Let's Pick This Up Next Week

Is "thank you for your service" a kindness, a reflex, or something that can sting? Dee and Dr. DJ talk about veterans' mental health and identity, including the complicated question of whether to say "thank you for your service." Drawing on their perspectives as therapists, they explore how trauma can shape a veteran's sense of self, when peer support can help, and why listening to each veteran's story matters. They also cover challenges veterans may face when seeking care, military-related trauma beyond combat, and the importance of community.

If you or a veteran you know is in crisis, the Veterans Crisis Line is available: dial 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online.

💬 How do you respond when someone thanks you for your service? Tell us in the comments.

Intro & Outro Music: "Open Road" by Purple Planet Music

Available on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

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Do you believe in ghosts? Dee and Dr. DJ don’t agree. Dee is a self-described “huge believer” who grew up in a haunted family home that’s about 150 years old. Dr. DJ enjoys the fun of a ghost hunt but doesn’t buy it. In this spooky-season episode, they swap ghost stories and look at the psychology of being spooked: why we see patterns, why we look for meaning, and why some people seek out the other side.

In this episode:

👻 Dr. DJ’s Ouija board story

🏚️ Growing up in a haunted house, and overnight ghost hunts at the Mansfield Reformatory

🔥 The Gore Orphanage urban legend

🧠 Confirmation bias, pattern recognition and meaning-making

😱 Sleep paralysis and the Hat Man

🎬 Why The Ring scares us, and why we love being scared

💬 Are you a believer or a skeptic? Tell us your spookiest experience in the comments, and share this with a friend on the other side of the debate.

Intro & Outro Music: “Open Road” by Purple Planet Music

Available on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

Follow us on Insta and Tiktok @lptunw

Borderline personality disorder gets misunderstood constantly (even in clinical settings). In this episode, Dee and Dr. DJ break down what therapists actually think about BPD, why it's so often missed or misapplied, and what changes when you understand the real story behind the diagnosis.

We dive into the misconceptions: how BPD gets confused with other diagnoses, why the stigma runs so deep, and what the DSM criteria actually tell us. You'll hear about the experiences most associated with BPD—fear of abandonment, emotional dysregulation, impulsivity, and unstable relationships—and the trauma and attachment patterns that often sit underneath.

Then we get real about treatment. We talk DBT, emotional regulation skills, distress tolerance, communication, and mindfulness. And we end where therapy actually lives: understanding someone's experience doesn't mean accepting harmful behavior.

Your therapist besties breaking down what the clinical world gets wrong about BPD.

Intro & Outro Music: "Open Road" by Purple Planet Music

Available on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

Follow us on Insta and Tiktok @lptunw

Ever been told to "just stay positive" when something at work was clearly not okay? You're not being negative – that makes us want to pull our hair out, too. This week, Dee and Dr. DJ dig into toxic positivity in the workplace: what it actually is, why it's so hard to spot from the inside, and what it costs the people stuck performing okay-ness. Let’s get practical, with ways to set boundaries and put your well-being ahead of workplace expectations without burning out.

💬 Tell us in the comments: what's the most toxic-positive thing you've ever heard at work, and did you ever push back?

Intro & Outro Music: "Open Road" by Purple Planet Music

Available on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

Follow us on Insta and Tiktok @lptunw

Ever pick up your phone "for a second" and look up 45 minutes later feeling worse than when you started? You're not weak-willed — you're up against billion-dollar design. This week, Dee and Dr. DJ dig into the psychology and neuroscience of doom scrolling: why your brain keeps taking the bait, how social media platforms use operant conditioning to hook you, and what's actually happening in your limbic system every time you refresh the feed. They also get practical — real strategies for a digital detox, regulating the emotional spiral, and getting back into your body instead of your feed.

💬 Tell us in the comments: what's your worst doom scrolling trigger — and have you ever actually tried a digital detox that stuck?

Intro & Outro Music: "Open Road" by Purple Planet Music

Available on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

Follow us on Insta and Tiktok @lptunw

Everybody's ex is a "narcissist." Everybody's been "gaslit." Everyone's "so OCD." …are they, though? 🤔

Two licensed therapists put the internet's favorite therapy-speak on trial. Every term gets a verdict — misused, sometimes fair, or a full-on hard NO. 🚫

Dee (she/her) and Dr. DJ (they/them) — your new best friends who happen to be licensed counselors — break down what these words actually mean in the therapy room vs. what the internet has turned them into, why the difference matters, and yes… DJ confesses the intrusive thought they once had about their dog on a boat ramp. 🐶

Because when we water down words like "trauma" and "gaslighting," we make the real thing harder to name — and harder to get help for.💬 Which therapy word grinds YOUR gears — or which one are you secretly guilty of misusing? Drop it in the comments and we'll put it on trial next.

