Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson
Forrest Hanson is joined by clinical psychologist Dr. Rick Hanson and a world-class group of experts to explore the practical science of lasting well-being. Conversations focus on the key insights from psychology, science, and contemplative practice that you need to build reliable inner strengths, o
...more
Self-Improvement
Mental Health
Alternative Health
Working with Irrational Fears, Setting Healthy Boundaries, and Understanding Therapy: March Mailbag
Forrest and Dr. Rick open up the mailbag and answer ...
more
Mar 25 2024 1h 15m
Chapter 1 1 min
IntroductionChapter 2 9 mins
How can I respond to fears I know are irrational?Chapter 3 10 mins
How can I disidentify from my thoughts?Chapter 4 17 mins
How do I set healthy boundaries in a dysfunctional family system?Chapter 5 15 mins
Are “not evidence-based” therapeutic approaches such as IFS or somatic therapy inferior to “evidence-based” approaches like CBT?Chapter 6 9 mins
My relationship is full of conflict, and I’m considering divorce. How should I think this through?Chapter 7 9 mins
Recap
10 Things We Wish We Knew in Our 20s
Our 20s are a unique decade filled with opportunity…...
more
Mar 18 2024 55m
Chapter 1 1 min
IntroductionChapter 2 3 mins
The importance of the choices you make in your 20sChapter 3 3 mins
Balance the freedom of youth with the value of actionChapter 4 5 mins
Embrace mentorshipChapter 5 7 mins
Find the Three Circles: Talent, Enjoyment, and ValuesChapter 6 2 mins
Try things, and let yourself changeChapter 7 3 mins
Avoid getting stuck (and codependent relationships)Chapter 8 3 mins
Identify useful feedbackChapter 9 5 mins
Avoid swerving away from natural talents, kindred spirits, good advice, and failureChapter 10 2 mins
The intrinsic value of creating, and lightening up about resultsChapter 11 6 mins
Focus on where you have agencyChapter 12 2 mins
Appreciate relationships based on shared valuesChapter 13 54 sec
You get to decide what your relationships look likeChapter 14 1 min
Showing appreciation for your younger selfChapter 15 6 mins
Recap
Self-Abandonment: Anxious Attachment, Healthy Boundaries, and Creating Healthy Relationships
On today’s episode Dr. Rick and Forrest explore self...
more
Mar 11 2024 1h 6m
Chapter 1 1 min
IntroductionChapter 2 10 mins
Common features of self-abandonmentChapter 3 3 mins
Facing the fear of our authentic self being seenChapter 4 4 mins
Facing shame and self-criticismChapter 5 12 mins
Self-referencing vs. referencing ourselves in relation to othersChapter 6 7 mins
The belief that safety feels more critical than authenticityChapter 7 9 mins
Our relationship to nature, and joining with the defenseChapter 8 4 mins
Relationships, openness to change, and bringing parts into awarenessChapter 9 3 mins
Cognitive restructuring, and redefining our self-abandoning beliefsChapter 10 8 mins
Recap
Hunger, Habits, and Changing Your Relationship with Food with Dr. Jud Brewer
There are as many ways to have a difficult relations...
more
Mar 4 2024 1h 21m
Chapter 1 2 mins
Introduction and disclaimerChapter 2 3 mins
The surprising finding from Jud’s smoking cessation programChapter 3 4 mins
What Jud’s new book is not about, and information vs. behaviorChapter 4 6 mins
The mental health impact of dieting, and the problem with willpowerChapter 5 6 mins
Hedonic hunger, and food-mood wiringChapter 6 7 mins
Bringing awareness to how we eat, and our cultural conditioningChapter 7 4 mins
Developing freedom of choice, and the MBSR raisin exerciseChapter 8 8 mins
A walkthrough of mindful eatingChapter 9 8 mins
When you don't want to let go of a behavior, and finding the bigger better offerChapter 10 4 mins
Kindness, curiosity, and other tools for improving interoceptionChapter 11 10 mins
Ways to find the bigger better offerChapter 12 3 mins
Caring for our future selfChapter 13 9 mins
Recap
Somatic Tools for Self-Regulation with Elizabeth Ferreira
One of the most important skills we can learn is how...
