About My Guest

Ben Cassil is a comedian based in Los Angeles, where he performs improv with the team Cosmo. Ben also teaches improv and hosts the comedy podcast “Live from the Big Apple.” You can find him online at bencassil.com and @bencassil on Instagram.

In This Episode

Not everything that has therapeutic value occurs in a formal setting. So for the season finale, I went on a deep dive into an art form that celebrates practicing failure--improv comedy. Comedian Ben Cassil shares about the value of engaging in the playful art of improv comedy. He breaks down the different types of improv comedy and the key tenets that form its foundation. Improv brings many opportunities to practice relational skills: like listening, building empathy, letting go of control, and being more present in the moment. All while laughing.

Ben explores how nonjudgmental awareness expands the experience of improv, both how we reflect on our own behavior and experiences, as well as how we engage with those around us. Vulnerability, expanding comfort with uncertainty, and responding more honestly can enhance experiences and help us to be less precious with each interaction. Ben later covers radical acceptance and how expressing support for our teammates (in improv and in life) starts to change how people treat each other and how safe and confident they feel.

Finally, Ben shares his own experience of switching careers in his late 20's, gathering the courage to "let himself fail," and how stepping into that fear opened up a more rewarding path in life. A naturally gifted teacher, Ben's change out of academia and into improv ironically granted him more opportunities to use this talent. Ben's openness about this journey is a reminder that there is always space to change and grow and that it's okay, even necessary, for this process to take a long time. We are not shaped overnight, we build steadily and slowly as we learn from each experience.

Resources Referenced

Ben provides a number of references for those interested in learning more about improv, including various ways to get involved.

Podcasts and Shows

• The Neighborhood Listen
• Spontaneanation
• Yes, Also
• Live from the Big Apple
• Comedy Bang Bang Podcast (TV show also available on various paid platforms)
• Dropout Comedy

Improv Schools and Theaters (to take a class or watch a show)

• We Improv
• Worlds Greatest Improv School (WGIS)
• The Shared Experience Studio
• Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB)

Books

• Elevator Farts by Jake Jabbour
• The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey

About My Guest

Dr. Erika Knuth is a clinical psychologist specializing in maternal mental health. She works with individuals navigating the emotional complexities of fertility challenges, pregnancy, miscarriage, stillbirth, infant loss, traumatic birth, and postpartum mood and anxiety disorders. In 2014, she earned a certificate from Postpartum Support International (PSI), and in 2018, she became one of the first therapists worldwide to receive PSI’s Advanced Certification in Perinatal Mental Health. She also served on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors for PSI’s Illinois Chapter.

Dr. Knuth holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology and a Master’s in Theology, with two years of advanced training from Boston University’s Danielsen Institute in integrating spiritual and existential concerns into psychotherapy. A practical optimist, she finds joy in unexpected places and feels most alive in nature or with loved ones.

You can find Dr. Knuth online at www.magnoliawheaton.com

In This Episode

Dr. Knuth explores a number of themes birthing parents face: the nature of constant transitions and identity shifts, navigating the unexpected, and perfectionism and judgment. With so many choices to be made around pregnancy, birthing journeys, and parenting, it can be paralyzing for new parents trying to find what the "right" choices are. Dr. Knuth compassionately invites listeners to consider that each path not only can be different, but needs to be different base on the individuals and their unique circumstances.

Dr. Knuth helps to unpack the differences between postpartum diagnoses of depression, "baby blues," anxiety, OCD, and psychosis. She walks us through what qualifies as postpartum for a mental health diagnoses, when to consider paternal postpartum for the supporting parent, and when a new parent might want to seek professional support. She addresses ways that lack of sleep and hormonal shifts make anyone vulnerable to a mental health episode, while addressing what variables can increase that risk.

In discussing traumatic birth experiences, Dr. Knuth shares ways that providers of all kinds can support the birthing parent and improve their experience. She shares how to actively seek consent from and involve parents in solving moments of crisis during complicated births. She explains how this shifts the way trauma is experienced and processed in the moment and long after. Finally, Dr. Knuth shares insights from her own experiences of failure and reminds us all that "every failure is an opportunity to calibrate our compass."

About My Guest

Dr. Rebecca Lierly is a clinical psychologist who has been working in the field of adolescent psychology for fifteen years and still uses Urban Dictionary on a weekly basis. Specializing in acute crisis, group therapy, Autism Spectrum disorder, and trauma populations, she loves coming alongside families and find creative strategies to improve communication and coping.

In This Episode

Dr. Lierly breaks down the various levels of care that come with treatment options for adolescents--from weekly talk therapy to partial hospitalization programs (PHPs) to inpatient hospitalization. She helps parents understand why different levels may be recommended. Dr. Lierly highlights how parents can support adolescents through various challenges they might be facing, such as substance dependence, severe social anxiety, avoidant behaviors, suicidality, and more.

Highlighting the key struggles and goals of adolescence, Dr. Lierly shares how it is a time where we figure out who we are, what we like, and how we want to move through the world, all while separating from our families of origin. A teen's social world is highly complex and social feedback is quite powerful during this time of life, in ways that are both helpful and hurtful. Building adaptability, experimenting safely, finding community, and developing coping strategies are all key pieces of developing through adolescence.

Finally, Dr. Lierly shares examples of failure and how failures are prime learning opportunities for us and for teens, who are watching how adults respond to stress. She discusses how working on a team can change the experience of failure and green flags to look for when evaluating potential employers and colleagues. Dr. Lierly effectively models what she teaches--that failure is an opportunity to check in with yourself, identify what you need, ask for help where you need it, learn from what is not working, and then experiment with new ways of doing something. With kindness and humility, Dr. Lierly is a helpful example of what therapy and parenting can do for adolescents who are struggling.

Resources Referenced

Brené Brown video on empathy v. sympathy

Good Inside by Dr. Becky Kennedy, @drbeckyatgoodinside on Instagram

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt

The Teenage Brain by Dr. Frances E. Jensen

Selena Gomez's Wondermind