Bear Psychology Podcast

Writing can be used as a powerful tool for self-healing. We all have a unique journey as we grow and evolve. The beauty of the practice of writing is that it is available to help us anytime and anywhere.

Albert Flynn DeSilver is a gifted writer and author coach. He provides online programmes for exactly this type of experience and opens the door to honest dialogue for healing in his work.

His profound book, "Writing as a Path to Awakening" opens the reader up to self-examination and the use of the written word as a courageous personal growth strategy.

Albert Flynn DeSilver would like to offer up to 10 of our listeners a FREE 30 minute creative writing strategy/coaching call, which is open until June 15th. First come first served. People who are interested can book a call at https://www.calendly.com/asisowl/30min

Our listeners can also get some fantastic FREE writing prompts, a discounted copy of my book "Writing as a Path to Awakening" and additional supportive resources at https://www.albertflynndesilver.com

In Albert's memoir "Beamish Boy," he shares his own personal journey of going from suicidal alcoholic to widely published author and spiritual teacher, showing how writing can be central to a healing path. The book is filled with moments of life challenges that awaken us to remember how our life stories are also our pathway to healing and self-understanding. He inspires the reader to become more compassionate with themselves, as they reflect on their own troubling experiences, and reminds us how to integrate the suffering through writing and embodied presence. This is the practice of truth-telling through writing; in which writing (telling) the story helps to let go of the story—until one day we find ourselves reconnected to life, waking up to the freedom and love that is our very nature.

Albert has worked with numerous international bestselling authors like Cheryl Strayed, Dani Shapiro, and Elizabeth Gilbert, among others. These authors have been an inspiration for millions and an opportunity for individuals to better understand how unpackaging your life story can lead to personal growth.

Albert offers a creative writing program online that features a mindful approach to increase inspiration, transformation and celebration from the inside out. For information: https://www.albertflynndesilver.com/program

• More about Albert Flynn DeSilver: https://albertflynndesilver.com/
• Purchase Writing as a Path to Awakening: https://amzn.to/46zRdgi
• The Mindful Authors Accelerator Program: https://albertflynndesilver.com/program
• DeSilver on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AlbertFlynnDeSilver
• Writing as a Path to Awakening – Intro: https://youtu.be/LFpwW4NN_uA
• FREE 30 minute coaching listeners - first 30 people: https://calendly.com/asisowl/30min?month=2022-04

• Using Expressive Writing to Heal Trauma - Dr James Pennebaker, PhD: https://youtu.be/CjEr0xiXqio
• Shadow Work and Healing Journal Prompts: https://youtu.be/Khau5RpZUrQ
• The Healing Power of Writing | Kerstin Pilz | TEDxTownsville: https://youtu.be/btxVXcRDhqY
• What the best Memoirs have in Common: https://youtu.be/nzMrNDxuct0

Dr. Cammy Froude has a very unique perspective on the cross-section between medical and mental health and trauma recovery. She was a Postdoctoral fellow in Medical Family Therapy (University of Colorado) and has a Ph.D. in Human Development and family studies, with a specialization in trauma and health. This is a particularly important combination, as at any time we may find ourselves needing to address our own physical health, which may be further impacted with related trauma that may come with a sudden illness/injury/surgery/medical error, etc.

Dr. Cammy understands the importance of working deeply in ways that go beyond a supportive or strictly cognitive behavioral interventions and leans in to the somatic or physically experienced layers of pain (emotional and physical)

She uses multiple mind-body or Somatic strategies (including EMDR) to address the expression of emotional/medial trauma. Dr. Cammy brings a fresh and energetic approach to helping those at her clinic. She also recognizes that we can have "Medically Unexplained Physical Symptoms", or MUPS, that can become exacerbated in times of strain. Recognizing the roots to these symptoms can free us up to live more fully and understand the core of our triggers and the subsequent symptoms.

MUPS include physical struggles such as:

• Chronic Fatigue
• Non-Epileptic Seizures
• Stomach Pain
• Pelvic Pain
• Medical Trauma
• Iatrogenic Effects

If you have thought that there may be a link to emotional struggles/trauma and a distressing medical symptom, then this show will open up some new options for you.

