Fan questions, relationship edition! We explore inevitable change, how to stay curious in relationships, navigating recurring conflict (and research from the Gottman Institute to back it up), and how to strengthen the benefit of the doubt.  

What to expect in this episode:

00:45 Partner Changing

03:42 Staying Connected

09:41 Same Fight Loop

10:15 Perpetual Problems

13:36 Chores and Mental Load

19:49 Five to One Ratio

Spells for Surviving a Haunted Childhood by Barbara Latinka

Host Anastasia interviews author Barbara about her three-book series, Spells for Surviving a Haunted Childhood, written during trauma therapy to process childhood abuse, neglect, and feelings of worthlessness. We explore themes of healing work, magic in the world, neglect, boundaries, and the reality of being hurt and human.

Instagram: @hauntedchildhoodspells  

Website: hauntedlight.com

What to expect in this episode:

00:00 Meet Barbara and her book

01:35 Origin of the Spellbook Memoir

09:06 Rewriting the Narrative

12:27 Inner Child and Being Witnessed

28:13 Universe Magic and Signs

34:06 Perfectionism and Parenting

40:34 Inner Child Healing

48:01 Future Dreams

56:31 One Caring Adult

58:17 Where to buy the Book

How do I not freak out when things don't go as planned? How do I become more spontaneous? How are you dealing with everything in the world? How do I achieve my dreams? These are the questions explored in today's episode of Insights with Us. Join us, and let's see if we can build insight together on this journey of life. 

What to expect in this episode?

00:00 Welcome and Mission

01:28 Q1: How do I not freak out when things don’t go as planned?

03:20 Three Cs Regulation

07:26 Q2: How do I become more spontaneous?

09:21 Hexaflex Breakdown

16:10 Building Flexible Plans

21:02 Q3: How are you dealing with everything in the world?

30:43 Q4: How do I achieve my dreams?

Dr. Damijey is here to remind us that we are not alone. As board-certified endocrinologist, Dr. Damijey is on a mission to explain endocrinology and help us understand our options and how to advocate for ourselves. Dr. Dami emphasizes women’s health topics including PCOS (note: it has been renamed PMOS since our recording), menopause, osteoporosis, thyroid, and metabolic issues. She emphasizes the importance of recognizing symptoms, seeking second opinions, and finding clinicians who listen.

Follow her @hormoneswithdrdamijey 

What to expect in this episode:

01:51 What Endocrinologists Do

09:23 Work Life Balance

11:21 Why Womens Health Matters

20:30 Fighting For The Right Doctor

25:40 Making Science Understandable

31:44 Osteoporosis Prevention Basics

38:58 Fueling and Blood Sugar

45:36 Holistic Mind Body Balance

46:33 Speak Up and Free Guides

Our guest today is Sophia McGovern: a mother writer, editor, and founder of Little Somethings Press, a Tempe-based handmade press that has produced about 1,000 books over seven years and published about 200 contributors worldwide. She shares fears about losing her creative identity during pregnancy, her postpartum experience, and how creating and writing helped her process her experience and reconnect with herself. Sophia discusses an “ecosystem” of mothers, shifting cultural support for mother artists, and what it means to heal shame and stay authentic. 

@littlesomethingspress on Instagram

littlesomethingspress.com

What to expect in this episode:

01:18 Meet Sophia And Little Somethings Press

08:27 Pregnancy Fears And Identity

16:55 Birth Story And Family Healing

20:15 Postpartum Reality And Love

28:10 Creativity After Baby Arrives

33:42 Ecosystem Of Mothers

40:23 Mother Artists Rising

50:22 The Challenges of Pregnancy and Parenthood

58:04 Pillow Talk and Healing Through Humor

AMA: Boundaries,, Depth, and Self-Love in Relationships

Another AMA, and I love it! Today, Anastasia answers fan-questions about effort and healing in relationships, boundaries, and love. We use metaphors, talk philosophy, and get messy and complicated as we explore the human experience. These answers are contextual and not a substitute for therapy. 

