Feeling Good Podcast | TEAM-CBT - The New Mood Therapy
David Burns, MD
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This podcast features David D. Burns MD, author of "Feeling Good, The New Mood Therapy," describing powerful new techniques to overcome depression and anxiety and develop greater joy and self-esteem. For therapists and the general public alike!
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4 days ago
328: Awesome Workshop Coming Soon!
"Overcoming Toxic Shame"
Join Dr. Jill Levitt and me
at our fabulous new workshop
Sunday, February 5th, 2023
8:30am - 4:30pm PST - 7 CE units
Click here for information and registration
In today's podcast, David and Jill describe their new workshop on Overcoming Toxic Shame. This workshop will feature video snippets from a fantastic session with a beloved colleague named Melanie who struggled with intense feelings of anxiety and shame for more than 8 years. You will see her transformation from utter despair to joy in a single therapy session lasting roughly two hours, and you will get the chance to learn and practice the techniques that were so transformative for her.
Most mental health professionals also struggle with feelings of shame because of their belief that they aren't "good enough" and from fears of being found out. You will have the chance to heal yourself while you master cool new techniques to transform the lives of your patients!
In today's podcast, David and Jill do a live demonstration of a couple of the many techniques they will illustrate on February, which will include the Paradoxical Double Standardl Technique, Externalization of Voices, and the Feared Fantasy. You will not only witness a remarkable change in Melanie, as well as a sudden, severe and unexpected relapse half way through the session. David ang Jill will ask, "If you were the therapist, what would you do right now?" What follows is AMAZING!
Jill practices and serves as the Director of Training at the Feeling Good Institute in Mountain View California. She is also co-leader of my Tuesday evening weekly training group at Stanford (now entirely virtual). This group is totally free and is available to mental health professional in the Bay Area and around the world.
You can reach Dr. Burns at david@feelinggood.com.
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Jan 16, 2023
327: Rejection Practice?! It's freaking me out! Part 2 of 2
Live Therapy with Cody, Part 2 of 2
Last week we presented the first of our session with Cody, a young man wanting help with his fairly severe social anxiety since childhood. My co-therapist for this session was Dr. Rhonda Barovsky, the Feeling Good Podcast co-host, and Director, Feeling Great Therapy Center.
Today, you will hear the exciting conclusion of his session, and the follow-up as well!
Part 2
M = Methods
We focused on cognitive work and interpersonal exposure techniques as well. I will leave it to you to listen to the podcast, as I became so engrossed in what we were doing that I stopped taking notes. However, we used a number of tools within the group, including:
* Identify the Distortions in his thoughts
* Examine the Evidence
* Externalization of Voices
* Self-Disclosure
* Rejection Practice
* The Experimental Technique
* The Feared Fantasy
And more.
Cody received an abundant outpouring of love, respect, and encouragement from those in attendance (LINK).
We also gave Cody two “homework” assignments to complete following the group.
* Do at least three Rejection Practices in the mall and notify the training group members via email within 24 hours that he had completed this assignment.
* Complete the Positive Thoughts column of your Daily Mood Log.
If you'd like to see Cody's complet4ed Daily Mood Log, you can check this LINK.
If you'd like to see Cody's intimal and final Brief Mood Survey plus Evaluation of Therapy session, check this LINK. As you can see, there were dramatic changes in all of his negative feelings. However, he wanted to retain some anger toward his childhood friends who made fun of him.
Here’s the email we received from Cody about his homework assignment.
Hello groupers, I can proudly say mission accomplished! Although it took me around 7 hours to do it, I did it.
A lot of emotions came up as I kept trying and chickening out. I really feel like something has changed in me, by the last person I felt almost no anxiety and now I keep asking myself why I was ever afraid of this (I hope it sticks. I know I'll need to keep up this momentum I'm sure).
Having to do this email and being held accountable to you all was what drove me to the finish line. Thanks again, see you all next week!
Thanks to you, Cody. You were incredibly inspiring in group and after and the work you did will touch the hearts of many people, just as you have already touched the hearts of all the people in our group!
And thank you all for listening!
Cody, Rhonda, and David
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Jan 9, 2023
326: Rejection Practice?! It's freaking me out! Part 1 of 2
Featured pic of Cody in one of the small group practice sessions in David's virtual Tuesday training group.
Live Therapy with Cody, Part 1 of 2
I recently treated Cody, a young man wanting help with his fairly severe social anxiety since childhood, during one of our Tuesday evening Stanford training groups. My co-therapist for this session was Rhonda Barovsky, PsyD, the Feeling Good podcast co-host.
The full session will be broadcasted in two parts, starting today and finishing next week.
Part 1
T = Testing
At the start of the session, Cody’s depression score was only 6 out of 20, indicating minimal to mild depression, but his score on the loss of self-esteem was “a lot.”
His anxiety score was 11 out of 20, indicating moderate anxiety, and his anger score was only 2, minimal. However his score on the Happiness test was only 11 out of 20, which is only moderately happy, indicating a lot of room for improvement. If you like, you can review his Brief Mood Survey at this LINK. We’ll of course ask him to take this test at the end of today’s session so we can see what, if impact, we made on his feelings.
E = Empathy
Cody described his shyness like this:
“I’ve been shy for as long as I can remember and feel introverted. It started in middle school. I felt like I never fit in or connected with people very deeply. In middle school, you really want to fit in.
“I wanted my friends to like me, and one day they all started to torment me. Our seats in school were assigned, so I couldn’t get away from them. I cried at recess every day for months. Then, one day, they suddenly went back to being my friends again, and I never understood why.
“When they were tormenting me was the most painful moment of my life. I felt like they were judging me.
“I’ve worked on my own and I’ve gotten over 90% of my social anxiety. At first, I was afraid of answering the phone or even ordering a pizza, so I got a job where I was required to answer the phone and got over it.
“Now I’d like to date, but this has been a problem for me. Also, when I’m treating someone, and this topic of social anxiety comes up, I get uncomfortable. I think if I could overcome the rest of my shyness, it would boost my confidence.
“The podcast you and Rhonda did with Cai on Rejection Practice (LINK) inspired me tremendously, and I managed to do one Rejection Practice. By now I’m chickening out again. I go to the mall determined to do it, but I just keep putting it off. Asking women to reject me seems incredibly frightening, and I’m afraid people will judge me or see me as a predator. I love in a small town, and most people know each other.
“When I was thinking about the session all day today, I felt nervous and my stomach tightened up.
Cody brought a partially completed Daily Mood Log to the session, which you can review at this LINK. As you can see, the Upsetting Event was thoughts of approaching someone at the mall for Rejection Practice.
His negative feelings included the entire anxiety cluster, shame, the entire inadequacy cluster, unwanted, humiliated, embarrassed, the entire hopelessness cluster, frustrated, annoyed, and anger with himself. These feelings ranged from a low of 35% for shame to a high of 100% for foolish and humiliated and 90% for the hopelessness cluster.
And as you can see, many of his negative thoughts focused on the theme of being judged by others who might see him and think he was strange, or a disrespectful jerk, and so on. He was also convinced that women would be annoyed by him, and that the word would spread so that he’d lose the respect of people he cared about.
A = Assessment of Resistance
Cody’s goal for the session was to feel motivated to do the Rejection Practice he’d been avoiding, and to get rid of the negative thoughts that were holding him back.
He said he’d be reluctant, though, to press the Magic Button and make all of his negative thoughts and feelings disappear, so we listed what his fears might actually say about him and his core values that was positive and awesome. Here’s the list we came up with:
Positives
My anxiety
* My anxiety shows that I care about peoples’ comfort.
* My anxiety protects me from rejection or doing something foolish.
* My fears of being seen as a predator show that I want to fit in with the social norms and not be weird or threatening to women.
* My fears show that I want to be respectful towards women.
* My fears of being judged show that I care about friends and family.
* My anxiety shows that I care about my reputation.
* My feelings of inadequacy show that I’m aware that I have things I want to work on.
* Those feelings also show that I’m humble.
* My feelings show that I really care about connecting with others, which is one of the most important things in life!
* My negative thoughts and feelings motivate me to work hard on changing.
* They also show that I have high standards.
* My hopelessness shows that I’ve tried to do Rejection Practice six times and have always chickened out. So I’m being realistic.
* My hopelessness also protects me from getting my hopes up and then being disappointed.
* My unhappiness gives me greater compassion for my clients.
* My anger energizes me and motivates to do something new.
Tune in next week for the exciting conclusion of the live work with Cody!
David and Rhonda
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Jan 2, 2023
325: The Finding Humans Less Scary Marathon! Featuring Dr. Jacob Towery and Michael Luo
Curing YOUR Social Anxiety—
The Ridiculously Cheap and Awesome
Shame-Attacking Marathon
Jacob Towery, MD
Michael Luo
Today, we are joined by Dr. Jacob Towery and Michael Luo to promote their upcoming, two-day Social Anxiety Marathon.
Jacob Towery, MD is an adolescent and adult psychiatrist and therapist in private practice in Palo Alto, California. Michael Luo is a fourth year medical student at the Chicago Medical School.
More on them at the end of the show notes, but here’s the scoop. Jacob and Michael will be offering a mind-blowing, two-day marathon for anyone who struggles with social anxiety, which includes shyness, public speaking anxiety, and performance anxiety. They will both be present, along with more than ten experts in TEAM-CBT, coaching participants in the latest tools for quickly overcoming all social anxiety.
And here’s the amazing thing. You can come and attend, and transform your life, for only a $20 donation to one of their four listed amazing charities.
For information / registration, click here
How cool is that? Don’t pass this up. It will be an in-person, hands-on training experience designed to free you from the fears that narrow your life. You will learn and participate in cognitive therapy exercises, identifying and smashing the distorted thoughts that trigger social anxiety, as well as the Self-Defeating Beliefs that trigger social anxiety like the Spotlight and Brushfire Fallacies, the Approval Addiction, and more.
They will also illustrate and lead you in a wide variety of Interpersonal Exposure Techniques, including Smile and Hello Practice, Self-Disclosure (which Michael demonstrates in real time on today’s show), Rejection Practice, Flirting Training, Shame Attacking Exercises, and more.
David claims that Jacob is likely the world’s top expert in Shame Attacking Exercises, and we illustrate several on the podcast. Rhonda described a Shame Attacking Exercise that I challenged her with. It was incredibly terrifying, but turned out really well!
David also described the impact of self-disclosure on a wealthy and powerful businessman he treated who was so insecure that he was even terrified to be around his wife and children.
People who are socially anxious nearly always try hard to hide their negative feelings out of a sense of shame, so others, even friends and family and colleagues, typically aren’t aware of how they feel inside. Michael courageously discloses his own negative thoughts that triggered feelings of social anxiety at being around Jacob, his mentor.
* Maybe I’ll make a mistake.
* I might be wasting Jacob’s time.
* Then he might not want to mentor me.
These thoughts caused feelings of loneliness and shame. I felt much closer to Michael when he disclose these feelings. Jacob added that he was totally unaware that Michael had been struggling with these thoughts and feelings.
The treatment of social anxiety is profoundly serious, because we are involved in changing the lives of people who are suffering and lonely and inhibited, but the treatment can also be fun, hilarious and of course, enlightening.
Michael wraps up the show by describing the transformation this training has had on his own life.
If you wish to attend, act rapidly because space is limited and will be given out on a first-come, first-serve basis. I hope you can attend, and make sure you let Rhonda and David know about your experiences!
Thanks for listening today!
Rhonda, Jacob, Michael, and David
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Dec 26, 2022
324: How to Mend a Broken Heart. Part 2 Starring Kyle Jones
Secrets of Overcoming Romantic Rejection
Part 2 of 2
In last week's podcast we interviewed Dr. Kyle Jones on the topic of how to overcome romantic rejection, and answered five of your questions. Today we publish Part 2 of that interview. Rhonda, Kyle and David will tell you how to stop obsessing about someone who has rejected you, and whether you can "heal completely,"and how you can get your confidence back, and more!
6. Do you have any tips for moving on and realizing that maybe your ex isn’t as great as you think they are?
David
20 qualities I’m looking for in an ideal mate.
Rhonda
Time, patience, space away from each other. Make lists of qualities you liked about your ex and qualities you wish were different. Fill out the form: “20 Qualities in An Ideal Mate” and review how many of these qualities your ex had.
7. Since cheating is something that happens so often in relationships, what would you recommend (techniques wise) for someone who’s been cheated on in trying to get their confidence back?
David
YOU CAN USE THE DAILY MOOD LOG, DOUBLE STANDARD, ETC. OVERCOME FEAR OF BEING ALONE. ETC. Examine the Evidence; Worst, Best, Average.
Kyle
Cheating can be really devastating if you and your significant other were in a monogamous relationship. What are the negative thoughts you have about yourself after you’ve been cheated on? Practice talking back to those.
8. How can we boost our confidence back up after a breakup in general even if we haven’t been cheated on?
David
SAME ANSWER.
Rhonda
Do things you love to do with people who love you: go dancing, go to the beach, go hear music, read, etc.
Daily Mood Log on the thoughts that lead to your lack of confidence.
9. Do you guys believe in the notion that you are capable of “healing completely from your ex (aka completely being over them and all the pain the breakup brought you)” or do you believe that it’s not possible.
David
I MEASURE THINGS. YOU CAN DO WAY BETTER AS YOU GROW. IS THERE A CLAIM THAT THERE IS NOW AN INVISIBLE BARRIER ON YOUR SCORE ON THE BMS. THIS IS SUCH, EXCUSE MY CRUDITY, HOGWASH! HOPEFULLY, YOU’LL NEVER AGAIN FIND SOMEONE JUST LIKE THE PERSON WHO REJECTED YOU!
Rhonda
You may never be exactly the same, why would you want to be? Every experience in life gives you the opportunity to grow (as cliche and kind of yucky as that sounds).
Maybe you need to acknowledge and examine your role in the breakup, come to a place of humility or maybe even compassion, but definitely understanding. Interpersonal Downward Arrow to look at the Roles and Rules in your past relationships. Relationship Journal to see how you have contributed to the relationship problems. Maybe do Reattribution to see what you contributed to the relationship problems and what they did.
10. What are some realistic expectations to have coming out of a breakup, recovery wise, and what are some unrealistic expectations?
David
I DON’T IMPOSE MY STANDARDS AND AGENDAS ON OTHERS! THAT’S LIKE MISSIONARY WORK, TRYING TO GET SOMEONE TO ADOPT YOUR STANDARDS. I TRY TO LISTEN (EMPATHY) AND THEN SET THE AGENDA WITH THE PATIENT, AND THE NEGOTIATION STEP IS SOMETIMES IMPORTANT. I ALSO USE STORY TELLING TO ILLUSTRATE A RADICALLY DIFFERENT REALITY FROM WHAT THE PATIENT “SEES.”
Rhonda
I can’t add anything to that, except, after examining your role in the relationship, you may see the expectations you want to eliminate and the ones you want to maintain.
11. Do you guys feel that you shouldn’t date for a while after getting your heart broken?
David
THIS CAN BE A GREAT IDEA. I ALWAYS INSIST, AS PART OF NEGOTIATION PHASE OF AGENDA SETTING, THAT THE PERSON OVERCOME THE FEAR OF BEING ALONE BEFORE DATING, WHETHER OR NOT A REJECTION HAPPENED.
Rhonda
This is a very personal decision. Have you had time to heal before getting into a new relationship? Have you had time to examine your role so you can make changes if you choose, so you won’t repeat the same mistakes in the next relationship?
12. Do you have to move on from your ex to go back out into the dating world again and to possibly be in a relationship again? Do you guys feel that “jumping” from relationship to relationship can be a bad thing? Why or why not?
David
THESE THINGS ARE ALWAYS ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS. I THINK IT CAN BE HEALTHY TO DATE A VARIETY OF PEOPLE AND NOT GLOM ONTO THE FIRST PERSON WHO EXPRESSES AN INTEREST IN YOU. THAT WAY, YOU CAN COMPARE A VARIETY OF RELATIONSHIPS AND IN ADDITION, YOUR DATING SKILLS WILL IMPROVE. THE “20 THINGS I’M LOOKING FOR IN AN IDEAL MATE” CAN BE VALUABLE.
Rhonda
“Jumping from relationship to relationship” sounds so judgmental. Are you finding yourself in relationships where you have similar complaints from your last relationship, repeating patterns that you dislike? Then I would pause and take time to heal and learn before starting another one.
Kyle
What does be “moved on” really mean here? Would you have to never have a thought about your ex again before dating? That might be impossible! I don’t think there’s anything wrong with dating multiple people or starting and stopping relationships with some frequency – especially if you’re looking for a good fit and it’s not working out with someone.
13. How do you overcome your trust issues when getting into another relationship after your heartbreak?
David
PATIENT WOULD HAVE TO GIVE ME A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE, AND NOT DEAL WITH THIS OR ANYTHING “ABSTRACTLY.”
Rhonda
Daily Mood Log work, starting with a specific event that led to the lack of trust.
Let us know if you would like a third podcast on how to deal with romantic rejection at some point, since we have a number of remaining questions. Thanks!
My book, Intimate Connections, will help you with dating and rejection issues!
You can contact Dr. Kyle Jones at
kyle@feelinggoodinstitute.com
End of Part 2
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Dec 19, 2022
323: How to Mend a Broken Heart. Part 1 Starring Kyle Jones
Secrets of Overcoming Romantic Rejection
Part 1 of 2
In today’s podcast we are proud to interview Dr. Kyle Jones from the Feeling Good Institute in Mountain View, California.
Kyle Jones, PhD is a clinical psychology postdoctoral fellow affiliated with Feeling Good Institute in Mountain View, California where he provides individual psychotherapy in a private practice. He co-leads a monthly consultation group with Maggie Holtam, PhD where therapists can get help with exposure methods for anxiety. He has recently become an Adjunct Professor of Psychology at Palo Alto University - teaching Clinical Interviewing in the clinical psychology PhD program.
Kyle wrote: “Here are some questions from patients of mine for our podcast today - we don't have to go through all of these bust just some talking points!"
We will publish part of the questions in today's podcast, and several more next week. There are even more questions, so let us know if you would want a Part 3 on this topic at some time in the future.
Below you will find the list of questions with some responses by David and Rhonda BEFORE the podcast. To get the true scoop, listen to the podcast, as most of the comments below were simply ideas that popped into our heads prior to the podcast.
Although we focus on romantic rejection in these two podcasts, the idea really pertain to rejection in all segments of our lives.
1. Why do you think it’s so hard for us humans to handle rejection/why do you think we are so afraid of it?
David
THE LOVE ADDICTION SDB. LOOKING TO EXTERNAL SOURCES FOR FEELINGS OF SELF-WORTH AND HAPPINESS. THE CBA IS CRUCIAL, SINCE PEOPLE MAY NOT WANT TO STOP LINKING SELF WORTH WITH LOVE.
Rhonda
Plus, it hurts. And our brain is wired to experience pain when rejected. We are wired that way.
Evolutionary psychologists believe it all started when we were hunter gatherers who lived in clans. Since we could not survive alone, being ostracized from our clan was basically a death sentence. As a result, we developed an early warning system to alert us when we were at risk of being rejected by our tribemates. People who experienced rejection as more painful were more likely to change their behavior, remain in the clan, and pass along their genes.
Kyle
Getting dumped sucks! We aren’t really taught how to handle rejection very well in our culture.
2. Are we capable of overcoming the fear of rejection and how do we accomplish that?
David
You can face your fear with REJECTION PRACTICE. The FIRST SECTION OF INTIMATE CONNECTIONS IS ON OVERCOMING THE FEAR OF BEING ALONE.
Rhonda
Is part of the fear of rejection also a fear of being alone? You can use the “What If” technique to uncover more about those fears. Then put the thoughts in a Daily Mood Log, and challenge them with a variety of techniques you can select for a Recovery Circle. You can also face your fears with Rejection Practice and/or Exposure.
3. When it comes to getting dumped do you guys believe there is a good way to approach it communicating wise?
David
YOU CAN USE FIVE SECRETS TO FIND OUT WHY THE OTHER PERSON IS REJECTING YOU. OR, PERHAPS BETTER, YOU CAN TURN THE TABLES ON THE REJECTOR, SINCE IT IS PART OF A CHASE GAME.
Rhonda
If you want to know more about why you were “dumped,” will you trust the other person to be honest with you? Will you believe them when they respond? You might want to do a Cost Benefit Analysis to decide whether or not you even want to ask them to explain why you were “dumped.”
Kyle
It depends on the situation. If you have gone through a divorce and have children, you may still need to talk with you ex-partner. Generally, I don’t think it’s a good idea to stay in touch and keep chatting with an ex who dumped you!
4. If we are caught off guard with the breakup and don’t see it coming and all of a sudden one day our partner decides to end the relationship, how do we not let our emotions get the best of us in that moment in that very moment?
David
WHEN YOU SAY, “GET THE BEST OF US” IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU’RE NOT ACCEPTING YOUR FEELINGS. IS IT OKAY TO FEEL FEELINGS? THIS QUESTION SOUNDS LIKE EMOTOPHOBIA.
Rhonda
It’s perfectly reasonable to be sad, to cry, to be shocked and angry. Why not have those feelings? You also don’t have to expect to respond with a “perfect 5-Secrets.” Maybe you need to take a break from each other, breathe, walk, calm down, and then meet again to talk talk, if that is what you want to do.
Kyle
If you get blindsided by a breakup it can really be shocking and overwhelming. It’s okay to feel how you feel in that moment I would think.
5. When it comes to recovery after being broken up with, how do you fight the urge to go back to your ex?
David
THIS URGE IS DUE TO THE BURNS RULE: WE ONLY WHAT WE CAN’T GET, AND NEVER WANT WHAT WE CAN GET. ALSO, CAN DO A CBA ON CHASING.
Rhonda
Also, look at the thoughts that are leading you to want to get back together. What do they say about you that is awesome? Then examine them for Cognitive Distortions, and talk back to them with Dbl Standard or Ext of Voices.
Do a “Time Projection,” see yourself in 5 years, in 10 years, in 20 years. Have a conversation with your future selves to talk about what you want, what kind of person you want to be with, how you want to be treated in the future.
Practice “Distraction,” when you start thinking about your “ex” distract yourself by concentrating intensely on something else, music, work, friends, cooking, another hobby.
Kyle
Come back to reality and remember all the crummy ways an ex may have been treating you, instead of letting your mind ruminate on how great things were during the first few weeks of dating. Come up with all the good reasons to continue wishing/hoping you and your ex will get back together and talk back to those.
My book, Intimate Connections, will help you with dating and rejection issues!
Stay tuned for Part 2 next week.
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Dec 12, 2022
322 How Skillful is your Shrink Featuring Kevin Cornelius LMFT
How Skillful is your Shrink! Now you can find out!
The Exciting Recovery Coefficient--
and the FEAR the grips the hearts of the therapists who are afraid to use it!
People often wonder how skillful or effective their therapist is, but until now, there was no very valid or precise way to know. But now there is, and it has fantastic implications for psychotherapy.
Today, we feature an interview with Kevin Cornelius, a therapist at the Feeling Good Institute in Mountain View, California. Kevin Cornelius is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice at Feeling Good Institute, with in-person counseling for teens .Kevin is a Certified Level 4 Advanced TEAM-CBT Therapist and Trainer.
I asked Kevin to write a brief description of his evolution from a career in acting to his career as a shrink. Here’s what he wrote:
After many years of working as an actor I was ready for a change. After some painful personal events, I saw a therapist who was quite helpful to me. She helped me see that changing to a career as a therapist could be a great thing for me.
I went to school and got my Master's in Marriage and Family Therapy. Just before I began applying for internships to complete licensure, I learned that the children's theatre group I had grown up in was looking for a new supervisor to lead the group following the death of its beloved founder and leader. This was a wonderful opportunity for me to use my theatre skills and my desire to help young people in their growth and development.
I was very fortunate to be hired and worked as the director of the children's theatre group for 19 years. Towards the end of my years with the children's theatre, I was ready for a change and thought it might be time for me to finish getting my therapy license.
It had been 15 years since I had worked with a patient in a therapy session, so I had a lot to learn! I was so lucky to discover David Burns and his amazing TEAM-CBT. The testing element of TEAM enabled me to see right away where I needed to improve so I could focus my efforts on improving specific skills.
Being able to study with David in his Tuesday group at Stanford was a golden opportunity. Here was a framework designed to make therapy as effective as possible being taught (for free!) by one of the world's greatest therapists.
I'm so happy I followed David's advice to get involved at Feeling Good Institute while I was still pre-licensed. Learning TEAM while I was completing the process to earn my license as a therapist enabled me to start my career in private practice with confidence and a stable foundation. Now, I get to continue learning from mentors at Feeling Good Institute, from the wonderful Feeling Good Podcast, and the valuable lessons I get from my patients.
I'll sum up my good fortune with a theatre reference and quote the Gershwins: "Who could ask for anything more?"
Kevin recently made the courageous decision to find out exactly how he was doing as a therapist. And the results surprised him tremendously.
Background Information for today’s podcast
Outcome studies with competing schools of psychotherapy in the treatment of depression have been disappointing. They all seem to come out about the same, slightly better than placebos, but not much. For example, in the British CoBalT study of 469 depressed patients treated with antidepressants vs antidepressants plus CBT, only 44% of the patients treated with antidepressants plus CBT experienced a 50% improvement in depression after six months of treatment, and the multi-year follow-up results weren’t any better. This was better than the patients treated with antidepressants alone, (only 22% experienced a 50% improvement), but still—to my way of thinking—very poor. We see more improvement than that in just one day in patients using the Feeling Good App.
Here are just two of many online references to that landmark study:
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(15)00495-2/fulltext
https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lanpsy/PIIS2215-0366(15)00495-2.pdf
Because of the disappointing results of research on the so-called "schools" of psychotherapy, the focus is switching, to some extent, to the effects of individual therapists, since even within a school of therapy, there can be huge differences in therapists’ effectiveness. Some therapists seem to have the proverbial “green thumb,” with many patients improving rapidly, while others seem much less effective.
Is there a way to measure this? Now there is!
And do patients have a right to know how effective their shrinks are? That’s what I’m proposing!
For at least twenty years or more, I’ve been trying to sell therapists on my Brief Mood Survey with every patient at every session. That’s because you can see exactly and immediately how depressed, anxious, or angry, etc. your patient was at the start and end of today’s session.
This allows therapists to see, for the first time, exactly how much the patient improved in various dimensions within the session, as well as how much the patient relapsed or continued to improve between sessions.
Here’s a simple example. To make things really clear, let’s imagine that your depression test goes from 0 (not at all depressed) to 100 (the worst depression imaginable, and your patient has an 80 at the start of today’s session. That would indicate a horrendously severe depression, similar to patients hospitalized with depression.
And yet, your patient might be functioning effectively, and might appear reasonably happy. So, bonus #1, you can see exactly how your patient was feeling at the start of the session. You might think of the BMS as an “emotional X-ray machine.”