• Contact Dr. Cammy Froude: https://www.drcammytherapy.com/
• Cammy on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCekyT0v0Pj0kE5woAzhTQdA?view_as=subscriber
• What is Somatic Therapy and how can it help you? https://www.drcammy.com/blog-3/w1w7vns8502eacypqkahaengpofgia
• What is an Iatrogenic Event? https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-is-iatrogenic-2615180
• Somatic Interventions: https://integrativepsych.co/new-blog/somatic-therapy-explained-methods

Every moment is an opportunity to learn something valuable about ourselves. Let's be honest though, it can also be hard to be focused on the little moments in life, and instead, we may often take life for granted. We may tune out and waste precious experiences focusing instead on negative, unproductive thoughts. I know I am guilty of this at times.

So how do we capture what is really meaningful and get the most out of life?

Mindfulness keeps us present and aware. Daily Mindfulness practice allows us to show up and experience all the moments of our lives as present, accepting, and aware. I hope you will join us for our next radio show with our guest Ora Nadrich, as we dive into Mindfulness and the ways it can help us navigate challenging thoughts and emotions, while embracing all the little but meaningful moments in life.

Ora Nadrich is founder and president of the Institute for Transformational Thinking, and author of Live True: A Mindfulness Guide to Authenticity.

Ms. Nadrich provides a compelling invitation to navigate the territory of the self in order to gently tend to our personal and collective sorrow.

Ora will help us understand:

• Why it's important to stop the day's busy-ness and allow for interludes of present moment awareness
• How focusing on breath keeps you fully present
• Why asking the simple yet profound question, "Who am I?" leads you to self-discovery
• How to embark on a "raise your consciousness challenge"
• How one's own awakening and shift in consciousness leads to an awakening in others

Ora Nadrich is the author of, Live True: A Mindfulness Guide to Authenticity. A certified life coach and mindfulness teacher, she specializes in transformational thinking, self-discovery, and mentoring new coaches as they develop their careers. Learn more at theiftt.org and OraNadrich.com.

• Purchase Live True: A Mindfulness Guide to Authenticity: https://amzn.to/468oiQq
• Institute for Transformational Thinking
• Audible Link: https://www.audible.com/author/Ora-Nadrich/B011WAFLK0
• About Ora Nadrich: OraNadrich.com

Chronic pain is a multi-factorial event that can leave the sufferer facing terrible pain alone, without solutions, and sometimes not even believed by others.

Did you know that 1 in 5 suffer with chronic pain? Wait times to see a pain specialist can take up to a year or longer and risk of suicide doubles for those suffering with chronic pain. With costs spiralling to over $60 billion + annually, it is startling that the seriousness of this situation is not given more focus.

We discuss the difficulty in dealing with chronic pain as well as some strategies that are proving useful for some people.

Approaches include:

• Medications and Injections
• Physical Therapies and Laser therapies
• Exercise
• Mind-Body Approaches – like Dr. Sarno's (TMS)
• Meditation or other self-reflection exercises
• Psychotherapy

One of the big problems with chronic pain is that it is invisible and your struggle might not be taken seriously by medical professionals. You may be left without solutions or a treatment plan to address your needs.

Chronic pain is complex and one solution does not fit all. In most cases, there is a need for approaches that include medicine, physical therapies, mind-body (biopsychosocial) counselling and rehabilitation. Not everyone has the resources for all these therapies and yet without them the outcome may leave the pain sufferer with insufficient relief and ongoing pain.

• The Problem with Chronic Pain: https://youtu.be/xfl1Q5hG5Pc?t=40
• Lynn Cooper past president of the Canadian Pain Coalition: https://theprovince.com/opinion/lynn-cooper-relief-needed-chronic-pain-is-a-complex-disease-and-should-be-treated-as-such
• Canadian Pain Task Force Report: June 2019: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/corporate/about-health-canada/public-engagement/external-advisory-bodies/canadian-pain-task-force/report-2019.html
• The Mind-Body Prescription – physical reactions are connected to emotions: https://youtu.be/pHM45IXkXeM
• Canadian Pain Society: https://www.canadianpainsociety.ca/
• Suffering from Confounding Symptoms: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/26/books/review/the-deep-places-ross-douthat.html
• The Deep Places: https://amzn.to/4bSiQol
• Treating Chronic Pain takes a Team: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/09/well/live/chronic-pain-treatment.html
• Psychologist help with Chronic Pain: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/09/well/mind/psychologists-chronic-pain-therapy.html

Ranch Hands Rescue has a reputation for being a place of refuge for victims who have survived horrific circumstances. This makes Ranch Hands Rescue a very special place. Landon Dickeson, Clinical Director & Bill Williams, CEO of Ranch Hands, will be joining us today to share with us the meaningful work they perform with both abused and neglected animals, and the traumatized people that they bring together.

