Being Well With Dr. Rick Hanson

Why does talking to a therapist have such a huge impact on people's lives? On the first edition of "10 Good Minutes," Forrest Hanson dives into the research behind the key factor in any therapeutic relationship.  If you enjoy this episode, you'll love our Patreon account! Studies: Psychotherapy is as effective for the treatment of depression as medication. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is particularly effective when it comes to treating depression and anxiety disorders. Only a few of the studies demonstrating therapy’s effectiveness provide evidence without bias, and there’s a lot of publication bias. Psychotherapy changes how clients use their brains in meaningful ways. Therapeutic outcome doesn’t seem to be affected by how experienced the therapist is. The strength of the alliance established between therapist and client is a key factor. Empathy appears to be a key factor in the formation of a strong alliance and therapeutic outcomes more generally.  Sponsors: From Dr. Hanson: The Foundations of Well-Being b

Does power corrupt? Where does compassion come from? And do positive or negative emotions serve as the basis for our true nature? Today we're exploring these questions with Dr. Dacher Keltner, a world-class expert on emotion, power, and morality. About Our Guest: Dr. Keltner is a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, where he directs the Berkeley Social Interaction Lab. He’s also the founder and co-director of the Greater Good Science Center. Dr. Keltner is also the author of three books: Born to Be Good, The Compassionate Instinct, and most recently, The Power Paradox: How We Gain and Lose Influence.  Here's the referenced research from Dacher on emotion and facial expression. Key Topics: 2:15: What is an emotion, and how many emotions are there? 7:45: The complex weave of positive emotions.  11:30: Why did we evolve positive emotions? 15:00: The influence of compassion.  20:45: Power dynamics, and in-groups vs. out-groups. 25:30: How and why power corrupts. 33:30: Are we only ni

It’s been a long, strange, challenging year. As we get toward the end of it, and look forward to 2021, it feels appropriate to start by taking a look back and seeing what, if anything, we can learn from the year that’s gone by.  Support the Podcast: We're on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link. Key Topics: 2:30: The importance of internal resources. 4:15: "It can happen to us too." 6:00: Putting more effort into what’s local. 8:30: Interdependence and interconnection.  12:30: Appreciating the pains that aren’t happening. 17:30: Seeing clearly and allowing yourself to take appropriate action. 22:30: Your compassion is not dependent. 25:45: Avoiding playing into grievance theater. 30:40: Nonattachment. 33:00: Focusing on what really matters, and being fed up. 38:45: Lessons from our listeners. 43:30: What’s still here? From Dr. Hanson: The Foundations of Well-Being brings together the lessons of a lifetime of practice into one year-long online program. Podcast listeners can use the c

We're all subject to forms of bias and prejudice. On this episode, Forrest and Rick are joined by Dr. Jack Glaser, an expert on intergroup bias and racial prejudice, to explore what we can do to overcome our innate tendencies.  About the Guest: Dr. Jack Glaser is a Professor at the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley. He studies intergroup biases and the unconscious operation of stereotypes and prejudice, and is particularly interested in racial profiling. Jack is also the author of Suspect Race: Causes & Consequences of Racial Profiling, and is on the board of the Center for Policing Equity. Support the Podcast: We're on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link. Key Topics: 2:15: Jack’s history, what drew him to the study of bias. 4:50: What is implicit bias?  10:30: What’s the purpose of bias, where does it come from, and what consequences does it create? 18:15: How individual biases scale up to groups and systems. 23:10: The myth of meritocracy. 25:30: Assimilation, accomm

