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Every couple fights sometimes, but what if conflict is the norm in your relationship? High conflict couples tend to fight, shut down, yell, and sometimes even get violent too often. In this episode, we talk to couples therapist and relationship mindset expert Dr. Marina Rosenthal about how high conflict couples can change the way they fight. We talk about the different types of high conflict couples and how to tell if you can save your troubled relationship or need to plan your exit strategy. Dr. Rosenthal also gives us a picture of what hope and healing can look like for a high conflict couple.

***If you are in a relationship with someone struggling with mental or emotional problems, we are building something new to support you at KulaMind. Click here to get early access.

Resources:

• Dr. Marina Rosenthal's website and Instagram
• What The F**k Did You Just Say To Me?!
• Take A Break Guide
• Free Calm Conflict Starter Kit

Support the show

• If you're navigating someone's mental health or emotional issues, join KulaMind, our community and support platform. In KulaMind, we'll help you set healthy boundaries, advocate for yourself, and support your loved one.

• Follow @kulamind on Instagram for podcast updates and science-backed insights on staying sane while loving someone emotionally explosive.

• For more info about this podcast, check out: www.alittlehelpforourfriends.com

Send us a text! (add your email to get a response)

How well do you really understand the grim reality of sex trafficking? We challenge some of the most deeply-held misconceptions, revealing its unsettling proximity to our everyday lives. We confront the recent allegations against music mogul Diddy, exploring how power and abuse intertwine in complex ways, reshaping our understanding of consent and control. We further illuminate the hidden signs of human trafficking and abusive relationships, drawing parallels to the pressures faced by young celebrities. Finally, we shine a light on reality TV's manipulative tactics, illustrating how these mirror broader societal issues of control and objectification. Empowering listeners with awareness, our discussion offers tools to recognize and confront these pervasive issues effectively.

***We are creating something special to support you in loving someone with mental illness. Click here to join the KulaMind waitlist and stay tuned!!

Resources:

• https://humantraffickinghotline.org/en/report-trafficking

• https://variety.com/2024/music/news/diddy-lawsuits-timeline-sex-trafficking-charges-sean-combs-1236177399/

• Casassa, K., Knight, L., & Mengo, C. (2022). Trauma bonding perspectives from service providers and survivors of sex trafficking: A scoping review. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 23(3), 969-984.

Support the show

• If you're navigating someone's mental health or emotional issues, join KulaMind, our community and support platform. In KulaMind, we'll help you set healthy boundaries, advocate for yourself, and support your loved one.

• Follow @kulamind on Instagram for podcast updates and science-backed insights on staying sane while loving someone emotionally explosive.

• For more info about this podcast, check out: www.alittlehelpforourfriends.com

Send us a text! (add your email to get a response)

Welcome back to the first episode of our fifth season! Whether it's a temporary break or a permanent distance, many of us have cut off contact with a family member when the relationship has gotten too difficult. Estrangement is on the rise as more people are deciding to cut off contact with their parents to protect their mental health. In this episode, we discuss the different ways adult children become estranged from their parents and what strategies can support reconciliation. We draw from the teachings of Dr. Joshua Coleman, an expert in families dealing with estrangement.

***Listening to so many audience requests, Kibby and Jacqueline are coming out with something special to support you in loving someone with mental illness. Tap to join the waitlist and stay tuned!!

Resources:

• Coleman, J. (2024). Rules of Estrangement: Why Adult Children Cut Ties & How to Heal the Conflict. Random House.

Support the show

• If you're navigating someone's mental health or emotional issues, join KulaMind, our community and support platform. In KulaMind, we'll help you set healthy boundaries, advocate for yourself, and support your loved one.

• Follow @kulamind on Instagram for podcast updates and science-backed insights on staying sane while loving someone emotionally explosive.