Ranch Hands focuses on the 1-10% of trauma survivors that do not respond well to traditional counselling services. This includes those struggling with treatment resistant PTSD, including sexually abused children and adults, sex trafficking victims and veterans. The animal sanctuary houses horses, llamas, goats, sheep and other farm animals where the therapy between human and animals begin to reclaim life, hope and healing.

Let's spend some time with Bob Williams to better understand how the Ranch integrates this approach to make a difference in the lives of both the people and the animals that they provide care for.

Bob's House of Hope is the newest program, and the first safe house in America for young men who have been sex trafficked. This project is a big win for those in need.

We learn about the Ranch Hands Rescue approaches to helping at-risk people who bond closely with the animals they encounter, finding solace and healing.

• Information about Ranch Hands is available at: https://www.ranchhandsrescue.com
• Listen to Bob Williams on Youtube.com at Ranch Hands Rescue - YouTube
• Get involved at Donate Now - Ranch Hands Rescue (gifttool.com)
• Bob's House of Hope for male victim's of Sex Trafficking

Have you ever wondered why you said, "yes" when you meant "no" or became enraged by something you recognized later was no big deal? Does your anger flare up quickly in your relationships or do you ever feel like the world is against when something minor occurs? This likely means your inner "demons", also referred to as unresolved inner beliefs or YOUR SHADOW, is ruling your life.

We are joined by Shadow Work expert Dr. Robert Masters to discuss what the shadow is, how to work with your unconscious motivators, and how to challenge a spiritual by-pass (when you don't want to face the difficult stuff in life). In addition to this, we also explore why this work is so important for your growth and how it leads to inner peace.

There is a huge cost to responding like a hurt 7 year old to a work colleague or becoming explosively jealous when you see your spouse/partner enjoying a conversation with someone else. Great inner growth and peace evolves when you can reflect on why you become triggered/hurt, and become aware of the inner drivers that lead you to feel so bad or become so reactive.

Dr. Robert Masters is an expert in Shadow Work. He has written and taught extensively on the unconscious drivers that lead to behaviors, attitudes and events that do not serve us.

In his 2018 book "Bringing your Shadow out of the Dark: Breaking free from the hidden forces that drive you", Master's explains that "Our Shadow … is our internal storehouse for the parts of us that we've disowned or rejected, or are otherwise keeping in the dark". Dr. Masters is a therapist and "Psychospiritual guide" with a deep understanding of the "neglected shadow domains of ourselves".

Let's enjoy this conversation with Dr. Robert Augustus Masters and reflect on the deepest places of self-reflection and inner growth, the Shadow.

• Purchase Dr. Robert A. Masters book, Bringing your Shadow Out of the Dark: https://amzn.to/4awcLMc
• Listen to him speak about Shadow Work: https://www.robertmasters.com/interviews/
• For information about Dr. Master's courses, books and work: https://www.robertmasters.com/

What does it mean to "Heal the Moral Wound"? Have you experienced life-changing events that you have not been able to get over? Our guest today is Dr. J. Eric Gentry, renowned psychologist, author and speaker. His recent book, Forward-Facing Trauma Therapy, provides steps for reclaiming a life "filled with dignity, meaning and purpose".

Eric is more than my guest today. He is a friend and co-author of our book The Trauma Practice: Tools for Stabilization & Recovery. I have known Eric since we worked together in 1997 with Dr. Charles Figley, one of the committee members who helped to set the foundational DSM criterion for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

We grappled in those early days with approaches that fit the trauma clients we were working with at the Stress Research Lab that Charles ran. This was the beginning of Trauma Practice. Eric has focused his career on working with trauma survivors and training 1000's of professionals on how to help trauma survivors.

