the tara bixby podcast

If you grew up with an emotionally immature parent, you may still struggle with anger, sadness, self-doubt, or shame. As a child it’s likely most of your emotional needs weren’t met, your feelings dismissed, and you took on adult levels of self-restraint to deal with your parent's behavior. Somewhere along the way, you lost your sense of self. And without this strong sense of self, you may now feel like your own well-being isn’t valuable. Today Dr. Lindsay Gibson joins us on the show to tell you that it’s time to make yourself a priority. Lindsay has been a psychotherapist for over thirty years, working in both public and private practice. In the past, she has served as an adjunct assistant professor in Clinical Psychology, teaching doctoral students clinical theory and psychotherapeutic techniques. We chat about...  The three parts of Lindsay’s book Self-Care for Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents  What an emotionally immature parent looks like Why self-care is crucial when raised by an emotionally immature parent  The importance of taking care of your needs in the moment  Why self-care is not selfish  Our favorite insights from the book  How to maintain connection with self  The power of nature  How social anxiety ignites from not being allowed to be yourself A relaxation technique to help calm your nervous system How lack of self-care leads to self-repair  ____________________________ I want to be your coach! Click here if you're tired of living with anxiety and you're ready to find freedom for your symptoms.  ____________________________ COURAGEOUSLY.U SHOW NOTES: https://courageouslyu.com/self-care-3/   COURAGEOUSLY.U INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/courageously.u/   COURAGEOUSLY.U FACEBOOK COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1416219115169393

David Carmichael made headlines when he was charged with first-degree murder in the death of his 11-year-old son, Ian.   On July 31, 2004, in a London, Canada hotel room, David crushed up sleeping pills, sedated his son, and strangled him. At the time of the murder, David was experiencing an adverse reaction to the prescription Paxil, which he had begun taking three weeks prior.  While others believed David was “getting better,” he was actually descending into a private chemically-induced hell of delusion. In his state of psychosis, David believed, that his healthy son, who had a mild form of epilepsy, was brain-damaged, dangerous, and needed to die. Out of love for his family, David believed it would be best for him to take Ian’s life and to sacrifice his own life by spending the next 25 years in prison.  Today David shares his story with us as a warning to know your drugs. We chat about...  The delusions that led to his son's death What went through David's mind as he watched tv following the murder  Why David accessed psychiatric medications The side effects David was experiencing while on Paxil Whether he was ever informed of possible side effects  Why he initially stopped taking Paxil What the trial process looked like Why it's important to not blindly trust doctors What David's mental health treatment looks like now When the psychosis lifted and he realized what he had done ____________________________ >>> RATE, REVIEW, AND FOLLOW THE COURAGEOUSLY.U PODCAST 

Dr. Ian Kerner likes to call himself the Sherlock Holmes of the bedroom and is one of the most recognizable voices in clinical sex therapy. He is a licensed psychotherapist and nationally recognized sexuality counselor who specializes in sex therapy, couples therapy, and working with individuals on a range of relational issues that often lead to distress.  He approaches psychotherapy from an integrative perspective, which seeks to explain human behavior by bringing together physiological, affective, cognitive-behavioral, neurobiological, and systemic approaches as they apply to the natural stages of human development and the wide range of human functioning.  Ian is also the New York Times best-selling author of numerous books, including She Comes First. His latest book, So Tell Me About the Last Time You Had Sex, is available now wherever you get your books. WE CHAT ABOUT... Why Ian calls himself the Sherlock Holmes of the bedroom Some common challenges couples face when it comes to their sex lives What a sex script is and how it can be useful The difference between spontaneous desire and responsive desire How the brain responds to turn-ons and turn-offs What fantasy and mind based arousal look like The importance of making a ritual out of weekly sex Why you should be changing up your sex script to help with arousal What to do when you can’t shut your thoughts off during sex How to navigate through guilt and shame when you were raised in a sex-negative home What to do if sharing a fantasy, or role-play, feels uncomfortable What to do if there’s a mismatch in libido How fantasy and power play are a way of processing and resolving trauma, and that many find kink to be therapeutic Why labeling your partner as “sexless” or “sex addict” isn’t helpful How biological, psychological, sociological, and relational variables can negatively impact sexuality The homework assignments Ian would suggest if you wanted to change your sex script ____________________________ I’m excited to announce that I’m now taking clients for 1:1 anxiety coaching. To learn more and sign up, visit courageouslyu.com/coaching or send an email to hello@courageouslyu.com to join my client waitlist today!  ____________________________ COURAGEOUSLY.U SHOW NOTES:  https://courageouslyu.com/ian-kerner/   COURAGEOUSLY.U INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/courageously.u/   COURAGEOUSLY.U FACEBOOK COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1416219115169393