What to expect in this episode:

00:00 Welcome

02:19 Q1: Now that I’m setting boundaries, I’m feeling lonely. What happened? 

08:39 Actions Over Words

11:40 Q2: I feel really guilty when I set boundaries, how do I stop this? 

12:02 How to navigate guilt

18:47 Q3: I want a deep and meaningful relationship, and no one can meet me there, am I alone in this?

23:17 Healing Depth Metaphors

28:53 Growing Together

32:05 Q4: Do I need to love myself before I can let someone else love me?

39:21 Gottman Effort Insight

41:19 Wrap Up

here or sign up here.

Find Nicole:

https://nicolebreit.com/

On Instagram and Substack: @the.nicole.breit

What to expect in this episode:

01:39 Meet Nicole

03:50 Writing as Transformation

08:18 Distance Through Story

12:01 Teen Trauma and Grief

22:53 Therapy as Witnessing

25:06 Pillow Talk: Tuning Guitars and Wet Kisses

33:59 Revolution Story Lab

38:18 Nicole’s Latest Memoir

45:20 Heartbreak and Snake Season

51:39 Sharing Light Through Stories

58:33 Where To Find Nicole

Today’s episode features Hannah Davis, a fellow Pillow Talk contributor and author of an upcoming memoir, Sugar Hit. Hannah shares how she decided to face her internal pain, accepted her true self, and did a complete 180 in her life. Hannah opens up about her drug use, building inner safety, and how to navigate feeling stuck. Together, we explore the collective courage in sharing vulnerable stories.

What you’ll find in this episode:

01:48 Meet Hannah Davis

06:54 Sugar Hit Memoir

11:13 IFS Healing and Safety

25:06 Quitting Alcohol and Drugs

31:20 Identity Shifts and Fear

41:16 Starting Over After Leaving

58:25 Publishing And Courage

01:02:13 You Are Never Stuck

Insights with Us has its first AMA! The theme of this AMA: regulation and interpersonal dynamics. We talk about the window of tolerance, the emotional backpack, and attachment styles if they were buckets waiting for love. 

If you have any questions you’d like answered in a future AMA, send questions to:

[email protected]

OR

@insightswithuspodcast 

01:15 Q1: Do therapists care about their clients?

04:44 Q2: How can you repair with yourself when the person you’re in conflict with isn’t interested?

05:34 Window Of Tolerance

09:01 Acceptance And Perspective

13:52 Meaning Making And Grief

19:34 Q3: How do I change the way I regulate my nervous system?

24:15 Emotional Backpack Metaphor

26:34 Building Regulation Skills

37:35 Q4: Can you explain attachment styles to me?

41:00 Four Attachment Categories

43:16 Secure Attachment

44:43 Preoccupied Anxious

46:15 Dismissive Avoidant

47:33 Disorganized

54:22 Reassurance Heals

01:02:24 Repair After Ruptures

Stephanie Sonntag, chief therapist and co-founder of NextTherapist joins Insights with Us! NextTherapist is a platform created to address the challenge of getting therapeutic support when you need it, instead of waiting weeks for a potential fit. Stephanie shares her journey of uncertainty and trying several different paths including journalism, non-profit work, mental health work and advocacy, before settling into EMDR and being a business owner with the drive to help others.  We emphasize the importance of therapist-client fit, the realities of entrepreneurship, and the value of authenticity and acknowledging ongoing anxiety and struggle.

Check it out:

https://nexttherapist.com/

@nexttherapist

What to expect in this episode:

00:16 Meet Stephanie and Next Therapist

04:19 Stephanie’s Winding Career Path

11:58 Becoming a Therapist and the Myth of Having It Together

20:48 Private Practice and Burnout

22:39 The Idea Behind Next Therapist

27:23 Why Fit Matters

34:09 How Next Therapist Works

42:05 Building The Platform

49:01 Big Dreams

53:25 Authenticity And Being Human