Shows
Licensed and UnfilteredThe Therapy Behind How I Met Your MotherTed Mosby wasn't just looking for love – he was reenacting his attachment trauma across nine seasons of relationship chaos. What we thought was a romantic's journey toward "the one" was actually a masterclass in how our earliest wounds shape our adult connections.Diving deep into the psychology of How I Met Your Mother, we unpack the attachment styles that defined each character: Ted's anxious preoccupation with finding "the one," Robin's avoidant fear of true intimacy, Barney's performative defenses against vulnerability, and even Lily and Marshall's functional codependency disguised as #couplegoals. These weren't just personality quirks – they were soph...2025-07-3135 minLicensed and UnfilteredNo One Tells You Motherhood Begins With GriefMotherhood begins with a seismic identity shift that nobody prepares you for. That moment they hand you your baby and you're suddenly "Mom"—before you've even had time to process the transformation happening inside you.The raw truth? Becoming a mother often begins with grief. Grief for your independence, your rhythms, and the version of yourself who didn't calculate nap windows or feel constantly needed. This profound psychological and emotional metamorphosis has a name: matricence. Like adolescence, it reshapes your entire being, yet society rarely acknowledges its existence or provides grace for women navigating this terrain.2025-07-1718 minLicensed and UnfilteredWhy We All Need Michael Scott's Emotional WhiplashEver found yourself unexpectedly emotional over a scene from The Office? That odd moment when Jim cuts his tie after Pam tears her veil, or when Michael is the only one who shows up to appreciate Pam's art? There's a psychological reason those moments hit so hard.Welcome to a therapeutic journey through the halls of Dunder Mifflin, where we're unpacking what makes this workplace comedy secretly one of the most profound character studies on television. Beyond the cringe humor and paper sales lies a masterclass in attachment theory, relationship dynamics, and emotional growth.Through...2025-07-1039 minLicensed and UnfilteredRunning on Caffeine, Cortisol, and Vibes: A Therapist's Guide to Recognizing BurnoutDragging yourself out of bed, crying at commercials, and fantasizing about escape while still managing to text people back? You're not lazy—you're burned out. You're compassion-fatigued. You're a full-grown adult running on caffeine, cortisol, and pure determination.This raw, honest conversation dives deep into what burnout and compassion fatigue really look and feel like, beyond the clinical definitions. We explore the subtle signs your body sends when you're running on empty: becoming resentful when people need you, doom-scrolling instead of decompressing, mentally checking out during meaningful moments, and dreaming about quitting everything to open that bakery in...2025-07-0319 minLicensed and UnfilteredEmotional Rollercoaster: The Science Behind Why We Stay in Toxic LoveWhat happens when "toxic" isn't just a trendy buzzword, but your daily reality? Behind closed doors, toxic relationships rarely announce themselves with obvious red flags. Instead, they slowly erode your sense of self through quiet patterns that make you question your reality and shrink your existence.This deep dive explores what actually makes a relationship toxic—from the subtle gaslighting that makes you doubt your sanity to the trauma bonds that keep you chemically addicted to harmful cycles. Using insights from attachment theory, polyvagal theory, and the Gottman Method, we unpack why intelligent, capable people stay in re...2025-06-2638 minLicensed and UnfilteredPermission to Want: Dismantling the Madonna-Whore ComplexSex. Just reading that word might make your palms sweat or trigger your inner middle schooler to blush. But why? In a world saturated with sexualized images, why do so many women still feel profound shame about their desires, bodies, and pleasure?This episode tears down the walls of sexual shame, exposing the systems that taught us to silence our needs, question our worth, and disconnect from our bodies. We unpack how inadequate sex education, religious purity culture, and the Madonna-Whore Complex work together to create a perfect storm of confusion and guilt around female sexuality. These...2025-06-1949 minLicensed and UnfilteredAre You Being Lied To About Having a Successful Relationship With Someone With an Addiction?🎙️ Episode Title: Are you being lied to about having a successful relationship with someone with an addiction? 📝 Episode Description:This episode of Licensed and Unfiltered dives into the raw and rarely spoken realities of addiction — from the pain and confusion it brings to the people we love, to the internal battles we often hide.Lina shares personal and clinical reflections on addiction, healing, and what it means to hold space for others while honoring your own mental health. Whether you're a clinician, a loved one, or someone in the thick of re...2025-06-1233 minLicensed and UnfilteredTil Stress Do Us Part: The Real Reasons People DivorceWe unpack the top five reasons people get divorced and examine the demographic patterns behind relationship breakdowns. Delving into common causes from infidelity and communication breakdown to financial stress, constant conflict, and growing apart, we discover why "happily ever after" requires actual work.