Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson

6 Lessons from Existential and Transpersonal Psychology

Dr. Rick and Forrest explore the lessons we can learn from two of Humanistic psychology’s more challenging branches: existential psychology and transpersonal psychology. Existential psychology asks what it means to build a meaningful life in the face of death, while Transpersonal psychology wonders if the individual self is what we should be so focused on. Forrest and Rick focus on the work of Rollo May, Irvin Yalom, Abraham Maslow, and Stanislav Grof, and major themes include freedom, agency, anxiety, the limits of the “self,” and how confronting these can lead to a fuller and more meaningful life.  Rick’s Self-Worth Course: Starts this week! In this 6-week online course, Rick will guide you in practical, research-backed ways to release old patterns and grow a lasting sense of confidence, kindness toward yourself, and genuine self-worth. Learn more at RickHanson.com/worthy and use coupon code BeingWell25 to receive a 25% discount. Key Topics:  0:00: Intro and recap of humanistic psychology 6:12: History and context of existential psychology 12:04: Three important lessons from existentialism 26:03: Agency and meaning making within existential psychology 38:38: Overview of transpersonal psychology 1:00:43: Three important lessons from transpersonal psychology 1:11:14: Closing reflections, and a one word summary 1:14:07: Recap Support the Podcast: We're on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link. SponsorsSleep Reset is offering a free 7-day trial, available only at thesleepreset.com/podcast. Start your first week of real, clinician-designed insomnia treatment tonight. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Self-Regulation: How a Little Becomes a Lot with Eric Zimmer

Why don’t we choose the things we know are good for us? It’s usually because we’re struggling with self-regulation, one of the most important (and most misunderstood) skills out there. In today’s episode, Forrest talks with Eric Zimmer about what healthy self-regulation actually looks like,  the gap between insight and action, how shame can derail us, and why most change comes down to small steps taken consistently. They discuss how to figure out what actually matters to you vs. what you want right now, the tension between acceptance and change, and how to get back on track after a slip without making it worse. About our Guest: Eric Zimmer is the creator of The One You Feed, an award-winning podcast with over 50 million downloads. He’s also the author of the new book, How a Little Becomes a Lot: The Art of Small Changes for a More Meaningful Life. Key Topics:  0:00: Intro: Why is self-regulation so important? 4:32: Moving from insight to action 8:14: Values versus desires 14:25: Eric’s sobriety journey 20:57: Changing our relationship to shame 32:05: When to accept things as they are, and when to move from acceptance to change  38:17: Choosing the more useful meaning 42:51: How to get over self-doubt 46:41: Having a backup plan for when things go sideways 53:54: Balancing striving with non-craving 1:06:16: Recap Support the Podcast: We're on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link. Sponsors Sleep Reset is offering a free 7-day trial, available only at thesleepreset.com/podcast. Start your first week of real, clinician-designed insomnia treatment tonight.Visit https://carawayhome.com/BEINGWELL to take an additional 10% off your next purchase of non-toxic cookware made modern. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Self-Abandonment Loop: Shame, Self-Criticism, and How to Break Free

Why is it so hard for us to do what we actually want to do? In this episode, Forrest explains the hidden structure of self-abandonment: how shame drives the loop, how the loop produces more shame, and how the inner critic uses a “can’t win” situation to keep us stuck. Then he and Dr. Rick explore what actually breaks the cycle, including the role of anger, the difference between shame and grief, self-compassion, and what it really means to get on your own side. Key Topics:  0:00: Intro and overview of self-abandonment 4:38: What are we abandoning? 8:30: The self-abandonment loop 21:55: How a parts model can help us understand the shame 26:20: The double-bind of self-criticism 32:56: How to get out of the double-bind 41:34: Anger and resentment 49:47: Moving from shame to grief 56:15: Breaking the self-abandonment loop 1:10:22: Recap Support the Podcast: We're on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link. Sponsors Go to Zocdoc.com/BEING to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today.Level up your bedding with Quince. Go to Quince.com/BEINGWELL for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty-five -day returns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trauma in Relationships: What Actually Helps with Elizabeth Ferreira

Forrest is joined by associate therapist and his fiancée Elizabeth Ferreira for an honest, personal conversation about what it's actually like to be in a relationship when one partner is living with trauma, complex PTSD, or another ongoing mental health challenge. Drawing on their experience together, they discuss supporting without enabling, avoiding power imbalances, managing resentment, dealing with moments of frustration, and the importance of reciprocity. Elizabeth has some thoughts about the DSM. Forrest shares about how Elizabeth has supported him. It’s a good one. Key Topics:  0:00: Intro and Elizabeth’s overview 5:50: How trauma shapes you 9:05: How Elizabeth found safety in her relationship with Forrest 11:12: How the relationship helped Forrest grow 15:44: Self-discovery through relationship 21:19: How to effectively support a partner with mental illness 33:42: Being ‘sturdy’ 39:18: Navigating criticism 43:30: Communicating without resentment or shame 54:57: Avoiding stigma, and why Elizabeth wants to throw the DSM out the window 59:52: Not buying in to the smallest version of your partner 1:04:27: Recap Support the Podcast: We're on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link. Sponsors Grab Huel today with my exclusive offer of 15% OFF online with my code BEINGWELL at huel.com/beingwell. New customers only. Thank you to Huel for partnering and supporting our show!Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/beingwell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Family Systems Theory: The Invisible Force That Runs Your Relationships

Have you ever walked back into your parents' house and suddenly felt like you'd downloaded an old version of yourself? In today’s episode, Dr. Rick and Forrest explain why through one of the most influential frameworks in psychology: Family Systems Theory (FST).  FST argues that hidden rules govern the behavior of the groups we’re a part of, and when you know the rules it’s easier to see them in action. Rick and Forrest explore how systems replicate patterns of behavior, place people into specific roles, and manage anxiety through shifting alliances. They close with how we can become differentiated by building a stronger sense of self. Topics include balancing closeness and distance, triangulation, specific roles like the “golden child,” FST’s non-pathologizing stance, the intergenerational transmission of patterns, and building strong relationships outside the system. This episode includes references to self-harm. Key Topics:  0:00: Intro 2:19: What’s Family Systems Theory? 12:01: Overview of big concepts in FST 18:50: Family roles 25:19: How anxiety moves through a family system 36:42: The “identified patient” 46:51: Balancing compassion, agency, and responsibility 51:11: How healthy differentiation can disrupt a system 57:48: How to become more differentiated 1:11:33: Recap  Support the Podcast: We're on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link. Sponsors Grab Huel today with my exclusive offer of 15% OFF online with my code BEINGWELL at https://huel.com/beingwell. New customers only. Thank you to Huel for partnering and supporting our show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices