Your Therapist is Not Okay

What does it actually mean to be a good ally?

Ryan and Jessie unpack the ways people can better support the most marginalized members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community, especially at a time when anti-trans rhetoric has become increasingly common.

They explore how scapegoating takes hold, the caveats and "exceptions" people often use to justify prejudice, and the very real impact those attitudes have on the people they're directed toward. The conversation is also a reminder that allyship isn't just about what we believe - it's about how we show up.

Whether that's speaking up when it's uncomfortable, challenging harmful narratives, or refusing to leave the most vulnerable members of a community behind, small actions matter more than we often realize.

Click here for our Centred Self Pride page: ⁠⁠https://centredself.ca/lgbtq-%26-sex-%2F-gender⁠⁠

Click here to book a FREE consult with us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://centredself.ca/contact⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Hosted by: Dr Ryan Bittinger (they/them) and Dr Jessie Erb (she/her)

Cover art by: Una Grace Norona (she/her)

Produced and edited by: Denise Danda (she/her)

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Pride is often associated with celebration, joy, and visibility — but it has always been rooted in resistance, too. In this episode, Ryan and Jessie talk about Queer Rage Month and the emotions that many members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community are carrying in today's political climate.

The conversation touches on the growing attacks on trans rights, and the ways some members of the queer community continue to be excluded, even within spaces that are meant to be inclusive. They also discuss the shift in corporate support for Pride, and what it means when companies that once loudly celebrated the community become noticeably quieter when that support carries more risk.

Tune in for a conversation about queer rage, collective responsibility, and the importance of fighting for one another — even when the fight isn't your own 🏳️‍🌈

Click here for our Centred Self Pride page: https://centredself.ca/lgbtq-%26-sex-%2F-gender

Click here to book a FREE consult with us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://centredself.ca/contact⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Hosted by: Dr Ryan Bittinger (they/them) and Dr Jessie Erb (she/her)

Cover art by: Una Grace Norona (she/her)

Produced and edited by: Denise Danda (she/her)

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In part two of last week's conversation, Jessie and Ryan shift their focus to the therapy room and what it means to truly make space for Black and immigrant experiences.

Using Podcast Producer, Denise's story as a starting point, they explore some of the ways therapists can unintentionally miss the mark, the importance of cultural humility, why curiosity is often more valuable than assumptions and what therapists can learn from their African and immigrant clients.

At its heart, this episode is a conversation about listening well. Not listening to respond, explain, or fit someone into a framework — but listening with genuine curiosity about who they are and where they come from 🎙️💕

Click here to book a FREE consult with us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://centredself.ca/contact⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Hosted by: Dr Ryan Bittinger (they/them) and Dr Jessie Erb (she/her)

Cover art by: Una Grace Norona (she/her)

Produced and edited by: Denise Danda (she/her)

Follow us on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@yourtherapistisnotokay⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This week, Jess and Ryan are yet again joined by a very special guest: the person who usually sits behind the scenes bringing the podcast to life.

Denise shares her experience of moving from Nigeria to Canada as an international student and what it's been like building a life here over the last decade. This conversation explores the different sides of starting over in a new country — the painful parts, the awkward parts and the more heartwarming and humorous parts.

Tune in for a nuanced conversation about leaving home, finding your footing and the experiences that can be difficult to put into words until years later 🎙️💕

Click here to book a FREE consult with us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://centredself.ca/contact⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Hosted by: Dr Ryan Bittinger (they/them) and Dr Jessie Erb (she/her)

Cover art by: Una Grace Norona (she/her)

Produced and edited by: Denise Danda (she/her)

Follow us on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@yourtherapistisnotokay⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Healing and growing aren't always clean or exciting processes sometimes they come with a quiet sense of loss that’s hard to name. In this episode, Jessie and Ryan talk about what it’s like to outgrow relationships and the grief that can come with that shift, even when nothing “bad” has happened.

They explore what it looks like and how to work through the process of noticing distance — or the need for it — where there used to be closeness. They also talk about how complicated it can feel to accept that some relationships don’t stay the same as we do. Instead of rushing to move on or pretending it doesn’t hurt, they talk about what it actually means to sit with that grief and make sense of it.

Tune in for a conversation about change, connection, and learning how to let go of relationships with care, even when they’ve meant a lot 💕🎙️

Click here to book a FREE consult with us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://centredself.ca/contact⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Hosted by: Dr Ryan Bittinger (they/them) and Dr Jessie Erb (she/her)

Cover art by: Una Grace Norona (she/her)

Produced and edited by: Denise Danda (she/her)

Follow us on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@yourtherapistisnotokay⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Unfortunately, growth isn't always something that happens alongside the people we love. Sometimes, as we learn more about ourselves, set new boundaries, or begin healing old wounds, our relationships start to feel different too.

