Shrinking Reality

This is our second recording of Temptation Island, episodes 4-6. We discuss the biggest red flag person on this season, the covert behaviors we are seeing.As the couples settle in with the tempters, there is more drama, heightened emotions, more answers for the couples.We touch on therapeutic themes of the relational stance, "the fog," emotional abuse, insecurities, and what actual work the couples are doing.

For the first time, we are covering Temptation Island, a reality show where struggling couples go to an island, are separated, interact with singles who are meant to tempt them, in the hopes to gain clarity about their relationships.We discuss attachment issues, emotional abuse, AIR method in repairing damage, and other red flags we see!

We conclude our interview with Daryl Wicker! He discusses some of his early teachings and how he chooses to resolve his conflicts, how he shows compassion, forgiveness, etc! There are more insights from the Love Is Blind reunion and how Daryl approached Devonta with firmness and compassion!

We are so excited to welcome our very first guest to the pod....Daryl Wicker, aka Brittany's dad!! Daryl stole our hearts on Love Is Blind, season 10 Ohio, when he and his lovely wife, Susana opened up their home and welcomed Devonta, and all of us, into their warm family! Daryl sat down with us and shared his origin story, early family life, his relationship with Susana, and some insights into Brittany and Devonta's relationship. Please enjoy part 1, and part 2 is coming soon!!

This episode covers Age Of Attraction...from Netflix, hosted by Nick Viall and Natalie Joy...Age Of Attraction is a reality dating show where singles date without knowing each other's ages, exploring if love is truly ageless and if age is just a number.We discuss the stereotypes of men dating younger women, and younger men dating older women. We discuss the different power dynamics that arose, sex and empowerment, and how those show up in society.

Deede is back from the Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Conference with Dr Ramani...and she's bringing some of the insights!!There's so much more to share, so we will most likely revisit! We want to invite our listeners to submit any questions or examples that you have or want to share...and they might make it on the pod!!

Trigger warning!!With The Bachelorette being canceled, due to Taylor Frankie Paul's video release, we are discussing a very important topic...Domestic Violence and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), as well as toxic relationships, the phases of a toxic relationship, and how to know if it's an abusive relationship.Krista touches on how IPV increased during the pandemic, and how new assessments and models were created, and "Restorative Justice" was introduced. Deede saw The Phantom of the Opera for the third time, BUT for the first time through the lens as a therapist. Our education and training causes us to see unhealthy dynamics where others may see romanticized situations.

Part 2 of our two-part recap of the Vanderpump Rules reunion!

We are wrapping up Vanderpump Rules, season 12 reunion!We had a slow start getting to know the brand new cast, but we are all in!During our discussion about Shayne we talk about sex, casual sex, is it the same for men and women? Ethical non-monogamy vs non-exclusive dating.Audrey has been a pod favorite...how did she show up the last couple episodes and the reunion...Marcus and Kim brought a discussion we weren't expecting!And as usual, we love seeing Lisa and Andy!! And of course, VENUS!!

This episode concludes our recap of Love Is Blind, season 10, Ohio, with the reunion. Who's still together? Were our predictions correct? We can't wait to see our favorites, and see how others are going to explain themselves for their behavior.

We conclude our episode 8 with the rest of the cast and marriages...Emma and Mike's fate, Alex and Ashley's WILD altar moment, our MVPs, Vic and Christine...and of course Amber and Jordan!

This episode concludes the cast party, we continue to see Chris's toxic spiral, as our Queen Jess continues to elevate!!We have two couples that decide not to follow through with their wedding day, will they stay together, or is this the end of the road for them?The psychological terms we discuss in this episode are "idealization" and John Gottman's Four Horsemen, specifically focusing on "contempt."

We continue with the family interactions, how the couples are navigating their lives back home. We see some couples getting stronger, while others are navigating rough waters!We continue to be slightly triggered by a FEW of the men, and one of the women! We have fireworks happening at the cast party...

Ooooh! The therapists are triggered!! The couples are back in Ohio, moving in together, meeting the families. We see some sweet, loving families and interactions, and we see some breakdowns in the relationships.We discuss the difference between therapists and lawyers, after watching Ashley's father question Alex. Chris becomes the season's villain, and we have A LOT to say about him!We end this part with the cast party....

We are recapping Love Is Blind, season 10, episodes 4-6!! We have to devote some time to our badass women, Tyler and Keya and how they chose themselves over the man!! We won't see them much after this but had to give them the respect they deserve!!The couples are on their pre-wedding honeymoons, and we start to see the cracks in the relationships. Insecurities and attachment styles are coming to the surface!

