In this mega-episode of the Being Well Podcast, clinical psychologist Dr. Rick Hanson and Forrest Hanson explore everything you need to know about therapy. They share how you can get more from therapy, finding the approach that’s right for you, and some perspectives on why therapy is so expensive. They then run through the five major schools of Western psychotherapy before discussing a few alternative modalities. You’ll learn how long to stick with a therapist before looking for alternatives, questions to ask a prospective therapist, and how to maximize your results from therapy.

Key Topics:

• 0:00: Introduction
• 1:40: The biggest factors that contribute to therapy going well
• 7:25: Finding the therapeutic modality that works for you
• 14:00: The cost of therapy, and the problem created by insurance companies
• 20:35: The five major schools of western psychotherapy
• 21:20: Psychodynamic therapy, and investigating the unconscious
• 23:20: Behavioral therapy, and variable reinforcement
• 25:55: Humanistic psychology, and seeing the good in yourself
• 29:05: Cognitive therapy, why insurance companies like CBT, and exploring our beliefs
• 36:15: Mindfulness-based therapies, and being with our experiences
• 41:15: Family systems therapy, social justice, somatic therapy, and non-Western thinking
• 46:20: The differences (and similarities) between therapy and coaching
• 52:40: How long therapy should take, and how to evaluate if it’s working
• 1:02:15: The role of client motivation 
• 1:04:55: Questions to ask a prospective therapist
• 1:10:15: The importance of the therapist’s engagement
• 1:12:50: Common qualities Rick found challenging with past clients
• 1:16:05: The importance of internalizing change, and recognizing what’s really shifting
• 1:21:20: Recap

Forrest is now writing on Substack, check out his work there.