Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson - Rick Hanson, Ph.D., Forrest Hanson

Latest Episodes:

Build Strong Relationships and Heal in Community with Dr. Joy Harden Bradford Feb 19, 2024

Show notes

Our relationships are some of the most important parts of our life, and our happiness is often directly correlated to the strength of those relationships. Dr. Joy Harden Bradford joins the podcast to explore how we can apply lessons from group therapy to build stronger friendships. Forrest and Dr. Joy focus on how we can build the trust necessary for vulnerability, how attachment issues show up in friendships, and the common friend roles you might be placing yourself into without realizing it.

About our Guest: Dr. Joy is a Licensed Psychologist based out of Atlanta, Georgia, the host of the wildly popular podcast Therapy for Black Girls – which has more than 34 million downloads - and the author of the recently released book Sisterhood Heals: The Transformative Power of Healing in Community.

Forrest is now writing on Substack, check out his work there.

You can watch this episode on YouTube.

Key Topics:

0:00: Introduction

1:20: What group therapy is like, and some its unique advantages

5:50: Creating a safe container for vulnerability

11:50: Trust, loyalty, respect, and gender dynamics

19:55: Attachment patterns in friendships

25:50: The Wallflower, the Leader, the Peacemaker, and the Firecracker

33:30: Navigating social circles with differing levels of openness to change

36:35: Challenges identifying, accepting, and expressing our needs

41:40: Specific challenges for black women in getting needs met

46:15: How stigma around therapy has changed over time

48:55: Curiosity, and guidelines for global sisterhood

52:00: Recap

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Sponsors

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Trust your gut with Seed’s DS-01 Daily Synbiotic. Go to Seed.com/BEINGWELL and use code 25BEINGWELL to get 25% off your first month.

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How to ADHD with Jessica McCabe Feb 12, 2024

Show notes

ADHD is one of the most common - and most misunderstood - conditions out there, and today we’re setting the record straight with author and YouTuber Jessica McCabe. Jessica joins Forrest to explore her journey with ADHD, dealing with common challenges like self-criticism, shame, and sensitivity, and how we can work with our unique brain, not against it.

About our Guest: Jessica McCabe is the creator of the popular YouTube channel How to ADHD and author of the new book How to ADHD: An Insider’s Guide to Working with Your Brain, Not Against It.

Forrest is now writing on Substack, check out his work there. You can watch this episode on YouTube.

Key Topics:

0:00: Introduction

1:15: Jessica’s history with ADHD, and how she wrote her book

7:15: Stigma, pride, self-criticism, and letting others help you

12:05: Dealing with shame

14:55: Self-advocacy, self-acceptance, and asking the right questions

24:40: Believing in your experience

27:45: Common misconceptions about ADHD

31:40: The relationship between ADHD and emotional sensitivity and regulation

36:05: Creating a sense of community

39:25: Advice for partners, family, and friends of people with ADHD

47:25: Recap

Support the Podcast: We're on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.

Sponsors

Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counseling platform. Visit betterhelp.com/beingwell for 10% off your first month!

Want to sleep better? Try the Calm app! Visit calm.com/beingwell for 40% off a premium subscription.

Trust your gut with Seed’s DS-01 Daily Synbiotic. Go to Seed.com/BEINGWELL and use code 25BEINGWELL to get 25% off your first month.

OneSkin focuses on delivering more than superficial results for your skin. Get started today with 15% off using code BEINGWELL at oneskin.co.

Connect with the show:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The (real) Secret to Happiness: Attachment, Craving, and Enjoying Life Feb 05, 2024

Show notes

Forrest and Dr. Rick focus on the secret to everyday happiness: learning how to like without wanting. They talk about the lies our brain tells us, the rapid movement from liking to wanting, and how we can enjoy an experience without craving more of it. They then explore a specific example of getting captured by the brain’s “inner ad agency,” and what we can do to stay in the present, meet key needs, and see the whole of our experience without getting trapped by any one part. You won’t want to miss this one!

Forrest is now writing on Substack, check out his work there.

You can watch this episode on YouTube.

