We discuss the issue of “control” after it came up in our small talk about parties, drugs, and past behavior. Sarah sees clearly how the abuse she suffered in the cult as a child triggers her so profoundly in her current life. She is starting to make a connection of how setting personal boundaries can keep her safe, especially when anxiety comes. Sarah is now personalizing her experiences, as evidenced by her saying “I” at several points in the session rather than referring to the general “one” or “you.” Doug tells a story about camping with his dog that helps Sarah express her own feelings about freedom and safety. It’s a great benchmark moment in their therapy for Sarah to have identified a frame of reference for those feelings.

Sarah was super busy at work, had drama with her ex, and then got Covid! In session, she expresses that it’s hard for her to say no to anyone, especially her children. Doug helps her stay with the emotion and process “disappointment." Sarah recognizes that she had been running on adrenaline and that she needs to take care of herself. Doug highlights this as her having a personal boundary even in the face of disappointing her son. Is this the beginning of a new neural pathway in her brain that allows her to take care of herself and not constantly put others’ needs ahead of her own?

Drew is feeling “confident alone” rather than “scared alone.” He describes it like being the driver of the car of his own life and holding the steering wheel himself. He is less co-dependent and not feeling so impacted by triggers and the old wound of abandonment by mom. From this place, Drew is living for himself - although he drops big news at the end of the session indicating that he definitely won’t be living just for himself anymore in about nine months!

Sarah has sense memories in the present that trigger some traumatic experiences from her upbringing in a cult. She depersonalized her trauma in the cult as a defense mechanism, but she is now able to go through it in therapy. From this more secure and stable place, Sarah is starting to connect emotionally to her own life with understanding and compassion.

Drew went back home to his parent’s house to re-ground himself. He’s been able to practice how to be present with his parents and not take on the full responsibility for their well-being. Although Drew feels more adult, Doug takes a tack of challenging him in session rather than the “fluff” of praising him and just using unconditional positive regard. Drew loves the challenge approach and is able to explore how he is starting to feel like an adult, but still acting like a child. In Drew’s own words, he said, “I think I’m still learning how to be an adult in the process of learning how to be a parent, in the process of figuring out my childhood.”

Sarah is learning not to take ownership of someone else’s feelings. She is still owning her part in triggering someone, but she is starting to allow others to be not ok without having to fix it. Sarah is no longer accepting her old default that there’s something’s wrong with her, or that she needs to fix every uncomfortable situation. Doug points out that she is embodying the Carl Rogers quote, “When I accept myself as I am, then I can change.” Sarah has accepted herself as a trauma survivor and is “lit tur uh lee” reshaping her brain.

Doug provides the space to let Drew complain about his job and his boss – something many of us can relate to feeling! Outside of work, Drew is feeling like a grown-up as he individuates from his parents. He is relating to his dad as a fellow adult rather than as a child that needs his father’s approval. He’s redefining the emotional ties he has to his family while he lives his own life for himself.

Sarah shares memories and scenes that are coming up now from her past as a child growing up in the Children of God cult. Since being in therapy, she is putting pieces of her past together with new perspective and understanding of how it has impacted her life. Sarah is able to verbalize her thoughts and process her feelings with Doug about some of the abuse she endured as a child. ***Trigger warning*** This episode contains potentially triggering and sensitive topics including child abuse. If you suspect or know that a child is being abused or neglected, call or text 800-4-A-CHILD (800-422-4453). Professional crisis counselors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in over 170 languages. All calls are confidential.

Drew is not forcing a change externally to feel better internally, having recently come out of a depressive episode. Doug reflects that he might be feeling better in part because he’s allowing himself to be present in the journey not because he reached an end destination. Drew applies this to moving his home right now, and says that he’s able to “trust the process” with both the move and the unknown in general in his life. Drew then drops a “banger” on Doug at the tail end of the session related to his thoughts on not wanting to see a doctor about his heart condition.

Sarah explores how impactful it was to not have someone that at least tried to protect her as a child growing up in a cult. Doug reinforces the concept that she’s now re-parenting herself when she uncovers old wounds and tends to them. Sarah also protects herself by gathering data, like with her upcoming eye surgery. As a protective measure, data collection help Sarah feel more in control. It’s neither good nor bad; it’s just giving herself familiarity with something unknown to reduce feeling anxious, powerless, and not in control.

