Semi-Together

By Gillian Burgess & Melia DickerEducation Self-Improvement

Semi-Together episodes

December 03, 2021Ep. 60: Happiness in the Here and Now: Our BFF Katie, a Therapist, Shares Her Secrets
Today’s episode is a little different. We often mention our dear friend Katie, who has transformed herself over the years from a melancholy teenager into a contented adult. After healing past traumas and learning to practice radical acceptance through years of therapy, she became a therapist herself. Now she helps her clients make the same kinds of positive changes in their lives.
When Katie visited Jackson this summer, Melia insisted that she share her secrets, the practices that help her find happiness within herself, in the here and now. She tells us how cognitive-behavioral techniques -- choosing our thoughts and actions -- can change not only our feelings in the moment, but also our overall sense of happiness and fulfillment.
We hope that you’ll find these takeaways especially helpful during this busy holiday season, when our many commitments can feel less than jolly. You can contact Katie via [email protected], and she is taking new clients based in California and Minnesota, via teletherapy.
What resonates with you in this conversation? In which ways have you evolved since you were a teenager? Let us know via the email above or send us a voice memo.
Find us on the web for show notes and extras: https://www.semitogether.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/semitogether
Facebook: https://facebook.com/semitogether
Subscribe to our e-newsletter for episode roundups, tips to steal + extras: https://www.subscribepage.com/semitogether
Become a patron of the podcast and access bonuses and extras: https://www.patreon.com/semitogether
Book a Discovery Call with Melia, who is coaching self-critics and perfectionists, including adults with ADHD: www.risingspiralcoaching.com
Resources from this ep:
Awareness, by Anthony de Mello

The Unplanned Career: How to Turn Curiosity Into Opportunity, by Kathleen Mitchell

When Things Fall Apart, by Pema Chodron

Man’s Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl

Feeling Good, by David Burns

Grit, by Angela Duckworth

Eckhart Tolle

Byron Katie

The Curiosity-Driven Life: Elizabeth Gilbert on Oprah’s Super-Soul Conversations
1 hr 16 min
November 12, 2021Ep. 59: Perfectionism: How We’ve Evolved and Where We’re Still Growing
Perfectionism is a recurring theme of Semi-Together – and the root of many of the things we struggle with, as we learn to show up authentically and treat ourselves with compassion.
We went back and listened to Episode 25: Perfectionism & Self-Compassion, which we released almost exactly two years ago, to see where we’ve evolved and where we’re still growing. We share:
A quick review of what perfectionism is and why it’s harmful

A rising spiral framework to help you evaluate how you dealt with perfectionism in your life in the past, how you deal with it now, and how you hope to in the future

Practices that have helped us heal perfectionism – and others backed by research
Find us on the web for show notes and extras: https://www.semitogether.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/semitogether
Facebook: https://facebook.com/semitogether
Subscribe to our e-newsletter for episode roundups, tips to steal + extras: https://www.subscribepage.com/semitogether
Become a patron of the podcast and access bonuses and extras: https://www.patreon.com/semitogether
Book a no-charge Discovery Call with Melia, who is coaching self-critics and perfectionists, including adults with ADHD: www.risingspiralcoaching.com
Referenced in the ep:
Episode 25: Perfectionism & Self-Compassion

Kristen Neff’s Self-Compassion Break

Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself, by Kristen Neff

The Gifts of Imperfection & Unlocking Us podcast by Brené Brown
1 hr 3 min
October 29, 2021Ep. 58: Dealing with What Scares You
Buckle up: it’s Halloween season, and we’re talking about fear! Fear is a primitive emotion that evolved to protect us from real threats, but it can also hold us back from taking risks that would likely benefit us.
We discuss:
How fear affects our brains and bodies – keeping us safe from short-term threats but causing harm in an ongoing state

What scared us as kids and what scares us now – both the tangible and the existential

Why the content we consumed as kids in the ‘80s was legit terrifying

Strategies for dealing with intangible fears that aren’t actually life-threatening
How do you deal with things that scare you? What advice about fear would you like to share?
* Content warning: In this episode, we talk about our fears as kids and adults, including scary media at about a PG-13 level. We also touch on some deeper existential fears. If these things may be triggering for you, feel free to skip this episode or parts of it. Toward the end, we talk about how to deal with fear, which we all need to do in some way, and we hope those takeaways are helpful.