Russ Harris is a doctor, therapist, father, trainer of health professionals, and author of The Happiness Trap (plus eight other must-read books). He started his career as a newly-graduated doctor back in 1989 and soon discovered that most of his patients were expressing a significant degree of dissatisfaction in life. He was no stranger to their struggles as he was also experiencing something similar himself.  Even though he had a successful career with a dream job, good income, and high status, he was depressed, anxious, and overweight. He felt his life lacked a sense of meaning and purpose, and at times he was even suicidal. Struggling to understand why he felt this way, he set off on a journey to find out what makes people unhappy and what creates genuine and lasting happiness. After navigating down a lot of blind alleys and dead ends, he eventually discovered Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. It was love at first discovery. Through ACT, Russ learned how to enrich and enhance his life, and transform the way he dealt with painful thoughts and feelings. This marked a big change for him as he realized he was far more interested in helping his patients build richer more meaningful lives than he was in writing prescriptions for medical conditions. So he threw away his prescription pad and retrained as a therapist.  We chat about...  How Russ had all the external markers of success but internally he was miserable What Acceptance and Commitment therapy looks like How emotions are like the weather  What the natural state of human emotions looks like How antidepressants can be an attractive proposition for someone who feels miserable  What we should be aiming for when it comes to happiness Russ's inspiration for writing When Life Hits Hard The difference between grief, sadness, and depression  How you can use ACT to navigate grief, loss, and crisis  The importance of making room for emotions if you're going through acute grief  ____________________________ Click here to download your anxiety freebie today! ____________________________ COURAGEOUSLY.U SHOW NOTES:  https://courageouslyu.com/russ-harris/   COURAGEOUSLY.U FACEBOOK COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1416219115169393   COURAGEOUSLY.U INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/courageously.u/

Dr. Colin Ross is an internationally renowned clinician, researcher, author, and lecturer in the field of dissociation, and trauma-related disorders. He is the founder and President of The Colin A. Ross Institute for Psychological Trauma. Colin completed medical school at the University of Alberta and his psychiatry training at the University of Manitoba. He is a Past President of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation and is the author of over 250 papers and 35 books.  He has spoken widely throughout North America, Europe, China, Malaysia, Australia, and New Zealand.  We chat about...  What inspired Dr. Colin Ross to become a psychiatrist His thoughts on the lack of trauma training in schools What's wrong with the current mental health field The role trauma plays in the presentation of mental illness Colin's thoughts on the chemical imbalance theory Whether or not schizophrenia is a genetic brain disease Auditory and visual hallucinations and how they're related to trauma How different cultures view voices as either good or bad The role voices play in Dissociative Identity Disorder Dr. Colin Ross' thoughts on the core motive of why voices want a person dead What it means to dissociate  Colin's approach to healing trauma in a nutshell  Electrodes being implanted in the brain ____________________________ Tired of anxiety always being a part of your life? Click here to learn how to uncover your triggers and reclaim your power. ____________________________ COURAGEOUSLY.U SHOW NOTES:  https://courageouslyu.com/colin-ross/   COURAGEOUSLY.U INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/courageously.u/   COURAGEOUSLY.U FACEBOOK COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1416219115169393

