Why We Don’t Change (and what you can do about it) with Dr. Ross Ellenhorn

Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson

Why does change feel so difficult, even when we desperately want it? Dr. Ross Ellenhorn joins the show to explore our resistance to change, and the many good reasons we might have to stay just as we are. Forrest and Dr. Ellenhorn discuss the “fear of hope,” the allure of sameness, and what actually helps people develop the confidence to make meaningful changes in their lives. Topics include challenging conventional self-help wisdom, existential dread, dealing with disappointment, major issues in social work, psychedelics, and self-compassion.

About our Guest: Ross Ellenhorn is a psychotherapist and sociologist, the owner and CEO of Ellenhorn, a community-integration program offering services for individuals experiencing addictive behaviors or extreme and complex states of mind and mood, and the author of three books including How We Change (and Ten Reasons Why We Don’t).

You can watch this episode on YouTube.

Key Topics:

0:00: Introduction

1:00: How Dr. Ross’s background in social work influences his outlook on change

6:20: What makes people want to stay the same

18:00: Self-efficacy, faith, and making hope big

24:55: Seeing your problems as solutions

30:00: Grappling with existential anxiety

34:20: The shock of recognition, and connecting with motivations through dialog

40:25: Managing disappointment

43:20: Psychosocial rehab, and the changing definition of mental health

52:55: Psychedelics and direct action

1:04:30: Recap

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