THE PODS ARE OPEN!!! Welcome to our recap of Love Is Blind, season 10, episodes 1-3. Deede and Krista are holding onto hope that love really can be blind, while Ryan is here to question every pod proposal, red flag, and "forever" promise. Ok, to be honest, we are all going to bring a healthy dose of skepticism. Expect optimism, side-eyes, and lively debates as we break down the romance, the chaos, and everything in between. Together we unpack the relationships, the psychology, and the messy reality behind the experiment - so you get both heart and hard truths!

In this episode we cover episodes 9 and 10 of Vanderpump Rules, the continued drama from the Paso Robles getaway.We also briefly discuss Terry Real and his relationship test...to see your relationship patterns you can take the quiz. Our next show is Love Is Blind, season 10, Ohio. Love it or hate it, Krista and I love it, Ryan hates it, we are getting ready to dive headfirst into the pods...Coming next week

In this episode we are discussing Vanderpump Rules, season 12, episodes 4-8. It's getting messy over there and we are here for it! We see some of the red flags immediately with certain budding relationships. Krista shares a recent dating experience and we each share with which cast member we identify most identify!

In this episode we are breaking down episodes 1-3 of Vanderpump Rules, season 12.This is VPR's rebrand season! They introduce a whole new cast of SURvers, bringing fresh drama, new romances, and untested friendships into the spotlight. While the faces might be different, the chaos and drama are classic Vanderpump!We have several red flag round-ups, with Shayne and Natalie playing games with each other, insecurities in Marcus's and Kim's relationship, and friendships being pushed to the limits.We even get a little glimpse into Krista's dating experiences!

Welcome to season 3 of Shrinking Reality!! This season we are covering Vanderpump Rules, season 12. In this episode we discuss the difficulty adjusting to the new staff, how change in general affects all of us, and how our attachment styles affect change. We offer ourselves and our listeners a challenge in this season...tune in and decide if you are up for the challenge as well!

This episode completes our discussion of the final episodes of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, specifically in regards to Mikayla and Jace. We also take a deeper look at the Season 3 reunion of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, hosted by Stassi Schroeder. We analyze the key conflicts, emotional breakthroughs and the dramatic dynamics amongst the women and men. Content warning....this episode discusses sexual abuse.

We are continuing to process season 3 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Some of the psychological topics include "sister wounds," the relational stance of "fight, flight, freeze, appease," covert vs overt manipulation, boundary violations and the legal levels of sexual assault.*Content Warning: this episode discusses emotional, physical, and sexual abuse.

In part 2 we continue to process the first 4 episodes.

We're back....recapping The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives!! In part 1 we are discussing season 3, episodes 1-4. Jessi admits to an emotional affair with Vanderpump Villa cast member, Marciano, and we see her tumultuous and fragile relationship with husband, Jordan. Momtok continues to navigate who's in, who's out, who's showing up for clout and opportunity..and we are here to process the psychology of it all!

We stepped away from shrinking others and shrink ourselves!! Get to know us, and how and why we do what we do!

In this episode we are breaking down everything we saw at the Love Is Blind season 9 reunion - the drama, surprises, and the moments that made us shake our heads! We're diving deep into all of the emotions, controversies and closure moments from the cast.

Vow or Never.....Love Is Blind, season 9, Denver episode 12. In this episode we recap the weddings! We have 3 couples left! Will they make it to the alter? The weddings were intense, there were doubts, we saw more red flags and explore what went wrong, and what could have helped sustain a lasting relationship!

In this episode we discuss problematic communication styles in which we see these couples engage. Ryan explores the idea of emotional consent in relationships, specifically when relationships are ending. Which couples are left for the the alter....

The wedding countdown is on and pressure is mounting! The couples are spending time together, with families, wedding dress and tux shopping and the tensions intensify!! We discuss the break ups and those we think will head to the alter!

In this episode we are recapping Love Is Blind, season 9, episodes 7-9. We will be discussing communication, the intimacy equation, how to repair, the IFS U-Turn in couples counseling, and more!

Here we talk about the therapeutic themes from Love Is Blind, season 9, episodes 4-6. We will discuss the sex culture in Denver, deactivation method, and more!

We are discussing and recapping Love is Blind, season 9, episodes 4-6...the engagements, the heartbreaks, the reveals, and the start to their honeymoon/vacations! The couples come together for the first time with their cast members for a pool party!

The pods are open!! We are recapping Love Is Blind, season 9, episodes 1-3. Let's dive into some of the key psychological themes at play. We've got love triangles, love squares, ghosting, and a lot to say!

In our first official episode, three therapists in the Denver area come together to unpack Netflix's Love Is Blind, season 9, not as fans, but as professionals. We explore the psychological dynamics behind forming emotional connections without physical presence, discuss the show's portrayal of love, attachment styles, and more!

This is our pilot episode, we are discussing Love Is Blind, season 8, episode 1.