This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen break down the freeze response, one of the most misunderstood trauma responses. They explain how freezing is an involuntary nervous system reaction to overwhelming threat, often linked to trauma, and why so many people carry shame for something their body chose automatically.

They explore what freeze can look like in daily life (numbness, dissociation, procrastination, avoidance, shutdown), as well as “functional freeze,” where you’re moving through life on autopilot. The conversation covers why freezing happens, how it differs from feeling stuck or avoidant, and practical ways to gently come out of a freeze state by activating the nervous system.

Listener questions dive into freezing in relationships, with authority figures, and during conflict; plus, how to explain the freeze response to a partner who misreads it as disengagement. Em and Jen also talk about slowing relational tempo, understanding what your nervous system learned about safety, and how awareness can reduce shame and increase choice.

Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 6:45 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:

AG1: Go to DRINKAG1.com/SHRINKCHICKS to get their best offer, and for a limited time only, get a FREE AG1 duffel bag and FREE AG1 Welcome Kit with your first subscription order

Bobbie: If you want to feed with confidence too, head to hibobbie.com to find the formula trusted by parents and loved by their babies

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

GreenChef: Right now, go to GreenChef.com/shrinkchicksgraza and use code shrinkchicksgraza to get started with 50% off Green Chef + FREE Graza Olive Oil Set in your 2nd and 3rd boxes

David Protein: David is offering our listeners a special deal: buy 4 cartons and get the 5th free when you go to davidprotein.com/SHRINKCHICKS

Olive & June: Visit OliveandJune.com/SHRINKCHICKS for 20% off your first System

Pique Life: Secure 20% off your order and begin your intentional wellness journey today 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 one of their all-time favorite guests, Alexandra Solomon, licensed clinical psychologist, adjunct professor at Northwestern University, and host of the Reimagining Love podcast, for a conversation about healthy relationships and the patterns we carry from our families of origin.

Together, they explore why it’s so hard to break old dynamics even when you can name them, why change happens in degrees, and how learning to receive (kindness, consistency, care) can feel just as vulnerable as giving. The discussion also touches on embodiment, tolerating discomfort, and the grief that can surface when you start doing relationships differently. Plus, feeling turned off by healthy love, staying open without waiting for things to fall apart, and navigating big relational shifts…like when a partner changes their mind about family. You can find everything about today’s guest by visiting DrAlexandraSolomon.com!

Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action!

⁠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 their best offer, and for a limited time only, get a FREE AG1 duffel bag and FREE AG1 Welcome Kit with your first subscription order

Bobbie: If you want to feed with confidence too, head to hibobbie.com to find the formula trusted by parents and loved by their babies

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

GreenChef: Right now, go to GreenChef.com/shrinkchicksgraza and use code shrinkchicksgraza to get started with 50% off Green Chef + FREE Graza Olive Oil Set in your 2nd and 3rd boxes

David Protein: David is offering our listeners a special deal: buy 4 cartons and get the 5th free when you go to davidprotein.com/SHRINKCHICKS

Olive & June: Visit OliveandJune.com/SHRINKCHICKS for 20% off your first System

Pique Life: Secure 20% off your order and begin your intentional wellness journey today 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 unpack a belief that keeps a lot of people stuck: the idea that you need to feel ready before making a big decision. They talk about why “ready” is not actually a feeling, and how waiting for certainty can quietly turn into avoidance.

They explore the difference between readiness and willingness, how to make decisions that align with your values (not other people’s opinions), and why clarity often comes after movement, not before. Listener questions cover fear of regret, feeling “not grown up enough,” knowing when to trust yourself, and how to move forward when readiness and fear show up together.

Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 8 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 their best offer, and for a limited time only, get a FREE AG1 duffel bag and FREE AG1 Welcome Kit with your first subscription order

Bobbie: If you want to feed with confidence too, head to hibobbie.com to find the formula trusted by parents and loved by their babies

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

GreenChef: Right now, go to GreenChef.com/shrinkchicksgraza and use code shrinkchicksgraza to get started with 50% off Green Chef + FREE Graza Olive Oil Set in your 2nd and 3rd boxes

David Protein: David is offering our listeners a special deal: buy 4 cartons and get the 5th free when you go to davidprotein.com/SHRINKCHICKS

Olive & June: Visit OliveandJune.com/SHRINKCHICKS for 20% off your first System

Pique Life: Secure 20% off your order and begin your intentional wellness journey today 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 Johanna Kulp, licensed therapist, speaker, and body image specialist, who helps individuals and families break free from diet culture and rebuild trust in their bodies. Johanna shares how her own eating disorder recovery shaped her work, and why so many of today’s “wellness” trends still keep people stuck.

