A mental health - entertainment podcast hosted by licensed psychotherapists Doug Friedman and Meredith Levy

YMB Podcast Trailer

This week, Doug and MerMer remind us to not “should” all over ourselves and then recap the first two sessions with Andrew (the Client has been given a name for the podcast). Session three includes Andrew opening up about traumatic incidents that contributed to the strained relationships with both his brother and mother. Doug introduces some tools to practice changing our perspective, and in turn, our experience using both real-life examples and analogies. Key Takeaways: [3:38] The client has been named Andrew/Drew so we can know him as a person, while still respecting his privacy and confidentiality. [6:24] The epiphanies that Andrew is having are great, and Doug and Meredith remind us that not every session ends with the client having a ton of answers and direction, and that is more than okay. [8:28] Reminder to not “should” all over yourself. We most often are doing the best we can with the tools we have at that moment. [12:02] Session Begins. [12:33] Andrew has been dealing with night terrors for over 15 years and wants to figure out how to focus more on the good instead of the bad. He is practicing throwing in good thoughts with the bad and scary “what if” ones. [18:17] Doug applies the pendulum analogy to Andrew finding the middle ground of achieving, working hard, and relaxing. It’s not always going to be perfectly in balance, but swinging back and forth in a smoother manner would be a great first step to focusing on his well-being. [26:16] Andrew opens up about the night he and his brother were divided on how best to care for their mother. It’s a very pivotal moment for him, and their relationship was never quite the same after that night. He is confused about his role in his brother’s upcoming wedding because of the fractured relationship. [32:06] Doug and Andrew will be working consistently and steadily on his trust issues and fear of abandonment. Doug assures him that this is a normal feeling for the very high stakes of life and death he dealt with in his teenage years. They will also work on identifying support that he can count on, to show him that not everyone leaves him high and dry. [47:39] Session ends. Breakdown begins. [47:51] Meredith and Doug discuss why analogies work so well to create those “aha” moments in sessions. [58:14] In a session the arc can look more like a dip as they cover deep emotional subjects, but a responsible therapist will lift their client up to a baseline emotion by the time the session is over. Contact Us:    Mentioned in this episode:  Rippling effect: “Rippling refers to the fact that each of us creates – often without our conscious intent or knowledge – concentric circles of influence that may affect others for years, even for generations. That is, the effect we have on other people is in turn passed on to others, much as the ripples in a pond go on and on until they’re no longer visible but continuing at a nano level.” -Irvin Yalom, Staring at the Sun “I think we ripple on into others, just like a stone puts its ripples into a brook. That, for me, too, is a source of comfort. It kind of, in a sense, negates the sense of total oblivion. Some piece of ourselves, not necessarily our consciousness, but some piece of ourselves gets passed on and on and on.” IRVIN YALOM, interview, Wise Counsel

003: The Good, The Bad, and The Plaid - Andrew #3

This week, Doug and Meredith reminisce about Doug’s parachute pants and MerDog’s love of Megadeth. They talk about how to know when a session is over, taking notes, and how they prevent burnout. Doug shares his Buddhism dropout story, and then we dive into the client’s second therapy session. During the session, Doug and the Client focus on the themes of vulnerability, balance, and how better to control our negative thoughts. Key Takeaways: [7:40] Meredith prevents burnout by taking care of herself physically, spending time with her beloved family, and finding balance with work and life. [12:00] Doug uses narrative therapy, metaphors, and analogies because it gives the client a way to take the pressure off of themselves and see the point objectively. [13:46] Session Begins. [17:06] We learned from the first session that two of the important themes right now for the Client are vulnerability and balance. [22:02] The Client is working on communicating his need for reassurance with his girlfriend and expressing his boundaries for spending time apart. Overall, he feels very comfortable with his girlfriend and is examining what love really means to him. He is dealing with some insecurities from what happened in past relationships. [29:44] Doug explains three stages of thought: 1. The thought arises. (we have no control over what thoughts pop up in our heads) 2. We may take it and entertain it, (we often analyze it as something good or bad). 3. We decide to take action. This is where we have the most control over these thoughts. We can play the “What If” game by a different set of rules, adding the positive possibilities to the negative expectations we hold. In reality anything can happen and anxiety comes when we only “what if” negatives. [40:41] The Client has normalized some of his mom’s behavior to keep going in life, and Doug assures him that he did great for what he needed at the time. [50:14] The Client is practicing mindfulness and being more present in the moment. He is already starting to use the tools he and Doug are working on since their first session. [51:05] Session ends. Breakdown begins. [55:08] Meredith was impressed with the Client’s ability to be so introspective and realize that the more he is authentically himself, the closer he will get to his goals in 5 years. [1:01:02] Be sure not to “should” all over yourself. We all have cracks in how we think we should be, and accept them instead of judging them. [1:10:26] Next week, Doug will dive more into examining the Client’s separation anxiety and how it stemmed from his relationship with his mother. Contact Us:    Mentioned in this episode: “I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened.” Attributed to Mark Twain in Reader’s Digest, Apr. 1934. “There is surely nothing other than the single purpose of the moment. A man's whole life is a succession of moment after moment. If one fully understands the present moment, there is nothing left to do, and nothing else to pursue.” Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999) &nbsp;

