In this episode of Doing the Opposite: Business Disruptors, Jeff Dewing speaks to Dr Mark Goulston, former UCLA Professor of Psychiatry, a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and a former FBI and police hostage negotiation trainer. Mark is the inventor of of ‘Surgical Empathy’, an approach that enabled him during his psychiatric career to reach highly depressed and suicidal people during which time none of them died by suicide.
Dr Mark outlines the process involved in ‘Deep Coaching’; a method for people who have high amounts of potential, but something’s holding them back. The process involves revisiting an extremely traumatic experience and using that to discover a breakthrough – changing your perspective on life with a dose of ‘healing optimism’.
Mark also reflects on a campaign he started during the pandemic: #WMYST – What Made You Smile Today? Next time you have an interaction with someone, ask them what the highlight of their day has been. That interaction alone will make them smile and feel seen.
Hear Dr Mark’s incredible stories about his time as a death and dying specialist, doing house calls to dying patients and helping them to make peace with their lives. The strategies he used led to some very powerful outcomes; strategies that can be applied to all of our lives. Jeff and Mark also consider the importance of healthy conflict and perceiving conflict as a powerful force for good.