Key Topics:

0:00: Introduction

2:00: Liking, wanting, and healthy desire

11:30: The story craving tells us

15:00: Inhibition and “prudishness” around liking

21:15: “21st century problems”

25:35: A personal example of getting trapped by desire

29:05: Meeting your legitimate needs, somatic cues, and inner freedom

35:20: The search for the slightly better experience

42:25: The brain’s prediction errors, and longing for what is already here

47:50: The ability to zoom out and see the full spectrum of our experience

59:25: Recap

Support the Podcast: We're on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.

Sponsors:

Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counseling platform. Visit betterhelp.com/beingwell for 10% off your first month!

Want to sleep better? Try the Calm app! Visit calm.com/beingwell for 40% off a premium subscription.

OneSkin focuses on delivering more than superficial results for your skin. Get started today with 15% off using code BEINGWELL at oneskin.co.

Connect with the show:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mindfulness for Depression, Pain, and Suffering with Dr. Danny Penman Jan 29, 2024

Show notes

On today’s episode, Dr. Rick and Forrest focus on one of the most important skills we can learn: how we can become more aware of all the parts of our experience, avoid being captured by any one of them, and work with those parts more skillfully. One of the key tools we have for accomplishing this is vedanā, or the “feeling tone” of our experience. Author and meditation teacher Dr. Danny Penman joins the show to explore the role of vedanā, how we can help our brain interpret the world more accurately, and practical tools for relaxing suffering and enjoying life.

About our Guest: Danny Penman is a meditation teacher, an award-winning writer and journalist, and the co-author of the classic Mindfulness with Dr. Mark Williams. Dr. Williams was one of the original creators of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). Mark and Danny are back with the new book Deeper Mindfulness: The New Way to Rediscover Calm in a Chaotic World.

Forrest is now writing on Substack, check out his work there.

Key Topics:

0:00: Introduction

1:40: How a major injury started Danny’s professional relationship with mindfulness practice

10:45: Vedanā, and unpacking the different aspects of our experience

18:20: The sensations that precede our thoughts

24:45: How the brain creates a model of reality, and whether that model is accurate

29:40: How an undisciplined relationship with feeling tone creates unnecessary suffering

37:00: Accepting a feeling vs. approving of a situation

44:10: Practical steps to feeling our feelings

48:00: Finding enjoyment in new habits, especially somatically

57:50: Recap

You can watch this episode on YouTube.

Support the Podcast: We're on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.

Sponsors:

Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counseling platform. Visit betterhelp.com/beingwell for 10% off your first month!

Want to sleep better? Try the Calm app! Visit calm.com/beingwell for 40% off a premium subscription.

Connect with the show:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dealing with a Mental Health Crisis, Trauma and Meditation, and Getting Back on the Wagon: January Mailbag Jan 22, 2024

Show notes

Forrest and Dr. Rick open up the mailbag and answer questions from listeners. How can we understand and support someone going through a mental health crisis? Is meditation enough to heal trauma? And what can we do about family members that just won’t change? You’ll learn why offering help isn’t always helpful, how to deal with unskillful feedback, and approaches that help with setting and achieving long-term goals.

Forrest is now writing on Substack, check out his work there.

Key Topics:

0:00: Introduction

1:55: Question #1 - How can I support a friend who is going through a mental health crisis?

7:10: What’s a “psychotic break,” and being careful with clinical terminology.

12:00: Question #2 - Is it possible to heal trauma through meditation alone?

20:25: Question #3 - How do I start again when I’ve fallen off the wagon?

27:30: Question #4 - Is feedback necessary for growth? And what kind of feedback is helpful?

33:10: Question #5 - How can I improve my relationship with money?

42:20: Question #6 - I’m very frustrated with a family member who just won’t change their bad behavior. What can I do?

54:05: Recap

You can watch this episode on YouTube.

Support the Podcast: We're on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.

Sponsors:

Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counseling platform. Visit betterhelp.com/beingwell for 10% off your first month!

Want to sleep better? Try the Calm app! Visit calm.com/beingwell for 40% off a premium subscription.

