#44 | Dr. Brian Licuanan | Jujitsu and the Mind

Psychologist Dr. Brian Licuanan on martial arts, substance use, anxiety and mood disorders, and how Jujitsu keeps his mind and body strong. As a speaker, educator, author, and a California board-certified psychologist with nearly 20 years working with demographically diverse populations, Dr. Brian keeps things busy. He also trains in Jujutsu to keep his mind, body, and soul strong. We have a wide-ranging conversation about martial arts, substance use, anxiety and mood disorders. To learn more about Dr. Brian you can visit: https://drbrianlicuanan.com/ Chapters 0:00 Welcome Dr. Brian Licuanan 2:35 Staying in a sport as an adult 5:06 A winding path to psychology 7:39 Growing up in small-town Ohio 10:12 Family roots in the Philippines 12:48 Moving to California 15:22 Please and thank you in LA 17:55 Pepperdine and Oklahoma 20:25 The pressure of Los Angeles 22:59 Ryan's production company before Covid 25:31 Stuck in Turkey 28:02 Creative friends in other industries 30:33 The routines we take for granted 33:03 Residential treatment 35:34 Habits and sleep 38:08 Planes and broken sleep 40:42 Fentanyl 43:14 Ronny Chieng on American convenience 45:44 Structure, routine and accountability 48:14 Everyone in the rowboat 50:46 Ryan's ocean rowing story 53:18 America and opioids 55:48 The benefits of pain and anxiety 58:19 Stepping on the mat 1:00:54 Taekwondo, karate and jiu-jitsu 1:03:27 Break Point and mental coaching 1:06:01 Pickleball 1:08:32 A 70-year-old professor on the mat 1:11:03 When you miss the gym 1:13:34 Therapy online after the pandemic 1:16:09 What a home setting reveals 1:18:39 Plans for 2024 and his book 1:21:11 The power of the group 1:23:43 The stigma is lifting 1:26:13 Sharing struggles online 1:28:46 Honesty 1:31:21 The greatest improv performance 1:33:55 A disease of isolation 1:36:28 Alcohol and the brain 1:38:59 Painkillers and heroin 1:41:31 The first visit 1:44:06 Why ultimatums don't work 1:46:39 A generation coming to terms with therapy The Ryan Pyle Podcast is ad-free by choice. If you enjoy these conversations, you can buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/ryanpyle Ryan's TV series are streaming around the world. Follow the Podcast X: https://x.com/RyanPylePodcast Facebook: https://facebook.com/ryanpylepodcast Follow Ryan Pyle YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ryanjpyle Instagram: https://instagram.com/ryanpyle X: https://x.com/RyanPyle Facebook: https://facebook.com/ryanpyle https://www.ryanpyle.com