Drew is finding his groove again after a three month depressive episode. We highlight “inter-dependence” in his relationships right now in contrast to the people pleasing and co-dependence that marked most of his previous relationships. Drew is setting his boundaries and not feeling guilty about moving away from the people that have “done me dirty,” while leaning into the people that have “done me right.”

Sometimes feeling misunderstood can lead to self-realization. Ouch, Meredith! Sarah sees herself objectively after hearing Mer’s reaction to her from an earlier session. This leads Sarah to explore her protective mechanism of correction and hyper vigilance when there is a problem in her life. Doug encourages Sarah to sit with the emotion for a moment and validate the experience before taking an action to fix an issue. He introduces the idea of looking at things with a sense of curiosity versus correction.

Doug recaps the lost audio from session #86 with Drew comparing his depressive episode to turbulence on an airplane, and how we can manage our way through it. In the current session #87, Drew reflects on being able to stay present in the day-to-day experience of his life rather than getting caught up with what the next six months, year, or two years will look like – especially in his relationship with his girlfriend.

Sarah attends a memorial for her cousin and is triggered at the service by seeing an abuser from her past in the cult. She is able to compartmentalize in the moment, let it out later with her family, and then process it with Doug in therapy. Sarah could be present in her own experience as it was happening and then acknowledge and process the emotions that came up in a safe space.

Sarah is feeling overwhelmed with a lot of little things stressing her out and one big thing coming up – her cousin’s memorial. Doug helps Sarah stop and breathe, so she can acknowledge and process some of her grief and feelings of guilt.

Sarah links her current feeling of powerlessness with her past experiences of powerlessness in the cult and in her previous marriage. Doug helps Sarah go to an emotional place and process from there, rather than go to an intellectualized place, or get anxious and shut down. Sarah uses therapy to help carve new neural pathways in her brain and shape new patterns of behavior by consciously shifting what she does and how she does it.

In the safe space of a therapy session, Drew is able to verbalize and explore his suicidal thoughts and the feelings of guilt, shame, and embarrassment. They talk about the stress and pressure from the expectations that Drew puts on himself. In the breakdown, Meredith and Doug continue to process what came up in the session and some of what they do professionally and personally when clients have suicidal thoughts.

An incident with her daughter sparks Sarah’s feelings of anger and powerlessness. Doug helps her draw the link to her emotional experience in the cult. Sarah is able to stay with her emotions rather than intellectualize them or try to fix the situation. They begin processing the feelings in session that she’s been holding onto most of her life.

Doug helps Drew use a metaphoric pie chart to understand where his energy goes and where his stress comes from in his life right now. 

Sarah tells the story of her life as a teenager after escaping the cult she grew up in as a child. Doug helps her see where some patterns started with her only focusing right in front of her, staying hyper vigilant, and never dropping the ball or giving up control.

From the vantage point of his new job and a regular paycheck, Drew looks back objectively with appreciation at some of the things he was doing for work the past 18 months. He gets support from his girlfriend/not-girlfriend as he finds his new speed.

Drew got a new job and feels like he’s taking a couple steps back mentally but he’s taking ten steps forward emotionally. Although he's overqualified for this job, he has the perspective of feeling a sense of mastery in what he's doing. We look at concepts of success, balance, and confidence building.

Drew is allowing himself to slow down and experience all of the emotions coming up right now rather than just “getting through it” or numbing away from it. He acknowledges that his roots at the bottom feel solid while at the top, he can be a reed blowing with the wind and not fighting it. He feels like an Evergreen, baby!

Drew gets emotional as he copes with a hard week in the midst of a depressive episode. Drew expresses that he needed the safety net of parents this week and didn’t get it. He’s now feeling alone in the world, questioning his purpose, and not feeling much hope. Doug helps Drew acknowledge that much of this is a function of being more independent and not relying on others to feel better. It’s also a function of Drew doubling down not shutting down, and processing these emotions rather than running from them. Doug holds the space for Drew to feel the feelings.

