WellnessCast™ Conversation with Phil Stutz & Barry Michels, authors of The Tools & Coming Alive

Stanford Law School WellnessCast™

"Deprivation is creation," says psychiatrist Phil Stutz. If we stay calm when confronted with strong feelings of wanting more chocolate cake, alcohol, social media, sex, or whatever is our craving, these feelings of deprivation actually become a flashlight to help us see inside ourselves. "When you use this tool over and over and over again, you begin to look forward to your impulses, not because you're going to gratify them but because you're going to be able to turn deprivation into something empowering," adds Barry Michels. Join Stanford Law Professor Joe Bankman for an intimate conversation with old friends and bestselling authors Phil Stutz and Barry Michels, who first gained national attention when they were described in a New Yorker profile as the go-to therapists for those on the creative side of the entertainment industry. In their bestselling book, The Tools, and now in Coming Alive, Phil and Barry bring to the rest of us the compelling techniques they use with their patients. These easy-to-use techniques transform everyday challenges—big and small—into opportunities to bring about bold and dramatic change. To help us experience their work, at the end of the podcast, Barry Michels guides us through the Black Sun Tool, which helps control strong impulses and cravings.