It’s not uncommon to leave a session and think about your therapist as a person. To wonder about their life, or how they’re doing, or what things are like for them outside that hour.

In this episode, Jess and Ryan talk about what it means when that curiosity turns into care — and even into a desire to give something back. They explore why that can feel meaningful, and also why it can get complicated because even when the connection feels real, therapy still has boundaries. And those boundaries are essential to the therapeutic process.

Tune in for a conversation about connection, boundaries, AI and everything in between 🎙️✨

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)

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Let's talk about loneliness. In this episode, Jess and Ryan talk about the loneliness epidemic and how they’re seeing it show up in their clients’ lives from feeling disconnected even in relationships to struggling to find a sense of belonging, or even just feeling a bit on the outside of everything.

They also get into what people actually do with that loneliness. The ways clients try to find connection outside of therapy — through friendships, dating apps, AI chatbots, online spaces, or putting themselves out there in new ways. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn’t, and sometimes it’s just complicated.

Tune in for an honest conversation about how loneliness comes up 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

In the last episode, Jess and Ryan talked about what it’s like for clients who feel like the villain in their own story — the guilt, shame, and self-blame that can make it really hard to open up in therapy. In this episode, they shift the focus to the therapist’s side of the room. What is it like for therapists when clients are afraid to share something because they worry it might change how they’re seen?

Jess and Ryan explore the moments when people feel like there’s something fundamentally “bad” about them — whether that feeling comes from identity, past choices, relationship struggles, or long-held shame. They also touch on Fairbairn’s idea of the bad object wound, and why these fears of being seen as bad or unlovable can run so deep.

Tune in for a conversation on what it means for therapists to sit with clients in those difficult, vulnerable spaces — the parts of a person’s story they might feel most afraid to reveal 🎙️💕

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

There are moments in therapy where clients arrive carrying a deep sense of being “the villain” in their story. In this episode, Jess and Ryan explore what that can look like across different experiences — whether it’s tied to identity, like internalized homophobia in queer clients, concerns around appearance or gender expression, or life events such as divorce or relationship betrayal.

They discuss how guilt and shame can shape the way people see themselves, often turning complex situations into a simple story of “I am the problem.” Tune in for a nuanced reflection on how these narratives show up in the therapy room and in real life 🎙️💕

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 talk about something most people never see: what it’s like for therapists when they realize they might need to cancel a session or take time off. It’s usually not a quick or easy decision. There’s often a lot of back and forth — wondering if they should push through, worrying about how it might affect clients, and sitting with the guilt that can come with stepping away.

They also talk about compassion fatigue and the subtle ways therapists start to notice when they’re running on empty. Sometimes those moments are what signal that it’s time to pause and take care of themselves, even when it feels uncomfortable.

Tune in for a vulnerable conversation on what it means to try to show up for clients while also being human 💕🎙️

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

After an unexpected three-month hiatus, Jess and Ryan are back! In this episode, they talk about something that doesn’t get discussed very often: what it’s like for clients when their therapist has to take time off. Whether the reason is big or small, shared openly or left unsaid, a therapist’s absence can bring up a lot of feelings.

Jess and Ryan explore the kinds of reactions clients may have — confusion, frustration, worry, even feelings of abandonment — and how these responses often connect to transference and earlier relationship experiences.

Tune in for a meaningful conversation on how these moments can become meaningful opportunities for repair when they’re worked through together 💕🎙️

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

After an unexpected three-month hiatus, we’re finally back!In this episode, we share where we’ve been, Jess opens up with some personal news, and we talk about when regular episodes will return. Thank you for your patience while we were away — we’re SO excited to be back 💕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

Jess and Ryan sit down to share the advice they wish someone had given them when they first stepped into psychotherapy training. They talk about how becoming a therapist quietly reshapes your personal relationships, the moments of identity shift no one warns you about, and how to actually get the most out of expensive, exhausting training programs.

They also get real about burnout - how to spot it early, how to protect your energy, and what they wish they’d done differently in their first few years.

This episode is part pep talk, part reality check, and fully the kind of conversation new therapists deserve to hear ✨

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

Jess and Ryan pick up where they left off, this time getting into what it actually looks like to decolonize therapy in practice. They talk through different cultural models of healing — the ones that center community, storytelling, or collective care — and how those approaches sometimes blend beautifully with Western therapy…and sometimes clash with it.

They also get honest about their own preferences as therapists: where their training shows up, where their biases sneak in, and how the rules that govern their profession are shaped by Western assumptions that aren’t always harmful, but definitely aren’t universal.

Tune in for a grounded, curious look at what it means to do this work with more humility, more flexibility, and a much wider understanding of what healing can be 🎙️

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

Book Mentioned:

- ⁠Decolonizing Therapy by Dr Jennifer Mullan⁠

In this long-awaited episode, Jess and Ryan dive into how they’ve come to understand the colonial roots of modern therapy — not through theory alone, but through the uncomfortable realizations that show up once you start noticing who gets to define what healing actually means.

They talk about the parts of their own training that now feel narrow or incomplete, the unlearning they’ve had to do over the years, and how colonial ideas still quietly shape the way therapy is practiced today.

They also zoom out to reflect on the broader history of colonialism, including the territories that are still colonized, and what it means to offer care in a world that hasn’t fully reckoned with any of it.

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

Books Mentioned:

- Decolonizing Therapy by Dr Jennifer Mullan

- You Are The Medicine by Asha Frost