Drew is feeling depressed. Things are going good, but he’s not feeling good. During this period of time, Drew feels like something internal is missing – he’s not enjoying anything on his own and pushes back whenever Doug looks at his connection to others. Drew gets emotional and they are able to sit with the feelings of just being “in the grey.”

As a sign of vulnerability, trust, and the safe space of therapy, Sarah allows herself to cry in session and feel the loss of her cousin. Doug helps her stay with the feelings and express what is coming up for her in these initial stages of grief.

Drew is feeling lukewarm, anhedonia, and meh rather than being in the high highs or the low lows. He’s understanding what it’s like being somewhere in the middle and not being at 0 or at 100. Drew recognizes that he used to need a partner or his parents to validate his experience. Now he's experiencing being alone and not lonely. He’s embracing having an experience on his own then sharing that with others - as long as he's not misunderstood...

Doug and his mom open with a discussion about multiple personality disorder and her previous work in therapy with clients coming out of cults. In the session, Sarah acknowledges never allowing herself to fully feel the anger she’s held onto from her own upbringing in a cult.

Doug helps Drew go deeper to explore the concept of a safety net by processing his all-in, all-out mentality. Drew goes to an emotional place when they talk about feeling abandoned, betrayed, and neglected by the inconsistency of his parents not being there for him.

For this episode we check in with Drew, the client from Season 1 whose episodes are continuing on Patreon.com (link below). Drew wants to be doing more to do less, as he copes with the stress of his recent heart attack. Drew processes his parents not showing up to support him the way he needs and wants them. Speaking of which, Doug is supported on the breakdown by a special guest therapist – his mom!

Drew explores the idea of his parents as a safety net without dependence or co-dependence in their relationship. Doug and Drew look at the concept of allowing someone to do something supportive for you, rather than depending entirely on somebody that could let you down. Mer digs into whether Drew's girlfriend is really his girlfriend or not.

Drew comes in with a high level of anxiety after going to the emergency room for a heart event. Doug helps Drew process the anxiety in the session. Drew is able to bring his level of anxiety down over the course of the session. Doug and Drew explore getting support from his “family of choice” while processing the disappointment he feels from his family of origin.

Sarah describes taking herself through worst case scenarios to prepare herself for a situation, so she can avoid the shock and broken heart that might otherwise overwhelm her. That protective mechanism once served her, but now creates a disconnect from her actual emotional experience of life...

Drew describes what it’s like to go through highs and lows by himself with the support of people around him. Doug and Drew explore what it means to have the validation that comes when we can say "thank you" and "you’re welcome" without qualifying it, dismissing it, or deflecting it. Practice saying, "Thank you." Period.

Doug helps Drew acknowledge and process feeling down in the dumps, for seemingly no reason. They talk about the difference between feeling depressed or being in a depressive episode. Drew explains what an “episode” means to him after Doug reads him a portion of a transcript from their session a year ago when he felt something similar.

Doug helps Sarah process grief in real time after she just learned of a family member’s failing health while in the hospital. Sarah is able to acknowledge having different feelings spiraling at the same time right now. Doug walks with her through some of the stages of grief that are actively coming up in the session - shock, denial, guilt, bargaining, and anger.

Drew looks at his new 26-year-old life as an adult feeling his independence and confidence growing. He acknowledges that his parents can still be a safety net. While separated from his current girlfriend, he tests himself by having lunch with his ex-girlfriend. Drew is actively building ego strength – he’s applying what he’s been learning in therapy by seeing things externally and making changes internally.

Doug helps Sarah acknowledge that she is actively creating new neural pathways by doing things differently from her patterned way of being and doing. Sarah gives herself permission to see the changes in her behavior this past week as growth and progress in her therapeutic journey – it’s not just a fluke!

Drew is allowing himself to be who he really wants to be in his relationships with family, friends, and work – as well as with his girlfriend while they’re separated. He is actively letting go of old ideas and discovering what it’s like to not go "over and above" or "put on the cape" to rescue everyone, everywhere, all the time. It’s the middle way! Doug is joined by his colleague and practice mate, Sasha Brodsky, for the clinical breakdown. They discuss issues of trust, judgement, awareness, and the internal preparedness and sense of safety that Drew is developing.

