Being Well With Dr. Rick Hanson

Most people abandon their New Year's Resolutions by mid-January. This often occurs because people make resolutions based on what they feel like they should want, rather than what they actually do want. In other words, their goals and resolutions aren’t in alignment with their purpose. On this episode of Being Well, Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson discuss how we can identify and pursue our purpose, and why it’s so valuable to have one in the first place. They explore questions and strategies that can help us develop clarity on what we find meaningful, what our core values are, and how we’d like to spend our time. Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube. Key Topics: 0:00: Introduction 3:00: Why spend time discussing how to have a purpose? 11:00: Nonverbal ways to establish yourself in your purpose 12:50: Ways to be flexible that make purpose accessible 17:45: Fresh starts help us retain freedom in the present 21:20: How to listen to yourself when it's unclear what you want 26

Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson are joined by James Baraz, a meditation teacher for over 40 years and cofounder of Spirit Rock Meditation Center, to explore how we can find still find joy during difficult times. We discuss how to balance a sense of equanimity with compassion for the suffering of the world, and how cultivating joy at an individual level can support healing at the collective level. About our Guest: James is the coauthor of Awakening Joy: 10 Steps to True Happiness, and leads the popular online course of the same name. He is also the guiding teacher of One Earth Sangha, a website devoted to expressing a Buddhist response to climate change. Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube. Key Topics: 0:00: Introduction 1:45: Why joy is important in Buddhism 5:05: James’ journey to prioritizing joy 11:40: How to practice awakening joy without turning away from suffering 17:20: Putting yourself back together after cultivating awareness of suffering 24:10: The 10 Steps of

On today’s episode of Being Well, Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson talk with Dr. Zindel Segal about Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), an eight-week group therapy program designed to help those who suffer from chronic unhappiness and prevent relapse after episodes of severe clinical depression. About our Guest: Dr. Segal is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto at Scarborough, and one of the creators of MBCT. He specializes in mood disorders, particularly depression, and has had an enormous influence on the clinical adoption of mindfulness-based practices and their addition to more traditional forms of cognitive therapy. Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube. Support the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link. Key Topics: 0:00: Introduction 2:00: Origins of MBCT 4:30: Why Segal prioritized studying mindfulness as an intervention to depression 7:10: Comparing MBCT with traditional CBT 10:20: What about

Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson reflect on 2021, and explore how to maximize what we get out of 2022. We discuss how to rest in our aspirations, claim identity-based change, reframe personal narratives, and form the habits that lead to a more grounded, meaningful life. Thank you for listening over the last year, looking forward to much more! Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube. 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.  Key Topics: 0:00: Introduction 2:20: How was 2021 for you? 5:35: Gratitude for listener support 8:25: Rick’s yearly reflection process 12:45: Collaging practice 18:35: Language, and keeping a positive orientation toward desires and resolutions 26:55: Sentence completion exercise 31:10: Identity-based change 35:

We’ve received a substantial number of questions from our listeners regarding familial estrangement: when one family member distances themselves from the others, or chooses not to interact with them at all. It’s a common and extremely challenging situation, and the pain related to it can be particularly intense during the holidays.Today on Being Well, Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson discuss family estrangement, particularly between parents and children, and how the questions we engage in this territory apply more broadly to how we balance our own boundaries with the responsibilities we have toward other people. Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube. From Dr. Hanson: The Foundations of Well-Being brings together the lessons of a lifetime of practice into one year-long online program. Our holiday sale is going on now, and podcast listeners can use the code BEINGWELL25  for another 25% off! Please don't hesitate to apply for a scholarship if you're in need.  Key Topics: 0:00

Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson expand their conversation focused on finding a long-term partner to include what traits to look for, and how to navigate early sticking points. They discuss life growth curves, how to manage early conflict, healthy approaches for dealing with rejection, and how to support those still navigating a difficult search. Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube. From Dr. Hanson: The Foundations of Well-Being brings together the lessons of a lifetime of practice into one year-long online program. Our holiday sale is going on now, and podcast listeners can use the code BEINGWELL25  for another 25% off! Please don't hesitate to apply for a scholarship if you're in need.  Key Topics: 0:00: Introduction 2:45: Green and red flags to look for in a partner 8:50: Pursuer-distancer dynamic 9:45: Shared growth curves--relationship as a process, not a person 12:50: Riding the river of practical daily life 19:25: Someone who brings out the best parts of you  25:2

We’ve spent a lot of time on Being Well discussing how to improve our relationships - how to navigate conflict effectively, communicate more skillfully, and create a romantic relationship that’s truly fulfilling - but we’ve spent very little time talking about how to get into one of those relationships in the first place. Today, Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson talk about how to maximize your chances of finding a fulfilling long-term relationship. They explore how to develop a clear intention of what you want, the key psychological skills that invite a healthy relationship, and how to market yourself authentically while dating. From Dr. Hanson: The Foundations of Well-Being brings together the lessons of a lifetime of practice into one year-long online program. Our holiday sale is going on now, and podcast listeners can use the code BEINGWELL25  for another 25% off! Please don't hesitate to apply for a scholarship if you're in need.  Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube.

It’s natural to have moments – even in the course of a generally happy, mostly fulfilling life – where we question our meaning, value, and purpose. This "existential dread" sometimes culminates in an "existential crisis." Today Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson consider how we can confront these basic questions with acceptance and curiosity, and find the meaning and purpose that can help us live good lives. If you're in crisis, are thinking about suicide, or are concerned about a loved one, please call 1-800-273-8255. The Lifeline network is available 24/7 across the United States. Watch the Episode: Prefer watching to listening? You  can watch this episode on YouTube. Key Topics: 0:00 Introduction 2:35 Meaning and purpose as the basis for Existentialism 5:20 Four basic issues of existence 7:00 Practical reasons for exploring Existentialism 10:50 Forrest’s childhood acceptance of death. 12:00 Four approaches to confronting existential frailty 13:45 Rick’s orientation to existential dread and its three psychological

How can we aim high, achieve our goals, and get what we want out of life without falling prey to unhealthy striving and excessive perfectionism? Dr. Diana Hill joins Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson to explore the costs of perfectionism, productivity anxiety, psychological flexibility, calming the threat system, and how we can go from striving to thriving.  About Our Guest: Dr. Diana Hill specializes in evidence-based and compassion-focused approaches to living well. She has a thriving private practice in Santa Barbara, CA, is the author of the ACT Daily Journal, and is one of the hosts of the Psychologists Off the Clock Podcast. Diana is also the host of a new podcast called Your Life in Process launching in Jan 2022, where she offers practical teachings and conversations on becoming psychologically flexible from the inside out. Watch the Episode: Prefer watching to listening? You  can watch this episode on YouTube. From Dr. Hanson: The Foundations of Well-Being brings together the lessons of a lifetime of practi

We all want a relationship that's more than just functional, we want one that's truly fulfilling. On today's episode Forrest is joined by a wonderful therapist and author who focuses on giving people the tools they need to communicate, navigate hard times, and create deeper connections with other people: Elizabeth Earnshaw. They explore:  How the pandemic impacted our relationships The Gottman approach The stages of a relationship Balancing differing needs for intimacy How to request, and give, repair. They then close the episode with a fun game focused on debunking common relationship myths. About our Guest: Elizabeth is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, the founder of A Better Life Therapy, and the author of I Want This to Work. You might also know her as @lizlistens on Instagram, where she’s helped countless people transform their relationships. From Dr. Hanson: The Foundations of Well-Being brings together the lessons of a lifetime of practice into one year-long online program. Our holiday s

