Podcasts · Health & Fitness · Education

Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson

Rick Hanson, Ph.D., Forrest Hanson

300 episodes

Forrest Hanson is joined by clinical psychologist (and his dad) Dr. Rick Hanson and a world-class group of experts to explore the practical science of lasting well-being. Conversations focus on the key insights from psychology, science, and contemplative practice that you need to build reliable inner strengths, overcome your challenges, and get the most out of life. New episodes every Monday.

Episodes page 1 of 6

  1. How to Break Relationship Patterns: Resolving Conflict and Communicating Your Needs

    · 1 h 14 min

    Most relationships, romantic or otherwise, tend to get stuck in predictable patterns of conflict. This episode is about how to resolve that conflict, and get things moving again. Dr. Rick and Forrest draw on Rick's…

  2. How to Fix Insomnia: CBT-I with Dr. Ashley Mason

    · 1 h 16 min

    Forrest is joined by Dr. Ashley Mason, a clinical psychologist and sleep researcher at UCSF, to discuss Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). They talk about what separates insomnia from a few rough…

  3. How to Accept the Parts of Yourself You Don't Like

    · 1 h 07 min

    In this second episode on self-acceptance, Forrest and Dr. Rick focus on how to accept the parts of ourselves we don’t like. They explain why "just love yourself more" rarely works, walk through a four-step process,…

  4. Self-Acceptance: How to Accept Yourself Without Giving Up on Change

    · 1 h 01 min

    Self-acceptance gets recommended constantly, but are we really supposed to accept the parts of ourselves we don't like? Won’t that stop us from changing? Dr. Rick and Forrest discuss what self-acceptance is, what it…

  5. Treating Shame with Self-Compassion with Dr. Chris Germer

    · 1 h 11 min

    Shame is one of the hardest emotions to work with, in part because it blocks what we need most when we’re feeling shame: self-compassion. Dr. Chris Germer, co-developer of the Mindful Self-Compassion program, joins…

  6. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: What the Critics Get Right (and Wrong) w/ Dr. Ellen Hendriksen

    · 1 h 33 min

    Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the world's most researched, recommended, and criticized form of therapy. Clinical psychologist Dr. Ellen Hendriksen joins Forrest to talk about what CBT is, its history, its…

  7. The New Science of Pain: It's Not Just Physical with Dr. Rachel Zoffness

    · 1 h 49 min

    Pain psychologist Dr. Rachel Zoffness joins Forrest and Dr. Rick to explore what pain is, why it can persist long after an injury has healed, and what actually helps. Rachel explains why the brain, rather than the body…

  8. People Pleasing vs. Fawning: Why We Do It and How to Change

    · 1 h 13 min

    Dr. Rick and Forrest talk about what separates people-pleasing from the fawn response, and why those differences affect what actually helps. They trace the surprising history behind both ideas, explain each’s…

  9. Depleted Mother Syndrome: Why Moms Burn Out, and How to Recover with Jan Hanson

    · 1 h 17 min

    Forrest is joined by his parents, psychologist Dr. Rick Hanson and nutritionist Jan Hanson, to discuss "Depleted Mother Syndrome:” the exhaustion, brain fog, and low mood so many mothers experience. They talk about how…

  10. How to Feel Your Feelings with Simone Saunders

    · 1 h 25 min

    We’ve all been told to “feel our feelings,” but what does that actually mean, and how do you do it? Forrest talks with trauma therapist Simone Saunders about how to go from knowing your patterns to being able to do…

  11. The Psychology of Manipulation: How to Become Manipulation Resistant

    · 1 h 10 min

    Dr. Rick and Forrest explore how to become more resistant to manipulation, discussing terms like gaslighting, DARVO, and love bombing. They talk about why cynicism doesn’t make you immune to manipulation, and how…

  12. What’s The Problem With Therapy Speak? August Mailbag

    · 1 h 01 min

    Terms like boundaries, gaslighting, triggers, trauma, and attachment are everywhere now. Dr. Rick and Forrest answer a listener question about the consequences - good and bad - of clinical language escaping the therapy…

  13. Burnout: A Practical Guide for Normal People

    · 1 h 15 min

    Dr. Rick and Forrest explore burnout: what it is, why it’s so common, and what people can do about it. They begin by framing burnout as largely a structural problem that individuals are forced to manage. They unpack…

  14. The Grieving Body: How to Heal After Loss with Dr. Mary-Frances O'Connor

    · 1 h 28 min

    We all understand the emotional impact of grief, but its effects on the body are often overlooked. Forrest is joined by clinical psychologist and researcher Dr. Mary-Frances O’Connor to explore the physiology of grief.…

  15. Healing from Parentification: When the “Gifted Child” Grows Up

    · 1 h 15 min

    Some kids learn early on that the way to be loved is to be useful. They take on the emotional or practical care of their parents in a process known as parentification, and today Dr. Rick and Forrest explore the costs…

  16. Understanding Dissociation and DID: What It's Really Like, and How People Recover w/ Dr. Milissa Kaufman and Dr. Lauren Lebois

