Spill Your Guts

Having the same fight over and over can leave you feeling exhausted, disconnected, and unsure how to move forward. One person gets heated. The other shuts down. Nothing actually gets resolved, and the distance grows.

In this episode, we explore an evidence-based model (Transactional Model; Fruzetti, 2006) for understanding relationship conflict and why it so often becomes repetitive and intense. Using a real, honest conversation with a long-term couple, we walk through how vulnerability, interpretations, emotional escalation, inaccurate expression, and invalidation all interact to keep couples stuck. As always, we introduce specific tools that you can practice to interrupt these cycles and create real change.

Resources Mentioned:

Book: “The High Conflict Couple” by Alan Fruzzetti (2006)

To contribute to our mission or to access our downloadable infographics and worksheets, find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Music Credit: Nathan Byrne with Reel Byrne Media.

Note: The information in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical or therapeutic advice. Such information is not intended nor otherwise implied to be mental health advice or a substitute for mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a mental health or medical professional. If you become distressed and need support, call 988 to access 24/7 mental health support, call 911, or visit your nearest emergency room.  

Hair pulling is one of those mental health struggles we rarely talk about, partly because so few people understand it, and partly because shame keeps it hidden.

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Olga Cirlugea, a licensed clinical psychologist who shares her personal experience living with trichotillomania (hair pulling disorder), a Body-Focused Repetitive Behavior (BFRB). While Olga brings clinical insight, this conversation centers on what it’s actually been like for her: when it started, how it’s shifted across different seasons of life, and the sensory, self-soothing “ritual” that can make hair pulling hard to explain to others.

Olga opens up about the impact of stigma, what it meant to finally receive compassion from others, and how acceptance has been just as important as behavior change. She also shares what has helped her manage trichotillomania over time, including building awareness, tracking patterns, using fidgets and replacement tools, attending support groups, and focusing on the underlying emotions driving the urge to pull.

Trichotillomania / BFRB resources mentioned:

• TLC Foundation for BFRBs: https://www.bfrb.org/

• International OCD Foundation (BFRBs): https://iocdf.org/bfrb/ 

• TrichStop: https://www.trichstop.com/

To support our work, find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. 

Music Credit: Nathan Byrne with Reel Byrne Media. 

Note: The information in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical/therapeutic advice. Such information is not intended nor otherwise implied to be mental health advice or a substitute for mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a mental health or medical professional. If you become distressed and need support, call 988 to access 24/7 mental health support, call 911, or visit your nearest emergency room.  

Feeling torn between two truths can be exhausting. Loving someone and feeling hurt by them. Wanting closeness and needing space. Craving certainty while knowing life isn’t that simple.

In this episode we introduce the concept of a dialectic: what it means, why it’s so hard, and how learning the middle path can bring real relief. Dialectical thinking helps create flexibility, movement, and freedom where you once felt stuck.

If you’ve been feeling stuck, polarized, or caught in a tug-of-war (within yourself or with someone you love) this episode offers compassion, examples, and skills you can start practicing right away.

To contribute to our mission or to access our downloadable infographics and worksheets, find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Music Credit: Nathan Byrne with Reel Byrne Media.

Note: The information in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical or therapeutic advice. Such information is not intended nor otherwise implied to be mental health advice or a substitute for mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a mental health or medical professional. If you become distressed and need support, call 988 to access 24/7 mental health support, call 911, or visit your nearest emergency room.  

As mental health demand grows and systems struggle to keep up, leadership matters more than ever. In this episode, Dr. Debra Kawahara, President of the American Psychological Association, joins us to talk candidly about the biggest challenges facing mental health today, from access and affordability to mistrust in science. She reflects on leading a diverse profession during a time of deep polarization and explains why returning to core values, psychological science, and community has been essential.

We explore mental health parity (equal consideration of mental health in healthcare) and why real change is often slow, quiet, and cumulative. Dr. Kawahara also shares personal insights on burnout, advocacy, and choosing values over comfort, which she names as the gutsiest work of all.

Listen to Dr. Kawahara’s Podcast, Wellness in Today’s World

Music Credit: Nathan Byrne with Reel Byrne Media

To support guts’ work, visit our ⁠⁠⁠website: www.gutsnonprofit.org 

Note: The information in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical/therapeutic advice. Such information is not intended nor otherwise implied to be mental health advice or a substitute for mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a mental health or medical professional. If you become distressed and need support, call 988 to access the free 24/7 Crisis Hotline, call 911, or visit your nearest emergency room. 

Loneliness is something many of us experience but rarely name. In this episode of Spill Your Guts, Jenn is joined by her mom, Brenda, for an honest and deeply human conversation about loneliness, connection, and what actually helps.

Together, they normalize loneliness as a biological signal, not a personal failure, and explore why loneliness can exist even when we’re surrounded by people, and why meaningful connection matters more than sheer proximity.

This episode shares three practical, science-backed tools to ease loneliness: creating micro-connections in everyday moments, practicing small acts of courageous vulnerability, and building meaning through values when others aren’t around. 

If you’ve been feeling isolated or craving deeper connection, this episode meets you with compassion and concrete steps you can use right away. 

Resources Mentioned: Dr. Mavis Tsai’s TED talk

To contribute to our mission or to access our downloadable infographics and worksheets, find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Music Credit: Nathan Byrne with Reel Byrne Media.