Today we're continuing our exploration of the key inner strengths and psychological skills we truly feel like we couldn’t live without. In the second of two episodes dedicated to this topic, Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson talk about joy, seeing the mind's deceits, keeping your good humor, the wild spirit, and finding meaning. Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You  can watch this episode on YouTube. From Dr. Hanson: The Foundations of Well-Being brings together the lessons of a lifetime of practice into one year-long online program. Our holiday sale is going on now, and podcast listeners can use the code BEINGWELL25  for another 25% off! Please don't hesitate to apply for a scholarship if you're in need.  Key Topics: 0:00: Introduction 1:30: Cognitive restructuring: fighting your negative brain. 7:10: Not taking things so seriously.  9:40: The “stage play” of life. 12:40: Joy. 17:40: The wild spirit.  23:20: Breaking our patterns.  25:15: The “routinization of charisma.”  29:00: Finding meaning.  38:40: R

Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson explore which key inner strengths and psychological skills they truly feel like they couldn’t live without. In the first of two episodes dedicated to this topic, they talk about benevolence, patience, curiosity, self-regulation, and grit.  Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube. From Dr. Hanson: The Foundations of Well-Being brings together the lessons of a lifetime of practice into one year-long online program. Our holiday sale is going on now, and podcast listeners can use the code BEINGWELL25  for another 25% off! Please don't hesitate to apply for a scholarship if you're in need.  Key Topics: 0:00: Introduction 3:00: What do you take with you? 4:15: Benevolence.  8:10: Patience.  12:15: What helps us learn how to wait? 16:40: The value of “asking the question.” 17:30: Curiosity. 22:30: Self-regulation. 28:30: Regulation enabling exploration. 32:30: Grit. 40:50: Recap Support the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the

Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson focus on two of our most important subjects, attachment wounds and traumatic experiences, with a longtime therapist, trainer of therapists, and world-class expert on attachment theory: Dr. Diane Poole Heller.  About our Guest: Dr. Heller focuses on using somatic, or body-based, approaches to help people resolve the painful experiences and negative patterns that hold us back. Her work on adult attachment has created a path for adults with childhood attachment injuries to develop the secure attachment skills that lead to more connected and fulfilling adult relationships. Key Topics: 2:30: What is attachment, and why should we care? 4:45: Secure attachment. 7:50: Avoidant attachment.  12:30: The potential for movement toward secure attachment. 16:00: Ambivalent (or anxious) attachment. 20:45: Disorganized attachment.  24:15: Somatic approaches to attachment wounds.  29:50: Allowing the body to move out of threat. 34:10: Secure attachment skills. 38:55: Repatterning ourselves.  47:20:

The most important relationship we have is with ourselves. You’re the only person you’ll be around every minute of every day for the rest of your life. And, unfortunately, that relationship is often our most difficult one. Today Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson explore how we can become better friends to ourselves, and learn to like ourselves more. Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You  can watch this episode on YouTube. Key Topics: 0:00: Introduction 2:20: What does it mean to “like ourselves?” 5:20: Why don’t people like themselves? 11:50: Giving yourself the same breaks you give others. 14:10: Regulating impulses.  19:15: Does “liking ourselves more” make someone narcissistic? 24:30: What supported Rick in liking himself more? 29:00: Seeing yourself clearly. 32:30: The IFS model and the caring committee.  36:30: Our nurturing parts. 39:10: A practicing of being for yourself. 45:10: Recap. Support the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link. Sponsors: From Dr

How can we create relationships that last? On this episode of Being Well, Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson lean on Rick's 35+ years of couples counseling experience to explore how we can build relationships that are loving, healthy, enjoyable, and reliable. This includes learning the structure of most relationship problems, how to make vulnerable communications, and how to stay open to change. Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You  can watch this episode on YouTube. Key Topics: 0:00: Introduction 2:15: What issues brought couples into therapy most often? 4:50: The structure of most relationship problems. 12:30: Giving your partner what they need. 15:30: What differentiated couples that improved from those that didn’t? 21:15: Skills that increase the chances of building a good relationship. 21:45: Loving vs. liking.  25:00: Deliberately activating feelings of “liking.” 27:00: Getting “on the side” of the relationship. 31:10: How to make a vulnerable communication. 39:15: Openness to change.  43:40: Three re