On today's short episode, Dr. Rick Hanson leads a guided meditation aimed at experiencing gratitude and finding the small pleasures in life.  Support the Podcast: We're on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link. Connect with the show: Subscribe on iTunes Follow us on Instagram Follow Rick on Facebook Follow Forrest on Facebook Forrest's Website Sponsors: From Dr. Hanson: The Foundations of Well-Being brings together the lessons of a lifetime of practice into one year-long online program. Podcast listeners can use the code BEINGWELL25 at checkout for an additional 25% off! Please don't hesitate to apply for a scholarship if you're in need.  Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counseling platform. Visit betterhelp.com/beingwell for 10% off your first month!  Want to sleep better? Try the legendary Calm app! Visit calm.com/beingwell for 40% off a premium subscription. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The holidays are coming up, and for many people they’re likely to be very different this year from usual. Experiencing sadness or disappointment around the holidays is normal even among the best circumstances, and we're far from those. On this episode, Dr. Hanson and Forrest explore how to work with this year's natural feelings of sadness and disappointment. Support the Podcast: We're on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link. Key Topics: 4:50: A therapy session focused on sadness with Rick.  9:30: Associations between current sad experiences and our past material.  11:45: A process for experiencing and working with sadness.  17:45: Imagery to aid experiencing. 19:00: Helping sadness soften and release.  24:30: Non-judgement  28:40: Identifying underlying beliefs. 29:40: Letting in good experiences alongside challenging ones.  33:10: Finding the root experience, and communicating our needs.  37:00: Sadness vs. depression.  41:30: Dealing with disappointment.  45:00: Finding agency in

Learning is the single most important skill: if you know how to learn, you can get good at anything else. Today we're joined by Josh Kaufman, author of The Personal MBA, to explore the 20 hour rule, the problems with 10,000 hours, cognitive biases, and how you can learn anything more quickly. About our Guest: Josh is the author of three bestselling books: The Personal MBA, The First 20 Hours, and How to Fight a Hydra. The Personal MBA is a #1 international bestseller, and he's also responsible for one of my favorite TED talks which has more than 22 million views - The First 20 Hours: How to Learn Anything. Support the Podcast: We're on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link. Key Topics: 2:15: Why focus on business and learning? 5:30: 20 hours vs. 10,000 hours. 9:00: The power law of practice. 11:30: Precommitment, and making it through 20 hours.  15:00: The importance of deliberate practice.  17:00: Fast feedback loops.  19:45: Breaking big tasks into small tasks.  26:40: Responses to

If you live in the United States – and probably for many people who don’t – it’s been a bit of a stressful week. Today Dr. Hanson and Forrest talk about relaxing anxiety, weathering the storm, and taking in the year as a whole.  Support the Podcast: We're on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link. Key Topics: 1:30: Where do we want to allocate our attention? 5:00: Rational, appropriate stress and anxiety.  8:00: The cost of ‘negative’ emotions.  12:30: Practices of calming stress.  14:45: Giving yourself grace, and accepting some amount of stress.  17:40: Deal with the bad, turn toward the good, take in the good.  22:15: Seeing what is true.  26:45: Being happy when others are not.  36:40: A practice for calming and centering.  44:45: Learning from the hard parts of practice. If you'd like to learn more about Jaimal Yogis, here's his website.  Overcome Anxiety:  Let go of anxiety and grow a greater sense of calm strength with Rick's Dealing with Anxiety program, which offers 5 powerfu

In the second part of our 10 most essential lessons for a great life, we explore accepting difference, open heartedness, healthy skepticism, embracing life, and impermanence.  Support the Podcast: We're on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link. Key Topics: 2:30: Different people are different. 10:00: Open your heart.  13:45: Open heartedness as a ‘field.’ 19:20: Cultivate a stance of healthy skepticism.  27:00: Honor the gift of your life.  33:00: All things end.  37:00: The feeling of one minute. Overcome Anxiety:  Let go of anxiety and grow a greater sense of calm strength with Rick's Dealing with Anxiety program, which offers 5 powerful practices for managing stress and worries. Save 10% with coupon code BEINGWELL. Sponsors: From Dr. Hanson: The Foundations of Well-Being brings together the lessons of a lifetime of practice into one year-long online program. Podcast listeners can use the code BEINGWELL25 at checkout for an additional 25% off! Please don't hesitate to apply for a s

What are the most essential lessons we've ever learned? Today we're exploring the first half of our 10 most important practices, skills, techniques, and reflections for the long road of life. Today we cover getting on your own side, the impact of childhood, widening your view, slowing down, and taking in the good. A quick summary of Rick's approach to taking in the good. Support the Podcast: We're on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link. Key Topics: 1:30: Introduction: The view from the porch.  4:10: Get on your own side.  7:10: Respect the impact of childhood experiences.  13:20: Widen your view.  21:10: Grow the space between stimulus and response. 30:00: Take in the good.  44:00: Recap and ending. From Dr. Hanson: The Foundations of Well-Being brings together the lessons of a lifetime of practice into one year-long online program. Podcast listeners can use the code BEINGWELL25 at checkout for an additional 25% off! Please don't hesitate to apply for a scholarship if you're in nee

