Therapy For Real Life Podcast

Host Anna Lindberg Cedar MPA LCSW LICSW leads you through a tour of Therapy For Real Life Podcast's greatest hits. Anna started the Therapy For Real Life Podcast in 2019 to expand access to burnout prevention concepts by adapting them into self-care skills for everyday use. Listen in as Anna shares favorite clips from past episodes, including relaxation exercises, self-care tips, and interviews with guest experts. The full library of Therapy For Real Life Podcast episodes is available on the TherapyForRealLife.com > Podcast tab. Listen to favorite past episodes anytime you like to support your ongoing self-care. Today's episode includes an important show announcement. This is not therapy. This is real life. Therapy For Real Life. Learn more: WorkshopsForRealLife.com and TherapyForRealLife.com .

Burnout was not a new concept for most helping professionals even before the start of the global pandemic. Now, the pressures facing helping professionals can better be described as burnout on top of burnout on top of burnout. Host Anna Lindberg Cedar, MPA, LCSW talks with guest expert Elizabeth Horevitz, PhD, LCSW about the unique challenges that healthcare professionals face working with limited resources and amidst overwhelming need. Dr. Horevitz has experience working in safety net systems of care and specializes in burnout prevention among helping professionals. Together, they discuss the overall concept of burnout as well as many of its interlocking parts, such as: compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma, and moral injury. Learn about the psychological theories and practical concepts that guide these experts in their work in burnout prevention, both for themselves and others. This is not therapy. This is real life. Therapy For Real Life. Learn more: TherapyForRealLife.com and WorkshopsForRealLife.com .

Host Anna Lindberg Cedar, MPA, LCSW interviews Jennifer Heisz, PhD to discuss the healing power of exercise. Dr. Heisz is a neuroscientist, the Director of the NeuroFit Lab at McMaster University, and author of the book, Move The Body, Heal The Mind: Overcome Anxiety, Depression, and Dementia and Improve Focus, Creativity and Sleep . Dr. Heisz describes the many powerful benefits of exercise throughout her book and even offers step by step suggestions on how to use exercise to shape desirable functioning in the brain and mood. Listen in to learn some surprising facts about the neuroscience of exercise. This is not therapy. This is real life. Therapy For Real Life. Learn more: TherapyForRealLife.com and WorkshopsForRealLife.com

Coping with uncertainty is profoundly challenging. Host Anna Lindberg Cedar MPA LCSW shared simple self-care strategies two years ago as the global pandemic was just beginning. Now, we revisit that episode as an opportunity to refresh our ability to cope with uncertainty. As we know, uncertainty is a stressful trigger for human beings at any time, but the prolonged uncertainty of a global pandemic requires endurance and more consistent self-care. Learn what you can do to manage difficult feelings, such as anxiety, overwhelm, and despair, during times of crisis or uncertainty. Learn about self-care and relationship skills that you can use to boost a sense of security, even when you are facing legitimate fear or danger. This is not therapy. This is real life. Therapy For Real Life. Learn more: TherapyForRealLife.com and WorkshopsForRealLife.com [This episode was originally published in March of 2020.]

Martha Kauppi is a marriage and family therapist, educator, supervisor, and certified sex therapist who specializes in working at the intersection of sex and relational issues. She recently published the book Polyamory: A Clinical Toolkit for Therapists (and Their Clients). Kauppi joins Host Anna Lindberg Cedar, MPA, LCSW on the show today to discuss important terms for understanding consensual non-monogamy and alternative relationship structures. Together, they discuss specific therapy skills that can help individuals navigate consent in their romantic relationships, explore tensions in therapist self-disclosure, and describe how members of a marginalized community can find a better client-therapist match. This is not therapy. This is real life. Therapy For Real Life. Learn more: TherapyForRealLife.com and WorkshopsForRealLife.com

Therapy For Real Life Podcast Host Anna Lindberg Cedar, MPA, LCSW interviews Dr. Nate Zinsser about his experience as the Director of the Performance Psychology Program at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Dr. Zinsser has trained U.S. Military Academy's cadets and world-class athletes, including a Super Bowl MVP, numerous Olympic medalists, professional ballerinas, NHL All-Stars, and college All-Americans, to help them perform at their maximum potential in high stress situations. Dr. Zinsser has been a consultant for the FBI Academy, U.S. Army Recruiting Command, and the Fire Department of New York. He earned his Ph.D. in sport psychology from the University of Virginia and has his senior black belt in karate. Dr. Zinsser's book, The Confident Mind: A Battle-Tested Guide to Unshakable Performance, will be released this week. This is not therapy. This is real life. Therapy For Real Life. Learn more: TherapyForRealLife.com and WorkshopsForRealLife.com . 