In one of our favorite conversations, Dr. Jud Brewer joins us to explore the habit of anxiety, mindfulness practices to heal addiction, and what we can learn from the brains of the world’s most advanced meditators. About Our Guest: Dr. Jud is a psychiatrist, neuroscientist and New York Times best-selling author. He’s the director of research and innovation at Brown University’s Mindfulness Center, where he also serves as an associate professor, as well as the executive medical director of behavioral health at Sharecare Inc. Dr. Jud is also the author of The Craving Mind and Unwinding Anxiety: New Science Shows How to Break the Cycles of Worry and Fear to Heal Your Mind.  Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You  can watch this episode on YouTube. Key Topics: 2:00: What got Jud from psychiatry to studying mindfulness? 5:45: Addiction and the structure of habits.  10:15: Mindfulness as a treatment for addiction.  14:00: Liking without wanting. 19:45: Habit formation and reward-based learning. 24:00: Awaren

In the second of two episodes, Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson explore common self-help myths and misconceptions, including ones related to hedonic adaptation, "no pain no gain," and meditation. Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You  can watch this episode on YouTube. Key Topics: 0:00: Introduction 2:30: Misconception #1: People can’t really change in lasting ways/Hedonic adaptation stops people from becoming happier. 17:00: Misconception #2: No pain, no gain. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.  27:50: Misconception #3: You can only meditate by sitting quietly on a cushion.  41:15: Misconception #4: I can heal myself all on my own. Relying on a therapist means something is “wrong” with me. 50:00: Misconception #5: All therapy is talk therapy. It’s really cognitive and top-down. 57:45: Recap Support the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link. Sponsors: From Dr. Hanson: The Foundations of Well-Being brings together the lessons of a lifetime of practice i

As mental health and the psychological sciences have gone increasingly mainstream, so too have some common misconceptions and misunderstandings. In the first of two episodes, Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson explore some of the biggest misconceptions related to therapy, trauma, and what it means to be "resilient." Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You  can watch this episode on YouTube. Support the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link. Membership includes expanded show notes and transcripts of the episodes.  Key Topics: 0:00: Introduction 2:10: Misconception #1: "Personal growth is narcissistic." 5:05: The social value of individual growth. 10:25: Misconception #2: "Well-being is all about individual effort." 18:50: Misconception #3: "Therapy is for people who are messed up." 23:00: Misconception #4: "If I go to therapy, I'll become dependent on it." 30:00: Misconception #5: "If I go to therapy, it'll destabilize me or mess me up." 34:45: Misconception #6: "

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD, is a severe form of premenstrual syndrome that includes severe anxiety, depression, and feelings of shame. It affects 5-10% of women, and most don't even know they have it. On today's episode, Forrest is joined by his partner Elizabeth Ferreira to explore what PMDD is, how to know if you might have it, effective practices for managing PMDD, and how to create a happy, healthy, fulfilling relationship alongside it.  About Our Guest: Elizabeth is a graduate student studying somatic psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies. If you'd like to hear more from Elizabeth and learn about somatic psychology, she's just started a YouTube channel! During this conversation we focused on psychological and lifestyle change-based interventions for PMDD. Not everyone has a life that allows them to make these changes, and in addition to these practices many people need significant medical intervention to feel relief. Treatment options range from oral contraceptives and

Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson explore what "avoidant behavior" is, common forms it takes, and what we can do to limit its unhealthy aspects. Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube. Support the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link. Membership includes expanded show notes and transcripts of the episodes.  Key Topics: 0:00: Introduction 2:10: Approaching, Avoiding, and Abiding 4:25: Common Forms of Avoidance 7:30: The Costs of Avoidance 11:30: Situational Avoidance 13:40: Cognitive Avoidance 15:30: Emotional Avoidance 16:45: The True Function of Worrying 23:05: Somatic Avoidance 27:40: Useful Aspects of Avoidance 30:45: What Helps People With Their Avoidant Behaviors? 34:30: What We Do vs. What We Are 38:30: Bounding the Problem 40:50: Anticipate Blocks 42:00: Active Coping, and Critiques of Positive Psychology 46:50: An Exercise for Fighting Avoidance 49:40: Recap Sponsors: From Dr. Hanson: The Foundations of Well-Being brin