• For more info about this podcast, check out: www.alittlehelpforourfriends.com

Send us a text! (add your email to get a response)

Well, this year has been trying, to say the least. From losing a beloved pet, coping with cancer, and career transitions, we open up about the challenges we've had to overcome throughout season 4. In this episode, we recap the season and reflect on the strategies we used to rebuild our resilience amidst turbulence. We also dive into how our struggles impacted our friendship, forcing us to face deeper questions about unconditional love. We also remember how much family, friends, and other loved ones play such a huge role in our wellbeing, the inspiration for Kibby's new venture KulaMind. We'll return for Season 5 in a few weeks after Jacqueline gets settled in her New York life!

Resources:

• Dr. Kibby McMahon is opening a few spots for supporting loved ones of people with mental illness. Little Helper fans of this podcast will get a 20% discount. Apply here

Support the show

• If you're navigating someone's mental health or emotional issues, join KulaMind, our community and support platform. In KulaMind, we'll help you set healthy boundaries, advocate for yourself, and support your loved one.

• Follow @kulamind on Instagram for podcast updates and science-backed insights on staying sane while loving someone emotionally explosive.

• For more info about this podcast, check out: www.alittlehelpforourfriends.com

Send us a text! (add your email to get a response)

The #MeToo movement raised awareness of just how common sexual assault really is. Unwanted sexual contact can have devastating consequences on the victim's life through trauma symptoms that show up at work, at home, and in love. In this episode, Dr. Erin Berenz (associate professor at University of Illinois Chicago and co-founder of Rebound Health) unpacks the intricate and often misunderstood aspects of sexual trauma. Dr. Berenz sheds light on the challenges many face in practicing consent, especially when grappling with societal pressures and internal conflicts. We delve into the psychological impact of these dynamics and the struggle for survivors to reconcile their experiences with their personal narratives and trauma. We also explore the theme of control in the context of trauma, particularly sexual assault, and the physiological responses that occur during these harrowing experiences. Learn about the long-term effects of trauma, including the heightened risk of PTSD, and various treatment options available.

Resources:

• ​The Rebound app for Apple devices for self-help for sexual trauma

• If you struggle with supporting a loved one with sexual trauma, check out KulaMind or fill out this interest form to learn how we can help.

• Shekhtman, K. (2024). Getting Unstuck from PTSD: Using Cognitive Processing Therapy to Guide Your Recovery by Patricia A. Resick, Shannon Wiltsey Stirman, and Stefanie T. LoSavio: The Guilford Press, 2023. 305 pp. with Worksheets and Additional Resources (Paperback)

Support the show

• If you're navigating someone's mental health or emotional issues, join KulaMind, our community and support platform. In KulaMind, we'll help you set healthy boundaries, advocate for yourself, and support your loved one.

• Follow @kulamind on Instagram for podcast updates and science-backed insights on staying sane while loving someone emotionally explosive.

• For more info about this podcast, check out: www.alittlehelpforourfriends.com

Send us a text! (add your email to get a response)

These days, the only thing harder than being a teen is parenting one. How do we even raise healthy adolescents and teens when they have the world literally at their fingertips and vapes look like harmless toys?? For this episode, we welcome back Dr. Marcus Rodriguez, a leading specialist in youth and family mental health.  Dr. Rodriguez shares practical strategies from his vast clinical experience and personal journey as a parent, offering guidance on how to foster healthier family dynamics and strengthen parent-teen relationships. We cover a range of parenting strategies, from fostering communication with teenagers to understanding when to step back.

Resources:​

• If you struggle with parenting a teen with emotional issues, check out KulaMind or fill out this interest form to learn how we can help.

• Dr. Marcus Rodriguez's Youth and Family Institute in California

Support the show

• If you're navigating someone's mental health or emotional issues, join KulaMind, our community and support platform. In KulaMind, we'll help you set healthy boundaries, advocate for yourself, and support your loved one.

• Follow @kulamind on Instagram for podcast updates and science-backed insights on staying sane while loving someone emotionally explosive.

• For more info about this podcast, check out: www.alittlehelpforourfriends.com

Send us a text! (add your email to get a response)

You deserve to have your dreams come true, to get what you want out of life, to always be treated like a queen!...or do you? In this episode, we talk about entitlement, the tendency to think you will get special treatment or resources no matter what. We discuss the pros and cons of entitlement, why it's more common these days, and tips for navigating its downsides. 

