ShrinkChicks

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen talk about expectations versus reality and why life’s biggest moments often don’t feel the way we imagined they would. From marriage and motherhood to careers, birthdays, friendships, and family relationships, they explore what happens when reality doesn’t match the version we pictured in our heads.They answer listener questions about difficult in-law relationships, weddings bringing family dynamics to the surface, feeling disconnected from old versions of yourself, leaving an abusive relationship but not feeling immediate relief, and why even leaving something unhealthy can still bring sadness and grief. They also dive into pregnancy expectations, birthday pressure, and how letting go of the “right” way to experience life can create more room for what’s actually here.Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 7 minutes to skip the intro and get straight to today’s content.⁠Get Matched With One of Our Therapists⁠ at The Therapy Group!⁠ShrinkChicks on Instagram⁠Our ⁠Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal⁠!!Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! ⁠https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBg⁠A special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:Boll & Branch: Upgrade your sleep with Boll & Branch. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/shrinkchicks with code shrinkchicksSkims: Shop Everyday Cotton, and all of our favorite bras and underwear athttp://www.skims.com/shrinkchicks. After you place your order, be sure to let them know we sent you! Select "podcast" in the survey and be sure to select our show in the dropdown menu that followsShopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at Shopify.com/shrinkchicksPerelel: New customers can use code SHRINKCHICKS to get 20% off their first order at perelelhealth.com/shrinkchicksZenni: Go to Zenni.com/podcast and use code PODCAST15 for 15% off your first orderGreenChef: Head to Greenchef.com/50shrinkchicks and use code 50shrinkchicks to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shippingQuince: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping and 365-day returns on your next orderSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen talk about making friends as an adult and why something that used to happen naturally can suddenly feel so difficult. They unpack what actually creates friendship (hint: it’s less chemistry and more repeated proximity), why exclusion feels so dysregulating, and how friendships naturally evolve over time.They answer listener questions about where to meet people, making friends without kids, maintaining self-esteem when you feel left out, navigating friendships that have drifted, and what to do when one friend starts carrying too much emotional weight. They also talk about introversion, political differences in friendship, and how to know when a friendship is changing versus when it’s truly run its course.Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 4:30 to skip the intro and get straight to today’s content.⁠Get Matched With One of Our Therapists⁠ at The Therapy Group!⁠ShrinkChicks on Instagram⁠Our ⁠Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal⁠!!Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! ⁠https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBg⁠A special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:Boll & Branch: Upgrade your sleep with Boll & Branch. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/shrinkchicks with code shrinkchicksSkims: Shop Everyday Cotton, and all of our favorite bras and underwear athttp://www.skims.com/shrinkchicks. After you place your order, be sure to let them know we sent you! Select "podcast" in the survey and be sure to select our show in the dropdown menu that followsShopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at Shopify.com/shrinkchicksPerelel: New customers can use code SHRINKCHICKS to get 20% off their first order at perelelhealth.com/shrinkchicksZenni: Go to Zenni.com/podcast and use code PODCAST15 for 15% off your first orderGreenChef: Head to Greenchef.com/50shrinkchicks and use code 50shrinkchicks to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shippingQuince: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping and 365-day returns on your next orderSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On today's rewind episode of ShrinkChicks, Emmalee and Jen discuss what it actually looks like to respond, not react. They discuss the practice of responding and not reacting, identifying and understanding your personal triggers, responding vs. reacting with others AND with yourself, why romantic relationships typically trigger us the most, and working toward not absorbing other people’s energy/mood. The episode ends with a Dear Em & Jen about being caught between a parent and a partner. Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 7:15 to skip the intro and get straight to today’s content.Get Matched With One of Our Therapists at The Therapy Group!ShrinkChicks on InstagramOur Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal!!Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBgA special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:Boll & Branch: Upgrade your sleep with Boll & Branch. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/shrinkchicks with code shrinkchicksSkims: Shop Everyday Cotton, and all of our favorite bras and underwear athttp://www.skims.com/shrinkchicks. After you place your order, be sure to let them know we sent you! Select "podcast" in the survey and be sure to select our show in the dropdown menu that followsShopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at Shopify.com/shrinkchicksPerelel: New customers can use code SHRINKCHICKS to get 20% off their first order at perelelhealth.com/shrinkchicksZenni: Go to Zenni.com/podcast and use code PODCAST15 for 15% off your first orderGreenChef: Head to Greenchef.com/50shrinkchicks and use code 50shrinkchicks to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shippingQuince: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping and 365-day returns on your next orderSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen talk about feeling lonely in a relationship: why it happens, how common it is, and what actually helps you reconnect. They explore loneliness during different life stages, especially after having kids, why expecting one partner to meet every emotional need is a recipe for failure, and how differences in emotional depth or love languages can contribute to disconnection. Listener questions cover the “roommate phase,” busy seasons of life, mismatched hobbies, and how to bring back playfulness and excitement in long-term relationships.Their conversation focuses on practical ways to rebuild connection through curiosity, communication, and creating moments of aliveness, even when life feels full.Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 4:15 to skip the intro and get straight to today’s content.⁠Get Matched With One of Our Therapists⁠ at The Therapy Group!⁠ShrinkChicks on Instagram⁠Our ⁠Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal⁠!!Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! ⁠https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBg⁠A special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:Boll & Branch: Upgrade your sleep with Boll & Branch. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/shrinkchicks with code shrinkchicksSkims: Shop Everyday Cotton, and all of our favorite bras and underwear athttp://www.skims.com/shrinkchicks. After you place your order, be sure to let them know we sent you! Select "podcast" in the survey and be sure to select our show in the dropdown menu that followsShopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at Shopify.com/shrinkchicksPerelel: New customers can use code SHRINKCHICKS to get 20% off their first order at perelelhealth.com/shrinkchicksZenni: Go to Zenni.com/podcast and use code PODCAST15 for 15% off your first orderGreenChef: Head to Greenchef.com/50shrinkchicks and use code 50shrinkchicks to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shippingQuince: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping and 365-day returns on your next orderSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen are joined by Keltie Maguire, host of The Kids or Childfree Podcast and a clarity coach who helps people decide between parenthood or a childfree life. Together, they unpack the often overwhelming “in-between” of not knowing what you want, why that gray area can feel so hard to sit in, and how to get out of it. Keltie shares her own experience of being on the fence for years, why clarity doesn’t always “arrive,” and how decision-making around kids often comes with anxiety, pressure, and fear of regret. They explore how to tell the difference between not wanting kids vs. fear of the unknown, how to talk to a partner about the decision, and why “if it’s not a 100% yes, it’s a no” isn’t actually helpful advice.The conversation also covers financial fears, the reality of parenting, and how to think about regret in a more nuanced way, because no matter what you choose, there will be hard parts.You can find Keltie on Instagram @kidsorchildfree, at kidsorchildfree.com, and on The Kids or Childfree Podcast. Book mentioned in this episode: The Baby DecisionTune in to gain insight, awareness, and action!⁠Get Matched With One of Our Therapists⁠ at The Therapy Group!⁠ShrinkChicks on Instagram⁠Our ⁠Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal⁠!!Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! ⁠https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBg⁠A special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:Boll & Branch: Upgrade your sleep with Boll & Branch. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/shrinkchicks with code shrinkchicksSkims: Shop Everyday Cotton, and all of our favorite bras and underwear athttp://www.skims.com/shrinkchicks. After you place your order, be sure to let them know we sent you! Select "podcast" in the survey and be sure to select our show in the dropdown menu that followsShopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at Shopify.com/shrinkchicksPerelel: New customers can use code SHRINKCHICKS to get 20% off their first order at perelelhealth.com/shrinkchicksZenni: Go to Zenni.com/podcast and use code PODCAST15 for 15% off your first orderGreenChef: Head to Greenchef.com/50shrinkchicks and use code 50shrinkchicks to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shippingQuince: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping and 365-day returns on your next orderSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen break down the phases of relationships and how couples evolve over time, from the honeymoon stage to deeper intimacy. Using a developmental model from couples therapy, they explain why conflict often comes from partners being in different stages at the same time.They walk through each phase and explain why the shift out of the honeymoon stage can feel so jarring. Listener questions cover when to seek couples therapy, what premarital counseling actually looks like, and how to navigate major life transitions like job loss or having kids.They also get into how to have more meaningful and authentic conversations, why relationship skills aren’t innate, and how to move through each stage with more awareness and connection.Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 4:30 to skip the intro and get straight to today’s content.Book mentioned: How Not to Hate Your Husband After Kids⁠Get Matched With One of Our Therapists⁠ at The Therapy Group!⁠ShrinkChicks on Instagram⁠Our ⁠Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal⁠!!Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! ⁠https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBg⁠A special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:Boll & Branch: Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/shrinkchicks with code shrinkchicks.Skims: Shop Everyday Cotton, and all of our favorite bras and underwear athttp://www.skims.com/shrinkchicks #skimspartnerShopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at Shopify.com/shrinkchicksPerelel: New customers can use code SHRINKCHICKS to get 20% off their first order at perelelhealth.com/shrinkchicks.Zenni: Go to Zenni.com/podcast and use code PODCAST15 for 15% off your first order.Quince: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping and 365-day returns on your next orderGreenChef: Head to Greenchef.com/50shrinkchicks and use code 50shrinkchicks to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shippingSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.