I Married Your Therapist

Your therapist has identified what she has come to identify as "THE Autistic Fight" - the argument loop that autistic people and their (usually) non-autistic partners get stuck in again and again.The baseline of her research? Working with autistic clients, discussing with autistic friends, and fighting with me, ya boy.

Sometimes, therapists suck. My wife (your therapist) explains what to look for.The alternative title to this episode: "So we heard your therapist sucks booty hole". 

We didn't record an episode for like over a year. My bad. Your therapist wants to remind you how critical making friends is for your cute lil nervous system.

Weed, booze, chronic shopping, over-eating, you get it. Your therapist calls it "running from discomfort". No judgement here bro, I'm the fuckin captain of the smoke weed everyday ship.She's gonna walk us both through why running from discomfort can actually create it's own problems. Come listen to these tips on how and why to stop running all the time. Trust me, it works. 

Moving is one of the most stressful things we can do. Your therapist has sessions pretty regularly where she talks to clients about it. Come join us for a few helpful tips on ways to manage stress when you're moving (especially if you're neurodivergent). 

OMG you guys your therapist wanted to interview ME instead of the other way around bc ppl hire me to help them find jobs and write their resume and do mock interviews and I'm really friggin good at helping people land their dream jobs and Ash wanted to talk to ME about it because apparently she talks to her clients all the time about how to find jobs so this time I'M THE EXPERT OMG i'm blushing come check it out i get HYPED UP on this sh*t 

If you're autistic (or think you might be), making friends can be hard. Your therapist Ash is autistic and talks to clients all day long about how to make true friends. Come listen to her advice. 

A listener reached out and asked your therapist for her advice about making friends at work. Being friendly with coworkers is easy, but becoming close friends with coworkers can be tricky. If you ever have a specific question for Ash, email us at [email protected]. 

alright, enough of you asked, your therapist and i will tell you how we met. she was only 16 but so was i so it wasn't weird or anything.we've known each other for over a decade, so we have some tips on things we did well and things that...well, y'know, you might wanna avoid. 

Everyone wants to tell their therapist about their religious trauma, but no one wants to listen to her about her trauma :( so Ash shares with me her background, specifically as a woman who's autistic and in the LGBTQ+ community

Boundaries are important, but we've only talked about them on the podcast in the context of relationships. In the spirit of our theme for the year of building community, I'm asking your therapist about the role of boundaries in friendships.

So you think you're a f*ckin tough guy, huh? You think you're strong? Resilient? Capable? Don't need any help? One of the truest forms of strength is the ability to be vulnerable with others. It is how we build the strongest connections with the people we care about. Your therapist shares with us how important this attribute is, and why it should be on your mind.

We're back! Your therapist Ash has a great alternative to New Year's resolutions: themes. She picks a theme for the year (like "family" or "boundaries") and focuses on that theme. It's a cool alternative to a resolution that you're not going to keep anyways, and it's a helpful way to add some purpose and context to your plans for 2024. 

Man, f*ck anxiety. Seriously, f*ck anxiety. Let's talk about what your therapist tells her clients when they are struggling with it.  This is our last episode of the year. We're taking the holidays off and will see you in January, 2024. Thanks for a great first year of I Married Your Therapist!

For the first time ever, we are presenting an actual therapy session. Your therapist had a friend (and former guest on the show), Emily Scott-Cruz come over and record a first-time counseling intake. If you're feeling nervous about starting therapy, this is a good way to familiarize yourself with what your first session might look like. 

Can you beat the therapy speedrunning world record? Current record holder is Adam Mcallister, a Wisconsinite who achieved ultimate healing and forgave his parents for giving birth to him after only three sessions. (In all seriousness, your therapist tells us what she would do if she was helping you speedrun therapy.)

If you're new to the topic of neurodiversity, this one's for you. (This might be a good episode to share with your mom lol)

Does corporate America suck? Well, obviously. But there are people out there who are trying to make it suck less, and your therapist is one of them. Your therapist presented at a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion conference. We recap her presentation, talk about the experience, and I share my story of recently requesting neurodivergent accommodations at my workplace. 

The transition from childhood to adulthood is different for everyone. Did your parents help you through that journey? My mom's in town, so we sat her down to chat about how she purposefully helped us navigate the change. 

We had a lot of fun in part one, so we decided to do another episode of popular questions people want to ask therapists. We talk about:- Do gaslighters ever change in therapy?- How do you handle no-shows? - Will my therapist reject me if I tell her something truly shameful?- Is it a problem if my therapist shares too much with me too soon?- How can I get free mental health support if I can't afford a therapist?

I found a bunch of questions that people commonly ask therapists and thought "hey I have a podcast" so here we are. We talk about:- have you ever wanted to be irl friends with clients?- can mentally ill people be therapists?- can a new therapist immediately diagnose me? - can you truly fully recover from a lifetime of trauma?- are you honest with your clients?

Is it only ok to grieve if someone died? Grief plays a very important role in our life and often gets ignored. Come, grieve with us as you're forced to listen your therapist Ash explain how to properly grieve to a nincompoop. 