Note: The information in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical or therapeutic advice. Such information is not intended nor otherwise implied to be mental health advice or a substitute for mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a mental health or medical professional. If you become distressed and need support, call 988 to access 24/7 mental health support, call 911, or visit your nearest emergency room.

In this deeply honest conversation, we sit down with Cristina Miller, writer, content strategist, and founder of The Mother Rogue, a growing resource and support community for non-custodial parents and families navigating autism. Cris shares her courageous story of becoming a long-distance, non-custodial mom, the heartache of choosing stability for her son over residential custody, and the mental health challenges she faced during that transition. She opens up about navigating stigma, rebuilding her identity, and learning how to stay meaningfully connected to her son across distance, diagnosis, and time.

Cris also reflects on her later-in-life autism diagnosis and how it transformed her understanding of herself, her parenting, and her advocacy. For any parent feeling overwhelmed, misunderstood, or shut out by the legal system, Cris offers raw encouragement and lived wisdom: you are a good parent, your relationship with your child can remain strong, and you don’t have to navigate this journey alone.

Check-Out The Mother Rogue: https://stillmom.com/

To support guts' work, find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. 

Music Credit: Nathan Byrne with Reel Byrne Media. 

Note: The information in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical/therapeutic advice. Such information is not intended nor otherwise implied to be mental health advice or a substitute for mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a mental health or medical professional. If you become distressed and need support, call 988 to access 24/7 mental health support, call 911, or visit your nearest emergency room.  

In this special episode of Spill Your Guts, Dr. Jenn Staples, Clinical Psychologist and President of guts nonprofit, guides you through a brief sensory awareness practice that comes from Dialectical Behavior Therapy. This exercise helps you shift away from overwhelming thoughts and emotions, the way a distress tolerance skill is intended to, while grounding you in your internal sensations as a mindfulness practice would.

During this guided experience, your attention moves gently between internal sensations and calming imagery (e.g., noticing sensations in your arms and imagined environments like floating in warm water). This practice can be used anytime you need grounding, nervous system soothing, or a moment of quiet clarity.

Music Credit: Nathan Byrne with Reel Byrne Media

To support guts’ work, visit our ⁠⁠⁠website: www.gutsnonprofit.org 

Note: The information in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical/therapeutic advice. Such information is not intended nor otherwise implied to be mental health advice or a substitute for mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a mental health or medical professional. If you become distressed and need support, call 988 to access the free 24/7 Crisis Hotline, call 911, or visit your nearest emergency room. 

Gratitude isn’t just a warm fuzzy feeling, it’s a scientifically supported practice that boosts mood, protects against anxiety and depression, and improves life satisfaction. But in a world full of stress, conflict, and constant distraction, how do we actually practice gratitude in a meaningful way?

In this episode, we explore the psychology and practice of gratitude. We break down what gratitude really means and how both expressing it outwardly and reflecting on it internally can change your emotional landscape.

Listen in for simple, evidence-based strategies to help you recognize and savor moments of appreciation, even on hard days.

To contribute to our mission or to access our downloadable infographics and worksheets, find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Resources mentioned in episode:

The Gratitude Questionnaire (GC-6; McCullough et al., 2002). 

Diniz et al. (2023) Gratitude Review Article

Music Credit: Nathan Byrne with Reel Byrne Media.

Note: The information in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical or therapeutic advice. Such information is not intended nor otherwise implied to be mental health advice or a substitute for mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a mental health or medical professional. If you become distressed and need support, call 988 to access 24/7 mental health support, call 911, or visit your nearest emergency room.  

Artificial intelligence (AI) is entering nearly every corner of our lives and psychotherapy is no exception. But what happens when technology enters the therapy room? Can AI truly help us heal, connect, and feel less alone, or are we opening doors we don’t yet know how to close?

In this episode, Dr. Steven Thorp, board-certified clinical psychologist and Distinguished Professor at Alliant International University,  joins us to explore the rapidly evolving intersection of AI and mental health.

We trace the surprising history of AI in therapy, the ethical dilemmas we’re facing today, and why access to care remains the driving force behind innovation. We discuss how AI may help reduce loneliness, the real dangers of biased or profit-driven models, and why human empathy still matters in a digital future.

Music Credit: Nathan Byrne with Reel Byrne Media

To support guts’ work, visit our ⁠⁠⁠website: www.gutsnonprofit.org 

Note: The information in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical/therapeutic advice. Such information is not intended nor otherwise implied to be mental health advice or a substitute for mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a mental health or medical professional. If you become distressed and need support, call 988 to access the free 24/7 Crisis Hotline, call 911, or visit your nearest emergency room. 

We all avoid discomfort sometimes through distraction, which might look like scrolling, binge-watching, cleaning, or daydreaming when emotions feel too big. But not all distraction is bad. In this episode, we explore how to use distraction as a healthy distress tolerance skill—one that helps you calm down and regain control.

Drawing from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), we unpack the ACCEPTS acronym to utilize in moments when we can’t make the situation better and don’t want to make it worse. We talk about how to tell the difference between avoiding and intentionally stepping back, and how temporary distraction can reset your nervous system and bring you back to your values.

To contribute to our mission or to access our downloadable infographics and worksheets, find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Music Credit: Nathan Byrne with Reel Byrne Media.

Note: The information in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical or therapeutic advice. Such information is not intended nor otherwise implied to be mental health advice or a substitute for mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a mental health or medical professional. If you become distressed and need support, call 988 to access 24/7 mental health support, call 911, or visit your nearest emergency room.