Now, let’s assume you have an excellent session, and feel like you’re clicking with the patient, and the patient scores 40 on the end-of-session BMS. That would be a phenomenal 50% improvement. Of course, a score of 40 means that the patient is still moderately depressed, and has a way to go, still the goal is a score of 0 on the depression test and a huge boost in the patient’s score on the happiness test on the BMS.
Keep in mind that in the dozens of psychotherapy outcome studies that have been published worldwide, the very highest levels of improvement in months and months of therapy are never higher than this.
So, I call this the Recovery Coefficient (RC), and it is a very precise measure of any therapist’s effectiveness in treating anything you can measure accurately.
In an informal study of de-identified data of more than 10,000 therapy sessions at a local treatment center about two years ago. I discovered that the RC the first time therapists met with their patients predicted the improvement over the entire course of therapy. In addition, different therapists had vastly different initial RC scores, which can range from -100% in a single session (meaning a complete elimination of symptoms) to +100% in a single session (meaning severe worsening.)
Sadly, because all patient or therapist identifying information was removed to protect identities, I had no way of letting the therapists know their skill levels!
But today, we are joined by a therapist who had the guts to calculate his RC in ten patients to see how he was doing.
He was initial incredibly demoralize with his percent reductions (RC) of 45% for depression and 47% for anxiety in 50 minute sessions, He reasoned that a 44% in a class would be a failing grade, but I pointed out that this isn’t the right comparison. After all, if you had a contract to build the Brooklyn Bridge, and could complete nearly half of it in 50 minutes, you’d be doing something incredibly amazing.
Kevin's Depression and Anxiety Recovery Coefficient Calculations
Depression Anxiety Empathy
1
Before 6 14 20
After 3 1
% Change -50.00% -92.86%
Depression Anxiety Empathy
2
Before 5 6 20
After 1 3…
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Dec 5, 2022
321: Help I'm Having Panic Attacks pt 2 of 2
Yikes! Do I REALLY have to share my feelings?
Last week, we featured Part 1 of a live therapy session with Keren Shemesh, PhD, a licensed clinical psychologist who began having intense panic attacks when her mother and father visited from Israel. Today, we feature the exciting conclusion of that session, with follow-up.
If you are interested, you can listen to the follow-up with Keren and Jill who joined us st the end of today's podcast. They comment on the session as well as the details of what happened following the session. I (David) raised the question of why so many of us have trouble being honest and open with our feelings, especially anger. Jill suggested that it might be due to the false dichotomy people see, contrasting aggression with love. But you can be honest and loving at the same time, including when you express feelings of anger. Of course, we make the Five Secrets of Effective Communication sound easy, but these powerful tools actually require an enormous level of skill as well as commitment.
Part 2 of the Keren session: M = Methods
We began the Methods part of the session with a bit more Paradoxical Agenda Setting, and listed some really GOOD reasons NOT to open up more to her mother.
* I want to protect her because it may be hard and upsetting to her.
* I’m not used to being vulnerable with my parents.
* I don’t want to rock the boat or change the status quo.
* I’m not sure I want a closer relationship with my mother. NOTE: David and Jill were thinking that we often resist intimacy because we have negative pictures in our mind of what real closeness is. For example, if you think it means something yucky and upsetting, you obviously won’t want to get “close.” Jill tried to finesse around this by suggesting Keren might aim for a more “honest” relationship instead of a “closer” relationship.
* There are things about me that they’ve rejected, like the fact that I don’t really want children. And I’m not so sure I want to make myself vulnerable and get rejected again!
* I’m afraid I’ll get swallowed up and enmeshed.
We asked Keren what kinds of feelings she was hiding from her mother.
* My feelings of nervousness and intense anxiety, and the intense somatic symptoms, like the knot in my stomach.
* I am scared for her future, since she is not in good health and she’s not taking care of herself.
* I have feelings of anger and resentment about the fact that I’m not the kind of daughter they wanted.
* I’m sad about her health and seeing her struggle.
* I feel hurt when I think how I have failed them and let them down.
* I sometimes feel like I don’t really belong.
At this point, I became so absorbed in the session that I stopped taking notes, so you will have to listen carefully to the recording of the session which was fascinating.
I do recall, however, that we began working on communication, using the Five Secrets of Effective Communication (LINK), as well as tips on how to proceed, taking it one step at a time and not trying to do it all at once, and role playing practice.
Then we did some Externalization of Voices with the thoughts on Keren’s Daily Mood Log, using several strategies: Self-Defense, the Acceptance Paradox, and the CAT, or Counter-Attack Technique.
You can see the Daily Mood Log she completed after the session, based on the work we did in the session, at this LINK.
Keren's end-or-session Brief Mood Survey and Evaluation of Therapy Session
In addition, Keren and Jill will be with us to record the follow-up.
T = End-of-Session Testing
You can review Keren’s BMS and EOTS (Patient’s Evaluation of Therapy Session) at the end of the session at this LINK.
Keren's end-or-session Brief Mood Survey and Evaluation of Therapy Session
As you can see, her depression score fell to 1, indicating substantial improvement, while her suicidal thoughts and urges remained at 0. Her feelings of anxiety vanished, but her feelings of anger remained fairly elevated, falling from 7 to 4. We would not expect further improvement in this dimension until she’s had the chance to share more of her feelings with her mom.
Her feelings of happiness only increased from 10 to 13, again any further improvement would not be expected until she’s had the chance to do her “homework” following the session. However, her satisfaction with her relationship with her mom increased from 19 to 26 out of 30, which is substantial, while still leaving some room for improvement.
On the EOTs, you will see that our Empathy and Helpfulness scores were perfect, along with our scores on the Satisfaction with Session, Commitment to homework, unexpressed Negative Feelings, and honesty scales.
Here’s what she like “the least” about the session:
“Nothing. This has been a powerful experience.”
Here’s what she like “the best” about the session:
“This has been empowering. The hidden emotion is like a blind spot. I know it is there, but I cannot see it. I loved when David pointed to my avoidance, and I am glad we focused on the hidden emotion. Jill and David were able to see the depth in situation and I feel seen and understood.”
Follow-Up
We exchanged a number of emails following the session, and will also talk to Keren and Jill live on the podcast so you can catch up on what happened.
But here is an excerpt from one of Keren’s emails:
Here is what has happened so far:
On Friday morning, she made some comments about my gray hair and that the fridge gasket was not properly clean. I got really annoyed, but did not say anything. To be honest, I was too angry to use the 5 secrets and needed time to cool off. About after half an hour later, on our way to the acupuncturist, I told her that I love having her over and that it is special to me that we spend time together. She thanked me for everything that I am doing for her on this trip. Then I added: "this morning, when I came to check on you, you commented on my hair and then you told me to clean the fridge gasket..." I was going to follow up with 5 secrets, but before I was able to finish, she interrupted me and said "Gosh, I am so critical! I am sorry, I didn't mean it that way. I can see now why your sister gets upset with me. I can't believe myself." I told her that I love her honesty and while her criticism comes from a caring loving place the how and when she says things sets tone.
This was a breakthrough because even though I did not finish using the 5 secrets I got through to her and felt heard. It was encouraging for me to feel that I could be understood and accepted by her. I have clients who say that they love the 5 secrets, but like to call it the 3 secrets because they find it effective enough to use only 3. (I still encouraged them to use all 5). I can see now what they mean, I did not finish my 5 secrets spiel and got some good results.
I believe that my conservation with my mother will further trickle during her stay. Perhaps because there is a lot to cover, or perhaps it's the way we communicate.
In either case, I feel good about having the talks that I previously dreaded.
I have not had any panic attacks since, but I don't think they have completely gone. I believe they will be there to remind me to address certain emotions that need addressing.. . .
I will keep you posted and may even send this to the group. Just need to think about it a bit longer.
Responses from the Tuesday Group
who observed our work with Keren
Here are just a few of the comments from the 35 therapists who observed the session. This is part of the feedback we get on the quality of our teaching at the end of every Tuesday training group.
Please describe what you specifically disliked about the training/
Nothing. The live work was fascinating to watch. David and Jill were masterful as always!
This was a truly moving and inspiring and helpful session. I can't think of anyth…
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Nov 28, 2022
320 Help I'm Having Panic Attacks pt 1 of 2
When the Hidden Emotion isn't Hidden!
Today’s podcast will feature a live therapy session on September 13, 2022 with Keren Shemesh, PhD, a licensed clinical psychologist and certified TEAM-CBT therapist. The entire session was recorded and will be presented in two consecutive podcasts. The two co-therapists are Jill Levitt, PhD, a clinical psychologist, and Director of Clinical Training at the FeelingGoodInsititute.com.
Part 1 of the Keren session
I will summarize the work that Dr. Jill Levitt and I did with Keren according to the familiar sequence of a TEAM-CBT Session: T = Testing, E = Empathy, A = Assessment of Resistance (formerly Paradoxical Agenda Setting), and M = Methods, with a final round of T = end-of-session Testing.
In today’s podcast, we will include the T, E, and A. In Part 2, we will include M = Methods and the final T = Testing.
T = Testing
Just before the start of the session, Keren completed the Brief Mood Survey (BMS) which you can review at this link:
Keren's Pre-Session BMS
As you can see, her depression score was only 3 out of 20, indicating minimal to mild depression. There were no suicidal thoughts, and her anxiety score was 10 out of 20, indicating moderate anxiety. She was also moderately angry (7 out of 20) and her happiness score was 10 out of 20, indicating very little happiness. Her relationship satisfaction level with her mother was 19 out of 30, indicating lots of room for improvement. However, she rated “degree of affection and caring” at 6 for “very satisfied,” which is the highest rating on this important item.
We will ask her to take the BMS again at the end of the session, along with the Evaluation of Therapy Session, so we can see what the impact of the session was on her symptoms, as well as how empathic and helpful we were during the session.
These ratings will be important, because the perceptions of therapists can be way off base, but the perceptions of our patients will nearly always be spot-on.
Keren also brought a partially completed Daily Mood Log, which you can see at this link:
Keren's Daily Mood Log (DML) at the start of the session
As you can see, the upsetting event was her mother’s visit from Israel. She had moderately to severely elevated negative feelings in nine categories, along with 17 negative thoughts, along with her rather strong beliefs in all of them. Most of her thoughts were of a self-critical nature, with lots of Hidden Should Statements as well.
E = Empathy
At the start of our session, which took place in front of our Tuesday evening training group at Stanford, Keren described her struggles like this:
On Wednesday I woke up at 3 AM with panic attacks, one after another, and no way of getting back to sleep. I get somatic symptoms, I felt weak, nauseated, with no strength, almost paralyzed, and emotionally unstable.
This was four days after my mother arrived form Israel. In the last 20 years, she and my dad visited me only once, on my graduation. I always had to visit them in Israel every year and was frustrated they none came to visit me in the Bat Area.
On my last visit in May, I expressed my frustration about them not visiting me. They took it to heart and made plans to come for the Jewish high Holidays. My mom arrived first a few days ago and It’s my first time alone with her.
She’s a Jewish mom and she stresses me out. Of course, I was really excited when she first arrived, but after four days I feel overwhelmed. This is SO MUCH WORK!
I feel sad. I’m afraid I won’t be able to function. I just cannot seem to enjoy my time with her. I feel fragile, but I’m hiding it.
She’s 73, and the signs of aging are obvious now. She needs more care, and it’s tough to see her aging.
Dad has always been super athletic, and he’s in great shape, but she doesn’t exercise or take care of herself. She’s frustrated about aging and is angry with us for not accepting her as she is.
I don’t want to seem unhappy. I’m overwhelmed and just feel bad!
David and Jill empathized, and Jill emphasized how much her parents must love her, coming from such a great distance to be with her, but also acknowledged how hard it must be for them and for Keren to be living at such a great distance. Jill pointed out that one of the issues Keren may be struggling with is the belief that their time together should be fun and conflict-free, since the time is so precious.
Keren continued:
My biggest problem is that I feel I cannot be me when I’m around them . . . . They want me to be a different version of myself. . . . They want me to be a mother, and they want grandchildren. But I’m in the 5% of women who don’t have any interest in having children. I’m 46 years old now, and I guess I could see myself adopting, but having a family is a big job, and I’ve never had the passion. So, I feel like I’m a disappointment to them. But we never talk about it.
I sometimes feel invisible and unseen when I’m around them. They’d be so much prouder of me if I had children they could brag about.
Keren also shared her frustration and anger with her mom for not taking better care of her health. Since her mom has been in town, Keren has arranged all kinds of fun activities for them to do together, but Keren’s joy is dampened by the many unspoken feelings she is constantly trying to hide, for fear of conflict and upsetting her parents.
A = Assessment of Resistance
Keren gave us an A+ in Empathy, so we went on to the Assessment of Resistance phase of the session, where we set the Agenda. Keren’s goal was to get over her panic attacks, and we discussed three possible treatment strategies with Keren:
* The Hidden Emotion Technique: This technique would be based on our hunch that Keren’s panic attacks are the direct result of the many feelings she is consciously, and subconscious trying to hide and sweep under the rug.
* Dealing with the self-critical thoughts on the Daily Mood Log she provided at the start of the session. LINK
* Using Forced Empathy to help her see the world through her mother’s eyes, as we did in a fairly recent podcast with Zeina, another member of our Tuesday training group who was in conflict with her mother.
Keren expressed considerable enthusiasm for options 2 and 3. I (David) pointed out that she appeared to be ignoring / avoiding the first option, and raised the question of whether that meant it might be the most productive, but scariest, of the three options.
Keren conceded that this rang true, and wanted to start out with learning to express her feelings more openly and directly, but in a respectful and loving way.
In next week’s podcast, you’ll find out what happened!
Part 2 of the Keren session: M = Methods
We began the Methods part of the session with a bit more Paradoxical Agenda Setting, and listed some really GOOD reasons NOT to open up more to her mother.
* I want to protect her because it may be hard and upsetting to her.
* I’m not used to being vulnerable with my parents.
* I don’t want to rock the boat or change the status quo.
* I’m not sure I want a closer relationship with my mother. NOTE: David and Jill were thinking that we often resist intimacy because we have negative pictures in our mind of what real closeness is. For example, if you think it means something yucky and upsetting, you obviously won’t want to get “close.” Jill tried to finesse around this by suggesting Keren might aim for a more “honest” relationship instead of a “closer” relationship.
* There are things about me that they’ve rejected, like the fact that I don’t really want children. And I’m not so sure I want to make myself vulnerable and get rejected again!
* I’m afraid I’ll get swallowed up and enmeshed.
We asked Keren what kinds of feelings she was hiding from her mother.
* My feelings of nervousness and intense anxiety, and the intense somatic symptoms, like the…
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Nov 21, 2022
319 Ask David Can hypnosis be used for evil Can you fall out of love Why does cheerleading fail
Ask David: Featuring Matt May, MD
Can hypnosis be used for evil?
Can you fall out of love?
Why does cheerleading fail?
In today’s podcast, we discuss three intriguing questions from listeners like you:
* Can hypnosis be used for evil? Matt says no, David mainly agrees, but isn’t entirely convinced.
* Is it possible to fall out of love? This can and will happen. What can we do about it?
* Empathy vs. Cheerleading: What’s the difference between cheerleading and genuine empathy with someone who’s upset?
Can hypnosis be used for evil?
David and Matt describe their experiences, both as kids and later as shrinks, with hypnosis. David and Matt both used hypnosis early in their careers, especially in David’s one-session treatment for smoking cessation, which Matt also used. But as their TEAM-CBT skills have grown, both of them use it much less frequently.
It can be used for many purposes. In a recent podcast # (link) with Dr. Jeffrey Lazarus, we learned that it can be used for warts as well as a wide range of psychosomatic problems, like Irritable Bowel Syndrome and tics, as well as bedwetting, school phobia, performance anxiety, and more. Matt strongly believes that agenda setting (also called Assessment of Resistance) is just as important in hypnosis as in TEAM-CBT. You have to first bring the patient’s subconscious resistance to conscious awareness and melt it away using paradoxical techniques in order to optimize the chances of success with hypnosis.
Matt pointed out that hypnotic states can be quite powerful, and can even be used for surgery, but emphasizes that people will never td what they genuinely don’t want to do when hypnotized. He says that hypnosis is really a form of willful collaboration between the hypnotist and the hypnotic subject. Although stage hypnotists seem to have some kind of “Svengali” power over the volunteers who come up to the stage to be hypnotized, these people are actually subconsciously volunteering to act silly and have fun in front of the audience. This doesn’t mean they are faking it, but it does put these shows into a slightly different perspective.
David described many goofy things he did as a teenager after he purchased a book called “25 Ways to Hypnotize Your Friends” at a magic store in Phoenix for 25 cents, and found that the techniques actually worked with many of his friends. He sometimes had a lot of fun giving post-hypnotic suggestions, and that he and his friends found hypnosis to be incredibly exciting and fascinating.
Once he hypnotized a friend named Jerry and told Jerry that after he woke up, every time he heard the word, “TV,” he would shout out “Boing” in a loud voice without realizing it. In addition, his subconscious mind would keep track of how many “TVs” he heard, and then he’d should Boing that exact number of times.
David explains:
Then we went to the local Dairy Queen a few blocks away all ordered at the window, one by one. When it was Jerry’s turn to order, and the lady asked him what he wanted, we all started saying “TV, TV, TV” as fast as we could, and Jerry would shout out “boing, boing, boing” in a loud, confident voice!
She said, “I didn’t quite get what you want to order,” and when Jerry tried to order, we did it again.
It seemed incredibly funny, and fun, but in retrospect I WAS using hypnosis to kind of take advantage of someone, so you might say it CAN be used for evil, perhaps. However, Jerry didn’t seem to mind, and we all thought it was a pretty exciting adventure.
When I was a senior in high school, one of my teachers said that hypnosis was dangerous and told me to stop hypnotizing my friends, so I got scared and gave it up until I became a psychiatrist years later.
Like anything, hypnosis is just a tool, and it can be helpful for suggestible individuals, but we have more than 100 techniques in TEAM-CBT, because no one tool has the answer for everybody and every problem.
David and Matt both agree with anxiety, depression, and anger are very much like self-induced trances, since you are giving yourself and believing messages (hypnotic suggestions) that aren’t actually true. For example:
* The depression trance: “I’m no good. I’ll be depressed forever.”
* The anxiety trance: “Something awful is about to happen. I’m in incredible danger.”
* The anger trance: “You’re no good!”
Psychotherapy can be seen as an attempt to get each patient to “wake up” from the trance that has trapped them.
In David’s opinion, politicians sometimes put their followers in trance-like states, getting them to believe repeated suggestions that are blatantly untrue. We saw this in WWII, where Hitler essentially “hypnotized” an entire nation to believe some horrific lies and to spur them to unspeakably horrific actions.
Of course, as Matt has pointed out, you have to WANT to be hypnotized, so possibly the German people wanted to see themselves as superior human beings who had been victimized unfairly by evil forces that needed to be eradicated. So, killing and the abuse of him beings became the focus and purpose of the nation.
Is this possibly also happening today? And is that why narcissistic leaders want to control the media, so they can control the “hypnotic messages” that people get, and why they lash out in such a hostile way at anyone who dares to challenge or contradict them?
Is it possible to fall out of love?
A podcast listener says she often falls out of love with her husband, but after they talk things over, and resolve their differences, she falls in love again. She wants more on this topic, so Matt, Rhonda and David discuss the pitfalls of pursuing perfect, romantic love. David reminds us that some of the most successful marriages are in India, where the parents decide who you will marry. David said that when he was in private practice in Philadelphia, 60% of the patients he saw did not have a loving partner, and most were trying to find someone to love. That’s why this is one of his favorite topics.
Then Matt, Rhonda and David contrast healthy vs unhealthy love, and Matt created the following table that contrasts them.
Perfect Love
By Matt with a little editing from David
Unhealthy Love
Healthy Love
You rush to put the other person on a pedestal without knowing them. You fantasize that they are perfect and wonderful in every way.
You take your time getting to know each other in a curious, vulnerable and respectful way, recognizing that neither of you is perfect.
You believe that you need the other person and couldn’t be happy without them.
You’re confident and content on your own but also enjoy the company of the other person.
You selfishly focus on getting what you want from the other person.
You focus on what you can give the other person, and what you can do, to improve the relationship.
You imagine you will be in love forever.
You accept that relationships require careful tending and nurturing, and realize that there will be moments of conflict, disappointment, and hurt feelings, which can sometimes be intense.
You tell yourself that you’ll never and should never have any conflicts or disagreements.
You see conflict as opportunities, in disguise, for greater understanding and closeness.
Cheerleading vs. Empathy
Rhonda describes a recent traumatic experience which was profoundly disturbing to her. However, when she tried to tell a friend how upset she was, her friend did “cheerleading,” telling her that she shouldn’t be so upset, that she’d feel better again soon, and so forth. Rhonda said it was very annoying to be on the receiving end, and her friends efforts to cheer her up actually made her feel worse.
Then, when two friends simply used the Five Secrets of Effective Communication to “listen,” it was a great relief.
David recounted a similar experience when his beloved cat, Obie,…
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Nov 14, 2022
318 Horrific World Events: Can TEAM-CBT Help Us? Part 2 of 2
Horrific World Events: Can TEAM-CBT Help Us?
Featuring Live work with Meina
Last week, we presented Part 1 of the session with Meina, a young woman struggling enormously because of her feelings about the new Iranian revolution. Today, we present the exciting and unexpected conclusion and follow up of the incredible session with Meina.
Part 2: The Conclusion
When Meina returned, her mood scores were very similar to what they’d been at the start of the previous session. This indicated that empathy alone was not sufficient to trigger any meaningful changes in how she felt. She said that she’d had some fears about what listeners might think, since, as we mentioned, Meina rarely, if ever, opens up about how she’s feeling inside, so talking openly on the podcast definitely means facing her fears and venturing into some radically new territory.
The ineffectiveness of Empathy alone is important, because she graded our Empathy as an A+. Many therapists wrongly believe that empathy is…
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Nov 7, 2022
317 Horrific World Events, Can TEAM-CBT Help Us? Part 1 of 2
Horrific World Events: Can TEAM-CBT Help Us?
Featuring Live work with Meina
Today, we see lots of horrific events, and violence and hatred seem to be on the upswing. There are the repeated and horrible mass shootings in the US, the horrific war in the Ukraine, and the extensive protests that are rocking Iran. Those problems are real, and terrible in reality.
So, maybe the TEAM-CBT model, with its emphasis on our interpretations of reality, and our relationships with others, might seem like irrelevant and useless tools.
Or are they? Let’s check it out. Sometimes, as you’ll see, things can a take sudden and unexpected change in direction in TEAM-CBT if you follow the energy. There is no “formula” for treating anything. We treat humans, not diagnoses or problems. But we do go through the T, E, A, M model in a systematic way so we can find out what, if anything, each patient wants help with, and then design an individualized plan to make that happen, if possible.
Part 1
T = T…
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Oct 31, 2022
316: Diversity, Adversity, and Healing
Audrey Kodye
Sunny Choi
Diversity: Trauma and Training
featuring Sunny Choi and Audrey Kodye
Rhonda and I are proud to feature Audrey Kodye, a psychologist with a private practice in Canada, and Sunny Choi, LCSW, who specializes in the treatment of underserved populations in the San Francisco Bay Area. In today’s podcast, these beloved TEAM-CBT therapists bring us an important discussion on the impact of racial, gender, religious and sexual bias, including tips on how to incorporate relevant questions into our initial evaluations of all new patients, as well as illuminating ideas on how to maximize treatment effectiveness with TEAM-CBT.
Both Audrey, who was born in Mauritius, and Sunny, who was born in Hong Kong, describe their experiences with bias and violence, both when growing up, and as adults, and how these experiences shaped core feelings of not being “good enough.”
Sunny explained that how he incorporated the negative messages that were triggered by his traumatic e…
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Oct 24, 2022
315: Anxiety and Somatic Complaints in Children and Teens
TEAM-CBT with children and teens,
featuring Jeffrey Lazarus, MD
Tics, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Chronic Pain,
Bedwetting, Fears, Phobias, Performance Anxiety, and more
In TEAM, we usually conceptualize four categories of problems: depression, anxiety disorders, relationship problems, and habits and addictions. Although there are similarities in the treatment of each of these targets, there are also important differences.
Today’s guest, Jeffrey Lazarus, MD, is a pediatrician who specializes in a fifth category, somatic complaints, which can include physical symptoms like chronic pain, dizziness and fatigue without any known medical cause. This category also includes as irritable bowel syndrome, headaches, tics with and without Tourette syndrome, bed wetting, and a wide range of other problems which are common in kids and sometimes in adults as well. Dr. Lazarus also works with anxiety disorders, such as test anxiety, sports performance anxiety, public speaking anxiety, school pho…
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Oct 17, 2022
314: What's wrong with me? I can't get laid! Health Anxiety, and more.
Ask David: Featuring Matt May, MD
1. Roy asks: How can I challenge my core belief that there is something wrong with me?
2. Lynn asks: Do you have any recommendations for someone with health anxiety?
Note: The answers below were generated prior to the podcast, and the information provided on the live podcast may be richer and different in a number of ways.
1. Roy asks: How can I challenge my core belief
that there is something wrong with me?
Hello Dr .Burns,
Regarding podcast 294, I had a few quick questions/suggestions on acceptance. Is it possible to do a podcast with you and Matt and Rhonda on one specific core belief?
The belief: There is Something Wrong With Me
Let me explain. I have dated and had relationships with some very physically attractive women in the past. In the last year I have not been able to duplicate these past successes and I suspect it's because I am at least 10 years or more older than these women ( 23-28). Let's say I NEVER EVER date or have a relation…
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Oct 10, 2022
313: Ask David: Featuring Matthew May, MD
313: People who “yes-butt” you.
People who resist exposure.
Does God exist? Does the “self” exist?
How to you justify Ellis?
"Should" we care about Putin's war on Ukraine?
" 1. Rhonda asks: How can you respond to someone who yes-butts you?
2. Thomas asks: Do we have a self? Does God exist?
3. Thomas also asks: Ellis said we should upset ourselves over someone else’s problems, but how about Putin, and Russia?
Note: The answers below were generated prior to the podcast, and the information provided on the live podcast may be richer and different in a number of ways.
1. Rhonda asks: How can you respond
to someone who yes-butts you?
David’s Reply
Thanks, Rhonda. We can demonstrate this with Matt on the podcast recording later today!
Matt’s Reply:
The answer is to fall back to Empathy and try to see how we are creating the problem. For example, when we are giving advice, we may have fallen into a trap, in which we are getting ahead of their resistance and would w…
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Oct 3, 2022
312: Five Secrets: A Deeper Dive
How to Master the Five Secrets: If You Dare!
In our recent podcast surveys, one of the highest rated show topics was learning therapy techniques, both for therapists and for the general public. That’s why today we’re going to take a deeper dive on some of the fine points of the Five Secrets of Effective Communication. We’ll show you how to use them with individuals who are angry and hostile, including some patients with Borderline Personality Disorder as well as kids who may be ticked off at a parent. These topics were specifically requested by people who completed the podcast survey.
