Lacking a close romantic relationship when one is desired taps into core human fears of rejection and isolation. Connection, understanding, sharing, all of the things that can make successful relationships so fulfilling can bury the individual under a mountain of dread when an unsuccessful relationship or period of loneliness convinces them that maybe finding a partner just isn't in the cards. This week, Emmalee and Jen are joined by fellow LMFT Mary Chen to discuss the healthy way to confront your fear of going through life without a partner and how your misconceptions of "the one" might be getting in the way of your own fulfillment.

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Despite the unprecedented push towards destigmatizing therapy and mental health treatment in recent decades, the act of confronting uncomfortable parts of your life will always be, well, uncomfortable. This week, fellow Marriage and Family Therapist and creator of the hilarious Instagram account @PsychoTherapyMemes, Nicole Arzt joins the show to talk about humor, therapy, her debut book, “Sometimes Therapy is Awkward,” and getting comfortable with discomfort.

ShrinkChicks listeners can get 50% off a signed copy of the book using the code: shrinkchickslove at checkout! https://psychotherapymemes.com/product/sometimes-therapy-is-awkward/

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The power that money has to overwhelm an individual is founded in its vagueness. When it feels like money can mean anything—a symbol, a tool, a means to a way of life, a status symbol—we often give money license to mean everything. This week, financial therapist, podcaster, and friend of the show Amanda Clayman joins Emmalee and Jen to explore how money can affect every part of our lives, from our inner worlds to generational trauma to marital problems, and what to do when it feels like cash rules everything around you.

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Continuing the theme of alternative or lesser-known therapy practices from last week's hypnotherapy episode, Emmalee and Jen are joined by Allie Finkel and Sarah Roffe, co-founders of Kind Minds Therapy, to discuss reparenting and inner child work. Whether you're interested in exploring options for your own therapy journey or simply have an interest in the psychology behind these approaches, you're sure to come away from this episode with a better understanding of how the child you were continues to affect the adult you have become.

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Hypnosis and hypnotherapy can provide a uniquely liberating therapeutic experience for those dealing with a wide variety of mental heath conditions -- unfortunately, years of skewed representation in various media have left the public image of hypnotists closer to pocket-watch-swinging ne'er-do-wells than trained psychologists. This week, Emmalee and Jen are joined by master hypnotherapist Juliet Obodo to dispel the myths about hypnosis as manipulation and to discuss the real psychology and benefits of hypnotherapy.

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Trigger Warning: Physical Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Sexual Assault, Violence

Abuse has the ability to transcend an individual relationship and continue to affect the lives of survivors if not treated with care. This week, fellow Marriage and Family Therapist Kaitlyn Peabody (@therapywithkate) joins Emmalee and Jen to discuss solutions for stopping the cyclical power of abuse in its tracks.

Resources:

thehotline.org

800.799.SAFE (7233)

Blog post: 

http://www.wctherapygroup.com/blog/12-types-of-emotional-abuse-that-arent-physical-violence

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This week, fellow podcast host and LMFT, cult specialist, Rachel Bernstein, explores the mentality and psychology of cult membership with Emmalee and Jen. Rachel speaks about how and why people are drawn into cults, what keeps them there, and the aftermath that can occur if they leave. She was recently featured in the STARZ Documentary Seduced: Inside The NXIVM Cult, and touches on her experience with that, too.

To hear more about this subject or get in touch with Rachel, see below:

http://www.rachelbernsteintherapy.com/

[email protected]

@indoctrinationpodcast 

stronger-after.org

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This week, Emmalee and Jen respond to stories and questions they have received about fertility problems and the struggles of childbirth, with Emmalee's own experience with miscarriage serving as a framework to talk about one of the more stigmatized crises in physical and emotional health.

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Sometimes the things we learn to get through today will hold us back tomorrow. In this week's episode, Em and Jen answer your questions about the complicated relationship we have with our own survival and success.

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So often in life, we let others expectations of us, what we should do, what we should eat, what we should be, get in the way of our own goals and priorities. This week, the ShrinkChicks discuss the best ways for getting the 'shoulds' out of your mentality with author Caroline Dooner.

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