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Two days before Mya leaves for college, the countdown gets real. We sit down as mom and daughter and try to say what’s actually true under all the logistics: stress, hope, anxiety, and that weird denial that shows up when you still haven’t packed. Using a feelings wheel sounds simple, but it changes the tone fast because you can’t problem-solve what you won’t name.

Then we go practical with budgeting for college students. We talk meal plans, coffee runs, fast food stops, Target temptations, and the moment your budget collides with your social life. We role-play the “everyone’s going out” scenario and unpack the harder question behind it: how do you stay connected without spending like belonging has a price tag? We also wrestle with the savings-versus-stress tradeoff, and how to make a choice and actually enjoy it instead of replaying it all day.

From there we shift into Clifton Strengths and a coaching conversation with a Gallup certified strengths coach. Mya’s top strength, Woo (winning others over), sparks a bigger hope for college: classmates aren’t strangers, they’re friends she hasn’t met yet. We connect Woo with Harmony, Consistency, Includer, and Communication, and talk about how strengths can help teens build community, handle conflict, and feel confident in a new season.

Finally, we face the goodbye and share a few gifts, including a lighthouse reminder that home stays steady while you learn to sail. We also introduce a simple journal practice, “Growing Together, Apart,” built for short daily reflection instead of endless scrolling. If you’re navigating a college transition, a parent-child relationship shift, or just trying to do the next right thing with money and emotions, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share with a family who needs it, and leave a review with one thing that helped you feel ready-ish.

This podcast is meant to be a resource for the general public, as well as fellow therapists/psychologists. It is NOT meant to replace the meaningful work of individual or family therapy. Please seek professional help in your area if you are struggling. #breakthestigma #makewordsmatter #thingsyoulearnintherapy #thingsyoulearnintherapypodcast

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health concerns, please contact 988 or seek a treatment provider in your area.

If you are a therapist or psychologist and want to be a guest on the show, please complete this form to apply: Podcast Application Form

Feel free to share your thoughts at www.makewordsmatterforgood.com or email me at [email protected]

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College transition advice usually starts with boxes and bedding, but the bigger shift is emotional. Mya and I talk about what it really feels like to leave for college: the grief of changing high school friendships, the fear of disappointing people you love, and the guilt that can creep in when you start building new relationships on campus. If you’ve ever worried that moving forward means leaving someone behind, we name that pressure and offer a clearer truth to hold onto: growth is not betrayal.

We also dig into the everyday moments where this gets complicated. What happens when your high school friends plan a weekend get-together and your new college friends do too? How do you choose when you can’t be present in every part of your old life and your new life? We talk about “your best yes” and why every yes requires a no, especially during freshman year when your time, energy, and attention are suddenly limited.

Then we get practical with college preparation strategies that actually reduce stress: reading the syllabus before the first class, organizing notes and documents by class, planning exams and travel conflicts early, and using tools like Canvas and calendars to stay ahead. We share study techniques like handwriting notes, studying in smaller chunks over time, and the underrated skill of asking professors how they want you to prepare. We also break down how office hours work, what to do in big lecture classes, and how TAs can help you get unstuck before you feel overwhelmed.

If you’re preparing for college or helping a student get ready, this one is a steadying listen. Subscribe for the next conversation, share this with a student who needs it, and leave a quick review if it helped you rethink what it takes to start well.

This podcast is meant to be a resource for the general public, as well as fellow therapists/psychologists. It is NOT meant to replace the meaningful work of individual or family therapy. Please seek professional help in your area if you are struggling. #breakthestigma #makewordsmatter #thingsyoulearnintherapy #thingsyoulearnintherapypodcast

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health concerns, please contact 988 or seek a treatment provider in your area.

If you are a therapist or psychologist and want to be a guest on the show, please complete this form to apply: Podcast Application Form

Feel free to share your thoughts at www.makewordsmatterforgood.com or email me at [email protected]

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Homesickness can hit like a wave, but it rarely means only one thing. When we call every hard moment “I miss home,” we miss what’s really happening underneath: exhaustion that turns everything darker, insecurity that makes you doubt yourself, overwhelm from a packed schedule, or that sharp feeling of being the new person who doesn’t quite belong yet. 

