ManTalks Podcast

I’m excited for this one! On November 4th, JAMA Psychiatry published a study with an impressive claim: psilocybin was (get this) at least 4 times more effective on major depression than the usual antidepressants. Plant medicine is a big fascination for me, so it was so rewarding to speak with one of the authors that study, Dr. Alan K Davis. Alan is on the bleeding edge of both the research and the practical treatment at Johns Hopkins, and we talk about how the study was set up, the barriers involved, the effects on the patients, and some of the upcoming (and promising) studies in the pipeline. Dr. Alan K Davis is an Assistant Professor of Social Work at The Ohio State University and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Davis’s clinical experience includes working with people diagnosed with trauma-based psychological problems such as addiction, PTSD, depression, and anxiety. His clinical expertise includes providing evidenced-based treatments such as motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy. Consistent with his clinical interests, his research interests and expertise focus on contributing to the knowledge of and ability to help those suffering with substance use and mental health problems, understanding how to improve clinical outcomes through examining new treatments, and developing ways to conceptualize substance use and mental health problems through a strengths-based approach. He recently completed a clinical trial of psilocybin therapy for major depressive disorder and current trials include exploring this treatment for patients with co-occurring alcohol use disorder and depression and patients with anorexia. He actively explores topics related to naturalistic psychedelic use among several populations including people of color who have experienced racial trauma, Spanish-speaking people, and people who use novel psychedelics such as 5-MeO-DMT.    Connect with Alan: -Ohio State University -Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research -Source Research Foundation (grants and support for students) Are you looking to find your purpose, navigate transition, or fix your relationships, all with a powerful group of men from around the world? Check out The Alliance and join me today.  Check out our Facebook Page or the Men's community. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts  | Spotify For more episodes visit us at ManTalks.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter    Did you enjoy the podcast? If so, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. It helps our podcast get into the ears of new listeners, which expands the ManTalks Community Editing & Mixing by: Aaron The TechSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I get a large number of requests from men, women, and clients to discuss this topic. Surprisingly, a number of people have also asked, “Can a woman actually be a narcissist too?” So I dug into the research, consulted some therapist and coach friends of mine, and decided to tackle the topic gently but directly. The word “narcissist” gets used as a label way, way too often, and waters down the issues faced by people who have actually dealt with clinical narcissism. Let's unpack and get some insight. If you (or someone you know) think you may have encountered abuse by a narcissist, there’s a great collection of resources and support you can find on Reddit here. Note, this is a support subreddit, not a replacement for therapy or counseling. If this ep resonated with you, let me know on Insta @mantalks, or leave a rating and review and help us reach more people like you. Are you looking to find your purpose, navigate transition, or fix your relationships, all with a powerful group of men from around the world? Check out The Alliance and join me today.  Check out our Facebook Page or the Men's community. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts  | Spotify For more episodes visit us at ManTalks.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter    Did you enjoy the podcast? If so, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. It helps our podcast get into the ears of new listeners, which expands the ManTalks Community Editing & Mixing by: Aaron The TechSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I recorded this ep last spring--part of a miniseries on Jungian archetypes and the fantastic book, King, Warrior, Magician, Lover. Considering the need for healing and wisdom in the face of so much uncertainty and change, it felt like a good time to pull it out of the archives. This is a deep dive into the archetype known as The Magician. An integrated, healthy one heals, transforms, enlightens, and creates. But his shadow…well, listen in and see.    If this resonates with you, let me know on Insta @mantalks, or leave a rating and review and help us reach more people like you. Are you looking to find your purpose, navigate transition, or fix your relationships, all with a powerful group of men from around the world? Check out The Alliance and join me today.  Check out our Facebook Page or the Men's community. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts  | Spotify For more episodes visit us at ManTalks.