In this episode of What Your Therapist Wants You To Know, Josh and Crystal break down the idea of love not just being rooted in chemistry but being shaped by attachment. Some of us seek reassurance and fear disconnection, others value independence and pull away when things feel too close.

As you begin to understand your attachment style and triggers, you can learn to pause, communicate more clearly, and choose connection over reaction. Over time, relationships can become places of healing, helping us move towards greater emotional safety and earned secure attachment--the ability to experience closeness with flexibility, boundaries, and self-trust.

In this episode, we explore the definition of self-compassion through Kristin Neff's research, who describes it as treating yourself with the same kindness and understanding you would offer a close friend. We highlight Neff's 3 key components of self-compassion: self-kindness vs. self-judgment, common humanity vs. isolation and mindfulness vs. over-identification. We also address common myths, such as the idea that self-compassion leads to laziness or self-pity. Josh and Crystal end the episode sharing their own self-compassion assessment scores and invite the audience to discover where they are on the 1 to 5 scale. Ultimately, this episode reframes self-compassion not as indulgence, but as a powerful internal resource that supports growth, healing, and emotional strength.

Depression isn't a personal failure or a lack of willpower. It's a complex experience shaped by biology, life stressors, trauma, relationships, and how the nervous system responds to the world. While it's often described as a "chemical imbalance", therapists know the reality is far more layered.

Crystal and Josh discuss the idea that therapy for depression focuses on understanding patterns, building emotional regulation skills, addressing underlying pain, and reconnecting you with meaning and values. Medication can be helpful for some, but it's not the only--or always the first--path to healing.

Most importantly, depression lies to you. You are not alone and things can change. Join us as we unpack this and provide some immediate takeaways!

This episode of What Your Therapist Wants You To Know explores New Year's Resolutions through a therapy lens, shifting the focus from willpower to better preparing your various environments. Rather than chasing drastic change overnight, the conversation emphasizes grounding resolutions in identity--who you want to become and why--so goals more align with your values. This episode also walks through how to implement SMART goals that are specific, realistic, and flexible rather than rigid or punishing. The core message is that meaningful change comes from consistency, self-trust, and becoming--not just achieving.

On today's episode of What Your Therapist Wants You To Know, Crystal interviews Josh regarding his expertise in AI. This episode explores the growing role of AI therapy tools, and how they can be thoughtfully integrated into mental health care. It explains what AI therapy is, how it can support emotional regulation, reflection, and skill building, and where its limits lie. The conversation emphasizes that AI is best used as a supplement--not a replacement--for human therapists, offering accessibility, consistency, and between session support. This episode ultimately highlights how AI can enhance mental health support when used intentionally and alongside professional care.

On this 3rd episode of What Your Therapist Wants You To Know, we're treading through the complexity of holidays and how it can be a mix of tension, anticipation anxiety, joy, stress, connection, traditions, and emotional exhaustion, especially around family. You'll learn how to set realistic expectations and how to frame boundaries not as punishments, but as tools for self-respect. Ultimately, we encourage you to approach this topic with curiosity and intentionality, being willing to find the good, amidst the entanglement that can be really hard.

On this 2nd episode of What Your Therapist Wants You To Know, we're breaking down the real meaning of conflict--why it shows up in our relationships, what it's actually trying to tell us, and how we can respond with clarity instead of reactivity. You'll learn the common patterns that fuel tension, practical tools to stay grounded during hard conversations, and the mindset shifts that make repair possible.

This is our first ever episode of What Your Therapist Wants You To Know! In this episode, we take a grounded, compassionate look at anxiety -- what it is, why it shows up, and how to work with it instead of feeling controlled by it. We also share practical tools you can begin using today. Tune in for a real conversation directly from the therapy room!