In this mega-episode, clinical psychologist Dr. Rick Hanson and Forrest Hanson explore everything you need to know about therapy. They share how you can get more from therapy, finding the approach that’s right for you, and some perspectives on why therapy is so expensive. They then run through the five major schools of Western psychotherapy before discussing a few alternative modalities. You’ll learn how long to stick with a therapist before looking for alternatives, questions to ask a prospective therapist, and how to maximize your results.

You can watch this episode on YouTube.

Key Topics:

0:00: Introduction

1:40: The biggest factors that contribute to therapy going well

7:25: Finding the therapeutic modality that works for you

14:00: The cost of therapy, and the problem created by insurance companies

20:35: The five major schools of western psychotherapy

21:20: Psychodynamic therapy, and investigating the unconscious

23:20: Behavioral therapy, and variable reinforcement

25:55: Humanistic psychology, and seeing the good in yourself

29:05: Cognitive therapy, why insurance companies like CBT, and exploring our beliefs

36:15: Mindfulness-based therapies, and being with our experiences

41:15: Family systems therapy, social justice, somatic therapy, and non-Western thinking

46:20: The differences (and similarities) between therapy and coaching

52:40: How long therapy should take, and how to evaluate if it’s working

1:02:15: The role of client motivation 

1:04:55: Questions to ask a prospective therapist

1:10:15: The importance of the therapist’s engagement

1:12:50: Common qualities Rick found challenging with past clients

1:16:05: The importance of internalizing change, and recognizing what’s really shifting

1:21:20: Recap

Forrest is now writing on Substack, check out his work there. 

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