Resources:​

• If you struggle with an entitled loved one, check out KulaMind or fill out this interest form to learn how we can help.

• Twenge, J. M., & Campbell, W. K. (2009). The narcissism epidemic: Living in the age of entitlement. Simon and Schuster.

Support the show

• If you're navigating someone's mental health or emotional issues, join KulaMind, our community and support platform. In KulaMind, we'll help you set healthy boundaries, advocate for yourself, and support your loved one.

• Follow @kulamind on Instagram for podcast updates and science-backed insights on staying sane while loving someone emotionally explosive.

• For more info about this podcast, check out: www.alittlehelpforourfriends.com

Send us a text! (add your email to get a response)

Love can feel "dysregulated" even in the best relationships with intense infatuation, disappointments, intimacy, and heartbreak. However, dating someone with borderline personality disorder (BPD) means these ups and downs can get extreme. In this episode, we talk about what it's like to be in a romantic relationship with BPD. We also give tips for people coping with a partner with BPD and other signs of emotion regulation problems.

Resources:

• If you're dating someone with BPD and need support, check out KulaMind or fill out this interest form to learn how Dr. Kibby can help.

• Manning, S. Y. (2011). Loving someone with borderline personality disorder: How to keep out-of-control emotions from destroying your relationship. Guilford Press.

Support the show

• If you're navigating someone's mental health or emotional issues, join KulaMind, our community and support platform. In KulaMind, we'll help you set healthy boundaries, advocate for yourself, and support your loved one.

• Follow @kulamind on Instagram for podcast updates and science-backed insights on staying sane while loving someone emotionally explosive.

• For more info about this podcast, check out: www.alittlehelpforourfriends.com

Send us a text! (add your email to get a response)

Choosing to become a parent is one of the most important and impactful decisions one could make. But how on earth do we make such an important decision without really knowing how it'll turn out? In this episode, we discuss what the pros and cons of a child-free life. We also talk about the decision-making process around having children and whether there is any real evidence that becoming a parent is "worth it." 

Resources:

• https://ifstudies.org/blog/does-having-children-make-people-happier-in-the-long-run
• Gilbert, D. (2009). Stumbling on happiness. Vintage Canada.
• Fieldsend, M., & Smith, J. A. (2022). Interpersonal dynamics of women in midlife living with involuntary childlessness. Journal of Adult Development, 29(2), 159-170.

Support the show

• If you're navigating someone's mental health or emotional issues, join KulaMind, our community and support platform. In KulaMind, we'll help you set healthy boundaries, advocate for yourself, and support your loved one.

• Follow @kulamind on Instagram for podcast updates and science-backed insights on staying sane while loving someone emotionally explosive.

• For more info about this podcast, check out: www.alittlehelpforourfriends.com

Send us a text! (add your email to get a response)

When did saying "I'm so stressed" become the norm? Stress seems to be a given for anyone out there adulting so it's hard to know when it becomes a problem and what to do about it. In this episode, we talk about stress with Dr. Matt Scult, VP of Clinical Science at Scenario, licensed psychologist, and Duke alum! We discuss what stress is, when is it helpful vs. harmful, and evidence-based tips to managing stress in healthy ways. He introduces Scenario, an app that helps people prepare for the stresses of everyday life. 

Resources:

• Check out Dr. Scult's psychotherapy private practice and consulting (https://www.matthewscult.com/)
• Check out Scenario that has a free basic version and a paid premium version coming soon! 

Support the show

• If you're navigating someone's mental health or emotional issues, join KulaMind, our community and support platform. In KulaMind, we'll help you set healthy boundaries, advocate for yourself, and support your loved one.

• Follow @kulamind on Instagram for podcast updates and science-backed insights on staying sane while loving someone emotionally explosive.

• For more info about this podcast, check out: www.alittlehelpforourfriends.com