Link to Five Secrets
The Five Secrets are like a fantastic musical instrument, capable of working magic for troubled relationships. You can’t just sit down at a fine grand piano and pound on the keys and expect great music to emerge. You’ll just get cacophony.
To learn the Five Secrets, you need:
* Great determination and desire
* The willingness to endure the “Great Death” of t…
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Sep 26, 2022
311: Results of the New Podcast Survey
Check it Out!
The September, 2022 Podcast Survey
Dear Podcast fans. Thank you for your responses to our podcast survey yesterday, asking about your likes and dislikes, as well as your suggestions for the future of our podcast.
The following report is based on 355 responses we received the first day of the survey. A link to the survey report will be included in spots so you can examine it for more information!
LINK TO SURVEY RESULTS
Thanks So much!
Rhonda and David
PS Rhonda is now our official Host and Producer!
Demographics
Gender: 58 / 42 = female / male
Age: 21 to >70. None under 21.
Education
* Grad school: 64%
* College: 29%
* High school, grammar school, other: the rest
Comment: high average education level is likely due to high number of therapists
Therapist
* No 56%
* Yes 33%
TEAM certified therapist
* Yes 15%
* No 85%
Podcast Interests
Listen to improve your therapy skills?
* Yes 47%
* No 53%
Listen for personal h…
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Sep 19, 2022
310: Blowing Away Social Anxiety
Smashing Shyness--
Shame-Attacking and Beyond
Come to our Full-Day Workshop on Sunday, October 2, 2022
For therapists and lay people alike
Click here for registration and more information
Today we interview our beloved Jill Levitt, PhD who will be joining me in teaching the upcoming social anxiety workshop on October 2nd. Jill is the co-leader of my weekly psychotherapy training group at Stanford, and is the co-founder and Director of Training at the Feeling Good Institute in Mountain View, California.
Social anxiety was one of the most frequent problems that patients sought help for when I was in private practice in Philadelphia. Because of my own severe and persistent social anxiety since childhood, it’s my favorite problem, too. Whatever you’ve had, I can tell you that I’ve had the exact same thing, too, and know how sucky it can be. I can show you the path to freedom from that affliction, and what a joy that will be!
According to the DSM5, there are at least five types…
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Sep 12, 2022
309: Are You Lonely? Featuring Professor Mark Noble
Professor Mark Noble Shares his Thinking on the Uptick in Loneliness.
Rhonda starts today’s podcast with a beautiful podcast endorsement from Eduardo, a fan who loved our recent podcast 303, featuring the dramatic, humble, and inspiring Jason Meno, a data scientist and software engineer who is making superb contributions to the Feeling Good App. Eduardo was especially interested in how to bring non-verbal, difficult-to-access negative thoughts to conscious awareness with the Stick Figure Technique.
Today we interview Professor Mark Noble on the topic of loneliness. Mark is best known for his pioneering research on stem cells, but he has become an active and beloved member of the TEAM-CBT community since joining one of my Sunday hikes back in (date?)
Mark is currently an active member and small group leader in Rhonda’s Wednesday TEAM training group. He generously wrote brilliant chapter for my most recent book, Feeling Great, and has also written the Brain Users Guide to TEAM CBT…
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Sep 5, 2022
308: Swimming in the River of Love
Swimming in the River of Love
Rhonda starts today’s podcast with a beautiful podcast endorsement from a fan named Vicky, from Australia, who was thrilled with the two recent live therapy podcasts with Nazli (podcasts 301 and 302). She wrote that she felt so lucky to hear someone with the exact same negative thoughts, and same feelings of depression and anxiety, that she’s had since she was 10 years old. I have often said that when therapists have the courage to do their personal work in public, you not only heal yourself and learn cool techniques first-hand and experientially, but you also heal many others who are touched and inspired by you.
Thanks to all of our fans for your frequent loving comments and cool questions for future Ask David podcasts.
We then give a little promotion for several upcoming group events, involving:
* May 2, 2022. Dr. Jill Levitt and I will be teaching an exciting, full-day workshop on “Smashing Social Anxiety: Shame-Attacking and Beyond.” It…
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Aug 29, 2022
307: Meet the Founders of the BAD Group!
TEAM-CBT Celebrates Diversity
Today's featured image is Sean Williams, co-founder of the BAD Group
Rhonda starts today’s podcast with a terrific endorsement from Steve, from England. He really liked Feeling Great, and said he benefited from the personal work with Dr. Mark Taslimi that we published as the first live therapy on the Feeling Good Podcasts (see podcasts 29-25 and 141.)
Steve wrote that the live work, and the teaching points that Dr. Jill Levitt and I made during the podcasts to explain our strategies, is the best learning by far. Rhonda and I strongly agree, and I feel fortunate to have been able to publish many additional live TEAM-CBT sessions since that time. It is my hope that some day these live therapy podcasts will be used in teaching graduate psychology classes so that future practitioners can pick up where we left off and benefit from the rapid treatment techniques we’ve developed.
Today we interview Amber Warner, LCSW, Sean Williams, LCSW and Chelsea Dorci…
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Aug 22, 2022
306: Ask David: Borderline Personality Disorder; People who rip you off, and more! Featuring Matt May, MD
306: Ask David: Featuring Matt May, MD
1. Kevin asks: Hi David, Is it possible to have a healthy relationship with someone who can be classed as “Borderline Personality Disorder”?
2. Brittany asks: How do you deal with the injustice of people who rip you off without giving you credit?
3. Paul asks: Is there a way to know if I have done the Hidden Emotion Technique correctly?
Note: The answers below were generated prior to the podcast, and the information provided on the live podcast may be richer and different in a number of ways.
1. Kevin asks: Hi David, Is it possible to have a healthy relationship with someone who can be classed as “Borderline Personality Disorder”?
Hi David,
Is it possible to have a healthy relationship with someone who can be classed as “Borderline”? What are keys to being in a relationship with someone that exhibits some of these characteristics? Is it a lost cause? Is borderline personality disorder bullshit and simply a result of assumptions…
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Aug 15, 2022
305: Ask David: Relationships, Obsessing, Insomnia, Social Anxiety and More! Featuring Matt May, MD
Ask David: Featuring Matt May, MD
1. Nick asks: “What if you want a positive relationship with someone who does not want the same thing?”
2. Debbie asks: Hi David, I can't stop ruminating and obsessing about weird states of minds or when I was afraid of harming someone or remembering. Everyone says to let go but why do I hang on. Where in your book can you help me?
3. Dean asks: I’m having trouble sleeping. What should I do?
4. Kathy asks a question about social anxiety / panic and the hidden emotion technique.
Note: The answers below were generated prior to the podcast, and the information provided on the live podcast may be richer and different in a number of ways.
1. Nick asks many general relationship problems that all need specific examples.
Dear David,
Thank you for all the amazing work you do. Your books and podcasts have helped me to understand and start to transform a lot of negative and unwanted frames that I carry around. I'm also working with a Level 3 therapi…
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Aug 8, 2022
304: TEAM-CBT, Spirituality, and Beyond: Featuring Angela Poch
304: TEAM-CBT, Spirituality, and Beyond: Featuring Angela Poch
Rhonda begins today’s podcast, as usual, by reading two touching emails from podcasts fans, including Coach Teddy, who said that Podcasts 295 and 296 featuring live work with Zeina were incredible, and Carol who was equally enthusiastic about Podcast 297 (on “Homework—Yuck!).
Carol also strongly recommends David’s book, Ten Days to Self-Esteem which is a simplified version of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy that can be used as a manual for therapy or self-help groups.
https://www.amazon.com/Days-Self-Esteem-David-Burns-M-D/dp/0688094554 Today, we interview Angel Poch, a certified life coach, registered professional counselor, and certified Level 4 TEAM therapist and trainer. She lives two hours north of Glacier National Park in British Columbia, but teaches therapists and treats people virtually from around the world. Her new booklet, “The Truth Shall Set You Free,” integrates TEAM-CBT with a Christian perspect…
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Aug 1, 2022
303: Meet the Amazing Jason Meno!
The Dramatic Journey of Jason Meno
In today’s podcast, we interview the amazing but humble Jason Meno, who has been doing incredible programming for the Feeling Good App for the past year. Like everyone on our app development team, Jason was driven to TEAM-CBT and the Feeling Good App by his own personal struggles, and also by his training in Buddhism and his commitment to doing something to help relieve the enormous suffering endured by so many people in the United States and around the world who are struggling with depression and anxiety.
The podcast notes will focus first on how he recently came to join our app team, and then on Jason’s amazing early years in his search for meaning and a solution to his personal suffering and tragedies.
Jason’s journey to the Feeling Good App
Jason began the podcast by describing how he became familiar with David’s work. Then he described his own personal journey and search for enlightenment. I’ll summarize some of both in these show n…
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Jul 25, 2022
302: Why am I like this? Live Work with Nazli! Part 2 of 2
Today, you will hear the the second half of the live therapy session that Dr. Jill Levitt and I did with Nazli, a young woman from Turkey, at our recent “David Burns Live” workshop on May 22, 2022. Nazli has been struggling with intense performance anxiety and generalized anxiety, and generously who volunteered to be a “patient.” Jill and I are very grateful for Nazli’s courage in sharing herself so courageously with all of you, and hope you enjoy the session and learn from it.
Last week, we played the first half of the therapy session, including the initial T =Testing and E = Empathy. Today, you will hear the exciting conclusion, including A = Assessment of Resistance and M = Methods, and final T = Testing.
As a reminder, you can review the Daily Mood Log and Brief Mood Survey (BMS) that Nazli filled out at the start of the session.
Part 2 of the Nazli Session: A = Assessment of Resistance and M = Methods
After a period of empathizing, Nazli gave Jill and David an A…
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Jul 18, 2022
301: Why am I like this? Live Work with Nazli! Part 1 of 2
In the next two podcasts, you will hear the live therapy session that Dr. Jill Levitt and I did with Nazli, a young woman from Turkey, at our recent “David Burns Live” workshop on May 22, 2022. Nazli has been struggling with intense performance anxiety and generalized anxiety, and generously who volunteered to be a “patient.” Jill and I are very grateful for Nazli’s courage in sharing herself so courageously with all of you, and hope you enjoy the session and learn from it.
Although the facts of your life are probably quite different from Nazli’s, you may be able to identify with the almost universal theme of feeling like you are not “good enough.” The ultimate antidote to this type of suffering is simple, but so basic that you may not “see it” at first, especially when it comes to your own negative thoughts and feelings.
Although we all have many flaws and shortcomings, our inadequacies are rarely or never the cause of our emotional distress. Our emotional distre…
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Jul 11, 2022
Episode 300: Celebrating Five Million Plus!
Podcast #300: Celebrating Five Million Plus
In today’s podcast, we celebrate, thanks to Rhonda and Fabrice, our 300th podcast, featuring some of our most beloved guests since our first podcast on October 27, 2016. We began with Fabrice Nye, who describes the birth of the Feeling Good Podcast, and two of our favorite and most popular guests, Drs. Matthew May and Jill Levitt. The schedule for all of the guests appears below.
The featured guests include Fabrice Nye, Matthew May, Jill Levitt, Angela Krumm, Lorraine Wong, Kyle Jones, Brandon Vance, Heather Clague, Leigh Harrington, Sarah Hester, Brian Wright, Mark Noble, Thai-An Truong, Stirling Moorey, Rose Markotic, Mark Taslimi, Sunny Choi and Elizabeth Dandenell. Time Featured Guests
1:30-1:45
Fabrice Nye, The father of us all! #177, Research in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy
Matt May, co-therapist with David: live therapy with Marilyn & me,
Many, many Ask David episodes,
#265, Exposure to Leeches with Danielle Kamis
Jill L…
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Jul 4, 2022
299: Ask David: Retirement blues; patients who refuse homework, and the therapists who love them; ADHD; and more!
299: Ask David: Retirement blues;
patients who refuse homework
(and the therapists who love them);
ADHD; David's new pooping story; and more!
We regret that our beloved Matt May, MD could not join us today due to an emergency involving his website. We look forward to him joining us next time for more exciting Ask David’s that will include: Does the “self” exist? Does God exist? And MUCH more!
We open with two announcements:
1. Return of the awesome Feeling Great Book Club, with Drs. Brandon Vance and Heather Clague, will meet weekly, starting on September 13th. This will be a terrific experience, and only costs $12 per week with a sliding fee scale if you cannot afford it. You will go through the Feel Great book, learn techniques, have fun, and practice in small groups. This is a fantastic opportunity for everyone. For more information, go to: https://www.feelinggreattherapycenter.com/book-club.
2. The TEAM-CBT World Congress, Warsaw Poland, August 18 - 21. This first…
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Jun 27, 2022
298: Professor Hitendra Wadhwa on Inner Mastery, Outer Impact
Today we feature Professor Hitendra Wadhwa PhD who has been a fan of David’s work for the past ten years. Hitendra has just published a new book, Inner Mastery, Outer Impact.
Hitendra is a Professor of Practice at Columbia Business School and Founder of the Mentora Institute, and his class on Personal Leadership & Success is one of the most popular at Columbia Business School. He believes that the secret of leadership and success in business stems from inner mastery. He also has his own fascinating and skillfully produced podcast called Intersections where he interviews accomplished individuals from different spheres of human pursuit to draw out their insights and stories about the pursuit of success and happiness.
One of Hitendra’s aims has been to integrate current psychological trends with ancient wisdom in order to glean the most important ideas needed for happy and successful lives. He has backed this up with a daily meditation practice he began 20 years ago, seeking answ…
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Jun 20, 2022
297: Yuck! Homework!
297: Yuck! Homework!
In today’s podcast, we discuss the important but dreaded topic of psychotherapy homework, and our featured guest is Alexis, whom some of you know from her fabulous work organizing beta tests for the Feeling Good App. Today, Alexis brings us a very special gift, by showing us how she "walks the walk."!
At the beginning of the podcast, we discussed the two major reasons to do psychotherapy “homework:” First, the homework gives you the chance to practice and master the techniques you’re learning, so you can keep growing and strengthening your skills. And second, because it's an expression of motivation; motivation alone can have powerful anti-depressive effects and lead to rapid recovery.
I also talked a research study I did with a friend and colleague who got depressed following the breakup of his relationship with the woman he’d been dating for several years. Each night he would partially fill out a Daily Mood Log, including a brief description of the u…
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Jun 13, 2022
296: Forced Empathy: A Master Class--Part 2 of 2
Podcast 296: Forced Empathy: A Master Class--Part 2 of 2
Last week you heard part ! of our work witt Zeina, a young professional woman struggling with a conflict with her mom. Zeina feels like her mother is too critical of her, and she finds the criticisms devastating. In today's podcast, you will hear my co therapist, Dr. Jill Levitt, and I, doing Forced Empathy with Zeina, and you will hear the exciting conclusion of the session. I am including the entiere show notes from last week, in case you have not yet reviewed them.
Show notes from last week commence here.
Today Dr. Jill Levitt and I do live work with Zeina Halim who has been experiencing some intense negative feelings because of her mother’s criticisms of her. Zeina is a member of my weekly training group at Stanford and has appeared on the podcast on several previous occasions (Please provide numbers plus link to podcast page on website.)
Zeina is one of our small group leaders in our Tuesday training group. She works w…
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Jun 6, 2022
295: Forced Empathy: A Master Class--Part 1 of 2
Podcast 295: Forced Empathy: A Master Class--Part 1 of 2
Podcasts 294 (Part 1) and 295 (Part 2)
Forced Empathy: A Master Class
Today Dr. Jill Levitt and I do live work with Zeina Halim who has been experiencing some intense negative feelings because of her mother’s criticisms of her. Zeina is a member of my weekly training group at Stanford and has appeared on the podcast on several previous occasions (Please provide numbers plus link to podcast page on website.)
Zeina is one of our small group leaders in our Tuesday training group. She works with teens and adults in-person in her office in Menlo Park and also provides tele-health sessions for clients living anywhere in California.
Dr. Jill Levitt is the co-leader of my Tuesday training group at Stanford and will be my co-therapist today. We hope for some more of the “magic” that frequently appears when we do therapy together. Today’s podcast will illustrate a number of teaching points, including these:
* Forced Empathy…
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May 30, 2022
294: Acceptance Revisited, with Special Guest, Dr. Matthew May
May 30th, 2022
Our recent Ask David with Dr. Matthew May included a question on the Acceptance Paradox that triggered many enthusiastic email responses, and people were asking for more on this topic. Rhonda read several, including an email from Jeff who finally “got” the Acceptance Paradox and grasped the meaning of the “Great Death” of the Self. So, today, we’re dedicating the entire hour to this topic.
In addition, I’m including a link to a partial draft of a manuscript I’m working on entitled “25 Paths to Self-Acceptance.” It’s fragmentary and far from complete, but does include some potentially useful ideas and techniques, including a vignette with a quiz about a woman from South Los Angeles who experienced what I call “instantaneous enlightenment” during one of my 5-day psychotherapy intensives several years ago at the South San Francisco Conference Center near the San Francisco airport. (LINK TO MS)
First, here’s what a listener named Jeff wrote afte…
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May 23, 2022
293: The Five Secrets with Violent and Angry Individuals, Featuring Heather Clague, MD
293: The Five Secrets with
Violent and Angry Individuals,
Featuring Heather Clague, MD
Heather Clague MD is a Level 5 TEAM therapist and trainer with a practice in Oakland, California and consult-liaison psychiatrist at Highland Hospital in Oakland. In addition to running an online consultation group for TEAM therapists, she is faculty for All Things CBT, teaches for the Feeling Good Institute, and has taught the Five Secrets of Effective Communication to medical staff. Her writing can be found at psychotherapy.net.
With Dr. Brandon Vance, Heather co-leads the Feeling Great Book Club, a book club for everyone, everywhere who wants to learn the magic of TEAM.
In today’s podcast, Rhonda and David speak with Dr. Heather Clague who describes her working in the psychiatric emergency room at Highland Hospital in Oakland, California, and other emergency facilities including Fairmont Hospital in San Leandro, California, interacting with hostile and psychotic individuals who often have t…
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May 16, 2022
292: David Meets the British TEAM Group, Part 2: Burns vs. Van de Kolk, Treating somatic symptoms, chronic doubters, GAD, and more!
David Meets the British TEAM Group, Part 2:
Burns vs. Van de Kolk, Treating somatic symptoms, chronic doubters, GAD, and more!
Last week, David answered four questions posed by the British TEAM-CBT group. Today, he answers five more questions, including one on controversies in the treatment of PTSD.
* Peter – Positive Reframing in TEAM—How much is “enough?”
When you do Positive Reframing to reduce Outcome Resistance, how extensively do you have to do it? Do you have to include every emotion the patient has listed on their Dailly Mood Log? Do you also have to focus on most or all of their Negative Thoughts? What’s the best approach?
* Tom – Burns vs. Van De Kolk
After reading The Body Keeps the Score, by trauma specialist and psychiatrist, Dr Bessel Van De Kolk, it would appear that people with complex trauma require a high degree of stabilizing work, like deep-breathing, meditation, or yoga, before they can engage with effective therapy. Otherwise, they might not…
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May 9, 2022
291: David Meets the British TEAM Group, Part 1: Treating adolescents, Intrusive thoughts, TEAM-CBT Homework, Surprises from the beta tests, and more.
David Meets the British TEAM Group, Part 1:
Treating adolescents, Intrusive thoughts, TEAM-CBT homework,
Surprises from the beta tests, and more.
* Greg – What were the Surprising Results of the Feeling Good Beta Test?
What were the surprising results you referred to in the beta testing the new TEAMCBT App? Were there some things that weren’t effective or didn’t work in the way you expected?
* Rima – Is Psychotherapy “Homework” required in TEAM-CBT?
I have a question about rapid recovery with TEAM CBT. Traditional CBT usually takes quite a lot of sessions and requires homework between sessions. How does this fit with a recovery in a single (two-hour) session? Do the patients still have to do homework?
* Paul – Treating PTSD with Intrusive Thoughts
How can TEAM help an individual who has intrusive thoughts about a traumatic event in their past?
* Jessica – Treating Adolescents with TEAM-CBT
Do you need to vary the therapy techniques when working with ad…
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May 2, 2022
290: A Case of Social Anxiety: Featuring Dr. Stirling Moorey with David! (Part 2 of 2)
Podcast 290: A Case of Social Anxiety: Featuring David with Dr. Stirling Moorey (Part 2 of 2)
Last week, you heard the first part of this live therapy session with Anita, a woman struggling with severe social anxiety. David and Dr. Stirling Moorey, from London, are co-therapists. Last week included the T = Testing and E = Empathy portions of the session. Today you will hear the A = Assessment of Resistance, M = Methods, along with end of session Testing and follow-up.
A = Assessment of Resistance
David asked Anita if she was ready to roll up her sleeves and get to work, or if she needed more time to talk and be listened to and supported.
Because she was eager to get to work, David asked the “Miracle Cure Question:” He said, “What would happen in today’s session if it went really great and knocked your socks off?
She said that her negative feelings and self-critical thoughts would be greatly diminished.
David asked the Magic Button Question, and she said she’d press it f…
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Apr 25, 2022
289: A Case of Social Anxiety: Featuring Dr. Stirling Moorey with David! (Part 1 of 2)
Podcast 289: A Case of Social Anxiety: Featuring David with Dr. Stirling Moorey (Part 1 of 2)
Today, David is joined by one of his first students, Dr. Stirling Moorey, for co-therapy with Anita, a woman struggling with social anxiety. You may remember Stirling from Podcast 280. Stirling was one of David's first cognitive therapy students, and they spend a month doing cotherapy tether in 1979 and again in 1980. David described the magic of their work together in his first book, Feeling Good, and today they are reunited as a therapy team again for the first time in more than 40 years!
I, David, am super excited about working with Stirling again, and hope you enjoy our work with Anita. Rhonda, Stirling, and I are very grateful for Anita's courage and generosity in letting us share this very personal and real session with you!
Anita is a member of the Wednesday International TEAM Training group run by Rhonda and Richard Lam, LMFT. She lives in Nairobi, Kenya, and has a Master’s Degree…
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Apr 18, 2022
288: TEAM-CBT for Video Game Addiction, Featuring Adam Holman, LCSW
Podcast 288: TEAM-CBT for Video Game Addiction, Featuring Adam Holman, LCSW
We are joined today by Adam Holman, who specializes in the treatment of teens and young adults with video game addictions. Adam was drawn to this field by his own 16 hour a day addiction to video games which caused him to fail his first two years of college. Following his recovery, he decided to become a therapist so he could specialize in the treatment of this problem, and the rest, as they say, is history.
He was drawn to TEAM-CBT because of the emphasis on measuring outcomes with every patient at every session, using my Brief Mood Survey and Evaluation of Therapy Session. Prior to that, he said he felt like an “imposter,” and had no evidence that he was actually helping his patients. He explained that his clinical supervisor wasn’t much help, and simply said, “Well, Adam, your clients are coming back, aren’t they?” implying that this meant they were improving and satisfied with the treatment.…
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Apr 11, 2022
287: Ask David, Featuring Matt May, MD: Acceptance. Irritating Questions. And More!
287: Ask David, Featuring Matt May, MD: Acceptance. Irritating Questions. And More!
Today, Rhonda, Matt and David answer several challenging questions submitted by fans like you.
* William asks: How would the TEAM-CBT model look with an addiction or a habit like procrastination?
* Robin asks: What’s the difference between a habit and an addiction?
* Edwin asks: What’s the best treatment for internet surfing? It feels like my actions operate below the level of consciousness!
* Matt asks: What’s the full list of questions that David finds irritating?
* Matt also asks: How do we help patients who don’t “get” the Acceptance Paradox?
* Phil asks: Hey David, Rhonda and Mark, Can’t thank you enough for all your hard work and effort! Where do you guys get all your energy?!
Note: The answers below were generated prior to the podcast, and the information provided on the live podcast may be richer and different in a number of ways.
1: William asks: “How would the T…
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Apr 4, 2022
286: Blessed are the Poor in Heart! Featuring Victoria Chicurel and Silvina Carla Bucci
Helping the Poor in Heart, featuring Victoria Chicurel and Silvina Carla Bucci
One of my favorite New Testament quotations comes from the “Sermon on the Mount” by Jesus: “Blessed are the poor in heart, for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8. I’m not 100% sure what this means, exactly, but it seems to me to suggest the values of compassion and humility, as opposed to self-aggrandizement.
I once had the chance to speak to a Catholic priest with a PhD in philosophy who had just returned from several years working with the indigenous people in Paraguay. He said that although the people were poor, and sometimes experiencing the effects of repression from the government, he said they were mostly happy and supported one another.
He also said that when he flew into Miami and walked through the airport, he was shocked to see so many overweight and visually unappealing people, after living for many years in Paraguay among the “poor.”
Who, really, is “poor,” and who, in contra…
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Mar 28, 2022
285: TEAM-CBT for Chronic Pain, featuring Derek Reilly, with the Exciting Findings from a New British Outcome Study
Podcast 285: TEAM-CBT for Chronic Pain. Featuring Derek Reilly--
with the Exciting Findings from a New British Outcome Study
Rhonda begins the podcast with two inspiring emails about our recent podcast on “The Unexpected Results of the Latest Beta Test id the Feeling Good App, Part 1 of 2, published on2-28-2022. One is from Vivek Kishore, who used to come to all of my Sunday hikes prior to the pandemic, and Rizwan Syed, from Pakistan, who is an enthusiastic member of my Tuesday training group at Stanford as well as Rhonda’s Wednesday training group.
Here’s what Vivek wrote
Dear David and Jeremy, This is so amazing and has the potential to change the world. I am sure millions across the globe will benefit from this app. Can't wait for its launch. Thank you!
Vivek
Here’s what Rizwan wrote:
Dear David:
Reading your books changed my life completely. I am so much happy and optimistic about life compared to highly critical of myself and others and had been so much bitter.
I…
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Mar 21, 2022
284: Ask David, with Special Guest, Dr. Matthew May: Dealing with Fear, People who Gossip, and Self-Defeating Beliefs
284: Ask David, Featuring Matt May, MD
Defeating your Self-Defeating Beliefs.
Help with fear. Dealing with people who gossip.
Today, Rhonda, Matt and David answer three challenging questions submitted by fans like you.
* Caroline asks: I’ve done Cost Benefit Analyses (CBAs) for many of my SDBs (Self-Defeating Beliefs), and the disadvantages greatly outweigh the advantages? What’s the next step?
* Al asks: Can you help me with fear?
* Khoi asks: How do you deal with colleagues who gossip about your boss?
Note: The answers below were generated prior to the podcast, and the information provided on the live podcast may be richer and different in a number of ways.
1: Caroline asks: I’ve done Cost Benefit Analyses (CBAs) for many of my SDBs (Self-Defeating Beliefs), and the disadvantages greatly outweigh the advantages? What’s the next step?
