Your Mental Breakdown

This week, Doug and Meredith are back at it to kick off Season 2 with Andrew. Doug talks about his road trip into the mountains of Colorado while Meredith talks about the trials and tribulations of her vegetable garden. In the session, Drew recognizes some familiar patterns of behavior with his mom while his brother's wedding is fast approaching. Drew and Doug talk about feeling even-keeled and th...

In this special bonus episode, Doug and Meredith share their personal stories with grief over the past two years. It's been almost two years to the date since the sudden death of Doug's wife and the death of Meredith's mom. They share their stories with vulnerability and resilience. They reveal how the podcast started, and how working on it has helped them with their ongoing healing process and wi...

Wyatt is a previous client of Doug's that has experienced severe trauma. He had a sudden brain aneurysm and cancer. This is his story of endurance, awareness, and healing.     Mentioned in this episode :  Your Mental Breakdown - The Facebook Group   Meredith Levy Doug Friedman

In this bonus Roundtable episode, Meredith and Doug are joined by fellow therapists Mona Valeriano and Jessica Kramer. They look at different ways of approaching trauma and therapy from their training and experience. Mona comes from a psychoanalytic background and is trained in EMDR (and she explains what that means!). Jessica is a Somatic Experiencing practitioner and marriage and family therapis...

This week, Doug and Meredith reflect on the first six months of the podcast as we reach the end of season one with Drew.  In the session, you'll hear clips from a few recent sessions with Doug and Drew hitting the six-month mark of their work. Drew shares his thoughts about the podcast coming out and his perspectives after hearing the first episode. In the breakdown, Doug and Mer wrap it up and lo...

Talking about the sensationalism of Bambi and how seeing traumatic events can be very impactful. In the session, Drew says he's been future tripping and past tripping - and not being present in the here and now. In the breakdown, Doug and Meredith explore concepts of motivation, confidence, and self-worth, as they came up for Drew in the session.  Episode Webpage Doug Friedman The 5 Love Languages...

Fireworks, dad jokes, and great movies from our days as younguns. Drew acknowledges his growth in treatment, and with a little self-reflection, he admits he is not very motivated right now. In the breakdown, Meredith talks about a focus of her work with clients on narrowing down our broad goals to the one small step you can take right now. (Look for an upcoming Insight Out focused on how to do thi...

This week, Doug showered with his dog and Meredith shared her excitement about tennis lessons, her bird feeder, and getting ready to watch The Matrix. In the session, Drew feels excitement about the unknown in front of him as well as some unsettled feelings. He's been rediscovering himself and spending quality time with his friends. In the breakdown, Doug and Meredith talk about grading ourselves...

This week, Doug and Meredith talk about the highs and lows of watching their dogs on webcams, as well as the joys of home repair, toilet hygiene, and tushie cushies. In the session, Drew connects a long-standing fear of losing mom with how he tries to keep people in his life, even if it compromises or sacrifices his integrity and boundaries. In the breakdown, Doug and Meredith dive deeper into the...

This week, Doug and Meredith talk about how our relationship with time can create pressure and affect our level of stress. They also talk about hiking, napping, and glamping to get away from it all! In the session, Drew continues to process his recent breakup and he feels a definite shift in perspective. He shows more strength in carving his own path and making his own choices. In the breakdown, M...

This week, Meredith retreats to Lake Tahoe and Doug is entertaining his dog at home. In the session, Drew moves around different stages of grief and loss after his breakup. He acknowledges there's baggage he's been carrying with him that pre-dates his ex-girlfriend. He is feeling fragile and raw, and starting to look at the freedom that this stage is offering him. In the breakdown, Doug and Mer ta...

This week, Doug and Meredith 'monkee' around a bit and reference a handful of classic movies from their youth - showing how old and adorbs they are! In the session, Doug and Drew continue to process the breakup and move through different stages of grief and loss. Drew starts to reconnect with his friends for support. In the breakdown, Doug and Meredith remind us that we're human, and need to have...

