In this conversation, Stephanie sits down with two close friends and mental health clinicians, Samantha Scherzinger (psychiatric nurse practitioner) and Lizette Aguirre (clinical psychologist), for an honest, unfiltered discussion about what has shifted since COVID, why so many people feel depleted, and how the internet, workplace culture, and healthcare systems are shaping anxiety, burnout, and emotional resilience in real time.
Feeling burnt out or want to understand the symptoms better? Here's a free resource for you on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/158723461
This Episode Is for You If:
- You feel exhausted, overstimulated, or like your nervous system has less capacity than it used to
- You are dealing with workplace burnout, blurred work from home boundaries, or toxic productivity culture
- You feel overwhelmed by social media health advice, misinformation, or distrust in the healthcare system
In This Episode, You’ll learn:
- Why resilience is not a fixed trait and how chronic stress can quietly erode your capacity over time
- Early signs of burnout (especially the physical ones) and how to reframe “push through” thinking
- How social media and frictionless living can increase overwhelm, distrust, and unrealistic expectations for healing
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Connect with Stephanie Baubie, NP:
- Join the Patreon community (for FREE): https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheInnerScript
- Share your thoughts, questions, or story with Stephanie. Follow along on Instagram at @theinnerscriptpod: https://www.instagram.com/theinnerscriptpod/#
If you’re interested in supplements mentioned on this podcast, I’ve included a link to my Fullscript dispensary below. I use this platform to ensure quality, proper storage, and to reduce the risk of counterfeit products often found on large online marketplaces. Supplements should be used with the same discretion as medications and are not appropriate for everyone. Always consult with your healthcare provider to ensure safety, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, have a medical condition, or are taking medications. There is absolutely no obligation to purchase - food, lifestyle, and nervous system regulation always come first. https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/sbaubie
Resources, Supplements & Practices Mentioned
- Book: Toxic Positivity: Keeping It Real in a World Obsessed With Being Happy by Whitney Goodman: https://amzn.to/4aRUeuZ
- Podcast: Calling Home (Whitney Goodman): https://callinghome.co/blog/listen-to-the-calling-home-podcast
- Therapy platforms mentioned (as accessible but mixed quality): BetterHelp, Talkspace
- Practice mentioned: Core values work (values clarification to guide aligned goals)
- Concepts discussed: Toxic positivity, mind body connection, burnout, boundaries, living in the gray, overstimulation, productivity culture, work from home availability creep
- AI topics mentioned: AI generated influencers, Character AI, parasocial relationships, AI psychosis, AI related lawsuits, regulation concerns
Where to find the guests:
- Samantha: Helix Health (diagnostic evaluations and medication management), in network with Cigna and Aetna, also out of network: https://helyxhealth.org/samantha-scherzinger
Lizette: California Psychology Center (in network with Aetna) plus solo private practice (out of network); searchable via her website (https://www.drlizaguirre.com/) and Psychology Today (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/lizette-aguirre-san-francisco-ca/438114)
Topics & Timestamps:
(00:00:17) Meet the Guests
(00:03:15) Post COVID Mental Health
(00:06:10) Resilience vs Exhaustion
(00:10:43) Burnout and Workplace Culture
(00:16:19) Physical Signs of Burnout
(00:21:35) Social Media and Misinformation
(00:23:17) Distrust in Healthcare
(00:31:47) Toxic Positivity Explained
(00:43:27) AI and Mental Health
(00:48:44) Rewiring Cultural Beliefs
About Dr. Lizette Aguirre: She is a California licensed clinical psychologist with over a decade of experience supporting adults through anxiety, depression, trauma, identity exploration, and life transitions. She earned her doctorate through the PGSP-Stanford PsyD Consortium and integrates evidence-based approaches including EMDR, CBT, exposure therapies, ACT, and mindfulness, working with high-achieving professionals, students, neurodivergent adults, LGBTQIA+ individuals, caretakers, and first-generation immigrants in both English and Spanish. In addition to her clinical practice, she serves as adjunct clinical faculty at Stanford School of Medicine and is passionate about supervising and mentoring developing clinicians.
About Samantha Scherzinger: Samantha is a board certified psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner. She graduated first in her class from Vanderbilt University's Master of Science in Nursing program. She also has bachelor's of science from Vanderbilt in Child Development and Sociology. Samantha has a broad range of experience including working in community mental health and inpatient behavioral health. She currently works in private practice at Helyx health seeing clients for diagnostic evaluations and medication management.
About Your Host: Stephanie Baubie is an integrative nurse practitioner and the host of The Inner Script. She helps highly sensitive women understand what their body and nervous system are communicating so they can move out of confusion and into grounded self trust and embodied health.
Disclaimer: The information on this podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare professional regarding your individual health needs.
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This podcast is produced by Brave Moon Podcasts.