Hi David
I finally got all the CBAs from my Self-Defeating Beliefs done. I have a ton of them. I also did a CBA on Self-acceptance…
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Mar 14, 2022
283: The O of OCD: Featuring Thai-An Truong, LPC, LADC
Podcast 283: The O of OCD:
Featuring Thai-An Truong, LPC, LADC
Overview: The "O" of OCD (obsessions) is treated differently from the "C" (compulsions.) Thai-An Truong teaches us what really works! Compulsions can be treated with Response Prevention. The techniques for treating the Obsessions include Flooding, Cognitive Techniques, Motivational Techniques for Outcome and Process Resistance, the Hidden Emotion Technique, and more.
OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) consists of frightening thoughts, or obsessions, plus rituals people do in an attempt to prevent or undo the danger. So, for example, if you go to bed and have the thought, “what if I left the burners on the stove turned on,” you might get up and check the burners. Doing this once could be considered normal. But if you do this repeatedly, you definitely have the symptoms of OCD.
Rhonda wanted me to share how I treat the obsessions in OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), also known as "pure O."
I often say I wasn’t…
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Mar 7, 2022
The Feeling Good App: Part 2 of 2--The Surprising Basic Science Findings
The Feeling Good App: Part 2 of 2--
The Surprising Basic Science Findings--
How Does Psychotherapy REALLY Work?
And Why Did Everything Change So Fast?
Feeling Good Podcast Special Edition #2: March 07, 2022
Today’s special podcast features the second part of the recording with David and Jeremy Karmel, David’s founding partner of the Feeling Good App. Jeremy and David discuss the exciting results of the basic science findings most recent beta test, which included 140 participants. David uses an advanced form of statistics, called Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to identify causal effects and to learn more about how the app actually works. This information has immense practical and theoretical implications.
Here's a portion of what we’ve discovered so far.
* All seven negative feelings are high correlated because they all share an unknown Common Cause (CC) predicted by David in one of the top psychology research journals in the late 1990’s. Here’s the reference2
Bu…
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Feb 28, 2022
The Feeling Good App: Part 1 of 2--The Unexpected Results of the Latest Beta Test
The Unexpected Results of the
Latest (and Largest) Beta Test
Feeling Good Podcast Special Edition #1: February 28, 2022
Today’s special podcast features Jeremy Karmel, David’s founding partner of the Feeling Good App. Jeremy and David discuss the exciting results of the most recent beta test which included 140 participants with depression ranging from no depression at all to the most severe depression that one can possibly experience.
David explains that in the middle- to-late 1970’s he first conceptualized the possibility of creating an electronic version of himself that could treat people without any assistance from an actual shrink. He explains that
My first fantasy was a small booth you could go into, like the ones for taking photos, where you would be presented with a hologram of a shrink who would talk with you in just the same way that a human therapist does. I also imagined creating kiosks that could be placed in groceries stores or places like Epcot Center in Disney…
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Feb 21, 2022
282: Mike Christensen on Deliberate Practice: Was David Right All Along?
Podcast #282: Mike Christensen on Deliberate Practice: Was David Right All Along?
Rhonda and I are thrilled to welcome Mike Christiansen, head of TEAM-CBT in Canada. Mike is a fantastic clinician and teacher, and an old beloved friend. Today he talks about the impact of David’s work that is finally being felt and appreciated by innovators in the field of psychiatry and psychology.
Rhonda begins the broadcast by reading a really touching endorsement from a young man in Turkey whose life was changed by David’s work after he came close to suicide.
One of the key’s was David’s statement that we are disturbed, not by events, but by our thoughts about them.” Of course, that incredible idea goes back all the way to the Greek philosopher, Epictetus, nearly 2,000 years ago. It is so basic that most people don’t “get it,” but once you do, it can be mind-blowing. The young man ended his note to David by saying that, “Life is beautiful now. Thank you!”
Mike described a simi…
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Feb 14, 2022
281: Ask David, Featuring Matt May, MD "Wants" vs "Needs," Threats of Nuclear War, and Purely Obsessive OCD
* Sanjay asks: How can we convert our “needs” into “wants?”
* Vanessa asks: How can we think upon the threat of a nuclear war, or the thought of America becoming a totalitarian state, or the loss of voting rights, without becoming anxious or depressed?
* Cliff asks: I have pure obsessive OCD and get stuck on intrusive thoughts. What should I do?
Upcoming Questions in Ask David podcasts
* William asks: How would the T.E.A.M. model look with addiction and procrastination?
* Caroline asks: I’ve done Cost Benefit Analyses (CBAs) for many of my SDBs (Self-Defeating Beliefs), and the disadvantages greatly outweigh the advantages? What’s the next step?
* Al asks: Can you help me with fear?
* Khoi asks: How do you deal with colleagues who gossip about your boss?
* Matt asks: How do we help patients who don’t “get” the Acceptance Paradox?
* Edwin asks: What’s the best treatment for internet surfing? It feels like my actions operate below the level of consci…
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Feb 7, 2022
The Feeling Good App: Part 2 of 2--The Surprising Basic Science Findings
The Feeling Good App: Part 2 of 2--
The Surprising Basic Science Findings--
How Does Psychotherapy REALLY Work?
And Why Did Everything Change So Fast?
Feeling Good Podcast Special Edition #2: March 07, 2022
Today’s special podcast features the second part of the recording with David and Jeremy Karmel, David’s founding partner of the Feeling Good App. Jeremy and David discuss the exciting results of the basic science findings most recent beta test, which included 140 participants. David uses an advanced form of statistics, called Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to identify causal effects and to learn more about how the app actually works. This information has immense practical and theoretical implications.
Here's a portion of what we’ve discovered so far.
* All seven negative feelings are high correlated because they all share an unknown Common Cause (CC) predicted by David in one of the top psychology research journals in the late 1990’s. Here’s the reference2
Bu…
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Feb 7, 2022
280: A Beloved and Brilliant Voice from the Past: Dr. Stirling Moorey!
Podcast #280: A Beloved and Brilliant Voice from the Past: Dr. Stirling Moorey!
Rhonda and I are thrilled to welcome Dr. Stirling Moorey, from London, England, to today’s podcast. Stirling was one of my first students, and he sat in with me my on all my sessions as a co-therapist for a month for two summers in the late 1970s. I wrote about Stirling in my first book, Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy, which was published in 1980.
One of the miracles of the internet, and zoom, is the chance to reunite with friends and colleagues from the past. Needless to say, Rhonda and I were SO EXCITED when Stirling accepted the invitation to join us!
Rhonda starts the podcast by saying that
“Dr. Stirling Moorey had the good fortune to be trained and supervised by two pioneers in the field of cognitive therapy, Drs. Aaron Beck and David Burns. In 1979, when Stirling was still in medical school in London, he did an elective with Dr. Aaron Beck at the Centre for Cognitive Therapy in Philadelphi…
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Jan 31, 2022
279: Dr. Leigh Harrington on the Secrets of Goal-Setting for Habits and Addictions
Podcast 279: Dr. Leigh Harrington on Goal Setting for Habits and Addictions or Using Habits to Feel Better
Today, we are joined by a very special member of the TEAM-CBT family, psychiatrist Leigh Harrington, MD, who will teach us how to set goals that work when battling habits and addictions.
Leigh Harrington, MD, MPH, MHSA, is a psychiatrist, TEAM-CBT Therapist and Trainer. Originally from Michigan, where she completed medical school and graduate school, she had the good fortune to meet Dr. David Burns in 2004 during her psychiatry residency at Stanford University when she joined his original group of Tuesday night students. She specializes is helping therapists and individuals reach their goals especially in the areas of Interpersonal Exposure, Relationships, and Habits. She lives in Davis, California with her two beloved daughters.
Leigh begins by saying that there are many parts of the TEAM-CBT model than help when battling unwanted habits and addictions. Our habits definitely r…
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Jan 24, 2022
278: Buddhist Strategies for Financial Abundance, Featuring Zeina Halim
#278: Buddhist Strategies for Financial Abundance, Featuring Zeina Halim
Jan 24, 2022
Today, we feature the work of Zeina Halim, a beloved member and small group leader in our Tuesday training group at Stanford, who specializes in the treatment of anxiety.
This is Zeina’s third appearance on our podcast. Previously she helped us with a fabulous program on family conflicts at the start of the pandemic (Corona Cast 3, 4-06-2020) and later did live some personal work on one of the Self-Defeating Beliefs, the Achievement Addiction (Podcasts 211, 10-12-2020, and 212, 10-19-2020).
Today Zeina brings us something radically different: Buddhist Strategies for Financial Abundance. What in the world does that mean, and why should you care?
She starts by describing her study of Buddhist practices, and cites some books that have inspired her, including The Diamond Cutter: The Buddha on Managing Your Business and Your Life, by Geshe Michael Roach.
Zeina explains the quasi-mystical concept o…
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Jan 17, 2022
277: Rejection Practice: A Love Story, Featuring Dr. Cai Chen
Rejection Practice: A Love Story, Featuring Dr. Cai Chen
Jan 17, 2022
Rhonda starts today’s podcast by reading two wonderful recent endorsements from listeners. A therapist from San Jose, Ca was moved and inspired by the two podcasts (Episodes 268 & 269, published 11-15-2021 and 11-22-2021) with Dr. Carly on the tragic loss of her baby via ectopic pregnancy, and another listener described TEAM-CBT as “revolutionary” due to the emphasis on reducing resistance. She compared the approach to the indirect hypnotic approach developed by the late Milton Erikson.
Dr. Cai Chen recently completed his psychiatric residency in Texas, and then moved to California to join the TEAM-CBT community and unite with the love of his life, who happens to be a member of our Tuesday group.
Cai attributes much of his dating success to one of the techniques he read about in my book, Intimate Connections, called “Rejection Practice,” because he practiced that technique to successfully defeat his neg…
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Jan 10, 2022
276: Ask David: Why are People the Way They Are? with Special Guest, Dr. Matthew May
Here are the questions for today’s Ask David, featuring special guest, back by popular demand, the extraordinary Dr. Matt May, and of course, our super-special hostess, Dr. Rhonda Barovsky!
* Why is my dad the way he is? Why are people the way they are?
* What can you do about positive distortions?
* More Should Statements!
* How can you talk to someone who refuses to talk to you?
Why is my dad the way he is? Why are people the way they are?
Hi Dr. Burns and Dr. Barovsky!
I love your show. Keep up the good work!
I'd deeply appreciate your time and insight.
My dad is 70, my mom is 67, and I'm 38. Throughout my life my dad has done things like he did earlier tonight.
I was at my parent's house and my mom was telling me how Thanksgiving was going to be at my parent's cabin with the whole family like we have in years past at which my point my dad firmly said "No."
My mom asked "Why?" and he just shook his head and shortly after walked out of the room to go to the bathroom…
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Jan 3, 2022
275: A Spectacular Advance, Featuring Professor Mark Noble!
Hi everyone!
This special podcast features one of our favorite people, Professor Mark Noble from the University of Rochester in New York. Professor Noble is a world-renowned neuroscientist and cancer researcher, one of the pioneers in stem cell research, and all-around good guy. He contributed a brilliant chapter on how TEAM-CBT interacts with the brain for my book, Feeling Great. For the past two years he has been a very beloved member of the Wednesday TEAM-CBT Training group, adding his wisdom and clarity to the teachings. Rhonda and my co-teachers, Leigh Harrington and Richard Lam, and all of our students feel very honored to have him in our midst.
This is our third podcast with Dr. Noble, and the first podcast to usher in the new year. We’re excited to speak with him again today. He will update us on his latest thinking on how the molecular biology of stress and learning are totally consistent with the rapid mood changes we see in TEAM-CBT. He also describes his latest writin…
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Dec 27, 2021
274: Total Blow Away (Part 2 of 2)
The Sara Session—Total Blow Away!
(Part 2 of 2)
Last week, you heard the first part of the session with Sara, a woman haunted by feelings of anxiety and inferiority from the time she grew up in a village in Mexico. Because she received a great deal of mean-spirited put-downs, she same to see herself as an "outsider" who wasn't good enough. She has finally decided to challenge this crippling and disturbing mind-set, and in today's podcast you will witness her metamorphosis. She will also join us for the fascinating follow-up to her amazing treatment session.
If you click here, you can see Sara’s Brief Mood Survey at the end of the session, along with her Evaluation of Therapy Session. As you can see, the changes in her mood scores were profound, and her ratings of Jill and David on “Empathy” and “Helpfulness” were excellent.
If you click here, you can see Sara’s Daily Mood Log at the end of the session.
By the end of the session, all of Sara’s negative emotions ha…
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Dec 20, 2021
273: Total Blow Away (Part 1 of 2)
The Sara Session—Total Blow Away!
(Part 1 of 2)
In one of my recent Tuesday psychotherapy training groups at Stanford, we reviewed the Interpersonal Downward Arrow Technique. This is a high-speed technique I created that allows you to rapidly identify the roles that you play in your relationships with others so you can pinpoint the patterns that create tension and unhappiness for yourself as well as the people you care about.
The Interpersonal Downward Arrow Technique is similar to what psychoanalysts try to do with free association on the couch, except it only takes five to ten minutes, as opposed to five to ten years. In addition, I have also developed fairly rapid ways to change and modify those dysfunctional patterns—IF this is what you want to do.
Some of the psychoanalysts call these hidden patterns “core conflicts.” The late Dr. Lester Luborsky (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lester_Luborsky), a prominent psychotherapy researcher at the University of Pennsylvania Scho…
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Dec 13, 2021
272: Ask David, with Special Guest, Dr. Matthew May: Shoulds, Free Treatment, Blame, and More!
272 Ask David, with Special Guest, Dr. Matthew May: Shoulds, Free Treatment, Blame, and More!
Here are the questions for today’s Ask David, featuring special guest, Dr. Matt May, and, of course, Dr. Rhonda Barovsky!
* How can I turn off my Shoulds!?
* Is there a downside to treating people for free?
* What’s the difference between Feeling Great vs Feeling Good?
* Isn’t it important to blame the other person when that person really IS to blame?
How can I turn off my Shoulds!?
Nice podcast! (Maurice is referring to Part 2 of “I want to be a mother.”) It’s refreshing to see that we sometimes mix our needs with wants.
I also have a huge problem with regret and shame, saying to myself
* “I should be far more ahead in life.”
* “I should have dated more.”
* “I should have used my energy to create art and being productive.”
I pinpointed the moment in my daily mood log, and it occurs usually when I compare myself with people online or with people in…
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Dec 6, 2021
271: TEAM-UK, featuring Dr. Peter Spurrier
Today’s podcast features Dr. Peter Spurrier, a British physician who has founded TEAM-UK. Peter describes how he spent most of his career as a physician in general practice, but was forced to see patients for only ten minutes due to the British health system. He didn’t like the “quick fix” approach to patients with emotional struggles, and at the age of 55, five years before he retired from General Practice, he decided that he wanted to do something more meaningful, so he began to get training in CBT which “helped me listen better.”
However, CBT seemed stilted, and the outcomes weren’t very good, either. Then he attended a two-day “Scared Stiff” workshop I presented in London several years ago. The workshop was sponsored by my friend and colleague, Jack Hirose, from Vancouver, Canada.
I was not aware that Peter was in the audience, but was really happy to hear that he like the workshop. I had been pretty disappointed in it, since the attendance was light and I ran i…
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Nov 29, 2021
270: Losing Weight vs Gaining New Habits
Today’s podcast features an esteemed colleague and beloved friend, Dr. Angela Krumm, who will describe her personal victory over a recent weight gain. We will illuminate the TEAM-CBT techniques she used so that you can use them yourself if you’d like to lose some weight.
But I have to warn you that you have to do these techniques using paper and pencil. If you try to learn and use them just from listening, they will not be effective.
As an aside, if you go to my website, www.feelinggood.com, you’ll find a free chapter offer at the very bottom of my home page. If you click on it, you’ll receive two unpublished chapters from my most recent book, Feeling Great, with crystal clear instructions on the methods you’ll learn about in today’s podcast.
Angela’s biosketch goes next, including how she joined David’s Tuesday training group when she was a post-doctoral fellow in clinical psychology and how she ultimately developed the TEAM-CBT certification program at the FeelingG…
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Nov 22, 2021
269: "I want to be a mother!" (Part 2 of 2)
The featured photo shows Dr. Carly Zankman
at the Big Sur with her 8 month old nephew, Micah
October was Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month. We are dedicating this and last week's podcast to
all the mothers and fathers who have lost infants or struggled with pregnancy complications and tragedies.
This will be the second of two podcasts featuring a live therapy session with Dr. Carly Zankman, a courageous young psychologist. Dr. Zankman has been struggling with the aftermath of a traumatic ectopic pregnancy and some intense fears that she may never get the chance to be a mother. In addition, she is 100% convinced that she can never feel happy or fulfilled in life unless she becomes a mother.
Last week, we featured the first half of her session with Dr. Jill Levitt and me at one of our Tuesday Stanford training groups. If you have not yet heard part one, you can link to it (podcast #268) at the list of Feeling Good Podcasts on my website. In this podcast, you will hear the conc…
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Nov 15, 2021
268: "I want to be a mother!" (Part 1 of 2)
The featured photo shows Dr. Carly Zankman
at the Big Sur with her 8 month old nephew, Micah
Podcast #268 : An Ectopic Pregnancy (Part 1 of 2)
October was Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month. We are dedicating this and next week's podcast to all the mothers and fathers who have lost infants or struggled with pregnancy complications and tragedies.
This will be the first of two podcasts featuring a live therapy session with Dr. Carly Zankman. Dr. Zankman, a 27 year-old clinical psychologist in our Tuesday training group at Stanford, is facing a serious crisis involving motherhood. She is struggling with the aftermath of a traumatic ectopic pregnancy and some intense fears that she may never get the chance to be a mother. In addition, she is 100% convinced that she can never feel happy or fulfilled in life unless she becomes a mother.
The featured photo for this podcast is Dr. Zankman at the Big Sur with her 8 month old nephew, Micah. You can see the love and joy in her face, and…
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Nov 8, 2021
267: How to Talk to Loved Ones Who Criticize Your Sexual Orientation
Hi everyone!
This podcast offers specific help to LGBTQ individuals who are under attack from loved ones who might judge them and criticize their sexual orientation or gender identity. Plus, we all get slammed at times by people who judge us for all sorts of reasons, which can be immensely painful, so most of today’s discussion will apply to people more broadly.
I recently received a great email from Heather Donnenwirth, a therapist in Ohio who works with LGBTQ individuals. She mentioned that some of her patients struggle with how to respond to critical or judgmental statements from loved ones, including parents, and provided several examples:
* "Being Gay is wrong/a sin"
* "If someone doesn't know if they are a man or woman, then something is messed up in their head."
* "We are worried that you are going to go to Hell for your lifestyle."
* "We don't want your partner at our house, and we don't want to see any displays of affection."
Heather wanted to know how one might…
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Nov 1, 2021
266: Ask Matt, Rhonda, and David: Can we solve the pain in the world? And more!
266: Ask Matt, Rhonda, and David: Can we solve the pain in the world?
How can we deal with someone who might weaponize our vulnerability?
What can I do about my emotional eating? And more!
Today's podcast features awesome questions from viewers like you, with answers from Rhonda, David, and our brilliant guest expert, Dr. Matthew May. Here's the list of questions, followed by partial answers (prepared prior to the podcast) from David.
* Ezgi Asks: Is there any way to solve pain in the world? Some people are committing suicide because they don't wanna suffer anymore. Is there any way to "finish" the suffering while we are still living in this world?
* Megan asks: Hi David, I was wondering what your thoughts are about using the five secrets when in communication with someone who may not be coming from a place of love or respect, or someone who might weaponize your vulnerability, such as someone with narcissistic tendencies?
* Telia asks: Could you please do another episode on c…
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Oct 25, 2021
265: Loving Luscious Leeches, Featuring Drs. Danielle Kamis and Matthew May
Podcast 265: An Extreme Leech Phobia: Once Bitten, Twice Shy!
Today’s podcast features the treatment of an extreme leech phobia in real time, using live leeches. Dr. Danielle Kamis, a clinical psychiatrist practicing in Los Altos, California, is our courageous patient, and Dr. Matthew May, a frequent guest on the Feeling Good Podcast, conducts the treatment, while David and Rhonda observe and comment.
If you ever saw the famous Humphrey Bogart movie, “African Queen,” you know how terrifying leeches can be. But why in the world would anyone working in downtown Los Altos, California, need or want treatment for a leech phobia?
Danielle is an extremely brave and adventuresome young professional woman who loves traveling to remote places around the world (Danielle is an extremely brave and adventuresome young professional woman who loves traveling to remote places around the world. She has had a keen interest in global health work and has spent a significant amount of time doing re…
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Oct 18, 2021
264: How to Get Laid! (With a Little Help from the Five Secrets of Effective Communication)
How to Get Laid! (With a Little Help from the Five Secrets of Effective Communication)
One of our top TEAM-CBT teachers and therapists, Thai-An Truong, LPC, LADC from Oklahoma City, is featured in today’s podcast. Thai-An is the owner of Lasting Change Therapy, LLC, a TEAM-CBT group practice in Oklahoma that focuses on using TEAM-CBT to help women overcome depression, anxiety, and relationship problems, so they can live happier lives and have more satisfying relationships. She is passionate about working with postpartum women after overcoming her own personal struggles with postpartum depression and anxiety. She is also passionate about spreading TEAM-CBT and training therapists in this awesome treatment approach.
Thai-An suggested a podcast on how one could use the Five Secrets of Effective Communication to deal with critical comments from your spouse or partner during marital conflicts. She submitted specific examples from several troubled couples she has worked with, and Rhonda…
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Oct 11, 2021
263: OCD in Kids, Featuring Dr. Taylor Chesney
Photo features Taylor and her husband, Gregg, who is an ER / ICU physician in NYC.
263: OCD in Kids, Featuring Dr. Taylor Chesney
Rhonda starts this podcast by reading two incredible endorsements from fans like you. Thanks so much for the many kind and thoughtful emails we receive daily!
Today’s podcast features Dr. Taylor Chesney, the founder and director of the Feeling Good Institute of New York City. Taylor was a member of my Tuesday training group at Stanford for several years during her doctoral training in psychology. Then she and her husband, Gregg, who is an ICU / intensive care unit doctor, returned home to NYC where she opened her clinical practice.
We have featured Taylor on a number of two previous podcasts: Corona Cast 4 (published 4-09-202) and Corona Cast 6 (published 4-30-2020). We always benefit greatly from Taylor’s wisdom, warmth, and superb teaching. Taylor specializes in TEAM-CBT for children and teens, and tells us today about the upsurge in OCD (Obsessive…
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Oct 4, 2021
262: A Country Doctor, Part 2 of 2: "Nothing I do makes a difference!"
A Country Doctor, Part 2 of 2
A = Assessment of Resistance
At the end of the moving and tearful empathy phase, we asked Jillian about her goals for the session, which included the ability to
* enjoy my work
* to give away all of my certificates
* set limits with my patients
* feel happy with what I do
* not have to fear my work anymore!
After Jillian said she would be willing to press the Magic Button to achieve all these goals instantly if we had one, we suggested Positive Reframing first. to see what might be lost of she suddenly achieved all these goals. You can creview the Positive Reframing that we did together.
Here’s Jillian’s Emotions table at the end of Positive Reframing, showing her goals for each emotion when we used the Magic Dial. The idea is to dial each feeling down to a lower level that would reduce your suffering while still allowing you to preserve all the awesome things about you!
Emotions % Now % Goal % After Emotions % Now % Goal % After…
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Sep 27, 2021
261: A Country Doctor, Part 1 of 2: "Nothing I do makes a difference!"
A Country Doctor, Part 1 of 2: "Nothing I do makes a difference!"
This is the first of two podcasts on one of the live therapy demonstrations that Dr. Jill Levitt and I did at our psychotherapy workshop on Sunday, May 16th, 2021. I think you will find the session interesting and incredibly inspiring!
Our patient is a physician in a small town in the mid-west. I want to thank Dr. Scherer for her tremendous courage in sharing this very personal experience with all of us. Dr. Levitt practices at the Feeling Good Institute in Mountain View, California, where she also serves as Director of Clinical Training. She also teaches at our weekly TEAM-CBT training group as Stanford.
I am thrilled to share the audio of Jillian’s live session as a two-part podcast, since only mental health professionals are allowed to attend the workshops sponsored by the Feeling Good Institute. Many non-therapists were eager to attend, and disappointed when they learned that only shrinks could attend. But this…
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Sep 20, 2021
260: TEAM-CBT Games, featuring Amy, Heather, and Brandon
Podcast 260
TEAM-CBT Games, featuring Amy, Heather, and Brandon
In today’s podcast, three of our most creative TEAM therapists describe a number of innovative games they’ve created to facilitate learning key TEAM-CBT techniques in group settings. Our guests are:
Amy Specter: Amy is a Level 3 certified TEAM therapist, licensed marriage and family therapist and credentialed school counselor. She works with at-risk youth in schools and has an online private practice specializing in shyness and breakup recovery. She can be reached at amy@amyspecter.com. For a free copy of Flirty Dice or to purchase Tune In, Tune Up head over to https://www.feelinggreattherapycenter.com/
Amy Spector
Brandon Vance, MD: Brandon is a Level 4 certified TEAM trainer and therapist for individuals, couples and groups. His most recent TEAM related project is an international book club to support people in reading Feeling Great. He can be reached at: brandonvance@gmail.com
Brandon Vance, MD
Heather Clagu…
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Sep 13, 2021
259: TEAM-CBT for Eating Disorders, featuring Donna Fish, LCSW
Podcast 259
TEAM-CBT for Eating Disorders, featuring Donna Fish
In today’s podcast, Rhonda and David are delighted to welcome Donna Fish, LCSW, a New York mental health professional who’s doing pioneering work applying TEAM-CBT to eating disorders such as overeating / obesity, binging and vomiting (bulimia), and anorexia nervosa (starving oneself in combination with excessive exercising). These problems appear to be more prevalent in modern society, perhaps because of the emphasis on physical beauty as well as the availability of fattening foods and the financial resources to purchase them.
Donna is an LCSW and Level 4 TEAM-CBT therapist. She is a guest lecturer on eating disorders at Columbia University and Harvard University, and author of Take the Fight Out of Food. She has been a popular guest on many radio and television shows, writes for Psychology Today magazine, and more.
Donna began the interview on a personal note, reflecting on one of Dr. Burns’ workshops in 2014.…
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Sep 6, 2021
258: Doctor, I know you’re secretly sexually attracted to me!
Podcast 258: Doctor, I know you’re secretly sexually attracted to me! / How to Agree with Criticisms that are Just Plain Wrong!
Today’s podcast features the incredibly brilliant and kindly Dr. Matthew May, who has become a semi-regular on the Feeling Good Podcast. Our show was the result of an email from Ana Teresa Silva, who is running a new and totally free weekly practice group for the Five Secrets of Effective Communication. If you want to learn those invaluable techniques, contact her immediately before they fill up at ana silva ateresasilva6@gmail.com.
