The term “Psychoanalysis” comes with plenty of baggage, not the least of which is images of Freud asking someone about their relationship with their mother, or on the opposite end of the spectrum someone lying down on a couch expressing their innermost fears and desires only to have a practitioner passively responding with, “and how did that make you feel?” Ugh….shoot me.
But despite some of the negative stigmas surrounding therapy and mental health in our society today, there’s a lot more to the science and art of psychoanalysis than you may know, and in this episode I dive deep into the therapy rabbit hole with Dr. Steven Isaacman who specializes in working with creative professionals who deal with mental health issues (myself included).
This interview is a very candid look at the process of psychoanalysis using my own experiences as an example for others, and you’ll learn just as I did how powerful the scripts are we have in our mind that drive most of our behaviors. More importantly, as a creative professional you’ll understand how to rewrite your own script and your own story to drive your attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors in a very different direction if you’re willing to put in the hard work necessary to understand yourself.
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Here’s What You’ll Learn:
- Dr. Isaacman’s career path and early experience in marital therapy
- What’s the difference between therapy and psychoanalysis?
- Purging the negative stigma surrounding therapy and psychoanalysis
- The importance of communicating importance through metaphor
- Growing comfortable with your most emotionally raw self
- Rewriting the hindering scripts that dominate your life
- It’s okay to not be prepared with a topic list when you come to therapy
- How preparedness can be an obstacle to psychological cleansing
- Learning to stop being ashamed of your unconscious self
- Knowing that we will always be in the process of growth and development
- Embracing the beautiful potential of failure
Useful Resources Mentioned:
Our Generous Sponsors:
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Guest Bio:
Dr Isaacman is a licensed marriage and family therapist and a certified psychoanalyst in private practice since 1992 with an office in West Hollywood, CA. While he works with a broad variety of patients, he is particularly interested in working with curious and creative individuals, many of whom work in the entertainment industry.
Dr Isaacman believes that the patient/therapist relationship can open possibilities for rich fulfillment in both personal and professional realms. Some people are eventually grateful for the symptom that brought them in, as learning about oneself can be profoundly joyous, even while being difficult.
Show Credits:
This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared and published by Jakin Rintelman. Special thanks to Krystle Penhall and Sarah Furie for helping to spread the love!
The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet).
Note: I believe in 100% transparency, so please note that I receive a small commission if you purchase products from some of the links on this page (at no additional cost to you). Your support is what helps keep this program alive. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Zack Arnold
Zack Arnold (ACE) is an award-winning Hollywood film editor & producer (Cobra Kai, Empire, Burn Notice, Unsolved, Glee), a documentary director, father of 2, an American Ninja Warrior, and the creator of Optimize Yourself. He believes we all deserve to love what we do for a living...but not at the expense of our health, our relationships, or our sanity. He provides the education, motivation, and inspiration to help ambitious creative professionals DO better and BE better. “Doing” better means learning how to more effectively manage your time and creative energy so you can produce higher quality work in less time. “Being” better means doing all of the above while still prioritizing the most important people and passions in your life…all without burning out in the process. Click to download Zack’s “Ultimate Guide to Optimizing Your Creativity (And Avoiding Burnout).”