In this episode, Jess and Ryan explore what it can be like when you're doing the work in therapy but the people around you aren't on the same path. They talk about the loneliness, frustration, guilt, and grief that can come with outgrowing old dynamics, as well as the difficult questions that arise when relationships no longer fit the way they once did.

Whether it's a romantic partner, a friend, or a family member, this conversation looks at what happens when personal growth creates distance — and how people navigate the tension between honoring their own healing and maintaining important relationships 💕🎙️

Click here to book a FREE consult with us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://centredself.ca/contact⁠⁠⁠⁠

Hosted by: Dr Ryan Bittinger (they/them) and Dr Jess Erb (she/her)

Cover art by: Una Grace Norona (she/her)

Produced and edited by: Denise Danda (she/her)

Follow us on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@yourtherapistisnotokay⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this follow-up episode, Jess and Ryan dive into a question a lot of people have but don't always know how to ask: how do you actually have better sex?

They talk about the role of communication, consent, curiosity, and emotional safety in creating a more satisfying sex life. From exploring fantasies and kink to discussing desires, boundaries, and aftercare, they unpack some of the conversations that can bring partners closer together both in and out of the bedroom.

Tune in for a candid exploration on what how to build a sex life that feels authentic, connected, and enjoyable for everyone involved ✨

Click here to book a FREE consult with us: ⁠⁠⁠https://centredself.ca/contact⁠⁠⁠

Hosted by: Dr Ryan Bittinger (they/them) and Dr Jess Erb (she/her)

Cover art by: Una Grace Norona (she/her)

Produced and edited by: Denise Danda (she/her)

Follow us on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@yourtherapistisnotokay⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Sex can be a surprisingly difficult thing to talk about in relationships, even when you’re close to your partner. In this episode, Jess and Ryan talk about the reality of sex over the course of a relationship — the highs, the lows, the awkward conversations, the mismatched needs, and the pressure people often feel around intimacy.

They get into how hard it can be to bring up things like dissatisfaction, insecurity, changing desires, or unmet needs without fearing rejection, conflict, or hurting the other person. They also talk about the gap between what people think sex “should” look like and what it often actually looks like in real relationships.

Tune in for a conversation about sex, intimacy and communication in long-term relationships 🎙️✨

Click here to book a FREE consult with us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://centredself.ca/contact⁠⁠⁠⁠

Hosted by: Dr Ryan Bittinger (they/them) and Dr Jess Erb (she/her)

Cover art by: Una Grace Norona (she/her)

Produced and edited by: Denise Danda (she/her)

Follow us on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@yourtherapistisnotokay⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this episode, Jess and Ryan shift into the “how do we actually work with this” side of conflict. They get into the patterns couples fall into and what therapists often focus on in couples therapy room when things get tense — especially when conversations start to spiral or shut down.

They explore a few ways of approaching conflict that can make it feel less overwhelming in the moment, like slowing things down, reframing what’s actually being said underneath the words, and learning how to listen without immediately reacting or defending. It’s not about getting it “perfect,” but about creating a bit more space so both people can actually hear each other.

Tune in for a conversation about what it really takes to fight well 🎙️✨

Click here to book a FREE consult with us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://centredself.ca/contact⁠⁠⁠⁠

Hosted by: Dr Ryan Bittinger (they/them) and Dr Jess Erb (she/her)

Cover art by: Una Grace Norona (she/her)

Produced and edited by: Denise Danda (she/her)

Follow us on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@yourtherapistisnotokay⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

From the early honeymoon period where everything feels easy and connected, to the shift into patterns like bickering, shutting down, or giving each other the silent treatment, this episode is about exploring the full cycle of conflict that often shows up in couples work or that clients talk about in the therapy room.

Jess and Ryan talk about why that transition happens, and how quickly relationships can move from closeness into disconnection when needs aren’t being expressed or understood. Rather than focusing on “right” or “wrong” ways of relating, they look at what these patterns are often protecting underneath—things like fear of rejection, unmet needs, or feeling unseen.

Tune in for a conversation on conflict in the therapy room 🎙️✨

Hosted by: Dr Ryan Bittinger (they/them) and Dr Jess Erb (she/her)

Cover art by: Una Grace Norona (she/her)

Produced and edited by: Denise Danda (she/her)

Follow us on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@yourtherapistisnotokay⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