more
Feb 26 2024 1h 4m
Chapter 1 1 min
IntroductionChapter 2 4 mins
Creating safety and connection with a new clientChapter 3 3 mins
Therapy as an opportunity for reparative experiencesChapter 4 7 mins
Learning to regulate when you have traumatized partsChapter 5 6 mins
What’s helped Elizabeth heal patterns of overregulation and dissociationChapter 6 5 mins
A hypothetical dialogue with an overregulated clientChapter 7 3 mins
Titration and traumatic releaseChapter 8 7 mins
Labeling and accepting emotions, and empowering the “wise adult”Chapter 9 6 mins
A hypothetical dialogue with an underregulated clientChapter 10 2 mins
Celebrating when we notice our patternsChapter 11 4 mins
Movement, tapping, tremoring, journaling, and other practicesChapter 12 3 mins
Finding a supportive communityChapter 13 1 min
Being with your body, and following your curiosityChapter 14 5 mins
Recap
Build Strong Relationships and Heal in Community with Dr. Joy Harden Bradford
Our relationships are some of the most important par...
more
Feb 19 2024 1h
Chapter 1 1 min
IntroductionChapter 2 4 mins
What group therapy is like, and some its unique advantagesChapter 3 5 mins
Creating a safe container for vulnerabilityChapter 4 8 mins
Trust, loyalty, respect, and gender dynamicsChapter 5 5 mins
Attachment patterns in friendshipsChapter 6 7 mins
The Wallflower, the Leader, the Peacemaker, and the FirecrackerChapter 7 3 mins
Navigating social circles with differing levels of openness to changeChapter 8 5 mins
Challenges identifying, accepting, and expressing our needsChapter 9 4 mins
Specific challenges for black women in getting needs metChapter 10 2 mins
How stigma around therapy has changed over timeChapter 11 3 mins
Curiosity, and guidelines for global sisterhoodChapter 12 8 mins
Recap
How to ADHD with Jessica McCabe
ADHD is one of the most common - and most misunderst...
more
Feb 12 2024 55m
Chapter 1 1 min
IntroductionChapter 2 5 mins
Jessica’s history with ADHD, and how she wrote her bookChapter 3 4 mins
Stigma, pride, self-criticism, and letting others help youChapter 4 2 mins
Dealing with shameChapter 5 9 mins
Self-advocacy, self-acceptance, and asking the right questionsChapter 6 3 mins
Believing in your experienceChapter 7 3 mins
Common misconceptions about ADHDChapter 8 4 mins
The relationship between ADHD and emotional sensitivity and regulationChapter 9 3 mins
Creating a sense of communityChapter 10 7 mins
Advice for partners, family, and friends of people with ADHDChapter 11 8 mins
Recap
The (real) Secret to Happiness: Attachment, Craving, and Enjoying Life
Forrest and Dr. Rick focus on the secret to everyday...
more
Feb 5 2024 1h 10m
Chapter 1 1 min
IntroductionChapter 2 9 mins
Liking, wanting, and healthy desireChapter 3 3 mins
The story craving tells usChapter 4 6 mins
Inhibition and “prudishness” around likingChapter 5 4 mins
“21st century problems”Chapter 6 3 mins
A personal example of getting trapped by desireChapter 7 6 mins
Meeting your legitimate needs, somatic cues, and inner freedomChapter 8 7 mins
The search for the slightly better experienceChapter 9 5 mins
The brain’s prediction errors, and longing for what is already hereChapter 10 11 mins
The ability to zoom out and see the full spectrum of our experienceChapter 11 11 mins
Recap
Mindfulness for Depression, Pain, and Suffering with Dr. Danny Penman
On today’s episode, Dr. Rick and Forrest focus on on...
more
Jan 29 2024 1h 5m
Chapter 1 1 min
IntroductionChapter 2 9 mins
How a major injury started Danny’s professional relationship with mindfulness practiceChapter 3 7 mins
Vedanā, and unpacking the different aspects of our experienceChapter 4 6 mins
The sensations that precede our thoughtsChapter 5 4 mins
How the brain creates a model of reality, and whether that model is accurateChapter 6 7 mins
How an undisciplined relationship with feeling tone creates unnecessary sufferingChapter 7 7 mins
Accepting a feeling vs. approving of a situationChapter 8 3 mins
Practical steps to feeling our feelingsChapter 9 9 mins
Finding enjoyment in new habits, especially somaticallyChapter 10 7 mins
Recap
Dealing with a Mental Health Crisis, Trauma and Meditation, and Getting Back on the Wagon: January Mailbag
Forrest and Dr. Rick open up the mailbag and answer ...
