When Your Therapist Just Makes Things Worse - MTP479

Co-Host Emily McKay (https://www.deservewhatyouwant.com) Well, here's the first thing you can figure out, just from the title: Emily and I are obviously not disappointed enough in each other to avoid such a touchy topic. BUT...maybe that's a clue why this relational disappointment thing never gets talked about much. So what are we actually covering here? I mean, isn't it unrealistic to get into a relationship thinking everything is always going to be perfect and ideal? That brings up the concept of "macro-disappointments" vs. "micro-disappointments". And what about other couple's Facebook highlight reels that only show the shiny, happy stuff? Is that driving unreasonable disappointment on the part of the rest of us? Is there really such thing as "the seven-year itch", and if so is it more about disappointment or boredom? And hey, wait a minute. Isn't boredom disappointing? Does long-term disappointment usually start right at the beginning of a relationship? Why is that? And what about this business of "spicing up a relationship"? How does that work to ward off potential disappointment? Why is being each other's best friend a magic elixir to cure disappointment? What if what causes disappointment is legitimately beyond the control of the disappointing partner? What if a partner is intentionally disappointing, and expecting to get away with it? Why does being "nice" disappoint WAGs? How do couples put their relationship at blatant risk for disappointment? Why is comfort the enemy of marriage excitement? Finally, what if you're actually IN a deeply disappointing relationship. Now what? And by the way, is it any wonder that Rupert Holmes was a "one hit wonder"? Check out https://mountaintoppodcast.com and get in on the daily newsletter and tons of other goodies. === HELP US SEND THE MESSAGE TO GREAT MEN EVERYWHERE === The show is now available as a VIDEO version on YouTube. For some reason, the episodes seem funnier...if a bit more rough around the edges. If you love what you hear, please rate the show on the service you subscribed to it on (takes one second) and leave a review. As we say here in Texas, I appreciate you!  

=== SNIPPETS FROM THE SUMMIT === Today's topic is an unpleasant one, but this has to be said. Too may of us as men are letting women get away with a vicious double-standard. Just because she's a woman doesn't mean she should be allowed to treat you poorly in ways no man would ever get away with. And she's certainly not above the law. What are the situations where this is especially devastating to men? And here's an even better question: How did we get to the point where we let today's empowered women do all of this to us without any penalty whatsoever? Get in on my Substack channel at: https://mountaintoppodcast.com/substack === HELP US SEND THE MESSAGE TO GREAT MEN EVERYWHERE === Snippets From The Summit are all about completely original ideas for success with women that also happen to be extemely effective...and actionable. If you love what you hear, please rate the show on the service you subscribed to it on (takes one second) and leave a review. As we say here in Texas, I appreciate you!

Co-Host Dr. D. Ivan "Doc" Young (mountaintoppodcast.com/ivan) We're all realize we're men biologically, but how are we at manifesting the masculinity within us? Yeah, on the surface it's a question that feels like it shouldn't have to be asked. But my guest, "Doc" Young is The Reality Check Doctor, and his practice as a behavioral neuroscientist often focuses on empowering men to be more self-aware in their masculinity. Right off the bat, Doc launches into the mindset of true masculinity versus merely being "macho". How did we get swindled into thinking that was what it's all about, anyway? He's got some ideas you've probably never considered before What's the real reason why there's really no female equivalent of "macho"? What's the real reason why under-evolved men don't attract women? If you're dating a "trophy woman", you may be making her feel NO differently than if you were still living at home with your mommy. Here's why... And what does Doc mean when he says a lot of men are looking for an external solution to an internal problem? What are the advantages of being a truly self-aware man, especially when it comes to developing traits that women are attracted to? How much of self-awareness comes from within as opposed to environmental factors around us? Next, discover why self-awareness isn't only about masculinity, it's about maturity. How do you become the respected patriarch of your entire family? How do our past experiences impact our current level of self-awareness, and how can we take back control? How is comparing ourselves to others the enemy of that? And finally, what does self-awareness have to do with your quality of live, and even your very longevity itself? Get more out of your success with women. Check out https://mountaintoppodcast.com === HELP US SEND THE MESSAGE TO GREAT MEN EVERYWHERE === The show is now available as a VIDEO version on YouTube. For some reason, the episodes seem funnier...if a bit more rough around the edges. If you love what you hear, please rate the show on the service you subscribed to it on (takes one second) and leave a review. As we say here in Texas, I appreciate you!  

