Today on ShrinkChicks, Emmalee and Jen are thrilled to welcome back one of their favorite guests, Emily Nagoski! Emily is a sex and stress educator, researcher, activist, and an award-winning author, who has a brand new book: Come Together: The Science (and Art!) of Creating Lasting Sexual Connections! They discuss themes of Come Together by exploring topics such as spontaneous vs. responsive desire, how couples sustain sexual connection in long-term relationships, the concept of the "Emotional ...
Apr 29, 2024•55 min•Season 5Ep. 18
This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen give you an inside look at their premarital counseling program by sharing specific topics to address before saying "I do!" They start the episode by giving us some marriage stats and sharing the leading causes of divorce. Then they discuss how soon to start having premarital conversations and what to focus on when doing so, boundaries & expectations with in-laws, the grief we experience in the transition from our family of origin to the family we create ...
Apr 22, 2024•51 min•Season 5Ep. 17
In this week's episode of ShrinkChicks, Emmalee and Jen zoom in on a specific theory in therapy called Narrative Therapy! They start the episode off by explaining what Narrative Therapy looks like and its four principles. Then Em and Jen share how to identify the narratives we each hold about ourselves, where they come from, how the narratives can shape our behavior, challenging these narratives, and how each version of you may carry a different narrative. They discuss that our narratives, while...
Apr 15, 2024•44 min•Season 5Ep. 16
Today on ShrinkChicks, Emmalee and Jen are confronting confrontation and talking all about how to have hard conversations. They start the episode off by sharing tangible tips to teach yourself that you deserve to take up space in your relationships. Em and Jen then answer listener questions about worrying what the outcome of a conflict/confrontation might be, what to do with the anxious energy you feel when things are unsettled, how to support the people in your life who are non-confrontational,...
Apr 08, 2024•44 min•Season 5Ep. 15
On today’s episode of ShrinkChicks, Emmalee and Jen explore the topic of feeling stuck and share their insights on how to move forward! They begin the episode by listing their favorite mantras for when you're feeling stuck or resistant to change. They answer your questions about how to become unstuck, addressing the fear of failure when it comes to change, how to look within yourself for answers instead of going to others, stuckness as it relates to career/work, what to do when you notice a love...
Apr 01, 2024•43 min•Season 5Ep. 14
On today’s episode of ShrinkChicks, Emmalee and Jen are joined by one of their amazing colleagues and friends, Alexander Stefanini, LPC, owner of Arrive Therapy, an all-LGBTQ+ counseling practice that is trans and queer-focused. The episode begins with Alexander sharing his story of growing up transgender and his experience transitioning. Then, Emmalee, Jen, and Alex discuss navigating gender identity, the work Alex does with his clients as well as their parents, supporting a loved one on their ...
Mar 25, 2024•41 min•Season 5Ep. 13
Today on ShrinkChicks, Emmalee and Jen break away from their usual content to get real and raw about what they've been going through. They open up about their current struggles and challenges with burnout and share candidly about their difficulty saying no and asking for help while managing the overwhelming mental load of running The Therapy Group. This episode is an opportunity to see Em and Jen become more introspective and reveal a side of what it’s like to be a therapist, business owner, and...
Mar 18, 2024•42 min•Season 5Ep. 12
On today’s episode of ShrinkChicks, Emmalee and Jen are joined by one of their amazing clinicians from The Therapy Group, Taylor Nance, LMFT, to talk about all things boundaries! Taylor is their resident boundaries expert and the three of them are answering your questions about dealing with pushback when setting boundaries, why it can be so difficult to set a boundary, the guilt that comes up, if boundary setting is worth the potential conflict, in-laws and boundaries, if boundaries always have ...
Mar 11, 2024•43 min•Season 5Ep. 11
This week on ShrinkChicks, Emmalee and Jen explore the topics of sex, libido, and desire. As sex therapists, they share their expertise and insight into these sometimes hard-to-talk-about topics. They begin the episode by answering the #1 listener question: how do I increase my libido? They also answer questions about having a different libido than your partner, spontaneous desire vs. responsive desire, the orgasm gap, and feeling rejected by your partner's lack of libido. They discuss how to co...
Mar 04, 2024•44 min•Season 5Ep. 10
Today on ShrinkChicks, Emmalee and Jen explore the topic of all-or-nothing/black-and-white/dichotomous thinking. They start the episode off by explaining what all-or-nothing thinking looks like and the reasons why you might be engaging in it. Em and Jen then cover listener questions; topics like where this type of thinking comes from, the safety that black-and-white thinking can bring, and why it is so easy to fall into. They discuss how to challenge these thought patterns and how to reframe you...