more
Jan 22 2024 1h
Chapter 1 1 min
IntroductionChapter 2 5 mins
Question How can I support a friend who is going through a mental health crisis?Chapter 3 4 mins
What’s a “psychotic break,” and being careful with clinical terminologyChapter 4 8 mins
Question Is it possible to heal trauma through meditation alone?Chapter 5 7 mins
Question How do I start again when I’ve fallen off the wagon?Chapter 6 5 mins
Question Is feedback necessary for growth? And what kind of feedback is helpful?Chapter 7 9 mins
Question How can I improve my relationship with money?Chapter 8 11 mins
Question I’m very frustrated with a family member who just won’t change their bad behavior. What can I do?Chapter 9 6 mins
Recap
Internal Family Systems: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with Dr. Richard Schwartz
Dr. Rick and Forrest are joined by Dr. Richard Schwa...
more
Jan 15 2024 1h 19m
Chapter 1 2 mins
IntroductionChapter 2 4 mins
Quick explanation of the IFS ModelChapter 3 4 mins
Releasing the “Self”Chapter 4 4 mins
Where does the Self come from?Chapter 5 7 mins
How the practical side of IFS connects to the spiritualChapter 6 2 mins
The four goals of IFS, and parts of partsChapter 7 5 mins
Becoming your own attachment figureChapter 8 5 mins
Richard’s experience integrating his exiled partsChapter 9 8 mins
Personification in IFS. Why think in terms of “parts”?Chapter 10 3 mins
Why befriend our “bad” parts?Chapter 11 5 mins
The non-pathologizing nature of IFS in a clinical frameworkChapter 12 1 min
First and second dartsChapter 13 6 mins
Identifying parts with curiosity, courage, and physical awarenessChapter 14 9 mins
How asking yourself questions gets you in touch with your intuitionChapter 15 6 mins
Recap
Healing Cycles of Trauma with Dr. Mariel Buqué
Dr. Mariel Buqué joins the podcast to help us learn ...
more
Jan 8 2024 1h 18m
Chapter 1 1 min
IntroductionChapter 2 9 mins
What drew Mariel to this workChapter 3 6 mins
How Mariel thinks about intergenerational traumaChapter 4 2 mins
Common patterns of her clientsChapter 5 4 mins
Most people’s initial motivation to find healingChapter 6 8 mins
Courage and vulnerability with the people in our family systemsChapter 7 6 mins
Grounding, excavating the family tree, finding healthy alternative patternsChapter 8 4 mins
Practices for stimulating the ventral vagal nerveChapter 9 3 mins
Finding a way in to healing that is accessible to youChapter 10 7 mins
Creating an intergenerational trauma treeChapter 11 2 mins
Finding steadiness when the emotional floodgates openChapter 12 2 mins
The shortcomings of the western medical outlookChapter 13 5 mins
Integration, and creating a short buffer between stimulus and responseChapter 14 2 mins
Values and healthy prideChapter 15 9 mins
Recap
How to Get More From 2024
Dr. Rick and Forrest kick off 2024 by exploring how ...
more
Jan 1 2024 1h
Chapter 1 1 min
IntroductionChapter 2 2 mins
Rick's approach to New Year’s resolutionsChapter 3 6 mins
Going from being to doing to havingChapter 4 11 mins
Four questions to ask yourself around the New YearChapter 5 3 mins
A S.M.A.R.T. way to put New Year’s resolutions into formChapter 6 3 mins
Bottom-up intentions, and the feeling of a completed intentionChapter 7 2 mins
Trying different somatic cues for embodying an intentionChapter 8 8 mins
Finding your allies, not oversharing your goals, and physically declaring prioritiesChapter 9 10 mins
Getting on your own sideChapter 10 8 mins
Recap
Finding Your Happiness: The Holiday Special with Elizabeth Ferreira
Forrest and Elizabeth welcome listeners into their h...
