Therapy in a Nutshell - podcast cover

Therapy in a Nutshell

Therapy in a Nutshell -Emma McAdamtinpodcast.podbean.com
I’m Emma McAdam, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and my mission is to make mental health resources more easy to access. I take therapy skills and psychological research and condense them down into bite-sized nuggets of help. I’m here to spread the message that while mental illness is real, it’s common, it’s debilitating, it’s also treatable. There are dozens of research-backed approaches to treating depression, anxiety, and other mental illness. Change, growth, and healing are possible. Please keep courage! Try one little thing every day to improve your life and health and things can get so much better! Therapy in a Nutshell, and the information provided by Emma McAdam, is solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and is not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health. Therapy in a Nutshell and it’s logo are Registered Trademarks of Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC
Download Metacast podcast app
Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

Window of Tolerance -An Essential Skill for PTSD, Trauma and Nervous System Regulation

Talking about trauma can make things worse. I’m a therapist, and I know how valuable it CAN be to talk about trauma, but when you don’t understand your “Window of Tolerance” talking about trauma can backfire. In this podcast, we’ll talk about the three states of your nervous system, the two common pitfalls of trying to talk about trauma, and the practical skills you can use to widen your window of tolerance so that you’re more resilient in the face of stressors or trauma. Looking for affordable ...

Mar 22, 202418 minEp. 144

Building an Internal Sense of Safety for PTSD, Trauma or Anxiety: Day 23 Break the Anxiety Cycle

Break the Anxiety Cycle in 30 Days- Online Course: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/anxietyskills If you want to manage PTSD or Anxiety, you need to learn how to interrupt the anxiety cycle and to do that you've got to interrupt the perception of danger. We do that by fostering an internal sense of safety, this is a practical skill we can develop and in the PTSD treatment world it's called Resourcing or Building an Internal Sense of Safety. Looking for affordable online counseling? My spon...

Mar 08, 202416 minSeason 4Ep. 24

How to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

Looking for affordable online counseling? My sponsor, BetterHelp, connects you to a licensed professional from the comfort of your own home. Try it now for 10% off your first month: https://betterhelp.com/therapyinanutshell Here’s what we do know about comparison- it contributes to mental health concerns like eating disorders, low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, social anxiety, body dissatisfaction, jealousy, narcissism, and perfectionism. It can also lead to other problems like overspending t...

Mar 04, 202417 minEp. 143

How to Turn on the Parasympathetic Response to Calm Anxiety: Day 22 of Break the Anxiety Cycle

Break the Anxiety Cycle in 30 Days- Online Course- https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/anxietyskills The good news is that there are practical things you can do to turn on and strengthen your parasympathetic response. In this video you’ll learn how to activate the parasympathetic response, and how to strengthen your vagal tone- which is your body’s overall ability to regulate your nervous system and return to a sense of calm. Looking for affordable online counseling? My sponsor, BetterHelp, c...

Feb 22, 202420 minSeason 4Ep. 23

THIS guy solved Panic Attacks after 30 years of Panic Disorder

Panic attacks can be terrifying, but they aren't dangerous. When we engage with our panic attacks by trying to control our panic attacks, by trying to force our body's sensations to calm down, or by believing our brain's stories that "This panic attack is actually a heart attack" or "I have to calm down!" or "It will be catastrophic to have a panic attack" then that is the real thing that keeps panic attacks going. In this video I share to email I got from one of my listeners, Jon, who had been ...

Feb 16, 20249 minEp. 142

How to Stop Taking Things Personally

Take the Free Relationship Quiz here: https://join.heyritual.com/TIAN50 Do you take things personally? Do you get offended easily? Do you spend a lot of time trying to figure out which person is the "Jerk"? Taking things personally is a super complex relational strategy we use to protect ourselves when we feel threatened, but it leaves us feeling isolated and dramatic. In this video we're going to learn 3 steps to stop taking things personally, and how to stop taking offense. Looking for afforda...

