Let's Therapize That Shit!!!

Recorded on Oct 18, 2023This is a deviation from my normal content, but a genocide warrants it. Part 4 of a 4-part series, this episode focuses on what is and isn't antisemitism, shares the perspective of some Jewish folks, and ends with the most important voices in the room: Palestinians in Gaza. Rather than me talking about therapy skills (or even talking all that much period), I've collected videos, posts, websites from dozens of Instagram accounts, TikTok accounts, news outlets, non-profits, etc. that have helped inform my understanding of what's going on in Gaza. Palestine must be free.ResourcesYoutube video of this episodeSpreadsheet of all references in this episodeLinks of ways to take actionPublic tool kit———More resources are available at https://therapize.joygerhard.com/Please rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast wherever you listen.Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTokLike what you hear? Support me and this podcast on Patreon.

Recorded on Oct 17, 2023This is a deviation from my normal content, but a genocide warrants it. Part 3 of a 4-part series, this episode focuses on white supremacy and the United States' complicity in the Israeli genocide against Palestinians. Rather than me talking about therapy skills (or even talking all that much period), I've collected videos, posts, websites from dozens of Instagram accounts, TikTok accounts, news outlets, non-profits, etc. that have helped inform my understanding of what's going on in Gaza. Palestine must be free.ResourcesYoutube video of this episodeSpreadsheet of all references in this episodeLinks of ways to take actionPublic tool kit———More resources are available at https://therapize.joygerhard.com/Please rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast wherever you listen.Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTokLike what you hear? Support me and this podcast on Patreon.

Recorded on Oct 17, 2023This is a deviation from my normal content, but a genocide warrants it. Part 2 of a 4-part series, this episode focuses on propaganda and how to identify misinformation. Rather than me talking about therapy skills (or even talking all that much period), I've collected videos, posts, websites from dozens of Instagram accounts, TikTok accounts, news outlets, non-profits, etc. that have helped inform my understanding of what's going on in Gaza. Palestine must be free.ResourcesYoutube video of this episodeSpreadsheet of all references in this episodeLinks of ways to take actionPublic tool kit———More resources are available at https://therapize.joygerhard.com/Please rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast wherever you listen.Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTokLike what you hear? Support me and this podcast on Patreon.

Recorded on Oct 16, 2023This is a deviation from my normal content, but a genocide warrants it. Part 1 of a 4-part series, this episode focuses on the historical context of Israel's colonialization of historic Palestine. Rather than me talking about therapy skills (or even talking all that much period), I've collected videos, posts, websites from dozens of Instagram accounts, TikTok accounts, news outlets, non-profits, etc. that have helped inform my understanding of what's going on in Gaza. Palestine must be free.ResourcesYoutube video of this episodeSpreadsheet of all references in this episodeLinks of ways to take actionPublic tool kit———More resources are available at https://therapize.joygerhard.com/Please rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast wherever you listen.Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTokLike what you hear? Support me and this podcast on Patreon.

During this episode, I’m pretty annoyed at the experience of doing therapy and I’m not shy about showing it. So I observe and describe what it feels like to do exposure therapy. In listening back to the main recording, I have an epiphany: part of what makes exposure so painful is that I’m judging my own thoughts as I’m having them. And like a bull in a China shop, I wreak a lot of havoc on myself without meaning to. Join me as I peel back the layers of my judgements.Helpful resources from this episode:DBT references:DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets – online pdf version; DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets – buy the manual from a Black-owned book store! DBT handouts used in this episode: Mindfulness Handout 5 – Taking Hold of Your Mind: “How” Skills; Nonjudgementally; Emotion Regulation Handout 6 – Ways to Describe Emotions; Distress Tolerance Handout 11 – Radical Acceptance; Distress Tolerance Handout 15 – Mindfulness of Current Thoughts; Other resources used in this episode: Tiktok: video from @ayandastood———More resources are available at https://therapize.joygerhard.com/Please rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast wherever you listen.Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTokLike what you hear? Support me and this podcast on Patreon.

It’s post-exposure processing time while climbing stairs! After doing exposure to traumatic invalidation, I know enough to know that I need to practice acceptance to something, but I’m not sure what that something is. It takes some venting and meandering to home in on the facts – which include my feelings. I also come up with a coping thought to use in the future.Helpful resources from this episode:DBT references:DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets – online pdf version; DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets – buy the manual from a Black-owned book store! DBT handouts used in this episode: Emotion Regulation Handout 11 – Figuring Out Opposite Actions Anger; Distress Tolerance Handout 11 – Radical Acceptance; Distress Tolerance Handout 11A – Radical Acceptance: Factors That Interfere; Distress Tolerance Handout 11B – Practicing Radical Acceptance Step by Step; Other resources used in this episode: Treating Trauma in Dialectical Behavior Therapy: The DBT Prolonged Exposure Protocol (DBT PE) by Melanie S. Harned, PhD, ABPP———More resources are available at https://therapize.joygerhard.com/Please rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast wherever you listen.Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.Like what you hear? Support me and this podcast on Patreon.

I'm observing some surprising behavior from a couple former partners and feeling absolutely ill over it. I practice some observe and describe to figure out what I'm feeling, chat with my wise mind a bit, and ultimately practice opposite action to the guilt that comes up when I'm communicating boundaries.Helpful resources from this episode:DBT references:DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets – online pdf version; DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets – buy the manual from a Black-owned book store! DBT handouts used in this episode: Mindfulness Handout 1A – Mindfulness Definitions; Mindfulness Handout 3 – Wise Mind: States of Mind; Mindfulness Handout 4 – Taking Hold of Your Mind: “What” Skills; Mindfulness Handout 5 – Taking Hold of Your Mind: “How” Skills; Emotion Regulation Handout 5 – Model for Describing Emotions (alternate version: E Wheel);Emotion Regulation Handout 7 – Overview: Changing Emotional Responses; Emotion Regulation Handout 10 – Opposite Action; Emotion Regulation Handout 11 – Figuring Out Opposite Actions; Other resources used in this episode: Wise Mind Venn diagram - my version———More resources are available at https://therapize.joygerhard.com/Please rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast wherever you listen.Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTokLike what you hear? Support me and this podcast on Patreon.

Wanna hear what intellectualizing emotions sounds like? The recording featured in the middle of this episode has a bunch of that. As part of my exposure therapy homework, I'm doing exposure to job hunting and intellectualizing the shit out of my feelings of hopelessness and despair. It's not effective. However, I do end the episode by trying out a new skill: Mindfulness of Current Emotions, specifically riding the wave. And whoda thunk, it's ACTUALLY effective!

A couple episodes ago, I was dealing with anger about my autism diagnosis. This episode, it’s time for sadness! I’m hopping right on the “it’s hopeless” thought train, heading for a cliff, so I reign myself in with the Distract skill, specifically using comparisons. I also talk about using diary cards and competency tiers to remind me of where I’m skillful.

One of the skills that helps build a life that's worth living in the long-term is identifying one's values. And I hate doing it. Ergo why it's this week's exposure therapy assignment. I go through a couple questions designed to help me imagine what my life might look like when I'm acting from my values. I grumble about it, but I do it anyway.