more
Dec 25 2023 56m
Chapter 1 1 min
IntroductionChapter 2 3 mins
Elizabeth’s history with the holidays, and claiming your own ritualsChapter 3 4 mins
Experiencing the holidays without an agendaChapter 4 3 mins
Glimmers in Polyvagal TheoryChapter 5 7 mins
Working with a challenging relationship historyChapter 6 7 mins
Somatic psychology, and respecting the mindChapter 7 3 mins
Regulating through movementChapter 8 6 mins
Staying yourself inside of your familyChapter 9 3 mins
Enjoying agency, and emphasizing beautyChapter 10 4 mins
Entrapment and defeat, awareness, and saying noChapter 11 4 mins
Attachment, contracting around desire, and taking a moment for yourselfChapter 12 4 mins
A practice of finding glimmersChapter 13 1 min
Self-compassion and camaraderie during the holidays
Harnessing Your Generativity: The Secret to Productivity, Creativity, and Consistency
Dr. Rick joins Forrest for a deep dive into harnessi...
more
Dec 18 2023 1h 19m
Chapter 1 1 min
IntroductionChapter 2 2 mins
Rick's ability to stay generativeChapter 3 8 mins
Motivation, aggression, and our interdependence with othersChapter 4 2 mins
A theoretical framework for generative driveChapter 5 4 mins
The process of making something as a form of healingChapter 6 4 mins
Confidence, autonomy, and relatednessChapter 7 4 mins
The way we think of ourselvesChapter 8 6 mins
Agency, and what we can and cannot influenceChapter 9 6 mins
Comfort with aggressionChapter 10 6 mins
Work ethic, the role of passion and enjoyment, and finding your whyChapter 11 3 mins
Competency and flowChapter 12 6 mins
Having positive associations with effortChapter 13 4 mins
Enriching vs. absorbing our experienceChapter 14 2 mins
The little things that make a big differenceChapter 15 14 mins
Recap
How to Become a New Person
We’re getting toward the end of the year, and it’s a...
more
Dec 11 2023 1h 5m
Chapter 1 1 min
IntroductionChapter 2 4 mins
Self-concept, how unconscious beliefs affect behavior, and freedomChapter 3 3 mins
Appraisals and attributionsChapter 4 4 mins
The way we spin our self-narrative, and holding onto grievancesChapter 5 5 mins
Being honest with ourselves when we feel stuckChapter 6 5 mins
Changing behavior before changing thinkingChapter 7 3 mins
Values and behaviorsChapter 8 4 mins
Underlying fears and practical confusionChapter 9 2 mins
Taking your experiences less personallyChapter 10 5 mins
Finding the motivation to get our hands dirtyChapter 11 6 mins
Negativity bias and appreciative inquiryChapter 12 9 mins
First steps when you’re feeling discouragedChapter 13 8 mins
Recap
What Healthy Couples DON’T Do with Dr. Amy Morin
Just as we can exercise our arms or legs to build ph...
more
Dec 4 2023 1h 9m
Chapter 1 1 min
IntroductionChapter 2 5 mins
Amy’s personal background, and how she got to the idea of mental strengthsChapter 3 3 mins
Self-compassion vs. self-pityChapter 4 3 mins
Not giving away your powerChapter 5 3 mins
Diagnosing root problems in relationshipsChapter 6 3 mins
When one frustration brings up all your other frustrationsChapter 7 5 mins
The inevitability of conflict, and the vulnerability in expressing remorseChapter 8 3 mins
Setting the ground rules for a therapeutic conversationChapter 9 3 mins
When it feels like your partner isn’t invested in making changesChapter 10 3 mins
Learning to deconstruct reactive thoughts and misguided perceptionsChapter 11 2 mins
Taking your thoughts with a grain of salt, and asking ‘what else might be true?’Chapter 12 4 mins
Scorekeeping vs. negotiating, and finding ways to meet our own needsChapter 13 3 mins
Giving our partner what we actually want for ourselvesChapter 14 2 mins
Balancing desires for closeness and distanceChapter 15 4 mins
Not being a martyr or ‘controlling through giving’Chapter 16 5 mins
Boundaries between partners, and how our backgrounds influence our preferencesChapter 17 3 mins
Developing psychological flexibilityChapter 18 5 mins
Recap
Highly Sensitive People, How to Repair, and When Your Partner Won't Stop Talking: November Mailbag
What can I do if my partner dominates conversations ...