What roles do you play throughout your life? Which of these roles are voluntary vs. involuntary? How do the roles that you play impact your level of burnout? Tune in to this episode of the Therapy For Real Life Podcast to learn about the difference between role strain, role conflict, and role loss to better understand your own burnout prevention needs. Think about ways that you can support the roles you play, while also protecting the roles that matter most to you. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. Learn more: TherapyForRealLife.com and WorkshopsForRealLife.com . [This episode was originally broadcast in October of 2019).

Host Anna Lindberg Cedar, MPA, LCSW is joined by two guest experts in today's episode to discuss research-backed communication strategies to help children build motivation and make healthy choices. William Stixrud, Ph.D. and Ned Johnson are the best-selling authors of the Self-Driven Child and have more than 60 years of combined experience mastering the art of effective and respectful dialogue with kids. They discuss their newest book in today's episode, What Do You Say? How To Talk with Kids to Build Motivation, Stress Tolerance, and a Happy Home. Johnson and Stixrud share effective strategies for parents and coaches to improve conflict resolution with kids without resorting to manipulative, old-school "Because I said so..." techniques. Instead, Johnson and Stixrud draw from decades of scientific literature and motivational enhancement strategies that show that children must learn how to make choices that create a sustainable and healthy lifestyle of their own making. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. Therapy For Real Life. Learn more: TherapyForRealLife.com and WorkshopsForRealLife.com .

Today's episode is an opportunity to learn about the specific role of psychiatry in mental health care as Dr. Adam Stern talks with Host Anna Lindberg Cedar, MPA, LCSW about his new memoir, Committed: Dispatches from a Psychiatrist in Training. Dr. Stern shares lessons from the field of psychiatry and the intersection of physical and mental health. Cedar interviews Dr. Stern about how he learned to balance his own mental health while overcoming imposter syndrome as a resident in Harvard's prestigious psychiatry training program. Dr. Stern explains why even experts find it challenging to balance work and home life for sustainable burnout prevention. Together, Cedar and Dr. Stern brainstorm how both individuals and systems must respond to burnout culture to preserve a sense of mental health during challenging times. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. Therapy For Real Life. Learn more: TherapyForRealLife.com and WorkshopsForRealLife.com . 

How do you recognize depression when our society rarely talks about what that means? Depression negatively impacts your mood, self-esteem, habits, and physical wellbeing, and yet — each experience of depression is unique. A lot of people don't recognize the signs of depression because they don't know how different it can present in person to person, culture to culture. Most folks with depression would agree... “I just don't feel like myself anymore.” Host Anna Lindberg Cedar MPA LCSW helps us understand how therapists assess for clinical signs of depression. Cedar also invites you to think about what depression looks like in your own life since each individual experience of depression is so personal. As always, the Therapy For Real Life podcast will leave you with self-care suggestions adapted for real life. Learn what therapists often recommend for accessible initial self-care steps that anyone can use to cope with the difficulties of depression. For those in crisis: Visit crisistextline.org or call emergency services near you (911 in US). Learn about the different research-backed therapy styles for depression and counseling options available throughout California by visiting TherapyForRealLife.com . Schedule a workplace training to boost mental health awareness and equip your team with valuable self-care strategies through interactive practice on the job: WorkshopsForRealLife.com . This is not therapy. This is Real Life. Therapy For Real Life.

Therapy For Real Life Podcast Host Anna Lindberg Cedar, MPA, LCSW interviews Fern Schumer Chapman to discuss her latest book, Brothers, Sisters, Strangers: Sibling Estrangement and the Road to Reconciliation. Chapman's book combines memoir with survey research findings to describe the painful experience of sibling estrangement and how to understand this neglected topic. Chapman describes the ripple effect that estrangement can have in families and mental health implications that individuals often experience as a result. Estrangement is a highly stigmatized experience that can cause harm to one's self-esteem, impacting relationships far beyond those who are immediately estranged. Chapman shares the challenges that she and her brother faced as they began the long process towards reconciliation. Together, Cedar and Chapman discuss self-care strategies that individuals and families can use to promote post-traumatic growth after a painful experience of estrangement. Reconciliation may or may not be an option for those experiencing estrangement, yet Chapman shares key insights into how to set personal boundaries to protect a healthy sense of self, regardless of whether reconciliation is available, or even advisable. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. Therapy For Real Life. Learn more: TherapyForRealLife.com and WorkshopsForRealLife.com .