About the Episode: Studies show that Americans feel less connected and more divided than ever before. Celeste Headlee, an award winning journalist, joins us to explore how we can navigate the many hard conversations that are happening these days.  About our Guest: In her 20-year career in public radio, Celeste appeared on NPR, PRI, CNN, and the BBC. She has been the Executive Producer of On Second Thought for Georgia Public Broadcasting, and anchored shows including Tell Me More, Talk of the Nation, All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition at NPR.  Celeste is also the author of two wonderful books: We Need To Talk: How To Have Conversations That Matter and Do Nothing: How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving.  Here's a summary of George Lakoff's framing theory that was mentioned during our conversation. Support the Podcast: We're on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link. Key Topics: 1:30: “Pandemic okay.” 4:45: Being a good talker vs. being a good conversation

It’s one thing to use some of the tools that we talk about on this podcast when things feel stable and are going “good enough.” It’s another to apply them when the world feels threatening. Today we’re learning how to have more 'equanimity,' which is what allows us to maintain our composure, presence of mind, and perhaps even wellbeing under challenging circumstances.   Support the Podcast: We're on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link. Key Topics: 1:30: How do we define equanimity? 4:00: Psychological experience of equanimity.  4:30: Hedonic tone. 8:00: Brain science behind equanimity. 11:30: Liking and wanting. 14:30: Equanimity in secular Buddhism.  15:30: Equanimity, privilege, and gaslighting.  22:00: Dealing with unfairness. 26:30: Responding to painful experiences in the moment.  30:30: The ‘four foundations’ of equanimity.  35:30: Manage aversion. 37:30: Grow the good.  39:15: Find what endures. Overcome Anxiety:  Let go of anxiety and grow a greater sense of calm strength wi

How can we be more productive, and improve our ability to focus on the things we really care about, without it becoming a source of stress? Chris Bailey, who TED described as "possibly the most productive person you could ever meet," joins us to explore how to get your brain to focus.  About our Guest: Chris is the bestselling author of Hyperfocus and The Productivity Project, and his website A Life of Productivity has a small army of devoted readers. Chris' wonderful TED talk, How to Get Your Brain to Focus, touches on many of the topics we explore in this episode. Support the Podcast: We're on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link. Key Topics: 3:15: What does it mean to be productive? 5:00: A year of productivity.  7:00: What is the goal of productivity? 10:45: Defining success, and the Rule of Threes. 15:30: Our negative attitudes toward productivity. 18:30: Defining and finding intentionality. 22:40: Productivity benefits of meditation. 31:20: Finding fulfillment and working calm

How have children experienced this year's challenges, and how can we get better at talking with them about race and racism? Today we’re focusing on trauma, resilience, and effective coping, and particularly on the unique challenges experienced by young people and their parents. About our Guest: Dr. Allison Briscoe-Smith is a child clinical psychologist who specializes in trauma and issues of race. She is a senior fellow of Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, and is both a professor and the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Wright Institute.  Here's Allison's wonderful article on parenting during overwhelming times that I referenced during our conversation. Support the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link. Key Topics: 2:25: Honoring the small challenges alongside the big ones.  5:30: What challenges are children facing this year? 7:30: How are children processing our challenges differently from adults? 9:50: Helping children manage this tim

How can we maintain contentment, calm, or inner peace, while still aiming high, pursuing good goals, and experiencing natural frustration and anger? And is contentment even a good goal when there's so much injustice out in the world? Rick's Course: If you'd like to learn how to change your brain for the better, check out Rick's Positive Neuroplasticity Training. It's a six-week online course that will teach you how to beat your brain's negativity bias, and have more confidence, compassion, and inner peace. Use coupon code BEWELL50 at checkout for $50 off the purchase price. Key Topics: 1:45: Why contentment matters. 4:30: Can we be content when things are hard? 6:00: Being skeptical of the “wanting mind.” 8:30: How can we return to contentment when moved from it? 12:10: What’s wrong with being driven? Does contentment make us lazy? 16:20: Self-actualization and taking action from a place of fullness. 19:00: Staying content while performing basic tasks. 21:50: Contentment vs. complacency.  25:20: Content while

