Episode Details

Today, Rhonda has prepared a special celebration for our 400th podcast, and still going strong! She has invited a number of our favorite people and podcast guests to celebrate with us, starting with our beloved friend and frequent Ask David contributor, Matt May, MD, who officially joined us in early 2000.

Matt's presence on the show had meant a great deal, personally and professionally, because I supervised Matt when he was a Stanford psychiatric resident, and had been missing our weekly chats! Our reunion via the Feeling Good Podcast has been special for that reason, but also because of Matt's kindly but scholarly answers to the many questions all of you submit. Keep them coming, and send them directly to Rhonda or David. We love reading and answering them!

Next, we were joined by two more extraordinary psychiatrists and human beings, Drs. Heather Clague and Brandon Vance, who song their rendition (with guitar accompaniment) of "Help Dr. Burns!" (Based on Beetles' Help, I need somebody!"

With their kind permission, here are the brilliant lyrics!

Help! I need a podcast!

Help! Not just any podcast!

Help! Pushing the Magic Button for ....

Help!

When I was younger, 8 years younger than today

I thought I could help everybody; help them in every way.

I got so grandiose; I was so self-assured.

I'd push my brilliant techniques, but my patients were never cured.

So, Help me not to Help oh Dr. Burns

Will they like me if they have to do the work?

If I set an ultimatum, am I a jerk?!

Won't you please, please stop me?!

So many times, I tried to help, but then got stuck

I didn't know but my patients were also thinking what the #?@!

Your podcast said to test at the start and after every session.

And then my eyes they opened wide

Boy, was that a lesson!

Oh Help me not to help, oh Dr. Burns!

Help me unlearn the bad habits I have learned

I'll do homework when my urge to help returns

Won't you please, please help me?!

Now I explore my patients' reasons not to change.

I learned to sit with open hands if they choose to stay the same.

Only when they fight for change and want to do the work,

That's when I offer tools, and know the changes will endure.

You've helped me not to help, oh Dr. Burns

'Til my patients show me that they really yearn

To do the work and ask me really firmly

Won't you please, please help me?

Your podcasts helped ME!

Oooooooh!

Much warmth to each of you!

Heather and Brendan

Our next guest was the brilliant and beloved Dr. Jill Levitt who joined my weekly Stanford training group when she and her husband, Brian, and two boys moved to the Bay Area from New York in 2007. Jill has moved up in the ranks and now co-leads the Tuesday group with me, and also joins me as co-therapists in a great many live sessions we have published as two consecutive podcasts.

The idea is to document exactly how TEAM-CBT wor