Shrinking Heads

In this episode, we swing deeper into the jungle of mental health with special guest Shantanique Moore King, LMFT, to explore the often misunderstood world of Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists—because despite the title, LMFTs do a lot more than save date nights and referee arguments about whose turn it is to do the dishes.Together, we unpack what LMFTs actually do, how relationship dynamics shape mental health, and why understanding the systems around us—family, partners, friendships, culture—can completely change the way we approach healing.Along the way, we explore questions like:What does an LMFT really do?How is marriage and family therapy different from other mental health approaches?Why do our relationships impact us so deeply? Who can benefit from working with an LMFT?This conversation shines a light on the tangled vines of communication, conflict, attachment, and connection that so often influence emotional well-being. From family dynamics to personal growth, we explore how therapy can help people stop surviving relational chaos and start building healthier ways of connecting.Whether you’re curious about therapy, navigating complicated relationships, or just trying not to get emotionally lost in the wilderness, this episode offers insight, humor, and perspective on one of the most relationally focused corners of mental healthcare.Tune in for a thoughtful conversation about marriage and family therapy, couples counseling, family systems, communication patterns, relationship health, emotional wellness, and surviving the jungle of human connection.Contact Shay [email protected]: @shifthappenswithshayshifthappenswithshay.com#shrinkingheads #prismaticounseling #mentalhealthpodcast #shiftwithshay

In this episode, Shannon joins us once again as we navigate a difficult and often unspoken part of the jungle of mental health: the double standards faced by mental health professionals when it comes to seeking care for themselves.As therapists, social workers, counselors, and other providers spend their careers supporting others through trauma, burnout, and emotional struggle, many quietly face a painful reality of their own—the fear that seeking help could impact how they are perceived professionally, or even threaten their license and career.Together, we explore questions like:Why is there still stigma around mental health treatment for mental health providers?How does fear of professional consequences become a barrier to care?What messages do clinicians internalize about vulnerability and competence?How can the field move toward a healthier, more sustainable culture for providers themselves?This conversation examines the emotional toll of carrying others while feeling pressure to appear endlessly stable, capable, and unaffected. We also discuss the importance of creating systems where clinicians can access support without shame, fear, or professional risk.Whether you’re a mental health professional, student, or someone curious about the realities behind the therapy room, this episode offers an honest look at the humanity of the people tasked with caring for others.Tune in for a thoughtful discussion about therapist mental health, burnout in helping professions, stigma in mental healthcare, clinician self-care, licensing fears, professional identity, and navigating the mental health jungle from both sides of the couch.#shrinkingheads #prismaticcounseling #mentalhealthpodcast #mentalhealthstigma #burnout

This week on Shrinking Heads, we grab our machetes and head straight into the dense emotional jungle created by the government shutdown. With vines of uncertainty, quicksand pits of stress, the distant calls of budgetary chaos echoing through the canopy, and host Shannon still on sabbatical, join Elizabeth as she explores how all this political turbulence takes a real toll on mental health. Luckily, guest host Scott swings in to help us navigate the underbrush—part guide, part fellow explorer, and fully aware that even the steadiest minds can trip over unexpected roots. Join us as we chart a path through shutdown-induced anxiety, highlight the survival tools we all need, and remind you that no one—therapists included—gets through the jungle without a few bumps and bruises.

This week, we’re venturing into the therapy jungle totake a hard look at ourselves—not our clients. Even the most experiencedtherapists carry assumptions and stereotypes about the people who come throughour doors: the “one with the pumpkin spice latte”, the “resistant” client, the“perfectly self-aware” client. In this episode, we’ll explore where thesemental shortcuts come from, how they can shape our work, and why challengingthem is essential for authentic, effective therapy. Along the way, we’ll shareinsights, stories, and maybe even a few laughs at the traps we’ve all falleninto in the therapy jungle.