How can we find happiness even when times are challenging? Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar joins us to explore authentic happiness, accepting difficult emotions, and giving yourself permission to be human.  About our Guest: Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar is the bestselling author of six books, founder of the Happiness Studies Academy, and former professor of two of the largest courses in Harvard’s history. Learn more about his Certificate in Happiness Studies program here. Use the code HAPPY for a 10% discount.  Support the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link. Key Topics: 2:45: Unhappiness in spite of success. 4:15: How do you define happiness? 5:50: Combining self-actualization with in-the-moment happiness.  8:45: Accepting our painful emotions.  10:10: Giving ourselves permission to be human. 19:10: What did students learn in Tal’s courses that they didn’t expect?  22:30: How to make hard personal choices.  28:00: Authenticity and comparison.  30:15: Does pursuing happiness actually

Today, we're exploring the single most important skill we will ever teach on this podcast: How to change the brain in lasting ways. The dirty secret of the personal growth industry, and self-help and psychology more broadly, is that most of what we learn doesn't stick. So, what can we do to achieve the ‘holy grail’ of personal growth – lasting change in our hearts, minds, and behaviors?  Rick's Course: If you'd like to learn more about how to change your brain for the better, check out Rick's Positive Neuroplasticity Training. It's a six-week online course that will teach you how to beat your brain's negativity bias, and have more confidence, compassion, and inner peace. Use coupon code BEWELL50 at checkout for $50 off the purchase price!  Key Topics: 3:30: What is neuroplasticity? 8:00: The power of deliberate practice.  9:30: Meditation and the brain.  12:45: Why is it so hard to change? The negativity bias.  19:45: Human exceptionalism and energy conservation.  23:00: An experiential example.  30:30: How t

What are the consequences of growing up inside an abusive family, and what can we do as adults to heal old wounds? Today we're joined by Pete Walker, a practicing therapist and expert in Complex PTSD. About Our Guest: Pete is a licensed psychotherapist practicing in the San Francisco Bay Area, who specializes in helping adults who were traumatized in childhood. He’s the author of three books, including Complex PTSD : From Surviving To Thriving. It’s a practical, user-friendly self-help guide to recovering from the lingering effects of childhood trauma, and to achieving a rich and fulfilling life as an adult. Pete has a variety of resources on his website, including his 13 Steps of Emotional Flashback Management.  Support the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link. Timestamps: 3:00: What distinguishes CPTSD from PTSD? 5:55: CPTSD as “developmental trauma disorder” 8:55: Presence of the bad vs. absence of the good.  11:40: The importance of empathy.  13:35: “They’r

What makes for a great team – whether personal or professional – and how can organizations and individuals create a more psychologically healthy environment?  Many of us have been fortunate enough to be on a really great team…and most all of us have probably been on a bad one. So, what makes for a great team – whether personal or professional – and is it as simple as just being good at your job, or is there more to it than that? It turns out one of the key factors is called psychological safety, which we'll be learning about today with the help of a world-class expert. About our Guest: Dr. Amy Edmondson is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at Harvard Business School, where she studies teaming, psychological safety, and organizational learning. She’s the author of six books, including her most recent book, The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation and Growth.  Support the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podca

Sharon Salzberg, one of the most prominent teachers of mindfulness in the West, joins us to discuss how we can create real change in our hearts, minds, and lives.  About our Guest: Sharon Salzberg is a central figure in the field of meditation, a world-renowned teacher and NY Times bestselling author. Her 11th book, Real Change: Mindfulness to Heal Ourselves and the World, comes out September 1st. She's also the host of the fantastic Metta Hour podcast.  New Sponsor: Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counseling platform. Visit betterhelp.com/beingwell for 10% off your first month!  Key Topics: 2:45: Sharon’s experience over the last few months. 4:30: Feeling the breath. 6:20: Sitting with painful feelings.  7:15: Turning toward the good, and metta. 10:15: “Mindfulness to change the world.” 13:30: Key skills from Real Change.  18:00: Dealing with burnout and overwhelm.  24:30: Grief. 28:00: Effective compassion vs. empathic overwhelm. 33:00: Generosity, and giving to fill