๐๐๐ฐ ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ฅ ๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐ก ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฆ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐๐ญ๐ฒ! ๐ฅณItโs not therapy. Itโs what I wish therapy was, but totally isnโt.Itโs a short program that lasts 4-12 weeks, where you systematically try 5-30 techniques until you find something that fixes an emotional problem you’re struggling with (e.g. anxiety, impostor syndrome, low mood, etc).Hereโs how it works:
๐ ๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ: ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ง
โ
- ๐๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐. Discuss the problem and generate at least 5 hypotheses for whatโs causing the problem.
- ๐๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ. In this process, weโll generate and look at least 30 possible ways to fix the problem. This will come from a wide swathe of possible solutions, such as CBT, internal family systems, problem-solving, changing your environment, meditation, diet, exercise, supplements, loving-kindness, gratitude, stoicism, improving sleep hygiene, checking for nutritional deficiencies, bibliotherapy, meds (not prescribed by me, but I might recommend you talk to a doctor), etc.
- ๐๐ซ๐ข๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ณ๐ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ. Weโll prioritize the possible solutions by their probability of working, how costly they are to try, whether they can be tried with things in parallel, etc.
- ๐๐ฅ๐๐ง ๐ญ๐จ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐-๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐ฑ๐ญ ๐-๐ ๐ฐ๐๐๐ค๐ฌ. This will include things like setting up accountability systems, commitment devices, time blocking, etc. It will all be customized to what works best for you and for the particular techniques.
๐๐๐ฑ๐ญ: ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฅ๐Youโll spend the next 1-3 weeks actually putting the most promising techniques into practice.Youโll keep track of your symptoms. If your symptoms go away, then weโll analyze what happened. Sometimes itโll be obvious whatโs helping, and you can just keep doing that thing. If not, then we can start remove the techniques one at a time. If the symptoms come back, then we just bring back the technique that we removed, and we know what was doing the magic.Experimenting in parallel means you get to feel better sooner and continue to feel good while we figure out what the problem was.ย If your symptoms donโt go away after 1-2 weeks, then weโll prioritize the next 5-10 techniques to try.This process will happen up to 3 times.By the end, youโll have either resolved your issues, or youโll at least have tried ~30 techniques to fix the problem. Even if you havenโt, youโll probably have found at least a few more techniques to add to your repertoire of things that you enjoy.
Apply here
๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐ฒ?
Itโs not therapy. Itโs what I wish therapy was, but totally isnโt.ย
๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ง ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฉ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก:
StressImpostor syndromeBurnoutAnxietyHopelessnessFeeling overwhelmedย Depression (mild or moderate. Not severe)Self-esteem issuesMotivation issuesNumbnessSadnessWork life balanceGuiltSleep issuesLonelinessExistential angstPerfectionismRelationship problems
๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฉ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐กย
SuicidalityBipolarADHDGender dysphoriaAnger managementSubstance use disordersAutism related emotional issuesCluster B personality disorders (e.g. BPD, APD, HPD, NPD)Anything where you’re experiencing psychosisAnything where you’re experiencing paranoia or delusions
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐ก ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ?
It’s free if you:
- Work in AI safety
- Are currently unemployed, but usually work in AI safety
- Earn to give and give >$50,000 a year to AI safety
I’m offering this service for free because mental health is one of the main blockers to people having an impact in AI safety.ย I think x-risks and s-risks from AI are the most important things to work on. And I’m good at emotional problem-solving. So if I help people working on AI safety be happier, then I’m helping make sure AI doesn’t kill everybody.ย Timelines are too short to work with people who are not working in AI safety, but since I’m a rationalist and everybody has their price, I would do it for a non-AI safety person if they donated $10,000 or more to Nonlinear or an AI safety org working on pausing or slowing down AI development.ย
Apply here
I have very limited time, so can only take on a small fraction of clients who apply. If you do not get in, I recommend checking out this vetted list of therapists or this compilation of mental health techniques for dealing with AI safety.ย
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AI Safety And Pause
Anti Woke And Culture Wars
Charity Entrepreneurship
Fiction And Stories
Happiness And Psychology
Productivity