The crucial part of his Forward Facing work is that it provides an approach that goes beyond identifying and managing triggers and integrating past trauma to "Aligning behavior with values". This creates an intentional anchor that allows action to follow values and meaning rather than simply reacting to life events. This means you can choose to follow your own life purpose and beliefs instead of the triggers from the past.

Dr. Rhoton describes the FFTT approach as "a compelling case that stress reduction and symptom alleviation are only the first steps in the healing process and that our ultimate goal must be to ... achieve a congruent life based on integrity and choice. "

We will learn about Dr. Gentry's approaches to helping you Identify Triggers, Establish a Healthy Lifestyle; Practice Self-Regulation; Develop a Mission and Code of Honor and hold true to your core of Intentional Living.

While Dr. Charles Figley states that FFTT has the potential to "substantially increase the effectiveness of psychotherapy for the traumatized with a one-two punch:

(1) Direct exposure to the root of the traumatic memories paired with

(2) resilience-building self-care practices that promote principle-based living ... while rapidly optimizing ... quality of life."

So let's spend some time with Dr. J. Eric Gentry to better understand how he integrates "Intentional Living" to create meaningful, principle-based lives into the core of his pivotal work.

If you read through Dr. Gentry's work and watch his videos, you will see an earnest dedication to the work of healing and recovery.

So let's enjoy our dialogue with Dr. Gentry and understand the Forward Facing Trauma Therapy approach.

• Dr. Gentry's book Forward Facing Trauma Therapy is available at: https://amzn.to/4rdoJ49
• Listen to him speak about Forward Facing Trauma Therapy: https://youtu.be/F8GiWzbfFhc
• In the next video Dr. Gentry addresses Self-Regulation: https://youtu.be/k0BYt2rPB9c
• Contact Dr. Gentry at Forward Facing: https://www.forward-facing.com/

Ahh, deep restorative sleep! What relief!

We all know how much better we feel after a good night's sleep. But what happens when we are woken up throughout the night by disturbing nightmares and unsettling dreams? Are we prepared with strategies for getting back to sleep or for addressing upsetting dream content when it surfaces? What about repetitive nightmares that keep coming back? How are we to deal with them? Well, today's show looks at sleep interventions, as well as dream and nightmare strategies.

I love this topic as it gives you the skills for looking closely at what surfaces through the dream content and what makes it so interesting and meaningful in your own healing journey.

Whether it is tigers chasing you or workplace incidents, repeating the content is often symbolic or representative of what needs addressing, rather than reflective of the actual problems in your life. For example, if in your life you are not getting along with a specific friend ... your dream content might show you in a boat floating away from shore into murky water and away from a house that represents your connections and safety.

You can see an array of animals growling on the shoreline as well as one cartoon character happily waving at you from one of the windows of the house. You don't need to live close to water or even in a house in order for the dream to have meaning for you or to relate to the argument you are having with your friend. Nothing needs to be an exact replica if you look at the content through the lens of "everything is an aspect of you".

In the example above, you are all elements. You are the murky water, the house you are leaving behind, you are the boat and the feelings you have being on the boat. You are all characters that you see. Given time and introspection, you can begin to notice how each element relates to you and your life themes and events.

Treatment for nightmares includes medications such as Prazosin, CBT therapy such as Image Rehearsal Therapy (or changing the ending) and dream journaling. Deep breathing, relaxation practices and embedding the positive rather than fighting to get to sleep.

Other approaches include:

• Sleep Hygiene

• Dream Journaling using a light pen

• Decoding Bad Dreams using Imagery Rehearsal Therapy

• Making Peace with your Sleep – do not fight to get back to sleep ... instead rest and breathe deeply

• Improve sleep with deep relaxation and embedding positive messages

• Using Guided Body Scan and Progressive Body Relaxation

We also recognize that having a trauma history makes a person much more susceptible to bad dreams/nightmares. This can be thematic such as dreams that reflect a certain type of experience (i.e., loss of an important person, violence against you or those you love, etc). These thematic nightmares do not necessarily present an exact replica of what occurred in your life but can have features representative of a type of loss or trauma that still needs attention or healing in your life.

Research indicates that trauma has been increasingly identified as a potential precursor to clinical insomnia (Sinha, 2016). Sleep quality disruption is one of many ways that trauma can have a significant and prolonged impact on health and well-being, and this is largely because of the ways in which trauma can sensitize the central nervous system to become more hyper-aroused. However, there are ways to mitigate this, improve sleep quality, and regulate the body's sleeping patterns again after trauma.

