The CBT Dive

We all know how infuriating it can be when someone ghosts you after a couple of dates. It's okay to feel frustrated and deceived. But what else comes up for you in those moments? 🤔 In our latest Shorts episode, we're bringing you the key moments from the original episode so you can dive into the heart of the discussion where we explore the underlying fears that reawaken in the emotional...

In this special Shorts episode, we revisit some highlights from a previous season that dive deep into personal journeys and the challenges of dating apps. Our guest, Terence, believes that everyone is on their unique path. Yet, he struggles with feelings of resentment when judged by people with impressive job titles and comfortable bank accounts. Join host Rahim Thawer and Terence as they invoke t...

Lindsay Wynn, founder and CEO of Momotaro Apotheca, shares her experience of feeling excluded and questioned about her bisexual identity at a gay bar. She explores the feelings of self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and sadness that arose from this encounter. Lindsay reflects on her journey of self-discovery and the challenges of navigating her sexual identity. As Rahim walks Lindsay through the Though...

Instead of exploring thoughts patterns using CBT this episode, Rahim interviews somatic counsellor Megan Blair, who then guides him through a mini session where Rahim plays the role of the client who is encouraged to explore what his body is experiencing and what insight it can give him. They discuss the practice of somatic experiencing and its focus on the mind-body connection. Megan explains tha...

In this bonus Shorts episode of The CBT Dive, we’ve taken the highlights from a previous season for you to dip into. Host and psychotherapist Rahim Thawer talks with Al about body image concerns amongst gay men and the pressures to either achieve or maintain a particular physique. This preoccupation is about optimising the ways they can participate in gay men's spaces, including dating and ho...

Our guest this episode is a medical worker named Ale who joins psychotherapist and host Rahim Thawer to discuss his complicated relationship with his mom and the difficult feelings that arise when she calls asking him for money. In a departure from our usual episode, Rahim pivots from using a thought record to using a problem solving worksheet to better address the logistics of Ale’s situation.  T...

Host and psychotherapist Rahim Thawer talks with David, a masters student who is struggling with balancing his career with his schoolwork. Together they delve into the feelings and thoughts of dread, exhaustion, urgency, and self-criticism that emerge in the evening when David is done with work for the day but procrastinates before starting his schoolwork. They also touch on the concept of misattr...

In this bonus Shorts episode of The CBT Dive, we’ve taken the highlights from a previous season for you to dip into. Host and psychotherapist Rahim Thawer talks with Adnan about his experience with hesitating to indicate he’s a “bottom” on dating app due to femmephobia and bottom-shaming in the gay community. ABOUT THE CBT DIVE PODCAST The CBT Dive is a video podcast that brings therapy skills to...

In this conversation, psychotherapist and host Rahim Thawer is joined by José, a psychologist and poet who lives with their partner. José shares their experience as the anchor partner in a polyamorous relationship and they explore the feelings and behaviors that arise in certain situations, such as when their partner shows affection to another partner but not them. Rahim guides Jose through examin...

In this bonus CBT Shorts episode, we’ve taken the highlights from a previous season for you to dip into. Host and psychotherapist Rahim Thawer talks with Farrah about her experience with a dishonest and disappointing father. ABOUT THE CBT DIVE PODCAST The CBT Dive is a video podcast that brings therapy skills to the real world. Each episode welcomes a new guest who wants to explore a challenging s...

Host and therapist Rahim Thawer talks to Vance, a sex and intimacy coach, who discusses his behaviors and thoughts when he feels excluded, and his desire for a group of friends. Vance shares his experiences with friendships and the fear of being too much for others. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the isolation that can come with personal growth and the importance of being understo...

Psychotherapist and host Rahim Thawer and Riz discuss Riz’s travel adventures and how they have led to unique stressors and insights into his relationship with money. Riz shares situations that have brought up difficult feelings, such as feeling cheated and disappointed when spending money on experiences that don't meet his expectations.  Rahim helps Riz identify his automatic thoughts and be...

