Lotus Crusher

This week I speak with Brad M. Reedy, PhD. Brad is the director of Evoke Therapy Programs, wilderness therapy with a mission to provide the highest level of personalized therapeutic care with a focus on the whole-health of clients and families with extensive family support and resources.⁠

After years as a parent educator having broadcast over 1,000 webinars on parent and family issues, Dr. Reedy released the book, The Journey of the Heroic Parent: Your Child's Struggle and the Road Home. Using his personal story and stories from thousands of clients, he shares wisdom on how to think about parenting. Parents are asked to shift from relying on experts for advice to learning how to think about parenting questions by truly understanding themselves and doing their own work.⁠

Josh is an accredited EMDR therapist, an accredited drug and alcohol counselor, and a licensed heart math coach. He is the clinical director of the resurface program. Resurface provides evidence based, week long surf therapy retreats and bespoke EMDR intensives for trauma, resilience and flow, creativity and self care in Morocco. 

I've known Josh for a handful of years. He was helpful in understanding the therapeutic landscape of London when I moved there a while back. We've always remained in touch and I think very highly of him as a clinician. During our time together we touched on how Josh takes care of himself, priming ourselves for change, and focusing on optimization for peak performance.

When I moved to New York City in 2011 I was put in touch with George Hahn and we hit it off. George is a writer, actor, and a consultant. but most importantly he is an old mentor of mine. I always admired how relaxed and confident he was. I was in the middle of an existential crisis and meeting with George for guidance was comforting. He regularly reminded me things would be ok if I just showed up and let go of the results, and I trusted him.

It turned out George was right.

We lost touch some time ago. Life took its course and we both moved away from New York City. I continued to follow his blog and podcast from afar and recently got in touch with him to record this episode.

What motivated me to reconnect was reading the first rough draft chapter of his memoir titled: “Once in a Blue Moon.” The chapter is about meeting a man that would change Georges life. It made me miss George. He was an integral part of my early days establishing a footing in New York City. I had bitten off more than I could chew. I had recently quit drinking and moved to the city to chase a woman I thought I was madly in love with.

I look back on those early days and swell with nostalgia and gratitude. I couldn’t have done it without the teachers that helped me along the way. And it all payed off. If I hadn’t flown the coup to NYC I don’t know where I’d be. And my life might not have turned out to be so immense. George was one of a few key people that taught me to be open.

Freddie is a musician, writer, and performer. He is a very very very deep thinker. He seems to take his time assembling his opinions when exploring his thoughts and ideas. He does not assume to know anything, and part of the enjoyment of speaking with him was the overwhelming feeling that we were discovering things together. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Freddy a bit over the past year. Inquisitive and somewhat reserved he allowed me to poke around at his journey through mental and emotional change processes he’s participated in.

In this episode Freddie and I discuss the often overlooked importance of applying purpose to our self care regimen. We talk about being part of a group of creative collaborators, how a group endeavor provides a level of safety and anonymity, and how these things can be appropriate emotional coping mechanisms. We look at how to perform for others while overcoming defective ego and self. And we touch on how faith in something greater than ourselves can provide us with much needed equanimity.

We often don’t draw a parallel between the effects of climate change and mental health. I sat down with Bonnie Wright to discuss her experiences within her personal and professional life and how she’s managed to cope. Bonnie is an actress well known for her early role in the Harry Potter franchise. She has gone on to act, write, direct and produce many other projects in her adult life.

What interests me most about Bonnie is her deep passion for environmental activism. She is also fully committed to taking care of her mind and body. We both imagined there must be a correlation between how we take care of our heads and how we do, or do not, take care of our ecosystem.

Tommy Vext has become a household name in the metal community. His reputation and ability were catapulted upon receiving the opportunity to help a friend on tour. When asked to fill in for the lead singer of Five Finger Death Punch due to the lead singers inability to cope with his own mental health struggles Tommy stepped up. He had to. Not for the stardom. But because his personal program of recovery requires him to be of service.

Tommy is a frontman for the metal band Bad Wolves. In 2018, the band covered The Cranberries 1994 hit “Zombie” which made it to number 1 on the Billboard Rock chart. 

We dove into the idea that heavy music could have a positive influence on a persons overall mental health. I played in metal bands growing up in Los Angeles and am still a massive fan of the genre and sub genres it has birthed. The constant brutality of heavy music speaks to me. It can motivate me, and at times it can soothe me. Tommy is the perfect example of how one can be mentally well while creating severe art.

Daniel Desure is a creator of incredible caliber. He operates Commonwealth Projects, Total Luxury Spa and maybe most importantly is a co founder of Tropics: a local space for healthy food, healthy drinks, community events and resources. We discuss the shifting of culture in Los Angeles, being entitled to learning, being teachable, the things we didn’t receive as children, and running toward discomfort.