An excellent article by Havens et al. (2019) outlines this research, and has informed some of the exercise guidelines below.

Links & Resources:

• Sleep Hygiene: https://youtu.be/YvqeWcPwd2o?t=59

• Tame & Decode Bad Dreams: https://youtu.be/Oi72TXnkEy4?t=17

• Make Peace with Your Sleep: https://youtu.be/5HjzyLMsygM?t=38

• Improve sleep by relaxing deeply and embedding positive messages: https://youtu.be/ZQmfCEtzvEE

• Sleep relaxation (the Honest Guys): https://youtu.be/8TDcGYmEgyM

• Guided Body-Scan Meditation for Sleep: https://youtu.be/8TDcGYmEgyM

• Imagery Rehearsal Therapy (IRT): https://www.verywellmind.com/imagery-rehearsal-therapy-2797304

• Reduce Nightmare Frequency with IRT: https://youtu.be/CLsmRs6RXYM

Kristi Hugstad's book gives practical strategies for facing real life hardships. Ms. Hugstad lost her husband to suicide 8 years ago and has been grappling with the loss ever since. She described her life prior to the suicide in glowing terms. She faced social rejection, extreme grief, guilt and the devastating loss of her loving spouse.

She described a loveable, popular husband who was a successful gym owner. They sold the business with the plan of retiring early. This was the beginning of his unexpected spiral into depression and eventual suicide.

Her book outlines how she faced this loss and details the kinds of real life strategies a person can employ to face struggles.

The book outlines simple, straightforward approaches – like journaling, mindfulness, healthy sleep, exercise and sound nutrition to face life struggles. The conversation gets into the real impact of life losses and the importance of recognizing mental health struggles as we grow and change.

Although the book is focused on youth, it applies broadly to people needing some practical tools to face the demands of life.

Even before COVID, mental health challenges were significant. COVID-19 isolation, lockdowns, losses and restrictions have affected everyone in unexpected ways, leaving more people vulnerable and needing support.

Links & Resources:

• The Grief Girl: https://www.thegriefgirl.com/#/

• Life after Loss Blog: https://www.thegriefgirl.com/life-after-loss---a-blog#/

CBT is one of the most common interventions and tends to deal with every day struggles that you might have in dealing with life events. A CBT approach might help you deal with negative thinking and adapt your behavior so you are more engaged and less impacted by fearful beliefs. The book is full of well-structured and organized resources. The book is supported by video exercises and templates on the publisher's website (NewHarbinger.com).

Our guest is Dr. Nina Josefowitz, renowned psychologist and co-author of 'CBT Made Simple; A Clinicians Guide to Practicing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

CBT or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is an evidence-based intervention for addressing the impact of mental health struggles. The CBT approach is one of the most well researched psychological interventions and has demonstrated efficacy. This structured and often goal oriented approach can lay a strong foundation for early career mental health professionals beginning to work with clients, as well as for individuals who are struggling with emotional disturbances and learning to reclaim their lives. The CBT approach provides excellent step-by-step guidance moving toward self-understanding and a balanced mechanism for stabilization.

The research on CBT has demonstrated it as a power-house of intervention (Asnaani, Vonk, Sawyer and Fang, 2012) for depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, substance abuse, schizophrenia, eating disorders, insomnia, personality disorders, anger management, stress disorders and chronic pain.

In Nina's book, she focuses on the importance of both teaching and practicing the skill, to ensure the intervention can be both understood and used when needed.

She focuses on Behavioral Activation as a crucial step toward recovery and encourages strategies for self-reflection on current daily activities as a starting point. In her work, she breaks down exercises using templates that give the user a deep dive into their own behaviors and a clearer sense of ownership over what is working and what is leading to emotional and mental health struggles.

If you read through some of her exercises and watch her videos, you will see a clinician with a deep sense of care and compassion for her clients.

Links & Resources:

• Dr. Nina Josefowitz, CPsych, Psychologist, Toronto, ON, M6G https://www.drninajosefowitz.com/

• CBT Made Simple – preview: https://bit.ly/3uQnUkh

• CBT Made Simple – videos / templates: https://www.newharbinger.com/9781684034550/#nh-book-accessories