In this episode, host Rahim Thawer talks to Kae about the recurring feelings of stress around when rent is due. The conversation explores Kae's thoughts and emotions related to financial struggles, self-criticism, and worries about falling back into unhealthy habits. Rahim and Kae also cover topics such as maintaining psychological safety, rationalizing thoughts, and the fear of not being abl...

When you’re ghosted by someone after a couple of dates, it’s legitimately infuriating. It’s okay to feel frustrated and even deceived. But, what else comes up for you in those moments? In this episode, we explore the underlying fears that get reawakened after a ghosting experience. These include fears of being unworthy or unattractive and also an overarching fear of never finding happiness. Throug...

In this interview, Dr. Farooq Naeem shares his longstanding research interest in CBT and culture. He discusses how CBT concepts can conflict with the beliefs of people in non-Western cultures and then delves into the various ways people can understand and approach depression and schizophrenia from their own worldviews. He also discusses his research on using CBT for psychosis and delivering CBT in...

In this interview, Dr. Trevor Hart discusses the need for CBT interventions that target sexual and gender minorities (SGM) and explains how they differ from standard psychotherapy. He addresses some of the critiques that are often shared about the CBT approach and shares his perspectives on the utility of goal-oriented models. Finally, he tells listeners what resources they can avail themselves of...

When community organizations create roles for people with lived experience, how does this get experienced on the employee side? In this episode, we talk to a harm reduction activist, drug user, and community worker committed to gay men's health. He explores the imposter syndrome and feelings of self-doubt when working next to academics and other credentialed folks.  - WATCH at thecbtdive.ca L...

You have a work assignment but you avoid getting started, worry about failure, catastrophize, and then negate positive feedback when it's been submitted and reviewed. Sound familiar? In this episode, we explore a common but frustrating pattern. We query the possibility of Adult ADHD and locate its roots in childhood family dynamics. Sebastien leaves the session more insightful about how he ca...

If you were called out publicly (or worse, cancelled altogether), would your closest friends stick by your side and be there for you? In this episode, we examine the impact of being betrayed by close friends on social media for their own self-preservation. We also explore how the loss, grief, and trauma can permeate all future relationships and leave you with self-doubt anytime you decide to trust...

We’re all on our individual journeys. That’s what this guest strongly believes. Still, there’s legitimate resentment that comes up when you feel judged by people on dating apps who appear to be well sorted with their nice job titles and cushy bank accounts. In this episode, we conjure up Beyonce to help reframe the feelings of inadequacy that arise when capitalism and grind culture don’t fit for p...

Friendships come easily to some of us while others struggle to be seen, understood, and affirmed. In this episode, we explore the story of someone who felt outcast by a group of peers who saw him as inconsistent around his values and behaviour. And, the skills to mend the ruptures were hard to conjure up on both sides of the divide. BrownGayRealness examines his subsequent fears about the possibil...

While gay men often toss out their straight-world rule book and start anew, queer women don't always have the same luxury. Women are socialized, encouraged, and pressured to be so many things, including maternal. In this episode, Telsa considers what it means to be with a partner who doesn't want children. As a queer woman in her mid-thirties, she's torn between choosing love and th...

What do your friends expect from you when you make plans together? Sometimes we might feel like we have to bring only positive energy or always be helpful in some way. In this episode, we gently shift away from assumptions about toxic friendships and begin to consider how low self-worth might contribute to our relationships going downhill. - WATCH at thecbtdive.ca LISTEN wherever you get podcasts!...

Do you ever scold yourself for small mistakes? What's underneath that tendency to self-punish? In this episode, Dawn examines the time she cursed at herself for merely leaving a water bottle in her car. We did a deep dive to unearth a core belief around (in)competence and fears of future failures. - WATCH at thecbtdive.ca LISTEN wherever you get podcasts! - Join my mailing list: affectivecons...

Sometimes self-doubt increases with age. And, we look back at the bold decisions of our twenties and thirties and wonder if we made the right choices. In this episode, Phil examines his grief, regret, and anxiety about changing careers in his mid-40s and wonders if he really should have left his post-secondary studies for a partner over a decade ago. - WATCH at thecbtdive.ca LISTEN wherever you ge...