Feb 08, 202421 minEp. 131

The Essential Skill to Regulate Your Nervous System - Relaxed Vigilance vs. Hypervigilance: Day 21 Break the Anxiety Cycle

This is Day 21 of my online course, Break the Anxiety Cycle in 30 Days- Buy the full course here: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/anxietyskills This is seriously one of the most powerful interventions I know of for chronic anxiety. It uses a bottom-up approach, a body-first approach to regulate your nervous system to reduce stress and anxiety throughout the day. And it’s pretty simple to learn. Looking for affordable online counseling? My sponsor, BetterHelp, connects you to a licensed pr...

Feb 01, 202414 minSeason 4Ep. 22

Understanding Anxiety in the Nervous System: Day 20 Break the Anxiety Cycle

Break the Anxiety Cycle in 30 Days- Online Course- https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/anxietyskills Anxiety is essentially a state of your nervous system. In this video we’ll explore anxiety, trauma and burnout in your nervous system. There’s two ways that your nervous system plays a direct role in anxiety and depression- your alerting activating system can get stuck on or stuck off. And most of the people who get stuck in these states don’t realize it, they are trapped in these cycles and j...

Jan 25, 202416 minSeason 4Ep. 21

Flip Anxiety on Its Head With 2 Words: Day 19 Break the Anxiety Cycle

Break the Anxiety Cycle in 30 Days- Online Course- https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/anxietyskills There is a simple shift you can use to transform your anxiety in two words. In this podcast you’ll learn how to do it. There is no physiological difference between anxiety and excitement. Inside your body, it’s the same physical response- cortisol, adrenaline, etc. rapid breathing, increased heart rate. You can flip a switch in your brain, when you say “bring it on!” I actually want this! Let’...

Jan 19, 202412 minSeason 4Ep. 20

Emotional Reasoning: Break the Anxiety Cycle Day 18

Break the Anxiety Cycle in 30 Days- Online Course- https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/anxietyskills I’m going to teach you an important skill to be less emotionally reactive. Essentially, how to control your emotions. Emotions lie to you all the time. But they feel so real. They are very powerful motivators, but they aren’t always accurate. You’ll learn how to be less emotionally reactive by learning to combat emotional reasoning. You’ll learn 4 ways to slow yourself down in an intense momen...

Jan 11, 202417 minSeason 4Ep. 19

How to Let Go of the Past - 3 Steps for Regret

Download the free worksheet for resolving regrets and letting go of the past here: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/pl/2148136124 Check out the Online Course "How to Process your Emotions" here: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/emotion-processing "Regret can be your worst enemy or your best friend; you get to decide which." Regrets are like a hammer, they can hurt you or you can use them to build the life you really care about. In this podcast, you’ll learn how to channel the emotion...

Jan 07, 202416 minEp. 127

Stop Catastrophizing About Your Future: Break the Anxiety Cycle Day 17

Break the Anxiety Cycle in 30 Days- Online Course- https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/anxietyskills Catastrophizing is essentially a defense mechanism but one that isn’t the best, it backfires. It can contribute to depression and anxiety and other mental health conditions. So let’s replace it with a more helpful one. In this video you'll learn how to use the skill of mental imagery to combat anxiety and create greater chances of success. You'll learn to ask “What if it all works out?” Let’s ...

Dec 28, 202314 minSeason 4Ep. 18

How to Overcome Burnout from a Body-Based Perspective w Dr. Laura Hays, MD

Check out my FREE Online Grounding Skills Course here: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/grounding-skills-for-anxiety-stress-and-ptsd Check out Dr. Laura Hay's podcast here: https://lastingimpactwellness.com/ Burnout isn't just something that happens in your head, burnout isn't just psychological, burnout happens in your body. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Laura Hays from Lasting Impact Wellness about what causes burnout, how long-term stress can impact our nervous system, and the practi...

Dec 22, 202344 minEp. 126

Why Your Brain Defaults to Scarcity: Break the Anxiety Cycle Day 16

Break the Anxiety Cycle in 30 Days- Online Course- https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/anxietyskills Your brain is not designed to make you happy, it’s made to keep you alive. And in order to do that, it’s got some built-in biases, including a negativity bias, that literally filters what you see, what you pay attention to, what you notice in your life. In this video you’ll learn how to catch yourself in the negativity bias and how to interrupt that story so that you can be healthier and happi...