Tracey Higgins joins us on the show today to share how she healed from schizophrenia after losing 19 years of her life to a condition that affects millions of people worldwide. At the age of nine, she was taken from her home where she became a ward of the state. Over the next 19 years, she moved around from hospitals, group homes, a juvenile center, and the streets. In her late twenties, Tracey found the courage to leave her schizophrenic world to help a child who was being sexually abused by her father; she discovered at the same time she too had been sexually abused as a child. That triggered off the healing process from her own dark world that robbed her of her dignity and basic human rights. When describing schizophrenia, Tracey calls it a waking nightmare. Coming out of it is a true awakening of oneself—becoming weller than well, a new version of self.  It has been said that schizophrenia is an incurable brain disease, but is it? Tracey says no. She believes it’s a survival mechanism brought on by disturbing or traumatic circumstances.  Today Tracey is here to tell you that schizophrenia doesn’t have to be a life sentence. While some mental health professionals called her hopeless, she went to college, worked in Government, and owned and operated a popular restaurant. We chat about...  Where Tracey's mental health journey began What her symptoms looked like  Why she calls her symptoms "reactions" What life looked like living with paranoid schizophrenia  How she suffered from trauma amnesia  What it was like to have the memories of abuse flood back  How she navigated living with schizophrenia without medications What it was like to be a ward of the state Tracey's thoughts on what is wrong with our current mental health system Why Tracey's against the brain disease theory  What she believes treatment should look like for people who live with schizophrenia Tracey's thoughts on what she believes leads to schizophrenia What she feels would have helped her back in the day Tracey's struggle with suicidal ideations  What her mental health looks like today   ____________________________ Click here to leave The Courageously.u Podcast a written review and rating. ____________________________ COURAGEOUSLY.U SHOW NOTES:  https://courageouslyu.com/tracey-higgins/   COURAGEOUSLY.U INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/courageously.u/   COURAGEOUSLY.U FACEBOOK COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1416219115169393    

Dr. Margaret Paul is a bestselling author, popular MindBodyGreen writer, and co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding® self-healing process, and the related SelfQuest® self-healing online program. She has appeared on numerous radio and television shows (including Oprah). Her book titles include Do I Have to Give Up Me to Be Loved By You, Healing Your Aloneness and Inner Bonding, and the recently published, Diet For Divine Connection and The Inner Bonding Workbook. Margaret holds a Ph.D. in psychology, is a relationship expert, public speaker, consultant, and artist. She has successfully worked with thousands and taught classes and seminars for over 50 years.  Today we're chatting about...  What the Inner Bonding process looks like How Margaret defines the inner child and the inner adult The two intentions of Inner Bonding How to know when you’re in a loving adult state What happens when your adult becomes disconnected from your inner child The four major ways you abandon yourself How self-abandonment leads to the presentation of mental health symptoms What Margaret believes is the cause of our suffering How abandonment in childhood plays out in relationships Why it’s never too late to use the inner bonding process How caretaking and niceness could be your wounded self attempting to control Tips to help kiddos learn inner bonding How to respond to someone who has a wounded soul ____________________________ Click here to download your anxiety freebie today! ____________________________ COURAGEOUSLY.U SHOW NOTES:  https://courageouslyu.com/margaret-paul/   COURAGEOUSLY.U FACEBOOK COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1416219115169393   COURAGEOUSLY.U INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/courageously.u/  

Before you can succeed at parenting, you must first succeed as a couple. Today’s episode is for all the new parents, soon-to-be parents, or wanna-be future parents like myself.  Today is an exciting day because I have not one but two guests joining me on the show. Kara Hoppe and Dr. Stan Tatkin join us on the show to discuss their new book Baby Bomb: A relationship survival guide for new parents. Baby Bomb is the resource you need when a new baby turns your life—and your romantic relationship—upside down.  Today we're chatting about...  How you and your partner can co-parent and co-partner as a solid and supportive team— while also cultivating mad love for each other Why Stan and Kara wrote Baby Bomb How a secure-functioning relationship is essential for raising happy, healthy kids Why it’s important to put the relationship before baby What couples can do when a new baby turns their life upside down Why babies don’t save marriages The importance of letting your partner know they are a priority Why it’s a benefit to step back as a new mom and receive care  How to communicate your needs better to your partner What to do when you're jealous of your own baby How to keep intimacy alive after baby The importance of meeting your own individual needs Grieving your pre-baby life Why it’s important your relationship is in good shape before baby  ____________________________ >>> CLICK HERE IF YOU'RE TIRED OF ANXIETY RUINING YOUR LIFE

