Bear Psychology Podcast

Chronic pain is a multi-factorial event that can leave the sufferer facing terrible pain alone, without solutions, and sometimes not even believed by others. Did you know that 1 in 5 suffer with chronic pain? Wait times to see a pain specialist can take up to a year or longer and risk of suicide doubles for those suffering with chronic pain. With costs spiralling to over $60 billion + annually, it...

Ranch Hands Rescue has a reputation for being a place of refuge for victims who have survived horrific circumstances.  This makes Ranch Hands Rescue a very special place.   Landon Dickeson, Clinical Director &  Bill Williams, CEO of Ranch Hands, will be joining us today to share with us the meaningful work they perform with both abused and neglected animals, and the traumatized people that they br...

Have you ever wondered why you said, "yes" when you meant "no" or became enraged by something you recognized later was no big deal?  Does your anger flare up quickly in your relationships or do you ever feel like the world is against when something minor occurs?  This likely means your inner "demons",  also referred to as unresolved inner beliefs or  YOUR SHADOW,  is ruling your life. We are joine...

What does it mean to  "Heal the Moral Wound" ?  Have you experienced life-changing events that you have not been able to get over? Our guest today is  Dr. J. Eric Gentry , renowned psychologist, author and speaker. His recent book, Forward-Facing Trauma Therapy, provides steps for reclaiming a life "filled with dignity, meaning and purpose".   Eric is more than my guest today. He is a friend and c...

Ahh, deep restorative sleep! What relief!  We all know how much better we feel after a good night's sleep.  But what happens when we are woken up throughout the night by disturbing nightmares and unsettling dreams?  Are we prepared with strategies for getting back to sleep or for addressing upsetting dream content when it surfaces?  What about repetitive nightmares that keep coming back?  How are...

Kristi Hugstad's  book gives practical strategies for facing real life hardships.  Ms. Hugstad lost her husband to suicide 8 years ago and has been grappling with the loss ever since.  She described her life prior to the suicide in glowing terms.  She faced social rejection, extreme grief, guilt and the devastating loss of her loving spouse. She described a loveable, popular husband who was a succ...

CBT is one of the most common interventions and tends to deal with every day struggles that you might have in dealing with life events.  A CBT approach might help you deal with negative thinking and adapt your behavior so you are more engaged and less impacted by fearful beliefs.  The book is full of well-structured and organized resources.  The book is supported by video exercises and templates o...

Transpersonal Psychology  is the section of psychological study that  addresses   spiritual or transcendent elements  of personal experience.  The idea of our transpersonal lives is that which encompasses or goes beyond our typical and practical daily lives and into wider or unexplained aspects of what we may encounter in life.  This may include peak or mystical experiences, spiritual crisis (in w...

Let's talk about why we fail to see the emotional pain that men live with every day.  Beliefs can tie us in knots and render us blind to the struggles of others  when we fail to look more closely with an open mind and heart.   Documentary film-maker Cassie Jaye's  most notable film  "The Red Pill"  forced her to re-examine her beliefs about the Men's Rights Movements.  She started her journey with...

Traumatology Institute recently made available a new Audio Self Help Series.  The Accelerated Recovery Program for Compassion Fatigue: A Self-Guided Resiliency & Recovery Series Dr. Anna B. Baranowsky & J. Eric Gentry, M.A. Copyright: 2021 Compassion Fatigue what is it? Crucible of Transformation Retirement Party Intro to NLP: Reflect & Process Memories NLP Reflect & Process Exercise Circle of Sup...

Let's talk about what led to the storming the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.   From my point of view, this includes the lure of relevancy or a fear of loss of power; a fire hose of lies within a bubble of misinformation; isolation during COVID; a longing to belong; fear of a changing world; a psychosis of delusion and an acute sense of entitlement.  There are other elements to this, however,  gi...

Un-package how Gratitude, Appreciation and Kindness  can help us all navigate this complex and challenging  holiday season of 2020 . 2020  is an unprecedented holiday season. COVID-19 has taken over the world landscape and changed lives forever. I just put up a 12 x 14 Canvas wall tent in my backyard. I filled it will pillows, blankets and heaters.  It is freezing here, but the tent will make a fe...

