logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2021
1h 57m

#146 - Guy Winch, Ph.D.: Emotional first...

Peter Attia, MD
About this episode

Guy Winch is a psychologist, author, and co-host of the Dear Therapist podcast. In this episode, Guy speaks to the commonality of the human condition with relatable stories from his decades of therapy sessions as well as his own experience with incessant rumination in the early days of his private practice. He shares insights on what he sees as an epidemic of rumination that leads to career burnout, the consequences of social comparison heightened by social media, and the psychological impact of not recognizing success. He emphasizes the need for a “psychological medicine cabinet” and provides concrete and practical tools for treating emotional injuries. He concludes with a discussion about the widespread impact of the coronavirus pandemic on emotional health and how we can use experienced psychologists in a time when it’s especially needed.

We discuss:

  • The unique format and impetus for Guy’s podcast with Lori Gottlieb (3:00);
  • How Guy pieced together the many different schools of thought in psychology to develop his own unique approach (7:45);
  • The most important component of successful therapy, and why it sometimes makes sense to “break the rules” (19:30);
  • Insights extracted from Guy’s own battle with extreme stress and anxiety around finishing his education and starting his private practice (28:15);
  • The epidemic of rumination, burnout, and the inability to psychologically leave work (34:15);
  • Antidotes to incessant rumination, and tips for transitioning from work to home to avoid burnout (41:15);
  • The psychology of complaining: The hidden cost of complaining incorrectly and benefits of learning how and when to complain (52:30);
  • The consequences of social comparison, and the impact of “failure” on emotional health (1:02:15);
  • How Guy helps people who struggle to acknowledge any level of success (1:07:30);
  • Emotional first aid: The importance of a psychological medicine cabinet for treating emotional injuries (1:19:00);
  • The role of therapists in normalizing the discussion of emotional injuries and illuminating the commonality of feelings (1:27:45);
  • The widespread impact of the coronavirus pandemic on emotional health (1:35:15);
  • How to properly use affirmations—a tool for treating psychological injuries (1:42:00);
  • The importance of nuanced language and the stories we tell ourselves (1:47:30);
  • Peter’s favorite episode of the Dear Therapist Podcast (1:53:15); and
  • More.

Learn more: https://peterattiamd.com/ Show notes page for this episode: https://peterattiamd.com/guywinch Subscribe to receive exclusive subscriber-only content: https://peterattiamd.com/subscribe/ Sign up to receive Peter's email newsletter: https://peterattiamd.com/newsletter/ Connect with Peter on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

Up next
Aug 18
#361 - AMA #74: Sugar and sugar substitutes: weight control, metabolic effects, and health trade-offs
View the Show Notes Page for This Episode Become a Member to Receive Exclusive Content Sign Up to Receive Peter’s Weekly Newsletter In this “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) episode, Peter explains how to evaluate sugar and its substitutes in the context of health. Peter explores the role ... Show More
15m 59s
Aug 11
#360 ‒ How to change your habits: why they form and how to build or break them | Charles Duhigg, M.B.A
View the Show Notes Page for This Episode Become a Member to Receive Exclusive Content Sign Up to Receive Peter’s Weekly Newsletter Charles Duhigg is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and best-selling author known for distilling complex neuroscience and psychology into practica ... Show More
2h 13m
Aug 4
#359 ‒ How metabolic and immune system dysfunction drive the aging process, the role of NAD, promising interventions, aging clocks, and more | Eric Verdin, M.D.
View the Show Notes Page for This Episode Become a Member to Receive Exclusive Content Sign Up to Receive Peter’s Weekly Newsletter Eric Verdin is a physician-scientist and the CEO of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging whose career has centered on understanding how epigenet ... Show More
2h 11m
Recommended Episodes
May 2023
Why We Need to Invest in Our Emotional Health with Dr. Guy Winch
On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is joined by Dr. Guy Winch. The licensed psychologist and author is a relationship and emotional health expert with one of the industry's most highly regarded TED Talks. His TED Talks hav ... Show More
1h 8m
Oct 2021
Guy Winch on Emotional First Aid
Guy Winch, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist, keynote and TED Talk speaker, and author whose books have been translated into twenty languages. In this episode, Eric and Guy discuss his book Emotional First Aid: Healing Rejection, Guilt, Failure, and Other Everyday Hurts.But wait ... Show More
42m 16s
Feb 2021
How to Be a Better Human: The emotional support you need right now | Guy Winch‪
Today we're sharing another podcast from TED: How to Be a Better Human. Have you been feeling isolated or emotionally vulnerable lately? Loneliness is universal and while we can experience it at any point in our lives, we may be feeling it now more than ever. In this first episod ... Show More
29m 33s
Dec 2015
Guy Winch
Please help us out by taking our short 3 question survey and receive a free guide: The 5 Biggest Behavior Change Mistakes     This week we talk to Guy Winch about emotional first aid Guy Winch, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist, keynote and TED speaker, and author whose books hav ... Show More
41m 43s
Apr 2024
Healing After Trauma with Dr. Peter Levine
Somatic psychology legend Dr. Peter Levine joins Dr. Rick and Forrest to explore how we can use body-based approaches to recover from traumatic experiences. Peter uses his personal history with trauma to illustrate the practices he’s taught to thousands of people through his work ... Show More
57m 37s
Feb 2023
How Trauma Impacts Your Physical Health & How To Heal From It with Dr Bessel van der Kolk #336
CAUTION: This conversation contains themes of an adult nature and references to sexual assault. My guest today is someone who I’ve been wanting to speak to for a very long time. Dr Bessel van der Kolk is a professor of psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine and Presid ... Show More
1h 42m
Aug 2023
Mark Forman (Part 1) - Hot Button Issues in Mental Health & Psychotherapy: Trauma, Transgender, Psychedelics, SuperShrinks, Feminism's Shadow & the Loneliness Epidemic
Ep. 91 (Part 1 of 3) | Integral psychotherapist Mark Forman, author of the seminal work A Guide to Integral Psychotherapy, doesn’t mince words when it comes to the field he is passionate about: helping people out of their mental pain and dysphoria. Mark’s Integral perspective and ... Show More
56m 38s
Nov 2023
What Really Helps Trauma? with Dr. Jacob Ham
In one of the most interesting conversations we've ever had on the podcast, Forrest is joined by clinical psychologist Dr. Jacob Ham to explore what really helps people work with - and be with - trauma. They begin with Dr. Ham's background and what drew him to trauma work before ... Show More
1h 12m
Aug 2020
Complex PTSD and Developmental Trauma with Pete Walker
What are the consequences of growing up inside an abusive family, and what can we do as adults to heal old wounds? Today we're joined by Pete Walker, a practicing therapist and expert in Complex PTSD. About Our Guest: Pete is a licensed psychotherapist practicing in the San Franc ... Show More
55m 54s
Jun 2020
James Gordon on Healing Trauma
Dr. James Gordon is an American author and psychiatrist known for mind-body medicine. Dr. Gordon is internationally recognized for using self-awareness, self-care, and group support to heal population-wide psychological trauma. He is the founder and executive director of The Cent ... Show More
51m 42s