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Why in the World

Why in the World

Bryan Nixon

Why in the World is a podcast fueled by curiosity. Deep dive conversations exploring meaning, purpose, and why we show up in the world the way that we do. Hosted by psychotherapist, Bryan Nixon. Subscribe on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/why-in-the-world/id1496246636
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Top 10 Why in the World Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Why in the World episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Why in the World for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Why in the World episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

EPISODE #15 - Dr. Karen Maroda - The Analyst's Vulnerability

Every once in a while, as a psychotherapist you come across an author who’s work really resonates with you. It challenges, inspires, and makes a mark on your own way of practicing. For me, Dr. Karen Maroda is one of those authors.

Dr. Maroda is a psychologist and psychoanalyst in private practice in Milwaukee, WI. She is the Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Medical College of Wisconsin and is the author of four books including:

  1. The Power of Countertransference
  2. Seduction, Surrender, and Transformation
  3. Psychodynamic Techniques
  4. The Analyst’s Vulnerability, which was just released earlier this year

I first read her work in 2005 while in Grad School to become a therapist and was immediately drawn in. I have returned to her books countless times throughout my career and almost always recommend them to therapists I supervise or consult with.

Throughout her work, but particularly in her new book, The Analyst’s Vulnerability (Great Title, BTW) there is a consistent call to therapists examine our own motivations for being therapists, to let go of the need to be perfect, to embrace our own humanity, and to show up with our patients in a deeply authentic, courageous and relational way. She often pushes against whatever the current popular fad in our field happens to be, and points out that we therapists are prone to avoid conflict by hiding behind our theories, techniques, and tools. In her new book she writes, “We have never focused on the natural conflicts that arise in any relationship, including the analytic one, in part because it would necessitate the examination of our own needs, desires, and shortcomings” (Maroda, 2022, p. 102).

In my opinion, this book is a must read for any psychotherapist who takes seriously the idea that our patients are far more than symptoms, thoughts, behaviors and who believe that our role in the work is far more dynamic than simply providing advice and solutions.

I hope you enjoy my conversation with Dr. Karen Maroda as much as I did! Thank you for listening.

Links for Dr. Maroda

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-j-maroda-ph-d-abpp-b1679263

Website: https://www.karenmaroda.com/

Why in the World Podcast on Instagram

Bryan Nixon is a psychotherapist and the founder and clinical director of Mindful Counseling GR in Grand Rapids, MI. He is also a teacher and facilitator in Relationally Focused Psychodynamic Therapy, a post-grad continuing education program for therapists.

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Why in the World - Episode #17 - Dr. Galit Atlas - Emotional Inheritance
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03/08/22 • 56 min

Episode #17 - Dr. Galit Atlas - Emotional Inheritance

“The people we love and those who raised us live inside us; we experience their emotional pain, we dream their memories, we know what was not explicitly conveyed to us, and these things shape our lives in ways that we don't always understand.” - Dr. Galit Atlas (2022, p. 11)

Dr. Galit Atlas is a psychoanalyst and clinical supervisor in private practice in New York City. She is on the faculty of the New York University Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy & Psychoanalysis. Dr. Atlas has published three books for clinicians and numerous articles and book chapters that focus primarily on gender and sexuality. Her New York Times publication “A Tale of Two Twins” was the winner of a 2016 Gradiva Award. A leader in the field of relational psychoanalysis, Dr. Atlas is a recipient of the André François Research Award and the NADTA Research Award. She teaches and lectures throughout the United States and internationally.

I first encountered her work in 2018 in her book Dramatic Dialogue which was co-authored with her life partner, the late Lew Aaron. I found her writing to be both accessible and honoring of the unending complexity and mystery that emerges in each therapeutic relationship.

I had the good fortune of sitting down with her via Zoom to discuss her latest book, Emotional Inheritance: A Therapist, Her Patients, and the Legacy of Trauma. This is her first book written for the general public and she has done a beautiful and heart-ful job of taking complex psychoanalytic ideas and making them relatable by way of the clinical and personal tales that fill the pages. I couldn't put this book down and would strongly encourage you to get a copy. she also narrated the audiobook if that is more your style.

Thank you for listening and please enjoy my conversation with Dr. Galit Atlas.

If you enjoy this podcast, I would be extremely grateful if you would take a moment to give it a rating on iTunes.