Traumatology Institute recently made available a new Audio Self Help Series. " Recovery Now TRAUMA" is the first in the series and addresses the needs of trauma survivors who are seeking self-help guidance to support their recovery. "Learn about the impact of trauma and the importance of self care. Engage in guided trauma recovery exercises." Copyright: 2020 Introduction What is Post-Traumatic Str...

Christine Arylo is an entrepreneur and author of " Overwhelmed & Over it ". She focuses on shifting from overworking and giving too much to empowering yourself to achieve what matters most to you, receive what you need, and breathe. Do you tend to overdo and over-give?  Then join the conversation, and figure out what your drivers are for this behavior, so you can free yourself up to do what truly...

We need Friends... So why are they so tough to develop and maintain? Join  our Conversation with Friendship Expert Shasta Nelson Shasta Nelson is an award winning speaker and author of books "Frientimacy: How to Deepen Friendships for Lifelong Health and Happiness", "Friendships Don't just happen!" and her business book "The Business of Friendship".  She has developed robust strategies for connect...

SEX ADDICTION? Should you be Concerned? An in-depth conversation with experts  Alex St. John & Natalie Cournoyea The numbers are in: 6% of population in the U.S. identify as having a Sexual Addiction. 27,000 people search Google for "sexual addiction" every day. This is a huge number, yet it is still an issue that we don't talk about or understand in the general population or within the therapeuti...

Every year on September 10th, individuals and organizations in over 50 countries connect and work together to prevent suicide, by supporting those who are struggling and to help those who are grieving. This year we will address this topic with Barbara Rubel the author of the fictional novel "But I Didn't Say Goodbye – Helping Families after a Suicide".  In her reader-friendly and well researched b...

Feeling TIRED during the COVID-19 Pandemic?  Well, there are good reasons why you feel this way. We will start by acknowledging what is happening, learn about reasons why COVID Tired is occurring for so many of us and include ideas of how to deal with the fatigue in meaningful ways. From parents working full-time while educating, cleaning, cooking and entertaining a family; medical professionals w...

In this episode we pay attention to the deep and traumatic roots of Black Lives Matter  and unpack the layers of how to respond effectively as individuals and within communities. I dialogue with mental health professional,  Ornge trauma team lead and anti-racism trainer, Tom Walker . After the murder of George Floyd  the public outcry continues to be a powerful voice that is awakening the world to...

" The most terrifying thing is to accept yourself fully " – Carl Jung We'll start by recognizing that we are much more than the surface image we present to others while at the same time exploring why for many, we guard our interior world so very carefully, in fear that others will see us for who we really are. It begs the question –  Who and what are we really guarding from others, and why?   We w...

We have all lied at some point, and have likely been hurt by others lying to us. Wonder why do we all do it? Why do some  people lie compulsively ? Have you ever felt a need to lie to pretend things are better than they are or even to gain power or protection? Have you ever felt ashamed of believing a liar or have been badly injured as a result? We have all been there!  Let's talk about this compl...

We addressed the impact on first responders/front line workers everywhere with two experts Dr. Brad Lindell of NC-CM and AAETS ( http://www.nc-cm.org/biobradlindell.htm  ) and Daniel McGuire of CISM Perspectives ( https://www.cismperspectives.com/ ).   These include emergency room staff, doctors, nurses, clinicians, mental health practitioners, pharmacy staff, grocery staff, those still serving fo...

How are you managing in this new COVID World? "the hope that something good can come out of this collective state of " together, apart ."–  Elena Nicolaou , Mar 19, 2020 Things have changed so rapidly that everyday life seems like "a surreal life". I walk to work and the streets are empty, I enter my building and no one is in the elevator. I arrive at my floor, open my file cabinet and begin to se...

What is loneliness: Why is it so bad now? In the age of technology, we are more connected than ever, so why do many people still struggle with loneliness? First, let's define loneliness. Loneliness is need of human connection but not being able to have it. It is a subjective experience and is not the consequence of being physically alone. If you feel lonely, you are lonely. Loneliness occurs when...

Setting Yourself Up for Success "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit"   – Will Durant The year 2020 is upon us and it marks the end of the decade. Millions of New Year's resolutions will be made; however, the  8%  success rate shows we just don't know how to stick with them. We want to share with you the psychology behind starting new habits, changing old habi...