Matt Beck of 12 South Recovery On How Each Of Us Can Leverage The Power Of Gratitude To Improve Our Overall Mental Wellness

An Interview With Shawna Robins

Better Relationships-A greater sense of gratitude can help you to be more patient and less judgmental, and this can strengthen relationships in your life. Acknowledging how your friends, family or partner positively impact your life allows you the opportunity to identify all of the positive features of relationships that an individual tends to overlook at times.

As we all know, times are tough right now. In our post-COVID world, we are also experiencing what some have called a “mental health pandemic”. What can each of us do to get out of this “Mental and Emotional Funk”? One tool that each of us has access to is the simple power of daily gratitude. As a part of our series about the “How Each Of Us Can Leverage The Power Of Gratitude To Improve Our Overall Mental Wellness” I had the pleasure of interviewing Matt Beck.

Matt Beck, LMFT, serves as the Clinical Supervisor at 12 South Recovery, bringing over eight years of experience in mental health and addiction treatment. He holds a Master’s Degree in Psychology from Cal Southern University and specializes in treating addiction and mental health issues using evidence-based therapies. Matt is dedicated to a holistic approach, focusing on both symptoms and underlying causes to help clients achieve long-term recovery and emotional well-being.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive into our discussion, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about you and about what brought you to your specific career path?

I have always been drawn to the field of psychology. I feel as though I have always had a unique ability to connect with others and I wanted to use that for the purpose of being a helper in this life.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

I was originally interested in working for the FBI conducting criminal psych profiles but I missed the cut off age limit to start my training by the time I received my clinical license. So I decided to work as a clinical supervisor in a sleepy beach town in Southern California instead lol. A bit of a change.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Why do you think that resonates with you? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life?

Peace and enlightenment comes when we learn to remove judgment and stigma,Th and learn to look at the world and it’s people as neither good nor bad, right nor wrong, while setting boundaries to protect yourself from chaos and toxicity.

Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story about why that resonated with you?

I’m going to go with a non-psychology book that had an incredible emotional impact for me; “The Pilgrimage” by Paul Coelho. This is one of the most heartfelt assessments of life’s journey, the challenges that we face along the way, and the resilience that we learn to develop to overcome adversity. Also the idea that many times the thing that we’ve been searching for our entire lives has been with us all along; our unique gifts and abilities and how we can use them in the life that we’ve been given.

Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?

Currently I am working as a clinical supervisor for Master’s level psychology students pursuing a license in the field. I have 14 interns (!) and I absolutely adore teaching them, collaborating with them on clients, and learning from them.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

My boyfriend, my father, my mother, my brother are the first people I would call in a crisis or if I needed to receive honest, constructive feedback. Help comes from the authenticity of transparent, helpful, guiding, feedback and support. Everyone needs a tribe. We weren’t meant to do this alone.

Ok, thank you for all that. Now that we are on the topic of gratitude, let’s move to the main focus of our interview. As you know, the collective mental health of our country is facing extreme pressure. We would like to explore together how every one of us can use gratitude to improve our mental wellness. Let’s start with a basic definition of terms. How do you define the concept of Gratitude? Can you explain what you mean?

Gratitude is the individual’s personal process for replacing darkness and negativity with positivity and light. When darkness resides within us, we can expect it to manifest out of us, because it is all we have access to.

Why do you think so many people do not feel gratitude? How would you articulate why a simple emotion can be so elusive?

Human nature is selfish and self-centered at its core. Gratitude takes effort because it forces an individual to take focus off of all of the internalized fears related to the things we want, the things we need, or the things that we are afraid to lose, and puts the focus on things that we already have.

Ok wonderful. Now here is the main question of our discussion. From your experience or research, what are “Five Ways That Each Of Us Can Leverage The Power Of Gratitude To Improve Our Overall Mental Wellness”. Can you please share a story or example for each?

1 . Reduced Stress-

There is a clear distinction between focusing on gratitude and the promotion of positive affect; better moods; improved psychological wellbeing; fewer depressive and avoidance symptoms.

2 . Better Sleep-

Programs of recovery discuss the idea of “clearing the vessel” to promote more peace and enlightenment. Individuals can address unfinished business by focusing on gratitude prior to a night of sleep.

3 . Increased Happiness-

In multiple studies, the practice of gratitude immensely increased participant’s happiness, self-satisfaction, and future predictions scores. Studies tell us that gratitude predicts happiness over the course of the lifespan. There are ups and downs according to the person’s environment, but someone who’s more grateful generally tends to live a happier life.

4 . Better Relationships-A greater sense of gratitude can help you to be more patient and less judgmental, and this can strengthen relationships in your life. Acknowledging how your friends, family or partner positively impact your life allows you the opportunity to identify all of the positive features of relationships that an individual tends to overlook at times.

5 . Improved Physical Health-Health and wellness studies have also found other benefits of gratitude practice include health benefits such as improved immune system, lower blood pressure, reduced inflammation, and improved overall psychological health.

Is there a particular practice that can be used during a time when one is feeling really down, really vulnerable, or really sensitive?

I will always be a huge supporter of meditation and mindfulness practice, but my greatest advice in these situations is DON’T ISOLATE! Find a friend or a companion to share time with, even if it’s just quietly sitting together. If nobody is available seek therapy and counseling. Don’t try to face your pain alone.

Do you have any favorite books, podcasts, or resources that you would recommend to our readers to help them to live with gratitude?

Four Agreements-Don Miguel Ruiz

Gifts of Imperfection-Brene’ Brown

In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts-Paul Coelho

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

I’d like to support a political world in our country that promotes kindness, wellness, and community, rather than divisiveness.

What is the best way our readers can further follow your work online?

I’m on INSTAGRAM @drbekk

Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!

About the Interviewer: Shawna Robins is an international best-selling author of two books — Powerful Sleep — Rest Deeply, Repair Your Brain and Restore Your Life, and Irresistibly Healthy — Simple Strategies to Feel Vibrant, Alive, Healthy and Full of Energy Again. Shawna is the founder and CEO of Third Spark, an online wellness hub for women over 40 who want to reignite their sleep, reset healthier habits and respark their lives. Shawna is a sleep expert, hormone health expert, and a National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBHWC). She has been featured on many podcasts including Dr. Mindy Pelz’s “The Resetter Podcast” and in Authority Magazine, Thrive Global, and The Huffington Post. A free download of her latest book can be found at www.thirdsparkhealth.com/powerful-sleep/ You can follow her on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.