more
Nov 27 2023 1h 2m
Chapter 1 1 min
IntroductionChapter 2 10 mins
What can I do when my partner dominates relationship conversations, but also complains about me “interrupting?”Chapter 3 10 mins
How can you repair with family members…when they don’t want to repair?Chapter 4 5 mins
Why do intrusive thoughts arise late at night? How can we address them?Chapter 5 6 mins
I give to a fault in my relationships. What can I do?Chapter 6 6 mins
How do you work with the tendency to be overly competitive?Chapter 7 14 mins
What do you think about the Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) “diagnosis?” How does it relate to conditions like complex PTSD, ADHD, and autism?Chapter 8 7 mins
Recap
What Really Helps Trauma? with Dr. Jacob Ham
In one of the most interesting conversations we've e...
more
Nov 20 2023 1h 11m
Chapter 1 2 mins
IntroductionChapter 2 2 mins
Jacob’s backgroundChapter 3 5 mins
Cultivating a felt sense of connection vs. idolizing the concept of traumaChapter 4 1 min
A monastic, medical, and artistic approachChapter 5 4 mins
Knowing our intentions, and feeling others’ pain as a therapistChapter 6 5 mins
Surrendering to overwhelming griefChapter 7 5 mins
Love, vulnerability, and authenticityChapter 8 4 mins
The value of anger, the energy it demands, and navigating it with humilityChapter 9 5 mins
Presence, and taking risks as a clinicianChapter 10 5 mins
How Jacob does parts work, and finding what works with each individualChapter 11 3 mins
Staring at the finger that’s pointing at the moonChapter 12 3 mins
Does a good therapist need to have experienced trauma?Chapter 13 3 mins
Honoring our inner protectors, surrendering to pain, and knowing it won’t last foreverChapter 14 3 mins
Shaping others’ ability to help you, and processing trauma without professional helpChapter 15 3 mins
Tipping points and surrenderChapter 16 7 mins
Recap
The Being Well Holiday Survival Guide
Ah the holidays, that blessed time of year when we c...
more
Nov 13 2023 1h 13m
Chapter 1 2 mins
IntroductionChapter 2 3 mins
What makes the holidays tough?Chapter 3 8 mins
The gap between who you are now and how your family system interacts with youChapter 4 9 mins
Parents yearning for the past, and craving gratitudeChapter 5 2 mins
Finding agency amidst obligationChapter 6 5 mins
The weaponization of morality, and not needing to defend boundariesChapter 7 6 mins
Appreciating something about people amidst your struggles with them, and identifying the stakesChapter 8 4 mins
Getting through when it’s hardChapter 9 3 mins
The tension and ambiguity of wanting to speak upChapter 10 4 mins
Resourcing yourself ahead of time, and recognizing what’s in your best interestChapter 11 9 mins
Two kinds of grief and lossChapter 12 12 mins
Recap
The Polyvagal Theory and Recovering from Trauma with Dr. Stephen Porges
Dr. Stephen Porges, the creator of the polyvagal the...
more
Nov 6 2023 54m
Chapter 1 1 min
IntroductionChapter 2 4 mins
A brief overview of Polyvagal Theory (PVT)Chapter 3 6 mins
Ventral, sympathetic, and dorsal vagal statesChapter 4 7 mins
Relating PVT to trauma, and processing cognitively vs. in the bodyChapter 5 3 mins
Creating enough safety and co-regulation for healing workChapter 6 3 mins
What helps people gain awareness, safety, and regulationChapter 7 3 mins
Contextualizing a freeze response both psychologically and medicallyChapter 8 3 mins
Distinguishing feeling safe vs. being safeChapter 9 3 mins
Where to start when you don’t have a secure base in another personChapter 10 1 min
How our physiology has evolved to detect psychosocial cuesChapter 11 2 mins
How healing practices change our perception of the worldChapter 12 1 min
The calming effect of slow exhalation and top-down visualizationChapter 13 3 mins
Other tools to calm the nervous system, and the need for social nourishmentChapter 14 7 mins
Recap
Mastering Change with Brad Stulberg
We all know that change is inevitable in life, and g...