🔔 Like, subscribe, and share this with the friend who calls their ex a narcissist.

Available on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

Conversion therapy is back in the conversation… and yeah, we need to talk about it.

In this episode, Dee and Dr. DJ break down what conversion therapy actually is (and isn’t), why it keeps resurfacing in legal and political debates, and what recent Supreme Court developments could mean moving forward. They dig into the research, the real-world harm, and the ethical responsibilities clinicians are navigating in the middle of it all.

This isn’t just theory, it’s about practice. What does it actually look like to support clients without imposing beliefs? Where’s the line between values, autonomy, and harm? And what should therapists be doing right now?

Whether you’re a clinician, student, or just trying to make sense of the discourse, this episode unpacks the nuance without losing the humanity.

If you’re into real conversations about mental health, ethics, and the stuff people argue about online – subscribe and hang with us. New episodes drop regularly.

Intro & Outro Music: "Open Road" by Purple Planet Music

Available on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

In this episode, Dee and Dr. DJ explore the psychology of identity rupture—what happens when new information challenges who we believe we are.

Why does learning something new sometimes feel threatening?
Why do conversations across differences feel so emotionally charged?
And why does cognitive dissonance make us double down instead of lean in?

We unpack:

·      How identity is formed (and protected)

·      What actually triggers identity threat

·      The neuroscience behind cognitive dissonance

·      The connection between moral injury and belief systems

·      How curiosity and mindfulness increase our capacity for growth

Identity rupture isn’t weakness. It’s often the doorway to expansion.

As always, the conversation is thoughtful, real, and occasionally unhinged (also: please excuse Dee’s allergies—apparently pollen chose violence that day, so if you hear mysterious sniffles or see glossy eyes… it’s not tears, it’s trees 🌳).

If this episode resonates, share it with someone who loves deep conversations about how we grow, change, and stay connected in divisive times.

💬 Drop a comment: What’s a belief you’ve outgrown?

New year, new goals… same pressure? Yeah, we’re not doing that this year.

In this episode, Dee and Dr. DJ break down why New Year’s resolutions so often crash and burn, and why that doesn’t mean you failed. We unpack the psychology behind quitting, how shame sneaks into goal-setting, and why the popular “21-day habit” rule is more myth than motivation.

Instead of rigid resolutions and productivity guilt, we explore intentional goal-setting, realistic change, and the importance of celebrating small wins (yes, they count). This is a conversation about embracing failure as part of growth, decoupling self-worth from productivity, and choosing goals that actually fit your life — not an idealized version of yourself.

If you’ve ever felt discouraged by resolutions, burned out by “SMART goals,” or stuck in an all-or-nothing mindset, this episode is for you.

✨ Topics we cover:

Why most New Year’s resolutions fail

The role of shame and guilt in quitting

Why the 21-day habit myth misses the point

Intentions vs. resolutions

Celebrating progress without tying worth to productivity

Why failure is part of growth, not proof you’re broken

🎧 New episodes of Let’s Pick This Up Next Week drop regularly.

If this one resonated, like, subscribe, and share it with a friend who’s being way too hard on themselves right now.

Some friendships are built on shared memes. Ours was built on grad school burnout, froyo, and the unspoken agreement that we’d be stuck with each other forever. In this week’s episode, Dee and Dr. DJ peel back the curtain on what it’s really like to work with your best friend—from surviving (and occasionally thriving) in counseling programs to navigating neurodivergent communication quirks with humor and zero judgment. We also dive into twice-exceptionality, why empathy is a skill and not a personality trait, and how understanding autism requires more nuance than the internet gives it credit for.

Whether you’re spending this season with chosen family, riding the friendship rollercoaster, or just here for the therapist tea, this conversation is equal parts heartfelt, nerdy, and surprisingly validating. Consider it your gentle reminder that connection is a strength, planning and spontaneity can totally coexist, and the people who “get you” are worth hanging onto.

Intro & Outro Music: "Open Road" by Purple Planet Music

Available on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube