In part two of our conversation, we explore some of the key psychological skills that lead to a truly great relationship informed by 35 years of couples counseling experience. The Relationships Workshop: Join Rick for a live, online relationship workshop that will teach you how to have more fulfilling, effective, and joyful relationships than ever before. Follow the link to learn more, and podcast listeners can enter code BEWELL50 at checkout for $50 off the purchase price! Key Skills: 3:00: Giv...
Aug 10, 2020•58 min•Ep 110•Transcript available on Metacast We all want great relationships - ones that are fulfilling, loving, stable, and fun. This is the first of two episodes focused on becoming a 'great relater.' Today Dr. Hanson and Forrest focus on understanding our individual attachment style, and how we can work through our personal material. The Relationships Workshop: Join Rick for his online relationship workshop that will teach you how to have more fulfilling, effective, and joyful relationships than ever before. Follow the link to learn mor...
Aug 03, 2020•51 min•Ep 109•Transcript available on Metacast In the second episode related to the pitfalls of self-help, we explore how individuals and environments can manipulate others by making them feel like something is wrong with them. This is a self-help podcast. And there's a lot to like about self-help! But it has it's issues as well. Today we're exploring our exploration of those issues by focusing on painful forms of comparison and the natural vs. supernatural frame. Key Topics: 2:45: Being goal directed vs. self-acceptance. 6:50: Exploitative ...
Jul 27, 2020•52 min•Ep 108•Transcript available on Metacast Dr. Stephen Porges joins Rick and Forrest to explore his Polyvagal Theory, which explains how we can use the systems of the body to completely change our relationship with stress. About Our Guest: Dr. Stephen Porges is a Distinguished University Scientist at Indiana University and Professor of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina. In 1994 he proposed the Polyvagal Theory, a theory that links the evolution of the nervous system to social behavior and emphasizes the importance of physiol...
Jul 20, 2020•52 min•Ep 107•Transcript available on Metacast Do self-help environments force us into inauthentic happiness? And how can we move away from the false front, and into more authentic expression? This is the first of a series of episodes dedicated to some of the self-help community's pitfalls. This is a self-help podcast. And there's a lot to like about self-help! But it has it's issues as well. Today we're exploring one of them: toxic positivity and forced happiness. New Sponsor: Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest...
Jul 13, 2020•47 min•Ep 106•Transcript available on Metacast We're halfway through a very strange year, and it's a good time to take stock, check in with ourselves, and establish some new commitments – even if they’re as simple as being kind to ourselves. One way we can reclaim our experience of agency is by finding where we do still have influence over our outcomes. And that’s what we’ll be exploring today: how to start anew under the circumstances we find ourselves in. New Sponsor: Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online ...
Jul 06, 2020•45 min•Ep 105•Transcript available on Metacast Is it possible to "do no harm," and should we even try? Dr. Hanson and Forrest explore what it means to do no harm, and the inner resources that allow us to do as little as possible. New Sponsor: Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counseling platform. Visit betterhelp.com/beingwell for 10% off your first month! Key Topics: 1:10: Reckoning and repenting in this moment. 4:45: What does it mean to truly do no harm? 6:45: How does doing no harm help us “be well?”...
Jun 29, 2020•48 min•Ep 104•Transcript available on Metacast What can we do to combat, unlearn, and ultimately unburden ourselves from the influence of systemic structures of racism - both out in the world and inside of ourselves? About Our Guest: Erin is the CEO, principal coach, and founder of Community Equity Partners, and the senior advisor at the Equity Lab. Erin works with educational, non-profit, government, and tech organizations that are committed to creating equitable and inclusive practices. Key Topics: 1:10: Finding hope and awakening in the m...
Jun 22, 2020•29 min•Ep 103•Transcript available on Metacast What is intergenerational trauma, how does it influence our lives today, and what can we do to heal and persevere when things get tough? The events of the past few weeks have cast the importance of healing the wounds of the past into stark relief. Today we’re exploring how the traumatic past, including that handed down through the generations, can influence our lives today. About Our Guest: Dr. Sherri Taylor is an assistant professor of somatic psychology at the California Institute of Integral ...
Jun 15, 2020•40 min•Ep 102•Transcript available on Metacast Racism and racist structures place an enormous mental health burden on the people they persecute. Dr. Alfiee joins me to discuss the mental health consequences of institutional racism, unique challenges faced by marginalized youth, disparities in access to mental health services, and the importance of "naming and claiming." About Our Guest: Dr. Alfiee Breland-Noble is a licensed psychologist who spent 20 years in academic medicine. She's the lead author of The Handbook of Mental Health in Africa...