more
Oct 30 2023 1h 13m
Chapter 1 1 min
IntroductionChapter 2 2 mins
How Brad has come to think about changeChapter 3 3 mins
Rethinking homeostasis and allostasisChapter 4 6 mins
Suffering, resistance, and rugged flexibilityChapter 5 7 mins
Creating a more flexible identityChapter 6 3 mins
Not going ‘all in all the time’Chapter 7 3 mins
Constraints that support a healthy amount of egoChapter 8 5 mins
Brad’s personal challenges and supports in finding insightChapter 9 5 mins
Waiting to find meaning until after moving through a difficult changeChapter 10 2 mins
Our perception of time slows during distressChapter 11 4 mins
Pounding a stone, and sticking with a processChapter 12 3 mins
Developing and retaining a sense of self-efficacyChapter 13 1 min
Expecting discomfortChapter 14 3 mins
Turning hobbies into work, nurturing curiosity, and being a beginnerChapter 15 4 mins
Values and perspectivesChapter 16 3 mins
Shaking the snow globe, then letting it settleChapter 17 1 min
Five questions from Brad’s book to ask yourselvesChapter 18 8 mins
Recap
Should You Become A Parent?
On today’s episode Dr. Rick and Forrest focus on one...
more
Oct 23 2023 1h 9m
Chapter 1 2 mins
IntroductionChapter 2 2 mins
The significance (and uniqueness) of this choiceChapter 3 12 mins
Being aware of your motivations for having a childChapter 4 3 mins
The influence of primal biologyChapter 5 9 mins
Qualities of a good parentChapter 6 6 mins
Mirroring, idealizing, twinship, and the process of differentiationChapter 7 4 mins
Optimal frustration, and a healthy parental work ethicChapter 8 5 mins
The rewards of being a parentChapter 9 2 mins
If you don’t like __ you shouldn’t become a parentChapter 10 4 mins
A word for current parents who wish things had been differentChapter 11 2 mins
Community, partnership, and resourcesChapter 12 5 mins
Meaning and fulfillment with or without a childChapter 13 8 mins
Recap
How to Become Self-Confident
In today’s episode Forrest and Dr. Rick explore how ...
more
Oct 16 2023 58m
Chapter 1 2 mins
IntroductionChapter 2 5 mins
Separating confidence and capabilityChapter 3 5 mins
Releasing insecurity vs. gaining confidenceChapter 4 7 mins
Sources of insecurity, celebrating others’ vision, and tapping into universal currentsChapter 5 5 mins
Redefining what a win looks like, and surrendering to the best in ourselvesChapter 6 4 mins
Finding people who believe in you, taking action, and not knowingChapter 7 3 mins
Our core beliefs, why they are rational, and how to update themChapter 8 4 mins
Self-worth, and confidence in your own innate goodnessChapter 9 5 mins
The difference between self-confidence and narcissismChapter 10 7 mins
Facing the fear of what will happen if you are confidentChapter 11 2 mins
When being poorly received is about others and not youChapter 12 3 mins
Recap
How to Change Your Perspective
How we view ourselves, other people, and the world a...
more
Oct 9 2023 1h 1m
Chapter 1 2 mins
Introduction and info on Rick’s Neurodharma courseChapter 2 3 mins
Aspects of the kind of perspective we’re talking aboutChapter 3 6 mins
Change, being grounded in reality, and self-compassionChapter 4 6 mins
Fixed perspectives, fear, and a few examples from RickChapter 5 2 mins
Shame, and conflict with others due to changes in behaviorChapter 6 3 mins
Lack of self-confidence leading to rigidityChapter 7 5 mins
De-centering, joy, viewing yourself as a river, and playfulnessChapter 8 3 mins
Roleplay, and asking ‘what if?’Chapter 9 9 mins
Inquiring into how our perspectives are constructedChapter 10 2 mins
Emotional imagination, and retelling your storyChapter 11 4 mins
How our values and aspirations drive our perspectiveChapter 12 2 mins
Asking which perspectives support what’s important to youChapter 13 7 mins
Recap