What Does My Therapist Really Think?

We made it! In this season finale, Andrea and Katie sit down to reflect on everything that came out of Season One of What Does My Therapist Really Think? They talk through their favorite episodes (hint: a certain school counselor and a social media deep dive both made the list), the moments that almost didn't make the cut, and the unexpected wins that reminded them this whole thing has legs. They also get into their biggest takeaway from the season: that we cannot fix the mental health system without taking care of the people inside it, and look ahead to where Season Two might go, including conversations on VR therapy, TMS, eating disorders, and therapists who left the field entirely. Thank you for listening, for caring about providers, and for being part of Season One. Season Two is coming.

Follow us on Instagram and YouTube Shorts @DreavitaDreamedia and start your mental health journey at dreavita.com

The first thing almost every new OCD client asks their therapist is "how do I make these thoughts go away?" — and according to therapist Meghan Cromie, that's the wrong question. Meghan, who specializes in OCD and phobias, joins hosts Andrea Piazza and Katie Roletto to demystify two of the most misunderstood corners of mental health.

She breaks down what OCD really is (and why she calls it "the doubting disorder"), the difference between a fear and a clinical phobia, and the surprising subtypes most people have never heard of — including Pure O, where the compulsions happen entirely inside your head. She walks Katie through a real arachnophobia exposure hierarchy in real time, explains why emetophobia (fear of vomiting) can quietly mirror an eating disorder, and shares how her own journey through panic and agoraphobia shapes the way she works with clients today.

Plus: how ERP (exposure and response prevention) actually works, why reassurance backfires, and Meghan's hot take that insight is overrated — you can't out-ruminate OCD.

Follow Meghan on TikTok @megtherapy and Instagram @stillmindspsychology.

Follow What Your Therapist Really Thinks @dreavita, and start your mental health journey today at dreavita.com.

This week we're joined by two clinicians from Geek Therapy — Halley Palmer, Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and founder of The Therapy Guild, and Jessie Duncan, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and trauma specialist — for a conversation that might just change the way you think about therapy altogether. Geek Therapy is the practice of using the media you actually love — video games, anime, comics, D&D, sci-fi — as a real therapeutic tool. And it works, because the research is clear: the most important factor in whether therapy is effective isn't the modality. It's the relationship. When your therapist gets your world, trust builds faster — and that's when the real work can begin. We talk about what a session actually looks like, how Jessie uses trauma containers inspired by client fandoms, why geek culture has always been a safe space for people figuring out who they are, and why your obsession with Naruto, Dragon Ball Z, or Law and Order SVU might be the exact thing that unlocks your healing. Also — yes, everyone's a geek. Halley said it and we're not taking it back.

Follow Geek Therapy at @geektherapy and learn more at geektherapy.org.

Follow us on Instagram and YouTube Shorts @DreavitaDreamedia and start your mental health journey at dreavita.com

This week we're joined by Lauren Haas — licensed school counselor, PhD candidate, adoptee, and author — for a conversation that will completely change how you think about the kids in your life. Lauren pulls back the curtain on what it actually means to be a school counselor today — and spoiler: it has nothing to do with helping kids pick their classes. For many children, Lauren is the only mental health support they will ever have access to. We talk about what kids are really going through, why the question shouldn't be "what's wrong with this kid" but "what is this kid trying to tell us," and how bibliotherapy — the therapeutic use of books — is helping children feel seen in ways that no other intervention can. Lauren also opens up about her own journey as an adoptee, and how writing her children's book A Heart That Holds It All was just as healing for her as it is for the kids who read it.

If you've ever felt unseen as a child — or you're raising one — this episode is for you.

Pick up Lauren's book A Heart That Holds It All on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and follow her on Instagram @thecognitivecounselor.

ollow us on Instagram @dreavita and YouTube Shorts @DreavitaDreamedia and start your mental health journey at dreavita.com

This week we're joined by Bri Franklin, Licensed Mental Health Counselor and adult ADHD specialist, for one of our most personal episodes yet. Bri didn't always know she had ADHD — and neither did we. In this conversation we get into what ADHD actually is (and what it isn't), why so many high achievers go undiagnosed for years, and why the biggest barrier to living well with ADHD isn't a lack of strategies — it's shame. We talk about the "should" trap, what self-acceptance actually looks like in practice, and why ADHD isn't a deficit of attention but a different way of moving through the world. Plus — Katie may or may not have gotten an unofficial diagnosis by the end of this episode.

