The Weekend University

Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett, a leading psychologist and neuroscientist, dives into her revolutionary theories on emotions. She reveals that emotions are not instinctual but constructed by the brain based on past experiences and context. The conversation emphasizes the power of emotional granularity, showing how a richer emotional vocabulary can enhance mental health. Dr. Barrett also discusses the interplay between perception and memory, and how our experiences shape our sense of agency and responsibility. Discover how redefining emotions can empower personal growth!

Join Marc Lewis, a former professor of developmental psychology and an expert in addiction neuroscience, as he shares his personal journey and insights. He delves into how early experiences shape addictive behaviors and the cyclical link between identity and addiction. Discover why breaking addiction patterns is challenging and what recovery strategies actually work. Marc also highlights the importance of self-reflection and reframing one's identity in the path to recovery, offering hope and resilience through personal growth.

In this discussion, Paul Gilbert, a pioneer of compassion-focused therapy, and Jeremy Holmes, a leading attachment expert, dive deep into the nuances of therapeutic dynamics. They explore the critical distinction between 'safety' and 'safeness' in relationships and how early attachment influences emotional growth. They emphasize the role of compassion in fostering connection and well-being, underscoring how attachment shapes our capacity for empathy. Their insights make a compelling case for integrating compassion in psychotherapy and caring relationships.

Dr. Oliver Morgan, a seasoned expert in counseling and addiction, shares insights from his thirty years of experience. He discusses how addiction can be viewed as an attachment disorder, and the heartbreaking dynamics of these 'jealous relationships.' Morgan highlights how individual addictions often mirror wider societal issues, suggesting a need for community-based solutions. The conversation weaves in personal narratives, trauma's role in addiction, and the importance of rebuilding relationships for recovery. Hope flows through as he emphasizes the power of human connections in overcoming addiction.

Join Dr. Steve Taylor, a senior lecturer in psychology and bestselling author, as he delves into the mind-bending nature of time. Discover why linear time may be an illusion and how near-death experiences can shape our understanding of life and time. Learn about the intriguing concept of time expansion and its connection to spirituality, as well as practical insights to slow down our perception of time. Taylor's expertise opens up discussions on free will, precognition, and the transformative power of mindfulness in high-pressure situations.

Dr. James Hollis is one of the world’s leading Jungian analysts. Across a career spanning decades, he has written extensively on how we confront the unconscious, navigate midlife, and live with greater courage and self-awareness. His books include: Living an Examined Life, Under Saturn's Shadow, and a Life of Meaning. In this conversation, we explore: — The extent to which Dr. Hollis believes there is a "purposeful intelligence" at work in nature. — How we live a larger life by asking larger questions - and the questions he finds more helpful for leading his clients to a path of enlargement — How to distinguish between ego-based desires and those coming from a deeper place — What Dr. Hollis learned from his near death experience in 2022. And more. You can learn more about his work and books at http://jameshollis.net --- James Hollis, Ph. D., was born in Springfield, Illinois, and graduated from Manchester University in 1962 and Drew University in 1967. He taught Humanities 26 years in various colleges and universities before retraining as a Jungian analyst at the Jung Institute of Zurich, Switzerland (1977-82). He is presently a licensed Jungian analyst in private practice in Washington, D.C. He served as Executive Director of the Jung Educational Center in Houston, Texas for many years and was Executive Director of the Jung Society of Washington until 2019, and now serves on the JSW Board of Directors. He is a retired Senior Training Analyst for the Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts, was first Director of Training of the Philadelphia Jung Institute, and is Vice-President Emeritus of the Philemon Foundation. Additionally he is a Professor of Jungian Studies for Saybrook University of San Francisco/Houston. He lives with his wife Jill, an artist and retired therapist, in a suburb of Washington, DC. Together they have three living children and eight grand-children. He has written a total of twenty books, which have been translated into Swedish, Russian, German, Spanish, French, Hungarian, Portuguese, Turkish, Italian, Korean, Finnish, Romanian, Bulgarian, Farsi, Japanese, Greek, Chinese, Serbian, Latvian, Ukranian and Czech. --- Interview Links: — Dr Hollis’ website - http://jameshollis.net — Dr Hollis’ books - https://amzn.to/41xg1Co

Dr Bessel van der Kolk is a clinician, researcher, and teacher who has spent his professional life studying how children and adults adapt to traumatic experiences. He specialises in translating emerging findings from neuroscience and attachment research to develop and study a range of effective treatments for traumatic stress and developmental trauma in children and adults. He is the author of the New York Times Bestseller: The Body Keeps the Score, the Founder of Trauma Center in Boston, and currently serves as President of the Trauma Research Foundation. In this conversation, we explore: — The role that neurofeedback can play in healing developmental trauma — Dr van der Kolk’s study examining the effects of MDMA on PTSD — The essential difference between those who were traumatised by the 9-11 attacks and those who weren’t — How developmental trauma leads to deficits in sensory integration areas of the brain and the most effective treatments for addressing this. And more. You can learn more about Dr van der Kolk’s work by going to: https://traumaresearchfoundation.org/ --- Bessel van der Kolk MD spends his career studying how children and adults adapt to traumatic experiences, and has translated emerging findings from neuroscience and attachment research to develop and study a range of treatments for traumatic stress in children and adults. In 1984, he set up one of the first clinical/research centers in the US dedicated to study and treatment of traumatic stress in civilian populations, which has trained numerous researchers and clinicians specializing in the study and treatment of traumatic stress, and which has been continually funded to research the impact of traumatic stress and effective treatment interventions. He has focused on studying treatments that stabilize physiology, increase executive functioning and help traumatized individuals to feel fully alert to the present. ​ His efforts resulted in the establishment of Trauma Center (now the Trauma Research Foundation) that consisted of a well-trained clinical team specializing in the treatment of children and adults with histories of child maltreatment, that applied treatment models that are widely taught and implemented nationwide, a research lab that studied the effects of neurofeedback and MDMA on behavior, mood, and executive functioning, and numerous trainings nationwide to a variety of mental health professional, educators, parent groups, policy makers, and law enforcement personnel. --- 3 Books Dr van Der Kolk Recommends Every Therapist Should Read: — John Bowlby - Attachment and Loss - https://amzn.to/4bOd3NK — Daniel Stern - The Interpersonal World of the Infant - https://amzn.to/4e1aTf8 — Ed Tronick - The Neurobehavioral and Social-Emotional Development of Infants and Children (Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology) - https://amzn.to/459qIwa

