Peace of Mind

This week's episode is all about the inner critic—where that voice comes from, its purpose, and how we can learn to work with it. Licensed therapist Emily Powell, LMHC, LPC, explains how the inner critic works through an Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS) lens and offers suggestions for coping with it.

Additional resources:

• Emily's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilypowellauthenticself/?hl=en
• Emily's website: https://www.authenticselftherapycollective.com/

*This content is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a licensed mental health professional or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition.*

Mindfulness has been proven to reduce stress, anxiety and depression—and you don't have to sit in silence for 30 minutes to get the benefits. This week, I chat with licensed therapist Dr. Kiki Fehling, PhD, about accessible ways to practice mindfulness. We also clear up some misconceptions you might have.

Additional resources:

• Kiki's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dbtkiki/?hl=en
• Kiki's website: https://www.kikifehling.com/

*This content is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a licensed mental health professional or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition.*

We're often really hard on ourselves without even realizing it. Learning self-compassion skills can help quiet your inner critic and has been proven to ease symptoms of anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions. This week's guest is Michelle Becker, LMFT, a therapist and certified mindful self-compassion teacher. She explains some of the research-backed benefits of self-compassion and shares easy ways to begin practicing it.

Additional resources:

• Michelle's website: https://wisecompassion.com/
• Michelle's podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4phj03omdJBtvImVRC7kyG

*This content is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a licensed mental health professional or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition.*

Welcome to episode two of the Therapy Deep Dive series—where I sit down with therapists to explore the different types of therapy that are available in 2026. In this one, I chat with licensed therapist Madina Alam, LMHC, about exposure and response prevention (ERP). She specializes in treating OCD, anxiety and body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) through ERP.

Additional resources:

• Madina's website: https://www.mentalhealthissexy.org/
• Madina's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dinalynee
• Madina's ERP workbook: https://www.mentalhealthissexy.org/store/p/erp-workbook

*This content is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a licensed mental health professional or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition.*

If you're interested in starting an antidepressant (or you just want to understand more about how they work) this episode is for you. I interviewed board-certified psychiatrist Agnes K. Simone, MD, about how medication can help with depression and anxiety disorders and got her expert tips on seeking treatment.

Additional resources:

• Dr. Simone's website: https://www.simonepsych.com/
• Dr. Simone's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.agnesksimone

*This content is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a licensed mental health professional or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition.*

You've probably seen the term "people pleaser" online—but what does it actually mean, and why do some of us act this way? This week's guest is Jennifer Cooper Nobo, LCSW, a therapist who specializes in helping people pleasers learn to put their own needs first. In the episode, we discuss where people pleasing comes from, why we're incentivized to do it, and how we can break the habit.

Additional resources:

• Jennifer's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jen.nobo/?hl=en
• Jennifer's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jen.nobo
• Jennifer's website: https://www.reimaginementalhealthcollective.com/

*This content is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a licensed mental health professional or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition.*

Having a difficult or straight up dysfunctional relationship with your mom can feel isolating. In this episode, health journalist and author of Motherf*cked: How to Stop Your Mother's Toxic Drama from Ruining Your Life Ashley Oerman opens up about her own experience healing from a challenging dynamic with her mom and shares expert-backed tips on how you can do the same.

Additional resources:

• Order Motherf*cked:  tinyurl.com/3b4ahhsj

• Ashley's Substack: https://ashleyoerman.substack.com/
• Ashley's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleyoerman/?hl=en

*This content is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a licensed mental health professional or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition.*

Some women experience significant mental health shifts at different phases of their menstrual cycles. I spoke to clinical psychologist Jaclyn Ross, PhD, about the difference between premenstrual syndrome (PMS), premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), and premenstrual exacerbation (PME) and how to manage mental health symptoms that seem related to your cycle.

Additional resources:

• Jackie's website: https://www.jaclynrossphd.com/
• Jackie's Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/pmd.clinic.chicago/
• International Association for Premenstrual Disorders: https://www.iapmd.org/

ADHD is incredibly common—but it's often missed in girls and women. In this week's episode, licensed therapist Rachel Tenny, LCMHCS, who specializes in treating women with ADHD, explains why they're often diagnosed later in life (if at all).

Additional resources:

• Rachel's webiste: www.racheltenny.com
• Rachel's Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/sometimesatherapist/
• Free ADHD assessment: https://psychology-tools.com/test/adult-adhd-self-report-scale
• Rachel's Weekly ADHD Planner: https://racheltenny.com/products/your-adhd-bestie-weekly-planner-task-management-digital-download
• Rachel's Late Diagnosis ADHD Club Substack: https://substack.com/@latediagnosisadhdclub

*This content is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a licensed mental health professional or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition.*

This is the first installment of the Therapy Deep Dive series, where I sit down with therapists to explore the different types of therapy that are available in 2026. In this episode, I chat with licensed therapist Rebekah Lipsky, LMHC, LPC, who specializes in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), to find out what makes it unique, and who it might be helpful for.

*This content is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a licensed mental health professional or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition.*