Her question had to do with the incredibly important Disarming Technique, which means finding the truth in a criticism, even when the criticism seems absolutely incorrect. I’ve posted her letter and my response at the end of these show notes.
Today we tackled two kinds of incredibly difficult attacks, with lots of role-playing and (hopefully) useful feedback and teaching. One was the one listed in Ana’s email, where you…
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Aug 30, 2021
257: What's an "Intensive?"
Podcast 257: What's an Intensive?
Today’s podcast features Dr. Lorraine Wong and Richard Lam who describe the intensive TEAM-CBT treatment program at the Feeling Good Institute in Mountain View, California. Dr. Wong is a board certified clinical psychologist and the Clinical Director of The Feeling Good Institute in Mountain View.
Richard Lam is TEAM Certified Therapist, Trainer and Certification Program Manager at the Feeling Good Institute.
An intensive is a departure from the conventional weekly 50-minute session and compresses an entire course of therapy into a brief period of time. David describes how he created this treatment approach accidentally at his hospital in Philadelphia when one of the world’s most famous and beloved actors, a man who was a great fan of Dr. Burns first book, Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy, contacted him and asked for treatment.
However, there was a catch. He only had two days available, and asked if he could fly from Hollywood to Philadelphia…
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Aug 23, 2021
256: Intense Performance / Public Speaking Anxiety, Part 2 of 2
Intense Performance / Public Speaking Anxiety, Part 2 of 2
Last week we presented the first half of the session with Michelle Wharton at the Live Therapy workshop on May 16, 2021. Michelle had been struggling with years of intense public speaking anxiety, especially in professional settings. So far, we’ve commented on the T = Testing and E = Empathy portions of the session. Today, we present the exciting and inspiring conclusion of that session.
A = Assessment of Resistance
At the end of the moving and tearful empathy phase, we asked Michelle about her goals for the session, which included
* Not to have to feel this terror at full volume.
* Not to be stopped from volunteering for things that require public speaking and teaching, and to be able to feel some excitement in my career!
After Michelle said she would be willing to press the Magic Button to achieve all these goals instantly, with no effort, we suggested a round of Positive Reframing so we could see what might be los…
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Aug 16, 2021
255: Intense Performance / Public Speaking Anxiety, Part 1 of 2
Intense Performance / Public Speaking Anxiety, Part 1 of 2
This Is podcast features the first of the two live therapy demonstrations that Dr. Jill Levitt and I did at our psychotherapy workshop on Sunday, May 16th, 2021. I hope you enjoy this dramatic and inspiring session!
Jill and I believe that doing your own personal work is vitally important to the growth and credibility of a mental health professional for many reasons. First, when you’re in the patient role, you can see things from a radically different perspective, including a far greater, first-hand appreciation of the errors that shrinks make as well as what is especially helpful.
Second, if you are successful in your own work, you can tell your patients, “I know what you’re going through, and how intensely painful it is, because I’ve been there myself, and I can show you how the way out of the woods as well!” This is a message that most patients welcome.
And finally, the personal work you do with TEAM-CBT is a f…
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Aug 9, 2021
254: Ask Matt, Rhonda, and David (with Dr. Rutherford Knows)
#254, Ask Matt, Rhonda, and David
(with the famed Dr. Rutherford Knows)
Today we are again joined by the fantastic Dr. Matthew May for an Ask David. Rhonda and I are thrilled that Matt will be joining us every month. His input will give you a broader range of insights and answers to your many excellent questions!
Here are the questions we will address on today’s podcast.
Karine asks: How can I help my daughter with anorexia?
Shirley asks: How can you deal with people who are emotionally abusive, using the Five Secrets of Effective Communication?
Guy asks: Are there any Five Secrets practice groups I could join?
* * *
Karine asks: How do I help my daughter with anorexia?
Hello Dr. Burns,
I am trying to help my daughter who is starting to have anorexia with your book as the consultations are not working and we are waiting on a list for a specialist which can take months or even year here in Quebec.
I have read both of your last books and i am getting good to use it for socia…
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Aug 2, 2021
253: Sadness as Celebration, Part 2
#253: Sadness as Celebration, Part 2
In today’s podcast, Rhonda and David present Part 2 of their work with a young woman named Rose who has been struggling with profound feelings of grief since learning of a discouraging update on her father’s struggles with multiple forms of cancer.
A = Assessment of Resistance
At the end of the moving and tearful empathy phase, Rhonda asked Rose if she felt ready to do some work, or needed more time to talk and share her thoughts and feelings.
She said she was ready to do some work, and described her goals for the session:
I know I cannot change the facts, and I would not want to eliminate the grieving, but I would like to dial down the intensity of some of my emotions, particularly when I’m triggered.
Next, we did some Positive Reframing to highlight what was positive about Rose’s feelings. You can click here review the list of positives that we generated. Rose’s Positive Reframing Table*
Thought or Feeling
List your negative thou…
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Jul 26, 2021
252: Sadness as Celebration, Part 1
#252: Sadness as Celebration, Part 1
In today’s podcast, Rhonda and David present Part 1 of their work with a young woman named Rose. Rose is a 38-year-old mother of two boys aged 2 and 5. She works as a Therapist at an outpatient clinic, the East Bay Center for Anxiety Relief, and is a member of our Tuesday training group at Stanford.
Rose sought help because of her profound grief after talking to her mother about her father’s recent visit to his oncologist. Her father has had many severe health problems in the past several years. He’s been a survivor, but suddenly the outlook seems bleak, and Rose feels tremendous sadness and fear, because of her deep love for her father.
In most cases, grief does not need treatment. Clearly, grieving is healthy and even necessary when you lose someone you love. However, it can be helpful to distinguish healthy from unhealthy grief.
From a cognitive therapy perspective, all feelings, including grief over the loss or impending loss of someon…
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Jul 19, 2021
251: Ask Matt, Rhonda, and David (with Dr. Rutherford Knows)
#251, Ask Matt, Rhonda, and David
(with the famed Dr. Rutherford Knows)
Today we are again joined by the fantastic Dr. Matthew May for an Ask David. Rhonda and I are thrilled that Matt will be joining us every month. His input will give you a broader range of insights and answers to your many excellent questions!
Today’s questions were submitted by the more than 6,000 people who registered for my free talk on July 8, 2021 on the Rapid Treatment of Anxiety Disorders which was sponsored by PESI. I was very grateful to PESI for organizing this event, since it was open to shrinks as well as the general public, and that is the same audience that Rhonda and I are trying to reach with our Feeling Good Podcast.
By the way, thank you for your ongoing support of the Feeling Good podcasts. Our four millionth download should happen in August! Please keep telling friends about the podcast if you think they might be interested.
The very shy but erudite Dr. Knows may again join us and make an…
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Jul 12, 2021
250: Ask Matt, Rhonda, and David (with Dr. Rutherford Knows)
#250: How to Tell Someone, “You Suck!”
Featuring special guests, Dr. Matthew May and the always exciting but pedantic Dr. Rutherford Knows, plus our podcast regulars, Rhonda and David
Rhonda begins the podcast with a wonderful email from a woman who asked how you might use the Five Secrets of Effective Communication when you have to deliver give negative feedback to someone.
Hi David and Rhonda,
I’m an avid listener of the podcast and reader of Dr. Burns’ material. I’ve been working my way backwards listening to all the podcasts, and I now own all of Dr. Burns’ books and am working my way through those, too!
I’ve especially found the live therapy on the podcast and role-play using the Five Secrets incredibly useful.
The Five Secrets of Effective Communication are like a cheat code for life. As I’ve been applying it in my own life, every conflict has had a phenomenal outcome and I end up closer with the other person. It’s incredible.
You’ve given many useful e…
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Jul 5, 2021
249: Report on the Amazing Feeling Great Book Clubs!
Podcast 249
Update on the Amazing Feeling Great Book Clubs!
July 5, 2021
Today we report on the first two Feeling Great Book Clubs, with Dr. Brandon Vance and Sunny Choi, LCSW. Brandon explained that more than 200 people signed up for the groups, and that he 100 people on the waiting list for a future book club. The first two clubs have been a tremendous success.
Brandon explained why he started the Book Clubs:
It’s because these are tools in the book that people who are struggling with depression and anxiety can use to get better. Roughly 10% of the people in the world have significant mental health problems causing functional problems in their lives. That’s eight hundred million people! I have asked myself how we can spread these tools to people around the world.
Since I finished my psychiatric residency in 2003, I’ve been mostly working with individuals, but seeing factors influencing their mental health, like oppression, inequality, injustice, lack of safety, prejudice…
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Jun 28, 2021
248: David and Rhonda Answer Your Questions about Exercise, Empathy, Euphoria, Exposure, Psychodynamic Therapy, and more!
Podcast 248
Ask David and Rhonda!
In today’s podcast, Rhonda and David answer some fascinating questions submitted by listeners like you! We both thank you for your interest in our show, and for your kind comments and terrific questions!
The Questions
* Kati asks: I notice that in your therapy sessions, the negative feelings of most of your patients are reduced all the way to 0%, and many become euphoric. I was wondering whether this somewhat contradicts the idea that our negative feelings are useful to us in some way?
* Kati also asks: Do you believe that empathy can be ‘taught’?
* Yiftah asks: How could one dangle the carrot effectively and responsibly when offering a cognitive exposure exercise?
* Yiftah also asks: From your experience can you give examples of cases in which cognitive exposure may not be as safe or as effective?
* Esther asks: You say there is no convincing or consistent evidence to support most psychodynamic claims about the causes of things. Wh…
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Jun 21, 2021
247: The Night My Childhood Ended, Part 2
The Night My Childhood Ended, Part 2
In today’s podcast, we present the second half of the therapy session with Todd, who did personal work focused on the impact of a traumatic event that ended his childhood when he was eight. Last week, we presented the T = Testing and E = Empathy phase of the session. Today we present the A = Assessment of Resistance, M = Methods, final testing, and teaching points.
A = Assessment of Resistance
Todd’s goal was to be able to feel more vulnerability by the end of the session.
During the Positive Reframing, we listed the positives that were embedded in Todd’s negative thoughts and feelings.
* My sadness shows my humanity.
* My sadness shows my commitment to family.
* I put others before me and value the time people are taking by listening to this session.
* I challenge myself to work on myself.
* My negative thoughts and feelings make me a more loving husband and parent, and a more committed and effective therapist.
* I love my mo…
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Jun 14, 2021
246: The Night My Childhood Ended, Part 1
The Night My Childhood Ended, Part 1
In today’s podcast, we present the first half of a therapy session with Todd, who describes a traumatic event that ended his childhood when he was eight. Next week, you will hear the exciting and inspiring last half of Todd’s session.
My co-therapist is Dr. Jill Levitt, the Director of Training at the Feeling Good Institute in Mountain View, CA, and one of the co-leaders of my weekly training group at Stanford. We are deeply indebted to Jill and Todd for making this incredible and extremely personal podcast possible. Todd hopes, and we all hope, that it will be helpful to many people around the world who are suffering, and perhaps hiding the scars from your own traumatic experiences.
As we always do in TEAM, Jill and I went through T, E, A, M in consecutive order, and I will give an overview of each phase of the session.
T = Testing and E = Empathy
Todd started by saying:
I’m uncomfortable with all the attention I’m getting right now,…
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Jun 7, 2021
245: Tips for Joy, Should Statements, and more, Featuring Matthew May, MD
Ask Rhonda, Matt, and David!
Tips for Joy and more!
In today’s Ask David, we are honored to feature Matthew May, MD, a former student of David’s during his psychiatric residency training, and now esteemed colleague.
Rhonda and David are thrilled that Matt can join us, not only because he is a dear and loved colleague, but also because he is one of the greatest therapists on planet earth! Plus, he’s an incredibly gentle and compassionate man.
* Rhonda Asks: What is the most effective way to help a suicidal patient?
* Rhonda Asks: How would you teach, the technique, Thinking in Shades of Grey to therapists or patients?
* Brian Asks: Any tips for joy?
* ThisLife asks: "Could you possibly explain why Albert Elis thinks the three valid uses of shoulds are valid, and provide the source where he explain this point, if convenient?”
* Mark Asks: Why is trying to change a person or help fix a person's emotional problems insulting? And how can I stop this habit?
Along the s…
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May 31, 2021
244: The Paradoxical Nature of TEAM, Featuring the Fabulous Matthew May, MD
The Paradoxical Nature of TEAM
In today’s podcast, we are honored to feature Matthew May, MD, a brilliant and beloved colleague of Rhonda and David. Rhonda suggested the topic for today’s podcast on the Paradoxical Nature of TEAM, and Matt and I were more than excited to dive into this cool topic!
We reviewed the paradoxical nature of the four components of TEAM. As you will see, each paradox requires one of the four "great deaths" of the therapist's "self," or "ego."
The Paradoxes in T = Testing
TEAM therapists assess how the patient is feeling “right now” in at least six dimensions just before the start and just after the end of every therapy session using brief, extremely accurate scales for negative feelings like depression, suicidal urges, anxiety, and anger, as well as happiness and marital / relationship satisfaction.
These scales are like an emotional X-ray machine so therapists can see, for the first time, exactly how effective or ineffective they are in every sin…
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May 24, 2021
243: Ask David: What's the Role of Hope? Moral scrupulosity, how do you positively reframe suicide, and more!
Ask Rhonda, Matt and David!
Ask David #243 May 24, 2021
David and Ronda answer your questions about the role of hope, treating court-ordered patients, suicide threats, being a virgin, and moral scrupulosity. Guest expert, Dr. Matthew May, joins us for this fascinating podcast featuring questions from fans like you!
* V3A asks: What is the role of hope?
* EdG asks: How would you deal with a patient who doesn’t like you or doesn’t want to come for treatment, but has been required by either an employer or the courts?
* Preetika asks: Recently, a client said she felt suicidal and that made me feel suicidal about anything untoward happening on my watch! I was ‘scared stiff!’ Please do a podcast if possible on therapist fears and dilemmas.
* Dale asks: How would you do Positive Reframing with someone who is suicidal?
* Miho writes: From church and from my parents, I have been told repeatedly I need to save myself for marriage thus this has been my core belief when I am d…
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May 17, 2021
242: Professor Yehuda’s TEAM-CBT Israeli Initiative!
Professor Yehuda’s TEAM-CBT Israeli Initiative!
Today’s podcast is the latest in a series Rhonda has created featuring people who are doing interesting and creative things with TEAM-CBT. In today’s episode, we feature Yehuda Bar-Shalom, D.H.L, TEAM CBT level 4 trainer and therapist, who will teach us all about the use of TEAM in the school system.
Yehuda, who is an associate professor appointed by the Council of higher education in Israel, is the first person we know to teach TEAM to school counselors in a practical way. (We also refer you to our podcast episode 152 where we interviewed Amy Spector, MFT, who is a TEAM therapist providing TEAM therapy to “at-risk” teen-agers at a high school in the San Francisco Bay Area.)
Yehuda is an educator, psychotherapist and researcher. He has served as president of Hebraica University in Mexico City, the only Jewish University in Latin America which is open to students of all religious faiths. When he became the president of Hebraic…
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May 10, 2021
241: “I’m tired of being terrified. I want to be at peace!” Elizabeth, Part 2
Live Work with Elizabeth, Part 2 (of 2)
“I’m tired of being terrified. I want to be at peace!”
Last week, we brought you Part 1 of a session with a women who's been struggling with anxiety and the fear of poverty every since she was 13 years old. that included T = Testing and E = Empathy, including an empathy error that David and Jill corrected. Today, we bring you the conclusion of that amazing session!
After the empathy correction, Elizabeth suddenly said:
“I don’t talk about this stuff very much as an adult. I’m feeling overwhelmed in a good way right now. A sense of peace is opening up.”
You can review the partially completed Daily Mood Log Elizabeth gave us at the start of the sess if you click here. Her goal for the session was to get some relief from the constant pressure she put herself under to function and to keep her practice full.
A = Assessment of Resistance
Together, we did Positive Reframing with her negative thoughts and feelings, asking:
* What…
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May 3, 2021
240: “I’m tired of being terrified. I want to be at peace!” Elizabeth, Part 1
“I’m tired of being terrified. I want to be at peace!”
Live Work with Elizabeth, Part 1 (of 2)
This podcast features Elizabeth Dandenell, LMFT, who runs a successful treatment clinic in Alameda, California for anxiety disorders, The East Bay Center for Anxiety Relief (www.eastbayanxiety.com.). She is a certified Level 4 TEAM therapist and trainer, and also helps teach mental health professionals at our Tuesday psychotherapy training group at Stanford.
We are deeply indebted to Elizabeth for allowing us to publish the very personal, dramatic and inspiring work she did that evening. I also want to thank Jill Levitt, PhD, who was my co-therapist in the work with Elizabeth. Jill practices at the Feeling Good Institute in Mt. View, California (link) where she is Director of Clinical Training, and teaches with me at Stanford.
Like most mental health professionals, Elizabeth occasionally struggles with feelings of anxiety, stress, and self-doubt, and wanted to do some personal work…
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Apr 26, 2021
239: Ten Days to Self-Esteem, Featuring Dawn O’Meally
239: Ten Days to Self-Esteem, Featuring Dawn O’Meally
Dawn O’Meally is a licensed mental health professional from Westminster, Maryland who purchased my book, Ten Days to Self-Esteem workbook (link) as well as the Ten Days to Self-Esteem Leader’s Manual for at a workshop she attended in 2002. This is a 10-class self-esteem training program for patients and the general public. The groups can be led by a therapist or lay person. This book was the basis of a large and successful treatment program at the hospital where I practiced in Philadelphia.
Dawn described reading the books and telling herself, “I can do this!” Since that time, she has conducted roughly four Ten Days groups per year. The improvement in her patients has been phenomenal, due, in large part, to her spark, creativity, and gift for teaching and inspiring individuals struggling with depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem.
In the podcasts she takes us through the first seven steps of the ten-step program, and…
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Apr 19, 2021
238: What Happened In the first Feeling Great Book Club?
238: Feeling Great Book Club Featuring Drs. Sharon Batista and Robert Schacter
In today's podcast, Drs. Sharon Batista and Robert Schacter describe their visionary 16-week Feeling Great Book Club for mental health professionals that we mentioned in a podcast several months ago. The group was a great success, and I am super thankful to them for creating it!
Sharon described how the group came into being. She’d been looking forward to Feeling Great and ordered the hardbound and the audio version as well. But she found, like so many mental health professionals, that it is difficult to keep up with career and family, and sent out a post to colleagues suggesting a possible book group to make the process of learning easier. Bob wrote back and said, “What a brilliant idea! Let’s do it!”
Sharon and Bob reported that the more than 40 therapists signed up for the Book Club, which consisted of 90-minute sessions every other week. The participants ranged in experience from Level 1 to Le…
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Apr 12, 2021
237: The Gentle Ultimatum: Can We Make Our Patients Accountable?
Podcast 237: The Gentle Ultimatum:
Can We Make Our Patients Accountable?
April 12, 2021
At the top of the podcast, Rhonda reads several beautiful and thoughtful comments from listeners like you. One was an enthusiastic listener who found us on YouTube and wondered why we don’t have vastly larger audiences, since the quality of what we offer is not only free, but it beats out all the other “self-help gurus” by a large margin.
Thanks for that. We are not experts in market and could use all the help we can get. So if you can spread the word for us, we’d appreciate it!
David announced that his next workshop with Dr. jill Levitt will be on May 16, 2021, featuring David and Dr. Jill Levitt working with two audience volunteers who are struggling with depression and anxiety.
Link to Registration Information
It should be dramatic, inspiring, and profoundly educational, so you can see how TEAM-CBT really works in a live and spontaneous setting with no role-playing. This will be th…
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Apr 5, 2021
236: Ask David: Does "objective truth" exist? Is TEAM as effective as you say? Shame Attacking, Codependency, and More!
Upcoming Workshops
The Cognitive Distortion Starter Kit
With David Burns, MD
A One-Day Workshop on May 5, 2021
Click here for more information including registration!
8:30 AM to 5:00 PM West Coast Time: 7 CE Credits
Bringing TEAM-CBT to Life in Real Time
Two Live Therapy Demonstrations
with Drs. David Burns and Jill Levitt
REGISTRATION CLOSES AT 5:30 PM PACIFIC TIME ON SATURDAY 5/15/21. NO EXCEPTIONS.
Live Online Workshop with David Burns, MD and Jill Levitt, Ph.D.
Click here for more information including registration!
May 16, 2021 | 7 CE hours. $135
8:30 AM to 4:30 PM West Coast Time
Binoy asks:
* How does one know that a thought is a good one or a bad one? Or put in another way, how do I know if my fortune telling thought is really a fortune telling one? What is the basis?
Binoy also asks:
* Is there something called “objective truth” that we can all agree on?
Kristina asks:
* I have been labeled codependent in therapy. Is it a true label? . . . Do yo…
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Mar 29, 2021
235: Anger in Marriage: The Five Secrets Revisited
235: Anger in Marriage
Several months ago. a professional dancer named Brian emailed me with an Ask David question on how to deal with anger in marriage using the Five Secrets of Effective Communication. I was pretty excited because anger in marriage is a problem nearly everyone can identify with, and something we all need some help with!
Brian and his family
Brian said that he and his wife, Michelle, have been married since 2009, and while he loves Michelle a great deal, their relationship runs hot and cold, with frequent angry clashes. I asked Brian for a specific example, including a partially filled out Relationship Journal (RJ), so I could get some details on what his wife said to him, and what, exactly, he said next, during one of their conflicts.
Brian and his wife, Michelle
The analysis of this exchange will provide us with a crystal clear example of the type of problem they are struggling with, along with the opportunity to pinpoint the specific errors Brian is making in…
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Mar 22, 2021
234: How To Deal with Whiners and Complainers
Announcements / Upcoming Workshops
March 24, 2021
Feeling Great: A New, High-Speed Treatment for Depression and Anxiety.
A One-Day Workshop by David Burns, MD. sponsored by Jack Hirose & Associates, Vancouver
Click here for more information including registration!
April 7, 2021
Bringing TEAM-CBT to Life in Real Time, by David D. Burns, MD.
A Half-Day Live Therapy Demonstration
Sponsored by Jack Hirose & Associates, Vancouver
Click here for more information including registration!
* * *
Podcast 234: How To Deal with Whiners and Complainers
In today’s podcast, we bring to life two of the earliest CBT techniques I developed way back before I wrote Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy. The are:
* The Anti-Whiner Technique
* The Anti-Heckler Technique
they are both based in two of the Five Secrets of Effective Communication:
* The Disarming Technique: You find truth in what the other person is saying
* Stroking: You find something positive to say to the person
*…
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Mar 15, 2021
233: Five Secrets and Schizophrenia, featuring Phillip Lolonis, Part 2
Phillip with his brother, (Paul), his mother (Maureen) and Ladybug (Labrador).
Phillip Lolonis joins us again with vital information we forgot to explore in his first podcast two weeks ago. Phillip's interest in the treatment of schizophrenia stemmed from his relationship with his brother, who suddenly and unexpectedly developed schizophrenia when he was 19 years old. and Phillip was 26, One of his motivations to become a therapist was his anger and disillusionment with the treatment his brother received that was medication focused and somewhat formulaic. Phillip thought the impact was somewhat detrimental.
In today's podcast, we explore how to use the Five Secrets of Effective Communication, and especially the Disarming Technique, in interactions with individuals with schizophrenia. This can be difficult and challenging, because many of the things the patient says are delusional and can't possibly be true, like "I know you're plotting against me!" And yet, as David points out, if y…
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Mar 8, 2021
232: Ask David: Ego Strength; Panic Attacks; Habits / Addictions; High Blood Pressure: and More!
Announcements: Feeling Great Book Club
We're excited to announce a Feeling Great Book Club for anyone in the world, supporting people in reading and learning from David Burns' powerful and healing TEAM-CBT book Feeling Great with questions and answers, exercises and discussions in large and small groups.
It will meet online for an hour at a time for 16 weeks on Wednesdays starting March 17 at 9am and 5pm Pacific Time - which should allow for fairly reasonable hours from anywhere in the world.
Note that the group is intended to provide education but NOT therapy or treatment. Cost is 8$ per session paid in advance, but people will be able to pay whatever they can comfortably afford and no one will be turned away for lack of finances. The group will be primarily led by Brandon Vance, a psychiatrist who is a level 4 TEAM therapy trainer who has studied with David Burns since 2011.
Please go to https://www.feelinggreattherapycenter.com/book-club to find out more and to register.
Your…
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Mar 1, 2021
231: Hiking with Phillip Lolonis, LCSW
This is the first of two podcasts featuring Phillip Lolonis, LCSW, who works with Rhonda at her new FeelingGreatTherapyCenter.com.
Some of you may remember my descriptions and photos of my Sunday hikes for people in our training groups for the past ten years. Here's a photo from one my last hikes before the pandemic. Phillip is the one in red in the back row. I hope to resume the Sunday hikes as soon as people are vaccinated!
In today's podcast, you'll meet Phillip Lolonis who has transformed TEAM-CBT hiking therapy into a high and exciting art form on the California trails near Mt. Diablo.
Phillip is a licensed clinical social worker and Level 3 TEAM therapists who is a member of Rhonda's new Feeling Great Therapy Center in the East Bay. He describes his love for "nature therapy" and pointed out that the Buddha experienced enlightenment when meditating under a tree. Phillip describes growing up on a farm and feeling at peace and profound connection with nature as he watched his fat…
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Feb 22, 2021
230: Secrets of Self-Esteem—What is it? How do I get it? How can I get rid of it once I’ve got it? And more, on Ask David!
* Ask David: Questions on self-esteem, recovery from PTSD, dating people with Borderline Personality Disorder, recovery on your own, and more!
Jay asks:
* Is psychotherapy homework still required if you’ve recovered completely from depression in a single, extended therapy session?
* Is Ten Days to Self-Esteem better than the single chapter on this topic in Feeling Good?
* Are people who were abused emotionally when growing up more likely to get involved with narcissistic or borderline individuals later in life because the relationship is “familiar?”
* Many patients can read your books and do the exercises and recover on their own. Is a teacher or coach sometimes needed to speed things up?
* Is it possible for a person to become happy WITHOUT needing anyone else if they have had depression in past and/or PTSD?
* Also, how would Team-CBT address treating PTSD? PTSD can involve a person having multiple traumas. * * *
* Is psychotherapy homework still required if yo…
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Feb 15, 2021
229: The Five Secrets at Home
Today’s emotional and inspiring podcast features Mary Stockton, an Level 3 certified TEAM therapist living in Ohio and her daughter, Elizabeth Stockton Perkins, who is 19 years old and a sophomore at Vassar College. They give testament to how the Five Secrets of Effective Communication have transformed their relationship as mother and daughter, as well as their relationships with others. Mary said that the Five Secrets changed her life personally and professionally, and that the tools have been “life-changing.”
Mary was first introduced to the Five Secrets of Effective Communication when she attended one of David’s training workshops in 2002 entitled, “And It’s All Your Fault!” However, she did not really dive in and use the techniques until 2017 when she received additional TEAM-CBT training from Rhonda, Jill Levitt, Daniel Mintie, Matt May, and Thai-An Truong.