Find Dr. Atlas online:

Instagram: @galit_atlas

Facebook Author Page: Galit Atlas

Website: https://www.galitatlas.com/

New Book: Emotional Inheritance: A Therapist, Her Patients, and the Legacy of Trauma

Links:

Relationally Focused Psychodynamic Therapy (RFPT) - Post-grad continuing education program for psychotherapists that I teach in and mentioned at the end of this episode. We have opened enrollment for the Fall 2022 cohort. If you’re a therapist and want to learn more, I’d love to chat with you! Send me an email at: [email protected]. Relationally Focused Psychodynamic Therapy (RFPT) is an evidence-based treatment approach with strong roots in depth psychology (particularly contemporary Relational Psychoanalysis), dialogical philosophy, and neuroscience. As of December 2018, the Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy has set forth policy recommendations that evidence-based therapy relationships and responsiveness be taught as frequently as other evidence-based treatments. (Reference: Norcross, J. C., & Lambert, M. J. (2019). Psychotherapy Relationships that work III. Psychotherapy, 55,4, p. 303-315). The RFPT certificate program is a direct response to these policy recommendations.

Why in the World Podcast on Instagram

Bryan Nixon is a psychotherapist and the founder and clinical director of Mindful Counseling GR in Grand Rapids, MI. He is also a teacher and facilitator in Relationally Focused Psychodynamic Therapy, a post-grad continuing education program for therapists.

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In this episode I sit down with my friend and fellow psychotherapist, April Kaiserlian. April is a Licensed Master of Social Work in private practice in Grand Rapids, MI and is a Mindfulness teacher and co-founder of the Grand Rapids Center for Mindfulness. We discuss themes of turning towards suffering rather than numbing or avoiding. April references the poem Birdwings by Rumi that I wanted to post here for you to read. Let these words in:

Birdwings

Your grief for what you've lost lifts a mirror

up to where you're bravely working.

Expecting the worst, you look, and instead,

here's the joyful face you've been wanting to see.

Your hand opens and closes and opens and closes.

If it were always a fist or always stretched open,

you would be paralyzed.

Your deepest presence is in every small contracting and expanding

the two as beautifully balanced and coordinated

as birdwings.

--Rumi

Connect with April

Web:

https://www.aprilkaiserlian.com/

https://www.grandrapidscenterformindfulness.com/

IG:

https://www.instagram.com/aprilkaiserlian/

Bryan Nixon is a psychotherapist and the founder and clinical director of Mindful Counseling GR in Grand Rapids, MI. He is also a teacher and facilitator in Relationally Focused Psychodynamic Therapy, a post-grad continuing education program for therapists.

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Why in the World - Episode #1 - Jenny Bremer - Follow the Ping
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01/23/20 • 54 min

In this episode I sit down with my friend Jenny Bremer just days before she packed up her life in Grand Rapids, MI, jumped into her car with her dog and drove to Santa Fe. It was such a rich conversation exploring themes of self-awareness, unconscious patterns, suffering, freedom, and truth.

Connect with Jenny:

Web: Remembered Practice I’m Just Curious Podcast

IG: https://www.instagram.com/rememberedpractice/

https://www.instagram.com/theimjustcuriouspodcast/

Bryan Nixon is a psychotherapist and the founder and clinical director of Mindful Counseling GR in Grand Rapids, MI. He is also a teacher and facilitator in Relationally Focused Psychodynamic Therapy, a post-grad continuing education program for therapists.

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In this episode I chat with my life-long friend, Dr. Scott Graves to discuss action, hope, empowerment, and love in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic that currently has us all huddled up in a much more isolated way than we are typically used to. We explore how to care for ourselves physically, emotionally, and spiritually in such an unprecedented time. Dr. Scott is an acupuncture physician and holds a master's in counseling and theology. He is the founder of Triune Wellness Center in Orlando, FL and is the creator of the online course entitled Total Gut Transformation (www.TotalGutTransformation.com).

If you are finding yourself overwhelmed by the stress, anxiety, and isolation that is currently coursing through all of humanity right now, consider the following options:

1. Schedule a confidential online therapy session with one of our amazing therapists at Mindful Counseling GR (if you are a Michigan resident). For those of you who are out of state, you can find local therapists in your area who are also able to do video sessions during this time. Most insurance carriers are covering online sessions presently. If you have questions about what online therapy is like, check out this one minute video that helps to demystify the experience.

2. Reach out to Dr. Scott for an online appointment from anywhere in the US and get a FREE copy of his Complete Cold and Flu Guide. Additionally, you can pick up a copy of The Sedona Method on Amazon mentioned in the episode.

3. Download the Metafi App for free. It is a wonderful tool for tracking, and journaling your emotional experiences as they arise as bodily sensations in order to help to soothe and learn from them. Metafi was created by Mindful Counseling GR therapist, Benjamin Reisterer.

Additionally, many great yoga studios are putting their classes online for free. Moving your body is a great way to deal with stress. Use Google to search for free online yoga classes.

