Your Mental Breakdown

This week, Meredith goes down the rabbit hole of tequila and zoom filters. She joins Doug for a walk down the memory lane of their worst old hairstyles. In the client session, Andrew goes on a work trip to Vegas where issues come up with his girlfriend - in part because the relationship is not out in the open. Doug and Andrew look at issues of validation and control. They also help name emotions and look at differences between being alone and feeling lonely.

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This week, Doug and Meredith remind us about getting out of our comfort zone and experiencing the cool things there are to do - regardless of quarantine (like glow in the dark seaweed!). In the session, Drew looks at what's next after getting the support of his parents and putting in his two weeks notice at work. Doug and Drew look at how issues from his past relationships have shaped how he approaches his current one. Drew is starting to recognize triggers and see the path to breaking old patterns.

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Meredith Levy

Doug Friedman

The Great Realisation - Hindsight's 2020 (Bedtime Story)

George Harrison and Paul Simon performing acoustically in 1976

Sting at The Secret Policeman's Other Ball

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This week, Doug and Meredith talk about adjustments they've been making during this pandemic time. The client, Andrew, feels the benefits of putting in the hard work and letting raw emotions come up and out. He is beginning to see with a new perspective and way of thinking as he gets ready for a big weekend with his family and girlfriend. Doug brings up the idea that it's okay for someone to be disappointed - and that doesn't mean that you're a disappointment. Andrew realizes he doesn't need to exhaust himself trying to make others happy.

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Meredith Levy

Doug Friedman

The Giver

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Doug and Meredith acknowledge passing the month mark of quarantine and note some good things that have come out of this experience. In the client session, we see how important it is to have trust between a therapist and client. Andrew gets raw and emotional while talking about his girlfriend, and Doug helps him stay with the emotions instead of run away from them. They process the triggers and connect them to old wounds from his relationship with his mom. Andrew embraces the idea that he can be the one to give himself reassurance in times of uncertainty. Doug and Meredith break it down with some pretty sweet baseball and Charlie Brown analogies.

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Charlie Brown Kicking the Ball

"I Don't Like Mondays" by Boomtown Rats

Meredith Levy

Doug Friedman

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This week, Doug and Meredith talk about how the "thing" itself is usually not that bad, it's the lead up to it that creates fear and anxiety. They highlight this with a story of Doug trying not to get wet on a hike then slipping on a log and splashing into a stream; and Meredith going to the dentist. Andrew has some issues of abandonment triggered by his current relationship, creating uncertainty and anxiety for him. Andrew explores what it means to have a sense of self-worth inside a relationship. Doug and Meredith dive deeper using The Missing Piece as a relationship guide and explaining differences between setting rules for others and having boundaries for yourself.

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Your Mental Breakdown - The Facebook Group

Meredith Levy

Doug Friedman

Rambo

Adam Sandler Billy Madison

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In this Insight Out bonus minisode, Doug and Meredith give us a brief look at the basics of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT). They break down some key aspects of these types of treatment and how they borrow from these approaches in their work as therapists.

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Your Mental Breakdown The Facebook Group

Meredith Levy

Doug Friedman

CBT Triangle/Loop

In this episode, Doug and Meredith talk about finding self-confidence, compassion for self, and having a support system - while also being okay with being alone. Doug and his client, Andrew, explore Andrew's challenges with anxiety about his relationship, and the interdependence he needs in order to feel safe and loveable. Andrew discusses key examples within his relationship that have been causing doubt lately, and Doug gives some great analogies to help process it.

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Meredith Levy

Doug Friedman

Protection by Massive Attack with Tracey Thorn

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In this bonus minisode, Doug and Meredith explore the childhood classic books, The Missing Piece, and The Missing Piece Meets the Big O, by the great Shel Silverstein. They talk about how these books might have different meanings when reading them as an adult as opposed to when they were kids.  Either way, the message about love and understanding is as important today as it has ever been.

In this pre-Corona virus episode, Doug and Meredith talk about fires, mountains, Coachella and bubble gum. Doug's client Andrew checks in about the guilt he is feeling towards not having a conversation yet with his estranged brother, as his brother's bachelor party weekend approaches. He and Doug talk about what that conversation would authentically look like for him, and what's getting in the way of him talking to him or even sending out a letter with his thoughts written out. Andrew has been taking a lot of what he's learned in past sessions and applying it to himself, with the occasional awesome Yoda and Green Beret reference, which warms the cockles of our hearts.

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Your Mental Breakdown - The Facebook Group

Meredith Levy

Doug Friedman

Finding Forrester - The first draft is from the heart

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In this Insight Out bonus minisode, Doug and Meredith answer some of your questions and read comments from the Mailbag that were focused on finding a therapist and some of your experiences in therapy. They offer tips for finding a therapist and give you some inside information from the therapist’s perspective. They also provide pointers for what you can do if you feel stuck in therapy.