Mental Health Hot Takes #4

Dr Kirk Honda reacts to mental health hot takes from the listeners. November 21, 2025 This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/KIRK to get 10% off your first month. 00:00 Intro01:16 Self-care culture can cause undue pressure 03:42 Teachers should be banned from using mental health terms 11:04 Autistic individuals are frequently misdiagnosed with Borderline 18:04 Humor is the best coping mechanism 18:13 Those in the US are prone to exaggeration 19:27 Excessive screen time impacts our mental health 25:21 We don't all suddenly have ADHD 27:33 People with personality disorders shouldn't be politicians 30:10 Frequent trauma reflection can become unhealthy wallowing 40:16 People use diagnosis as an excuse for bad behaviors 41:00 It's OK to use Borderline language without a diagnosis 42:33 Authenticity with clients is not about full transparency 46:35 Narcissism is both over and under diagnosed 47:10 Shame isn't always bad 50:05 Medication doesn't work for everyone 52:08 People with psychosis can benefit from talk therapy 55:28 You can cut out those that negatively impact your life 56:36 Therapists only validate their clients 1:00:20 Romantic love is unethical 1:00:58 Trauma dumping is a quick way of rescinding empathy 1:01:10 It is too much work to become a mental health professional 1:08:13 There's too many types of psychotherapy 1:14:38 Boundaries are just a way to be avoidant 1:15:50 Understanding mental illness is still in infancy 1:22:12 Embrace being average 1:26:10 DID is a trauma response not a personality disorder 1:30:31 Mental health issues come from family of origin trauma 1:30:46 EMDR can do more harm than good 1:33:52 Imposter syndrome points to grandiosity rather than humility 1:37:48 Social media isn't harmful per se, just in our societal context 1:38:09 Client-centered therapists "just" listen 1:39:37 CBT is for therapists who are afraid of doing real work 1:42:08 You can't love yourself without being loved by others 1:44:54 Can someone be in love with two people at once? 1:51:22 Schema therapy is the best model 1:54:35 Mandatory therapy should be paid for by the government 1:57:23 Eclectic therapists don't understand any model well enough 1:59:10 Stop focusing on your mental health 2:03:14 Organized attachment is the exception, not the norm 2:05:09 Those in open relationships just have insecure attachment 2:09:29 It's not easy being green Become a member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOUZWV1DRtHtpP2H48S7iiw/join Become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/PsychologyInSeattle Email: https://www.psychologyinseattle.com/contact Website: https://www.psychologyinseattle.com Merch: https://psychologyinseattle-shop.fourthwall.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/psychologyinseattle/ Facebook Official Page: https://www.facebook.com/PsychologyInSeattle/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kirk.honda The Psychology In Seattle Podcast ® Trigger Warning: This episode may include topics such as assault, trauma, and discrimination. If necessary, listeners are encouraged to refrain from listening and care for their safety and well-being. Disclaimer: The content provided is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only. Nothing here constitutes personal or professional consultation, therapy, diagnosis, or creates a counselor-client relationship. Topics discussed may generate differing points of view. If you participate (by being a guest, submitting a question, or commenting) you must do so with the knowledge that we cannot control reactions or responses from others, which may not agree with you or feel unfair. Your participation on this site is at your own risk, accepting full responsibility for any liability or harm that may result. Anything you write here may be used for discussion or endorsement of the podcast. Opinions and views expressed by the host and guest hosts are personal views. Although, we take precautions and fact check, they should not be considered facts and the opinions may change. Opinions posted by participants (such as comments) are not those of the hosts. Readers should not rely on any information found here and should perform due diligence before taking any action. For a more extensive description of factors for you to consider, please see www.psychologyinseattle.com