Connect with the show:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Internal Family Systems: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with Dr. Richard Schwartz Jan 15, 2024

Show notes

Dr. Rick and Forrest are joined by Dr. Richard Schwartz, creator of the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model of therapy, to explore how we can integrate all the aspects of who we are. They explain the IFS model, the nature of parts and their roles, and how we can use this knowledge to increase self-awareness and deal with common problems. Then Rick and Dr. Schwartz dive deep into the nature of the “Self,” where it comes from, and how we can tune into and strengthen it.

This was a wide-ranging conversation, and we were thrilled to have Dr. Schwartz on the podcast again. You won’t want to miss this one.

About our Guest: Dr. Richard “Dick” Schwartz is the creator of the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model of therapy, and has authored a number of books and over fifty articles focused on IFS. His newest book is No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model.

Forrest is now writing on Substack, check out his work there.

Key Topics:

0:00: Introduction

2:15: Quick explanation of the IFS Model

6:45: Releasing the “Self”

11:10: Where does the Self come from?

16:00: How the practical side of IFS connects to the spiritual

23:20: The four goals of IFS, and parts of parts

26:15: Becoming your own attachment figure

32:15: Richard’s experience integrating his exiled parts

37:25: Personification in IFS. Why think in terms of “parts”?

46:15: Why befriend our “bad” parts?

49:55: The non-pathologizing nature of IFS in a clinical framework

55:25: First and second darts

57:15: Identifying parts with curiosity, courage, and physical awareness

1:03:25: How asking yourself questions gets you in touch with your intuition

1:12:45: Recap

You can watch this episode on YouTube.

Support the Podcast: We're on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.

Sponsors:

Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counseling platform. Visit betterhelp.com/beingwell for 10% off your first month!

Want to sleep better? Try the Calm app! Visit calm.com/beingwell for 40% off a premium subscription.

Zocdoc helps you find expert doctors and medical professionals that specialize in the care you need, and deliver the type of experience you want. Head to zocdoc.com/being and download the Zocdoc app for FREE.

Connect with the show:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Healing Cycles of Trauma with Dr. Mariel Buqué Jan 08, 2024

Show notes

Dr. Mariel Buqué joins the podcast to help us learn how we can heal from the past, create healthier patterns, and break cycles of trauma. Forrest and Dr. Buqué talk about what intergenerational trauma is, how we can “hand trauma down,” and how these problematic patterns show up in the real world. They focus on what helps someone take the first steps, the key role of insight, and moving from insight to action. Along the way, Dr. Buqué shares the powerful tools that help people resource themselves to do the hard work of breaking intergenerational patterns.

About our Guest: Dr. Mariel Buqué received her doctorate in counseling psychology from Columbia University, and her work has been featured on major media outlets like The Today Show and Good Morning America. She’s the author of the new book Break the Cycle: A Guide to Healing Intergenerational Trauma, and host of the podcast by the same name.

You can watch this episode on YouTube.

Key Topics:

0:00: Introduction

1:15: What drew Mariel to this work

10:25: How Mariel thinks about intergenerational trauma

17:00: Common patterns of her clients

20:00: Most people’s initial motivation to find healing

24:45: Courage and vulnerability with the people in our family systems

33:20: Grounding, excavating the family tree, finding healthy alternative patterns

39:40: Practices for stimulating the ventral vagal nerve

44:05: Finding a way in to healing that is accessible to you

47:40: Creating an intergenerational trauma tree

55:00: Finding steadiness when the emotional floodgates open

58:00: The shortcomings of the western medical outlook

1:00:45: Integration, and creating a short buffer between stimulus and response

1:06:15: Values and healthy pride

1:08:40: Recap

Support the Podcast: We're on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.

Sponsors:

Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counseling platform. Visit betterhelp.com/beingwell for 10% off your first month!

Want to sleep better? Try the Calm app! Visit calm.com/beingwell for 40% off a premium subscription.

Connect with the show:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to Get More From 2024 Jan 01, 2024

Show notes

Dr. Rick and Forrest kick off 2024 by exploring how we can relate to the past, plan for the future, and get more from the year ahead. They talk about different approaches to New Years, the tactics that maximize your chances of achieving a goal, and a simple four question system for reflecting on and learning from the year that was. You'll learn how to create useful resolutions, put 2023 into perspective, and set yourself up for success in the year to come!

