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Changeworking

Changeworking

Written by: James Tripp & Ruckus Skye
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 Changeworking is a show for practitioners and coaches who help their clients create change. Host Ruckus Skye engages in conversations with internationally renowned hypnosis and changework expert and trainer James Tripp. Discussions include tools & techniques, concepts and insights, and changework philosophy for the working practitioner.© 2026 2025 Economics Hygiene & Healthy Living Leadership Management & Leadership Psychology Psychology & Mental Health
Episodes
  • The Ego: Maps of Self & Who You Think You Are

    The Ego: Maps of Self & Who You Think You Are
    Jan 14 2026

    In this episode of Changeworking, Ruckus and James explore the concept of the ego — not as something to eliminate or transcend, but as a map of self we use to navigate the world. Rather than treating ego as a fixed entity or enemy, this conversation looks at ego as the stories we tell about ourselves: how those stories help us function, how they quietly shape fear and behavior, and how suffering often arises when we mistake the map for who we are.

    Along the way, James draws on neuroscience, philosophy, spirituality, and changework experience to unpack questions like: Why definitions of ego never quite hold How identity, self-concept, and ego overlap Why social fear feels existential What happens when we take our self-stories too seriously And why freedom may come less from changing the story — and more from seeing it as a story.

    This episode is especially relevant for practitioners, coaches, and curious humans who want a more nuanced relationship with ego, identity, and self — without turning the conversation into another spiritual or psychological battleground.

    📌 TIMESTAMPS

    00:00 – Introduction
    Ruckus introduces the episode and frames ego as stories of self rather than something to destroy.

    01:00 – Why Ego Is So Hard to Define
    James explains why starting with definitions often creates confusion rather than clarity.

    02:00 – Starting With the Word vs. Starting With the World
    A distinction between conceptual definitions and observed phenomena.

    03:45 – Ego as Stories About Ourselves
    James offers his working definition of ego and why it’s useful.

    05:00 – Thought Forms, Egregores, and Emergent Identity
    How collections of ideas can appear to take on a life of their own.

    06:30 – The Problem With “Ego Death”
    Why eliminating ego may not lead to functional or meaningful living.

    07:15 – Damasio’s Three Selves
    Core self, autobiographical self, and what happens when ego goes offline.

    09:30 – Why We Need a Map of Self
    How ego supports decision-making, direction, and long-term planning.

    11:00 – Ego as a Map, Not the Territory
    Korzybski’s insight applied to identity and self-concept.

    12:30 – Self-Concept as Destiny
    How our map of self interacts with our map of the world.

    14:00 – Social Fear as Egoic Threat
    Why embarrassment and judgment feel physically dangerous.

    15:45 – Healthy Ego vs. Inflated Ego
    Why overcompensation and narcissistic strategies miss the point.

    17:00 – Seeing Ideas as Ideas
    The relief that comes from recognizing self-stories as provisional.

    18:30 – “Whatever You Say It Is, You’re Wrong”
    Why no description of self can ever be the thing itself.

    20:30 – Meta-Position and Psychological Freedom
    Being “up above it” versus trapped inside the story.

    23:00 – Identity vs. Ego
    Are they meaningfully different, or just different lenses?

    25:00 – Choosing Language With Clients
    Why James avoids certain terms depending on context and cultural baggage.

    27:00 – Identity Traps and Professional Roles
    Ruckus shares a personal example of identity constriction.

    29:00 – Multiple Identities and Flexibility
    Why being many things may be healthier than being one thing.

    31:00 – James’s Burnout and the “Magician” Identity
    A personal story about identity, overextension, and recovery.

    35:00 – Capital-S Self and Spiritual Traditions
    Why “Self” points to something real but ungraspable.

    38:00 – The Third Mountain
    Beyond naïve realism and pure relativism.

    41:00 – Radical Pragmatism
    When usefulness replaces truth — and where that breaks down.

    45:00 – Aesthetics, Meaning, and Enrichment
    Why change isn’t only about what works, but how it feels.