Find us on the web for show notes and extras: https://www.semitogether.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/semitogether
Facebook: https://facebook.com/semitogether
Subscribe to our e-newsletter for episode roundups, tips to steal + extras: https://www.subscribepage.com/semitogether
Become a patron of the podcast and access bonuses and extras: https://www.patreon.com/semitogether
Book a free Discovery Call with Melia, who is coaching self-critics and perfectionists, including adults with ADHD: www.risingspiralcoaching.com
Referenced in this episode:
Your Fear is Boring (Elizabeth Gilbert)

“Face Your Fears” music video (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend)

Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers by Robert Sapolsky

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert

Untamed by Glennon Doyle
Find research and writing about fear linked from the episode page on our website.
56 min
October 15, 2021Ep. 57: ADHD and Creativity, Parenting, and Identity, with Ginger Williams Cook
October is ADHD Awareness Month.Even if ADHD is not a part of your life, as far as you know, we hope you listen – because it’s likely that you know someone or are someone with undiagnosed ADHD whose life could change with treatment.
And if you don’t have ADHD but struggle with some of the symptoms, like distractibility and procrastination, you’ll likely find the same kinds of strategies helpful.
We interview Melia’s friend and talented artist Ginger Williams Cook, who was recently diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 40, one year after Melia’s diagnosis at the same age.
We talk to Ginger about:
How grief shaped her life and her journey as an artist

Her diagnosis story and how she overcame some of the roadblocks she faced

Challenges and gifts of ADHD as an artist and a mom

How she channels some of her ADHD superpowers, like creativity and hyperfocus

Strategies and supports that help her thrive with ADHD
Content warning: We discuss mental health issues and briefly touch on suicide in this episode.
Find us on the web for show notes and extras: https://www.semitogether.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/semitogether
Facebook: https://facebook.com/semitogether
Subscribe to our e-newsletter for episode roundups, tips to steal + extras: https://www.subscribepage.com/semitogether
Become a patron of the podcast and access bonuses and extras: https://www.patreon.com/semitogether
Book a Discovery Call with Melia, who is coaching self-critics and perfectionists, including adults with ADHD: www.risingspiralcoaching.com
Learn more about Ginger Williams Cook http://www.gingerwilliamscook.com and on Instagram at @gingerwilliamscook
Sound effect credit: https://www.zapsplat.com
1 hr 25 min
October 01, 2021 Ep. 56: Making Time for Play
Our topic in this episode is a fun one: making time for more play! We know how important play is for kids. But when we grow up, we somehow start thinking about play as optional or frivolous or childish. Spoiler alert: it’s none of those things and is actually fundamental to our health and well being!
We share:
- The science behind the importance of play at any age
- Examples of types of play and play styles
- Obstacles that can get in the way of play as adults
- Our experiences with play as kids and as adults
- 4 strategies for making time for more play every day