They talk about raising kids in a world where diet messages are unavoidable, how to find balance without swinging to extremes, and what it actually takes to reconnect with your body through intuitive eating. Topics cover GLP-1s and body autonomy, accepting a postpartum body in “bounce-back” culture, and small daily practices that interrupt generational body shame; plus, how to handle relatives who comment on food or bodies around your kids. Johanna also shares her VIRR framework (Validate, Inquire, Refute, Reinforce) and calls BS on the idea that there’s a “perfect” body or finish line to reach.

Find Johanna @johannakulp.lcsw and make sure to get her book, Finding Peace with Your Body: A Body Image Guide for Women

Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action!

⁠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 their best offer, and for a limited time only, get a FREE AG1 duffel bag and FREE AG1 Welcome Kit with your first subscription order

Bobbie: If you want to feed with confidence too, head to hibobbie.com to find the formula trusted by parents and loved by their babies

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

GreenChef: Right now, go to GreenChef.com/shrinkchicksgraza and use code shrinkchicksgraza to get started with 50% off Green Chef + FREE Graza Olive Oil Set in your 2nd and 3rd boxes

David Protein: David is offering our listeners a special deal: buy 4 cartons and get the 5th free when you go to davidprotein.com/SHRINKCHICKS

Olive & June: Visit OliveandJune.com/SHRINKCHICKS for 20% off your first System

Pique Life: Secure 20% off your order and begin your intentional wellness journey today 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 talk about how to take things less personally…and why that’s harder than it sounds. After one of their posts went viral, they unpack why giving people the benefit of the doubt isn’t the same as abandoning boundaries, and how expectations, context, and insecurity shape what hits us the hardest.

They explore how self-knowledge makes it easier to stop internalizing everything, how comparison fuels reactivity, and when something actually is personal versus when it’s about the other person entirely. The conversation also covers honest feedback, moodiness, and why it’s not your job to manage everyone else’s emotions, especially if you learned to do that early on.

Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 4:40 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 their best offer, and for a limited time only, get a FREE AG1 duffel bag and FREE AG1 Welcome Kit with your first subscription order

Bobbie: If you want to feed with confidence too, head to hibobbie.com to find the formula trusted by parents and loved by their babies

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

GreenChef: Right now, go to GreenChef.com/shrinkchicksgraza and use code shrinkchicksgraza to get started with 50% off Green Chef + FREE Graza Olive Oil Set in your 2nd and 3rd boxes

David Protein: David is offering our listeners a special deal: buy 4 cartons and get the 5th free when you go to davidprotein.com/SHRINKCHICKS

Olive & June: Visit OliveandJune.com/SHRINKCHICKS for 20% off your first System

Pique Life: Secure 20% off your order and begin your intentional wellness journey today 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 delve into a question that many people struggle with: How do I distinguish between anxiety and intuition?

They break down how each shows up (urgency versus steadiness, fear versus values, repetitive spirals versus one-time clarity) and how anxiety and intuition can sometimes be linked. Listener questions explore whether it gets easier to tell the two apart, how anxious people can learn to trust their gut, what to do when intuition feels uncomfortable, and how to know when anxiety should actually be taken seriously.

In Dear Em & Jen, they respond to a newly married listener navigating real family dynamics and discuss how to honor valid concerns without letting anxiety take over.

Episode of Invisibilia mentioned in today’s episode: https://www.npr.org/programs/invisibilia/377515477/fearless

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!