Dec 14, 202315 minSeason 4Ep. 17

Managing Anxiety and Anxious Thoughts: Break the Anxiety Cycle Day 15

Break the Anxiety Cycle in 30 Days- Online Course- https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/anxietyskills In this enlightening interview with Nick Wignall, the focus was on the challenges of chronic worry and the power of mindfulness in addressing anxiety. He proposed a simple, non-judgmental mindfulness practice focusing on breath and attention redirection, advocating for its regular practice to effectively train the brain and alter its response to anxiety. This approach to mindfulness is not jus...

Dec 07, 202325 minSeason 4Ep. 16

Crisis to Calm: 4 DBT skills with Dr. Monica Johnson

Follow Dr. Monica Johnson: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/contributors/monica-johnson-psyd https://twitter.com/QDTSavvyPsych In this video, we're joined by Dr. Monica Johnson, an expert in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), as we explore the transformative effects of DBT on managing intense emotions and mood disorders, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, and eating disorders. This video is an essential guide for anyone seeking to understand how DBT can be a powerful tool in controlling the...

Nov 30, 202322 minEp. 125

How to Stop Worrying: Break the Anxiety Cycle Day 14

Break the Anxiety Cycle in 30 Days- Online Course- https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/anxietyskills In this video, individuals seeking to learn how to stop worrying and start living are offered a practical guide to differentiate between unproductive worry and constructive problem-solving. The video aims to empower viewers with the skills to redirect their attention away from chronic worry and towards living a more engaged and fulfilling life, highlighting the journey of how to stop worrying ...

Nov 23, 202313 minSeason 4Ep. 15

How to Stop Overthinking: Break the Anxiety Cycle Day 13

Break the Anxiety Cycle in 30 Days- Online Course- https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/anxietyskills Check out Smile Brilliant: https://www.smilebrilliant.com/product/night-guards/?utm_source=YouTube+Influencer&utm_medium=Night+Guards&utm_campaign=Daily&utm_id=Therapy+in+a+Nutshell Discovering how to stop overthinking begins with the realization that trying to force our thoughts to change only amplifies them. This video introduces the ACT technique of cognitive defusion, a pivotal...

Nov 16, 202315 minSeason 4Ep. 14

Anxiety about Anxiety: Break the Anxiety Cycle Day 12

Break the Anxiety Cycle in 30 Days- Online Course- https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/anxietyskills Feeling anxiety won’t harm you. Your body is wired to feel anxiety. It’s supposed to. You can handle it. But when we become afraid of our feelings, then suddenly we get stuck in a super unhelpful spiral. We start struggling against them, trying to force ourselves to calm down with “deep breathing or meditation” anything to make the anxiety go away. But this just makes things worse. We pile anx...

Nov 09, 202313 minSeason 4Ep. 13

Automatic Negative Thoughts: Break the Anxiety Cycle Day 11

Break the Anxiety Cycle in 30 Days- Online Course- https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/anxietyskills In this video you’ll learn about the automatic negative thoughts that fuel the anxiety cycle and lead to feeling overwhelmed or hopeless. You probably aren’t even aware of the types of thoughts that take you there, so we’ll explore them. And then we’ll talk about both a CBT and ACT approach to dealing with them. Looking for affordable online counseling? My sponsor, BetterHelp, connects you to ...

Nov 02, 202319 minSeason 4Ep. 12

10 Medical Conditions that Mimic Anxiety: Anxiety Course Day 10

Break the Anxiety Cycle in 30 Days- Online Course- https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/anxietyskills In this video we’re going to talk about 10 physical conditions that mimic Anxiety. Sometimes anxiety is not “All in your head” there’s a dramatic interplay between your body and mind. Sometimes a physical, medical issue like a vitamin deficiency, an illness, or an undiagnosed sleep issue shows up looking exactly like the symptoms of a psychological anxiety disorder. And sometimes the best way ...

Oct 19, 202315 minSeason 4Ep. 11

Letting Go of Shame as an HSP Highly Sensitive Person: Anxiety Course Day 9

Break the Anxiety Cycle in 30 Days- Online Course- https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/anxietyskills Being highly sensitive doesn’t mean that you take things personally or that you’re fragile. It means your nervous system processes information more deeply and intensely than the average person. You are more impacted by lights, smells, sounds, body language, facial expressions, and emotions than the average person. While this sensitivity sometimes requires extra time to rest, recharge or proces...