In this interview, I’m joined by Derek Sivers. Derek is the Founder of CD Baby — a company he sold for $22 million, and then gave pretty much everything to charity. He has written multiple bestselling books, given TED talks which have reached millions, and been a circus performer for 10 years. There have been few people who have had a bigger positive impact on my thinking than Derek, so it was a real treat to sit down with him for an hour and have this conversation. Expect to learn: — The connection between your beliefs, your emotions, and your actions — How Derek sold his company for $22 million and then instantly gave it all away to charity — His unconventional approach to getting advice from mentors — Why Derek has journalled every day for the past 13 years and why this is the “single most useful thing” he does. And more. You can learn more about Derek’s work, books, and philosophy at https://sive.rs. --- Derek Sivers graduated in 1990 from Berklee, where he majored in professional music. He entered as a guitarist and came out a self-proclaimed “everything guy” after studying voice, composition, piano, songwriting, music synthesis, and production. Sivers is best known as the founder of CD Baby(Opens in a new window), the largest online distribution company for independent music. After years of touring, recording, and writing for TV projects, he started CD Baby from his bedroom—almost by accident. When he obtained a merchant account to sell his CDs online (not an easy task in the ’90s), musician friends began asking if he could sell their CDs. Soon he was getting calls from strangers, and the foundation for a business was laid. Sivers launched CD Baby in 1998 with a musician-centric ideology that sought to maximize musicians’ profits rather than minimize them for company gain. In 2003, Sivers won the World Technology Award and was described by Esquire Magazine as “one of the last music-business folk heroes.” In keeping with his philanthropic ethos, Sivers sold CD Baby in 2008 and gave the proceeds to a charitable trust for music education. In 2011, Sivers published Anything You Want(Opens in a new window), a book chronicling his challenges and triumphs founding, building, and selling CD Baby. In 2013, Sivers launched Wood Egg(Opens in a new window), which publishes guides about how to build companies in Asia. He is a frequent speaker at the TED Conference, with over 5 million views of his talks. --- Interview Links: — Derek’s website - https://sive.rs Interview Links: — Derek’s website - https://sive.rs — Derek's new book - https://sive.rs/u — Derek's new book (Amazon Link) - https://amzn.to/41HkBPz

In this episode, I’m joined by Linda Thai — a mental health clinician, storyteller, and educator who has had her own lived experiences of individual, collective, historical and cultural traumatization...and healing. I’ve interviewed many fascinating individuals in the past seven years of running The Weekend University, but there was something different about Linda. It might have something to do with her getting off the grid and living in the wilderness in Alaska, or perhaps it's the eclectic self-education she has immersed herself in. Whatever it is, Linda brings to the table a unique and holistic perspective on attachment, that I think is years ahead of the conventional wisdom. Expect to learn: — The difference between psychology, trauma-informed psychology, culturally-informed psychology, and liberation informed psychology — Where traditional attachment theory falls short — Why we need to redefine the parameters of attachment and take an ecosystem view And more. You can learn more about Linda’s work and trainings at https://www.linda-thai.com/. --- Linda Thai, LMSW ERYT-200 is a trauma therapist and educator who specializes in brain and body-based modalities for addressing complex developmental trauma. Linda has worked with thousands of people from all over the world to promote mindfulness, recover from trauma, and tend to grief as a means of self care. Linda’s work centers on healing with a special focus on the experiences of adult children of refugees and immigrants. Her teaching is infused with empathy, storytelling, humor, research, practical tools, applied knowledge, and experiential wisdom. She has assisted internationally renowned psychiatrist and trauma expert, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, with his private small group psychotherapy workshops aimed at healing attachment trauma. She has a Master of Social Work with an emphasis on the neurobiology of attachment and trauma. Linda has studied Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Somatic Experiencing, Brainspotting, Internal Family Systems, Trauma-Informed Stabilization Treatment, Havening Touch, Flash Technique, and structural dissociation of the personality, and offers the Safe and Sound Protocol, yoga, and meditation within her practice. Linda works on the traditional lands of the Tanana Athabascan people (Fairbanks, Alaska) with those recovering from addiction, trauma, and mental illness. She is passionate about breaking the cycle of historical and intergenerational trauma at the individual and community levels. --- Interview Links: Linda’s website - https://www.linda-thai.com/

Join Dr. Richard Schwartz for a life-changing nature immersion combining scenic walks on the breathtaking Camino de Santiago, with deep experiential Internal Family Systems (IFS) workshops along the way: https://theweekenduniversity.com/ifs-camino This experience is tailored for leaders interested in using IFS to create deep inner alignment, so that they can positively impact more lives through their work. Participants will include high-impact creators and leaders from a wide range of backgrounds, including entrepreneurs, bestselling authors, broadcasters, executives, and coaches.