Host Anna Lindberg Cedar, MPA, LCSW interviews guest expert, Melody Warnick, on today's show to discuss what it takes to build a sense of belonging in your community. This story is personal for Warnick, who admits that she previously believed that moving would solve all of her problems before discovering that problems will follow you anywhere. Warnick changed her thinking when she launched a series of "love where you live experiments" after moving from Austin, TX to settle down in Blacksburg, VA. Warnick researched the scientific literature and found that there are concrete steps that one can take to establish a sense of "place attachment" in one's community. Spoiler alert: Warnick's experiments to love her new town worked and she remains happy there after nine years! Warnick summarizes what she learned and gives specific suggestions to develop a sense of belonging in one’s new (or old) place in her book, This Is Where You Belong: Finding Home Wherever You Are. Together, Cedar and Warnick discuss the many tensions that can arise in the pursuit of belonging. Listeners are invited to apply Warnick's "Love Where You Live Principles" in your own community to build a sense of belonging and purpose wherever you are. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. Therapy For Real Life. Learn more: TherapyForRealLife.com or WorkshopsForRealLife.com . 

You may have noticed that the Therapy For Real Life Podcast has been on a mini-hiatus lately and wondered why. Therapy For Real Life Host Anna Lindberg Cedar, MPA, LCSW shares a BIG PERSONAL ANNOUNCEMENT on today's episode to explain this recent break from the show and gives a preview of what to expect as the show gets ready to return very soon. You will be delighted to hear a preview of upcoming guests, including Melody Warnick, author of This Is Where You Belong: Finding Home Wherever You Are, and Fern Schumer Chapman, author of Brothers, Sisters, Strangers: Sibling Estrangement and the Road To Reconciliation. Get your self-care listening group ready by forwarding the show to your friends and accountabili-buddies so that you can debrief self-care learnings from each episode together. Rate and review this podcast wherever podcasts are found to give access to anyone who could benefit from Therapy For Real Life's research-backed burnout prevention and self-care strategies. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. Therapy For Real Life. Learn more: TherapyForRealLife.com and WorkshopsForRealLife.com . 

Practice DBT’s fast-acting bio-mood hacks to channel your body’s natural ability to self-regulate in this interactive episode. Burnout prevention psychotherapist and mood hacker Anna Lindberg Cedar, MPA, LCSW explains the research behind DBT’s mood regulation skills. She gives listeners quick tips for interrupting a difficult mood in a crisis and even practices these tips along with you in this episode. Get yourself ready for some bio-mood hacking by finding a private space, a few minutes of mindful attention, some ice (brrrr) - and even a doctor's note in some cases - Oh my! Learn how to adapt research-backed therapy concepts for everyday use. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. Therapy For Real Life. Learn more: TherapyForRealLife.com or WorkshopsForRealLife.com [This episode was originally broadcast in March of 2019.]

The Therapy For Real Life podcast translates therapy concepts into everyday self-care strategies. But wait — What do we mean when we say ‘therapy’ anyways? Anna Lindberg Cedar, MPA, LCSW answers your burning therapy FAQs, including: WHAT is therapy? HOW does therapy work? and WHY does therapy work? Learn about different therapy styles, including motivational enhancement therapies, relationship counseling options, and acceptance-based strategies, such as mindfulness. Learn about therapy options, how to get access to therapy, and how to pick the right therapy style for your needs. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. Learn more: TherapyForRealLife.com and WorkshopsForRealLife.com . [This episode was originally broadcast in August of 2019.]

Therapy For Real Life Podcast welcomes clinical psychologists Danyelle Dawson, Yara Mekawi, and Natalie Watson-Singleton for a discussion of anti-racism and organizational psychology. Today’s panel co-founded The D.E.A.R. Project and recently published an article on Medium titled “How To Not Be A Karen: Managing The Tensions Of AntiRacist Allyship.” (Found here: https://bit.ly/31fqsLT ). The panelists share their perspectives on integrating research-backed therapy methods with anti-racist education and allyship. The group discusses the limitations of individual therapy and push for strategies that promote broader systemic change. Dialectical Behavior Therapy was originally developed by Marsha Linehan, PhD, who is known for adapting mindfulness concepts into her research-backed work to help individuals “build a life worth living.” Host Anna Lindberg Cedar, MPA, LCSW invites today’s guests to critique the bounds of current therapy best practices through an anti-racist lens. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. Therapy For Real Life. Learn more about self-care and burnout prevention resources: TherapyForRealLife.com or WorkshopsForRealLife.com . This episode originally aired in August of 2020.