⁠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 their best offer, and for a limited time only, get a FREE AG1 duffel bag and FREE AG1 Welcome Kit with your first subscription order

Bobbie: If you want to feed with confidence too, head to hibobbie.com to find the formula trusted by parents and loved by their babies

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

GreenChef: Right now, go to GreenChef.com/shrinkchicksgraza and use code shrinkchicksgraza to get started with 50% off Green Chef + FREE Graza Olive Oil Set in your 2nd and 3rd boxes

David Protein: David is offering our listeners a special deal: buy 4 cartons and get the 5th free when you go to davidprotein.com/SHRINKCHICKS

Olive & June: Visit OliveandJune.com/SHRINKCHICKS for 20% off your first System

Pique Life: Secure 20% off your order and begin your intentional wellness journey today 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 & Jen wrap up 2025 with a topic that might just be on all of our minds: Do I need therapy going into the new year? They talk about how tough this year felt for many people, how finances and burnout impact mental health care, and what “needing” therapy even means.

They answer questions about feeling lost professionally, the fear of crying in therapy, worrying that starting therapy will make things worse, and how to tell the difference between pausing therapy and running from it. They also discuss how therapists can gauge whether they need consultation, supervision, or their own therapy, and what to do when a therapist simply isn’t a fit. In Dear Em & Jen, they respond to a listener navigating a shared mental illness with their partner, and conflicting opinions within their treatment teams.

Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 8:30 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:

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 fifty percent off your first month, then twenty percent 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 & Jen break down the pressure, guilt, and expectations that can make the holidays feel so overwhelming. Jen shares what it was like growing up without big holiday pressure, while Em talks about navigating the mental load of parenting and splitting time between families.

They delve into why holidays affect everyone differently, how media influences expectations, and why saying no can feel impossible. Listener questions cover sick kids during big events, first-year-with-a-newborn boundaries, telling people you’re not hosting, coping when someone tells you no, and handling emotionally immature in-laws. They also touch on financial pressure, overstimulation, and telling kids you can’t do it all. Em & Jen explore how to keep the fulfillment without losing the joy…or yourself.

Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 6:45 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:

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

Skims: Shop SKIMS Fits Everybody collection at SKIMS.com. After you place your order, be sure to let them know we sent you! Select "podcast" in the survey and be sure to select our show in the dropdown menu that follows

GreenChef: Head to Greenchef.com/50SHRINKCHICKS and use code 50SHRINKCHICKS to get fifty percent off your first month, then twenty percent 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 dig into a topic that’s becoming impossible to ignore: Artificial Intelligence (AI) in therapy, including how it’s showing up in clinical work, where it can help, and where it crosses the line. They discuss AI’s usefulness for administrative tasks or late-night coping support, while exploring the risks of replacing human connection, losing touch with a client’s story, and handing sensitive data to unregulated tech.

They also break down recent research showing why AI tends to validate endlessly and keep you coming back, and why true healing relies on nonverbal attunement and the therapeutic relationship (something technology can’t replicate). Listener questions cover bringing ChatGPT answers into sessions, whether AI makes us more or less lonely, and how therapists can stay curious about clients’ AI use while keeping the work grounded in real connection.

Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 2:30 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:

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

Skims: Shop SKIMS Fits Everybody collection at SKIMS.com. After you place your order, be sure to let them know we sent you! Select "podcast" in the survey and be sure to select our show in the dropdown menu that follows

Uncommon Goods: Shop early, have fun, and cross some names off your list at UncommonGoods.com

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 plug into the world of social battery: how much emotional energy we have for connection before we start feeling depleted. They talk through why some people can socialize endlessly while others need significant downtime, and how much factors like temperament, stress load, and basic needs (sleep, food, overstimulation) shape our capacity. Em shares how her battery stays strong when her needs are met, while Jen talks about her natural rhythm of engaging deeply and then requiring real time to recharge.

They explore how to recognize when your social battery is running low and why neither introversion nor extroversion protects you from shame, awkwardness, or the realities of social battery. Listener questions cover topics like explaining low social energy to extroverted family members, navigating the guilt of not matching someone else’s pace, and distinguishing between needing rest versus anxiety pulling you away from connection. They also address how chronic pain can shrink social bandwidth and offer ways to bring joy back into social experiences in a sustainable way.

Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 6:30 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:

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

Skims: Shop SKIMS Fits Everybody collection at SKIMS.com. After you place your order, be sure to let them know we sent you! Select "podcast" in the survey and be sure to select our show in the dropdown menu that follows

Uncommon Goods: Shop early, have fun, and cross some names off your list at UncommonGoods.com

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