How To Become The Expert On Your Own Life - Dr. Denise Ernst

The Better Questions

“We try to fix things that are not ours to fix… when I am here in service of someone else, it is not about me and my solutions." — Dr. Denise Ernst

Bio

Dr. Denise Ernst is a psychologist whose research and teaching centers around a counseling method called Motivational Interviewing. This method helps people find the internal motivation they need to change their behavior, and thus their life. It is a practical, empathetic, strengths-based approach that takes into consideration how difficult it can be to make life changes.

Highlights

In this episode, we discuss:

1) How everyone is the expert on their own life (even when they don’t feel like it)

2) How being vulnerable with others feels threatening to our personal safety (even when it isn't)

3) How to be supportive of someone without being weighed down by what they’re going through

4) Why listening isn’t prioritized as a skill in our culture (even in professional counseling programs)

5) What it means to be a "pathological optimist"

Behind The Scenes

I’ve been testing the waters of the psychology field, taking courses and becoming certified in different methodologies while I decide whether or not to go back to school full time.

I’m particularly drawn to this counseling approach because of the connection between emotion and motivation. So often I've told myself: "I just need to get motivated, then I'll start." But despite my best intentions, the change I'm trying to create in my life doesn't doesn't stick, or never happens.

One of the recurring questions that keeps coming up on this show is "If we say want something or know we need to change, then why don’t we do it?” Motivational Interviewing addresses this specific question.

Who Is This Episode For?

Have a listen if...

• If you know you need a change but you're feeling unmotivated or incapable of seeing it through
• If you’re unsure of how to support someone else in your life without feeling weighed down by what they're going through
• If you're craving richer, more authentic relationships and conversations, but vulnerability feels daunting

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