Beth talks with her daughter Mya as she prepares for college, and we get concrete about what helps when the emotions spike late at night. We walk through a practical process you can use anywhere: name the feeling, rate how intense it is, and ask the question most of us struggle to answer under stress, “What do I actually need right now?” We also use a feelings wheel to find better words than “fine” or “bad,” and we map common states to real needs like sleep, comfort, connection, reassurance, space, or simply time for the peak moment to pass. 

We also make an important distinction between typical homesickness and situations where someone feels unsafe or in despair, because those require a different plan and clearer communication. And we talk about the family side of the transition too: why parents have feelings, how sharing sadness can build connection instead of burden, and how support can coexist with growing independence. 

If you’re heading into a big change, listen, share this with a student or parent you care about, and subscribe for more practical therapy tools. If this helped, leave a review and tell us: what emotion shows up first when you feel “homesick”?

This podcast is meant to be a resource for the general public, as well as fellow therapists/psychologists. It is NOT meant to replace the meaningful work of individual or family therapy. Please seek professional help in your area if you are struggling. #breakthestigma #makewordsmatter #thingsyoulearnintherapy #thingsyoulearnintherapypodcast

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health concerns, please contact 988 or seek a treatment provider in your area.

If you are a therapist or psychologist and want to be a guest on the show, please complete this form to apply: Podcast Application Form

Feel free to share your thoughts at www.makewordsmatterforgood.com or email me at [email protected]

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Dorm life has a way of turning tiny things into huge feelings. One light left on, one late-night study session, one unexpected snore, and suddenly you’re exhausted, irritated, and wondering how you’re supposed to live with a stranger in a shoebox-sized room. Maya and I talk honestly about that reality as she gets ready for college, with a focus on the everyday roommate conflicts that hit hardest when sleep is off and stress is high.

We dig into practical college roommate communication skills that actually hold up at 2 a.m.: how to name what you’re feeling without making it the other person’s fault, how to stop internalizing someone else’s bad mood, and how to build emotional intelligence by rating emotions instead of treating them as all-or-nothing. We also get specific about boundaries and “netiquette” for emailing professors, including the difference between helpful context and oversharing personal details.

Then we land on two simple conflict resolution tools you can use right away: leaving a few unimportant things unsaid each day, and the rule that if something still bothers you after 24 hours, you talk about it within the next 72. If you’re navigating college transitions, dorm room life, or roommate tension, this one gives you language, options, and a way to protect the relationship without ignoring your needs. Subscribe for more, share this with a student or parent, and leave a review with your best roommate survival tip.

This podcast is meant to be a resource for the general public, as well as fellow therapists/psychologists. It is NOT meant to replace the meaningful work of individual or family therapy. Please seek professional help in your area if you are struggling. #breakthestigma #makewordsmatter #thingsyoulearnintherapy #thingsyoulearnintherapypodcast

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health concerns, please contact 988 or seek a treatment provider in your area.

If you are a therapist or psychologist and want to be a guest on the show, please complete this form to apply: Podcast Application Form

Feel free to share your thoughts at www.makewordsmatterforgood.com or email me at [email protected]

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The college countdown can feel like one long shopping trip, but we know the real transition is way messier and far more meaningful. I sit down with my daughter, Mya, as she gets ready to leave for college and play volleyball, and we talk through the parts people don’t always say out loud: what it’s like to share a tiny dorm, how a roommate dynamic can shift from “teammate” to “cohabiting humans,” and why small irritations become big problems when nobody is willing to name them.

We also get personal about homesickness, FOMO, and the strange emotional math of loving your hometown while still wanting something new. Maya describes that punch-in-the-stomach feeling of seeing friends together on social media while you’re away, and we talk about how to hold two truths at once: grief for what you’re leaving and excitement for what you’re building. For parents and students alike, we dig into communication expectations, staying connected without hovering, and why pushing through early discomfort can help freshman year feel less overwhelming.