Jun 08, 2020•44 min•Ep 101•Transcript available on Metacast It's our turn to be uncomfortable. https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co Racism is a public health crisis. Ways You Can Help Donate to: ACT Blue fundraiser GoFundMe’s justice and equality fund George Floyd Breonna Taylor Ahmaud Aubery Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 05, 2020•10 min•Ep 100•Transcript available on Metacast What can death teach us about living well? A pioneer in the field of end-of-life care joins us to explore the fear of death, anger, true courage, and acceptance in the face of it all. About our Guest: Frank is an internationally respected Buddhist teacher and advocate for compassionate care-giving. In 1987, he co-founded the Zen Hospice Project, which helped establish a longstanding model for mindful and compassionate care. In 2005, he founded the Metta Institute. Frank is also the author of The...
Jun 01, 2020•59 min•Ep 99•Transcript available on Metacast What does it mean to "transcend the self?" Today Dr. Hanson, Forrest, and Dr. David Yaden explore self-transcendent, or “peak,” experiences, which the famous psychologist Abraham Maslow defined as “moments of highest happiness and fulfillment.” As a note, David is referred to as a "PhD student" during the episode. Since it was recorded, he's gone on to earn his doctorate! About our Guest: David is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Johns Hopkins Medicine who studies the varieties of spiritual and...
May 25, 2020•49 min•Ep 98•Transcript available on Metacast Dr. Laurie Santos joins the podcast to share what the science says about how we can maintain our well-being during this difficult time. About our Guest: Laurie is a Professor of Psychology and Head of Silliman College at Yale University. Her course “Psychology and the Good Life” is the most popular class in the university’s history. It’s now available for free online as “The Science of Well-Being." She’s also the director of the Comparative Cognition Laboratory at Yale, which explores the evolut...
May 18, 2020•56 min•Ep 97•Transcript available on Metacast Can we work with, and release, obsessive fear during this particularly anxiety-provoking time? Dr. Dan Kalb, an expert on anxiety disorders and OCD, joins the show to help us learn how. About our Guest: Anxiety and worry are a part of life. But when they disrupt the normal flow of life, work and school are harder, family and social relationships suffer, and life is not as enjoyable. Dr. Kalb has been a practicing psychologist for over 25 years, and focuses much of his practice on working with pe...
May 11, 2020•46 min•Ep 96•Transcript available on Metacast What can we learn about ourselves from and through art? Sleeping At Last, an incredible musician, joins us to explore the Enneagram, the creative process, art and emotion, and how we can become ever more true to ourselves. About Our Guest: Sleeping at Last, also known as Ryan O’Neal, is a well-known singer, songwriter, and composer who's written music for shows like Grey's Anatomy. Over the last seven years Ryan has worked on his Atlas series, an ongoing project that includes an incredible serie...
May 04, 2020•56 min•Ep 95•Transcript available on Metacast What is the "highest happiness," and what can we do to achieve it? This is the second conversation with Dr. Hanson related to his new book Neurodharma: New Science, Ancient Wisdom, and Seven Practices of the Highest Happiness. Today we're focusing on the final four practices in the book: wholeness, nowness, allness, and timelessness. Neurodharma is now available! Click here if you'd like to learn more. New Sponsor: Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counselin...
Apr 27, 2020•48 min•Ep 94•Transcript available on Metacast Throughout history people have sought the heights of human potential - to become as wise, strong, happy, and loving as any person can ever be. Call these peak experiences, sense of oneness, or enlightenment itself. And now, science is revealing how these remarkable ways of being seem to be based on equally remarkable changes in our own nervous system. What do those individuals have in common, how did they reach that summit, and what can we learn from them? That's the subject of Rick's new book: ...
Apr 20, 2020•48 min•Ep 93•Transcript available on Metacast I want to express the profound gratitude I feel toward everyone who is serving others during this time of the Coronavirus pandemic. In particular, healthcare providers, first responders, and the whole ecosystem of helpers who have come together to support us all. I've received a number of truly humbling requests to offer a guided practice aimed at supporting the inner strengths those providers need so desperately these days. This meditation focuses on cultivating a feeling of both acceptance and...
Apr 17, 2020•19 min•Ep 92•Transcript available on Metacast How can we continue to support others when our own well has run dry? Today we're exploring practices for managing and overcoming both direct traumatic stress and compassion fatigue, or "secondary traumatic stress." New Sponsor: Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counseling platform. Visit betterhelp.com/beingwell for 10% off your first month! Key Topics: 3:00: The anxiety, outrage, and overwhelm of this moment. 7:00: Finding refuge. 12:00: Refuge and purpose ...