Forrest is now writing on Substack, check out his work there.

Register for Rick’s Yearly Program! The Foundations of Well-Being 2.0 is a year-long, science-backed journey through developing 12 key inner strengths like compassion, mindfulness, confidence, motivation, and courage. Visit FWBProgram.com to learn more, and get 20% off with coupon code BeingWell20.

Key Topics:

0:00: Introduction

1:05: Rick's approach to New Year’s resolutions

4:05: Going from being to doing to having

10:15: Four questions to ask yourself around the New Year

22:00: A S.M.A.R.T. way to put New Year’s resolutions into form

25:45: Bottom-up intentions, and the feeling of a completed intention

29:15: Trying different somatic cues for embodying an intention

32:00: Finding your allies, not oversharing your goals, and physically declaring priorities

40:45: Getting on your own side

51:40: Recap

You can watch this episode on YouTube.

Support the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.

Sponsors:

Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counseling platform. Visit betterhelp.com/beingwell for 10% off your first month!

Want to sleep better? Try the Calm app! Visit calm.com/beingwell for 40% off a premium subscription.

Connect with the show:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CPTSD, Somatic Psychology, and Finding Your Happiness with Elizabeth Ferreira Dec 25, 2023

Show notes

Forrest and Elizabeth welcome listeners into their home to talk about their changing relationship with the holidays, letting go of the past, healthy boundaries, glimmers, and different paths to taking in the good. Along the way they talk about different approaches to working with trauma, connecting with the body, and getting on our own side.

You can watch this episode on YouTube.

Key Topics:

0:00: Introduction

2:00: Elizabeth’s history with the holidays, and claiming your own rituals

5:20: Experiencing the holidays without an agenda

10:15: Glimmers in Polyvagal Theory

14:10: Working with a challenging relationship history

21:35: Somatic psychology, and respecting the mind

28:40: Regulating through movement

31:55: Staying yourself inside of your family

38:45: Enjoying agency, and emphasizing beauty

42:30: Entrapment and defeat, awareness, and saying no

47:15: Attachment, contracting around desire, and taking a moment for yourself

51:20: A practice of finding glimmers

55:35: Self-compassion and camaraderie during the holidays

Register for Rick’s Yearly Program! The Foundations of Well-Being 2.0 is a year-long, science-backed journey through developing 12 key inner strengths like compassion, mindfulness, confidence, motivation, and courage. It’s Rick’s flagship program, and if you like Being Well you’ll probably love it. Visit FWBProgram.com to learn more, and get 20% off with coupon code BeingWell20.

Support the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.

Sponsors:

Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counseling platform. Visit betterhelp.com/beingwell for 10% off your first month!

Want to sleep better? Try the Calm app! Visit calm.com/beingwell for 40% off a premium subscription.

Connect with the show:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harnessing Your Generativity: The Secret to Productivity, Creativity, and Consistency Dec 18, 2023

Show notes

Dr. Rick joins Forrest for a deep dive into harnessing our natural generativity. How can we become more productive and creative, experience greater satisfaction, and lean into our biological drives to get more of what we want out of life?

They explore what a drive is, our natural drive states, and what we can learn from models of motivation like self-determination theory, before moving on to what we can do if generativity doesn’t come naturally to us. Rick and Forrest share how we can lean into enjoyable experiences, feel more competent and autonomous, and learn to brave experiences of failure. The second half of the episode focuses on psychological tools that help us activate, enjoy, and hang out in generative states more often.

You can watch this episode on YouTube.

Key Topics:

0:00: Introduction

1:10: Rick's ability to stay generative.

3:25: Motivation, aggression, and our interdependence with others

12:10: A theoretical framework for generative drive

14:50: The process of making something as a form of healing

19:30: Confidence, autonomy, and relatedness

23:55: The way we think of ourselves

28:10: Agency, and what we can and cannot influence

34:30: Comfort with aggression

40:55: Work ethic, the role of passion and enjoyment, and finding your why