If you've ever felt like you're too much and not enough at the same time, this one's for you.

Follow us on Instagram @dreavita and start your mental health journey at dreavita.com

What does it really take to become a therapist? Dr. Ashlei Petion — licensed professional counselor, counselor educator, and adjunct professor at the College of New Jersey — joins hosts Andrea Piazza and Katie Roletto to pull back the curtain on counselor education, mentorship, and burnout in the mental health field.

From volunteering on the National Suicide Hotline as an undergrad to earning a PhD in counselor education and supervision, Ashlei shares the parts of the journey grad school doesn't prepare you for: financial barriers, unpaid internships, the exploitative "associate" years, and why trauma counseling still isn't required to graduate. The conversation digs into how mentorship changes everything — especially for students from underrepresented communities — why so many counselors burn out before they fully arrive, and Ashlei's case for universal healthcare as a mental health issue. Plus a first look at her 2027 book on generational trauma and healing.

Follow Dr. Ashlei Petion on Instagram @drashleipetion and at drashleipetion.com.

Follow us on social media @dreavita, and start your mental health journey today at dreavita.com.

In this episode of What Does My Therapist Really Think?, we're joined by Darly Sebastian — licensed professional counselor, life coach, and author of Echoes of a Ghost Child and Unbecoming — to talk about relationship trauma, childhood PTSD, emotional inheritance, and inner child healing. If you've ever wondered why you keep repeating the same patterns in love, work, or family — this one's for you.

Echos of a Ghost Child is available on Amazon

Follow us on social media @dreavita, and start your mental health journey today at dreavita.com.

Therapist Holly Wigmore — a queer- and trans-affirming counselor and IFS-certified candidate practicing in Oregon and California — joins Andrea and Katie for a wide-ranging conversation on what it actually means to be a woman in the therapy room, as both patient and provider. They unpack intersectionality, why so many clients specifically seek out women therapists, the historical baggage of certain diagnoses, the quiet suffering of men under masculinity's weight, and how Internal Family Systems ("parts") work helps people hold their own multitudes. Plus a hard look at high-functioning anxiety — the kind that gets praised as competence — and Holly's parting line you'll want to write down: stop equating your worth with how much you can tolerate.

Follow us on social media @dreavita, and start your mental health journey today at dreavita.com.

In this episode of What Does My Therapist Really Think?, we're diving into one of the most complicated relationships we all have: social media and our mental health.

Joined by Therapist & Wellness Consultant Tamara Aquino, we explore how social media can both connect us and disconnect us—from ourselves, our emotions, and reality.

From the pressure to appear perfect to the addictive nature of scrolling, we unpack what's actually happening in your brain when you open Instagram or TikTok—and why it's so hard to stop.

Plus: honest conversations about feeling "trapped" by scrolling, using social media for connection, and how to find a healthier balance without quitting it entirely.

Whether you love social media, hate it, or feel stuck somewhere in between—this episode will help you rethink how you use it.

Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @Dreavita

Have a question for a future episode? Send us a DM, we would love to hear from you.

Curious about therapy? We're here for you!

www.Dreavita.com

In this episode of What Does My Therapist Really Think?, we dive into the complicated (and slightly uncomfortable) relationship between AI and mental health.

Let's be honest—people are already using tools like ChatGPT to process emotions, manage anxiety, and even replace therapy in some cases. But… is that actually helpful? Or are we heading into dangerous territory?

Joined by Dreavita leaders April Hishinuma and Jordan Wright, we explore the real impact of AI on mental health—from both the clinical and tech perspectives.

Plus: what therapists actually think when you tell them you've been talking to AI.

Whether you're AI-curious, AI-dependent, or AI-skeptical—this episode will make you think twice about how (and why) you're using it.

Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @Dreavita

Have a question for a future episode? Send us a DM, we would love to hear from you.

Curious about therapy? We're here for you!

www.Dreavita.com