Feb 26, 2024•49 min•Season 5Ep. 9
On today's episode of ShrinkChicks, Emmalee and Jen cover one of their most requested topics: Imposter Syndrome. They start the episode off by explaining the different subtypes of imposter syndrome and which subtype resonates with each of them the most. Then they answer a common question: do you ever get over imposter syndrome? Emmalee and Jen discuss what might be underneath imposter syndrome, another name for it (and why they like the alternative better), boundaries in the workplace, and so mu...
Feb 19, 2024•40 min•Season 5Ep. 8
This week on ShrinkChicks, Emmalee and Jen agree that opposites generally attract, but focus on the question: do they work? They go through listener topics and questions surrounding various differences within relationships such as life goals, politics, religion, parenting style, libido, view on money/finances, and more. Emmalee and Jen discuss the interesting notion that what attracts you to a person initially might be what you resent about them later on, life transitions in relationships and ho...
Feb 12, 2024•40 min•Season 5Ep. 7
Today on ShrinkChicks, Emmalee and Jen explore the pervasive emotion of guilt and how it impacts us on a daily basis. They begin the episode by defining the term "guilt-proneness" in response to a listener asking why it is their "go-to" emotion. Emmalee and Jen discuss guilt vs. shame, healthy guilt vs. irrational guilt, why so many of us might feel like we're not doing enough, internal and external expectations for ourselves, guilt passed down to us from our parents, guilt when setting boundari...
Feb 05, 2024•43 min•Season 5Ep. 6
On this week's episode of ShrinkChicks, Emmalee and Jen explore the topic of shifting family dynamics in adulthood and the complexities that exist within this change. When we grow into adults, our family dynamics often do not grow at the same rate. Em and Jen discuss family roles from our childhood staying present in adulthood, why it's so hard for parents to see their kids as adults, shifting dynamics in a family that avoids confrontation, growing out of old family dynamics (esp. if you're the ...
Jan 29, 2024•40 min•Season 5Ep. 5
This week on ShrinkChicks, Emmalee and Jen are discussing the highly requested topic of being a highly sensitive person (a.k.a. an HSP). They help us understand what it means to be an HSP and the difference between being an HSP and an empath by sharing examples. The conversation gives insight into your own sensitivity, as well as insight into the people in your life who consider themselves highly sensitive. Emmalee and Jen explain how introversion, social anxiety, and overstimulation are connect...
Jan 22, 2024•40 min•Season 5Ep. 4
In today's episode of ShrinkChicks, Emmalee and Jen are examining passive-aggressive behavior. They start the episode by sharing the different types of passive-aggressive behavior and examples to accompany each type. Emmalee and Jen explain where passive-aggressive behavior might stem from, and how to better understand it if we're engaging in it or if someone is being passive-aggressive with us. They answer your questions like: why we fall into this behavior, how to gently call someone out for b...
Jan 15, 2024•40 min•Season 5Ep. 3
This week on ShrinkChicks, Emmalee and Jen are talking about establishing and upholding the boundaries you set with yourself, for yourself. They answer your questions surrounding: why boundaries with ourselves are often harder to keep, what the line is between having boundaries for yourself and being “selfish," how to work on the emotional boundary of not managing other people’s emotions, breaking the people pleasing aspect of overcommitting yourself, how to balance necessary self-care while sti...
Jan 08, 2024•40 min•Season 5Ep. 2
Welcome to Season 5 of ShrinkChicks! Emmalee and Jen are back for the first episode of the New Year with another episode dedicated to Dear Em & Jen questions! The first question asks: how do you help someone who is not ready to be helped? Emmalee and Jen discuss the challenges of watching a friend or loved one stay in an unhealthy relationship, providing support while also upholding boundaries to care for yourself, and the hard truth that people have to come to certain conclusions on their o...
Jan 01, 2024•40 min•Season 5Ep. 1
This week on ShrinkChicks, Emmalee and Jen are giving you a holiday pep talk! They answer your questions about all of the curveballs that the holiday season can throw us such as financial pressure, anxiety, grief, and loss surrounding this time of year, losing that childhood joy as an adult, combining traditions when you enter into a romantic relationship, how to handle fake family members, the awkwardness of receiving gifts, and so much more. Em and Jen give you some pre-holiday gathering mantr...
Dec 18, 2023•41 min•Season 4Ep. 51
On this week's episode of ShrinkChicks, Emmalee and Jen are dedicating the full episode to answering multiple Dear Em & Jen questions! The first question is from a listener who is extremely frustrated with her current relationship dynamic. Her partner is not willing to do the work and she feels lost on how to reach him after trying for so long. They discuss defensiveness, the pursuer-withdrawer dynamic, and how our inner child's survival tactics can show up in our present relationships. Next...
