We’re kicking off the new year, and a brand-new series, by taking you back to where so much of our story began: New York City.

In this episode, we reflect on starting graduate school together in NYC, what it was like to uproot our lives, and the parts of New York that felt exciting, energizing, and full of possibility. From the magic of the city to the sense of independence and community we found, this conversation is all about the highs of our New York era.

We know we can sometimes be a little evasive when we talk about New York, so we’re intentionally starting here. This episode focuses on the joy, the growth, and the moments that made the city feel special, before we dive into the harder parts in the next episode.

Think of this as the honeymoon phase with more to come.

**NYC Series Disclaimer: We’re sharing our personal experiences from grad school. These reflections are our own and don’t represent any institution, individual, or program as a whole.

In the final episode of our Behind the Mic series, we shine the spotlight on Morgan — doctoral student, anxiety warrior, maternal mental health advocate, and the host who always keeps us laughing even in the deep moments.

Morgan takes us inside her doctoral journey in Counselor Education & Supervision, including her upcoming dissertation centered on maternal mental health — a passion fueled by experience, advocacy, and community care. She also opens up about her own relationship with anxiety and the power of therapy and medication in helping her show up fully in her life and for her clients.

We get to know Morgan outside of the therapy chair too — the lessons clients have taught her, the healing she’s actively doing, the comfort foods she could enjoy forever, and what alternate career she’d chase if she wasn’t in the mental health world.

It’s personal, it’s inspiring, and it’s the perfect conclusion to this heartfelt series.

In the second episode of our Behind the Mic series, we turn the spotlight to Nelly — therapist, first-generation immigrant, first-time mom, and the founder of Healing Awaits.

Nelly opens up about how her upbringing and life experiences shaped her therapeutic approach, especially her commitment to making every client feel truly seen and heard. She reflects on the pride she carries in starting her own private practice and how being a first-generation immigrant influences her work, her worldview, and the way she holds space for others.

We also dive into her life outside the therapy room — from navigating postpartum realities to her deep Jersey-bred love for bagels and pizza, her alternative dream career, and of course, some silly stories about her.

This episode is warm, honest, and full of heart — a true look into the person behind the mic.

In the first episode of our Behind the Mic series, we spotlight Maya and take a deep dive into who she is both inside and outside the therapy room. Maya shares the moment she felt affirmed in her career path during an undergraduate internship working within the eating disorder field, a specialty she continues to champion today as it evolves alongside societal pressures and digital culture.

We explore Maya’s world beyond her clinical identity: her ideal day off, her love for pizza (which Morgan and Nelly strongly questioned), why she believes everything happens for a reason, what alternative career she’d choose if therapy wasn’t it, and of course, the star of her household — her dog, Landon.

Authentic, warm, and full of laughter — this episode sets the tone for a series that brings you closer to the people behind the mic.

In this episode, we open up about the things you might not guess about us as therapists — like the fact that yes, we still get nervous, and no, we don’t always take our own advice. We also share a few fun personal surprises that only people who really know us would expect.

It’s a lighthearted and honest conversation that gives you a peek behind the mic before we kick off our upcoming three-part get to know your hosts series.

This episode’s got layers. We start with a surprise moment that has us all emotional (you’ll know it when you hear it 👀), then open up about the challenges of fertility and the unseen emotional labor behind conception.

From there, we switch gears into a thoughtful — and slightly skeptical — chat about AI’s growing presence in the mental health field: what excites us, what worries us, and what it could mean for therapy.

And to close it out, we wrap things up with a little Halloween nostalgia, because balance is key. 🎃

In this episode, we’re talking about the reality of “spiral season” — when the days get shorter, the energy dips, and even therapists need a little extra support.

We open up about our own mental health ups and downs, sharing how we prepare for and move through Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and low seasons. From sensory grounding to cozy holiday rituals (and Maya’s joyful rediscovery of apples), we talk about what helps us stay connected and cared for.

We also unpack the growing challenges around mental health access — from policy changes and funding cuts to the real barriers people face when trying to get help — and share some trusted resources.

Whether you’re thriving or just trying to keep it together right now, this one’s for you.

We started with The Summer I Turned Pretty finale and ended up unpacking the very real, very invisible labor therapists of color carry – especially in today’s political climate.

In this episode, we talk about the emotional weight of helping clients navigate policies that harm them…while those same policies affect us, too. We share how hard it can be to hold space for others when your own hearts are heavy.

We also dig into the added complexity of working with people whose values or beliefs may align with harmful systems.

And, yes, we had some feelings about our grad school experiences – the microaggressions, the gaslighting, and the trauma we didn’t get warned about.

This one’s real, raw, and necessary.

In this episode, we’re busting some of the biggest myths about therapy and therapists.

We talk about the idea that therapists just “give advice” (spoiler: we don’t), the misconception that we analyze people all day, and the truth about what we actually do — and don’t do — in and out of sessions.

We also name the harmful stereotypes around who therapy is for — especially the belief that it’s only for people in crisis or women. Mental health care should be accessible to everyone, and we’re here to challenge the stigma and rewrite the narrative.

And yes, we had some thoughts about how therapy is portrayed on TV and in movies. Spoiler: it’s not always accurate.

Mental health is having a moment online — but not all of it is helpful.

In this episode, we unpack the rise of pop psychology on social media. From mental health buzzwords like “gaslighting,” “narcissist,” and “boundaries” to self-diagnosis TikToks and therapist Instagram pages (yes, ours too), we talk about what we appreciate and what gives us pause.

We share our own experiences navigating social media as therapists, the pressure to show up “authentically,” and the very real messiness behind it all.

Also, Nelly and Maya lovingly roast Morgan for wanting to make TikToks for the pod… without understanding TikTok culture.

It’s a mix of therapist perspective, internet chaos, and the honest conversations we’re all having behind the scenes.