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter    Did you enjoy the podcast? If so, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. It helps our podcast get into the ears of new listeners, which expands the ManTalks Community Editing & Mixing by: Aaron The TechSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I recorded this yesterday, after election day, and wanted to both weigh in on things and also zoom out a bit and take a look at one of the more pervasive aspects of 2020: ambiguity. At the end, I give some helpful tips and some hard-hitting prompts to help you navigate. When there are so many possibilities and so many variables, the mist of ambiguity is obviously the result. When we combine that with (as the science has shown) our inherent negativity bias, our rational mind can feel completely uprooted and react in unhealthy ways. So how do you manage ambiguity? How do you move into an intuition-based form of decision-making? If anything resonates, let me know! Leave a rating or review, or hit me up @mantalks on Instagram. Are you looking to find your purpose, navigate transition, or fix your relationships, all with a powerful group of men from around the world? Check out The Alliance and join me today.  Check out our Facebook Page or the Men's community. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts  | Spotify For more episodes visit us at ManTalks.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter    Did you enjoy the podcast? If so, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. It helps our podcast get into the ears of new listeners, which expands the ManTalks Community Editing & Mixing by: Aaron The TechSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We dug into several things in this session, but at the core were the aftereffects of a family member’s struggle with alcoholism. This and other addictions like it impact countless families, and the effects ripple outward into our own lives in many different ways. For those of you listening, if anything resonates and you want some help or insight, please don’t hesitate to DM me and check out a doctor who specializes in addiction. There are people out there who want to help.   In the USA: Search the American Board of Addiction Medicine In Canada: Connect with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Are you looking to find your purpose, navigate transition, or fix your relationships, all with a powerful group of men from around the world? Check out The Alliance and join me today.  Check out our Facebook Page or the Men's community. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts  | Spotify For more episodes visit us at ManTalks.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter    Did you enjoy the podcast? If so, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. It helps our podcast get into the ears of new listeners, which expands the ManTalks Community Editing & Mixing by: Aaron The TechSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s mini-ep is just me thinking out loud on what desire really means. It seems like our culture has built a massive framework around desire, or more accurately, built it to imply your lack of something, and therefore need to “get it”. But the big secret is the final source of contentment--the satisfaction we’ve been outsourcing for years--is only found within. To be clear, I’m not denying external hardships--particularly for people who have been oppressed by that same framework that always leaves us wanting more. What I’m saying is: whether it’s a million dollars, retweets, likes, sex partners, or [insert desire here], it’s not going to “solve” desire. Only self-compassion, silence, and awareness can do that. I hope this resonates with you. If it does, let me know on Instagram @mantalks, or better yet, leave me a rating or review! Are you looking to find your purpose, navigate transition, or fix your relationships, all with a powerful group of men from around the world? Check out The Alliance and join me today.  Check out our Facebook Page or the Men's community. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts  | Spotify For more episodes visit us at ManTalks.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter    Did you enjoy the podcast? If so please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. It helps our podcast get into the ears of new listeners, which expands the ManTalks Community Editing & Mixing by: Aaron The TechSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do we understand each other, especially when we disagree? This week, I sat down with one of the leaders in nonviolent communication, or NVC, Oren Jay Sofer. If you're unsure of what nonviolent communication actually is, you'll have a solid grasp after this! For Oren, language runs deep. It’s intimately connected to universal, fundamental human drives, social structures, and even our physicality. We chat about the basic framework of mindful and nonviolent communication, our current “attack based” online culture, and some of Oren’s personal journey and defining moments. Oren was an incredible guest. The word that came up for me was “sincere”. He’s incredibly well-read, intelligent, honest, and his desire to create a world where everyone is respected and in harmony rings clear in everything we spoke about that. Oren Jay Sofer teaches Buddhist meditation, mindfulness, and Nonviolent Communication nationally. A member of the Spirit Rock Teachers Council, he holds a degree in Comparative Religion from Columbia University, is the author of Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication, and co-author of Teaching Mindfulness to Empower Adolescents. Oren is co-founder of Mindful Healthcare and the founder of Next Step Dharma, an innovative online program that helps meditators integrate their retreat experiences into daily life. Find him on social media @Orenjaysofer.   Connect with Oren Website: www.orenjaysofer.com Latest books: Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication Instagram: @orenjaysofer Facebook: facebook.com/orenjaysofer Twitter: twitter.com/orenjaysofer Are you looking to find your purpose, navigate transition, or fix your relationships, all with a powerful group of men from around the world? Check out The Alliance and join me today.  