002: Please Don't Should All Over Yourself - Andrew #2

Welcome to Your Mental Breakdown, hosted by Doug Friedman and Meredith Levy. YMB is a psychotherapy entertainment podcast featuring two licensed therapists. They are real people outside the office, and real therapists in sessions inside the office, who follow a client along the process of personal growth and healing in therapy. Doug and Meredith kick off the show by introducing who they are, how they met, why they are doing this, and what you can expect in the episodes to come. They talk about ways in which this show will demystify and destigmatize therapy, and what to know when seeking out a therapist. They explain why one may want to consider therapy and introduce us to the client we will hear in upcoming sessions. This episode features the client’s first session followed by Doug and Meredith breaking it down afterwards. Key Takeaways: [1:05] Not all therapy and therapists look the same, and people go to therapy for many reasons. Doug and Meredith’s have a conversational, relational, and humorous (at least to them – hopefully to you as well) style. [6:44] Doug and Meredith are old middle school friends. They reconnected after years, only to discover they had both become therapists. Each of them comes from an eclectic approach of using clinical insight with whatever works best for a particular client. [8:30] [10:02] Therapy isn’t just for when you are feeling “crazy.” It can be a place to get insight, a sounding board, and a professional opinion rather than depending on your family and friends. [11:46] Doug and Meredith introduce us to the client that we will hear in upcoming sessions. He is a 24-year-old living in Los Angeles, having difficulty in his life and looking for some direction and answers. [14:15] Session begins. [18:08] The client feels like his biggest stress is the feeling of not being able to relax, turn off his mind, and fully escape out of his constant thoughts. [26:45] The client is doing things he likes, such as working in fashion and design. He is also struggling with depending on his parents, maintaining his own identity, and carving out who he is in the world as an individual. [35:54] His parents are very successful, and he is torn between both living out his dream of the rich and fabulous lifestyle and his desire to settle down and live a comfortable family life. [37:13] The main reason the client is here is to seek relief from his ongoing night terrors, “suicidal ideology” (later described as “suicidal ideation”), and general anxiety and panic. [40:03] The client has also had an intense time dealing with his mother’s drug addiction, suicide attempts, and depression. This adds a feeling of pressure to stay connected with her, which shaped a lot of his insecurities and doubts in the present day. [47:28] Doug will be working with the client on his core beliefs, thought patterns, and rewiring his brain to create a more accurate narrative and a healthy and happy life. [49:30] Session ends. Breakdown begins. [1:07:01] Meredith challenges the client’s idea of not meeting anyone “good” in Los Angeles. She explains that this is a phrase and way of thinking that she often explores with her clients. [1:11:02] Next week, Doug will be spewing out ideas on vulnerability, and getting more details on the client and his relationship with his mother. Contact Us:    Mentioned in this episode: Psychology Today – find a therapist:  &nbsp;

Your Mental Breakdown

Popular tracks