Apr 13, 2020•33 min•Ep 91•Transcript available on Metacast Over the last month many people have been stuck at home - occasionally with people they'd rather not be around. Maintaining a healthy relationship can be a struggle under the best of times, let alone during times of stress. On this episode we explore how individuals and families can deal with the interpersonal stress that comes from being stuck together, and the sadness and loss that comes from being separated from things we love. New Sponsor: Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the wor...
Apr 06, 2020•37 min•Ep 90•Transcript available on Metacast It's often easier to be a good friend to others than to ourselves. Today we're exploring how to balance constructive and harmful self-criticism, move away from our "act," embrace change, manage feelings of worthlessness, and ultimately be a good friend to ourselves. New Sponsor: Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counseling platform. Visit betterhelp.com/beingwell for 10% off your first month! Key Topics: 3:15: A few ways to be kind to yourself. 8:15: Finding...
Mar 30, 2020•54 min•Ep 89•Transcript available on Metacast How can we use mindfulness practically during our everyday lives, and how can "presence" be a particularly valuable tool for women? About Our Guest: Caroline Welch is the CEO and co-founder of the Mindsight Institute. Mindsight, a term coined by Dr. Dan Siegel, is our human capacity to perceive the mind of the self and others. It’s essentially a kind of focused attention that help us observe the working of our own mind, and helps get us off of the autopilot of ingrained behaviors and habitual re...
Mar 23, 2020•36 min•Ep 88•Transcript available on Metacast We haven’t generally done episodes related to current events, but these events are challenging to ignore. The coronavirus pandemic has already placed a heavy toll on society – over a hundred thousand people have already been sick, thousands are dead, businesses, schools, and recreational events have closed, and there's been substantial economic turmoil. Today we’re exploring how to cope with the natural fears that arise during challenging times, the difference between useful and harmful anxiety,...
Mar 16, 2020•48 min•Ep 87•Transcript available on Metacast Dr. Peter Levine, a legendary expert on the subject of healing trauma, joins Dr. Rick Hanson and Forrest to discuss the power trauma holds over the body, how we can truly connect with others, and simple practices for calming fear and unwinding from trauma. Dr. Levine has worked in the field of stress and trauma for over 40 years and is the creator of Somatic Experiencing. He is also the author of the best-selling, classic book on trauma Waking the Tiger. He’s authored and co-authored several oth...
Mar 09, 2020•46 min•Ep 86•Transcript available on Metacast Dr. Bruce Perry joins Dr. Hanson and Forrest to discuss the incredible impact of childhood experiences, the fuzzy distinction between trauma and stress, and what we can do to heal from those experiences. As with all of our episodes dealing with trauma and traumatic experiences, please approach this material with care for yourself in mind. There are specific descriptions during the episode of neglect and abuse, including that perpetrated upon children. Sponsor Message: We're now on Patreon, and w...
Mar 02, 2020•48 min•Ep 85•Transcript available on Metacast How can we better resource ourselves to face the challenging, even traumatic, experiences that lie in our past? New Sponsor: Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counseling platform. Visit betterhelp.com/beingwell for 10% off your first month! Key Topics: 03:45: The necessity of eventually contacting trauma material in order to heal. 06:50: Challenges, resources, and vulnerabilities. 11:20: Key resources for facing challenging experiences. 16:15: Courage and se...
Feb 24, 2020•43 min•Ep 84•Transcript available on Metacast We all want to build good habits, but doing so is often easier said than done. Charles Duhigg joins the podcast to help us learn how to do just that. About Our Guest: Charles is the author of The Power of Habit, a classic bestseller about the science of habit formation in our lives, companies and societies, and Smarter Faster Better, which focuses on the science of productivity. He was a reporter at the New York Times for a decade, where he was part of a team that won a Pulitzer prize for explan...
Feb 17, 2020•34 min•Ep 83•Transcript available on Metacast In our important relationships at home and at work, we need to respect the needs of others while also sticking up for our own. Dr. Daniel Ellenberg joins us today to explore how we can grow the lasting inner resources that allow us to do just that, and ultimately become both “friendly” and “fearless.” About Our Guest: Daniel has been a practicing marriage and family therapist for over 30 years, and is the co-founder of Relationships That Work, and the founder and director of Strength With Heart ...
Feb 10, 2020•49 min•Ep 82•Transcript available on Metacast There are some emotions that are so deeply tied to the human experience that it’s impossible to avoid them. One of these is grief, which we have yet to discuss in detail on the podcast. On this episode we’re changing that, and have the pleasure of welcoming Dr. Joanne Cacciatore to the podcast to explore how we can bear the unbearable, and heal the trauma associated with grief. As with all of our episodes associated with traumatic experiences, please be kind to yourself. Be aware that the materi...
Feb 03, 2020•46 min•Ep 81•Transcript available on Metacast 
