In light of the holiday weekend, today's episode is a re-release of one of Emmalee and Jen's favorites. They want to model what they often share, which is the importance of resting and taking breaks in order to continue to show up as the best versions of themselves. In the episode, Emmalee and Jen talk all about change and why it can be so challenging and scary! They share how they each process change and why it works for them. Then, they discuss how to move through the fear of change, the...

On this week's episode of ShrinkChicks, Emmalee and Jen are myth-busting the idea of unconditional love. They explain the difference between conditional and unconditional love and which kinds of relationships fall into either category. Then, they answer the #1 listener question: can love be unconditional in romantic relationships? Plus, they dive deeper into the way we put unconditional love on a pedestal as a society. Em and Jen discuss the grief process in accepting the reality that our...

Today on ShrinkChicks, Emmalee and Jen are teaching you how to build distress tolerance skills. They start the episode by explaining what distress tolerance is and where the concept comes from. Emmalee and Jen discuss the relationship between acceptance of reality and its effect on distress. They answer your questions about discomfort from other people's distress, releasing control, tangible self-soothing tips for when distress arises, how to know if you have too much distress tolerance,...

This week on ShrinkChicks, Emmalee and Jen explain the concept of differentiation. This term is woven through the work they do and they're here to explain it in a digestible, relatable way. Emmalee and Jen list some questions to help determine if you’re differentiated and share which of the questions they resonate with most. Then, they discuss how differentiation relates to codependency and cut-off, enmeshment vs. closeness, and separating your emotions from someone else’s. Em and Jen answer...

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...

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...

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,...

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...

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...

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...

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,...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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....

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...