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In this episode of Lumen, hosts Christopher Mooney, LCSW and Kenyon Phillips, LMSW unpack the runaway train of negative thinking—how a single mistake can spiral into shame, catastrophizing, and the feeling that you’re about to get fired from life. Drawing from everyday moments, clinical work, and a surprisingly accurate all-you-can-eat buffet metaphor, Christopher and Kenyon explore common unhelpful thinking styles like catastrophizing, all-or-nothing thinking, fortune telling, and permissive thinking. In the process, they discuss why the brain is wired to scan for danger, how these patterns once helped us survive, and what happens when they get taken too far. The episode also proposes practical ways to challenge negative thinking, such as approaching obligations from a place of gratitude, possibility, and privilege. With humor, honesty, and zero jargon, this conversation invites you to notice your own negativity buffet—and gently question whether you really need to load your plate the way you always have.

To book a free consultation with Christopher, Kenyon, or the other providers at Lumen Therapy Collective, visit lumentherapycollective.com.

Follow Lumen on Instagram: @lumen_therapy_collective

Subscribe, share, and review Lumen on your favorite podcast platform!

Lumen is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for therapy, diagnosis, or treatment. If you’re experiencing a mental health crisis, please contact local emergency services or a trusted mental health professional.

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We’ve never had more ways to connect—and yet so many of us feel profoundly alone. In this episode of Lumen, hosts Christopher Mooney, LCSW and Kenyon Phillips, LMSW explore the modern loneliness epidemic and how social media, curated identities, and fear of being fully seen have quietly reshaped the ways we relate to one another. From the awkward reality of needing to “text before calling” to the illusion of intimacy created by followers and likes, they unpack why connection can feel thinner than ever since the pandemic. Through a simple yet revealing relationship exercise, reflections on people-pleasing and fawning, and a hard look at the technology that has permanently altered how we relate to one another, the episode examines what gets lost when we hide our messy, human insides. Ultimately, this conversation begs a larger question: What would it take to let our outsides finally match who we really are—and to let ourselves be known, not just noticed?

To book a free consultation with Christopher, Kenyon, or the other providers at Lumen Therapy Collective, visit lumentherapycollective.com.

Follow Lumen on Instagram: @lumen_therapy_collective

Subscribe, share, and review Lumen on your favorite podcast platform!

Lumen is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for therapy, diagnosis, or treatment. If you’re experiencing a mental health crisis, please contact local emergency services or a trusted mental health professional.

Send us a text

In the inaugural episode of Lumen, hosts Christopher Mooney, LCSW and Kenyon Phillips, LMSW explore the meaning behind the name Lumen and how it reflects the heart of therapy: seeing, being seen, and creating a shared sense of understanding. Drawing from clinical work, creativity, music, dance, improv, and lived experience, they describe therapy as a collaborative, living process rather than a one-sided exchange. The conversation also touches on what happens when we don’t feel seen, how disconnection activates deep survival responses in the nervous system, and how the often-misunderstood stress responses of fight, flight, freeze, and fawn can show up in our relationships, families, work, and culture. Grounded, accessible, and reflective, this episode sets the tone for Lumen: no jargon, no judgment—just thoughtful conversation to help listeners better understand themselves and one another.

To book a free consultation with Christopher, Kenyon, or the other providers at Lumen Therapy Collective, visit lumentherapycollective.com.

Follow Lumen on Instagram: @lumen_therapy_collective

Subscribe, share, and review Lumen on your favorite podcast platform!

Lumen is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for therapy, diagnosis, or treatment. If you’re experiencing a mental health crisis, please contact local emergency services or a trusted mental health professional.