Jiu-Jitsu Isn't Therapy

In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan is joined by Matt Tansey and Daniel Millstein: two licensed mental health professionals who also train jiu-jitsu. They attack one of the most repeated claims in the sport ("jiu-jitsu is my therapy"), what's actually true about it, what isn't, and why the distinction matters more than most people think.⸻👥 Featuring:• Steve Kwan — https://bjjmentalmodels.com• Matt Tansey — https://matthewtansey.com• Daniel Millstein — https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/daniel-millstein-boston-ma/1239597⸻🧠 Topics Discussed:• What therapists actually do (and how they differ from coaches)• Why jiu-jitsu can be therapeutic without being therapy• The Dunning-Kruger effect and black belt overconfidence• How jiu-jitsu can help and harm people with trauma• Why male practitioners avoid therapy but embrace pseudoscience• SSRIs, psychedelics, stem cells, and the jiu-jitsu bro health pipeline⸻📖 Chapters:00:00 — Introducing Matt and Daniel02:48 — Types of mental health practitioners06:43 — Can jiu-jitsu be therapeutic?12:31 — Competence, confidence, and the Dunning-Kruger trap23:49 — When jiu-jitsu actually helps26:12 — Overselling jiu-jitsu28:31 — Trauma, PTSD, and proper disclosure36:44 — What therapists can't say (but coaches can)42:57 — Dudes will do anything except go to therapy50:48 — Ethics, credentials, and the unregulated advice problem01:00:17 — Psychedelics, stem cells, and anti-SSRI bros