Practical Skills for Everyday Mental Health

The Dancing With Depression Podcast is brought to you by KazCM, where CM stands for content matters. Because content brings people together.Welcome to the Dancing with Depression podcast. I'm your grateful host, Adam Turner. In this episode, I'm sharing some of the tools I learned during my time in group therapy. And how I was able to put them into practice almost immediately. These tools changed the way I thought, felt, and handled everyday challenges that not too long ago felt completely overwhelming.The best part, I actually noticed a difference. And just to be clear, I didn't Google my way through managing depression. These tools came from trained professionals. One of the first things we did was process. That means talking through what's been weighing on you, noticing how it's affecting your thoughts and emotions and working together to make sense of it.You lead the pace. And the goal is to increase awareness and strengthen your ability to cope. But once you process what's next, that is exactly what we're diving into today. I'm grateful to be joined by Darby Danko, a licensed clinical social worker. I've only known Darby a short time with the knowledge, clarity, and compassion she brings to her work.[00:01:56] Already made a meaningful impact on me. I deeply respect her expertise, and I'm grateful she's here to share some of it with all of us. Darby walks us through the basics of cognitive behavioral therapy, referred to as CBT and Dialectical Behavior Therapy, DBT, what they are, how they work. Why they can become powerful tools for managing depression, anxiety, and those emotional ups and downs so many of us struggle with.[00:02:37] If you've ever wondered what these therapies look like in real life, or how to actually use them to start living again, this episode is a great place to begin. Let's take the next step together and bring Darby into the conversation._______________________________________________Adam Turner: So joining me today is Darby Danko. She is a licensed clinical social worker and she is going to be joining us and sharing with us some information on some of the tools that she taught me related to CBT and DBT, and we'll talk a little bit more about that 'cause some of the jargon.[00:03:21] But welcome, welcome, welcome. How are ya? [00:03:24] Darby Danko: Thank you, Adam. I'm good. It's so good to see you and excited to be here with you. [00:03:29] Adam Turner: Awesome. So good to see you too. It's an interesting situation, like I think people after we talk will think, oh, we've known each other for so long, but I think we knew each other for about, uh, I don't know, 65 days.[00:03:41] Does that sound about right? [00:03:43] Darby Danko: That sounds about right. [00:03:45] Adam Turner: So glad that you know, we get an opportunity to really firsthand see what it is that you do, and then I get an opportunity to share with you how helpful it was because coming into the situation, I really genuinely had no idea what to expect, what was gonna happen, and also the different dynamics behind it, right?[00:04:10] Because. You have a group of people. Right. Can you tell me a little bit about what that's like, having somebody new come in to a group setting and, and what you are trying to do in that particular situation? [00:04:27] Darby Danko: Yeah, absolutely. So group therapy is actually something that I have such a, a deep respect for and I truly, truly love.[00:04:34] So we have folks come in, of course, it's a whole new group of people. Lots of new faces, especially within, we do groups on campus and virtually, but you're stepping in in a really vulnerable time in your life with a lot of other people that you have never met. So really, my first goal is to give a warm welcome as we have folks come in and really just acknowledge the anxiety that comes with starting something new and then helping to create a sense of warmth and connection and a welcome, and that's always been what I prioritize on the front.[00:05:04] So. [00:05:06] Adam Turner: I kept hearing these initials, C-B-T-D-B-T, and I saw your face light up 'cause you know the value. But for those that aren't familiar with it, what could you say, like a brief explanation, high level of, of what those are and, and maybe even how they differentiate from each other. [00:05:30] Darby Danko: Yeah, absolutely, and you are far from alone.[00:05:33] Oftentimes in therapy speak. There are so many acronyms for everything, but I'll tell you a little bit about each of them. CCBT stands for cognitive behavioral Therapy. And really the, the premise of CBT is looking at how our thoughts, our feelings, and our behaviors are all interconnected, right? So how I'm thinking impacts how I'm feeling, how I'm feeling impacts my behaviors and so forth.[00:05:58] I mean, so really the goals with c Bt high level are to be able to first acknowledge right, our thinking patterns, then to be able to question them. And then lastly, kind of that next ...