    49:00 – Letting Go Without Falling
    Why people need something to hold onto when releasing certainty.
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    53 mins
  • Lesser-Known Influences That Shaped James Tripp Pt 2 - Byron Katie, General Semantics, REBT, & Solution-Focused Brief Therapy

    Lesser-Known Influences That Shaped James Tripp Pt 2 - Byron Katie, General Semantics, REBT, & Solution-Focused Brief Therapy
    Jan 4 2026
    In Part 2 of this conversation, Ruckus and James continue exploring the formative influences that shaped James’s thinking as a changework practitioner — moving beyond familiar territories into frameworks that dismantle belief, clarify perception, and reorient people toward agency and possibility. This episode dives into approaches that question certainty itself: how suffering is created through thought, language, and self-evaluation — and how shifts can happen by loosening identification, challenging “shoulds,” and redirecting attention toward solutions rather than problems. You’ll hear James unpack: Byron Katie’s Work — dismantling arguments with reality through inquiry, turnarounds, and lived insight General Semantics — why “the map is not the territory,” how language distorts perception, and learning to witness our own sense-making REBT (Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy) — freeing ourselves from self-rating, “musts,” and catastrophic thinking Solution-Focused Brief Therapy — shifting attention from problems to resources, outcomes, and forward movement Along the way, James shares personal reflections on what genuinely helped him change, how these ideas overlap with — yet feel very different from — Three Principles and NLP, and why eclecticism matters more than loyalty to any single model. This episode is especially valuable for coaches, therapists, and changeworkers who want to deepen their discernment, recognize when a model is constraining rather than freeing, and expand their flexibility in how they think about change. 📚 Resources Mentioned Loving What Is — Byron Katie Science and Sanity — Alfred Korzybski Language, Thought and Action — S. I. Hayakawa Drive Yourself Sane — Susan & Bruce Kodish Quantum Psychology — Robert Anton Wilson Solution-Focused Brief Therapy: 100 Key Points and Techniques — Harvey Ratner, Evan George, Chris Iveson The Solution Focused Diamond — (various authors) Library of Books James mention: https://bookshop.org/shop/clientshifts 📌 TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Welcome & SetupRuckus introduces Part 2 and previews the additional influences covered in this episode. 00:50 – Byron Katie and “Black Path” ApproachesJames introduces the idea of deconstructive paths that dissolve illusion rather than build strategies. 02:30 – Loving What IsWhy suffering comes from arguing with reality — and why reality always wins. 03:45 – The Work: Four Questions and TurnaroundsHow Byron Katie’s inquiry process loosens rigid beliefs and creates flexibility. 06:15 – Feeling the Truth of a TurnaroundWhy this work can’t be done intellectually — and where the real shift happens. 08:45 – Byron Katie as a PractitionerJames reflects on her elegance, presence, and effectiveness in live sessions. 11:40 – General Semantics: The Map Is Not the TerritoryHow Alfred Korzybski’s ideas shaped modern thinking about perception and meaning. 14:00 – Essentialism vs. Operational ThinkingWhy language quietly turns opinions into “facts” — and how to undo that. 17:15 – Cascades of InferenceHow people leap from perception to certainty without realizing it. 19:45 – Sanity, Language, and WorldviewsKorzybski’s vision for reducing human conflict through better thinking. 22:20 – Where to Start With General SemanticsRecommended entry points beyond Science and Sanity. 23:15 – REBT: Albert Ellis and Stoic RootsHow Ellis blended philosophy, general semantics, and therapy. 26:00 – Ending Self-RatingWhy your value doesn’t change — even when you mess up. 27:15 – “Masturbation” and the Tyranny of ShouldsEllis’s blunt language for dismantling toxic inner rules. 29:00 – The ABC ModelActivating events, beliefs, and consequences — and where intervention happens. 31:15 – Assuming the WorstWhy Ellis preferred facing worst-case scenarios over reassurance. 33:20 – REBT’s Personal Impact on JamesHow these ideas reshaped his inner life and responses. 33:45 – Solution-Focused Brief Therapy OriginsTracing the lineage back to Milton Erickson and Palo Alto. 36:00 – From Problem-Focused to Outcome-FocusedWhy solution-focused conversations free stuck systems. 38:15 – The Miracle QuestionHow imagining life beyond the problem reactivates creativity. 40:00 – When to Shift GearsWhy resource-focused work can succeed where deep memory work stalls. 41:30 – Learning Solution-Focused Brief TherapyRecommended books and why every changeworker should study it. 42:05 – Closing ReflectionsRuckus wraps up and invites listeners to share questions and insights.
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    43 mins
  • Lesser-Known Influences That Shaped James Tripp Pt 1 - Three Principles, Choice Theory, & Impact Therapy