Check out our Facebook Page or the Men's community. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts  | Spotify For more episodes visit us at ManTalks.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter    Did you enjoy the podcast? If so please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. It helps our podcast get into the ears of new listeners, which expands the ManTalks Community Editing & Mixing by: Aaron The TechSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s mini-episode is a personal one, and about one of the most ancient and powerful rituals we as humans can practice: memento mori--being mindful of the inevitability of death. I dive into how memento mori works as a contemplative practice, its history, and why it’s more than just some personal development tool. Modern culture works hard to avoid even the idea of death, to the point where we water down some our most compelling stories and ideas. Tons of time is spent on practically forcing light and joy and life. But death helps inform us of how we are living--right here, right now.  As always, let me know your take. Leave a rating or review and help us reach more people like you. Are you looking to find your purpose, navigate transition, or fix your relationships, all with a powerful group of men from around the world? Check out The Alliance and join me today.  Check out our Facebook Page or the Men's community. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts  | Spotify For more episodes visit us at ManTalks.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter    Did you enjoy the podcast? If so please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. It helps our podcast get into the ears of new listeners, which expands the ManTalks Community Editing & Mixing by: Aaron The TechSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This was a powerful interview, and I’m grateful to have had the chance to listen to Reggie’s peace-oriented mindset and his perspective on a highly divisive period in American history. We dove into understanding the origins of modern activism and activist groups, Black Lives Matter, why discussions fall apart, and how we might repair them. Listen in for an honest, real conversation, and if it resonates, please share! Help us reach more people like you. Reggie Hubbard has held many senior strategic and logistical roles across a variety of fields, ranging from global marketing, digital and community organizing, government relations, international education to Presidential campaigning. He currently serves as a senior political strategist for MoveOn, managing their relationships, impact, and communications with Capitol Hill and among the broader progressive movement. Reggie is also a 500 hour certified yoga teacher and authored a thesis entitled, "Yoga and Spiritual Activism: Serving Humanity from a Sense of Devotion and Love." He has studied extensively with leading teachers such as Faith Hunter, Amy Ippolitti, Yogarupa Rod Stryker, Sri Dharma Mittra as well as many amazing teachers along the way. In July 2020, Reggie helped launch a grassroots campaign along with David Lipsius, Amy Ippoliti, Jack Kornfeld, and Tara Brach called Buddhists and Yogis United. This is an effort to share information and inspire teachers and their respective communities to encourage active civic participation in the upcoming election and beyond. Reggie has taught Members of Congress, Congressional Staff, leading progressive organizations and individuals, sharing techniques for growing peace and ease as a foundation, not an afterthought. The focus of his teaching practice is to bring more peace and balance to activists AND to guide the wellness community toward being more engaged, concerned citizens. Achieving this balance is how we catalyze transformative change.   Connect with Reggie Website: www.moveon.org, www.activepeaceyoga.com Instagram: @oreggieglobal Twitter: @oreggieglobal Facebook: oreggieglobal Are you looking to find your purpose, navigate transition, or fix your relationships, all with a powerful group of men from around the world? Check out The Alliance and join me today.  Check out our Facebook Page or the Men's community. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts  | Spotify For more episodes visit us at ManTalks.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter    Did you enjoy the podcast? If so please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. It helps our podcast get into the ears of new listeners, which expands the ManTalks CommunitySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Part 2 of You Ask, I Answer is here! Some great questions came in and as always, it’s a pleasure to answer them. This week’s mini-ep covers setting and understanding boundaries with a partner, the “code of conflict”, how to know if it’s “the One”, and enhancing/perfecting long-distance relationships. If this episode resonates with you, let me know! Leave a rating or review, or send me your questions on Instagram @mantalks.  Are you looking to find your purpose, navigate transition, or fix your relationships, all with a powerful group of men from around the world? Check out The Alliance and join me today.  Check out our Facebook Page or the Men's community. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts  | Spotify For more episodes visit us at ManTalks.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter    Did you enjoy the podcast? If so please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. It helps our podcast get into the ears of new listeners, which expands the ManTalks Community  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices