Shrink This! with Lisa Lampanelli

In the Season 2 finale of “Shrink This!,” Lisa brings in her “nephew” Trevor to do what she claims she doesn’t care about—build a legacy—and immediately realizes she’s been lying to herself the whole time. With Nick and Celia in the mix, things spiral fast: from trying to impress a 14-year-old with Broadway shows and hotel mini bars, to questioning whether anyone will actually remember her when she’s gone. They get into generational differences (Gen Z vs. millennials vs. whatever Lisa is), social media addiction, FOMO, and whether younger people are more emotionally aware or just softer. Plus, listener questions on burnout, boundaries, and kids glued to their phones—because nothing says “family bonding” like scrolling through dinner.

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In this episode of “Shrink This!,” Lisa is joined by actress Roberta Wallach from the play, “The People Versus Lenny Bruce” (off-Broadway, 5/7-6/28, @LennyBrucePlay ) to talk about what “freedom of speech” actually means—onstage, online, and in your everyday life. The two get into why saying whatever you want doesn’t mean you won’t face consequences, how comedy has always pushed the envelope (and sometimes torn it open), and why intention vs. impact is where things can get messy. With Celia, they tackle listener questions about using offensive language in group chats, whether your parents get a free pass to be outdated, and if calling your mother-in-law the c-word is ever worth it (spoiler: probably not!). If you’ve ever wondered where the line actually is—or if there even IS a line—this episode breaks down the difference between being honest, being funny, and just being an asshole.
Buy tickets to “The People Versus Lenny Bruce” here, and follow along on Instagram @LennyBrucePlay!

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In this episode from 2025, Lisa revisits who owes who an apology—and why we’re all overthinking it. After Lisa spirals for a full week over whether she offended a student (who, it turns out, was completely UNoffended), the crew breaks down the difference between accountability and straight-up codependency. Along with Celia and Nick, Lisa gets into why over-apologizing can be just as annoying as never apologizing; how “I’m not confrontational” is usually just fear in disguise; and why most of the tension you feel with other people is probably something you just made up in your head. Plus, the crew answers listener questions about workplace awkwardness, backhanded compliments from family, and what to do when you can’t stop replaying a conversation. If you’ve ever drafted a fake apology, assumed someone secretly hates you, or said “sorry” five times in a row for no reason, this episode might be the reality check you need.

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In this episode from 2025, Lisa and Nick revisit the chaos of doing too much—and secretly wanting to do nothing at all. From the unexpected joy of being sick (because no one can bother you) to the guilt of canceling plans, and the pressure to always be “on,” they break down why people overload their lives and then resent it. They get into the juggling act between alone time and staying social, calling yourself “lazy” when it’s just bad self-talk, and how forcing connection never works the way you think it will. With listener questions about balancing friendships, staying in versus going out, and the fear of ending up alone, Lisa delivers her usual tough-love take: you don’t need to fix your life—you just need to stop fighting what you actually want.

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In this episode of “Shrink This!,” Lisa tackles the thing most people are experts at avoiding: their own feelings. If emotions supposedly move through your body in about 90 seconds, why do we treat sadness, fear, and disappointment like they’re radioactive? Lisa, Nick, and Celia dig into the fear that if you start crying you’ll never stop, the urge to stay busy so you don’t have to feel, and the exhausting performance of being “fine” when you very much are NOT. They break down why bottling things up doesn’t make you strong — it just makes you weird later — and how avoiding discomfort turns small feelings into full-blown meltdowns. If you’ve ever powered through heartbreak, anxiety, or bad news like a champ, only to crash out at 2 a.m., this episode is your permission slip to stop white-knuckling life and to feel the damn feeling already.

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In this episode of “Shrink This!,” Lisa is joined once again by her friend, comedian Beau McDowell, to talk about what actually happens to your love life when you get sober. Beau went from blackout drunk at 21 to nine years sober and—somehow—married, and Lisa wants to know everything about that transformation. They get into the difference between dating when you’re numbing out versus dating when you’re actually present, why early-sobriety relationships can be a disaster, and how codependency sneaks into romance when you’re trying to fill a hole instead of build a partnership. With Celia, they tackle listener questions about sober dating, whether you should drink around someone in recovery, and if people who call themselves “California sober” are full of it. If you’ve ever wondered whether getting your life together ruins your dating life—or finally makes it possible—this episode breaks down what really changes when you stop running from yourself.

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In this episode of “Shrink This!,” Lisa is joined by her friend, comedian Beau McDowell, to talk about something people hate more than getting sober: accepting themselves as-is. From crooked teeth and body-image spirals to the delusion that fixing one thing will magically fix your whole life, they break down why the real work isn’t perfection—it’s acceptance. Beau opens up about getting sober, swapping addictions, and realizing that, even without booze, you’re still unfortunately you, while Celia chimes in as they get into why people obsess over tiny “flaws,” and why chasing a glow-up is often just avoiding the real issue. If you’ve ever thought, “once I fix this one thing, I’ll finally feel okay,” this episode is here to lovingly destroy that fantasy.

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In this episode of “Shrink This!,” Lisa is joined by former comedian and current writer Andrew Ginsburg to talk about something people are terrible at: quitting. Talking about everything from jobs that drain us to relationships that barely function, the duo breaks down why walking away isn’t failure—it’s sanity. Andrew shares how he finally quit stand-up after years of forcing it and how that led him to something that fits him like a glove: writing children’s books. With Celia in the mix, they talk about how to stop pushing through and wasting your life, how to know when you’re done, and why most people stay way longer than they should. If you’ve ever thought, “I’m miserable but maybe I should stick it out,” this might be the episode that gets you to stop.

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In this episode of “Shrink This!,” Lisa is joined by Nick and returning producer Celia to tear apart the feel-good phrases we all love to hide behind. From “give yourself grace” to “manifest it” to toxic positivity disguised as wisdom, Lisa asks the real question: Are platitudes helping you grow or just allowing you to avoid your life? With stories, sarcasm, and a little hard truth, the crew breaks down when clichés comfort us—and when they quietly keep us stuck. If you’ve ever slapped a “good vibes only” sign on a bad situation, this one’s for you.

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In this episode of “Shrink This!,” Lisa takes a blowtorch to identity obsession and asks the uncomfortable question no one wants to answer: “Who are you without the label?”Joined by Nick and video producer Stephanie, Lisa unpacks why clinging to being “the comic,” “the actor,” “the mom,” or “the reliable one” can quietly keep you stuck instead of safe. From career pivots and ancient dreams to the ego hangover that comes with letting go, Lisa digs into how identity turns into a cage—and why not knowing who you are might actually mean you’re growing. If your favorite phrase is, “This is just who I am,” this episode is here to lovingly ruin that.

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