Ep 08 - Keeping it Authentic (and Surprising): Dr. Matt Morrison on Raising Kids and Therapists

Establishing safety and trust is how we create connections and personal change, in therapy and in life. If we aren’t open to new experiences or perspectives, it’s a lot harder for any of us to get to all the good, gushy, connected stuff that helps us grow. Today, we're with our friend and colleague, Dr. Matt Morrison, who is the training director of Long Island University's Psychological Services Center. Matt brings his experience supervising student psychologists and joins us to talk about his work on the therapeutic stance (aka how to be as a therapist). We get into how discipline and discovery in the therapeutic relationship counteract anxiety and fear, how that connects with stepping out of self-fulfilling prophecies and allowing for surprise in parent-child relationships, and the advice we’d give to student and early-career therapists.Matt also shares his experiences of growing up with a depressed parent, how being the center of a parent’s world creates pressure and conflict, and how honesty and hanging in there together can bring healing to the relationship.Listen to the full episode to hear:The basics requirements of a therapeutic stance that promotes reflection, positive risk-taking, and changeWhy therapy and parenting require a capacity for surprise, along with discipline How anxiety blocks coming from a stance of curiosity as therapists and parentsThe challenge of balancing curiosity and honesty in relationshipsHow developing self-awareness of our internal competing interests builds agency to create changeHow Matt’s parents modeled honesty and willingness to engage in conflict, even at the toughest timesLearn more about Dr. Matt Morrison:Connect on LinkedInLearn more about I Hate You. What’s For Dinner?Connect with Gillian Boudreau, PhD.:WebsiteInstagram @clearconnectionpsychologyConnect with Rob Galligan, PhD.:Instagram @dr.robert.galligan