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
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.
[4:10] Meredith shares one of the strange things that happened to her – she fell out of a moving car at four years old!
[6:01] Doug and Meredith reminisce about tetherball, handball and the rules that now don’t make all that much sense. No slicies!
Session begins.
[10:03] Andrew has a case of the Mondays and goes into some fear and anxiety coming up in his relationship with his girlfriend.
[14:17] Andrew went over to visit his girlfriend and noticed she was drinking, which triggered a memory (and a pattern) of what he experienced with his mom that made him feel unsafe.
[21:28] Andrew shares that he feels lonely and doesn’t have many people to talk to about his feelings and what he is going through. Doug reminds him there is at least one person (himself) and a half (Andrew and his developing yoda voice).
[22:42] The voice of ‘Little Drew’ saying “I’m not safe” comes out when triggered. Andrew then feels scared and needs reassurance and validation. Doug acknowledges this is a very old wound he has carried with him for a long time.
[27:25] A lot of emotion is coming up for Drew, and Doug reminds him that it’s okay to not be okay.
[32:52] Drew acknowledges that he doesn’t want to shut down, but feels like there are too many people relying on him for him to stop and break down.
[43:31] Andrew notices that it feels good to express himself. Doug is proud of him for staying with it and doing the work to process the raw emotions.
[43:32] Session ends. Breakdown begins.
[46:29] Doug and Meredith point out the confirmation bias of finding the thing you’re looking for – in Drew’s case it’s the pattern of being lied to or abandoned when he doesn’t know the full truth or something changes.
[51:55] Therapy and practice can lead to change, but it’s tough when the people around you are not supportive and allowing growth to happen.
[52:42] Doug and Meredith confirm that Andrew doesn’t need to make any big decisions right now, he can focus on strengthening himself.
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