    · 1 h 27 min

    Most of what people know about Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) comes from movies and short videos, and those media portrayals often have little to do with what DID is actually like. To get the real picture, today…

  17. From Insight to Action: How to Face the Fear You Keep Avoiding

    · 1 h 15 min

    Dr. Rick and Forrest continue last week’s conversation on avoidance coping, this time focusing on how to move from insight into meaningful action. They explore why self-awareness often isn’t enough to create change,…

  18. Breaking the Avoidance Loop: Why You Keep Repeating the Same Patterns

    · 1 h 07 min

    We all have patterns we can see clearly…and still can't seem to stop. Dr. Rick and Forrest explore how avoidance fuels these patterns, and how we can break the avoidance loop by updating our expectations and…

  19. The Secret to Happiness: How to Feel Loved with Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky

    · 1 h 15 min

    Forrest is joined by one of the world's leading happiness researchers, Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky, to discuss the real secret to happiness: feeling loved. Dr. Lyubomirsky explains the key difference between being loved and…

  20. How to Repair: The Key to Successful Relationships

    · 1 h 24 min

    Last week, Dr. Rick and Forrest discussed why healthy conflict is a vital part of strong and intimate relationships. Today, they focus on the how-to of effective repair: what it looks like, why it’s so hard, and how to…

  21. Healthy Conflict: The Most Important Relationship Skill We Don’t Learn

    · 1 h 04 min

    Most of us are pretty bad at conflict, usually because we weren’t taught how to handle it well. But healthy conflict can be one of the best ways to deepen intimacy and trust. In this episode Dr. Rick and Forrest…

  22. The Gut-Brain Connection: Anxiety, Depression, and Wellness Fads with Dr. Trisha Pasricha

    · 1 h 05 min

    Forrest is joined by neurogastroenterologist Dr. Trisha Pasricha for a conversation about the gut-brain connection, including how gut health impacts our mood and mental health. Dr. Pasricha explains how the gut and the…

  23. Right Effort: When to Push and When to Let Go with Yung Pueblo

    · 1 h 03 min

    Forrest is joined by author, meditator, and friend Diego Perez, also known as Yung Pueblo, for a conversation about right effort, the balance between pushing through and letting go, and the death of nuance in the age…

  24. Reparenting Yourself: How to Develop Emotional Maturity | Dr. Lindsay Gibson

    · 1 h 23 min

    Dr. Lindsay Gibson joins Forrest to explore how we can reparent ourselves, recover from emotionally immature parenting, and develop greater emotional maturity. They discuss what emotional maturity actually is, the…

  25. Becoming Securely Attached (to yourself): Reparenting and Healing Insecure Attachment

    · 1 h 12 min

    Dr. Rick and Forrest explore how we can become securely attached to ourselves: building an internal foundation that lets us connect with others, regulate our emotions, and explore the world from that secure base. They…

  26. Using Constraints to Improve Creativity, Focus, and Decision-Making with David Epstein

    · 1 h 18 min

    If you’ve ever felt paralyzed by the options in your life, you’re not alone. Today, Forrest is joined by best-selling author David Epstein to discuss how constraints can lead to greater creativity, generativity, and,…

  27. Recovering from BPD with Mentalization-Based Therapy with Robert Drozek

    · 1 h 38 min

    Have you ever had a friend not text you back, and you’re certain that they’re mad at you? This is often a disruption in the process of mentalization: the ability to recognize that our thoughts and feelings might not be…

  28. Breaking the Habit of Overthinking: Rumination, Cognitive Bypassing, and the Insight Trap

    · 1 h 22 min

    Why does knowing we overthink not help us stop? Dr. Rick and Forrest discuss why rumination becomes a self-reinforcing habit, and why insight alone rarely helps. They distinguish between rumination and reflection, and…

  29. Trauma Therapy: What It’s Really Like with Dr. Jacob Ham and Elizabeth Ferreira

    · 1 h 16 min

    In this very special episode, Dr. Jacob Ham and associate therapist Elizabeth Ferreira join me to discuss their work as trauma therapists. They talk openly about the messy, unglamorous reality of struggle, mistakes,…

  30. 6 Lessons from Existential and Transpersonal Psychology

    · 1 h 27 min

    Dr. Rick and Forrest explore the lessons we can learn from two of Humanistic psychology’s more challenging branches: existential psychology and transpersonal psychology. Existential psychology asks what it means to…

  31. Self-Regulation: How a Little Becomes a Lot with Eric Zimmer

    · 1 h 14 min

    Why don’t we choose the things we know are good for us? It’s usually because we’re struggling with self-regulation, one of the most important (and most misunderstood) skills out there. In today’s episode, Forrest talks…

  32. The Self-Abandonment Loop: Shame, Self-Criticism, and How to Break Free

    · 1 h 20 min

    Why is it so hard for us to do what we actually want to do? In this episode, Forrest explains the hidden structure of self-abandonment: how shame drives the loop, how the loop produces more shame, and how the inner…

