A Guide to The Tools by Phil Stutz and Barry Michels: What they are and how to apply them
If you’ve seen Stutz, the Netflix documentary featuring Jonah Hill and his therapist Phil Stutz, or read the bestselling book The Tools, you might have felt something stir in you. A sense of, “Finally—someone’s naming the hard stuff.” And not just naming it, but offering something concrete, something active.
Phil Stutz and Barry Michels’ work resonated with millions because it skips the fluff and gets to the heart of what keeps us stuck—and what helps us move. But what are The Tools, really? And how do you actually apply them to your life?
As a therapist who integrates The Tools in my work with clients, I want to help you bridge the gap between the ideas in the book and how they can make a real difference in your everyday life.
Learn more about how I use The Tools in therapy.
What are The Tools?
The Tools include practical techniques created by Phil Stutz and Barry Michels to help people move through common psychological blocks. These aren’t just “think positive” tricks—they’re active, visual, and experiential tools designed to help you take action even when everything inside you wants to shut down.
The core five Tools are:
The Reversal of Desire – For fear and avoidance
Active Love – For anger and interpersonal conflict
Inner Authority – For insecurity and comparison
The Grateful Flow – For negative thinking and hopelessness
Jeopardy – For procrastination and resistance
Each tool is meant to be practiced—not just read about and understood. And, that’s where therapy can help.
Why The Tools work
Traditional therapy is often focused on insight: understanding your past, exploring your emotions, and talking through what’s happening. That’s all important.
But sometimes, understanding why you’re stuck doesn’t get you unstuck.
This is where The Tools shine. They don’t wait for insight—they’re about shifting energy, disrupting patterns, and accessing a sense of personal power right now, even in the mess of life.
In my work, I’ve seen how integrating these tools offers people something incredibly validating: a way forward.
Explore how The Tools show up in sessions.
A quick look at the five of The Tools
Let’s break them down a little further, with real-life examples of how they show up in therapy:
1. The Reversal of Desire
This tool is about moving toward discomfort instead of avoiding it.
Client example: A mom feeling overwhelmed avoids setting boundaries with her partner out of fear they’ll be upset. Using Reversal of Desire, she practices saying:
“Bring it on. I love fear. Fear sets me free.”
It’s a short, focused way to reclaim power and walk through fear instead of letting it run the show.
2. Active Love
When you’re stuck in resentment or rage, this tool helps you release the toxic grip anger can have.
Client example: Someone dealing with estrangement from a sibling uses Active Love to visualize sending love to them—not to excuse their behavior, but to free herself from emotional entanglement.
It’s radical. And it works.
3. Inner Authority
We live in a comparison culture. This tool reminds you that your worth doesn’t come from others’ opinions, it allows you to overcome insecurity, be yourself, and express yourself.
Client example: A high-achieving professional who constantly feels “not good enough” uses Inner Authority to imagine standing tall, grounded, and internally resourced—without seeking approval from others.
“I can connect with all parts of myself, even the part that causes insecurity. With this connection in place, I can be myself and speak with authority.”
This creates a sense of inner calm and confidence.
4. The Grateful Flow
Gratitude isn’t about ignoring your pain—it’s about loosening the grip of negativity.
Client example: A client in infertility treatment feels hopeless after another failed cycle. We use The Grateful Flow to gently shift the emotional landscape, finding small, real things she can feel grateful for—not as a fix, but as a lifeline and a felt experience of gratefulness..
“I’m grateful for my body showing up, my partner being supportive, and for my warm cup of coffee each morning.”
It changes the tone of the entire day.
5. Jeopardy
This is a wake-up call. A reminder that time is finite and the cost of staying stuck is high.
Client example: Someone avoids starting their creative project out of perfectionism. Jeopardy brings them face-to-face with the cost of inaction.
“If I died today, what would I regret not doing?”
It reframes urgency from anxiety to purpose.
How I use The Tools in therapy
Therapy isn’t one-size-fits-all. Some weeks are for deep emotional processing. Others are for action. The Tools offer a beautiful balance between the two.
In our work together, I might offer a Tool that fits what you’re going through and walk you through how to use it. You’ll learn to visualize it, feel it, and apply it in real time. This is about more than concepts—it’s about creating real, lived change.
Here’s what therapy with The Tools looks like.
Who can benefit from The Tools?
If you struggle with:
Overthinking and avoidance
Anger you can’t quite let go of
Impostor syndrome and insecurity
Chronic negative thinking or hopelessness
Resistance to doing what you know you want to do
…then The Tools can help. They’re especially supportive for high-functioning folks who “look fine” on the outside but feel stuck, anxious, or flat on the inside.
The Tools aren’t a shortcut — they’re a practice
It’s easy to fall into the trap of wanting one technique to “fix” everything. But like any transformative practice, The Tools require repetition, patience, and kindness toward yourself.
In therapy, we work together to build that muscle. You’ll learn when and how to use each tool in a way that works for your nervous system, life circumstances, and patterns.
The best part? The more you use them, the more they become part of how you move through the world.
Want to work with a therapist who uses The Tools?
If you felt seen by Stutz, inspired by The Tools, but unsure how to make them work in your life—you don’t have to figure it out alone.
Therapy gives you space to explore the tools in a deeper, more personal way—with support, compassion, and guidance.
Click here to learn more about therapy with The Tools.
Schedule a free consultation
I offer a free 15-minute phone consultation where we can talk about what you’re going through and how we might use The Tools in our work together.
No pressure. Just space to be real, ask questions, and see if it’s a good fit.
Reach out today to schedule your consultation.
Author Bio
I help clients in San Jose and the surrounding area (or, virtually throughout CA) move through emotional blocks using a mix of traditional therapy and transformative tools like those taught by Phil Stutz and Barry Michels. Whether you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or disconnected, you deserve a way forward that’s active, compassionate, and tailored to you. Learn more about therapy with The Tools, or explore related services like therapy for moms, therapy for infertility and pregnancy, parenting support, or mindset coaching using The Tools or the Positive Intelligence program.