We explore Sarah’s conditioning from her upbringing in the Children of God cult. “Trauma is a radioactive spider that bites.” It can lead you to develop powers of protection and systems of safety for your survival. Then we’ve got to learn what to do with that power because we might not need those defenses and protections in our life anymore at every moment. We also explore the idea of value – especially as it impacts self-worth.

We explore the “systems of safety” that Sarah developed as a child growing up in a cult to protect herself because no one else did. We can thank those defense mechanisms for doing such a good job of protecting us when a threat was real. We needed them to survive and now we need to say goodbye to them in order to thrive...

Doug and Drew explore the idea that being solo is not just not about being alone or lonely. Drew is finding his confidence and strength in life outside of a relationship instead of making that one person in his life into the everything of his life. Drew is calibrating “the middle” rather than going all-in or all-out in situations, both in his personal life and his work life.

Drew explores what it means to experience life solo rather than go through his separation feeling lonely or alone. He and Doug talk about learning to balance the fairy tale, fantasy world version of love with the reality of what feels healthy and supportive. Doug helps Drew connect the anxiety about not knowing everything that’s going on for someone with people lying or concealing things – historically like his mom using substances. Doug and Meredith discuss balancing highs and lows, and not just staying flat in the middle.

Sarah feels righteous anger about a coworker that was let go. Doug helps her see that it’s a trigger for her own traumatic past when people in power abuse that power and wrong others. When it’s on someone else’s behalf, Sarah has insulation, protection, and deflection from her own wounds, making it easier to take up a quest for justice. She is able to draw the link to her own history of being wronged and abused by people in power in the cult and her previous marriage and jobs.

Drew continues the process of individuation. He sees that sharing his life with his mom is now a function of him being proud of himself, not him looking to her for reassurance and self-worth. Drew acknowledges his own physical body and the sensations that come along with his emotional experiences. Doug helps him understand how regulating his physical body can help him regulate his thoughts and feelings. Drew explores feeling spread thin and starts thinking about where he chooses to put energy now – not just doing everything everywhere for everyone and burning out.

Sarah felt validated and valued at work this week after a triggering annual review last week. Doug and Sarah explore how what she calls nonsense can make perfect sense to others. They break down issues of control and accountability. Sarah unpacks how her vigilance that others follow the rules is conditioning from her childhood in the cult.

Drew got emotionally triggered after a recent funeral for a friend from back home. Then he made a surprise visit to his parents for his mom’s birthday. Doug fills us in on what we missed in both Drew’s last session (#65) that didn’t get recorded, and a phone call that Drew and Doug had to process some relationship trouble. In the session Drew is able to go into the emotion underneath the recent triggers.

Drew learns to trust his gut more. He experiences being the son he wants to be for his parents, rather than the son he thinks they want him to be. He feels whelmed, not overwhelmed, but still needs support from people around him. Drew explores asking for forgiveness rather than asking for permission, and saying “thank you” instead of “I’m sorry.”

Sarah got triggered by a review at work which leads to an exploration of deeper issues. Doug helps her express anger and frustration about being powerless and misrepresented, especially when someone of authority is in control.

Drew feels his self-confidence grow, but acknowledges that his trust issues are still making him want constant reassurance in relationships. As he recovers from Covid, we explore and break down his relationship to smoking weed. Drew celebrates his baby steps and progress in the meta sense – from pronouncing the word “compartmentalize” to breaking codependence.

Doug redefines work-life balance: it’s a balance of work, rest, and play that are all under the umbrella of life. Sarah examines “play” in her life. She connects the hyper vigilance of being ‘mama bear’ for everyone around her to the trauma response that protects her from slowing down or stopping to feel the feelings.

Who doesn't love the smell of bacon? Drew manages Covid confusion and experiences letting go and trusting himself. He is slowing down without slowing down and acknowledges, “As a human being, you can only put up with so much.” He draws inspiration from his grandma - and shares a story about her that Mer loves!

Doug is on location in New York discovering the quiet, nature side of the city. Sarah and Doug dissect the associations she’s held in her head with being a trauma survivor and with being a victim. Sarah explores some recent triggers and exercises having compassion for the younger version of herself that was traumatized.

