The TITW are officially back for *Season 2* of the podcast! We start off with a few exciting updates, since we can't wait to share what we've been working on during the season break. We discuss plans for the future of the podcast as well as the launch of our new website (!):  therapistsinthewild.com. Please check us out to learn more about the consulting/coaching services we are now offering for therapists and professionals in related fields, or to learn more about us and browse additional DBT resources. Then we get into the topic for today’s episode: when are unwanted emotions - like anger and hurt - effective to act on, rather than act opposite to? We start this discussion off with examples of dogs and babies who seem to have no trouble expressing unwanted emotions, indicating that there may be an evolutionary function of expressing the emotions we feel. We discuss the benefits of effectively expressing how you feel in the moment, including increasing self-respect and improving relationships. We know firsthand how difficult it can be to know when and how to effectively express feelings like anger, sadness, grief, and shame, so we discuss the function of each emotion and provide examples to guide you through using this technique. The episode ends with a few key points to help you determine whether to use the tips discussed in this episode vs. the skill of opposite action. Check out our website at therapistsinthewild.com! And follow us on Instagram and Facebook @TherapistsInTheWild, and Twitter @TherapistsWild, and email us with questions/feedback at TherapistsInTheWild@gmail.com.

Welcome to our first bonus episode and our teaser for Season 2! In this episode, the TITW answer questions from listeners about how to cope effectively on Valentine's Day (or any holiday/event for which you might have high expectations, even if you wish you didn't). We start by sharing our own anecdotes from Valentine's Days past, where things may have gone better for us had we known about DBT. We each share stories about unmet expectations and discuss which DBT skills we could have used; Liza describes how using mindfulness skills would have helped increase flexibility, and Molly shares how communicating expectations, rather than assuming someone is a mind-reader, would have led to a more effective outcome.  We then respond to listener questions related to experiencing loneliness in Wise Mind, resisting urges to reach out to a past romantic partner, and using Opposite Action to love in order to get over a relationship. We answer the questions by encouraging you to make Cope Ahead plans in advance of Valentine's Day, with a mix of acceptance (mindfulness, self-validation, urge surfing) and change skills (opposite action, problem-solving, and asking for what you need).  We hope you enjoy, stay skillful on Valentine's Day, and continue to stay tuned and send us questions for Season 2! *Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @TherapistsInTheWild, and Twitter @TherapistsWild, and email us with questions/feedback at TherapistsInTheWild@gmail.com.

In this final episode of TITW Season 1, Liza and Molly focus on putting it all together in order to help you stay skillful. Applying DBT skills in daily life is like learning a new language, and we know firsthand how challenging it can be to remember which skills to use when.  To that end, we start by summarizing the skills we've covered this season, in the Mindfulness, Emotion Regulation, Interpersonal Effectiveness, and Distress Tolerance modules. Next, we present scenarios related to suffering from future and past-oriented thoughts, and anxiety in relationships, and brainstorm which skills we might apply in the moment (also known as making a "Cope Ahead" plan).  Finally, we end by listing a few concrete ways to remember all the skills we've gone over so far. We want to thank you for your support and engagement this season, and for bringing this podcast to life for us! We will be busy during the season break brainstorming topics for Season 2, and we would love your input! Please stay subscribed to TITW so you don't miss the start of our next season.  *Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @TherapistsInTheWild, and Twitter @TherapistsWild, and email us with questions/feedback at TherapistsInTheWild@gmail.com.

It is our last week of teaching new skills (!), and our second to last episode of Season 1! This week, we wrap up the Reality Acceptance part of the Distress Tolerance Module by walking you through how to practice Radical Acceptance, step-by-step.  We start the episode by sharing what acceptance looks like practically, according to DBT, and discuss how fully accepting the moment involves using both your body and your mind. Through listing a few scenarios that might be difficult to accept (i.e. a breakup or a tough relationship with a boss), we review all the steps and discuss how we like to practice each one. Throughout the practice of Radical Acceptance, it is crucial to be open to the experience and the emotions/thoughts that may arise (the DBT skill of "Willingness"). It is equally important to notice and "Turn the Mind" back to Willingness when "willfulness" shows up.  Finally, we provide concrete ways to practice Willingness, particularly if you are feeling willful: "Half-Smile" and "Willing Hands." In addition to explaining why each of these contributes to a willingness to accept reality, Molly walks you through a guided practice in order to learn and apply the skill in real time. We hope you enjoy :) *Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @TherapistsInTheWild, and Twitter @TherapistsWild, and email us with questions/feedback at TherapistsInTheWild@gmail.com.

In this week's episode, Liza and Molly take on the challenge of introducing the skill of Radical Acceptance, or, as they prefer to call it, "Radical Acknowledgement [of Reality]."  This is some of the "deeper work" in DBT, as it has the capacity to both reduce suffering and create meaningful change in your life.  We start by defining what Radical Acceptance is (hint: it is NOT approving of or liking reality, being passive, or against change), and discuss what it is using a wide range of examples. We then explore how this skill reduces suffering in a variety of ways; for example, radically accepting past regrets often reduces feelings of guilt and shame, and radically accepting (or radically acknowledging) behavior that you disapprove of can decrease anger toward others.  Finally, Molly shares a personal example to demonstrate that when you stop fighting or ignoring reality and truly acknowledge that everything is caused, the result is often grief followed by a deeper sense of peace, meaning, and the capacity to get on with building a Life Worth Living.  This episode is all about what radical acceptance is, and next week we will be talking more specifically about how to practice it. We hope you enjoy :)  *Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @TherapistsInTheWild, and Twitter @TherapistsWild, and email us with questions/feedback at TherapistsInTheWild@gmail.com.

