The Territory and the Map

Dr. John Reiman walks Spinal CSF Leak Foundation executive director Andi Buchanan through four steps of assertive communication to learn about its importance for those living with spinal CSF leaks. The four-step process Dr. Reiman shares involves a genuine expression of appreciation, articulation of feelings, explaining your needs clearly, and specifying a required course of action. It's not a method meant to guarantee that one’s needs are met, but rather an approach to expressing them in a meaningful manner that is able to be capably heard.   “Four Steps of Assertive Communication” document Episode transcript   Episode time codes: 00:00 Introduction and Warm-up 00:43 Welcome to Episode 4: Assertive Communication in Leakland 02:08 Understanding the Importance of Assertive Communication 04:22 Challenges of Assertive Communication in Leakland 06:42 Understanding Passive, Aggressive, and Assertive Communication 09:52 The Four-Step Process for Assertive Communication 19:14 Applying the Four-Step Process: A Personal Example 34:24 Applying the Four-Step Process: A Medical Scenario 47:52 Conclusion and Contact Information Have an idea for a show topic? Let us know! Send us your thoughts on topics you’d like to hear on the podcast by emailing us at [email protected].

What do World War II–era pianos have to do with self-compassion? Tune in to this episode to find out! Mentioned in this episode: Kristen Neff, PhD: The Three Elements of Self-Compassion Neff, K. D., Pisitsungkagarn, K., & Hsieh, Y.-P. (2008). Self-Compassion and Self-Construal in the United States, Thailand, and Taiwan. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 39(3), 267-285. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022108314544 Hall, Alexandra. “During World War II Steinway pianos were parachuted onto battlefields to provide relaxation.” Classic FM. Lee, Winnie. “When the Pianos Went to War.” Atlas Obscura. Wise, Brian. “Victory Verticals.” Steinway & Sons. Wodehouse, Artis. "At The Piano Exchange hear a 1943 WWII Steinway Victory upright." YouTube, uploaded by Artis Wodehouse, 19 December 2021. Episode transcript. Episode Time Codes: 00:00 Introduction to the episode 00:24 What on earth is a military piano? 02:41 The importance of joy in difficult times 06:03 Understanding self-compassion 07:13 The role self-compassion in healing 15:18 Challenges in practicing self-compassion 30:49 Practical exercise for cultivating self-compassion 42:22 What about those military pianos? 43:35 Closing remarks

In this episode, we discuss some strategies and practices for navigating life in—as Dr. Reiman calls it—Leak Land. MENTIONED IN TODAY'S SHOW: Dr. Reiman covered several tools for navigating pain and anxiety: An invitation to consider an act of self-compassion Four steps to chill unhelpful recycling thoughts Finding refuge in the breath Crying/shaking/yawning Here are links to the two books mentioned about acceptance and commitment therapy, both by Russ Harris: The Happiness Trap ACT Made Simple: An Easy-To-Read Primer on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy   More about Byron Katie’s “The Work” and those four fundamental questions—Is it true? Can you absolutely know it’s true? How do you react when you believe that thought? Who would you be without that thought?—may be found online at The Work.   And here is Jodi Ettenberg’s Patreon post about what she calls “four-lung breathing,” and a general link to her Patreon, where she shares tips and resources about spinal CSF leak and chronic pain. For more info about spinal CSF leak, visit spinalcsfleak.org.

New York Times bestselling author Andrea J. Buchanan and trauma therapist Dr. John Reiman—both of whom have experienced spinal CSF leak—talk about the ways we tell ourselves stories to understand and survive the challenging things that happen to us.