The Notorious MFT

Welcome to TNMFT! In today's episode, we delve into the complex terrain of dysfunctional family relationships. From strained communication to unresolved conflicts, we'll explore the various facets that characterize dysfunction within families. Join me as we navigate the challenges, shed light on common patterns, and discuss things to look out for within the family unit. Stay tuned for insights and real-life anecdotes that shed light on this often intricate and sensitive topic. Exercise "Just for fun, try the following experiment: Fold your hands across your chest, and then observe the position of your hands. Some people fold the left hand over the right, and others the reverse. After noting how you do it, unfold your hands. Now fold them again, but this time in the opposite way that is, if you normally put your right hand over your left, put your left hand over your right. You will probably notice how awkward this feels. The old way is normal and relaxing the new way may seem strange, and you may feel you could never relax in this position. If a simple change in the position of your hands is so uncomfortable, just think how uncomfortable it is to change part of your behavior or lifestyle." A J Twerski --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/william657/message

Explore the profound impact of generational trauma in this episode, delving into how experiences and hardships can be transmitted across generations, shaping individuals and communities alike. Uncover the complexities of this phenomenon and its far-reaching implications on mental health, relationships, and societal structures. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/william657/message

Our families of origin (our parents and siblings) are understood to lay the foundation for our cognitive, affective, and emotional development. Families are the very first group to which we belong, they are where we learn how to relate (or not relate) to other people, where we learn to manage conflict, and where we develop patterns of behavior. Of course there are other factors that influence our development, but there is no impact quite like our family leaves. Think about it.... our families began long before we are born and will continue long after we leave this earth. Families at their best have the potential to bring us great joy in our lives but families at their worst can also bring pain unlike any other. Family of origin exploration which refers to examining our relationships with our family members, can provide incredibly useful insight into family patterns and processes. All families have developed and passed down unhelpful patterns. The work lies in learning how to recognize certain processes that might need some adjusting in order to build stronger and closer relationships with our loved ones. Relationships that are built on authenticity and a good balance of togetherness and individuality. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/william657/message

Rock climbing is an activity where participants climb up, down or traverse natural rocks or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit or the anchors of a route without falling. As we navigate the world in 2022, we too climb up and down across all "surfaces" and "walls". Our summit looks differently from person to person so at times we need the proper support to climb over the top. The person who pulls in the slack as you progress (and holds the rope if you fall) is your “belayer.” Whitney's therapeutic belaying is a critical role, as your guide, she will support you as you "Top Out" on your climb. Whitney works with young adults struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, and addiction. She practices cognitive behavioral therapy through a trauma-informed lens. Utilizing mindfulness and EMDR, I help individuals rediscover their strengths and reclaim their life. Whitney adds a special component to her repertoire of therapeutic interventions. Listen as she describes how Rock Climbing saved her life and how it has expanded her therapeutic approach. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/william657/message

Dr. Samantha Meyer received her Bachelor's degree with a major in psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2013. She recently graduated from Palo Alto University with her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2020. She began her clinical work at an outpatient, intensive case management clinic in San Francisco providing group and individual treatment to homeless and low-income individuals with serious mental illness and substance use disorders. This work inspired a passion to help individuals struggling with dual diagnoses. Samantha has worked with children, adolescents and adults helping them process and cope with a variety of issues, including trauma and adjustment disorders, mood disorders, personality disorders, serious mental illness, relational issues, and more. She takes a trauma-informed, client-centered approach to therapy while being mindful of cultural identity. In her spare time, Samantha enjoys baking and cooking, playing with her dogs, buying new houseplants, and listening to true crime podcasts. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/william657/message

Sue Gauthier-Pin is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California who specializes in trauma-based integrative expressive arts therapy and Accelerated Resolution Therapy. By providing these experiential-based therapies, Sue offers her clients an outlet to express their thoughts, feelings, and experiences for which they often “have no words.”  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/william657/message

Dr. Brett Furst holds a B.S. in Child and Adolescent Development from The University of California, Davis, an M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Chapman University, and is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. He has his Doctorate in Psychology from Alliant International University. Dr. Furst is a fully trained, EMDRIA approved, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapist. Dr. Furst, in addition to his focus on the underlying causes of addiction, specializes in academic and educational difficulties, and provides supportive services to those clients pursuing continuing education Therapeutically, Brett comes from a Gestalt perspective, placing emphasis on the exploration of the authentic self and how inauthenticity and the negative personas clients create contribute to their unhealthy habits and the disconnection from themselves through substance --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/william657/message

