Meredith swims a mile then she and Doug talk about Justice League. And the superhero talk continues with Drew taking to a Superman analogy - balancing the daily grind of a day job with using his own time to focus on his passions. Drew shows vulnerability with his girlfriend. He and Doug explore ways to relieve stress and be mindful other than his go to of smoking weed. Meredith and Doug talk about shutting down your laptop computer to unconsciously send a message to our minds to shut down and stop running in high stress mode.
Bonnie is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Los Angeles. She is an instructor for graduate students in the LGBT Specialization Psychology program at Antioch University. Although her specialty is working with the LGBTQ community and people in the entertainment industry, she also assists clients in managing and/or overcoming anxiety, depression, trauma, stress, painful relationship patterns, creative blocks, co-dependency, love and sex addiction, issues with intimacy and low self-esteem.
Bonnie received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Emerson College and a Masters in Clinical Psychology degree from Antioch University with a specialization in LGBT psychology.
Doug Friedman is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker that has spent nearly 20 years working with adults, adolescents and families with issues ranging from depression and anxiety to substance abuse, bipolar disorder and PTSD. He has supervised a program at a community mental health agency that serves severely emotionally disturbed youth and their families in Los Angeles. He continues to provide clinical supervision to therapists and associates in his private group practice, Clear Mind Full Heart in Los Angeles.
Doug received a Masters in Social Work from The Catholic University of America and a BA in Study of Religion from UCLA. Before becoming a psychotherapist, Doug worked for a music management company that oversaw bands like Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Beastie Boys, and Bonnie Raitt. Doug is also the artist and songwriter behind all the music heard on the podcast.
Meredith Levy is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of California and holds a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University. Over the last ten years she has worked with many different populations, and feels most at home working in addiction, personality disorders and mood disorders. Meredith specializes in Dialectical
Behavioral Therapy (DBT). Meredith worked with inner-city youth as a bi-lingual therapist for the Department of Mental Health in Los Angeles County. Not only has Meredith worked at a variety of different drug and alcohol treatment centers throughout California, she was also the co- founder of a large treatment facility in Northern California.
Meredith's extensive education and background as an attorney and an MBA gives her a unique perspective and a fresh approach to elevating personal growth. In addition, she is a certified yoga instructor and believes that the spiritual, physical and emotional aspects of the self are important components of the therapeutic process.
[1:22] Meredith goes big and swims a mile! She and Doug talk about watching Justice League - Mer watched the wrong one!
[7:40] Session begins.
[8:00] Drew is having a hard time leaning into the daily grind of working a 9 to 5 job, while also having time and energy for his own passions. Doug shows how even Superman had a crappy job from 9 to 5 as Clark Kent working at the Daily Planet, but then at night the cape came on and he started saving the world as a superhero.
[13:47] Drew finds it refreshing to get support from his girlfriend by sharing what is happening emotionally for him now without having to share everything about his past.
[20:04] Doug and Drew discuss mindfulness and the notion that stress tends to follow you wherever you go (like Pigpen’s dirt), so we can find ways to shake it off and fully experience more of what we are doing in the present moment.
[30:24] Drew wants to develop better coping mechanisms, not just smoking weed. He feels good about showing up authentically and vulnerably as the son and boyfriend he wants to be.
[32:54] Session Ends.
[33:29] Meredith loves the Clark Kent analogy! She highlights the key that Drew has really increased his awareness of issues, and that is the first step in making a change.
[38:30] Doug is like a therapy ninja - when he helps Drew change over time by subtly pointing out when Drew’s actions and desires are incongruent rather than directly going after ineffective behaviors.
[41:31] When we are creating a new routine, having too many choices can feel overwhelming and send us back to familiar old habits. Picking just one or two ways to slow down and be present is a great start. Meditation is a great choice but not the only way to be mindful. You can be mindful doing activities like cooking, walking, even watching TV - as long as you are allowing your mind to be present and focused on what you are doing.
[43:53] When we carry around our stress and chaos, it can make us feel like we are Pig-Pen from Charlie Brown!
[46:39] Meredith and Doug talk about Drew feeling like he always wants to be on to the next thing rather than staying still. Doug shares a story about not staying on one radio station and missing out on hearing songs because he couldn’t help but channel flip!
[48:50] Our challenge to you to help wind down your own mind: try to go one week with fully shutting down your computer every night!
[50:37] Meredith and Doug discuss Drew’s statement of detaching a little from his mom while still having empathy.
Your Mental Breakdown - The Facebook Group
Meredith Levy
Doug Friedman
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