Mary introduced Elizabeth to the Five Secrets when Elizabeth was a junior in high school, and Elizabeth began…
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Feb 8, 2021
228: Reflections on the Evolution of TEAM
In today’s podcast, we focus on a request by Tommy, a podcast fan who asked for a podcast on how TEAM evolved from traditional CBT. So here it is!
Hi Dr. Burns,
I hope you're doing well! I just recently completed Feeling Great and found it incredibly helpful. I found the technique chart that offered specific techniques for each distortion to be incredibly valuable and I've incorporated it into all my Daily Mood Logs. I've also listened to every podcast and have been already exposed to nearly all of the content within the book, but the book did such an elegant job of simplifying everything and putting it into context. I've already gifted it to several family members and am eagerly awaiting the audio version so I can gift it to my grandfather, a psychodynamic therapist of 30 some odd years who's vision impaired. I think he'll really get a lot out of it!
Beyond the well-deserved praise, I'm emailing because I just listened to your post recent podcast episode (222) with Dr. Barovsky a…
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Feb 1, 2021
227: Echoes of Enlightenment
Many of you will recall one of our most popular and amazing podcasts of all, the recording of the live therapy with Michael at the Atlanta intensive last year. In today’s recording, which was recorded for a different purpose, Dr. Michael recalls his entire experience that day, with many teaching points. Although I was AT the Atlanta intensive doing the therapy, with the help of my co-therapist, Thai-An Truong, I was fascinated and enlightened by this interviews because:
* Michael was incredibly warm, genuine and openness.
* The summary shows clearly and exactly how TEAM therapy works.
* He recounts not only his recovery, but also how was unexpectedly catapulted into what, by my understanding, is best described as “enlightenment.” Or something awfully darn close to it!
* He reminds us that even after one has recovered and experienced “enlightenment,” we are still human and never immune to the occasional return of negative thoughts and feelings of insecurity and self-d…
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Jan 25, 2021
226: The “Great Death” in a Corporate / Institutional Setting
We have not had the chance to do a really good podcast on the Five Secrets of Effective Communication recently, so Rhonda and I jumped at the chance to do a podcast with a local executive we will call “Valentina” who is facing a severe challenge. How can she respond effectively to a ton of her colleagues who responded critically and angrily to one her first emails since being place in a top leadership role at work?
They said that her email was harsh and accusatory, and sounded adversarial and provocative, and didn’t give a feeling of partnership or appreciation for all the hard work they were doing.
Yikes! That’s pretty tough.
And yet, my philosophy—in therapy, in family conflicts, and in work settings as well—is that your worst failure can often be your greatest opportunity in disguise.
Is this true? Or just pie in the sky?
Rhonda and I do a lot of role-playing and role reversals to (hopefully) show Valentina how to transform a humiliating professional failure into an…
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Jan 18, 2021
225: The Self-Centered Podcast Featuring Special Guest, Dr. Jill Levitt!
At the start of today’s podcast, we got an update on the Feeling Great app from Jeremy Karmel. We are looking for one or more programmers who might like to join our project. Our goal is to create the first electronic tool that can outperform human therapists, and some super promising preliminary data suggests we may be on the right path to make this happen. We are looking for talented engineers and designers who would share our passion for this incredible dream.
If you are interested, contact Jeremy@FeelingGreatapp.com
Today we are joined by our beloved and brilliant colleague, Dr. Jill Levitt to ask two questions:
* Can the “self” be judged?
* Does the “self” exist?
We got quite a bit of positive feedback to a recent Ask David Podcast that included a question about Buddhism, but people said they wanted more on the topic of the “great death” of the self.
Bottom line was this:
* You can judge your own or someone else’s specific thoughts and actions, but you c…
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Jan 11, 2021
224: Ask David: TEAM Treatment for Stress, Severe OCD, "General" Depression, and more!
Podcast 224 Ask David January 11, 2021
Ask David featuring more challenging and interesting questions.
* Josh asks: What are the most effective types of psychotherapy homework assignments?
* Hassam asks: How would you treat my severe OCD? Exposure doesn’t seem to be working! And Joe asks: Would you say that the secret to overcoming OCD is willpower?
* Ted asks: Does any psychiatric disorder result from a chemical imbalance in the brain?
* Brian W. asks: Burns, could you do a video on how to use CBT for stress? Thanks.
* Clarity asks: Is it too late to be a beta tester for your app?
* Simon asks: Is there a podcast that you can recommend for general depression, and how to find out what is wrong?
* Stephanie asks: My patients don’t recover as rapidly as your patients. Am I doing something wrong? I’m feeling a lot of anxiety and self-doubt! * * *
* Josh asks: What are the most effective types of psychotherapy homework assignments?
Hi David, thanks for all your w…
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Jan 4, 2021
223: The Jealousy Addiction: What Can You Do When Good Things Happen to Bad People?
The Jealousy Addiction! What Can You Do
When Good Things Happen to Bad People?
Hi podcast fans! Thanks for your wonderful support in 2020. You helped us hit our three millionth download. I wanted to give a shout out to my fantastic hostess, Dr. Rhonda Barovsky, who has brought magic to the Feeling Good Podcast!
This is our first podcast of 2021. It is a really good one, I think. A tremendous amount of work has gone into it, both in the weeks prior to the podcast, as well as in the creation of the detailed show notes for those who want to study and understand exactly how TEAM therapy works for the thorny and almost universal problems of jealousy and anger. Much violence in the world, especially in couples, results from these feelings.
I want to thank Bridget for her tremendous courage in giving us all this wonderful gift to kick off the new year! For therapists and therapy students, this show, with the show notes, should be a rich source of learning.
David
And, I, Rhonda wants to…
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Dec 28, 2020
222: Ask David: Personality Disorders, Buddhism, the "Great Death," the Magic Button, perfect empathy, and more!
Podcast 222 Ask David December 28, 2020
Ask David featuring five challenging questions.
* Jay asks: How do you treat individuals with personality disorders using TEAM-CBT?
* Jeff asks: Can you talk more about the “great death” of the therapist’s “helping” or “rescuing” self? This was really helpful to me!
* Darkmana asks: Hey David, are there any books about Buddhism you would recommend? I can see you’re a fan of it from Feeling Great!
* Angela asks: What’s a perfect score on your empathy test?
* Margaret asks: What can you say to a patient who doesn’t want to push the Magic Button? * * *
* Jay asks: How do you treat individuals with personality disorders using TEAM-CBT?
Dr. Burns
Have you considered doing a podcast on using TEAM-CBT or CBT for Borderline, Narcissistic and Histrionic Personality Disorders? The interesting thing is those with personality Disorders seem to blame everyone and everything for their problems but themselves
Also, what if…
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Dec 21, 2020
221: Ask David: What's Your Definition of a Violent Person? Five Cool Questions from Listeners Like You!
Podcast 221 Ask David December 21, 2020
Today’s Ask David features five challenging questions submitted by listeners like you!
* Sumaya asks: I recently bought Feeling Great and can’t find the chapters on Habits and Addictions in the book. Could you please clarify?
* Jay asks: Can you provide more specific information on the contrasts between Feeling Good, The Feeling Good Handbook, and Feeling Great?
* Rizwan asks: How would you use the Five Secrets to respond to a truly irate patient?
* Casey asks: How do you treat resistant autism patients with All-or-Nothing Thinking?
* Debby asks: What’s your definition of a violent person?
Today’s podcast begins with season greetings for people of all (or no) religious faiths. Rhonda reads a moving email submitted by a listener who was helped by the recent two-part Sunny series on the Approval Addiction. David gives a plug for his upcoming workshop with Dr. Jill Levitt on “Defeating the Beliefs that Defeat You and Your Pati…
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Dec 14, 2020
220: An Interview with Dr. Steven Hayes, Creator of ACT!
Today’s podcast features Dr. Steven C. Hayes, the founder of ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), and author of 46 books, including his most recent book, The Liberated Mind, which is available on Amazon. We are joined by Dr. Jill Levitt, the Director of Training at the Feeling Good Institute in Mountain View, California.
Dr. Hayes began by describing ACT, a form of psychotherapy aimed at increasing something he calls “psychological flexibility.” He defines psychological flexibility as the ability to stay consciously in contact with the present moment, including the difficult thoughts, feelings, memories, and bodily sensations you may be experiencing. At the same time, you direct your attention toward actions and behaviors based on your personal values.
I think it is fair to say that Rhonda, Jill and I had a more than a little difficulty understanding what Dr. Hayes was saying at times throughout the interview, particularly when he was describing the six dimensions of his co…
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Dec 7, 2020
219: Meet the Incredibly Inspiring Dr. Cai Chen!
Today’s podcast features a most unusual and incredibly inspiring guest, Dr. Cai Chen. Cai is a fourth-year general psychiatric resident at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Tyler, Texas. He’s also currently enrolled with Mike Christensen’s “Live Online CBT Training Courses for Therapists.” Cai has told me that Mike Christensen is a “friggin’ amazing teacher” and that everyone who is interested in starting their journey in TEAM owes it to themselves to take his class.
My first contact with Cai was an email he sent me after listening to Podcast #187 on the live work I did with Dr. Michael Greenwald and Thai-An Truong at the Atlanta intensive about a year ago. Cai wrote:
Hi David, Michael, and Thai-An,
This podcast episode helped me truly change my life. I thought I had things figured out before, but man! The work you three did that day crystallized my own social anxiety issues and gave me the courage to finally do some very hefty self-disclosure. I was i…
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Nov 30, 2020
218: Causes and Cures for Postpartum Depression and Anxiety--An Eye-Opening Interview with--Thai-An Truong
Do Negative Thoughts or Hormones Cause Postpartum Depression and Anxiety?
And What’s the Best Treatment? TEAM-CBT or Pills?
We begin today’s podcast with a lovely endorsement, and an announcement that Rhonda’s new free Wednesday TEAM therapy training group will be open to therapists from around the world and will start on December 2, 2020 at 9 to 11 AM west coast (pacific) time. Rhonda will have many fine trainers working with her, including the incredible Richard Lam, and the magnificent Leigh Harrington, to make your training experience stellar. If you are interested, contact Rhonda right away, as slots will be strictly limited. You can also fill out this form to confirm your interest!
Today, Rhonda and I are proud and excited to interview our brilliant and delightful guest, Thai-An Truong, from Oklahoma. Thai-An is an accomplished TEAM Therapist (the first in Oklahoma) and popular TEAM trainer for therapists who want to learn about these new techniques.
Thai-An, her husban…
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Nov 23, 2020
217: Ask David: Is human "worthwhileness" worthwhile? Why am I always the the last to find out about anything? A Daily Gratitude Log, Positive Reframing and more!
Today's Ask David features four terrific questions.
* Kevin asks: Why is the concept of worthwhileness and worthlessness so important to people and their emotional health?
* Vallejo asks: Does the statement, "WHY AM I ALWAYS THE LAST ONE TO FIND OUT ABOUT ANYTHING?” correspond to overgeneralization, or self-blame? I’ve been listening to the early podcasts on the ten positive and negative cognitive distortions.
* David P asks: Do you think there is anything to be gained from a daily gratitude log, to go along with the daily mood log?
* Harvey asks: I don’t see how Positive Reframing actually contributes to the therapy.
* Kevin asks: Why are the concepts of worthwhileness and worthlessness so important to people and their emotional health?
Hi David,
I have a quick question about the concept of being a worthwhile human being. Suppose a person believes they are unconditionally worthwhile, what are the implications of this? Why are the concepts of worthwhileness and wort…
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Nov 16, 2020
216: Cool Questions about Should Statements!
Ask David featuring four terrific Should questions, and more questions about “asinine, stupid, narcissistic, self-serving humans! “
* Oliver asks: Can a thought be thought as moral or immoral?
* Vincent asks: I have suffered from depression for about 3 years and say to myself, "I should have gotten better sooner." Isn't this "should" appropriate?
* Charles says: Your concept of “no self” shot my anxiety way up and made me feel hopeless. . . . It makes me feel worse than before!
* Michelle asks: How is your requirement that new patients must agree to not make any suicide attempts for the rest of their lives any different to a “suicide contract” which you mention are not effective?
* Brian asks: I’ve done a few things that made me feel intensely guilty. . . . The knowledge that I didn’t do what I should have done led to a lot of guilt and shame, and eventually depression. Just wondering your thoughts on this
* Carrel asks: I'm a Democrat in Texas. How can we…
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Nov 9, 2020
215: The Approval Addiction: Live Therapy with Sunny, Part 2
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 = Assessment of Resistance.
David will summarize Sunny’s Positive Reframing list, as well as the “turning point” when David challenged Sunny’s first negative thought, telling himself that he shouldn’t be getting anxious again. Once again, the moment he saw that he actually should be getting anxious, and that this was a good thing, and not a bad thing, the dam kind of broke open, and Sunny suddenly saw everything in a radically different perspective.
This is one of the core principles an…
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Nov 2, 2020
214: The Approval Addiction: Live Therapy with Sunny, Part 1
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 Addiction we featured recently.
Of course, you don’t have to live in Silicon Valley to struggle with the Approval and Achievement Addictions. These problems are almost universal throughout the United States as well as the entire world. In fact, for today’s special guest, Sunny Choi, the problem originated in Hong Kong when he was growing up.
And although your life may be very different from Sunny’s, you may discover that you, too, sometimes struggle with the need for approval,…
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Oct 26, 2020
213: From Feeling Good to Feeling Great!
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 Feeling Good in 1980. I now have many more techniques than I had then, and there’s been with a radical development in my understanding of the causes of depression. I also have new ideas about the most effective treatment techniques, based on my clinical experience since I wrote Feeling Good (more than 40,000 hours treating individuals with severe depression and anxiety), as well as fresh insights about what's important, and what's not, based on four decades of my research on how psychotherap…
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Oct 19, 2020
212: The Achievement Addiction: Bane or Blessing? Part 2
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 as the Calvinist work ethic (e.g. you are what you do) is actually at the heart of Western Civilization. And while it can trigger intense achievement, it can sometimes also trigger angst, including feelings of depression, anxiety, and endless self-doubt, wondering if you and your achievements are "good enough."
In last week's podcast, we played the first half of the Tuesday group's session, featuring the Cost-Benefit Analysis. In today's group, we play the the recording of the last half of t…
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Oct 12, 2020
211: The Achievement Addiction: Bane or Blessing? Part 1.
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 different levels.
Last week, we taught the group members how to pinpoint Self-Defeating Beliefs that trigger depression and anxiety, and we promised to show them how to challenge and modify a Self-Defeating Belief in the group you’re about to “attend.” We decided to focus on the Achievement Addiction, which is the belief that your worthwhileness as a human being depends on your achievements and productivity.
Perhaps you share this belief! Most people do.
Here’s how a Self-Defeating…
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Oct 5, 2020
Corona Cast 8: Live Therapy with Dan. How Could You Treat an “Existential Depression” in the Midst of a Pandemic?
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 personal work is one form of training that is vital to professional growth and learning, so it is extremely beneficial for the person who volunteers for the role of “patient.” At the same time, the live work also provides superb learning for those observing the process, since you can see what is really happening during a T.E.A.M. therapy session. Hopefully, you will learn a great deal as you listen to Dan’s live and uncensored therapy session.
Jill and I feel very grateful to…
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Sep 28, 2020
210: Flirting Secrets Revealed: with Expert Jacob Towery, MD
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 first place. So today, we offer more tips and help for people who are afflicted with social anxiety.
Rhonda and I are very proud and excited to be joined today by a brilliant colleague and expert on social anxiety, Dr. Jacob Towery. Dr. Towery is a Stanford-trained pediatric psychiatrist, and was a student of mine when he was a psychiatric resident, He practices in Palo Alto and helps teach our weekly Tuesday TEAM therapy training group at Stanford.
Today (the day we recorded thi…
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Sep 21, 2020
209: Live Therapy with Neil Sattin, part 2: "Wow! The Changes Were Real!"
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 had the same problem at times!
Today you’ll hear the A = Assessment of Resistance and M = Methods parts of the session. As they begin, David asks Neil the Magic Button and Miracle Cure questions, and Neil says that he definitely does want help and would push the Magic Button to make all of his negative thoughts and feelings on his Daily Mood Log disappear.
David cautions against that and suggests Positive Reframing, asking two questions about each negative thought and feeling.
* Wha…
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Sep 14, 2020
208: Live Therapy with Neil Sattin, part 1: "I'm failing! I'm overwhelmed!"
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-up, including therapists. The session you are about to hear occurred on March 23, 2020, when the pandemic shut-down first occurred.
Rhonda begins today’s podcast with a moving email from a fan who heard Neil's live therapy session with David on Neil’s Relationship Alive podcast. Then Neil explains how his work on troubled relationships were born out of his work as a dog trainer, and he saw many similarities with relationship issues! In addition to hosting his popular podcast, Nel does c…
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Sep 7, 2020
207: Ask David: Is Love an Adult Human Need? What Do You Do When Someone Won't Stop Askng Questions?
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? How long was I gone? What did my husband do? And on & on. It feels like she’s interrogating me because the questions never stop. I’m trying to get more vague with my answers hoping if will deter the conversation, but no luck. It really becomes distracting at times & then other times it just feels like she’s being nosy & freaks me out. I just want her to leave me alone! I think this would be a good opportunity to use the 5 secrets of effective communication, but I’m struggling. Co…
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Aug 31, 2020
206: How to Crush Negative Thoughts: Blame
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 sometimes triggers feelings of hopelessness and suicidal urges.
Other-Blame: You beat up on others and blame them for the problems in your relationships. Other-Blame is nearly always accompanied with other-directed Should Statements: “He’s such a loser. He shouldn’t have such ridiculous beliefs!” Other-Blame triggers anger and conflict in relationships, and can sometimes trigger rage, violence, and even murder.
Rhonda describes going on a bicycle trip with her husband. But when they…
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Aug 24, 2020
205: How to Crush Negative Thoughts: Should Statements
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, starting with the Buddha 2500 years ago, and culminating in the work of Karen Horney and Albert Ellis in the 20th century. They both emphasized that nearly all emotional suffering as well as relationship conflict results from “Shoulds.”
David and Rhonda describe the four categories of Should Statements:
* Shoulds directed against yourself cause depression, anxiety, guilt, and shame. and even lead to suicidal urges.
* Should directed against others cause anger, and can even lead to violence…
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Aug 17, 2020
204: Meet the Amazing Dr. Alex Clarke!
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 tangible change, and not just understanding that unfolds over a period of years.
David and Alex discuss some of the surprising overlaps between TEAM and psychodynamic therapy, as well as some of the striking differences.
Similarities
Changing the Focus: Often there’s tension in the room, especially during therapy sessions. When you bring it to conscious awareness in a kindly way, it will often lead to therapeutic breakthrough.
The Relationship Journal: This is a rapid way to highlight the recu…
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Aug 10, 2020
203: How to Crush Negative Thoughts: Emotional Reasoning
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 ten cognitive distortions in the mid-to late 1970s. There is the definition:
Emotional Reasoning is when you reason from how you feel. Here are several examples:
* “I feel like a loser, so I must really be a loser.”
* “I feel hopeless, so I must be hopeless.”
* “I feel anxious, so I must be in danger.”
* “I feel like a bad therapist, so I must really be one."
* “I feel judged. This means that people are judging me.”
* “I feel guilty. This means that I did someth…
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Aug 3, 2020
202: Ask David. Are depression and anxiety really states of self-hypnosis? Should we forgive Hitler and Stalin?
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?
* What role, from your years of practice, does spirituality have in the psychotherapy?
* Are depression and anxiety states of self-hypnosis?
Hi David,
I have two questions after listening to Corona Cast 7: “My Struggle with Covid-19! Is it REALLY True that only Our Thoughts Can Upset Us?”
I was struck by thinking of anxiety as the result of hypnotizing ourselves into believing our fears. Can depression by thought of in a similar way, except that we hypnoti…
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Jul 27, 2020
201: Can’t horrible events upset you directly? What if a patient falls in love with you? What's the best way to handle a critical boss?
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 we lost everything, or we or someone we loved was raped--doesn't the event affect you directly? Do you really have to have negative thoughts before you can feel sad, depressed, anxious or angry?
Do all of our feelings REALLY result from our thoughts? What about people who have been treated unfairly or been discriminated against because of their race, religion, gender identity, etc. Aren't their feelings a direct result of their experience and not just their thoughts?
Rhonda
What do you d…
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Jul 20, 2020
200: Meet Linda Jackson--Publisher of David's New Book, Feeling Great
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, Feeling Great, which will be released in September, 2020.
One focus of our interview with Linda was the teamwork that is so important between any author and his or her publisher, as well as the editor. I have been really thrilled with the incredible teamwork and support that PESI has provided on this project, under Linda’s skillful leadership. That was my strong motivation in selecting PESI, and I’m really glad I made this choice. It will be their first general public “self-help” book, and…
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Jul 13, 2020
199: How To Crush Negative Thoughts: Labeling
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." Self-Labeling can be further divided into Labeling your role or Labeling your "self."
Here are some examples of Labeling your role: "I'm a bad father," or "I'm a bad mother," or "I'm a lousy teacher," and so forth.
Here are some examples of Labeling your "self:" "I'm a loser," or "a failure," or "worthless," or "defective."
Other-labeling is exactly the same, except that it's directed at some other person, as in "he's a jerk," or "she's a loser."
Labeling can be extremely hurtful, causing…
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Jul 6, 2020
198: Ask David: What if Your Negative Thoughts Aren't Distorted? Do Demons Cause Depression? And more!
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 CBT and cognitive distortions to patients who are not familiar with your work?
* Can I help myself as much as Rameesh did?
* How can I start a self-help group based on your book, Ten Days to Self-Esteem?
* How can I find my favorite podcast?
* I can’t find any distortions in my thoughts! What’s the cause of this?
A new comment on the post "001: Introduction to the TEAM Model" is waiting for your approval https://feelinggood.com/2016/10/27/001-i…
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Jun 29, 2020
197: Dating Anxiety and the Secret of Sex Appeal Featuring Special Guest Dr. Matthew May
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 stressful, disappointing, and time-consuming hassle, there are tremendous rewards for those fortunate enough to connect and develop an intimate relationship. So today, we address some of those issues.
Our special guest today is Dr. Matthew May. He is a former student of mine, a good friend of David and Rhonda, a regular on the podcast, and a loving wonderful man. Today, Matt brings us a wealth of information for those interested in improving their dating lives, based both on his clinical work,…
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Jun 22, 2020
196: Ask David: Is There a Dark Side of Human Nature? Is "Forcefulness" Ever Needed in Therapy? Perfectionism, Racism, Schizophrenia & More!
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 racism
* What if there are more advantages than disadvantages in perfectionism?
* What’s the difference between the Toolkit, the eBook, and the EASY Diagnostic system?
I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and I am interested in either the Toolkit or the EASY diagnostic tool. It looks like the Toolkit includes quite a few questionnaires so I am wondering if I would need both. I would love to have a comprehensive checklist to give to client…
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Jun 15, 2020
195: How To Crush Negative Thoughts: Magnification/Minimalization
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, during panics patients often tell themselves—and believe—that they are on the verge of something catastrophic, like a stroke, a sudden, fatal heart attack, or losing their minds and becoming hopelessly psychotic.
Minimization is just the opposite. You shrink the importance of something like your good qualities or the things you’ve accomplished. Minimization is common in depression.
Magnification and Minimization almost always play a big role in procrastination as well. For examp…
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Jun 8, 2020
194: How To Crush Negative Thoughts: Jumping to Conclusions
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-Telling: You tell yourself that bad things are about to happen. There are two common examples:
Hopelessness: You tell yourself that things will never change, that you’ll never recover, or that your problems will never be solved. David explains why this distortion is impossibly distorted and virtually never true. And yet, when people are depressed, they nearly always fall victim to the belief that things will never change. It’s much like being in a hypnotic trance, because you are t…
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Jun 1, 2020
193: Sarah Revisited: A Hard Fall--and a Triumphant Second Recovery
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 of anger and resentment that she'd been sweeping under the rug. This is a common cause of anxiety.
But a month or so after that session, Sarah relapsed in a big way, so I agreed to treat her again during the psychotherapy training group at Stanford, and Dr. Alex Clarke was my co-therapist. This time, we used very different treatment techniques.
Once you've recovered, the likelihood of relapse is 100%--that's because no one can be happy all the time. We all hit bumps in the road from time to tim…
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May 25, 2020
192: Matter & Anti-Matter
"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 transform these feelings of inadequacy and tears into feelings of joy and exuberance, and even laughter.
Today, my highly esteemed colleague, Matthew May MD, and I, work with our highly esteemed and beloved colleague and podcast host, Rhonda Barovsky, on concerns that emerged when a scheduling difficulty made it difficult for Rhonda to join a podcast recording on “The Phobia Cure” which was going to feature Matt May MD doing live exposure with a colleague named Danielle who has an int…
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May 18, 2020
191: How to Crush Negative Thoughts: Mental Filter/Discounting the Positives
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 mistake you made, and ignore or overlook the positives. This is like the drop of ink that discolors the beaker of water.
* Discounting the Positive(s). this is an even more spectacular mental error. You insist that the positives about yourself or others don't count. In this way, you can maintain a uniformly and totally negative view of yourself, the world, or other people.
David and Rhonda discuss the fact that humans can be very biased in our perceptions of things that are emotionally c…
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May 11, 2020
190: How To Crush Negative Thoughts: Overgeneralization
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 "always" or "never." For example, you may tell yourself, "Trisha (or Jack) rejected me. This always happens! I must be unlovable. I'll be alone forever."
Overgeneralization is also one of the most common cognitive distortions, and it causes depression as well as anxiety. I believe it is impossible to feel depressed or hopeless without Overgeneralization.
The antidote to Overgeneralization is called "Let's Be Specific." Instead of thinking of your self as a "bad mother" or "bad father…
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May 7, 2020
Corona Cast 7: My Sruggle with Covid-19! Is it REALLY True that only Our Thoughts Can Upset Us?
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 to contract the Covid-19 virus in New York. Michael was the star of Feeling Good Podcast #169: More on Social Anxiety. The Case for Vulnerability.
I have repeatedly pointed out that our feelings do NOT result from what happens—but rather, from our thoughts about what’s happening. This idea goes back at least 2,000 years, to the teachings of Epictetus, but people still don’t “get it.” People still think that negative events can have a direct impact on how you feel. But that beli…
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May 4, 2020
189: How to Crush Negative Thoughts: All-or-Nothing Thinking
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 common cognitive distortions, and it causes or contributes to many common forms of emotional distress, including:
* perfectionism
* depression
* Social anxiety--
* performance anxiety
* public speaking anxiety
* shyness
* hopelessness and suicidal urges
* anger, relationship conflicts, and violent urges
* habits and addictions
* and more
However, this distortion can be also be helpful to you, and may reflect some of your core values. For example, your perfectionism
* shows…
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Apr 30, 2020
Corona Cast 6: Love Story, Part 2 -- The Surprise Conclusion
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 hours and lives in a separate apartment to protect Taylor and their three young children.