Research shows that specific patterns of behavior reliably predict relationship success or failure. Host Anna Lindberg Cedar MPA, LCSW explains how research from the Gottman Method can help us understand key differences between “relationship masters and relationship disasters.” Learn practical skills to interrupt unhealthy patterns in your relationships and help you get your needs met. Practice the communication skills you need to stay connected during quarantine, or any crisis. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. Therapy For Real Life. Learn more: TherapyForRealLife.com or WorkshopsForRealLife.com . This episode was originally broadcast in April of 2020.

Host Anna Lindberg Cedar, MPA, LCSW chats with author and artist Allyson Dinneen about the release of her book, Notes From Your Therapist. Dinneen was featured in the New York Times article, “Instagram Therapists Are the New Instagram Poets.” Dinneen is known for her ability to translate complex ideas about emotions and relationships into brief, handwritten notes. This interview interrogates the complexities of authentic expression online, including a consideration of the potentially harmful effects of social media. Dinneen shares how she has built a sense of connection online, while maintaining boundaries to preserve a healthy sense of self. Host Cedar asks Dinneen about her creative process as a therapist and how she is able to balance self-care with artistic expression. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. Therapy For Real Life. Learn more: TherapyForRealLife.com and WorkshopsForRealLife.com .

Host Anna Lindberg Cedar MPA, LCSW shares her list of favorite books to share in therapy to extend learning beyond the session. Anna highlights authors who translate mindfulness and relationship research into practical strategies that anyone can use, including several guests who have been interviewed on the show. The beneficial effects of therapy requires practice in real life, which is why therapists often assign reading between sessions. Enjoy this self-care reading list to continue your own practice in strategic burnout prevention. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. TherapyForRealLife.com . Follow @therapyforreallife on Instagram for a full list of the books mentioned in this episode. This episode was originally broadcast in March of 2020 and updated to include new recommendations.

Host Anna Lindberg Cedar, MPA, LCSW talks with Vania Deonizio, AMFT about the healing power of dance and movement. Deonizio is the Founding Director of the nonprofit Dancin Power, which gives individuals access to creative and expressive arts during hospitalization. Deonizio shares how dance helped her recover from a difficult time during her childhood in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and how she has shared the positive impact and power of music, movement, mindfulness, and dance with others since. Deonizio has a graduate degree in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Expressive Arts Therapy, which she combines with her practical understanding of the impact that music has had in her work as a dancer and choreographer. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. Therapy For Real Life. Learn more: TherapyForRealLife.com or WorkshopsForRealLife.com .

The holidays are upon us, which usually includes a lot of happy celebrations. This year, however, canceled plans, shelter in place, and abundant caution are called for to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The holidays can also bring a lot of difficult emotional triggers, such as painful memories, grief for family members who can’t be with us, or challenging dynamics with those who are with us. Listen to Therapy For Real Life host Anna Lindberg Cedar MPA, LCSW as she describes tiny self-care actions that you can take in the midst the holiday ups and downs. Personalize your own self-care plan so that you can enjoy the upcoming holidays to their fullest. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. TherapyForRealLife.com This is a rebroadcast of an episode that was released last year prior to the current global pandemic and includes minor updates.

Host Anna Lindberg Cedar, MPA, LCSW talks with Lisa Feldman Barrett, PhD who explains how neuroscience can help you better understand your physical needs and their associated moods. Dr. Barrett shares the analogy of the “body budget” to explain that the brain’s core function is to regulate complex needs in the body. She goes on to describe how difficult moods can serve as an abstraction of these needs, giving you important cues to care for yourself. Dr. Barrett explains that a difficult mood may not necessarily be the sign of a psychological defect, and shares suggestions for how individuals can use emotional intelligence to better interpret their physical needs. Listen in for a discussion of how to understand your own body budget and survive in an environment that constantly saps the body’s resources. Dr. Barrett’s latest book, “Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain” will be released the same week that this episode airs. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. TherapyForRealLife.com

