What do you do when the version of yourself you built for decades no longer fits your life?

In this conversation, Chip sits down with therapist and former theater director Ben Yalom for a warm, honest discussion about reinvention, grief, aging, identity, and the courage it takes to change direction in midlife.

After spending years in experimental theater, Ben found himself at a crossroads during COVID. What followed was an unexpected transition into psychotherapy, where he now combines storytelling, movement, curiosity, and emotional exploration in deeply human ways.

In this episode, they talk about:

Letting go of old identities without losing yourself
Why mistakes often become our greatest source of wisdom
The hidden emotional intelligence of the body
Why modern culture struggles so much with death and aging
How curiosity keeps us alive and growing through change

It’s one of those conversations that stays with you long after it ends.

Listen now if you’re navigating change, rethinking your path, or wondering who you’re becoming next.

Timestamps:

(03:39) Leaving Theater Behind for Therapy

(06:15) COVID Forced a Major Life Shift

(08:00) Growing Up as Irving Yalom’s Son

(12:43) Letting Go of Old Identities

(15:41) Your Body Knows Your Story

(18:56) Life as a Creative Practice

(21:25) Writing Hour of the Heart

(26:13) Aging Parents and Facing Mortality

(30:44) Writing Life as a Fairy Tale

(33:04) Why Modern Culture Fears Death

(35:44) Ben Yalom on Grief and Loss

(36:58) What the Body Knows Beyond Words

(41:16) Wisdom Bumper Sticker

Learn more about MEA at ⁠https://www.meawisdom.com/

#BenYalom #MidlifeReinvention #ExistentialTherapy #SomaticTherapy #BodyMindConnection #FearOfDeath #PersonalTransformation #Psychotherapy #EmotionalHealing #MidlifeCrisis #LifeTransitions #Curiosity #Aging #MentalHealth #Mortality

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