Then we shift into college academics and practical study skills: organization with a new schedule, note-taking strategies, why cramming doesn’t stick, and how small study blocks build real retention over time. I share professor-side advice you can use immediately, like reading the syllabus like a roadmap, showing up to class even when you think it “doesn’t matter,” going to office hours to build relationships, and learning netiquette so your emails sound professional when it counts.

If you’re preparing for college, parenting a soon-to-be freshman, or just want a grounded guide to the emotional and academic realities of the transition, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a student or parent who needs it, and leave a review. What’s the one part of college you wish someone had prepared you for?

This podcast is meant to be a resource for the general public, as well as fellow therapists/psychologists. It is NOT meant to replace the meaningful work of individual or family therapy. Please seek professional help in your area if you are struggling. #breakthestigma #makewordsmatter #thingsyoulearnintherapy #thingsyoulearnintherapypodcast

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health concerns, please contact 988 or seek a treatment provider in your area.

If you are a therapist or psychologist and want to be a guest on the show, please complete this form to apply: Podcast Application Form

Feel free to share your thoughts at www.makewordsmatterforgood.com or email me at [email protected]

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OCD in kids can hide in plain sight and it rarely looks like the stereotypes. If you’ve ever watched your child get stuck on a “not right” feeling, repeat a question for reassurance, or redo a routine until it clicks, you already know how confusing and exhausting it can be for the whole family. We sit down with licensed clinical social worker Sierra Dator to translate what’s really happening in the OCD cycle, using clear language parents can actually use at home.

We break down obsessive compulsive disorder into its two moving parts: obsessions (sticky, intrusive thoughts) and compulsions (the actions or mental rituals that bring short-term relief). A big focus is the stuff you can’t see, like internal checking, mental counting, and quiet rituals that keep parents guessing. We also draw a practical line between generalized anxiety and OCD, including why OCD thoughts can feel stranger, more random, and harder to dismiss, and why giving the pattern a name can reduce shame instead of creating it.

From assessment tools like the Yale-Brown checklist to the treatment that works best, we get specific about exposure and response prevention (ERP therapy), why it’s considered the gold standard for pediatric OCD, and what it looks like when you’re pacing ERP for a child’s development. We also talk about parents as part of the process, how progress can “snowball” once one symptom shifts, and why early intervention can keep OCD from getting entrenched over the years.

If you know a parent who’s quietly worried, share this with them, then subscribe and leave a review so more families can find evidence-based OCD help.

This podcast is meant to be a resource for the general public, as well as fellow therapists/psychologists. It is NOT meant to replace the meaningful work of individual or family therapy. Please seek professional help in your area if you are struggling. #breakthestigma #makewordsmatter #thingsyoulearnintherapy #thingsyoulearnintherapypodcast

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health concerns, please contact 988 or seek a treatment provider in your area.

If you are a therapist or psychologist and want to be a guest on the show, please complete this form to apply: Podcast Application Form

Feel free to share your thoughts at www.makewordsmatterforgood.com or email me at [email protected]

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The hardest part of being a helper isn’t learning the tools. It’s living them when your own life is loud, crowded, and messy. Beth sits down with psychologist and coach Dr. Gerry “Dr. Sunshine” Novak for a real conversation about why competent therapists, coaches, and high-achievers can still feel stuck in self-sabotage, overcommitment, and a constant hum of chaos. 

We dig into the pattern Gerry sees in himself: things finally calm down, then he fills the space with something that looks different but ends the same way. His “sweet tooth” metaphor makes it painfully clear how we swap one stressor for another and only recognize the pattern in hindsight. From leadership headaches to fixer habits, we talk boundaries, burnout, and the hidden cost of being addicted to feeling needed. 

Then we reframe self-compassion and stress management with a practical lens: the right amount of stress is the amount you can recover from. That single idea changes how you set goals, build routines, and choose commitments that support mental health instead of draining it. We also touch imposter syndrome, why credentials don’t quiet it, and how to create meaningful work anyway. 

If this resonates, share it with a helper who’s carrying too much, and please subscribe, leave a review, and tell us what boundary you’re practicing this week.