Listen to episode 1 first you chucklehead 

Raising neurodivergent kids presents unique challenges and unique opportunities. We sit down with Courtney Clement Bowles, a licensed Play Therapist who specializes in working with neurodivergent children. She gives practical advice for parents who want to build a better relationship with their kid. 

Yall mind if I talk about my d*ck right quick? Cool. Body dysmorphia - an obsession over a perceived physical flaw, knows no gender boundaries. It affects men and women. I talk to your therapist Ash about men's issues around penis size and it's significant impact on our mental well-being. She also explains the different ways that dysmorphia can impact us and the best ways to deal with it. 

This is a very personal episode. Your therapist and I both have had difficult experiences with religious trauma. Your therapist Ash helps contextualize what religious trauma is and how it impacts her clients. I share my personal story - and I get a little worked up in the process. 

When is enough enough? How do you know when to draw the line? Your therapist Ash and I talk through what boundaries are, how to identify what your boundaries need to be, how to set them and how to maintain them. 

Have you needed to change your oil but just can't seem to make it happen? Dishes piling up in the kitchen, but you never have time to get to them? Are you trying to be more efficient and effective but always get distracted? This one is for you. 

Your therapist Ash and I ask each other a bunch of really unhinged questions about our relationship - questions like "if I were stuck in a room with my ex, and the world was ending in 30 minutes, would you be mad if I hooked up with them?" Yeah, unhinged. Come listen to see if we're still married at the end of the episode! 

Your therapist Ash recently learned about a study called The Rabbit Effect. It underscores what we already know - having someone show you kindness and love impacts not only your mental health, but your physical health as well. 

Your therapist Ash and I reveal our most effective tips for navigating a successful relationship: Argue better, delight in your partner, and talk about sex.

Your therapist Ash came up with a list of things she wishes she knew when she got started. If you're a therapist, in school to become a therapist, or just curious about how your brain works, this one's for you!

Depression sucks. Your therapist and I talk through practical tips to effectively combat depression. If you're struggling right now, you're not alone. 

Your therapist and I talk about what autism is, her journey of discovering that she is autistic, and the pros and cons of pursuing a formal diagnosis. 

Happy pride month! The large majority of people who are neuro-divergent are also in the LGBTQ+ community. Your therapist and I talk about why.

In our first listener-requested episode, your therapist and I decide to host our very own "ladies night" to discuss ADHD in women! We discuss common ways that ADHD presents in women and how you can better embrace your brain. 

Your therapist and I had the opportunity to interview Zoe Darazsdi, a mental health counselor who's autistic. She is an outspoken advocate for neurodivergent rights. Zoe's work in this space is something we fully support and we were both very excited to chat with her! Contact Zoe: Instagram: @zoedarazsdicounselingWebsite: https://www.zoedarazsdi.com/Tiktok: @zoedarazsdicounselingEmail: [email protected]

In a follow-up to last week's episode about red flags in counseling, your therapist Ash and I chat about what makes a good therapist. Practical advice is given, and Ash shares her approach to therapy that enables her clients to heal. 

How can you tell if you have a good therapist? What are red flags that you might have a bad one? I sat down with your therapist Ash to talk about a recent experience she had that really illuminated how bad bad therapy can be. 

We sit down with Courtney Clement Bowles, a Play Therapist who specializes in working with neurodiverse kids. Your therapist and I join Courtney on a call to learn more about being a play therapist and how she supports autistic kids and kids with ADHD.Courtney's Insta: @counseling.with.courtney  

Info Dumping, Parallel Play, Penguin Pebbling, Crush My Soul Back Into My Body, and Support Swapping. I sit down with your therapist to talk about what these mean and why the ND community identifies with them. 

Almost all clients end up talking about their relationships. Your therapist finds herself giving a lot of universal advice. Sit down with us for a conversation about easy, simple ways you can strengthen your relationship! 

Your therapist used to be a Sexual Assault Victim Advocate. I ask her for her thoughts on common signs of abuse, how to help, what to do, and early red flags to help spot a potential abuser. 

Ending therapy with a client is called terminating, which I find endlessly hilarious. I have a conversation with your therapist about how to know when it is time to end therapy. 

The four trauma responses are fight, flight, freeze, and fawn. Your therapist and I chat through each response and how they may be impacting you daily. 

Your therapist has an old friend who is just like me - an alcoholic. Emily Scott-Cruz joins us to talk through their experience alcohol. We both have different experiences with addiction and sobriety, and your therapist is, well,  you know, a therapist. 

Being vulnerable is hard. No need for that; lie instead! Your therapist and I talk about honesty in therapy and why being open is important.

Disordered eating can lead to eating disorders. Fad diets can turn deadly. Why is that? Your therapist has some thoughts...

OK. This time, it is personal. Your therapist and I know someone who has bipolar disorder (me), so we are pretty knowledgeable about this one. We talk through what bipolar disorder is, ways it impacts people, and how therapy and medication can help you live a balanced life. CW: We discuss suicide.

Your therapist keeps hearing from complaints from clients about their partners.  Complaints about how they're super messy and not respectful of your time  or how they're not interested in the things you are interested in. If your partner is neuro-divergent, the solution to those types of problems can be a lot easier than you think. Come check out what my wife (your therapist) has to say about maximizing a relationship with someone who is neuro-spicy!