Katinka Blackford Newman is an award-winning documentary film director, journalist, and author. While going through a divorce, Katinka took an antidepressant. Not unusual – except that things didn't turn out quite as she expected. She went into a four-day toxic psychosis with violent hallucinations, imagining she had killed her children, and in fact attacking herself with a knife. Caught up in a real-life nightmare when doctors didn't realize she was suffering side effects of more pills, she went into a year-long decline. Soon she was wandering around in an old dressing gown, unable to care for herself, and dribbling. She nearly lost everything, but luck stepped in; treated at another hospital, she was taken off all the medication and made a miraculous recovery within weeks. Since then, Katinka has researched the side effects of antidepressants and interviewed some of the world’s leading experts. Her best-selling book The Pill that Steals Lives has been featured on Radio 5 Live, BBC London, Good Morning Britain, the Victoria Derbyshire Show, and in The Times, The Sunday Times, The Daily Mail, and The British Journal of Psychiatry. In 2017 her research was made into a BBC Panorama program A Prescription for Murder which investigated whether an antidepressant could be the cause of one of the worst mass killings of this century. She is also the co-founder of a not-for-profit organization called Antidepressant Risks. Today we chat about...  How Katinka lost a year of her life after taking Lexapro Katinka lacerating her arm with a knife The different medications Katinka was put on to try and treat the adverse effects of Lexapro How antidepressants are no more effective than a placebo The role drug companies play in the chemical imbalance theory How Katinka lost the ability to love, feel, care for herself, and show up for her children What mental health looks like in the UK The importance of recognizing red flags to adverse effects to medications  What shocked Katinka most when doing her research How Katinka lost the will to live and her constant thought of “I want to kill myself” The realization Katinka had when she reflected on her father's suicide Why for-profit mental health services can be a dangerous situation ____________________________ >>> Click here if you're tired of living with anxiety and want a FREEBIE to help you heal it

Nancy Colier joins us on the show to teach you how to let go of anxiety and free yourself from obsessive rumination. Nancy is a psychotherapist, interfaith minister, author, public speaker, mindfulness teacher, and relationship coach. She’s a longtime student of Eastern spirituality and mindfulness practices form the ground of her work. She is the author of the recent, Can't Stop Thinking, The Power of Off: The Mindful Way to Stay Sane in a Virtual World, Inviting a Monkey to Tea: Befriending Your Mind and Discovering Lasting Contentment, and other books.  Nancy is a national speaker on wellbeing and mindfulness, and technology-related topics including parenting, addiction, and work-life balance. She is also a regular blogger for Psychology Today and Huffington Post. Today we chat about...  How Nancy's history of chronic rumination inspired her to write Can’t Stop Thinking  What it looks like to become addicted to your thoughts  How Nancy categorizes addictive thinking  What Nancy thinks we are really afraid of  What calms down our compulsive need to think  The importance of watching your thoughts and stepping away   How to find freedom and peace from your thoughts   What keeps us hooked to our thoughts  Nancy’s thoughts on toxic positivity and what you should do instead  What rumination looks like and how to break free from your ruminating thoughts My struggle with rehearsing hard conversations in my head and the impact it had on my mood  What to do when you’re caught in what-if statements How to tackle worrisome thoughts that pop up at night  The ability to choose whether you think about a thought  ____________________________ Stop letting anxiety hold you back from living your best life! If you're ready to break free from paralyzing anxiety, I want to be your coach! I’m excited to announce that I’m now taking clients for 1:1 anxiety coaching. To learn more and sign up, visit courageouslyu.com/coaching or send an email to hello@courageouslyu.com to join my client waitlist today! ____________________________ COURAGEOUSLY.U SHOW NOTES:  https://courageouslyu.com/nancy-colier/   COURAGEOUSLY.U FACEBOOK COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1416219115169393   COURAGEOUSLY.U INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/courageously.u/