What’s your favorite way to play as an adult? How do you make sure you get recess during your day?
Find us on the web for show notes and extras: https://www.semitogether.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/semitogether
Facebook: https://facebook.com/semitogether
Subscribe to our e-newsletter for episode roundups, tips to steal + extras: https://www.subscribepage.com/semitogether
Become a patron of the podcast and access bonuses and extras: https://www.patreon.com/semitogether
Book a free Discovery Call with Melia, who is coaching self-critics and perfectionists, including adults with ADHD: www.risingspiralcoaching.com
55 min
September 22, 2021 Ep. 55: Re-Entering Our Cocoons
We are so happy to be back with a new season after our summer break. We missed you, and the opportunity to talk things through with each other. Our last minisode at the end of May was called Emerging from Our Cocoons. Welp! How innocent we were. Now we’re halfway back in our cocoons, trying to navigate this weird in-between period.
We check in on what’s been going on and share five ways to deal with uncertainty and frequent change. Along with the launch of Melia’s new practice, Rising Spiral Coaching, we introduce a new segment. In Rising Spiral, we each share a challenge that we keep encountering and track our progress on our learning spirals.
Find us on the web for show notes and extras: https://www.semitogether.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/semitogether
Facebook: https://facebook.com/semitogether
Subscribe to our e-newsletter for episode roundups, tips to steal + extras: https://www.subscribepage.com/semitogether
Become a patron of the podcast and access bonuses and extras: https://www.patreon.com/semitogether
Book a Discovery Call with Melia, who is coaching self-critics and perfectionists, including adults with ADHD: www.risingspiralcoaching.com
1 hr
May 27, 2021 Minisode: Emerging from Our Cocoons
As we re-enter the world and find our new normal, we want to be intentional about what we’re putting back into our lives and what we’re leaving behind. We revisit our minisode from April 2020, “What Do We Carry Forward?” to see what still resonates.
Melia geeks out over the process of metamorphosis, which her daughter’s preschool class has been observing. Did you know that caterpillars dissolve themselves into a goo of cells inside the chrysalis, then grow completely new parts to become a butterfly? The magic of this transformation, and the metaphor for reinventing ourselves as we emerge from COVID quarantine, blows our minds.
Links:
April 2020 Minisode: What Do We Carry Forward?
https://semitogether.com/podcast/what-do-we-carry-forward/
How Does a Caterpillar Turn into a Butterfly? (Scientific American)
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/caterpillar-butterfly-metamorphosis-explainer
Find us on the web for show notes and extras: https://www.semitogether.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/semitogether
Facebook: https://facebook.com/semitogether
Subscribe to our e-newsletter for episode roundups, tips to steal + extras: https://www.subscribepage.com/semitogether
Become a patron of the podcast and access bonuses and extras: https://www.patreon.com/semitogether

33 min
May 02, 2021 Minisode: Close Calls as Wake-Up Calls
We both share how we’re feeling after speaking so honestly about our mental health journeys in Ep. 54: Let’s Talk About Mental health. We get emotional as we each recount a terrifying close call that made us grateful to be alive, a wake-up call to remember in tough times. Melia sets the record straight in a For the Record segment, on topics like medication and how to talk about mental health. We encourage you to share these conversations with your loved ones and start your own. Being able to talk about these things can quite literally save lives.
Find us on the web for show notes and extras: https://www.semitogether.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/semitogether
Facebook: https://facebook.com/semitogether
Subscribe to our e-newsletter for episode roundups, tips to steal + extras: https://www.subscribepage.com/semitogether
Become a patron of the podcast and access bonuses and extras: https://www.patreon.com/semitogether
36 min
April 17, 2021 Ep. 54: Let's Talk About Mental Health
We talk about mental health – ours, yours, and everyone’s – and why it’s so critical to normalize talking about it. We share our own personal experiences, terms to use and avoid, strategies to care for your mental health, and tips for supporting others.
Note: We get into some serious topics including suicide and use adult language, so you may want to listen with headphones.
Find us on the web: https://semitogether.com
Show notes and resource links: https://semitogether.com/podcast/lets-talk-about-mental-health
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/semitogether
Facebook: https://facebook.com/semitogether
Subscribe to our e-newsletter for episode roundups, tips to steal + extras: https://www.subscribepage.com/semitogether
Become a patron of the podcast and access bonuses and extras: https://www.patreon.com/semitogether
1 hr 22 min
April 02, 2021 Ep. 53: How We've Evolved During the Pandemic
As we reach the anniversary of pandemic quarantine, we talk about the ways we have evolved during the past year -- not necessarily in ways that we expected or asked for, but have experienced nonetheless. This is NOT a list of achievements; it's about recognizing the fundamental ways we’ve grown during the toughest year of our lives to date. We encourage you to reflect on how you've evolved, too, and let us know at [email protected].
Find us on the web: https://semitogether.com
Show notes and resource links: https://semitogether.com/podcast/how-weve-evolved-during-the-pandemic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/semitogether
Facebook: https://facebook.com/semitogether
Subscribe to our e-newsletter for episode roundups, tips to steal + extras: https://www.subscribepage.com/semitogether
Become a patron of the podcast and access bonuses and extras: https://www.patreon.com/semitogether
46 min

About Semi-Together

From the publisher's feed

Semi-Together is a podcast by sisters Gillian Burgess and Melia Dicker about having some of your life together all of the time. It’s about working on where you want to get it together, while giving yourself credit for where you’ve got it together. As we try out research-based tips for meaningful living, we share takeaways that you can use, too.