    Lesser-Known Influences That Shaped James Tripp Pt 1 - Three Principles, Choice Theory, & Impact Therapy
    Dec 26 2025
    Lesser-Known Influences That Shaped James Tripp Pt 1 Three Principles, Choice Theory, & Impact Therapy In this episode of Changeworking, Ruckus and James Tripp dig into three formative influences that don’t always get named — but quietly shaped the way James thinks about change and human agency. You’ll hear James unpack: Three Principles — why thought creates experience, how insight dissolves suffering, and why this work resists formalization Choice Theory — finding power where people believe they have none, especially in relationships Impact Therapy — why sessions must do something beyond discussion or explanation Along the way, James shares personal turning points, hard lessons from client work, and the moment he realized that no single paradigm — no matter how elegant — works for everyone. This episode is especially valuable if you’re a coach, therapist, or changeworker who wants deeper discernment about when to use a model, when not to, and how to stay human-first rather than technique-driven. Part 2 continues the conversation with more of James’ key influences. 📚 Resources Mentioned Clarity — Jamie Smart Modelo — Jack Pransky Counseling with Choice Theory — William Glasser Impact Therapy — Ed Jacobs The Body Keeps the Score — Bessel van der Kolk Library of Books James mention: https://bookshop.org/shop/clientshifts 📌 TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Welcome & Setup Ruckus introduces the episode and explains why this conversation became a multi-part series on James’s lesser-known influences. 00:45 – Three Principles: Beyond “The Map Is Not the Territory” James connects NLP’s foundational idea to the deeper insight at the heart of Three Principles. 02:00 – Thought Is Not Reality How suffering is created by mind-made experience — and why recognizing this can be profoundly liberating. 03:30 – “You Can’t Let Go of a Thought — But It Can Let Go of You” Why insight, not technique, is the engine of change in Three Principles. 05:00 – Mind, Thought, and Consciousness Explained James maps Three Principles onto Ericksonian ideas of conscious and unconscious mind. 06:15 – Why Three Principles Is an Experiential Truth (Not an Idea) The difference between understanding it and actually seeing it in moments that matter. 07:00 – The Origin Story: Sydney Banks’ Awakening How a single throwaway line sparked a radical shift that later became Three Principles. 09:00 – From Insight to Movement How Banks’ conversations led others into deep wellbeing without formal techniques. 10:15 – “This Sounds Like Philosophy — How Is It a Modality?” Ruckus presses on the practical application problem. 11:00 – Three Principles as Conversational Hypnosis James explains why many Three Principles practitioners are unknowingly excellent hypnotists. 12:30 – NLP, Erickson, and Three Principles Cross-Pollination Why background skill in facilitation can dramatically amplify Three Principles conversations. 13:45 – Is There Training in Three Principles? Why there’s no official pathway — and how people actually learn it. 15:00 – Books vs. Transmission Whether insight requires resonance with another person — or can happen through reading alone. 16:45 – James’ Personal Breakthrough with Three Principles A moment where James realized he thought he understood — but didn’t yet see. 18:00 – When Three Principles Isn’t Enough A pivotal client case that revealed the limits of a one-paradigm approach. 20:00 – Trauma, Memory, and Why No One Model Fits Everyone How James reintegrated trauma-based work without abandoning Three Principles. 22:00 – How Three Principles Changed James’ Voice and Presence Less reactivity, more grounding, and a noticeable shift over time. 23:30 – Why Three Principles Is Hard to “Explain” Online Ruckus reflects on the difficulty of finding a clear introduction to the work. 24:30 – Recommended Entry Points Why Clarity (Jamie Smart) and Modelo (Jack Pransky) are strong starting places. 27:00 – Choice Theory: William Glasser’s Core Contribution Choice Theory distilled to its essence: where you have power. 29:00 – Circumstances vs. Choice Why empowerment comes from identifying even the smallest available choice. 30:15 – Choice Theory in Couples Work How shifting from blame to contribution transforms relational dynamics. 33:00 – The Solving Circle Rules for conflict resolution that eliminate blame and restore agency. 35:00 – Identifying With “The Eye That Chooses” A formative coaching insight James received early in his career. 36:10 – A Client Story: Panic, Collapse, and Choice A powerful moment where reconnecting to choice created an instant state shift. 40:00 – When Confidence Collapses Again Why relapse doesn’t mean failure — and how reframing restores stability. 41:45 – Impact Therapy: What Actually Makes Sessions Work Why impact, not elegance or theory, determines effectiveness. 42:45 ...
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    44 mins
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