is prompted by hypocrisy. I am incredibly ineffective at unpacking my disgust and realize I totally forgot to actually OBSERVE how I got there. So I add some of that in at the end. Let's be disgusted together! Helpful resources from this episode:DBT references DBT Skills Training Handouts and ...
Dec 17, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 8
Hey look, a break from the breakup! Today I'm practicing acceptance around being invalidated. I go through acceptance step by step, do a lot of deep breathing, and have a remarkable amount of indigestion as I go. A kinda nifty outcome: practicing acceptance about my parents' validation skill level allowed me to see what boundaries I could put in place with them! Helpful resources from this episode:DBT references DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets – online pdf version DBT Skills Training...
Dec 16, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 7
My new therapist and I discover I'm struggling with distressing thoughts about abandonment. The more distressed I get, the less I'm able to problem solve. So, this week, I focus on how to bring that distress down with the IMPROVE skill. I practice some imagery, some relaxation, and more! Helpful resources from this episode:DBT references DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets – online pdf version DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets – buy the manual from a Black-owned book store! DBT...
Dec 11, 2021•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 6
I know, I know, but hear me out! Typically I LOATHE affirmations. I often find them trite, obnoxiously positive, and invalidating. AND there are some thoughts and phrases I use in order to cope when I'm experiencing intense emotions. I go over examples of affirmations that I don't find helpful and juxtapose them with coping thoughts that I DO find helpful. Helpful resources from this episode:DBT references DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets – online pdf version DBT Skills Training Hando...
Dec 06, 2021•53 min•Ep. 5
You won't like me when I'm angry! Listen as I jump back and forth between me hulking out in the past and me providing commentary in the present. I give a short introduction to Emotion Mind, and practice non-judgement and radical acceptance. And somehow, I end on a positive note! Helpful resources from this episode:DBT references DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets – online pdf version DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets – buy the manual from a Black-owned book store! DBT handouts...
Nov 30, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 4
Acceptance is the name of the game. I go over what it is and what it isn't, and how to use the acceptance DBT skill in the middle of extreme emotions - in this case, sadness with an added bonus of a recording of me using the skill while in extreme distress. I also throw in some of the "check the facts" skill. Helpful resources from this episode:DBT references DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets – online pdf version DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets – buy the manual from a Black...
Nov 10, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 3
Fresh from a break-up with my partner of two years, I break down two of the DBT skills I used in the midst of the hardest conversations with my now-former partner: participation & validation. I go over how I used participation to be fully present in conversations with my partner, and how I practiced validating both my partner's experience and my own. Helpful resources from this episode:DBT references DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets – online pdf version DBT Skills Training Handout...
Aug 19, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 2
Trying to find a therapist and COMPLETELY overwhelmed? Finding a therapist is hard under the best of circumstances, and when does anyone ever need a therapist under the best of circumstances?! It doesn’t matter if you’re on therapist #92 or if it’s your first therapist rodeo, finding a new therapist can be A LOT. I go over my therapist search process and include some helpful hints and tips to help you narrow your search. Helpful resources from this episode:Organize your search Therapist search G...
Aug 17, 2021•53 min•Ep. 1
Hi there - Joy Gerhard, your host, here. I’m not a therapist. I’ve just done a lot of therapy. So I started a podcast to demonstrate therapy skills on myself in the hopes of making them feel less theoretical and more accessible to you! Let’s therapize some shit, shall we?
Aug 16, 2021•3 min