Drew continues to work on breaking codependence. He is looking at several relationships in his life, right as we're in the thick of the holiday season. He realizes that "not talking to somebody for a month, doesn't mean they don't love you." It's ok if you don't have someone showing you love right in front of you at all times, it's still there... and he's beginning to feel that that's true.

As Sarah talks about a stressful work relationship, Doug slows her down and helps her process being a trauma survivor. They examine how Sarah’s system learned to protect her from complex trauma in the past and how it still affects her current relationships.

Mer is back with Doug on the breakdowns, and might be a little jelly of the guest co-hosts... Drew is embracing being perfectly imperfect and not getting so caught up in the moment of disappointment, knowing it will be ok. And he will be ok. He calls Doug his mental muscle trainer, and he's flexing his muscles!

In an emotional session, Sarah vents about an issue she’s having with a coworker. This leads Doug to look deeper inside for what’s really going on with her. As he helps Sarah slow down in the session, she takes a deep breath and feels the emotional weight of stress she’s been holding and keeping inside.

Drew is directly affected by Covid hitting his family at Thanksgiving. Doug is joined by his colleague and therapy practice mate, Sasha Brodsky.

Drew reflects on his self-worth and thinks about it not coming from what he does for others, but rather truly from himself. Doug is joined in the breakdown this week by his colleague and friend, Bonnie Rae (who was on our first Roundtable in Season One!). Bonnie and Doug explore unmet attachment needs and breaking codependency.

Drew is unlearning codependency by building confidence in himself. From this strength he is finding community and feeling a sense of belonging that doesn't rely on other people's well being for his own. "I was ok when they weren’t disappointed but I was never really happy." -Drew Doug's colleague, Jen Parkford joins the Breakdown and offers her perspective.

Doug and Mer talk comets and cults while Doug corrects an earlier comment that the cult leader in Sarah’s case was caught - he wasn’t! He lived in hiding for over twenty years until he died. Sarah talks about school and education growing up in the cult. She explains the massive confusion and the ensuing tragedies experienced by many around her in the aftermath of leaving the cult.

Mer acknowledges Doug for his emotional and personal music album coming out in a few weeks; and then she gives him guff for not getting the podcast’s Patreon launched yet! It’s coming soon with ongoing Drew episodes and other exclusives for subscribers. In this session with Sarah, Doug helps her look at the inner critic that fuels perfectionism. This is often a trauma response from her growing up in an abusive cult with neglectful parenting.

Meredith imparts some knowledge to Doug (and us!) about invalidation trauma after a recent training. We get to know more about Sarah in her session as she talks about her work, her upbringing in the cult, and her anxiety that she carries around with her still. Doug helps Sarah understand the connection of making herself indispensable to a historic fear of abandonment.

Meredith updates us on the intruder in her backyard - who came back again! We continue the new season with Sarah, in spite of a few audio hiccups in the session. Doug and Sarah talk about feeling frustrated, annoyed, and overwhelmed when others don’t get to a solution as quickly and easily as you do, especially when that means you take it on and do it all yourself. This has been a part of Sarah for so long as a survival mechanism growing up in, and running away from, a cult. Doug and Mer highlight the process of helping clients like Sarah recognize and begin to change their patterns, rather than stay focused on the details and the content of their current narrative.

***Trigger warning*** This episode contains potentially triggering and sensitive topics including child abuse. If you suspect or know that a child is being abused or neglected, call or text 800-4-A-CHILD (800-422-4453). Professional crisis counselors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in over 170 languages. All calls are confidential. The new season continues with the second therapy session for Sarah, the new client in treatment with Doug. As they explore Sarah’s parenting style, she begins to tell some of her own story about growing up in a cult...

We’re baa-ack! In this new season kick off, Doug and Meredith are “a step up from sweatpants” and ready to dive back into it with us. We hear the first session with Doug and Sarah, the new client we’ll get to know and join for the journey in therapy. Sarah shares some of her history and acknowledges that she’s spent a lifetime compartmentalizing, but doesn’t truly have a handle on everything. We hear a few tips of the icebergs that have developed over time for her coming from a traumatic background. The groundwork for therapy is being set and we all get to follow along from the start!