"It's all a mindset" LA Native, an Enthusiast helping those in need through his coaching, training and creative writings. He's a Life Coach and Personal Trainer. Elijah pushes his clients past their limiting beliefs to achieve their goals physically and mentally.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/william657/message

Bipolar I disorder. This involves experiencing manic episodes for 1 week or longer. Some people also experience depressive episodes for at least 2 weeks. You don't have to have depressive episodes to be diagnosed with bipolar I disorder — one episode of mania is enough for this diagnosis. Bipolar II disorder. This involves experiencing hypomanic episodes for 4 days and depressive episodes for 2 weeks. Hypomania is less intense than mania, while the depressive episodes in bipolar II tend to be incredibly debilitating. During an episode of mania, bipolar symptoms can include: inflated self-esteem or the belief that you're more important, talented, or powerful than others endless energy talking very quickly racing thoughts seeming or feeling easily distracted feeling like you can accomplish anything intense irritability or acting aggressively not needing much sleep acting impulsively and finding yourself in riskier situations, such as unprotected sex, overspending, or reckless driving During a hypomanic episode, people experience milder symptoms of mania. During a depressed phase, bipolar symptoms can include: feeling sad or hopeless losing interest in pleasurable or usual activities trouble sleeping exhaustion or feeling lethargic feeling guilty or worthless trouble focusing negative thoughts about the future gaining or losing weight suicidal thoughts or actions Keeping yourself on track With knowledge comes power — the power to stay on track with your treatment plan and play an active role in making decisions regarding your health. This means you can do two important things: recognize your triggers monitor your moods Remember, things change. What was true for you a few months ago might no longer be the case. Keeping track of your symptoms will allow you to acknowledge changes and measure your progress. This is a process. The more you learn, the more you'll be able to apply to managing your bipolar disorder.    https://www.dbsalliance.org https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bipolar-disorder/ https://psychcentral.com/disorders/hypomanic-episode-symptoms#how-to-manage-an-episode --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/william657/message

Depression and the intensity of the symptoms may vary from person to person. Also, if you have depression, you might not experience every symptom. If you've experienced most of the following symptoms every day over 2 or more weeks, you might meet the criteria for a depression diagnosis:  

Anxiety Episode 4, PTSD: *About this episode* On today's episode we cover post-traumatic stress disorder, a form of anxiety. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a prolonged, maladaptive reaction to a traumatic experience that is life threatening in nature. The reaction may last many months, years, or decades. Situation such as a car accidents, military combat, natural disaster, or violent physical assault may precipitate instant fear and feelings of helplessness that cause a person to persistently re-experience the terrifying event. About 72% of people in the U.S. have experienced a traumatic event at some point in their lives, with about 8% experiencing PTSD. What we will cover: Symptoms Causes Treatment --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/william657/message

Anxiety Episode 3 OCD: On episode we cover an aspect of anxiety that impacts our thoughts and behaviors. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) features a pattern of unwanted thoughts and fears (obsessions) that lead you to do repetitive behaviors (compulsions). These obsessions and compulsions interfere with daily activities and cause significant distress. You could try to ignore or stop the obsessions, but that only increases your distress and anxiety. In the long run, you may feel driven to perform compulsive acts to try to ease your stress. Despite efforts to ignore bothersome thoughts or urges, you continue to be at risk for them to come back. This leads to more ritualistic behavior and thus the vicious cycle continues. What we will cover: Symptoms Causes Treatment --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/william657/message

Enjoy a brief guided meditation. Play anytime you need some calm/comfort or just some time to yourself. Take a deep breath, hit the play button, and be ready to create your safe place. Thanks for pushing play. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/william657/message

