Coming Alive

Ask the Shrinks! (Vol. 4)

Barry and Phil dive deep into some of your questions in this episode of Ask the Shrinks! They cover: * The Field and the 4 laws necessary to access its power * What multiple personalities can teach us about the Shadow * How to use the Dissolving Thoughts tool to manage anxiety and runaway thinking

Ask the Shrinks! (Vol. 3)

In this episode of Ask the Shrinks!:  * Is being in the flow or tapping the life force the same as the zone one gets into when doing something like playing a video game? * What to do about nightmares? * Is it bad to sometimes want a self-esteem boost from others? * How can I get my wife to use The Tools? * I have a relative with schizophrenia. Will The Tools help? * What's the difference between the Reversal of Desire and the Tower? * How can I use the Reversal of Desire to find the courage to talk to beautiful women? * Is there anything to the Law of Attraction? * I worry about my family all the time. What can I do?

Ask the Shrinks! (Vol. 2)

Barry and Phil get together again to answer your questions in this episode of Coming Alive. They cover some interesting territory this time, and you might be surprised by some of their answers.  Want to submit a question for a future episode? You can do that here [https://www.thetoolsbook.com/contact]. In this episode of Ask the Shrinks!:  * I'm not good at visualizing, can the Tools work for me? (Spoiler: Yes!) * What Tools are helpful if you have a narcissistic parent? (Hint: work with your Shadow [https://www.thetoolsbook.com/inner-authority] and Cosmic Rage [https://www.thetoolsbook.com/blog/2017/6/18/cosmic-rage-taking-back-your-power-to-define-yourself?rq=cosmic%20rage]) * Is there a benefit to downtime, rest, and boredom? * Why do I feel really down after I've had success at using the Tools? (Phil calls this the bi-phasic fantasy. You can read more about it here [https://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-cusack/the-alchemists-part-ii-a-_b_1657636.html] in a conversation he had with actor John Cusack.) * Can the shadow be older or is it always young? * What is the Sick Shadow? (This is a new concept. We hope to have more on this on the website soon.) * Is evil something outside of us or inside of us? * Why use the language of war and battle to describe our fight with our inner enemy? Isn't that language divisive? * Do you occasionally see sparkling or twinkling lights like Phil? Hear what he thinks is going on.

A Conversation With Tommy Swerdlow

The always entertaining and often poetic Tommy Swerdlow is an actor and writer known for films like Cool Runnings, Little Giants, and Snow Dogs. Most recently he directed, co-wrote and co-starred in the film A Thousand Junkies. Barry and Tommy have known each other for more than two decades. Their conversation covers a lot of territory, some of it pretty deep, including addiction and the dramatic event that abruptly ended his using, the challenges of being a writer, and how he's come to think of everything as an energetic exchange.

A Conversation With Allison White

How does a Tools coach use the Tools for themselves? Find out in this discussion between Barry and Tools coach Allison White. They explore: * Allison's experience of Shadow work, including a discussion on the evil shadow * Allison's challenges with debilitating hypochondria and how she uses Reversal of Desire to fight it * How to change the emotional valence around your history by revisiting your past with an attitude of love and compassion. * Barry's mystical experience of reparenting his 10-year-old self * Why forces are sometimes more useful than words or intellectual solutions * What is unique about Allison's marriage to a recovering addict, including how being required to be present and sober all the time lets you see when you don't want to be * Learning how to stop trying to fix others and instead offer loving detachment * How she uses the Tools with her empathic 11-year-old son * How being a parent is full of lessons to help you reparent yourself * The most common challenges she sees in her coaching practice: procrastination, fear of failure, lack of self-acceptance. * Allison's favorite Tools * How to embrace failure as part of the creative process * Using Cosmic Rage to fight Part X Learn more about Allison at Allison White Coaching [http://allisonwhitecoaching.com/]