  33. Trauma in Relationships: What Actually Helps with Elizabeth Ferreira

    · 1 h 08 min

    Forrest is joined by associate therapist and his fiancée Elizabeth Ferreira for an honest, personal conversation about what it's actually like to be in a relationship when one partner is living with trauma, complex…

  34. Family Systems Theory: The Invisible Force That Runs Your Relationships

    · 1 h 24 min

    Have you ever walked back into your parents' house and suddenly felt like you'd downloaded an old version of yourself? In today’s episode, Dr. Rick and Forrest explain why through one of the most influential frameworks…

  35. Make Life Easier by Making it Harder with Michael Easter

    · 1 h 17 min

    Forrest is joined by journalist and author Michael Easter to discuss how we can make our lives better by making them (the right kind of) harder. They start with one of modern life’s paradoxes: things have gotten much…

  36. The Freeze-Shame Loop, Therapy Speak, and "Everyone Has ADHD": February Mailbag

    · 1 h 08 min

    Dr. Rick and Forrest answer listener questions about the freeze state, ADHD, and power imbalances in relationships. First, they talk about how to deal with feelings of shame associated with the freeze state,…

  37. Codependency and Healthy Dependency with Nedra Glover Tawwab

    · 1 h 16 min

    Protect your peace, set boundaries, don't let people drain your energy…there’s a lot of advice like that, and it’s easy to take it a little too far. Therapist and bestselling author Nedra Glover Tawwab joins Forrest to…

  38. Reducing Reactivity (Without Becoming a Doormat) with Sharon Salzberg

    · 1 h 11 min

    What is mindfulness really? According to one fourth-grader, "Not hitting someone in the mouth." Legendary meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg joins Rick and Forrest to discuss how we can work skillfully with anger,…

  39. Fixing vs. Feeling: How to Get on the Same Team with Elizabeth Ferreira

    · 1 h 01 min

    Forrest and somatic therapist Elizabeth Ferreira explore a common source of relationship conflict: the mismatch between “fixing” (moving quickly into problem-solving) and “feeling” (wanting attunement and empathy…

  40. How to Create a Meaningful Life with Brad Stulberg

    · 1 h 24 min

    Top performance coach and author Brad Stulberg joins Forrest to reframe and reclaim excellence. Brad explains how real excellence - involved engagement with something you care about - is the healthy middle path between…

  41. Is Self-Help a Cult? The Attention Economy and Slippery Slope of "Woo"

    · 1 h 35 min

    Forrest and Dr. Rick explore how well-intentioned self-help advice can drift away from science under the incentives of the attention economy, where overclaiming, alarmist framing, and “this one simple trick”…

  42. How to Make 2026 a Year You’ll Love

    · 1 h 11 min

    Dr. Rick and Forrest explore how we can put our key values into action in 2026. They discuss how we can identify authentic values, and then translate them into goals and daily behaviors while reducing our focus on…

  43. Who You’ll Be This Year: Values, Goals, and a Different Kind of Resolution

    · 1 h 08 min

    In this New Year’s episode, Dr. Rick and Forrest make the case that most resolutions fail because they focus on the wrong things: outcomes and behaviors rather than key values. They explore how we can identify our…

  44. Against Nonchalance: How to Embrace Caring in 2026

    · 1 h 12 min

    Not caring - or nonchalance - is having a cultural moment. Nihilism is in, trying too hard is cringe, and the best way to cope with an often disappointing world is by not getting that invested. There’s just one…

  45. Resentment, Situationships, and Highly Sensitive People: December Mailbag

    · 1 h 03 min

    Dr. Rick and Forrest open up the mailbag to answer listener questions about resentment, highly sensitive people, situationships, and expanding the window of tolerance. In the first three questions, they explore how…

  46. The Therapy Wars: Science, Self-Help, and that IFS Article

    · 1 h 41 min

    Dr. Rick and Forrest explore one of the major topics in psychology today: the tension between "mainstream" and "alternative" approaches, and how to understand evidence-based care. Using the recent IFS controversy as a…

  47. Borderline Personality: DBT and Working with Self-Hatred with Dr. Blaise Aguirre

    · 1 h 12 min

    Forrest is joined by psychiatrist Dr. Blaise Aguirre to discuss Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). They explore how extreme emotional sensitivity can lead to despair,…

  48. Toxic Relationships: Why We Stay and How to Leave

    · 1 h 24 min

    Dr. Rick and Forrest explore toxic relationships, focusing on how to identify and exit them. Rick talks about how positive traits like empathy, loyalty, and a sense of duty can keep us stuck. They then discuss common…

  49. Dr. Becky on Becoming the Person (and Parent) You Needed

    · 1 h 31 min

    Dr. Becky Kennedy joins Forrest for a conversation about building better relationships, with ourselves, our partners, and our children. They talk about Dr. Becky’s framework of “good inside,” and how we can apply it to…

  50. Dealing with Guilt Trips, Boundaries, and Non-Monogamy: November Mailbag

    · 1 h 16 min

    Dr. Rick and Forrest open up the mailbag to answer listener questions about effective communication, healthy relationships, and contentment. They explore how defining boundaries, taking maximum reasonable…

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