Look, Just Tell Me What To Do.

Today we discuss the issue of ambivalence and addiction with Mike. 

My contact info: [email protected]

I have a short list of mentors. Seymour, my old therapist, Cliff, my supervisor from Bayside Marin, and Gary Bubash LMFT, my unwitting roommate from...2002. 

Today, we talk about the before times—before we became therapists, before I lost 100 pounds, before Gary gave up his job as a video editor to go back to school in his mid forties.  

Somewhere between a drill sergeant and a teddy bear, Gary has mastered the art of authentic, constructive feedback. While I always prided myself on being straightforward therapist, Gary takes it to the next level. Actually, several next levels. 

We will discuss Gary’s ideas about healthy living—about the importance of taking whatever you have, and making it the best it can be—everything from getting those dirty dishes out of the sink,  taking care of your body to speaking your mind when it is critically important. Also, How to pick yourself up when you’re feeling crappy. And lastly, the value of receiving, and giving authentic, difficult feedback. And how this actually helps people bond. 

Contact Gary at: https://www.garybubash.com

My contact info: [email protected]; benjaminrussack.com; 415.497.1908

Today we talk to Dr. Louis, who will give us tips and tricks for maintaining, revitalizing and repairing marriages that may have experienced strain during the lockdown. 

Dr. Louis has over 10 years of experience as a Licensed Psychologist, speaker and consultant. She’s the owner/CEO of Atlanta Couple Therapy, a well-known practice located in Atlanta, Georgia. Her approaches have influenced people, organizations, businesses and companies all over the world.

Dr. Louis is one of the most sought after public speakers, consultants and psychologists alive today. She has spoken, conducted 1000s of seminars, training, consulting for businesses, organizations, colleges/universities, hospitals, rehab centers, correctional facilities and other institutions all over the United States, Brazil, Mexico, London, Haiti, Cambodia, just to name a few.

She obtained her B.S. in Psychology from Florida State University; M.S. in Counseling at Fordham University and Ph.D at Howard University in Washington D.C. She’s American Psychology Association (APA) accredited.

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Dr. Laura Louis, Licensed Psychologist/PhD

Couch To Podium

Office  Phone: 404-496-8070 

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.CouchToPodium.com

Office Address: 

5680 Peachtree Parkway Suite B

Peachtree Corners, Georgia 30092

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My contact info: [email protected]; 415.497.1908

Today we talk to Stephanie Hanger, LMFT, about maintaining our sanity during Covid. This episode is raw, unpolished, and probably inappropriate. That's just fine with me. These are strange times and this is how I've decided to manage and express my feelings. Today, we drop quotes from the Dalai Lama, details around the Black Plague as well as speculate about how civilization may, or may not, arise from the ashes of the Covid Pandemic.

If you would like a shot at staying sane during these times, I recommend you contact Stephanie at 415.680.9185 for a therapy session. If you have other designs, please feel free to contact me at 415.497.1908 or at [email protected]

Do dreams actually mean anything or are they just garbage dumps of the mind?  And even if we could learn something by excavating the our subconscious landfill, then what? Whats all that trash good for anyway? 

Today, we interview Dr. Amy Lawson, perdiabtrition turned Phd in jungian and archetypal studies who now has her own podcast, The Stuff of Dreams, where she reads and interprets dreams  sent to her from people across the globe. It is available here:

However, in today's episode of Look, Just Tell Me What To Do, we join forces to address the following: Why do we have recurring dreams? What does it mean if you have a dream of your teeth falling out, or being struck by a tidal wave, or driving off a cliff. What about earthquakes? Any what about that course you’re going to fail in college because you can’t find the classroom?  

Lastly, we will discuss tips and tricks for recording and analyzing your own dreams, as well as how to examine dreams in a way that may help you bring growth and development in your own life. 

My Contact Info:

[email protected]

benjaminrussack.com

415.497.1908

Today we talk to spiritual thought leader, TJ Woodward. We will discuss  how the ego manifests itself in our lives, for good and for ill, and what we can do to improve our relationship with what TJ calls “The Essential Self”.