Randy Wolbert, LMSW, CAADC, CCS joins the Therapy For Real Life Podcast to discuss where behavior therapy and mindful spiritual practices align. Randy shares his own path to Zen, which overlaps with a long career in providing Dialectical Behavior Therapy, clinical supervision, and DBT trainings around the world. Host Anna Lindberg Cedar, MPA, LCSW asks Randy to explain how DBT's core theories trace back to Zen. Randy gives examples of the many dialectical tensions that arise in mindfulness practice.  Listeners will enjoy this discussion of mindfulness concepts whether they are curious from psychological or spiritual perspectives. Today's show explains that total wellness can be one and the same. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. Therapy For Real Life. Learn more: TherapyForRealLife.com or WorkshopsForRealLife.com . 

Get organized in your self-care with the Therapy For Real Life Podcast by learning about tools from Problem Solving Therapy in today’s episode. Host Anna Lindberg Cedar MPA, LCSW helps you get strategic in your approach to self-care by setting up simple routines to support decision making. Anna explains why stress is so disorienting and how feeling competent with problem solving can help protect your mood. Learn from concepts adapted from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help you improve your own self-care routine and get started during this episode. Finish today’s show by practicing a guided meditation to help you make up your mind in spite of stress. Make self-care part of something radically better in your life. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. TherapyForRealLife.com [This episode was originally broadcast in January of 2020.]

Christie Tate was at the top of her class in law school when she started to fantasize about her own death. Tate shares her experiences in her book, Group: How One Therapist and a Circle of Strangers Saved My Life. Therapy For Real Life Host Anna Lindberg Cedar MPA, LCSW interviews the author about how group therapy helped her find intimacy in her most important relationships and recognize when her needs aren’t being met. Tate describes how her relationships in group therapy became fundamental to understanding herself. Contemplate the risks that you would be willing to take in pursuit of healthier relationships as you consider the tensions in intimacy that this episode explores. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. Therapy For Real Life. Learn more: TherapyForRealLife.com or WorkshopsForRealLife.com .

Anne Helen Petersen is the author of "Can't Even: How Millennials Became The Burnout Generation" and joins the Therapy For Real Life Podcast for a discussion of the systems that cause burnout. Petersen describes the sensation of burnout as life’s "one long never-ending to-do list." The author previously described her personal experience with burnout in a 2019 BuzzFeed piece that went viral and provoked tired sighs of recognition around the world. Host Anna Lindberg Cedar MPA, LCSW talks with Petersen about why millennials get blamed for their own burnout, what’s lacking in current definitions of burnout, and why burnout has become so pervasive. Petersen shares examples of ways to resist burnout culture by creating mutual aid and systems of sustainability. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. Therapy For Real Life. Learn more: TherapyForRealLife.com and WorkshopsForRealLife.com .

Research shows that even a 20 minute mini-vacation can help alleviate stress during times of crisis or burnout. Host Anna Lindberg Cedar MPA LCSW describes how to adapt Dialectical Behavior Therapy concepts into actionable self-care strategies. This episode explains the importance of adapting pleasure during moments of crisis to sustain oneself for difficult times ahead. Anna describes her own pandemic vacation and invites you to design one too using creativity in the context you have. Learn how these same self-care strategies have been used to help folks cope with harsh conditions, such as living in detention, recovering from trauma, or living with fear of future harm. Start scheduling your own pandemic vacation to adapt these self-care strategies for your own life. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. TherapyForRealLife.com [This episode was originally broadcast in April of 2020.]

Grounding exercises are a way to stabilize strong emotions during stress, anxiety, or trauma recovery. Grounding allows you to focus your attention on a single sensation in the present moment, and can be used to calm the mind and body after a stressful event. Listen in as burnout prevention therapist Anna Lindberg Cedar MPA LCSW explains the basics of grounding, and gives you a list of 15 example grounding exercises. Practice along with the Therapy For Real Life podcast as you try out what grounding exercises work best to help you feel calm, safe, and relaxed. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. Learn more: TherapyForRealLife.com [This episode was originally broadcast in April of 2019.]

