Gaslighting, Narcissism or Trauma? The Pop Psychology Phenomenon

If you’ve ever called someone a narcissist, been told you’re being gaslighted, or diagnosed yourself via TikTok, this one’s for you.Pop psychology has gone mainstream. Therapy terms flood our group chats, dating app bios, and Netflix watchlists. But what happens when clinical language enters everyday conversation without the clinical expertise behind it? In this episode, Chris and Desiree sit down with Dr. Coreen Haym — a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who trains therapists in graduate and doctorate programs to unpack the good (destigmatization), the bad (oversimplification and self-diagnosis), and the ugly (grifters, mass therapy platforms exploiting early-career therapists, and AI chatbots designed to validate you). This is group therapy for people who are exhausted by pop psychology telling them everything is trauma and everyone around them is a narcissist.Timestamps:0:00 — Cold open: “Nothing applies to everyone”1:40 — Spring check-in, introducing Dr. Coreen Haym4:00 — Netflix dating shows and the rise of therapy speak8:00 — Queer Ultimatum, Age of Attraction, and spotting who’s actually been to therapy10:00 — The normalization of therapy talk post-COVID15:00 — Pop psychology deep dive: narcissism, self-diagnosis, confirmation bias20:00 — TikTok therapists vs. real therapists: how to tell the difference25:00 — Good therapists to follow: Therapy Jeff, ThatTherapistGirl, Nicole Artz28:00 — What it actually takes to become a licensed therapist35:00 — Dr. Phil, Mel Robbins, and grifters in the therapy space43:00 — Lawyers vs. therapists: why Mel Robbins’s background matters45:00 — Therapists navigating the current political climate50:00 — Mass therapy platforms: Headspace, Talkspace, and the exploitation of early-career therapists56:00 — AI therapy: validation machines and the human connection they can’t replace59:00 — The hunger for analog connection: silent book clubs, phone-free spaces1:02:00 — The manosphere and where men are actually going for mental health1:04:00 — Dr. Haym's closing: starting therapy is scary, but trust the process1:07:00 — Wrap====================Subscribe, watch and listen to I'm Not Even Supposed to Be Here Podcast====================🖥️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BeHerePod📱 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/im-not-even-supposed-to-be-here-today/id1867373928🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3bypMpSmcoIjt4bHk0nvzz?si=18eab826d1394fd9====================Sponsored by Bearing 287 https://www.bearing287.com/====================#BeHerePod #NotEvenSupposedToBeHere #CulturalCommentary