A Podcast with Charlie Swenson - To Hell and Back

In this episode, Charlie reflects on 100 episodes spent exploring human suffering. He synthesizes wisdom from interviews including coping with natural disaster, loss of a child, suicide, and cancer, arriving at seven overarching guidelines for survival. View video version of this podcast

In the final episode of our 4 part Series on coping with Suicide in the family, we hear from Teddy’s fiancé Mariya. Mariya’s developed a personal friendship with Ross and shares about that relationship and her experience grieving his suicide. She also speaks about what it was like for her as someone outside the immediate family after Ross’ suicide: what it was like to be an outsider witnessing a f...

In the 3rd of our 4 Part Series on coping with suicide in the family, we speak with Beth’s son, and Ross’ brother, Teddy. Teddy shares his perspective on growing up as an older sibling to a brother who struggled with painful emotions throughout his lifetime, on the close friendship they developed as they got older, and his inexhaustible capacity to access compassion and warmth. Teddy talks about b...

In this episode, the third of four on how Andrea has coped with Cancer throughout 2022, her best friend Amy joins the conversation and they talk about what has happened in their friendship as a result of Cancer.  How they have dealt with Cancer has enriched their friendship and their friendship has been key in helping Andrea to reduce her suffering and preserve her love of life.  Totally sweet and...

In this episode (part 2), Charlie and Nicole speak with Beth about her son Ross who ended his life two years ago. We hear about Beth, the family, and Ross leading up to his death. In future episodes we learn how Beth and other family members have coped with the tragic loss. View video version of this podcast View Gallery

In this episode, Charlie and Nicole speak with Beth about her son Ross who ended his life two years ago. We hear about Beth, the family, and Ross leading up to his death. In future episodes we learn how Beth and other family members have coped with the tragic loss. View video version of this podcast View Gallery

In this episode, Charlie and Nicole role play and then discuss a therapy session in which Charlie patiently sifts through the layers of defensive grandiosity and wounded pride that provoked his Narcissistic patient Taylor (played by Nicole) into a violent outburst at a recent wedding. View video version of this podcast

In this podcast, Charlie and Nicole contrast DBT versus psychodynamic models for narcissistic patients. Charlie demonstrates how to talk with these patients about the diagnosis with compassion and clarity. Charlie demonstrates how to talk with these patients about the diagnosis with clarity and compassion, using a DBT model. View video version of this podcast

This is the second installment of Charlie’s interview with Andrea Gold, PhD, DBT expert, faculty member of Brown University Department of Psychiatry. See podcast #87 for the first hour. Andrea was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in January of this year and is here reporting on how she has coped for the past six months with Cancer and its treatments, including managing her friendships and her fa...

In episode 3 of the series on Narcissism Charlie and Nicole illustrate the relational nature of Narcissism. Through role play and discussion, listeners hear an intimate portrait of complex interpersonal dynamics playing out between the Narcissist and his counterpart, fueling and reinforcing Narcissistic behavior and belief. Stay tuned for the final episode in the series where Charlie and Nicole sh...

In this episode, the second in our series on narcissism, Charlie and Nicole dissect clinical models and cultural assumptions to illuminate the nature of narcissistic behavior, distinguishing between adaptive traits and the destructive conduct that may meet the criteria for a Narcissistic Personality Disorder diagnosis. View video version of this podcast

In this podcast, Charlie and Nicole talk about narcissism, how it plays a part in all of our lives, how there is a range from healthy to pathological, and how it can present in two different types, the grandiose and/or the vulnerable types. This will be the first of three or four podcasts on this topic. View video version of this podcast

In this episode, Charlie and Nicole role play a therapy session in which the client plans to terminate her pregnancy. DBT skills help her decide if, and how, she’ll share her plans with her partner who is very excited about having the child. View video version of this podcast

In this podcast, Charlie and Nicole look at recent divisive decisions by the Supreme Court through a dialectical lens as developed in DBT. In the spirit of conflict, Charlie sings a Dialectical Love Song, “Unhappy Together,” a bastardization of the Turtle’s 1967 love song, “Happy Together.” View video version of this podcast

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“Acting Opposite…” is one of the cardinal skills taught in DBT, a way to reduce painful emotional responses, and the cornerstone of the behavioral change procedure of Exposure. In the upcoming podcast, “live” on Thursday, March 25 at 6:00 pm eastern, I will go over the functions of “acting opposite…,” the formula for doing it, and the nuances of maki...

On this Thursday, March 11, at 6:00 pm, I will be joined on the podcast by three DBT therapists from Clearview Treatment Center Women’s Program: Nicole Riddle, Kate Roahrig, and Ruth Avalos. They all do individual DBT therapy and lots of skills training. They will bring practical examples of how you can apply DBT’s Model of Emotions to your life. You may benefit from listening to the l...

Even with all the techniques for regulating emotions, it’s really hard to deal with the intense, repetitive, stubborn ones. In this podcast I will go over ten reasons it’s so difficult. I do this for two reasons: first, maybe this will help someone who is listening to get a better understanding of what is making it so impossible to regulate certain emotions; second, this podcast will s...

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