Back on the podcast with me today is licensed therapist and certified meditation teacher, Jason Connell. His work focuses on the intersection of evidence-based psychology, philosophy, and enduring insights from the wisdom traditions. His goal is to help his clients develop self-love and self-compassion while solving persistent and challenging problems related to happiness, stress, anxiety, work, relationships, and finding meaning.

On this podcast, Jason talks about Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP), the approach he uses to foster connection and facilitate positive transformational experiences with his clients. We discuss the goals of this therapeutic method, including the healing of attachment injury, which affects about 50% of the population. You can also listen in as Jason guides me through a short AEDP session right here on the podcast.

Here’s the outline of this interview with Jason Connell:

[00:02:13] People experience greater stress in urban areas; Study: Lederbogen, Florian, et al. "City living and urban upbringing affect neural social stress processing in humans." Nature 474.7352 (2011): 498-501.

[00:03:20] Jason's previous NBT podcast: From Magic to Mindfulness: The Evolution of an Entrepreneur.

[00:03:33] Book: It's Not Always Depression: Working the Change Triangle to Listen to the Body, Discover Core Emotions, and Connect to Your Authentic Self, by Hilary Jacobs Hendel.

[00:03:39] Book: The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, by Bessel van der Kolk.

[00:06:01] Podcast: The Neurophysiology of Safety and How to Feel Safe, with Stephen Porges.

[00:06:43] The need to belong.

[00:06:51] Podcast: The Postmenopausal Longevity Paradox and the Evolutionary Advantage of Our Grandmothering Life History, with Kristen Hawkes, PhD.

[00:07:53] Change triangle.

[00:08:26] Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP), founded by Diana Fosha, PhD.

[00:10:08] Attachment theory - 50% are securely attached, 50% have attachment injury.

[00:12:59] John Bowlby's work on attachment.

[00:13:02] Book: Mothers and Others: The Evolutionary Origins of Mutual Understanding, by Sarah Blaffer Hrdy.

[00:13:06] Book: Polysecure: Attachment, Trauma and Consensual Nonmonogamy, by Jessica Fern.

[00:26:04] Book: Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion, by Paul Bloom.

[00:26:45] Compassion vs. Empathy.

[00:28:19] Polyvagal theory.

[00:30:54] Physiological safety.

[00:32:46] Alexithymia.

[00:37:05] AEDP demonstration.

[01:02:54] Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) vs. AEDP.

[01:12:16] AEDP Practitioner Directory.

[01:13:39] Emotional Focused Therapy (couples) and Internal Family Systems (families); Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).

[01:14:55] Find Jason at jasonconnell.co.