In this Roundtable episode, Doug and Meredith are joined by fellow therapist Ashley McGirt and therapist in training Sahaj Kohli for a conversation about cultural issues in mental health and the world around us. The conversation explores stigma, discomforts, comforts, and experiences of issues around culture in their lives and work in mental health.

In this Roundtable episode, Doug and Meredith are joined by fellow therapist José Mata and psychiatrist Dr. Craig Heacock, both of whom work with the intersection of psychedelics and therapy. They look at current trends, research, and experiences of healing with the assistance of certain substances like MDMA, Ketamine, Ayahuasca, and Psilocybin. Join Doug and Mer for a unique conversation with these colleagues in the growing world of psychedelic assisted therapy.

Mer Mer launches herself into another dimension with Oculus, and this reminds Doug of a time when he was immersed in a virtual reality Star Wars experience. The session begins with Drew feeling a little down that he hasn’t lived up to the financial or material standard set by his father...

Mer Mer keeps her mind fresh and young by doing Sudoku. She and Doug give the update that they still have yet to shut down their computers at the end of each work day. Then, a very packed session with Drew uncovers a few big reasons why he has trust issues. Drew eases his burden by sharing some stories he’s never told before...

At the top of the show this week, Doug busts himself and Meredith for not following through AGAIN on shutting down their computers at night! They swap teenage closet stories (including Doug’s roaches!). The session begins with Drew sharing that he is moving back to a place in LA that he has lived before. He feels grateful for the comfort and familiarity of it, rather than feeling like he is taking a step backwards...

Joining Doug and Meredith to break down the 5 Love Languages and Apology is clinical psychologist Dr. Jen Thomas. She is a motivational speaker specializing in the five love languages and communication. She is the co-author with Gary Chapman of When Sorry Isn’t Enough and The Five Languages of Apology. We talk about understanding and applying the 5 Love Languages to yourself and your relationships. We also dive into the language of apology. What’s your main Love Language? How do you say, and hear, I’m Sorry?

This week, Drew is realizing that sooner than later, his parents will no longer be financially supporting him. Not only is he nervous about being able to pay for everything, he’s worried that once his parents no longer have an obligation to support him, they won’t choose to be as connected to him...

*** Warning - this episode contains potentially triggering and sensitive topics, including sexual assault. If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1800-646-4673 or go to RAINN.org.*** Drew shares his thoughts and feelings about an extremely disturbing and traumatic event. The details are not 100% clear, however his initial description was that his girlfriend was “raped and essentially kidnapped.”...

While we all start to come out of the pandemic lockdown, Drew and his girlfriend are starting to come out of the honeymoon phase. In their relationship reality, running out of toilet paper becomes a symbol for so much more. Drew and Doug talk about setting boundaries vs. giving rules...

Doug and Meredith finally saw each other in person again! They break down what an “episode” means to Drew and what it can mean when a therapist hears that word. In the session, Drew is feeling down and out because of some issues with his girlfriend that leave him feeling misunderstood and underappreciated. He tells Doug about a trip to Malibu that didn’t go as planned - and how her “passing out” triggered him. The argument that followed the next day brought up issues around getting his needs met and being more authentic and vulnerable, without having to share everything with a partner.

Doug and Meredith are joined by Rebecca to break down the Myers Briggs Type Indicator. We get some history of this Carl Jung inspired psychological test for how people experience the world. Rebecca uses Mer and Doug’s test results to show how you can understand and apply it to your own life. Take the recommended test yourself in the links below. What’s your type? Let us know!

Meredith swims a mile then she and Doug talk about Justice League. And the superhero talk continues with Drew taking to a Superman analogy - balancing the daily grind of a day job with using his own time to focus on his passions. Drew shows vulnerability with his girlfriend...

Meredith loves daylight saving time! Restaurants and movie theatres are opening up in LA now, but Doug is still trying to hide out like a mountain man. In Drew’s therapy session he talks about feeling burnt out and tired from his job. He is also using this time to define his boundaries and let people know when things aren’t right or fair. He and Doug talk about two examples of Drew standing up for himself - one work related, and a personal one that triggered a familiar feeling of distrust and disappointment that he’s historically felt with his Mom. Drew is working on radically accepting his mother for who she is, while dealing with her tendency to not be present or emotionally available.