Our definition of “normal” is going through a dramatic shift as we move most of our personal and work interactions online as a result of COVID-19 containment efforts. Decreased in-person interaction and increased use of technology can exacerbate feelings of isolation and burnout. It is not uncommon to hear folks say, “I don’t feel like myself anymore.” Therapy For Real Life Podcast host Anna Lindberg Cedar, MPA, LCSW shares research-backed tips to help you protect a sense of self with healthy boundaries and safely navigate productivity and relationships online. In this episode, participate in a few simple guided meditations and reflect on your own priorities as you structure your time. Reserve a time for calm. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. Therapy For Real Life. Learn more: TherapyForRealLife.com or WorkshopsForRealLife.com .

Therapy For Real Life Podcast welcomes clinical psychologists Danyelle Dawson, Yara Mekawi, and Natalie Watson-Singleton for a discussion of anti-racism and organizational psychology. Today’s panel co-founded The D.E.A.R. Project and recently published an article on Medium titled “How To Not Be A Karen: Managing The Tensions Of AntiRacist Allyship.” (Found here: https://bit.ly/31fqsLT ). The panelists share their perspectives on integrating research-backed therapy methods with anti-racist education and allyship. The group discusses the limitations of individual therapy and push for strategies that promote broader systemic change. Dialectical Behavior Therapy was originally developed by Marsha Linehan, PhD, who is known for adapting mindfulness concepts into her research-backed work to help individuals “build a life worth living.” Host Anna Lindberg Cedar, MPA, LCSW invites today’s guests to critique the bounds of current therapy best practices through an anti-racist lens. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. Therapy For Real Life. Learn more about self-care and burnout prevention resources: TherapyForRealLife.com or WorkshopsForRealLife.com .

Therapy For Real Life Podcast welcomes speech and language expert Professor Katherine Kinzler to the show to discuss her book — How You Say It: Why You Talk The Way You Do And What It Says About You. She shares research from social psychology and beyond to improve understanding about the complex ways we express identity through speech and language. Professor Kinzler talks with host Anna Lindberg Cedar, MPA, LCSW about practical ways that individuals can make sense of their own language context and support healthy cross-cultural conversation. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. Therapy For Real Life. Learn more about self-care and burnout prevention tools at: TherapyForRealLife.com or WorkshopsForRealLife.com .

Host Anna Lindberg Cedar, MPA, LCSW continues this two-part series of Relationship Superpowers (drawn from Dialectical Behavior Therapy) to share effective communication strategies. Learn how mindfulness can boost your effectiveness in communicating your needs more clearly. Personalize research-backed methods to improve communication and understanding in your relationships. Stay tuned for future episodes that will include expert interviews to deepen our understanding of effective communication to get our needs met. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. Learn more: TherapyForRealLife.com or WorkshopsForRealLife.com .

Good communication is an exercise in reality acceptance. Host Anna Lindberg Cedar, MPA, LCSW shares her thoughts on the need for effective listening skills right now as part of broader systemic change. This episode is the first in a two-part series of Relationship Superpowers (drawn from Dialectical Behavior Therapy). Learn how to use mindful self-care skills to improve communication and understanding in your relationships. Most importantly, learn what it takes to show others that they have been authentically heard. Stay tuned for the second half of the series in next week’s episode: How To Ask For What You Want. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. Learn more: TherapyForRealLife.com

Intense feelings can overwhelm our ability to make good decisions during a crisis or difficult mood. It is common to feel stuck or unsure of what to do when mixed feelings arise. Therapy For Real Life host Anna Lindberg Cedar MPA, LCSW shares practical mood tracking tips to help you make sense of the seasons of your mood and take strategic action. This episode includes interactive self-care exercises drawn and adapted from Dialectical Behavior Therapy, including the foundational Wise Mind meditation practice, to help you develop greater self-awareness to better respond to your own needs. Mood tracking is not a replacement for therapy, but is often used in self-care practices to boost holistic burnout prevention. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. TherapyForRealLife.com . Learn about workplace workshops and self-care events: WorkshopsForRealLife.com .

Therapy For Real Life Podcast defines burnout and gives practical ways to interrupt systems of burnout in this re-broadcast of one of the series’ most popular episodes. Host Anna Lindberg Cedar MPA, LCSW critiques current definitions and expands the concept of burnout to make it more inclusive and intersectional. This episode deconstructs burnout as a social concept to highlight the role that systems of oppression play in our daily experiences of burnout. Anna cautions listeners against over-pathologizing individuals who experience burnout, and to focus on practical ways to interrupt that process of burnout instead. Tune into this conversation to personalize what successful burnout prevention looks like for you and your community. This is not therapy. This Is Real Life. Learn more about self-care and therapy resources: TherapyForRealLife.com or get in touch to discuss burnout prevention training for your team: WorkshopsForRealLife.com [This episode was first broadcast in October of 2019. Many of the startling statistics about the costs of burnout have risen dramatically even since this episode was first released.]