=== SNIPPETS FROM THE SUMMIT === The phenomenon I'm talking about today isn't new. But the Internet, then social media, virtual assistants and now AI have caused it to be more obvious.  It goes like this...when shielded by the "anonymity of the Internet", many humans have a tendency to, well...start talking to people in YouTube comment sections like they're not really human on the other side of the computer. Or worse, the "buffer zone" offered by the Internet empowers them to say things they wouldn't have the balls to say to anyone IRL. And when smartphones--and Siri--came along, the downward spiral continued. People started treating a simulated human horribly. Now, with so much AI, we find ourselves talking to soulless robots more than red-blooded humans sometimes. Where is all of this transhumanism really taking us...and what's the big deal, anyway? And what does this have to do with getting better with women? As it turns out, everything. Get in on my Substack channel at: https://mountaintoppodcast.com/substack

Co-Host Owen Marcus (https://mountaintoppodcast.com/meld) My first-time guest Owen Marcus is a proponent of Polyvagal Theory, which is about how our body and brain work together to respond to stress, be that everyday annoyances or more significant trauma. It has a huge impact on how we as men carry ourselves physically. So you can easily figure out how understanding this theory and the somatic awareness that comes from it would make you more attractive to women. After all, when you gain mastery over your body in the way Owen talks about, your physiology is less likely to, well...sort of betray you. That may sound complex, but Owen describes it all in a way that not only makes perfect sense, but its practical and actionable. For example, this concept finally makes the concept of "emotional availability" more tangible, and even influences how we find ourselves being "Mr. Nice Guy". What is "co-regulation", and why is that social/physical phenomenon central to the whole theory? How does understanding Polyvagal Theory assist us greatly in the quest to make women feel safer and more comfortable with us? What are some physical manifestations of us not being in tune with really feeling what our bodies are telling us? (HINT: A lot of guys make themselves look like dorks without even realizing it.) What does Polyvagal Theory have to do with either you OR her feeling something is just a bit "off"? And how does it finally help us understand what it really means to "relax"? Next, there's fight or flight, or something WAY worse...and we as men do it ALL the time. Meanwhile, how does Polyvagal Theory contribute to being more charismatic? How can it help us not only mesmerize and attract women, but make more male friends as well? Get in on the new Substack and download Sticking Points Solved for FREE at: https://mountaintoppodcast.com === HELP US SEND THE MESSAGE TO GREAT MEN EVERYWHERE === The show is now available as a VIDEO version on YouTube. For some reason, the episodes seem funnier...if a bit more rough around the edges. If you love what you hear, please rate the show on the service you subscribed to it on (takes one second) and leave a review. As we say here in Texas, I appreciate you!

=== SNIPPETS FROM THE SUMMIT === It's the nightmare scenario. You're out and about, minding you own business...and then BOOM, there she is. Your ex. What do you say? What do you do? Is it useless to try to avoid her? What if she's with another guy...or worse, you're with another girl? Does it matter who broke up with whom? Does it matter if you were on decent terms vs. it being a knock down, drag out dramafest? Well, in this brief episode we'll check off all the boxes covering lots of scenarios, including what to do if you know in advance you're likely to see your ex somewhere. https://mountaintoppodcast.com/substack === HELP US SEND THE MESSAGE TO GREAT MEN EVERYWHERE === Snippets From The Summit are all about completely original ideas for success with women that also happen to be extemely effective...and actionable. If you love what you hear, please rate the show on the service you subscribed to it on (takes one second) and leave a review. As we say here in Texas, I appreciate you!

Co-Host Amanda Johnson (https://mountaintoppodcast.com/amanda) Well, we're finally going there. My first-time guest is a licensed counselor in the traditional sense who also does psychedelic-assisted therapy. She's willing to throw down the truth about how therapy can leave men worse than before they ever went...and how that's a problem. Have you ever been dragged to relationship or even marriage therapy, only to feel singled-out, disempowered and maybe a little beaten-up afterward...presumably by a "female-friendly" therapy environment that basically mirrors the family law system? What effect does that have upon us as men at a deeper level, and how do we even recognize it, let alone do something about it? And then, we and/or our significant other get online and find our "echo chamber" of allegedly like-minded people, leaving us to believe we're in the right and the "adversary" is in the wrong every time. Is therapy actually contributing to the divide between the sexes rather than helping us form a healthier alliance together as men and women? Shockingly, Amanda claims that almost nobody in her practice ever comes to her acknowledging their own need for behavioral change. How is this "blame game" habit of victimhood affecting male/female relationships? What is a suitable alternative to therapy for men? (No, it's not only coaching.) I mean, after all, a man is only gonna get "scapegoated" for so long before he's got his guard up about therapy...especially when most therapists are women and might not seem sympathetic to men's reasons for coming to them to begin with, right? So what's the deal? If we're going to be better men and do better with women, are we just better off going it alone, or what? Stay tuned for the surprising answers... Get in on my new Substack channel at https://mountaintoppodcast.com/substack === HELP US SEND THE MESSAGE TO GREAT MEN EVERYWHERE === The show is now available as a VIDEO version on YouTube. For some reason, the episodes seem funnier...if a bit more rough around the edges. If you love what you hear, please rate the show on the service you subscribed to it on (takes one second) and leave a review. As we say here in Texas, I appreciate you!

