Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson Fixing vs. Feeling: How to Get on the Same Team with Elizabeth Ferreira
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Feb 2, 2026 
Elizabeth Ferreira, a somatic therapist specializing in trauma-informed relationship work, joins to unpack why people default to “fixing” or “feeling.” She traces these patterns to socialization, trauma, and nervous-system activation. Short takes cover attunement before problem-solving, co-regulation, and simple tools like asking “empathy or solutions?” to get on the same team.
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Fixing And Feeling As Defenses
- Fixing and feeling are both protective strategies that solve different problems inside relationships.
- Each can become a defensive adaptation when overused, limiting access to the full “chessboard” of responses.
Forrest's Early Adaptation To Logic
- Forrest describes becoming more problem-solving because it was rewarded and safer than being a sensitive kid.
- He shifted toward logic as an adaptive strategy that reduced suffering in social situations.
Elizabeth's Survival Identity Unraveling
- Elizabeth recounts living with survival strategies that kept her emotionally closed and achievement-focused.
- In relationships she would erupt emotionally later because she lacked regulation and problem-solving capacity.