Self-care and political action are both essential for true burnout prevention to become a meaningful reality in our daily lives. Yet, political strife and injustice, combined with the immediacy of the issues we face, can lead to a feeling of overwhelm, stuckness, and despair about one's relationship to power. Therapy For Real Life host Anna Lindberg Cedar MPA, LCSW explains that self-care is a powerful tool for justice when it is used in an intersectional way. Learn practical ways to infuse research-backed self-care into your efforts to create change in your life, in your community, and in your relationships. Burnout prevention is ultimately a choice of values. How will you ensure burnout prevention in your own efforts to create a more just and peaceful world? This if not therapy. This is Real Life. TherapyForRealLife.com . Learn about Therapy For Real Life's online self-care and burnout prevention training options: WorkshopsForRealLife.com .

Therapy For Real Life Podcast asks: “How can you tell the difference between anxiety and fear?” Take a moment now to do your own mood check as you learn about functional vs unhealthy signs of anxiety and stress. Learn how to interrupt the anxiety cycle as host Anna Lindberg Cedar MPA, LCSW translates therapy research into actionable self-care strategies for everyday use. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. Learn more about therapy resources, self-care tips, and burnout prevention services at TherapyForRealLife.com . [This episode was originally broadcast in September 2019.]

What is a mood? Therapy For Real Life Podcast host Anna Lindberg Cedar MPA, LCSW breaks down biopsychosocial theory to explain how a mood is inseparable from the context around us. Tune in to learn how Dialectical Behavior Therapy frames the biological, psychological and contextual factors that make up a mood. Then, think about the resources that you have available in your context to help you regulate your moods in an integrated way.... because: Self-care goes everywhere. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. TherapyForRealLife.com

Families are struggling to create a sense of normalcy during these unprecedented and challenging times. Therapy For Real Life Podcast show host Anna Lindberg Cedar MPA LCSW adapts burnout prevention concepts into self-care strategies for the whole family in this special episode for parents. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. TherapyForRealLife.com

Research shows that even a 20 minute mini-vacation can help alleviate stress during times of crisis or burnout. Host Anna Lindberg Cedar MPA LCSW describes how to adapt Dialectical Behavior Therapy concepts into actionable self-care strategies. This episode explains the importance of adapting pleasure during moments of crisis to sustain oneself for difficult times ahead. Anna describes her own pandemic vacation and invites you to design one too using creativity in the context you have. Learn how these same self-care strategies have been used to help folks cope with harsh conditions, such as living in detention, recovering from trauma, or living with fear of future harm. Start scheduling your own pandemic vacation to adapt these self-care strategies for your own life. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. TherapyForRealLife.com

What roles do you play in your life? Which of these roles are voluntary vs. involuntary? How do the roles that you play impact your level of burnout? Tune in to this episode of the Therapy For Real Life Podcast to learn about role strain, role conflict, and role loss to better understand your own burnout prevention needs. Think about ways that you can buffer and support the roles you play, while also protecting the roles that matter most in your life. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. TherapyForRealLife.com [This episode was originally broadcast in October of 2019).

Did you know that there are specific behaviors that reliably predict relationship success or failure? Host Anna Lindberg Cedar MPA LCSW explains research from the Gottman Method to help us understand key differences between relationship “masters and disasters.” Learn practical skills that you can use to buffer your relationship against unhealthy habits. Practice the relationship skills that you will need to outlast any crisis—including quarantine with a loved one during a global health pandemic! This is not therapy. This is Real Life. TherapyForRealLife.com

Our own reactions to stress can often make a crisis situation feel even worse. Host Anna Lindberg Cedar MPA LCSW adapts the Dialectical Behavior Therapy skill — “Improve The Moment” — to explain how small acts of self-care can help you get through life’s hardest moments. Listen in as Anna lists off 50 examples of tiny mood enhancers that you can use even in the midst of a global health pandemic! This is not therapy. This is Real Life. Learn more: TherapyForRealLife.com (This episode was originally broadcast in April 2019).

