This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen are joined by Keltie Maguire, host of The Kids or Childfree Podcast and a clarity coach who helps people decide between parenthood or a childfree life. Together, they unpack the often overwhelming “in-between” of not knowing what you want, why that gray area can feel so hard to sit in, and how to get out of it. 

Keltie shares her own experience of being on the fence for years, why clarity doesn’t always “arrive,” and how decision-making around kids often comes with anxiety, pressure, and fear of regret. They explore how to tell the difference between not wanting kids vs. fear of the unknown, how to talk to a partner about the decision, and why “if it’s not a 100% yes, it’s a no” isn’t actually helpful advice.

The conversation also covers financial fears, the reality of parenting, and how to think about regret in a more nuanced way, because no matter what you choose, there will be hard parts.

You can find Keltie on Instagram @kidsorchildfree, at kidsorchildfree.com, and on The Kids or Childfree Podcast. Book mentioned in this episode: The Baby Decision

Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action!

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This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen break down the phases of relationships and how couples evolve over time, from the honeymoon stage to deeper intimacy. Using a developmental model from couples therapy, they explain why conflict often comes from partners being in different stages at the same time.

They walk through each phase and explain why the shift out of the honeymoon stage can feel so jarring. Listener questions cover when to seek couples therapy, what premarital counseling actually looks like, and how to navigate major life transitions like job loss or having kids.

They also get into how to have more meaningful and authentic conversations, why relationship skills aren’t innate, and how to move through each stage with more awareness and connection.

Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 4:30 to skip the intro and get straight to today’s content.

Book mentioned: How Not to Hate Your Husband After Kids

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A special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:

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This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen talk about estrangement and going no contact, a topic that’s more common than we think but still carries a lot of stigma. They unpack why people choose cutoff, the difference between setting boundaries and full estrangement, and why there’s no one-size-fits-all answer.

They explore when hard conversations should come first, how to decide between taking space versus cutting someone off, and how to make these decisions from a grounded place. Listener questions cover navigating different timelines with a partner, deciding whether to reconnect, and handling outsiders who take sides.

The conversation also touches on guilt, grief, and resentment, and why you don’t owe anyone an explanation for the boundaries you choose.

Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action!

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Skims: Shop Everyday Cotton, and all of our favorite bras and underwear at

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Quince: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping and 365-day returns on your next order

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This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen talk about navigating the “what am I doing with my life” era, those moments when your path, career, or identity no longer feels as clear as it once did. Whether it’s a career pivot, life transition, or just a general sense of uncertainty, this stage can bring up doubt, anxiety, and a lot of second-guessing.

They explore the difference between burnout and being in the wrong career, how the sunk-cost fallacy keeps people stuck, and why feeling lost in the middle of something is more common than we think. Listener questions cover career changes, grad school panic, losing motivation after major life shifts like having kids, and the pressure to find a “passion.”

The conversation also gets into imposter syndrome in adulthood, trusting yourself versus being in denial, and how to make decisions when you don’t feel 100% certain.

Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 9:30 to skip the intro and get straight to today’s content.

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A special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:

Skims: Shop Everyday Cotton, and all of our favorite bras and underwear at

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Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at Shopify.com/shrinkchicks

Perelel: New customers can use code SHRINKCHICKS to get 20% off their first order at perelelhealth.com/shrinkchicks.

Quince: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping and 365-day returns on your next order

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This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen explore healing your inner child and advice to give to the kid who lives within your adult self. They talk about why revisiting younger versions of ourselves can bring both compassion and anger, and how learning to care for your inner child can help break patterns that still show up in adult relationships.

Listener questions dive into projection and unresolved childhood pain, how to hold empathy for your parents while still honoring anger or grief, and why becoming a parent can suddenly activate deeper feelings about how you were raised. Em and Jen also discuss the concept of the “adaptive child,” how childhood survival strategies show up in adulthood, and what it looks like to reparent yourself by identifying and meeting your own needs.

Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 5:15 to skip the intro and get straight to today’s content.

⁠Get Matched With One of Our Therapists⁠ at The Therapy Group!

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A special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:

Skims: Shop Everyday Cotton, and all of our favorite bras and underwear at

http://www.skims.com/shrinkchicks #skimspartner

Air Doctor: Head to AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code SHRINKCHICKS to get UP TO $300 off today

Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at Shopify.com/shrinkchicks

Perelel: New customers can use code SHRINKCHICKS to get 20% off their first order at perelelhealth.com/shrinkchicks.

Quince: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping and 365-day returns on your next order

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This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen talk about why joy and anxiety often show up together, especially when something good is happening. When positive moments arrive, the nervous system can start scanning for what might go wrong, making it hard to fully relax or enjoy the experience.

They explore why happiness can feel vulnerable, why some people try to dampen joy to avoid disappointment, and how anxiety can act as protection against potential loss. Listener questions cover guilt about feeling happy when others are struggling, the fear of “jinxing” good things, worst-case thinking during positive moments, and why intense joy can sometimes trigger tears or tension instead of pleasure.

The conversation also looks at practical ways to help your nervous system stay present during good experiences, how healthy caution differs from anxiety hijacking the moment, and how to hold both gratitude and uncertainty at the same time.

Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 7 minutes to skip the intro and get straight to today’s content.

⁠Get Matched With One of Our Therapists⁠ at The Therapy Group!

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Our ⁠Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal⁠!!

Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! ⁠https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBg⁠

A special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:

Skims: Shop Everyday Cotton, and all of our favorite bras and underwear at

http://www.skims.com/shrinkchicks #skimspartner

Air Doctor: Head to AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code SHRINKCHICKS to get UP TO $300 off today

Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at Shopify.com/shrinkchicks

Perelel: New customers can use code SHRINKCHICKS to get 20% off their first order at perelelhealth.com/shrinkchicks.