The response to that podcast was extremely positive. Here's an email from a therapist in India, Nivedita Singh:
Dear Dr Burns, Rhonda and Taylor,
Just finished listening to your 4th podcast of the Corona series. What an emotional roller coaster learning and healing journey it's been. Can never ever thank you enough. Living far away in India and watching the Corona story unfold on the international news cha…
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Apr 27, 2020
188: How to Crush Negative Thoughts: The Cognitive Distortion Starter Kit!
This is the first in a series of podcasts by David and Rhonda focusing on the best techniques to crush each of the ten cognitive distortions in David’s book, Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy.
David and Rhonda discuss the amazing positive feedback that Rhonda received following her two recent podcasts doing live personal work. David emphasizes that being open and genuine about your own flaws and insecurities can often lead to far more meaningful relationships with others. This is a paradox, since we often hide our shortcomings, fearing others will judge and reject us if they see how we really feel, and how flawed we are.
David and Rhonda begin the discussion of the Cognitive Distortion Starter Kit with a review the three principles of cognitive therapy:
* Our positive and negative feelings do NOT result from what happens in our lives, but rather from our thoughts about what’s happening or what happened.
* Depression and anxiety result from distorted, illogical, misleading t…
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Apr 23, 2020
187: Live Therapy with Michael--The Awesome Atlanta TEAM Therapy Demo!
Recently we did a follow-up podcast with Dr. Michael Greenwald, who bravely volunteered to be the patient in the live therapy demonstration on the evening of Day 1 of the fall Atlanta intensive. My co-therapist was Thai-An Truong from Oklahoma City. Although it was a total blow-away session, we did not think the audio was good enough for a podcast, because we only recorded it on Michael's cell phone. However, our beloved colleague, Dr. Brandon Vance from Oakland, offered to improve the audio quality, so we are now presenting it to you! The audio is not quite as good as a typical podcast, but is good enough, especially after the first few minutes.
The podcast includes the entire session, without commentary, as well as the 15 minute Relapse Prevention Training at the end of the workshop on day 4. Because the entire audio is about two hours long, feel free to take a break half way through, perhaps after the E = Empathy portion of the session, or the A = Assessment of Resistance, and the…
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Apr 20, 2020
186: Mark Your Calendars -- The Evolution of Psychotherapy Conference is Coming in December 2020. An Interview with Dr. Jeffrey Zeig
Today, Rhonda and David have the honor and pleasure of interviewing Dr. Jeffrey Zeig, the beloved founder and head of the Milton H. Erickson Institute in Phoenix, Arizona. Every four years, Jeff sponsors the awesome Evolution of Psychotherapy Conference, which draws more than 7,000 mental health professionals to hear all of the most famous and best psychotherapy teachers and innovators in the world to beautiful Anaheim, California for five days. This year, it will be December 9 to 13, 2020.
In this far-reaching interview, Jeff talks about the history of psychotherapy, beginning with Freud's work beginning in 1885, all the way up to the first Evolution of Psychotherapy Conference on the 100th anniversary of Freud's origins, in 1985. He explains that up until the beginning of World War II, psychotherapists were focused on the WHY of emotional problems, in spite of the fact that the causes of depression and anxiety were then, and still are, completely unknown.
Then, around 1944, therapi…
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Apr 16, 2020
Corona Cast 5:The Corona Cast Survey. Have Our Negative or Positive Feelings Changed? And by How Much? Are Men or Women Hurting More?
David and Rhonda are joined in today’s podcast by Drs. Alex Clarke and Diane Schiano, as well as Jeremy Karmel, who are all members of David's Tuesday training group at Stanford. Alex is a clinical psychiatrist and TEAM therapist who practices at the Feeling Good Institute in Mountain View, California, and Diane is a research psychologist and licensed marriage and family therapist. All three helped in the design and analysis of the survey data. We published the survey in a blog entitled "How Are You Feeling Now?" on March 26, 2020 . To review the full report of our findings, you can click here.
I (David) have been curious about occasional polls of our listeners to see if we can get meaningful results to potentially interesting questions. So this was a kind of pilot study to see if negative and positive feelings have changed in our fans since the advent of the corona pandemic.
You are probably aware of the Brief Mood Survey that TEAM therapists ask patients to complete prior to an…
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Apr 13, 2020
185: More Great Questions from Listeners Like You!
Rhonda and David address five fascinating questions in today’s podcast, including these:
* “I’m incredibly shy. How do you talk to girls?”
* How did you get over your fear of vomiting?
* Do you still use behavioral techniques like Exposure?
* Should I try to include the E and A of TEAM when trying to crush my negative thoughts on my daily mood log? And how would I do this?
* Please give us a podcast on how to express anger.
Nandini writes:
I have zero experience dating and talking to girls. I don't know how to even make girl as friend.
Whenever I talk to a girl, the next day I think “How should I talk to her?”
Should I go to her because now she wants me to talk to her?
Which makes me very nervous.
And also. if am talking to a girl I think about when I will have to go to her next time. When I’m doing my work, I think should I go to her, because she works in our office.
Means I don't know how to do that! Can you help?
Rhonda and David respond with some si…
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Apr 9, 2020
Corona Cast 4: I Might Lose My Husband!
David and Rhonda are joined in today’s podcast by Dr. Taylor Chesney, a former student of David’s who is now the head of the Feeling Good Institute of New York City. She is a prominent TEAM-CBT therapist and trainer, and specializes in the treatment of children and teenagers.
Taylor kindly agreed to do some live work today on her panic and despair because of the impact of the pandemic on her family. Her situation is especially challenging and poignant because her husband, Gregg, is a highly esteemed Emergency Room / Intensive Care physician in New York, and he is constantly working to save the lives of Covid-19 victims. Ten days ago he moved to a separate apartment several blocks away so he will not put his wife and children in harm’s way in case he contracts the Covid-19 virus.
But will he, himself, be struck down by this vicious virus? He told Taylor that he recently had to intubate several of his colleagues, which is horrifying. Taylor fears that she may lose her beloved hus…
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Apr 6, 2020
Corona Cast 3: Quieting Conflict / Boosting Love
My mother won't follow my advice!
David and Rhonda are joined in today’s podcast by Alex Clarke, MD, a former student of David’s who is practicing TEAM therapy at the Feeling Good Institute in Mountain View, California, and by Zeina Halim, a TEAM therapist and student in David’s Tuesday Stanford psychotherapy training group.
In our last two podcasts (Corona Cast 1 and 2) (links) we focused on the impact of the corona crisis on internal feelings like depression, anxiety, panic, hopelessness, and so forth. In this week's Corona Cast 3, we will switch our focus to the impact of the pandemic on personal relationships, using a real example. Zeina was concerned that her mother, aged 72, was not being sufficiently careful about social distancing. Zeina felt panicky because she feared her mother might get the virus and die.
However, Zeina’s mother is very self-reliant and independent, and didn’t take kindly to Zeina’s frequent reminders to do this or do that so as to be safe. Th…
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Mar 30, 2020
Corona Cast 2: Is this the "New Normal?"
With the "Shelter in Place" orders in California, we are recording these podcasts from our homes instead of from the Murietta Studios. The sound quality may not be as high as usual while we are learning to use the new technology. (I apologize for the echo in this week's podcast. It won't be there again-Rhonda) Let us know what you think! Thank you, David & Rhonda
David and Rhonda are joined again in today’s podcast by Jeremy Karmel, who is working with David on the new Feeling Great app. In our first Corona Cast, we promised to present an example of how TEAM-CBT can be helpful for individuals who feel depressed and anxious about the personal impact of the pandemic.
Rhonda kick starts today’s session by describing her treatment with a patient we're calling Alice just a few days ago. Alice woke up feeling stressed and having trouble settling in and getting to work. If you click here, you can see how she filled out the first few steps of the Daily Mood Log just before the start of…
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Mar 23, 2020
Corona Cast 1: Honoring Your Angst
With the "Shelter in Place" orders in California, we are recording these podcasts from our homes instead of from the Murietta Studios. The sound quality may not be as high as usual until we all get the necessary recording equipment, and learn the new technology. Please bare with us during this transition. Thank you, David & Rhonda
David and Rhonda are joined in today’s podcast by Jeremy Karmel, who is working with David on the new Feeling Great app, and Dr. Alex Clarke, a former student of David’s who is practicing TEAM therapy / psychiatry at the Feeling Good Institute in Mountain View, California.
One of our loyal podcast fans, Phil McCormack, sent a heartwarming email which read, in part:
In light of the pandemic taking us into uncharted territories, I thought it might be interesting to hear of some tips from you that would help folks deal with the situation, kind of like the David’s Top Ten Tips podcast but this one focused on the hysteria which is prevalent as I write. I…
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Mar 16, 2020
184: What Comes First? Negative Thoughts or Feelings? Solving the Chicken vs. the Egg Problem, and More!
Today, Rhonda and David answer several challenging questions submitted by listeners like you.
* What schools of therapy are embedded in TEAM?
* Do negative feelings cause negative thoughts? Or do negative thoughts cause negative feelings? Or both? Or neither?
* “Can TEAM-CBT help bipolar patients during the depressed phase?”
* How do you make Externalization of Voices work? I get stuck! For example, my patient said, "It's unfair that I cannot get a job!"
* Is there a cure for OCD?
1. What schools of therapy are embedded in TEAM?
Dear Dr. Burns,
I have some questions specifically about T.E.A.M. therapy. You mention in a blog post that T.E.A.M. therapy "integrates features and techniques from more than a dozen schools of therapy." I'm aware of many of the CBT techniques you use, but I don't think I've read yet of any technique belonging to any other schools of therapy. Would you be so kind as to mention such techniques?
Madelen
Hi Madelen,
This is important because…
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Mar 9, 2020
183: Tough Conversations about Racial Bias. Yikes! Do We HAVE TO Talk About This?
Today, Rhonda and David talk about how to give potentially hurtful feedback when you sense racial bias in a friend or colleague. She describes an incident in her office where the glass coffee table in her waiting room was found smashed and shattered when her office mate "Steve" (not his real name) arrived Monday morning. Although many people, including the cleaning crew, had used the office over the weekend, Steve asked Rhonda to discuss the broken table with someone who uses her office on the weekends, Kenya. Kenya is African American, and a highly esteemed professional and beloved friend and colleague of Rhonda's. Rhonda thought there was implicit bias being played out in this situation but did not know how to discuss it with Steve.
But how can she convey these feelings to her office mate, who conveyed the impression that a black man must be the one who broke the table?
David suggests one of the advanced communication techniques called "Changing the Focus" discussed and demonstrate…
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Mar 2, 2020
182: Ask David-Are Negative and Positive Distortions Bad? Treating an Existential Crisis. Agreeing with Unfair Criticisms
Today, Rhonda and David answer three great questions submitted by listeners like you.
* I am confused about the terms, negative and positive distortions. Help!
* “How do you treat an “existential crisis?”
* Can you use the Five Secrets with someone in a hypo-manic state? Won’t agreeing with their accusations just make things worse?
1. I am confused about the terms, negative and positive distortions.
Dear Dr. Burns,
I do have one question about terms I have heard on the podcast. The terms that confuse me are "negative distortions" and "positive distortions." I think I understand that they are both "bad" distortions, but the positive distortions are distortions related to moods or thoughts that are unhealthily high or "up," such as in mania or narcissism. And negative distortions are the ones related to lower mood states/depression. Is this correct? I don't know if it is a brain thing, but even though I think I understand the concepts, my brain still seems to automatica…
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Feb 24, 2020
181: LIve Therapy with Sarah: Shrinks are Human, Too!
In my workshops and weekly training group for community therapists at Stanford, we often include personal work as a part of the training. The personal work can help in several ways:
* When you’ve successfully done your own personal work, you will feel greater joy and energy in your personal life and in your clinical work as well.
* You will have a much deeper understanding of how TEAM-CBT actually works.
* You will be able to deliver faster and deeper therapy to your patients.
* You’ll be able to tell your patients, “I know how you feel, because I’ve been there myself. And what a joy it’s going to be to show you the way out of the woods, too!”
* Those who observe the therapy develop a greater understanding of how the fine points of effective therapy.
* When the person in the “patient” role has a profound change, we all share that joy and feel inspired by the miracles that can often be accomplished in a relatively short period of time. As they say, “seeing…
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Feb 17, 2020
180: Feeling Great: The Book and the App!
Rhonda and David are joined today by Jeremy Karmel who is working with David on a new Feeling Great app.
Rhonda begins by reading several amazing emails from fans whose lives have been changed by the podcasts as well as David’s books, including Jessica, Tim, and Mike. Thank you, everyone, for such kind and thoughtful comments!
This great photo of Rhonda is courtesy of Nancy Mueller, a local photographer who kindly took some pics at my home in Los Altos, California.
David describes his upcoming book, Feeling Great, which will be released in September of 2020. It will move well beyond his first book, Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy, all will incorporate all of the latest hi-speed treatment techniques in TEAM-CBT (aka “Feeling Great Therapy.”) David describes his excitement about the team he is working with to publish his latest book, including Linda Jackson at PESI (the publishing company), and Jenessa Jackson, his editor.
Jeremy describes why he approached David to develop…
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Feb 10, 2020
179: My Husband is Leaving Me. I Think He Needs Help!
Rhonda and David are joined today by Dr. Michael Greenwald, who was in the studio following his recording of last week’s podcast. We address a fascinating question submitted by a podcast fan:
Sally asks” “How can I help my depressed husband who is leaving me?”
Hello Dr David,
My husband is going through severe depression and anxiety. He blames me frequently for all the bad decisions he made, and he says he married the wrong woman.
He regrets almost every decision he made and says he made the decision [to marry me] under my pressure. Our marriage of 20 years is almost leading to separation.
I don’t want to separate, but I don’t know how I can improve the situation. He doesn’t want to go to any doctor.
Do you think if I decide to go to TEAM certified therapist, they can work on me to get him out of his depression? If yes, how many sessions will it take?
Sally
David, Rhonda and Michael discuss this sad and difficult situation that Sally describes. Feeling loved and c…
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Feb 3, 2020
178: Social Anxiety Be Gone! The Awesome Atlanta TEAM Therapy Demonstration!
In today’s podcast, Rhonda and David are honored to interview Dr. Michael Greenwald, a courageous clinical psychologist who helped make the Atlanta Intensive a truly amazing event. Michael volunteered for the live demonstration to work on his lifelong problem with social anxiety, which seems to be a popular topic these days, and likely a personal problem for many podcast fans.
My co-therapist was Thai-An Truong, a highly respected TEAM therapist and TEAM therapy trainer from Oklahoma City. Thai-An also joins today’s podcast via Zoom and dialogues with Michael for the first time since the intensive.
The session with Michael was powerful and inspiring, with a good 50% of the audience in tears (of joy) at the end. Michael recorded the session on his cell phone, but the quality was not up to the quality of our podcast recordings, so he agreed to fly up to the “Murietta Studios” from his home in Los Angeles so we could at least describe what happened and share the magic with you.…
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Jan 27, 2020
177: Our Beloved Fabrice returns! New Psychedelic Research!
Rhonda, Fabrice, and David discuss psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, Fabrice’s wonderful new marriage, his fascinating new podcast (http://peaceatlast.us/), and more.
David and Rhonda are thrilled to have our beloved friend and colleague, Dr. Fabrice Nye, as the special guest on today’s podcast. Many of you will remember Fabrice as the man who gave birth to the Feeling Good Podcast, and acted as host for the first 133 podcasts.
Fabrice describes many events since he turned over the reins to Rhonda earlier this year, including his recent marriage and move to the beautiful but fire-ravaged Russian River area roughly 100 miles north of San Francisco. However, Fabrice still maintains his clinical practice on a part time basis in Redwood City, in the San Francisco Bay area.
The main focus of today’s podcast is Fabrice’s participation in promising new research on the treatment of PTSD. The participants in the study are veterans receiving psychotherapy that is assisted by treatme…
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Jan 20, 2020
176: My suicidal daughter refuses to talk with me / How can I deal with my jealousy?
Rhonda and David discuss two challenging questions submitted by listeners like you.
Question #1: Cindy asks: My suicidal daughter refuses to talk to me! What can I do?
Comment: Dear David,
I stumbled upon you teaching in another podcast a few months ago. Immediately I was stunned by how much your words echoed in my mind. I have listened to your book three times in Audible and many of your podcasts. You Changed my life!!!
I am much more relaxed now and I can sleep!!! I talked about you with my massage therapist and she bought your book for her daughter (who has anxiety attacks) and her niece. Her daughter is an aspiring artist who said that she would buy your book and give them away to teens when she becomes famous.
I now ask you to change another life, that of my daughter's. She has been depressed for more than 20 years, suicidal (bought a noose, watches suicide movies, talked about ways to kill herself) and no therapists could help. We went to therapy together this past summer an…
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Jan 13, 2020
175: What if I REALLY AM a useless human being? The Cure for Therapeutic Failure!
Rhonda and David address a question from Karolina, a therapist in Poland who was failing with a depressed patient who felt totally convinced he was a “useless” human being. I think you will find their discussion of this case fascinating, as it deals with the cause of practically ALL therapeutic failure, and illustrates the solution al well, using TEAM-CBT methods and concepts.
Today’s podcast is intended for therapists and patients alike!
For the show notes, we are including the email David received from Karolina, as well as his initial response.
Dear Dr. Burns,
I've been listening to your podcast for 6 months now and it's been so helpful with my work as a therapist as well as in my personal life. I'm starting to develop a habit of considering every unwanted state with a "what does it say that's awesome about me?" and I'm much happier now :).
I'm wondering if you'd consider helping me some more. I have a client who's been struggling with depression for many years. At the mom…
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Jan 6, 2020
174: Sadness as Celebration featuring Steve & Barbara Reinhard
People in the featured photo for today's podcast. Back row: Amir, David, Rhonda, and Dave. Front row: Steve and Barb
This will be our first podcast of 2020, so we wanted to make it a really good one!
Rhonda, Dave and I are very proud to welcome Steve Reinhard and his wonderful wife, Barb, on today’s podcast. Steve and Barbara flew in from Colorado to join the Sunday hike and do this podcast in the “Murietta Studios” following the hike. Steve is a former electrical contractor and lay minister, and is the first certified life coach to be admitted into the TEAM-CBT certification program at the Feeling Good Institute in Mt. View, Ca, (link).
The following is a heart-warming email I received from Steve prior to the show.
Subject: Re: looking forward
Hi David,
Woohoo! We are partners in crime! I'm feeling super comfortable now.
Thanks David for your generous invitation! I'm happy to jump on any of the 3 options you suggested for the show. I'd love to hear your stories, especiall…
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Dec 30, 2019
173: Dr. Amir Sabouri on the Human Side of Medicine
This will be our last podcast of 2019, so we wanted to make it something special. We also want to thank all of you for your support over the past year, and wish you all the very best in 2020!
Thanks to all of you, we surpassed 1.5 million downloads this year, and will likely hit 2 million in the spring of 2020. If you like the Feeling Good Podcasts, please tell your friends and family members, as word of mouth is our best marketing by far. In addition, if you are a member of any mailing lists, send them this link to the list of all the Feeling Good Podcasts. On any given day, 30% of human beings are feeling depressed and / or anxious, so you'll be doing lots of people a favor, since the podcasts, as you know, are entirely free.
We are joined today by Amir Sabouri, PhD, MD, a highly esteemed neurologist from Iran with extensive medical training in the United States in addition to his PhD research in molecular immunology in Japan. Amir specializes in the treatment of horrific neuromusc…
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Dec 23, 2019
172: Ask David: What's the Impact of Emotional Trauma on the Brain? And more
Happy Holidays to everyone! Today's podcast is nestled between Hanukkah (on the 22nd) and Christmas Eve (on the 24th.) We send our warmest greetings to all of our listeners of all religious faiths.
Today, Rhonda, Dave and David discuss three questions you have submitted:
* Does emotional trauma cause brain damage?
* Do you have to have a good cry when something traumatic happens?
* Why does avoidance make anxiety worse?
1. Is it true that emotional trauma affects the brain?
Hi again Dr Burns,
I love the 5 secrets, and have had great success in my new job by implementing them! I keep listening to all the 5 secrets podcasts over and over to keep it fresh for me and really loved the podcast on advanced techniques.
My question today is about how trauma affects the brain. ‘Trauma’ is the new buzz word in education, and psychologists are creating presentations geared for teachers and other school professionals that claim the “trauma-affected brain” is altered and cannot l…
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Dec 16, 2019
171: Ask David: "Burn Out," Physical Pain, and more
Today, Rhonda rejoins us as host after a three week hiatus! My neighbor, Dave Fribush, joins us as well, as we answer two thought-provoking questions!
* Is it possible to treat “burnout?”
* Can negative feelings can make physical pain worse?
1. Does "burnout" exist? How do you treat it?
Comment: Hi!
I have been listening to your podcast for a while now and it has helped, and has encouraged me and made me feel less alone. Thank for your work and sharing your podcast with us!
My situation now is very much defined by my burnout syndrome (a medical diagnosis in Sweden, not sure about the US) and/or depression. From what I’ve learnt there is no evidence of CBT as a treatment for burnout - really nothing other than adaptations at your workplace. What triggered me to ”hit the wall” was studying too hard and not giving my body and mind time to recover.
Do you have any thoughts on burnout and effective treatment of it? I feel I have made huge progress in the underlying reaso…
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Dec 9, 2019
170: Ask David: Helping Abused Women, and the Case Against Wellness!
Today, Rhonda could not join us due to the religious holidays, so we have recorded several podcasts with my wonderful neighbor, Dave Fribush, as host. In addition, we are joined by Michael Simpson, a friend and colleague from New York.
Dave, Michael and I answer two thought-provoking questions!
1. Working with Abused Women
Hi David (and Rhonda!),
I want to start out by stating how much I love your podcast. It has helped me understand myself, and, in turn, has made me a much more effective counselor.
I'm a drug and alcohol counselor, working here in Los Angeles. I work primarily with women from 18 - 25 years old who have aged out of the foster care system. They are an endearing group of women, as I know you are aware (I've heard you speak of working with this population), and they just want to feel loved and worthy. However, their deep-seated beliefs of being unworthy of good things happening in their lives prevents them from attaining their goals of getting jobs, getting their chi…
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Dec 2, 2019
169: More on Social Anxiety-The Case for Vulnerability!
Today's podcast features Michael Simpson, a friend and colleague of Dr Burns, who describes his personal battle with social anxiety. Dave Fribush will again be our host, since Rhonda is celebrating the important religious holiday of Yom Kippur with her family.
Michael first became acquainted with David when he read David’s book, When Panic Attacks, which he says was SO GOOD! But when he went to David’s website, www.feelinggood.com, he was shocked to see so much terrific free content for people, but the website was not well-presented. In fact, it was pretty sucky!
So, Michael sent David a brief video, pointing out all the problems, and offered to redo the website in exchange for some help with his social anxiety—and the relationship took off from there!
Michael describes his own experiences with social anxiety, which amounts to slight to moderate nervousness, tension and dis-ease during interactions with people. There is no apparent pattern to his triggers: he can become anxiou…
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Nov 25, 2019
168: Ask David: The Blushing Cure, How to Heal a Broken Heart, Treating Anorexia, and more!
Happy Thanksgiving if you live in the United States! This is my favorite holiday, because it means just hanging out with the people you love, eating some wonderful food together, and doing simple things like a family hike, without the commercialism and "push" of some of the other holidays. I wish the very best to you and yours, too!
Today, Rhonda could not join us due to Yom Kippur, the highest Jewish holy day. So we will record three podcasts with my wonderful neighbor, Dave Fribush, as host. In addition, we are joined by Michael Simpson, who flew out from New York to attend my Empathy workshop two days ago. He will also join the Tuesday group at Stanford tonight. Michael is doing a massive upgrade / fast lift of my website, www.feelinggood.com, which will likely be published by the time you read this. Let us know what you think about the new "look."
Dave Fribush, Michael and I answer many thought-provoking questions submitted by listeners like you!
1. How can I overcome my fear of…
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Nov 18, 2019
167: Feeling Great: Professor Mark Noble on TEAM-CBT and the Brain
Professor Mark Noble was our special guest on the one hundredth Feeling Good Podcast. In that podcast, he described the effects of TEAM-CBT on the human brain. Many listeners were enthralled by Dr. Noble's revolutionary ideas!
Today, Dr. Noble returns to discuss his illuminating ideas, and prevents an overview of his chapter entitled, "TEAM CBT and the Art of Micro-Neurosurgery: A Brain User's Guide to Feeling Great," which will appear in David's new book, Feeling Great, which will be released by PESI in 2020.
Rhonda begins the podcast by asking how Dr. Noble met Dr. Burns. What brought the two of you together?
Dr. Noble explains that he read about David's work on drug-free treatments for depression in the October, 2013 issue of Stanford Magazine entitled Mind Over Misery, This article became the most-read article in the history of the Stanford Magazine. Dr. Noble was particularly interested in drug-free treatments for depression because of some alarming research emerging in his lab…
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Nov 11, 2019
166: Escape from Physical Pain: An Interview with Dr. David Hanscom
In today's podcast, David and Rhonda interview Dr. David Hanscom, a renowned and controversial spine surgeon who gave up a large and lucrative surgical practice in favor of helping and educating people struggling with back pain, directing them on the path to recovery without surgery or drugs.
Dr. Hanscom describes his personal journey and recovery from panic, pain, and other disabling somatic symptoms when he read Dr. Burns' book, Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy, and began doing the written triple column technique to challenge his own negative thoughts and overcome his own feelings of depression, panic, hopelessness, and anger.
He also began to study alarming research reports indicating that many of the surgical procedures were no more effective than placebos; and even worse, he could see that back surgery often had damaging and even disabling and horrific effects on patients. And he also discovered that most of the patients seeking surgery for back pain could be helped simply thr…
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Nov 4, 2019
165: Ask David: Why do shrinks kill themselves? How to find out if your loved one is suicidal.
In today's podcast, David and Rhonda answer two questions about suicide submitted by podcast fans.
Question 1. Why do shrinks kill themselves?
Dear Dr Burns,
Before I get to my question (which I hope you will consider addressing in your 'Ask David' segment of the podcast), I would like to extend my gratitude to you. Your book, Feeling Good, came to me at a time when I was struggling to make sense of my depression and anxiety, and it has been a vital part of my recovery journey. The exercises and the podcast have been such lifelines, and I am grateful to you for the incredible and life-changing work that you do.
I know you have addressed the topic of suicide in a previous episode, but I recently was struck by a piece of news from my alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania, where a senior member of the college's counselling services (CAPS) died by suicide. Here was someone who had spent his life's work on promoting suicide prevention, and had a great deal of knowledge on resilienc…
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Oct 28, 2019
164: How to HELP, and how NOT to Help!