=== SNIPPETS FROM THE SUMMIT === Check it out...there's a weird mental trick we play on ourselves when we think of "cold approaching" women. It causes us to completely overlook something so obvious, yet so important to achieving success in nearly anything we do in life. And although you wouldn't think to enter into any kind of "performance" such as athletics, singing on stage, etc. without taking this step, I've never even heard it brought up before when it comes to meeting and attracting women. Yeah, well...that all stops here. I'll blow the lid off of what every man should do before even THINKING about approaching a desirable woman, along with the steps to take to make sure you get it right...the first time and every time. Oh, and it also applies to other situations like job interviews, etc. https://mountaintoppodcast.com/substack === HELP US SEND THE MESSAGE TO GREAT MEN EVERYWHERE === Snippets From The Summit are all about completely original ideas for success with women that also happen to be extemely effective...and actionable. If you love what you hear, please rate the show on the service you subscribed to it on (takes one second) and leave a review. As we say here in Texas, I appreciate you!

Co-Host Clifford Myers (https://mountaintoppodcast.com/myers) My first-time guest and new friend Clifford Myers is more than just a comedian. He's a self-proclaimed "comedy practioner". That means he doesn't just tell jokes, he works with individuals and even large companies to help people use comedy to do better in every aspect of their lives. This makes him the perfect guy to talk about how comedy and humor can help skyrocket our confidence and success with women. This far-ranging (and yes, funny) discussion hits the ground running, talking about how most guys try to use humor in a misguided and indeed self-serving way with women, which tends to backfire. After all, that's not very confidence-inspiring, now is it? Then we turn our attention toward how we as men in particular tend to take ourselves too seriously in general, and how that can be disastrous to our chances with women. What's the difference between being funny and having a sense of humor? Since we're talking about comedy here, do we have to put on some sort of stage act every time we're with a woman in order to make her laugh? As a weird thought experiment, what if we were to go into character when making women laugh, like Emo Phillips or Gilbert Gottfried? Obviously that wouldn't work, but why? How important is self-awareness and "reading the room" to all of this? What are the exact kinds of humor that really demonstrate confidence and attract women? And what other kinds of comedy work even better after you've already connected with a woman? How do we as men fall into the "no, but..." trap? And what's the most important element of comedy, especially if you're coming off as a confident man? Overall, a great show replete with TONS of comedy references throughout. Check the latest Masterclass For Men and so much more and the newly-accelerated mountaintoppodcast.com === HELP US SEND THE MESSAGE TO GREAT MEN EVERYWHERE === The show is now available as a VIDEO version on YouTube. For some reason, the episodes seem funnier...if a bit more rough around the edges. If you love what you hear, please rate the show on the service you subscribed to it on (takes one second) and leave a review. As we say here in Texas, I appreciate you!  

=== SNIPPETS FROM THE SUMMIT === Two weeks ago I hypothetically offered to grant you every advantage over me except ONE when it comes to attracting women and relating to them. Well, several of you had a pretty good comeback for that. You hit me with another possible #1 advantage that's not easy to argue with. However, after some deliberation, I'm still reserving the same advantage for myself after all. For sure, the one you suggested is HUGE, and without it you're going to suffer with women big time. But in the end, the advantage I originally suggested will ultimately overcome it. Here's why. https://mountaintoppodcast.com/substack === HELP US SEND THE MESSAGE TO GREAT MEN EVERYWHERE === Snippets From The Summit are all about completely original ideas for success with women that also happen to be extemely effective...and actionable. If you love what you hear, please rate the show on the service you subscribed to it on (takes one second) and leave a review. As we say here in Texas, I appreciate you!