Bryan Nixon is a psychotherapist and the founder and clinical director of Mindful Counseling GR in Grand Rapids, MI. He is also a teacher and facilitator in Relationally Focused Psychodynamic Therapy, a post-grad continuing education program for therapists.

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Why in the World - Episode #9 - Inger Brown - You Are Creative
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08/21/20 • 58 min

INGER BROWN - You Are Creative

In this episode, I sit down with Inger Brown and we riff on creativity, how it is innate in each of us, how it differs from being artistic, and how creative blocks can serve as a mirror for us to look inward in order to discover more about the fullness of who we are.

Inger is an herbalist, writer, poet, artist, and teacher who has found healing in the natural world and with plant medicine. She writes, “Having such life affirming experiences with herbs, I wanted to help others find their own healing so studied herbalism on my own and with teachers and mentors. It was beautiful to see the softening of nervousness that milky oats could bring, how yarrow could both help move stagnant blood and stop excessive bleeding, and how Solomon’s seal and rose could assuage grief.

One day as I sat with a client we came face to face with their deepest resistance. They showed up to appointments and left ready to implement lifestyle changes and use the herbs I suggested yet came back each time having been unable to take action between sessions. It was demoralizing and baffling for us both and I didn’t have strategies or resources to draw from to help them get past this block so the herbs could do their profound work.

At the same time I experienced my own creative dry spell and was stuck for months, unable to be present to things that bring me joy or take action toward the things I knew might make a difference. Since then I’ve learned new maps to help me understand where and why we tend to get stuck and continue to do my own inner work to be able to meet myself and my clients where they are—helping them move beyond protective patterns to experience greater flow and feeling in their own lives.”

If you would like to connect with Inger you can find her via her website: apothecaryoftherose.com

Follow Why in the World on Instagram: @wiwpodcast

COVID-19 Support: The wonderful team of therapists at Mindful Counseling GR are able to accept new clients for Video Counseling during this time for Michigan residents. If you are not in Michigan and could use some additional support during this season, please locate a therapist in your area by doing a simple Google search. Most therapists across the country are now able to conduct therapy via video and telehealth options.

Bryan Nixon is a psychotherapist and the founder and clinical director of Mindful Counseling GR in Grand Rapids, MI. He is also a teacher and facilitator in Relationally Focused Psychodynamic Therapy, a post-grad continuing education program for therapists.

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BILLY LANDFORD - Instagram Live Recording - Flip the Script

In this episode we go a bit unorthodox. My friend Billy Lanford from Eremos Performance reached out and asked if I would be interested in being interviewed by him on his Instagram Live feed. Neither one of us had done Instagram Live before so this was a shared experiment. Billy has a strong passion for helping others find where they are stuck in life and helping them tap into their own inner resources to go beyond where they are stuck to a more vibrant life. While the audio quality was slightly less than what we had hoped for, we both agreed that the content was definitely worth putting out into the world. I hope you enjoy the conversation as we cover topics of coffee, COVID19 (of course), trauma, growth mindset, and dreamwork.

Useful Links:

Roast Umber - delicious coffee consciously crafted in Grand Rapids, MI. They deliver!

Connect with Billy - he is continuing to do really great interviews on his Insta feed.

Web: Eremos Performance

Instagram

Connect with Mindful Counseling GR

Web: Mindful Counseling GR

Instagram

Facebook

Why in the World Podcast

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COVID-19 Support: The wonderful team of therapists at Mindful Counseling GR are able to accept new clients for Video Counseling during this time for Michigan residents. If you are not in Michigan and could use some additional support during this season, please locate a therapist in your area by doing a simple Google search. Most therapists across the country are now able to conduct therapy via video and telehealth options.

Bryan Nixon is a psychotherapist and the founder and clinical director of Mindful Counseling GR in Grand Rapids, MI. He is also a teacher and facilitator in Relationally Focused Psychodynamic Therapy, a post-grad continuing education program for therapists.

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Why in the World - Episode #7 - Joe Hull - Connection
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05/19/20 • 62 min

JOE HULL - Connection

In this episode I sit down with fellow therapist, Joe Hull to discuss the human longing and need for authentic connection. We touch on the Enneagram a bit as well as practicing a form of therapy that maintains a deep sense of curiosity about what is emerging in the relational space between the client and therapist as a way of making unconscious patterns conscious so that they can be mutually worked through. This is a good episode for any of you psychology or therapy nerds (like us) out there.

Joe has been in private practice for the past couple of years and I have had the privilege of getting to know him as a deeply compassionate, curious, and thoughtful person who offers himself wholeheartedly to his clients for the sake of transformative connection. If you are in West Michigan, in search of a therapist, and this episode resonated with you, you can reach out for an appointment with Joe by going to www.mindfulcounselinggr.com or by sending an email to: [email protected].

