What is the difference between meditation and therapy and how can they support each other? How do you start a meditation practice and what are its benefits? Trudy Goodman is a psychotherapist, founder of InsightLA, and expert meditation teacher. In this episode, Diana sits down with Trudy to discuss her twisty-turny life, including her early training with Piaget, her friendship with Jon Kabat-Zinn, and her relationship with Jack Kornfield. At the end of the episode, Trudy shares a simple practice to take meditation off the cushion and into your everyday life.

About Trudy Goodman

Trudy Goodman, PH.D., is the founding teacher of InsightLA and cofounder of the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy. She has taught at universities and retreat centers worldwide for over 40 years. Trudy has trained in mindfulness and Zen since 1973, holds a graduate degree in developmental psychology from Harvard, and is one of the senior Buddhist teachers in the U.S. She is widely known for her role as the voice

of Trudy the Love Barbarian in the Netflix series “Midnight Gospel”. Trudy is a contributing author: Clinical Handbook of Mindfulness; Compassion and Wisdom in Psychotherapy; Mindfulness and Psychotherapy. Learn more about Trudy at TrudyGoodman.com and InsightLA.org.

Key Takeaways

• Therapy and meditation can support each other, but also offer different advantages
• Insight Meditation is a gentle form of meditation where you develop an awareness of your inner experience
• The backward step is a Zen practice to get out of conditioned response and receive what is happening in the present
• To start a meditation practice it helps to have a vetted teacher and to take a class
• Nature is a place where we can learn about letting go and can feel less alone

Related Resources

• Download Your Daily Practice for this episode
• Find out what kind of Striver you are and get your free Skillful Striving Toolkit
• Learn from Trudy Goodman at InsightLA
• Take a meditation class at Mindful Hearts Programs, InsightLA, and Yoga Soup

Diana’s Events

• Reserve your spot in Diana’s Reset and Restore Retreat in Costa Rica in 2023!
• Sign up for Diana’s From Striving to Thriving Summit!
• See Diana at an upcoming event

Connecting With Diana

Thank you for listening to Your Life in Process! Subscribe to the podcast for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts. If you have any questions or feedback you can contact Diana by email podcast@yourlifeinprocess.com or leave Diana an audio message at (805) 457-2776. Follow Diana at YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Diana’s website.

Thank you to the team Craig, Angela Stubbs, Ashley Hiatt, and Abby Diehl. Thank you to Benjamin Gould of Bell & Branch for your beautiful music.

Remember when you become psychologically flexible, you become free.

Episode Segments

• [00:00] – Introduction
• [00:25] – About Trudy Goodman
• [03:34] – Trudy’s Early Training With Piaget
• [08:41] – Trudy’s Path To Meditation
• [13:08] – The Synergy Of Therapy And Meditation
• [20:09] – A Gentler Form Of Meditation
• [21:37] – The Difference Between Zen And Insight Meditation
• [23:39] – Finding Community In Nature
• [31:11] – Trudy’s Meditation Practice
• [32:45] – The Backward Step
• [38:15] – How To Let Go
• [42:12] – Where To Find Trudy
• [46:01] – Your Daily Practice
• [49:35] – Connect With The Podcast