TJ Woodward is a revolutionary recovery expert, bestselling author, inspirational speaker, and addiction treatment specialist who has helped countless people through his simple, yet powerful teachings.

He is the creator of The Conscious Recovery Method, which is a ground breaking and effective approach to viewing and treating addiction.

TJ is a featured thought-leader on wholehearted.org along with Brene Brown, Dr. Gabor Matte, and Mark Lundholm. He was also given the honor of being ordained as an Agape minister by Dr. Michael Beckwith and is also the founding minister of Agape Bay Area in Oakland, which was the first satellite community of The Agape International Spiritual Center in LA. 

TJ is the author of the books Conscious Being: Awakening to your True Nature and Conscious Recovery: A Fresh Perspective on Addiction.

TJ Woodward's contact information: [email protected]

My Contact information: benjaminrussack.com; [email protected]; 415.497.1908

Depth or Archetypal Psychology: a philosophy which asserts that an unconscious exists, that archetypes are real, that myths can have measurable and lasting effect on our everyday lives.   

Yet, how could studying a 3k year old greek myth possibly address the issue of, say, mitigating modern day physician burn out? 

And how might taking into account the unconscious needs and fears of small children in a medical setting assist with diagnosis and overall care?

Today we speak with Dr. Amy Lawson, who will tell us how going back to school for her PhD in Jungian and archetypal Studies helped her reconnect with medicine even while navigating the broken health care system.

In addition, Dr. Lawson will discuss her own personal transformation from a doctor who always followed the rules and thought largely in black and white, to a physician who has learned the advantages of  improvising in the moment as well as detecting the unspoken needs of her patients. 

My Contact information: benjaminrussack.com; [email protected]; 415.497.1908

What unconscious motivation could these people possibly have in their desire to dominate big cats? 

Why is Joe Exotic so convinced that Carol’s second husband Is buried under a septic tank, of all places? `

How is Carol Baskin’s relationship to cats tied to her taking control of her own destiny?  And how is that related to the strange photo of her husband on a leash…on their wedding day? 

Depth or archetypal Psychology, a philosophy propagated largely by Carl Jung in the early 20th century,  accepts the reality of the unconscious and studies its effects on our conscious activities and attitudes. Today, we talk with Dr. Amy Lawson, MD, pediatrician, and soon to be Dr Dr Amy Lawson as she is writing a dissertation toward an additional Phd in Jungian and Archetypal studies

Today, Dr DR Lawson schools us on how to look more deeply into anything we watch on TV, read in a book, or witness in everyday life.  

Benjaminrussack.com; [email protected]; 415.497.1908

Today we talk with Brad Smallwood, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, who will help us develop coping skills to manage our anxiety during the Covid 19 crises: 

-Focus on what we can control, instead of what we can’t. 

-Having a negative thought?  Go do something positive 

-Tell yourself: I’m okay right now.

Brad even recommends being of service—from picking up a couple groceries for your neighbor to having food delivered to the staff at your local hospital. 

My Contact Info:

[email protected]

benjaminrussack.com

415.497.1908

Brad's contact info: 

http://bradfordsmallwood.com

Could our sudden confinement due to the recent Shelter in Place mandate allow for new opportunities? How might we use this time alone to actually improve our lives? In these dark times, Clare Johnson, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, will discuss her focus on experiencing joy amidst the Covid 19 crises—afternoons of playing in the grass at home with her family, of building forts and bak.ing cookies—her children reading actual books and…meditating? 

Clare also suggests methods of reaching out and making new connections, or how to reaffirm and strengthen old ones, especially in a time when everyone seems to be looking for additional support. 

Contact Information for Clare Johnson, LMFT: 

[email protected]; www.clarejohnsontherapy.com

My Contact Info:

[email protected]; benjaminrussack.com; 415.497.1908.