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Building the Elite Podcast
The Building the Elite (BTE) podcast discusses all facets of human performance - from physical training to the mental and emotional factors of resilience. Each episode looks at principles drawn from the world of special operations. These concepts help people succeed in the toughest military training courses in the world and can help anyone thrive in chaotic and challenging environments.
Building the Elite Podcast
Dr. Krista Scott-Dixon: Processing Grief and Loss - Ep. 130
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Dr. Krista Scott-Dixon is a trained counselor specializing in the psychology of behavior change, with certifications including motivational interviewing, solution-focused, DBT, CBT, and trauma counseling.
She’s the author of numerous books and accredited nutrition, sleep, stress, and recovery courses. She is our go-to performance psych and works one-on-one with many of our clients seeking to sharpen the mental and emotional skills needed to handle some of the toughest training courses in the world.
She’s an invaluable resource for our clients and has played a critical role in the careers of many special operators.
In this episode, we’re talking to KSD about the grieving process. Typically, we think of grief as the emotional state following a loss like the death of a friend or loved one, but the process is surprisingly similar to other forms of loss, such as the emotional impact of losing out on a major career aspiration, washing out of a selection course, or getting divorced.
Additional Resources: What to Know About Grief and Loss
More about KSD:
Website - kristascottdixon.com
Coaching for SOF personnel - https://www.buildingtheelite.com/performance-psych-coaching/
KSD’s latest book, Applied Nutrition Coaching and Counseling - https://amzn.to/4xXhp0t
Timestamps:
00:00:22 Introduction to Dr. Krista Scott Dixon
00:01:24 Processing Grief in Death/Grief in Setbacks
00:11:47 Dealing with the Nature of Death
00:18:54 The Brain's Ability to Adjust to Loss
00:23:14 Clichés are Infuriating During Grieving
00:28:22 Excepting a New Reality
00:31:50 Exposure to Grief in the Military
00:36:04 Unhealthy and Problematic Ways of Coping with Loss
00:41:57 Chemical Avoidance and Numbing in Grief
00:45:19 Communicating Death to Children
00:51:37 Advice on Helping with Others' Grief
00:58:20 Guidelines for Dealing with Grief from Selection
01:04:00 Curling into a Ball or Crawling into a Hole
01:06:01 The "What If"s and "If Only"s of Loss
01:08:02 Survivor's Guilt
01:13:43 Face, Accept, Float, Let Time Pass
01:16:21 Outro