Lately, I’ve received numerous emails asking, in essence, "how can I help my loved one who has this or that problem?" I would say that I get several emails like that every week.
For example, here's one from a man we’ll call “Karl.”
Love you podcasts. Listen as often as I can. keep reading your books.
Our son is in an unhappy marriage. Last night we talked and he mentioned that there is no love in their marriage. Just coldness. The children "feel" the chasm. There is a lack of trust in the home.
Our son feels he did not protect the children in defense of their mom, even though he disagreed with her. Now the children feel their father does not have their best interests. Our daughter-in-law feels that everything is fine. She uses the passive-aggressive "silent treatment" to punish others.
Our son says she is controlling and manipulative, and that the children have become that way also. There's no truth in the home. Years ago, she wanted them to go to counseling, but our son r…
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Oct 21, 2019
163: Ask David: Anxiety, Dreams, Cyclical Negative Thoughts, Secrets of Selling, Exposure, and more
163: Ask David: Anxiety, Dreams, Cyclical Negative Thoughts, Secrets of Selling, Exposure, and more
Can you treat anxiety without meds?
How do you interpret dreams?
Are negative thoughts cyclical?
How can I get over anxiety when selling?
How does exposure work?
Will you teach on the East Coast again?
Hi! We’ve had tons of great questions from listeners like you. Here’s the first:
Question #1. TREATING ANXIETY WITHOUT MEDICATIONS
Hi Dr. Burns,
I would love to talk to you!!!
I have been going to a wonderful counselor for several years, and he is the one who recommended your book. My question is how can you overcome anxiety without taking medicine?
I have been on a very low dose medicine for years and would love to discontinue but when I try the anxiety seems to come back.
Thank you.
Lisa
Hi Lisa,
Thank you for your email! This is one of my favorite topics, since I’ve personally had at least 17 different anxiety disorders that I’ve had to overcome. That’s why I…
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Oct 14, 2019
162: HIgh-Speed Cure for OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)
“Yikes! I might get contaminated!”
The Treatment of Sara
Today we are joined by a woman named Sara, who will be featured in one of the chapters from my new book, Feeling Great.
Rhonda begins today’s podcast by reading two heart-warming endorsements from podcast fans. Then we did a brief overview of OCD. OCD consists of two components, obsessions and compulsions. The obsessions are intrusive, anxiety provoking thoughts, like “what if I forgot to turn off the burners on the stove.” Compulsions are rituals that temporarily relieve the anxiety, such as going back into the kitchen repeatedly to make sure that the burners really are turned off. This problem can become more and more severe until the obsessive thoughts and compulsive rituals consume massive amounts of the patient’s time and become crippling.
You are probably aware that OCD plagued the life of the billionaire playboy, Howard Hughes, featured in the recent film, “The Aviator.” During the last years of his lif…
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Oct 7, 2019
161: Listening to a Different Kind of Music
Hearing the Music Behind the Words
This podcast again features the music of two beloved colleagues we introduced last week, Brandon Vance, MD and Heather Clague MD. We will be listening to music again this week, but it will be, for the most part, a different kind of music—it’s the music behind the words when someone criticizes you. We will be focusing on the most challenging and important of the Five Secrets of Effective Communication, the Disarming Technique. This week, Brandon and Heather will help Rhonda and David illustrate how to use this technique when you’re under the fire of criticism. But in addition, Brandon and Heather will also sing one more of their extremely beautiful and fun songs, appropriately entitled, “The Five Secrets!”
When you use the Disarming Technique, you find the truth in a criticism, even if the criticism seems untrue, unfair, or exaggerated. This technique is based on the Law of Opposites. The essence of the Law of Opposites is that if you gen…
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Sep 30, 2019
160: Listening to the Music of TEAM
Introducing Brandon Vance, MD
& Heather Clague, MD
This podcast features the music of two beloved colleagues, Brandon Vance, MD and Heather Clague MD. Brandon and Heather are both certified TEAM-CBT psychiatrists practicing in Oakland, California. Brandon is a brilliant multi-instrumentalist and singer / song writer / performer who has transformed his vision of TEAM-CBT into music! Heather is brilliant and fun improv acting teacher and performer who is quick in her mind and on her feet! Brandon and Heather have performed at David’s annual South San Francisco psychotherapy intensive for the past several years, and we are delighted to bring them to you up close and personal today!
In today’s podcast, they’ll bring you their songs and amazing personal stories. And what is super cool is that you can follow the words for the music right here in the show notes.
Song #1
Heather and Brandon begin with music about a familiar but painful theme for nearly all of us—the feeling of fa…
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Sep 23, 2019
159: Live Therapy with Marilyn: "What if I die without having lived a meaningful life?"
The Secret of a Meaningful Life
One of my favorite podcasts of all time, and one of the most frequently downloaded, was the live session with Daisy (podcast #79): “What’s the Secret of a Meaningful Life?” You may recall that Daisy and her husband, Zane, were looking forward with dread to the possibility of childlessness, since their efforts at pregnancy had so far failed, and Daisy was asking if she could possibly have a joyful and meaningful life without children.
In today’s podcast we return to the same type of question from the other end of the spectrum. When we age and look back on our lives, and realize that our days are numbered, we may once again, "Have I lived a meaningful life?"
Do you know how to answer this question? What, in your opinion, is the secret of a meaningful life?
If the answer to this question is important to you, you might enjoy today’s podcast, which features, once again, two beloved friends and colleagues, Dr. Marilyn Coffee and Dr. Matthew May.…
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Sep 16, 2019
158: Changing the Focus: One of the Advanced Secrets of Effective Communication
David and Rhonda are joined again today by David's neighbor, friend, and hiking buddy, Dave Fribush. We appreciate his superb technical skills and thank Dave for his support of our podcasts!
Rhonda starts the podcast by reading a question from a podcast fan named Rajesh, who wrote:
I have often seen that estranged friends or family members do not talk or resolve a trivial conflict for years because one or both of them have ego issues or have fear of rejection. This problem of unfairness may even exist between a demanding parent and the child, ranging from secretly resenting to not talking at all. They might come face to face in family occasions or professional settings in case of friendship and bear the discomfort, but not attempt to reconcile.
They might be suffering deep down emotionally but they refuse to accept that it matters. One or both members might feel they have been treated unfairly and expect apologies. But, both parties are scared to even make the move for the fear of b…
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Sep 9, 2019
157: Psychotherapy Training: Poor, Good or Outstanding?
One Student’s Experience
In today’s podcast, Rhonda and I are super-pleased to interview Kyle Jones again. For some time now, Kyle has been telling me that he wants to talk about his psychotherapy training experiences on a podcast. This subject is near and dear to my heart, since I do a great deal of training, so Rhonda and I decided to do this second interview with Kyle, and it’s a good one, I think! You may recall our recent interview with Kyle on his interesting research and perspective on the treatment of LGBTQ individuals several weeks ago.
Kyle is a brilliant and super-friendly 5th year graduate student in clinical psychology at Palo Alto University, and has been a member of my Tuesday evening psychotherapy training group at Stanford for the past four years as well. Kyle now sees patients at the Feeling Good Institute in Mt. View, California. He has also been promoted to small group leader in our Tuesday group, and does superb work as a teacher.
During today’s intervie…
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Sep 2, 2019
156: Ask David: How can I cope with claustrophobia? What if the entire world thinks I am not worthwhile?
Plus, Thomas Szaas, TV Shrinks, and more!
David and Rhonda are joined today by David's neighbor, friend, and hiking buddy, Dave Fribush. He has incredible technological skills, and wisdom. We thank Dave for his support of our podcasts!
We open the podcast with a wonderful email from a fan named Sushant who listened to Feeling Good Podcasts for nine hours during a rigorous hike to the "Tiger Monastery" in Bhutan. You can see Sushant and his phone, showing the podcast icon, just in front of the monastery.
Rhonda encourages podcast fans from around the world to send photos of yourself listening to the Feeling Good Podcast in additional unusual or exotic locations! Might be fun to see what you send to us!
Here are the questions for today's program:
Ann asks: Loved your podcast (on the exposure model, #26)! But I do have a question - I have suffered from panic attacks for years - the past 2 years I've become agoraphobic and don't want to be far away from my house. So, my phobia is now…
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Aug 26, 2019
155: Treating Depression, Emotional Eating, and Self-Image Problems with TEAM-CBT
The Story of Lorraine and “Anna”
In today’s podcast, David and Rhonda interview Dr. Lorraine Wong, a board-certified clinical psychologist, and her patient, “Anna,” who sought treatment recently for depression, anxiety, and self-image / self-esteem issues. But first, David and Rhonda answer a question submitted by Estafonia, a “public image consultant,” who asks about the treatment of a woman who sees herself as “fat.”
Estafonia wrote:
“Hi Dr. Burns,
“I am learning TEAM, CBT and implementing your techniques to help my clients change or improve their self-perception. In most cases, your techniques have been very effective. I am very grateful to you and I will happily join your list of fans!
“My question is this—What would be the best method to change someone’s self-image? How can you help people change the idea that they are fat for example?
“I have a patient who can't defeat the thought, ‘I am fat.’ We tried the method called Examine the Evidence…
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Aug 19, 2019
154: Ask David - Relationship Problems: What can you do when people "ghost" you? What can I do when my wife doesn't want sex? And more!
Ask David Five Secrets Relationship Questions
Kate asks: I love listening to your podcasts and am currently reading my way through your book, Feeling Good. I appreciate that you have written and spoken about relationship problems at length, but in what I have read and heard so far I do not see how this can apply to the current climate of casual dating and hook up culture which is fueled by apps such as Tinder.
I don't know how it's possible to build relationships when the dominant mentality is that people are disposable. It feels like no matter how much I find truth in what my date says, stroke them and empathize with them, that they will disappear ('ghost') at the drop of a hat.
I think this may be a significant problem for many of your listeners, and would greatly appreciate your thoughts, as well as any practical steps on how to date in today's world. * * *
Eli asks: Your work has helped me tremendously over the past 2 years. However, recently I’ve discovered something about m…
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Aug 12, 2019
153 - Ask David: Is it ok to touch patients? Does Depression ALWAYS result from distorted thoughts? And more!
New Ask David Questions
* Kelly asks: Would love to hear a podcast about to use or not to use touch in therapy. I personally feel touch is extremely helpful (what is more natural than to hug or put a hand on someone hurting), however I believe our profession has become so “professionalized” that is leaves out such a power act of healing. Did you ever use touch when you were practicing, and do you feel it is appropriate?
* Against Machines Taking Over asks: You say that depression always results from distorted thoughts. But the sadness that results from a failure, rejection, or disappointment is not distorted. Can you explain a bit more about this?
* Against Machines Taking Over also asks: Is there something you used to advocate for before but then you changed your mind?
* Eduardo asks: How do you treat hypochondriasis. Almost all articles and advices I've read for hypochondriasis try to cover the writer's back by first and foremost telling you that you should get yourself…
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Aug 5, 2019
152: Treating At-Risk Teens with TEAM-CBT. Can you REALLY Make a Difference?
In today's podcast, Rhonda and I interview the incredibly brilliant, funny, and creative Amy Spector. Amy is a licensed marriage and family therapist and credentialed school counselor with over a decade of experience working with adolescents and their families. She is passionate about providing school-based mental health services and advocates for legislation to mandate universal mental health care for youth.
Amy works with "at risk" teenagers at Vicente High School in Martinez, California. This is a continuation high school, as well as teens at Briones School, an independent study school. Her students are credit deficient and at risk of not graduating from high school. Nearly all have experienced significant trauma and most are severely depressed, anxious and angry when first referred to Amy, and some have suicidal thoughts or urges as well.
Although you might think that this would be an exceptionally challenging, oppositional, and frustrating group to work with, Amy has had tremend…
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Jul 29, 2019
151: Treating LGBTQ Patients--What's the TEAM Approach?
Are there some special techniques therapists need
to use when working with LGBTQ patients?
Does the therapeutic approach have to be different?
In today’s podcast, Rhonda and David interview Kyle Jones, a brilliant 5th year PhD student at Palo Alto University. Kyle has been a member of David’s training group at Stanford for the past four years, and now sees patients at the Feeling Good Institute in Mt. View, California. Today’s program is based on Kyle’s doctoral research on the treatment of LGBTQ patients.
To get the interview started, Kyle defines LGBTQ:
L = lesbian
G = gay
B = bisexual
T = transsexual
Q = questioning, or queer.
Then Rhonda asks the obvious question: How does the treatment of LGBTQ individuals differ from the treatment of individuals who are heterosexual? What are the key differences? What special techniques or procedures should therapists use? And what does Kyle’s research reveal about the important factors in the treatment of gay individuals?
Ky…
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Jul 22, 2019
150: I'm anxious but don't have any negative thoughts. What can I do?
What can you do when you can’t identify your negative thoughts?
Is it really true that our feelings always result from negative thoughts?
How can I get over my public speaking anxiety?
Rubens, a faithful and enthusiastic Feeling Good Podcast fan, sent me an email with a terrific question that has both practical and theoretical implications. He wrote:
Dear Mr. David,
I've read "Feeling Good" and I'm reading "When Panic Attacks" now. Both have and are helping me immensely.
However, the one thing I have never understood is that my anxieties and worries often don't come as a thought. For instance, I have an academic presentation tomorrow, and I'm suffering from much anxiety because of that. But the symptoms did not appear because I thought in my mind the sentence "you are going to fail!". In my case, it is usually silent. I just remember that I have a presentation tomorrow, then I immediately feel worried. My chest hurts before any thought. How do I counter-argument my thoughts, if…
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Jul 15, 2019
149: Is Cognitive Therapy a Cure-All for Everything?
I recently published the results of a survey of Feeling Good Podcast fans like yourself. The findings were overwhelmingly positive and illuminating. However, there were a few criticisms as well, like the excellent and thoughtful comments Rhonda and I will address in this podcast. I appreciate negative feedback, as this provides the greatest opportunities for growth and learning.
However, like most people, I sometimes find criticisms emotionally challenging and want to lash out, defending myself! Do you sometimes feel that way, too?
When I feel defensive, its because I think I have a "self" or some cherished "territory" that's under attack. When I let go of this "self," it can be incredibly liberating to find truth in a criticism and discover that the feedback is really coming from a trusted colleague or friend, rather than some enemy who is trying to destroy or defeat you!
Here's what s/he wrote:
Dr. Burns, you seem to disregard healing modalities outside of CBT. CBT is wonderful…
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Jul 8, 2019
148: Ask David: What's in your new book? What's a nervous breakdown? How fast is fast? And more!
How would you overcome the fear of aging?
Can you use TEAM for sports psychology?
Describe your typical day, David--
do you ever get down or anxious?
Hi Listeners:
Thanks for your many and awesome questions. I love to answer them! And there will be more to come in future podcasts. Your questions are GREAT!
* Vipul: Tell us about your new book, Feeling Great. How will it be different from Feeling Good? And can people with schizoaffective disorder be helped? (story with Stirling Moorey)
* Guy: What’s a nervous breakdown?
* Rob: How would you treat a field goal kicker who’s afraid of missing the winning field goal? Would you use positive visualizations?
* Michael: How would you treat someone with the fear of aging? I turn 60 in a few months, and have been experiencing anxiety around not be able to do some of the things I love as I age.
* Hidem: How fast is fast? I notice your frequent use of the term "High Speed Recovery" (and even Warp Speed) when describing the benef…
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Jul 1, 2019
147: High-Speed Treatment of PTSD?
Is it REALLY Possible? And Can the Effects Last?
Rhonda and David interview Garry, a veteran who David treated for PTSD several years ago at a trauma workshop in Michigan. Garry describes how a repressed horrific memory from his childhood suddenly and forcefully re-emerged when he smelled some Queen Anne’s Lace that were in blossom. He suddenly remembered how a school bus he was riding home on hit a horse with a boy, Tommy, who was riding bareback, when the horse suddenly lurched in front of the bus. Tommy was Gary’s classmate.
The bus driver said, “Don’t look!” But Garry watched as his friend, who was trapped under the dead horse, “bled out” and died.
Once this totally forgotten memory re-emerged decades later, roughly 18 months prior to Garry’s session with David, it constantly intruded into Garry’s every interaction for the next year and a half. Garry says,
“I was seeing Tommy all the time, and having symptoms of anxiety, intrusive memory and dissociation exp…
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Jun 24, 2019
146: When Helping Doesn't Help!
Hi Listeners:
Most people do not do a very good at helping loved ones, colleagues, or friends who are upset and complaining. Have you ever noticed that when you try to help or give advice they just keep complaining? This can be very frustrating--fortunately there's a fabulous solution to this universal problem.
This special podcast features our guest, Dr. Jill Levitt, the Director of Clinical Training at the Feeling Good Institute. Jill is also one of the teachers at David's Tuesday evening psychotherapy training group at Stanford, as is our esteemed podcast host, Dr. Rhonda.
Jill describes the "helping" errors she made when her son became despondent after some painful foot surgery. Following the surgery, he was in a cast for weeks, and when the cast was removed, he discovered that he could not move or feel his toes. This is common, and results from muscle atrophy when you are in a cast, and is not dangerous.
However, Jill's son was very discouraged and frustrated, and told his mom…
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Jun 17, 2019
145: The TEAM Therapy Paradoxes
Hi Listeners:
Many of our podcasts are inspired by listeners like you who send us really cool emails with show ideas. Sometimes the emails are from people wanting self-help with emotional or relationship conflicts. And sometimes, they are from therapists wanting more training and information about TEAM. Rhonda and I love your emails!
Yesterday, I got the following email from Dipti Joshi, one of our listeners and TEAM-CBT therapists from India. Dipti flew all the way from India to Canada with her lovely daughter last summer for my Intensive in Whistler, Canada. I am hopeful that Dipti will one day create the first TEAM Treatment and Training Center in India. How cool would that be!
Here’s the email that Dipti sent me:
Dear David,
I am really enjoying all the educational materials available on your website. Thank you! I will soon be taking my Level 3 TEAM certification exam, and am seeking your kind blessings for the same!
Also, I have a special request for you. Is it possible to…
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Jun 10, 2019
144: Ask David--Relationships, Relationships, Relationships!
My wife claims that I never listen! How can I possibly agree with her?
My wife left me! How can I correct the distortions in her criticisms?
How can you deal with people who constantly wallow in self-pity?
And more!
Hi podcast fans,
Today we've got some terrific Five Secrets questions that you have submitted.
* Mike #1: I love your Five Secrets of Effective Communication. Why does secret #4, “I Feel” Statements, not include Thought Empathy?
* Mike #2: I have seen communication models that include expressing and listening for needs. Aren’t needs and wants important and important to express?
* Al: How can I help my wife recognize her many cognitive distortions, like All-or-Nothing Thinking? It seems hopeless!
* Guy: If a loved one says, “You never listen,” how could I possibly find the truth in this statement? How could you genuinely agree with an All-or-Nothing statement such as, “You never ….”?
* Both Sonja and Eileen asked: How can you deal with someone…
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Jun 3, 2019
143: Performance Anxiety: The Conclusion
Session with Rhonda, Part 2
Last week we published the first half of the session with Rhonda, who was struggling with severe performance anxiety about her work as the new host of the Feeling Good Podcast host. We did the initial T = Testing, which indicated many intense negative feelings, as well as E = Empathy phase of TEAM therapy session.
This week, we include the conclusion of the session, with A = Paradoxical Agenda Setting and M = Methods, plus final T = Testing to see how effective, or ineffective the session was.
As a reminder of the first podcast, plus the work done on this podcast, you can review Rhonda's Daily Mood Log here.
When you listen, you will see that the changes Rhonda experienced were amazing,. But were these changes real? It almost seem too easy, and too fast, especially for a problem that started in childhood and persisted right up to the present moment. Was the session just a publicity stunt, perhaps, or some kind of superficial quick fix? David asks Rhonda…
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May 27, 2019
142: Performance Anxiety: The Story of Rhonda, Part 1
"I sound stupid! . . . Ouch!"
Have you every struggled with performance anxiety, thinking you might fail or not be good enough? I think it is fair to say that every therapist in my Tuesday training group at Stanford has struggled with fairly intense feelings of anxiety and self-doubt, and perhaps you have, too, thinking you should be smarter or better than you are, and fearing that others would judge you if they saw your “true self.” In fact, I would suspect that most of our podcast fans have struggled with these feelings at some time during your life, and maybe even recently or now.
Well, today, we’ve got a wonderful program in store for you. Our own Dr. Rhonda Barovsky asked me for personal help with her own anxieties about being the new podcast host. I asked if she wanted to do it live, on a podcast, and she generously agreed!
In this heart-warming and very human session, Rhonda shares the negative thoughts and feelings she had when she listened to herself on several podca…
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May 20, 2019
141: Two Year Follow-Up with Mark
Are the rapid changes real? And do they last?
In the Spring of 2017, we published our first live TEAM therapy session so our listeners could peak behind closed doors to see an actual TEAM therapy session. Although the session lasted about two hours, we broke it up into seven consecutive podcasts including expert commentary on each segment of the session.
If you have not yet heard them, they were Feeling Good Podcast #29, published on April 10, 2017 through Podcast #35, on May 1, 2017 which was exactly two years from the time today’s podcast was recorded.
My co-therapist for this session was Dr. Jill Levitt, the Director of Clinical Training at the Feeling Good Institute in Mt. View, California. Our patient was a physician named Mark who’d had two goals for his life when he was growing up. The first goal was to become an outstanding doctor. The second goal was to have a large and loving family.
At the start of the session, Mark confessed that although he’d achieved his first…
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May 13, 2019
140: Ask David--Hypochondria, Abuse Survivors, Healthy Euphoria, Mania, ADHD, LSD and more!
Do I have ADHD? Is it a real disorder?
Hi podcast fans,
Today we've got some terrific questions that you have submitted.
General Questions
* Jose and Bri both asked: How would you treat hypochondria?
* Christian: How would you treat an abuse survivor? I’ve heard that talk therapy is inadequate for healing trauma!
* Ted: Is there such a thing as healthy euphoria?
* Hillary: Would you do a podcast covering the treatment of mania?
* Jim: I think I have ADHD, but some doctors claim it’s not a true diagnosis. What do you think?
* Dan: What your thoughts are on LSD in the treatment of depression and anxiety?
I could not get to all of your excellent questions in the time provided. The next time we do Ask David with general questions, we will include these:
* Guy: What’s a nervous breakdown?
* Rob: How would you treat a field goal kicker who’s afraid of missing the winning field goal? Would you use positive visualizations?
* Michael: How would you treat someone…
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May 6, 2019
139: Can a Self-Help Book REALLY Help? Or Is It Just Hype?
What's Bibliotherapy?
Hi podcast fans,David and Rhonda discuss and old controversy: Can a self-help book can really help? Or will you need psychotherapy and / or an antidepressant if you are seriously depressed?
[gallery ids="60,357,58,54,51,50,42" type="rectangular"]
I (DB) wrote up the following overview of bibliotherapy research prior to today’s recording with Rhonda. I hope you find it interesting!
I have to admit that I’ve never had much respect for self-help books. Many of them seem to be written by narcissistic individuals with pretty superficial ideas who mainly want to promote themselves, and this has been my strong bias as well. When I pick one up in a bookstore, I nearly always get immediately turned off. And I get a flood of them in the mail as well, from authors asking for an endorsement. I have a policy of not doing book or product endorsements—it’s the easiest way to say no.
And I never thought of my book, Feeling Good: The new Mood Therapy, as a self-help…
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Apr 29, 2019
138: Rapid Trauma Treatment — The Sherri Story (Part 2)
This is the second of two podcasts on the Story of Sherrie, who experienced some of the symptoms of PTSD after a traumatic event involving her husband. In the first podcast, we played the T, E, and A portions of the session. In this podcast, we will play the M = methods as well as the conclusion of this amazing session.
Dr. Rhonda and I will make some teaching comments on the session as well.
If you'd like to see Sherrie's end-of-session Daily Mood Log, click here.
After the session, Sherrie received some notes from others in the audience.
Sherrie,
I think what stood out for me in that session was your authenticity. No mask, no defenses. I fell like we can't really appreciate what our clients are doing when they open themselves up to face their fears until we do it honestly ourselves, and you did--in front of all of us! I feel it was a gift you gave us and I thank you!
Candice
Here's another note for Sherrie:
Sherrie, You Rock--I love you--and never met you before tonight. :)…
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Apr 22, 2019
137: Rapid Trauma Treatment: The Sherri Story (Part 1)
Hi Podcast Fans,
There have been many requests for more podcasts on how we would treat trauma, using the TEAM-CBT model. I have done at least 25 workshops on the treatment of trauma in the past several years, and always do a live therapy demonstration at the end of day 1, so people can see with their own eyes how TEAM-CBT actually works. About three years ago, I did a live demonstration with a wonderful woman named Sherrie who was extremely anxious about a traumatic event involving her husband a year earlier. Sherrie kindly and courageous gave me permission to share the audio tract with you. I think you'll really enjoy the session! I want to thank Sherrie for giving us this gift! I also want to thank my co-therapist during the session, Mike Christensen, who is Canada's top expert in TEAM-CBT. Here's our photo at the workshop:
While you are listening, you may want to take a look at Sherrie's Daily Mood Log, which describes the trauma, along with her negative thoughts and feelings. We…
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Apr 15, 2019
136: Mindfulness (Part 2) - Muscle or Myth?
Rhonda, Fabrice and I received a number of thoughtful emails following our recent podcast on mindfulness meditation, which seems to be quite popular these days, but there some push-back from listeners who all did not agree that mindfulness is an effective way of combating negative thoughts and feelings.
Email from Jeremy
Hi David,
I listened to the Feeling Good Podcast on meditation this morning and had some thoughts I wanted to share. For context I've been meditating daily for about 3 months.
First - I personally think that if someone is struggling with depression or anxiety, TEAM-CBT is a dramatically faster acting and more powerful tool than mindfulness. I've never seen or heard about someone having a dramatic recovering in just a few hours due to mindfulness. I've never seen the idea of resistance explored in any kind of mindfulness book or article.
I also don't really think much of mindfulness as a "method" in the TEAM model, because compared to the other methods for removing…
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Apr 8, 2019
135: Smashing Shyness (Part 2) — Beating Social Anxiety
How to Overcome Shyness
In a recent podcast, David and Rhonda emphasized the importance of specificity--selecting one specific moment when you want help. This is very true in the treatment of shyness.
Jason, who we introduced in the last podcast, wanted to work on the intense anxiety he felt in the locate grocery store. He thought the woman checking groceries was attractive, but he was terrified about talking to her, or trying to flirt. So he said nothing, and left the store feeling like a failure.
After this humiliating experience, he filled out a Daily Mood Log and listed all the Negative Thoughts and feelings he'd had while waiting to check his groceries. After doing Positive Reframing, he decided on the Negative Though he wanted to work on first: “People will think I’m a self-centered jerk if I try to flirt with her.” David and Jason put this thought in the Recovery Circle and selected more than 20 techniques Jason could use to challenge thought.
On the podcast, David and…
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