Follow Why in the World on Instagram: @wiwpodcast

COVID-19 Support: The wonderful team of therapists at Mindful Counseling GR are able to accept new clients for Video Counseling during this time for Michigan residents. If you are not in Michigan and could use some additional support during this season, please locate a therapist in your area by doing a simple Google search. Most therapists across the country are now able to conduct therapy via video and telehealth options.

Bryan Nixon is a psychotherapist and the founder and clinical director of Mindful Counseling GR in Grand Rapids, MI. He is also a teacher and facilitator in Relationally Focused Psychodynamic Therapy, a post-grad continuing education program for therapists.

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In this episode I sit down with my mentor and psychologist, Roy Barsness, PhD, and discuss the transformative power of relationship. We touch on the significance of knowing your why and part of what inspired this podcast to come to be as seen in Michael Jr's video entitled, Know Your Why. Roy is the author of Core Competencies of Relational Psychoanalysis, and the founder of Relationally Focused Psychodynamic Therapy, a post-grad certificate program for therapists, in which I am a teacher and facilitator. He is also a professor of psychology at The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology.

Bryan Nixon is a psychotherapist and the founder and clinical director of Mindful Counseling GR in Grand Rapids, MI. He is also a teacher and facilitator in Relationally Focused Psychodynamic Therapy, a post-grad continuing education program for therapists.

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Episode #16 - Dr. Steven Kuchuck - The Relational Revolution

Hey everyone! Welcome back to Why in the World. If you know anything about me, you know that I tend to be a bit of a nerd when it comes to reading and learning about psychoanalysis. I’m particularly drawn to what is known as Relational Psychoanalysis, which emerged in the 1980’s and has continued to evolve ever since. So when Dr. Steven Kuchuck agreed to be a guest on my podcast, my inner nerd started break dancing!

I’m excited about this episode! It was a true pleasure talking with Dr. Kuchuck about his new book The Relational Revolution in Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy. Dr. Kuchuck is a leading teacher and scholar of relational thinking and President of the International Association for Relational Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy. He is on the faculty of the New York University Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis as well as various other institutes.

In addition to all of this, he is also just a joy to talk to.

In his new book he writes: “In Relational and other contemporary, two-person perspectives, the analyst’s expertise is measured by the extent to which she can facilitate exploration of the intersubjective dynamics of a treatment in order to help the patient gain better understanding of older, formative relationships, internalizations, repetitions, and barriers to desired change. In a successful treatment, ‘co-created old truths are replaced with co-created new truths’.

I hope you enjoy my conversation with Dr. Steven Kuchuck...

Find Dr. Kuchuck online:

Twitter: @stevenkuchuck

Facebook Author Page: Dr. Steven Kuchuck

Website: www.stevenkuchuck.com

His New Book: The Relational Revolution in Psychoanalysis & Psychotherapy

Links:

Relationally Focused Psychodynamic Therapy (RFPT) - Post-grad continuing education program for psychotherapists that I teach in and mentioned at the end of this episode. If you’re a therapist and want to learn more, I’d love to chat with you! Send me an email at: [email protected].

Relationally Focused Psychodynamic Therapy (RFPT) is an evidence-based treatment approach with strong roots in depth psychology (particularly contemporary Relational Psychoanalysis), dialogical philosophy, and neuroscience. As of December 2018, the Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy has set forth policy recommendations that evidence-based therapy relationships and responsiveness be taught as frequently as other evidence-based treatments. (Reference: Norcross, J. C., & Lambert, M. J. (2019). Psychotherapy Relationships that work III. Psychotherapy, 55,4, p. 303-315). The RFPT certificate program is a direct response to these policy recommendations.

Why in the World Podcast on Instagram

Bryan Nixon is a psychotherapist and the founder and clinical director of Mindful Counseling GR in Grand Rapids, MI. He is also a teacher and facilitator in Relationally Focused Psychodynamic Therapy, a post-grad continuing education program for therapists.

bookmark
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FAQ

How many episodes does Why in the World have?

Why in the World currently has 18 episodes available.

What topics does Why in the World cover?

The podcast is about Podcasts, Self-Improvement and Education.

What is the most popular episode on Why in the World?

The episode title 'Episode #15 - Dr. Karen Maroda - The Analyst’s Vulnerability' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Why in the World?

The average episode length on Why in the World is 56 minutes.

How often are episodes of Why in the World released?

Episodes of Why in the World are typically released every 32 days, 22 hours.

When was the first episode of Why in the World?

The first episode of Why in the World was released on Jan 23, 2020.

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Shelly

@shelly

Jul 8

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So excited to listen to my friend’s podcast series!

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