This podcast is meant to be a resource for the general public, as well as fellow therapists/psychologists. It is NOT meant to replace the meaningful work of individual or family therapy. Please seek professional help in your area if you are struggling. #breakthestigma #makewordsmatter #thingsyoulearnintherapy #thingsyoulearnintherapypodcast

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health concerns, please contact 988 or seek a treatment provider in your area.

If you are a therapist or psychologist and want to be a guest on the show, please complete this form to apply: Podcast Application Form

Feel free to share your thoughts at www.makewordsmatterforgood.com or email me at [email protected]

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The fastest way to turn pickup time into a power struggle is to start with a checklist: seatbelt, behavior report, homework, chores, questions, questions, questions. If you’ve ever watched your kid shut down the second they get in the car, we get it and there’s a better first move.

I’m Dr. Beth Trammell, a licensed psychologist, and I’m sharing one of my favorite tools for improving child behavior without raising your voice: pairing. Pairing is a simple, ABA-informed strategy that helps parents and teachers build connection on purpose so kids are more willing to follow directions later. We break down what pairing is (and what it isn’t), why kids often experience “How was your day?” as pressure, and how small moments of warmth can lower frustration for everyone.

You’ll hear exactly when to use pairing (the first 15 seconds to two minutes after being apart), what to avoid during that window (commands and rapid-fire questions), and what to say instead. We also talk through easy scripts, morning and after-school routines, and quick connection options like a smile, a compliment, a hug, or a fist bump to create the psychological safety that makes cooperation more likely.

If you try this connection-first approach, share what changes for your family or classroom. Subscribe, share this with a parent or teacher who needs it, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

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The moment you ask for something small a knock before entering, a little privacy, a basic respect and the conversation somehow ends with you apologizing, you are not “too sensitive.” We dig into why interactions with emotionally immature parents and other emotionally immature people can feel so disorienting, especially for adult children of dysfunctional families carrying complex trauma. When your nervous system has learned that needs lead to backlash, even healthy boundaries can feel like danger.

We talk through what emotional immaturity looks like in real life, how it differs from temporary emotional regression, and why repair and accountability are the dividing line. Then we name a pattern many listeners recognize instantly: DARVO (deny, attack, reverse victim and offender). When DARVO shows up, reality gets rewritten, guilt gets weaponized, and you leave the conversation wondering if you’re crazy, cruel, or selfish for wanting something reasonable.

From there, we move into the healing fantasy, the relentless hope that if you find the perfect words, do enough caretaking, or become “mature enough,” they will finally see you and change. We explore how that childhood survival strategy can follow us into adult relationships and identity, and what it looks like to grieve the fantasy without falling into despair. We also answer a big question: how do you stop being defined by your trauma without denying your story? That’s where inner child work, parts work (including IFS-informed approaches), and somatic therapy can help you integrate what happened and reclaim your true self beyond the role you had to play.

If you’ve been asking, “How long will this take?” we hold that honestly while still ending in something solid: real hope and real change are possible. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs language for what they’re living, and leave a review. What part of this conversation hits closest to home for you?

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Your feed can make you feel like everyone else has parenting figured out and your brain treats those images like facts. That is where the spiral starts: comparison, pressure, overstimulation, and the quiet sense that you are failing at something that is already hard. We sit down with licensed professional counselor Nicole McNelis, a perinatal mental health clinician and leading voice on mom rage, to name what is actually happening when parents scroll and why it hits so deeply.

We talk about the strange mix social media creates, a friend’s real-life update next to professional, aspirational influencer content, and how that “all in one stream” effect confuses our sense of normal. Nicole breaks down the types of parenting influencers, from “I’m just like you” relatability to expert-driven authority, and how both can monetize fear with dramatic promises that are not even developmentally realistic. If you have ever felt pulled toward a quick fix, a course, a journal, or a miracle toddler strategy, you will recognize the pattern.

Then we get practical. We share tools for becoming a critical consumer, taking intentional pauses to check your “why,” swapping in replacement behaviors that actually regulate your nervous system, and adding friction by changing how you access apps. We also dig into modeling for kids, from device-free meals to screen boundaries that can evolve as your family evolves, all grounded in self-compassion and ongoing recalibration. If this conversation helps, subscribe, share it with a parent friend, and leave a quick review so more families can find it.

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