Host Anna Lindberg Cedar, MPA, LCSW shares a tour of the show's greatest hits in this final episode in the Therapy For Real Life Podcast. Cedar talks about the importance of burnout prevention and self-care, highlighting the podcast's 28 episodes adapting Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills into self-care practices for everyday life. Cedar shares her personal journey with burnout prevention and the importance of mindfulness, stress management, emotion regulation, and relationship skills. Cedar features guest interviews, including Randy Wolbert on Zen mindfulness and Dr. Nate Zinser on sports visualization techniques for everyday stresses. Cedar shares plans to focus more on Workshops For Real Life and normalizing self-care in everyday settings.
 

Summary Transcript Provided by Otter AI - Please forgiven any typos...

Announcements and Reflections

• Anna Lindberg Cedar announces that this is her last episode as the host of the Therapy for Real Life Podcast.
• She shares her decision to bring the show to a close and her hope that it will become an archive of self-care skills for burnout prevention.
• Anna reflects on the original intention of the podcast, which was part of her own burnout prevention process.
• She discusses the stress therapists face due to the overwhelming need for mental health services and the high cost of therapy.

The Role of the Therapy for Real Life Podcast

• Anna explains that the podcast aims to make therapy concepts more accessible through self-care practices.
• She highlights that most self-care strategies on the podcast are adapted from dialectical behavior therapy (DBT).
• Anna emphasizes the importance of highlighting skills backed by research and shown to be helpful in moments of stress.
• She mentions that the podcast features more than 28 self-care skills coaching episodes, which are a more affordable alternative to full DBT sessions.

Introduction to DBT and Self-Care Skills

• Anna explains that DBT teaches four areas of self-care: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.
• She describes the format of the DBT episodes, which include introducing a self-care skill, explaining its importance, and providing a practice exercise.
• Anna provides an example of a mindfulness exercise, explaining its benefits and guiding listeners through a relaxation exercise.
• She emphasizes the importance of giving oneself permission to rest and practice mindfulness, even for just a minute.

Practical Mindfulness Exercise

• Anna leads listeners through a 54321 grounding exercise to awaken the senses.
• She instructs listeners to notice five things they can see, four sounds around them, three bodily sensations, two smells, and one taste.
• Anna encourages listeners to practice mindful noticing and self-awareness without judgment.
• She highlights the importance of developing self-awareness and the ability to return to these check-ins anytime.

DBT Episodes and Resources

• Anna informs listeners that all DBT episodes can be found on the therapyforreallife.com website.
• She provides a direct link to a PDF outlining all the different DBT skills episodes on the website.
• Anna mentions that DBT is derived from Zen mindfulness principles and is a research-backed counseling method.
• She introduces an interview with Randy Wolbert, a licensed psychotherapist and Zen practitioner, to discuss the spiritual practices that influence DBT.

Randy Wolbert's Introduction to Zen Practices

• Randy Wolbert shares his experience with one-day retreats and his initial feelings of missing something in his spiritual path.
• He describes his first introduction to sitting meditation and the challenges he faced during his first retreat.
• Randy explains how he started sitting every day for five minutes, following advice from his teacher, Pat Hawk.
• He emphasizes the importance of finding time for daily meditation practice, even if it's just for a few minutes.

Guest Expert Interviews and Their Impact

• Anna highlights the importance of guest interviews on the podcast, which expanded beyond DBT to other therapy styles.
• She mentions her interview with Anne Helen Peterson, a culture critic and writer specializing in burnout concepts.
• Anne discusses the impact of community and network on burnout prevention and the importance of creating meaningful activities outside of work.
• Anna emphasizes the practical advice shared by guest experts and the importance of building a supportive community.

Dr. Nate Zinser's Advice on Sports Visualization Skills For Everyday Stress

• Anna introduces an interview with Dr. Nate Zinser, the director of the performance psychology program at the United States Military Academy.
• Dr. Zinser discusses the importance of visualization in preparing for high-stress situations.
• He explains how engaging the imagination can stimulate various systems in the body and prepare neural pathways for future performance.
• Dr. Zinser emphasizes the importance of visualizing positive outcomes and anticipating potential challenges.

Final Reflections and Future Plans

• Anna reflects on the design of the therapy for real life podcast as an evergreen resource for self-care strategies.
• She encourages listeners to visit therapyforreallife.com or workshopsforreallife.com for more resources and information.
• Anna announces her plans to focus more on workshops for real life, offering non-therapy options and tools for burnout prevention.
• She expresses gratitude to listeners for being part of her burnout prevention process and wishes them well in their self-care journey.