It's normal to feel nervous in some social situations. For example, going on a date or giving a presentation may cause that feeling of butterflies in your stomach. But in social anxiety disorder, also called social phobia, everyday interactions cause significant anxiety, fear, self-consciousness and embarrassment because you fear being scrutinized or judged by others. In social anxiety disorder, fear and anxiety lead to avoidance that can disrupt your life. Severe stress can affect your daily routine, work, school or other activities. Signs and symptoms of social anxiety disorder can include persistent: Fear of situations in which you may be judged Worrying about embarrassing or humiliating yourself Intense fear of interacting or talking with strangers Fear that others will notice that you look anxious Fear of physical symptoms that may cause you embarrassment, such as blushing, sweating, trembling or having a shaky voice Avoiding doing things or speaking to people out of fear of embarrassment Avoiding situations where you might be the center of attention Having anxiety in anticipation of a feared activity or event Enduring a social situation with intense fear or anxiety Spending time after a social situation analyzing your performance and identifying flaws in your interactions Expecting the worst possible consequences from a negative experience during a social situation Physical symptoms Physical signs and symptoms can sometimes accompany social anxiety disorder and may include: Blushing Fast heartbeat Trembling Sweating Upset stomach or nausea Trouble catching your breath Dizziness or lightheadedness Feeling that your mind has gone blank Muscle tension Avoiding common social situations Common, everyday experiences that may be hard to endure when you have social anxiety disorder include, for example: Interacting with unfamiliar people or strangers Attending parties or social gatherings Going to work or school Starting conversations Making eye contact Dating Entering a room in which people are already seated Returning items to a store Eating in front of others Using a public restroom https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/social-anxiety-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20353561 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/william657/message

Experiencing occasional anxiety is a normal part of life. However, people with anxiety disorders frequently have intense, excessive and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations. Often, anxiety disorders involve repeated episodes of sudden feelings of intense anxiety and fear or terror that reach a peak within minutes (panic attacks). These feelings of anxiety and panic interfere with daily activities, are difficult to control, are out of proportion to the actual danger and can last a long time. You may avoid places or situations to prevent these feelings. Symptoms may start during childhood or the teen years and continue into adulthood. Examples of anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder (social phobia), specific phobias and separation anxiety disorder. You can have more than one anxiety disorder. Sometimes anxiety results from a medical condition that needs treatment If you answer yes to the following then you may need to work on your breathing skills to support the management of your anxiety: You breath more than 10-12 breathes per minute Your chest sometimes feels over-expanded or too tight You or others have noticed you sigh or yawn quite a bit You often gasp or take deep breaths, especially in situations that make you anxious https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anxiety/symptoms-causes/syc-20350961 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/william657/message

There are some common barriers that may prevent you from taking care of you: 1) You may be defining it in a way that doesn't work for you. 2) You may think that taking care of yourself first means you're being selfish. 3) You may think it's an extravagant experience that's out of reach. 4) You may not know when you need to apply/implement self care. Resources: https://www.nami.org/getattachment/Extranet/Education,-Training-and-Outreach-Programs/Signature-Classes/NAMI-Homefront/HF-Additional-Resources/HF15AR6SelfCare.pdf --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/william657/message

According to Daniel Goleman a psychologist who helped to popularize emotional intelligence, there are five key elements to developing your EQ. I'll share a little bit about my thoughts on this topic.  1) Self-awareness  2) Self-regulation  3) Motivation  4) Empathy  5) Social skills  Resources:  https://psychcentral.com/lib/what-is-emotional-intelligence-eq/ https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_45.htm https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/emotional-intelligence-eq.htm http://www.stephanehaefliger.com/campus/biblio/017/17_39.pdf --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/william657/message

A brief description of myself and what inspired me to take this podcast journey. Follow me through the ups-and-downs and in-and-outs of self help. Perfectly imperfect, these episodes portray the ongoing curiosity and fascination I have for other people's journeys and experiences. Let's get well together. Thanks for pushing play

Intro description: My approach to therapy is short-term and goal-oriented. It is one of many forms of psychodynamic therapy. In this context, I analyze and assesses your experiences and lifestyle. We can dig deeply into early memories and other events that have occurred in your life that may contribute to your current style of living. The nature of the relationship is based on mutual trust and respect. Much like my approach, this podcast is client or listener driven. I need you to take an active role in this experience. This podcast can be a tool to assist you in better understanding, challenging and changing your perspective on life experiences. We are social creatures and the relational health aspect of this podcast will help enable you to relate more comfortably to your surroundings and your social experiences. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/william657/message