Meredith and Doug discuss their take on working with clients that have different political views and ideologies than their own. It’s a great jumping off point for this week’s session. Drew is trying to be the bridge for people in his life dealing with racial injustice and prejudice. Drew talks about compartmentalizing when feeling overwhelmed and anxious...

Doug is back in LA and missing the mountains. Meredith realizes it may be time for all of us to get a car wash (especially Doug!). In the session, Drew and Doug get into a heavy conversation as Drew details how a party with his new girlfriend went way wrong...

The podcast hits the one year mark this week… and it’s a twofer! Two sessions in one episode as life in the podcast timeline is starting to go virtual in the very beginning of the pandemic. Doug and Drew pack a lot into these two shorter sessions...

Spiritual practitioner Crystal Duan joins Doug and Meredith to break down Astrology. We talk about understanding the language of it as well as both the pseudoscience and its real life applications. Crystal uses Astrological charts for Mer and Doug to show how you can apply it to your life and relationships. What’s your sign? And your moon, and your rising sign?

Before Drew’s session this week, Meredith and Doug give a wrap up of their Valentine's Day experiences, Drew talks about going home for his friend’s funeral; and he walks through both the horror movie version and Disney version of how the weekend could go. Doug helps Drew identify how he can show up authentically rather than trying to match his online persona or a more people-pleasing version of himself...

Doug took Meredith’s pillow washing challenge and he took her movie recommendation! They figure out why we call a podcast a podcast. The session begins with Drew dealing with emotions that are stirred up as he prepares to go home for a friend’s funeral. He works with Doug on sticking with his personal boundaries, dealing with the feeling of betrayal from his mother, and learning how to disappoint people without feeling extreme guilt or shame...

It’s a busy and eventful show this week, kicking off with Doug’s second mountain lion sighting - this time it’s a baby! Meredith gives her thoughts on outdoor dining reopening in Los Angeles. The session begins with Drew telling Doug about the three main motivating factors in life that he heard about in church...

Certified Enneagram coach Abbey Howe joins Doug and Meredith to break down the Enneagram. We walk through some of its history and ways to understand and apply it to yourself. Abbey takes us through an interpretation of Mer and Doug’s results from the Enneagram type quiz. Take the quiz yourself and let us know what Enneagram number you are - and how you’ll use the info!

Doug and Meredith roar into this week with a recount of Doug’s mountain lion visitor while Mer has been washing her dishes and feeling soooo good and accomplished. Drew’s session comes at the one year anniversary of Kobe Bryant’s death, which stirs up emotions for Drew about loss. Drew gives an update on seeing his longtime ex-girlfriend...

Drew picks up where he left off last week, back from the holidays and feeling somewhat unmotivated and withdrawn. In the session, Drew and Doug discuss the difference between feeling depressed and a depressive episode. They talk about Drew’s need to withdraw and how it might be exactly what he needs at this moment, as he works on being okay with himself, instead of trying to please others...

Doug and Meredith kick off this week’s episode talking about how living in LA during a pandemic feels like a zombie movie. They also touch on how lack of good sleep can affect us. In the session, Drew talks about the loss of his friend and questions how he can better cope with grief...

Doug and Meredith talk about broken toes, wind chimes, and maintaining confidentiality even when a client shares a crime they committed. In the session, Drew is back from his brother’s wedding and preparing to head home for a visit. Drew is noticing some major changes in himself, such as being scared as well as excited for the unknown...

In this special New Years Eve mini-sode, Doug and Meredith say goodbye to 2020 and look ahead to 2021. They give their two cents about resolutions and intentions for the new year. They share three words to summarize their 2020 and three words for the intentions they're setting for 2021. What are three words that summarize your 2020? What are three words for the intentions you're setting for 2021? Let us know!

This week was already going to be special with the wedding, but the fact that it’s Meredith’s birthday makes it even more fun! Meredith talks running and putt-putt golf while Doug reveals that he went to the Junior Olympics! In the session, Drew is back from his brother’s wedding. He shares some awkward family moments that weren’t so awkward to him now...

Doug and Meredith kick off the episode talking about cute cows, amaaaaazing smelling wreaths, and giant Christmas trees. The session begins with Drew’s literal worst fear coming true - his mother relapsing...