• Infidelity tops divorce reason lists with 35% of women citing their husband's affairs as the final straw• Communication breakdown often starts with avoiding conflict and ends with complete disconnection• Financial stress and power struggles over money rank third in causing relationship dissolution• Constant conflict transforms couples from fighting for each other to fighting...2025-06-0409 minLicensed and UnfilteredBeyond the Bottle: How Medically Supervised Altered States Are Changing Mental HealthKetamine therapy stands at the forefront of mental health innovation, representing the most disruptive advancement since Prozac revolutionized depression treatment decades ago. This powerful approach doesn't just patch over symptoms—it potentially rewires the traumatized brain, offering hope where traditional treatments have failed.The science behind ketamine therapy reveals why it's so effective. Working as an NMDA receptor antagonist, ketamine increases glutamate levels in the brain, enhancing neuroplasticity and creating new neural pathways. Unlike conventional antidepressants that might take weeks to show effects, ketamine can deliver noticeable relief within hours or days. During sessions, patients often experience a...2025-05-2917 minLicensed and UnfilteredYour Self-Doubt Isn’t Yours — It Was Given to YouHave you ever noticed that nagging voice in your head telling you you're not good enough? That critical inner dialogue isn't just causing personal distress – it's actively shaping your relationships in ways you might not realize. This revealing exploration uncovers how our self-doubt becomes the invisible scriptwriter for our love stories.Drawing from attachment theory, we dive into how childhood experiences form the foundation of our adult relationship patterns. Those conditional love messages from caregivers or early experiences of rejection don't just fade away – they transform into attachment styles that determine how we connect with partners. Whether you...2025-05-2215 minLicensed and UnfilteredSwipe Left on Politics, Not People: A Dating Guide for Divided TimesLove in politically divided times requires new approaches to communication and boundary-setting. Politics has become a central identity marker, with many seeing opposing views as moral incompatibilities rather than simple differences of opinion.• One in two adults is estranged from a relative, with one in five citing political differences• 22% of millennials have ended romantic relationships due to political disagreements• 86% of Americans believe dating someone from the opposing political party has become more difficult• Political filters on dating apps offer both benefits (value alignment, conflict reduction) and drawbacks (echo chambers, oversimplification)• First date conversations benefit fr...2025-05-1517 minLicensed and UnfilteredRelationship Advice That Should Be IllegalEver noticed how the relationship advice we're bombarded with often feels suspiciously shallow? From the well-meaning but misguided "happy wife, happy life" to the downright toxic "if they're jealous, they must really love you," we're swimming in a sea of relationship clichés that deserve a serious reality check.As a marriage and family therapist, I've witnessed firsthand the damage these seemingly innocent phrases can cause. In this no-holds-barred episode, I'm dismantling ten pieces of relationship advice so bad they should come with warning labels. We'll explore why "men are from Mars, women are from Venus" creates u...2025-05-0816 minLicensed and UnfilteredWeaponized Words: How We're Using Therapy Terms to Avoid FeelingsTherapy language that was once meant to foster clarity and connection has quietly shifted into a defensive tool that often creates distance rather than understanding. • Clinical terms like "gaslighting," "toxic," "narcissist," and "trauma" are frequently misunderstood and misused in everyday conversations• The real definition of gaslighting involves psychological manipulation that causes someone to question their reality, not simple disagreement• "Narcissist" isn't just someone self-absorbed, but a personality disorder requiring five or more specific DSM-5 criteria• Trauma bonding isn't connecting over similar traumas, but a psychological attachment formed through cycles of abuse and positive reinforcement• The...2025-05-0139 minLicensed and UnfilteredTherapy's New Challenge: The Rise of Main Character Energy in Clients🎙️ Licensed and Unfiltered | Episode Title: Main Character Syndrome – The Rising Trend in Therapy Offices🎙️ This episode is powered by Therapedia — the AI assistant that helps therapists take notes faster, so we can focus on the work that matters most.In this episode of Licensed and Unfiltered, we dive into the viral TikTok phenomenon known as Main Character Syndrome — and how it’s showing up in therapy sessions across the country. From emotional disconnection in relationships to the glamorization of self-importance on social media, we unpack how this trend is impacting real people in real rel...2025-04-2616 minLicensed and Unfiltered"I Love You… But I Don’t Like You Right Now" — The Ugly Truth About Modern RelationshipsDislike for your partner doesn't mean your relationship is doomed — it means you're human.In this episode of Licensed and Unfiltered, Lina breaks down what it really means when you’re irritated, resentful, or just plain tired of your partner. From passive-aggressive dishwasher fights to Reddit confessions and emotional cycles in long-term love, we explore the difference between disconnection and destruction.🔎 In this episode, we cover:What your fights are really about (Hint: It’s not the trash)Why you sometimes feel like you “don’t like” your partnerRelationship repair cycles: closeness, distance, and r...2025-04-1711 minLicensed and UnfilteredWe Need to Talk... About Talking: Why Communication Is Still the #1 Relationship Killer🎧 Episode DescriptionTitle: We Need to Talk... About Talking: Why Communication Is Still the #1 Relationship Killer Tagline: Ghosting, stonewalling, dry texting—modern love has a communication problem. Let's fix it.Description: Welcome to the very first episode of Licensed and Unfiltered — the podcast where we unpack love, sex, and the messy space in between.In this debut episode, we’re tackling one of the most deceptively simple — and consistently destructive — issues in relationships: communication. It’s not always the cheating, the stress, or the explosive fights that end...2025-04-1013 min