The Resilient Father

In this episode Myles Chisholm joins us to share and talk about  his personal experiences  with psychedelics. We discuss the fascinating mental health benefits of these compounds and review the promising world of combining psychedelic treatment, with mental health counselling. 

This episode shares some of the most effective recent techniques your host has found for reducing stress and improving emotional regulation. These are highly effective at calming down, feeling better and coping in challenging situations and, might just be perfect for any holiday challenges you might be expecting from the present, past and future.

This episode reviews the great and powerful Encanto. Cavan discusses the psychology of the nuanced portrayal of intergenerational trauma and it's effect on families. 

Internal conflict, how often do we hear people say a part of me wants this but another part of me wants that? How is it that we can come to struggle so much  with our own emotions. We are taught to control ourselves with reason from a young age, tamp down our feelings, but what if, in focusing  our efforts on control and logical understanding, we neglect and hurt a critically important piece of our mind that makes up who we are?  

Andrew Dreosto returns for the third time to discuss a key  lesser known piece of  emotional mental health, psychological avoidance. Are you avoiding your problems? Is there something that makes you scared or anxious you're putting off? Do you spend a significant amount of time trying to control, distract from or change your negative feelings? We discuss how approaching and dealing directly with problems and emotions promotes mental health and decreases anxiety/mood issues.

In this episode we explore why children seem to love being thrown, swung, spun around, climbing jumping, riding and sliding and how these things help to grow the brain and support development.

This episode covers neurofeedback, a unique therapy that uses a combination of specialized measuring equipment and live computer feedback, to help people retrain unhelpful patterns of brain activity. Cavan reviews some of the unusually interesting history of this therapeutic field, discusses the benefits and provides some insight on how to find a qualified practitioner. 

This episode of the resilient father features the one and only Don Edwards, Cavan's very own father. The man who helped shape him into the person and parent he is today. We talk about his philosophies on life, looking back on parenting with the benefits of wisdom and, share some gems about embracing both. 

This episode explores the psychological mechanisms of therapy. How is it that sitting down and talking through your feelings with a professional stranger can actually improve your mental health? We discuss some of the misconceptions around therapy and share just how practical counselling can actually be.  Cavan reviews the overall science and cognitive mechanisms of how therapy results in positive changes in mental wellbeing. 

In this episode we discuss the powerful  therapeutic modality of CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy).  A research based form of counselling that focuses breaking down our ways thinking  and behaving in order to make conscious changes to improve mental health. This form of counselling is highly practical, focusing on taking effective action to change how the internal structures of your mind and the resulting and choices you make impact wellbeing. CBT is highly recommended for any dad who is interested in trying therapy but unsure where to start.

In this episode Cavan reviews the very real and important phenomenon of male postpartum depression. Many people are well aware of the struggles of PPD in women, but lesser known is the fact that men can also develop postpartum depression symptoms. We discuss some of the risk factors that can lead to the development of mood symptoms in males postpartum, some of the impacts it can have, and a brief review of what can be done to help.

In part three of the series on brainwave activity we cover the deepest and possibly strangest part of the brainwave spectrum, theta waves. Often associated with deep mediation, hypnosis and dreams, this type of brainwave activity is a profound gateway to relaxation, intuition and emotional integration. Learning to enter into a deep theta state is a great way to build resilience, promote emotional wellbeing, enhance intuition/performance and improve stress tolerance as a parent. 

This episode of the show features Mike Thiel to discuss table top roleplaying games such as dungeons and dragons. These games are lot of fun and present a great opportunity for family bonding, social support and just having a good time.  Mike has been applying gameplay not only for his own enjoyment but, also as a form of therapy and we discuss the many therapeutic benefits of D&D and tabletop roleplaying games. Mike shares his experience thus far, research he's read and his ongoing goals in bringing the mental health value of roleplaying games to the masses. 

Link to Mike's website:

https://roleplaygamingformentalhealth.godaddysites.com/

In this episode we discuss the scientific research and approach to marriage/relationship counselling of the Gottman Method. A psychologist whose extensive research into what makes a successful, long lasting relationship, Gottman can predict the long-term outcomes of marriages with surprising accuracy. His approach to helping couples better manage their relationships provides deeply practical and intuitive advice. 

This episode features an interview on the topic of post partum depression with psychotherapist, clinical supervisor, mother and Cavan's wife, Kayleen Edwards. Kayleen has both experienced PPD first hand and has attended evidence based trainings on understanding the factors that contribute to the condition and how to support mother's who are struggling.

The first 50 minutes of the interview focus on the factors that contribute to the development of PPD as well as personal experience of Kayleen and of what it's like to go through PPD firsthand.  The conversation on how to provide support to mother's experiencing PPD begins at approximately 50 minutes. 

In this episode Cavan shares his experience using the recent health promoting practices of heat and cold exposure for bolstering physical and mental health. The many benefits of these practices are discussed and Cavan shares his own experience in how particularly heat exposure has been a big benefit in combatting mood difficulties and improving wellbeing. 

This episode features Float therapy. Sometimes called sensory deprivation, flotation, or by the acronym REST (restricted environmental stimulation therapy). This practice involves reducing the burden of the senses on the nervous system, freeing up the brain to achieve deep states of relaxation, recuperation and healing. It has become an essential part of Cavan's wellness toolbox and in this episode we discuss the many benefits!

This episode features the return of the illustrious Andrew Dreosto. We talk about the psychology, neuroscience and benefits of mindfulness. We discuss how even busy dads can implement mindfulness into their life. We talk about ways of practically understanding mindfulness to make it more accessible to the end user. In general we have some very interesting conversation about mental health the structure of the mind and fatherhood.

Kind of like a star trek captains log, sort of. Cavan shares bits of his personal experiences with mental health and how he is applying the ideas and skills in this podcast to improve his wellbeing and cope with toddler drama.

Coming Soon:
-How to Support Your Wife Through PPD
-Part 3 of Mastering Your Brainwaves: Theta Waves and the Hypnogogic State