Dec 11, 2023•41 min•Season 4Ep. 50
Today on ShrinkChicks, Emmalee and Jen are talking all about long-term friendships and how they evolve over time. They discuss whether it's possible to stay friends if you're in different life stages by sharing their personal experiences of being childfree (Jen) and a parent (Em), and how that affects their friendship. They cover topics such as: why friendship breakups are so painful, the limits of romantic relationships vs. the limits of friendships, why it can be so challenging to accept these...
Dec 04, 2023•40 min•Season 4Ep. 49
On today's episode of ShrinkChicks, Emmalee and Jen are joined by Hilary Truong, one of their wonderful clinicians, who is a Mother-Daughter relationship expert and coach! Hilary shares her expertise around this unique relational dynamic. She answers your questions about the guilt around setting boundaries with your Mom, why Mom might be competitive/jealous of daughter, healing without the possibility of closure, blatant favoritism of a sibling, being the emotional support for your Mom, generati...
Nov 27, 2023•46 min•Season 4Ep. 48
This week, ahead of Thanksgiving, Emmalee and Jen are re-releasing their most downloaded episode: Why Are In-Laws So Triggering? They know that the start of the Holiday season can be activating, overwhelming, and bring up a lot of emotion, which is why they picked this particular episode to remind you that you're not alone. Emmalee and Jen answer your questions like: why are mothers-in-law, specifically, triggering, how to prepare for in-laws, what to do when your partner won't speak up to their...
Nov 20, 2023•46 min•Season 4Ep. 47
This week on ShrinkChicks, Emmalee and Jen are helping you to answer the question: should I stay or should I go? They talk about how to know when something is no longer serving you and the nuances that exist around that, how to decipher between needing to give something more time vs. knowing it's time, and working through the guilt of making the decision to leave. Emmalee and Jen answer your questions about understanding your own dealbreakers, the difference between an ultimatum and a boundary, ...
Nov 13, 2023•42 min•Season 4Ep. 46
On today's episode of ShrinkChicks, Emmalee and Jen have the pleasure of sitting down with Dr. Tracy Dalgleish! Dr. Tracy is a clinical psychologist, couples therapist, and author who specializes in the topics of resentment, the mental load, and other challenges that can show up in our partnerships. They start the episode off by diving into the complicated emotion of resentment and how resentment connects to the mental load. Dr. Tracy shares about the common relationship dynamic that includes an...
Nov 06, 2023•49 min•Season 4Ep. 45
This week on ShrinkChicks, Emmalee and Jen sit down with Jenny Wise Black, LMFT, who specializes in how our phones affect our mental health. Jenny shares her personal journey of being without a phone for FOUR years and how it changed her life and informed her work. Emmalee, Jen, and Jenny discuss social media breaks and FOMO, living in our daily reality vs. our social media reality, the addiction to our phones and some research behind it, the impact that scrolling and keeping our phones on us "i...
Oct 30, 2023•35 min•Season 4Ep. 44
Today on ShrinkChicks, Emmalee and Jen are covering the highly requested topic of hyper-independence! They start the discussion off by defining hyper-independence, also known as ultra-independence, and where it can originate from. They talk about the relationship between hyper-independence and parentification and birth order, the societal praise hyper-independence receives, and how hyper-independence can affect our romantic and platonic relationships. Emmalee and Jen distinguish between hyper-in...
Oct 23, 2023•39 min•Season 4Ep. 43
This week on ShrinkChicks, Emmalee and Jen are answering your questions about childhood wounds. They start the episode with a question about what a healed person looks like and what their own healing journeys have looked like. Then they discuss how our childhood wounds do not always originate from our families; that some of us have deep wounds from friendships or other formative relationships. Emmalee and Jen share questions to help identify what wounds from childhood may be showing up for you t...
Oct 16, 2023•39 min•Season 4Ep. 42
On today's episode of ShrinkChicks, Emmalee and Jen are covering the highly requested topic of shame. They start the episode off by distinguishing between the emotions of guilt and shame as they can feel quite similar but are very different. Then they share some of Brene Brown's research including the 3 things shame needs to survive and how to get out of a shame spiral with tangible steps. Emmalee and Jen discuss healing from shame, shame and judgment and how they can go hand in hand, the differ...
Oct 09, 2023•42 min•Season 4Ep. 41
This week on ShrinkChicks, Emmalee and Jen are talking all about decisions and why decision-making can be so challenging. They share what they each do when struggling to make a decision, a tangible exercise to help you with decision-making, and answer your questions about feeling stuck in a decision. They discuss their thoughts on "the one," making "the right" decisions, managing other people's/society's opinions and expectations, why you may have analysis paralysis, the fear of regret, decision...
Oct 02, 2023•41 min•Season 4Ep. 40