On today's episode, the TITW are teaching the final set of Crisis Survival Distress Tolerance skills covered in Season 1 of the podcast: Distract using "ACCEPTS" and Self-Soothe. Before we get into it, Molly and Liza share how they practiced TIP and Urge Surfing over the last week. No surprise here, but Tipping the Temperature was immediately effective at changing the current moment and creating a new one. Liza points out that Urge Surfing can be used to ride out ineffective urges anywhere - even in the middle of a stressful Zoom call.  We then introduce "ACCEPTS," which is an acronym of different ways to distract from life’s current stressors when addressing them head-on either isn't possible or wouldn't be effective in the moment. Using personal examples, we share different ways to distract from pain in the short-term with Activities, Contributing, Comparisons, (opposite) Emotions, Pushing away, Thoughts, and Sensations.  Finally, we transition into teaching the Self-Soothe skill, which is about extending comfort to yourself during painful moments by engaging your five senses (vision, hearing, smell, taste, and touch). Liza coaches Molly to use this skill in real time, and we share some tricks of the trade, including how to make and keep a "self-soothe kit" on hand at all times - in case of emergency. We hope you enjoy!  *Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @TherapistsInTheWild, and Twitter @TherapistsWild. Email us with questions at TherapistsInTheWild@gmail.com. 

If there was ever a time to practice Distress Tolerance skills, it is now! Liza and Molly recorded this episode on election night, when they needed *all* the skills. After a quick review of the STOP skill, you will learn the skill of Urge Surfing, which is a mindfulness technique that helps you surf urges to engage in ineffective behaviors instead of acting on them, using your breath as your surfboard. After teaching the skill, Molly leads you through a guided Urge Surfing exercise, to help you put this skill into practice. Next, Liza and Molly introduce the TIP skills -- a TITW and DBT-fan favorite. The TIP skills include, 1) Tip the Temperature, 2) Intense Exercise, 3) Paced Breathing, and 4) Paired Muscle Relaxation. Molly and Liza practice Tipping the Temperature live on air, and Molly hilariously dunks her entire face in a bowl of cold water to help demonstrate how well this skill works. Finally, Liza leads you through a guided Paired Muscle Relaxation practice so you can relieve any remaining tension in your body before ending the episode. We hope you enjoy! *To see visual demonstrations of the TIP skills, we recommend you check out the DBT-RU YouTube Page: https://www.youtube.com/c/DBTRU/videos *Follow TITW on Instagram and Facebook @ TherapistsInTheWild, and Twitter @TherapistsWild. As always, feel free to email us with questions, special topic requests, or feedback at TherapistsInTheWild@gmail.com.

Welcome to the Distress Tolerance module, which is the final set of skills covered in Season 1 of the podcast! We share exciting plans that are in the works for Season 2, including a variety of guests and special topics requested by listeners. In introducing the module, we explain the goals of Distress Tolerance skills and how the module divides them into two parts: 1) Crisis Survival skills and 2) Reality Acceptance skills. Liza and Molly define the term "crisis" and give examples of what a crisis might look in your life; for example, some people who are more emotionally sensitive and who have experienced chronic invalidation might experience crises on a daily basis while others may only experience them during the hardest moments of their lives, or somewhere in between. We then describe when to use Crisis Survival skills as well as times that it would be ineffective to do so. Finally, we teach the first Crisis Survival skill: the "STOP" skill (Stop, Take a step back, Observe, and Proceed mindfully). STOP is the first skill to use when you’re extremely distressed because, as the episode title suggests, it will prevent you from impulsively acting on emotion urges that could make the situation worse. Hope you enjoy :)  *Follow TITW on Instagram and Facebook @ TherapistsInTheWild, and Twitter @TherapistsWild. Email us with questions, special topic requests, or feedback at TherapistsInTheWild@gmail.com. 

Join Molly as she leads you through a brief, guided mindfulness practice: the Mountain Meditation by Jon Kabat-Zinn (2002). This meditation will help you experience a sense of being grounded, enabling you to access your inner strength and stability when faced with challenging circumstances, as many of us are right now. Stress and anxiety make it more difficult to connect to the present moment and access Wise Mind, both of which are critical to acting effectively in all interpersonal interactions. As we discussed in last week's episode, cultivating a sense of inner strength by connecting with your values and being fair to yourself is key to self-respect effectiveness. We hope this practice will help you feel more like a mountain, unwavering in your values and rooted in a stable sense of self, even in the face of anxiety-provoking conversations, painful relationship dynamics, and constant internal and external change. *Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @ TherapistsInTheWild, and Twitter @TherapistsWild.

This episode begins with Molly sharing how she delivered a DEAR MAN using GIVE skills this week to promote TITW on a social media site (it worked!). Then, we get into the topic for this week: using FAST skills to increase and maintain self-respect. This skill is all about feeling proud of yourself after an interaction because you communicated in a way that honored your personal values. Liza and Molly discuss the idea that your actions influence others' behavior, and therefore the importance of saying no and communicating personal limits. We use lots of examples and funny role plays to introduce the FAST skills, another questionable acronym that stands for being Fair to yourself, making no Apologies, Sticking to values, and being Truthful. Throughout the episode, Molly and Liza discuss the role self-validation plays in honoring self-respect, how lying can degrade self-respect over time, and how practicing FAST skills can lead to a more stable sense of self by delineating where you end and others begin. We wrap up the episode with a series of role plays to illustrate how you can use FAST skills to assert yourself when delivering a DEAR MAN, or when simply highlighting behavior you'd like to change. We hope you enjoy :)  *Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @ TherapistsInTheWild, and Twitter @TherapistsWild.