Oct 12, 202311 minSeason 4Ep. 10

What Causes Anxiety Disorders: Anxiety Course Day 8

Break the Anxiety Cycle in 30 Days- Online Course- https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/anxietyskills Why are some people much more anxious than others? And what causes anxiety disorders? What makes some people feel anxious when they’re actually safe? Well, the cause of an anxiety disorder is actually quite complicated. It’s not a disease with a single origin. There are a lot of factors that go into play. In this video, we’ll talk about how the bio-psycho-social model applies to understanding ...

Oct 05, 202316 minSeason 4Ep. 9

How the Medical Model creates Learned Helplessness: Anxiety Course Day 7

Break the Anxiety Cycle in 30 Days- Online Course- https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/anxietyskills We have this interesting problem in America where we’ve applied the medical model to mental health, and it’s created a lot of learned helplessness. In our attempts to remove the stigma from mental health, many people have come to believe that all mental illnesses are permanent, genetic traits. And it’s just not true. Because anxiety disorders, depression, trauma, and many other mental health c...

Sep 29, 202313 minSeason 4Ep. 8

The 7 Types of Anxiety Disorders - Anxiety Course Day 6

There are 7 types of anxiety disorders listed in the DSM 5 TR. In this video you’ll learn what they are, because when you have a name for something, it can help you find skills and resources to manage it. If you experience an anxiety disorder, It’s not your fault, but there’s something you can do about it. This video is day 6 of a 30 day course on how to improve your relationship with anxiety. I’m publishing the 30 main videos to youtube but if you want to learn more there will be bonus videos, ...

Sep 21, 202314 minSeason 4Ep. 7

The Surprising Symptom of Depression- Anger and Irritability

Improve your Relationship- Try HeyRitual today, to learn more click here: https://join.heyritual.com/TIAN20 HeyRitual is a sponsor of Therapy in a Nutshell Media portrays the depressed person as struggling to get out of bed, crying, drowning in despair. And while sadness is indeed a key symptom of depression, it’s not the only way it shows up. Anger or irritability is actually one of the primary ways that depression shows up in children and teens. But that anger doesn’t just turn off when you tu...

Sep 14, 202315 minEp. 116

Willingness - Anxiety Course Day 5

Break the Anxiety Cycle in 30 Days- Online Course- https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/anxietyskills Willingness is the most powerful tool for managing anxiety, because when you have willingness, anxiety can’t control you any more. So in this video you’ll learn what willingness is, how to develop it, and you’ll get to practice it to see what it feels like. Looking for affordable online counseling? My sponsor, BetterHelp, connects you to a licensed professional from the comfort of your own hom...

Sep 07, 202318 minSeason 4Ep. 6

Avoidance - Anxiety Course Day 4

Break the Anxiety Cycle in 30 Days- Online Course- https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/anxietyskills What keeps us anxious? -Running from our feelings -Avoiding our problems and -Immobilization- not taking any action. Anxiety isn’t the same as a hot fear response, it’s much more of a cold, frozen dread response. On the polyvagal ladder it hovers between the FFF response and the shut down response. Looking for affordable online counseling? My sponsor, BetterHelp, connects you to a licensed pro...

Sep 01, 202321 minSeason 4Ep. 5

Bonus Episode: Trichotillomania with Michael Twohig

Michael Twohig counseling and resources: https://junipermh.com/ Looking for affordable online counseling? My sponsor, BetterHelp, connects you to a licensed professional from the comfort of your own home. Try it now for 10% off your first month: https://betterhelp.com/therapyinanutshell Learn more in one of my in-depth mental health courses: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com Support my mission on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/therapyinanutshell Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.ther...

Aug 29, 202339 minEp. 115

Rewiring Anxiety - Anxiety Course Day 3

Buy the course Break the Anxiety Cycle in 30 Days here: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/anxietyskills Your brain is wired to adapt to circumstances, it can physically rewire itself based on how you think and the experiences you have. The human brain is one of the most complex, brilliant, and amazingly powerful creations in the world. So why the heck does it make so many anxious thoughts, why can it make us miserable sometimes? There are some ways we accidentally teach our brain to be more...

Aug 25, 202320 minSeason 4Ep. 4
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android
Open in Metacast