Quince: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping and 365-day returns on your next order

GreenChef: Head to Greenchef.com/50shrinkchicks and use code 50shrinkchicks to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen continue their storytelling series where notable guests share the real emotional journey behind their success. Today’s guest is Nicole Pellegrino, content creator and host of the Long Story Short with Nicole Pellegrino podcast, who Em and Jen first connected with years ago when she was engaged and navigating the loss of her mother.

Now married and newly a mom, Nicole opens up about the identity shifts that come with becoming a parent, how postpartum anxiety led her back to therapy, and the ways motherhood has reshaped her priorities, career, and sense of self. She reflects on raising a daughter without her own mom, the grief that still shows up in everyday moments, and the support system helping her navigate this new chapter.

Nicole also shares what it’s like balancing motherhood with content creation, why flexibility in work has been life-changing, and what she’s learning about giving herself grace during one of the biggest transitions of her life.

You can find Nicole on TikTok and Instagram @nicolepellegrin0 and listen to her podcast Long Story Short with Nicole Pellegrino.

Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action!

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A special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:

AG1: Go to DRINKAG1.com/SHRINKCHICKS to get an AG1 Flavor Sampler and a bottle of Vitamin D3+K2 for FREE in your AG1 Welcome Kit with your first AG1subscription order

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Quince: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping and 365-day returns on your next order

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This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen explore grief; not just the kind that follows death, but the many forms of loss that shape our lives. From pregnancy loss to complicated family relationships to the life you imagined but didn’t get, grief can surface in ways people don’t always expect or understand.

They talk through different types of grief, including anticipatory grief, ambiguous grief, traumatic grief, and disenfranchised grief, and why many people feel guilty grieving something that others might not recognize as a “real” loss. The conversation also touches on how grief resurfaces during milestones, why long-term grief is normal, and how a culture focused on positivity can make it harder to honor what hurts.

Listener questions include coping with miscarriage, grieving a parent who is still alive but emotionally unavailable, navigating suicide loss, and mourning the future you thought you’d have.

Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 3:30 to skip the intro and get straight to today’s content.

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A special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:

AG1: Go to DRINKAG1.com/SHRINKCHICKS to get an AG1 Flavor Sampler and a bottle of Vitamin D3+K2 for FREE in your AG1 Welcome Kit with your first AG1subscription order

Air Doctor: Head to AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code SHRINKCHICKS to get UP TO $300 off today

Quince: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping and 365-day returns on your next order

GreenChef: Head to Greenchef.com/50shrinkchicks and use code 50shrinkchicks to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping

Pique Life: Unlock 20% off and establish your powerful foundation for sustained well-being at Piquelife.com/shrinkchicks

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen are joined by trauma therapist, parenting educator, and cycle-breaking advocate Maggie Nick (AKA Maggie with Perspectacles) to talk about the hidden cost of being the “good kid.” Maggie shares her own story of growing up as the easy, responsible child no one had to worry about, and how perfectionism, people-pleasing, and self-criticism often grow out of that role.

They unpack why being praised for being easy can quietly turn into pressure, how approval tied to performance shapes identity, and why many “good kids” become adults who struggle with boundaries, self-worth, and showing their real selves. Maggie also explains how these patterns show up in parenting today and how parents can shift from raising compliant kids to raising emotionally secure ones.

The conversation explores curiosity over criticism, staying connected to your child when they struggle, and why loving your child sometimes means letting go of your ego as a parent. You can learn more about Maggie’s work, her book, and her community Camp Loveable at MaggieNick.com and by following @maggiewithperspectacles on social media.

Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action!

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A special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:

AG1: Go to DRINKAG1.com/SHRINKCHICKS to get an AG1 Flavor Sampler and a bottle of Vitamin D3+K2 for FREE in your AG1 Welcome Kit with your first AG1subscription order

Air Doctor: Head to AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code SHRINKCHICKS to get UP TO $300 off today

Quince: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping and 365-day returns on your next order

GreenChef: Head to Greenchef.com/50shrinkchicks and use code 50shrinkchicks to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping

Pique Life: Unlock 20% off and establish your powerful foundation for sustained well-being at Piquelife.com/shrinkchicks

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen wrap up their trauma response mini-series with a deep dive into the fawn response, the often-overlooked survival strategy rooted in people-pleasing and conflict avoidance. While many people are familiar with fight or flight, fawning happens when your nervous system moves quickly to smooth things over, keep the peace, and protect the connection.

They explore how the fawn response can look like saying yes too fast, minimizing your needs, avoiding conflict, or feeling resentful after people-pleasing. Em and Jen break down how fawning develops, why culture rewards it, and how it can slowly lead to self-abandonment and shaky intimacy if left unchecked.

Listener questions cover the difference between genuine flexibility and fawning, how to practice assertiveness without triggering your nervous system, what to do when someone is fawning to you, and how resentment signals crossed boundaries.

Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 5 minutes to skip the intro and get straight to today’s content.

⁠Get Matched With One of Our Therapists⁠ at The Therapy Group!

⁠ShrinkChicks on Instagram⁠

Our ⁠Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal⁠!!

Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! ⁠https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBg⁠

A special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:

AG1: Go to DRINKAG1.com/SHRINKCHICKS to get an AG1 Flavor Sampler and a bottle of Vitamin D3+K2 for FREE in your AG1 Welcome Kit with your first AG1subscription order

Air Doctor: Head to AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code SHRINKCHICKS to get UP TO $300 off today

Quince: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping and 365-day returns on your next order

GreenChef: Head to Greenchef.com/50shrinkchicks and use code 50shrinkchicks to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping

Pique Life: Unlock 20% off and establish your powerful foundation for sustained well-being at Piquelife.com/shrinkchicks

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.