Coping with uncertainty is hard— really, really, hard! Host Anna Lindberg Cedar MPA LCSW shares simple self-care strategies that you can use to cope with stress of the unknown. Learn what you can do to manage difficult feelings, such as anxiety, overwhelm, and despair, during times of crisis or uncertainty. Learn about self-care and relationship skills that you can use to boost a sense of security, even when you are facing legitimate fear or danger. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. TherapyForRealLife.com

Therapy only works if you apply what you are learning in real life, which is why therapists often assign practice exercises between sessions. Host Anna Lindberg Cedar MPA LCSW shares her list of favorite books to share in therapy to extend learning beyond the session. Anna highlights authors who translate mindfulness and relationship research into practical strategies that anyone can use. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. TherapyForRealLife.com . Follow @therapyforreallife on Instagram for a full list of the books mentioned in this episode.

Therapy For Real Life Podcast aims to adapt burnout prevention concepts into everyday self-care ideas. Anna Lindberg Cedar MPA LCSW highlights the power of mindfulness in this episode as we all cope with a rising health crisis and accompanying health anxiety. Anna explains how mindfulness skills can be used to cope with the realities of pain, as well as the anxieties of fear. Pause your routine briefly to experience the effects of ‘paradoxical relaxation’ as Anna leads you through a mini meditation practice. Observe the natural effects of noticing physical sensations mindfully, without judgement. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. TherapyForRealLife.com

Would you like to take charge of your life in the way that master sports players take charge of the game? This episode teaches you principles of sports psychology to help you personalize success in your own life. Learn how visualization skills help high performers boost their game — and what this means for changing your own habits. Podcast host and burnout prevention psychotherapist Anna Lindberg Cedar MPA LCSW explains how to adapt Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills into self-care strategies to counter everyday stress. This is not therapy. This is Real Life . Learn more about burnout prevention resources, self-care ideas, and different therapy styles at: TherapyForRealLife.com

Have you ever felt truly motivated to break an unhealthy habit, and yet struggled to actually make a lasting change? The Therapy For Real Life Podcast helps you make sense of problem behaviors in this episode by breaking unhealthy patterns into their component parts. Show host Anna Lindberg Cedar MPA LCSW explains concepts from Dialectical Behavior Therapy to help you adapt these ideas into strategic self-care. Learn from your own patterns of behavior to create an alternative coping plan. You will also hear how a DBT therapist can help you go beyond self-care into a deeper understanding of unconscious drivers of behavior. Learn how DBT concepts can help you personalize incentives and reward healthy behavior change. Follow along with Marsha Linehan's DBT Handouts and Worksheets (2nd Ed. from Guilford Press)... Or, simply listen along to hear what DBT can teach you about taking control of your time, your decisions, and your life. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. TherapyForRealLife.com

The Therapy For Real Life Podcast deconstructs Problem-Solving Therapy in this episode as host Anna Lindberg Cedar MPA LCSW helps you get organized in your approach to self-care. Anna explains why stress is so disorienting and how building competence with problem solving can have a tremendous impact on your mood. Learn from concepts drawn and adapted from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help you improve your own self-care routine. Finish the episode by practicing mini mindfulness skills to help you make up your mind in spite of stress. Make self-care part of something radically better in your life. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. TherapyForRealLife.com

The Therapy For Real Life Podcast continues it’s explainer series of adapting Dialectical Behavior Therapy into self-care skills for everyday life. This episode outlines the biggest obstacles you will face as you regulate your mood in stressful situations. Learn how to protect your self-care routine by buffering against these moody triggers. Plan small ways to practice self-care and avoid burnout. Follow along in the DBT Skills Training Manual of Handouts and Worksheets 2nd Ed. by Marsha Linehan, PhD from the Guilford Press. Show host Anna Lindberg Cedar MPA LCSW translates therapy-speak into actionable ideas that anyone can use in real time. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. TherapyForReaLife.com

New York Times bestselling author Lori Gottlieb joins the Therapy For Real Life podcast to demystify the therapy process with host Anna Lindberg Cedar MPA LCSW. Anna talks with Lori about her latest book — Maybe You Should Talk to Someone — and the stories we tell in therapy. Lori’s book follows the lives of four individuals in therapy, as well the tumultuous break-up that sends Lori to therapy herself. Anna and Lori discuss the roles that shame, secrets, and privacy play in and out of session. Lori gets personal about what happens when the therapist takes their turn on the therapy couch. This is not therapy. This is Real Life. Learn more: TherapyForRealLife.com . (This episode was originally released in April of 2019).