This week, Doug and Meredith discuss the routine and comfort of going to a therapist's office as a physical space, not just a virtual room. Meredith updates us on her US geography skills. In the session, Drew's issues of trust in the relationship are pushed to the edge, leading to a breakup. Doug and Meredith break down the break up. They talk about healing from and dealing with, breakups using so...

This week, Mer and Doug are coping with quarantine and testing their geography skills with a US map quiz. In the session, Drew's last day at work is coming up and he has nothing going on, which makes him feel anxious. Drew and Doug explore trust issues that have come up in work relationships and his personal relationships. They look at ways to have a conversation with people rather than leaving so...

This week, Mer and Doug are doing 'fair' and 'corona good' in spite of a burnt tongue and a kitschy therapist pillow. In the session, Drew feels good having put in his two-week notice. He can feel himself slowing down and letting go of a lot - and he hasn't had a night terror in weeks! Drew notices triggers on date night with his girlfriend and doesn't spring into action or reaction to fix things....

This week, Meredith goes down the rabbit hole of tequila and zoom filters. She joins Doug for a walk down the memory lane of their worst old hairstyles. In the client session, Andrew goes on a work trip to Vegas where issues come up with his girlfriend - in part because the relationship is not out in the open. Doug and Andrew look at issues of validation and control. They also help name emotions a...

This week, Doug and Meredith remind us about getting out of our comfort zone and experiencing the cool things there are to do - regardless of quarantine (like glow in the dark seaweed!). In the session, Drew looks at what's next after getting the support of his parents and putting in his two weeks notice at work. Doug and Drew look at how issues from his past relationships have shaped how he appro...

This week, Doug and Meredith talk about adjustments they've been making during this pandemic time. The client, Andrew, feels the benefits of putting in the hard work and letting raw emotions come up and out. He is beginning to see with a new perspective and way of thinking as he gets ready for a big weekend with his family and girlfriend. Doug brings up the idea that it's okay for someone to be di...

Doug and Meredith acknowledge passing the month mark of quarantine and note some good things that have come out of this experience. In the client session, we see how important it is to have trust between a therapist and client. Andrew gets raw and emotional while talking about his girlfriend, and Doug helps him stay with the emotions instead of run away from them. They process the triggers and con...

This week, Doug and Meredith talk about how the "thing" itself is usually not that bad, it's the lead up to it that creates fear and anxiety. They highlight this with a story of Doug trying not to get wet on a hike then slipping on a log and splashing into a stream; and Meredith going to the dentist.  Andrew has some issues of abandonment triggered by his current relationship, creating uncertainty...

In this Insight Out bonus minisode, Doug and Meredith give us a brief look at the basics of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT). They break down some key aspects of these types of treatment and how they borrow from these approaches in their work as therapists.  Episode Webpage  Mentioned in this episode : Your Mental Breakdown The Facebook Group Meredith Lev...

In this episode, Doug and Meredith talk about finding self-confidence, compassion for self, and having a support system - while also being okay with being alone. Doug and his client, Andrew, explore Andrew's challenges with anxiety about his relationship, and the interdependence he needs in order to feel safe and loveable. Andrew discusses key examples within his relationship that have been causin...

In this pre-Corona virus episode, Doug and Meredith talk about fires, mountains, Coachella and bubble gum. Doug's client Andrew checks in about the guilt he is feeling towards not having a conversation yet with his estranged brother, as his brother's bachelor party weekend approaches. He and Doug talk about what that conversation would authentically look like for him, and what's getting in the way...

This week, we talk about the connection between knowing it and feeling it and the difference between a human being and a human doing. Doug and Andrew dive deeper into his decision about going to his brother's bachelor party. We explore what can happen when we try out new ways of thinking and create different neural pathways. In the breakdown, this leads to an amazing exchange between Doug and Mere...

This week, Doug and Meredith talk about what came up in Andrew's recent sessions — Star Wars, jealousy, and male strippers, of course. Andrew shares a bad nightmare that caused a lot of anxiety. Doug and Andrew work on balancing out the "what if" thoughts and discuss how to move forward in life, while also being present and able to appreciate each moment for what it really is. Doug and Meredith br...