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PODCAST

ShrinkChicks

Jennifer Chaiken, LMFT and Emmalee Bierly, LMFT

Emmalee Bierly, LMFT and Jennifer Chaiken, LMFT, owners and co-founders of The Therapy Group (@thetherapygrp), bring you the ShrinkChicks Podcast. ShrinkChicks is on a mission to make therapy and therapeutic topics more relatable and accessible. Each Monday, Emmalee and Jen will explore different mental health topics and invite you to sit in on their insight, humor, and knowledge, leaving the psychobabble behind.

health & fitness mental health

All Episodes

00:41:32

Emotional Flooding: Why You Shut Down Mid-Argument

ShrinkChicks ·

2026/10/05

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen talk all about emotional flooding and why you might shut down, go blank, or struggle to find your words when you’re flooded. They explain what happens in your brain and body when your nervous system becomes overwhelmed, why shutting down can be a protective response, and how patterns that helped you growing up can follow you into adult relationships.Your hosts answer listener questions about emotional flooding in therapy, functioning when you’re overwhelmed, and

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00:44:20

Why AI Can’t Replace Human Connection with Mike Blanche

ShrinkChicks ·

2026/09/28

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen are joined by licensed clinical social worker and addiction expert Mike Blanche from Ethos Treatment to talk about how technology, social media, and AI are quickly changing our mental health and relationships. Mike shares what he’s seeing after more than 20 years in the field, including why turning to AI for emotional support or relationship advice can leave us missing the vulnerability, nuance, and connection that come from interacting with real people.They

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00:38:35

Mother-Daughter Relationships: Why Are They So...

ShrinkChicks ·

2026/09/21

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen dive into mother-daughter relationships and why they can bring up some of our biggest emotions, even well into adulthood. They explore attachment, childhood wounds, differentiation, seeking your mom’s approval, and why one comment from your mother can somehow ruin your entire week.They answer listener questions about setting boundaries, feeling guilty for not wanting a close relationship, dealing with a mother’s anxiety, accepting a relationship that isn’t

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00:41:02

What Does It Mean to Practice Radical Acceptance?

ShrinkChicks ·

2026/09/14

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen talk all about radical acceptance, a core DBT skill that involves fully acknowledging reality as it is, even when you don’t like it, agree with it, or think it’s fair. They explore how acceptance can actually create more freedom and make change possible, rather than meaning you’re giving up.They answer listener questions about radical acceptance vs. settling and minimization, accepting something you’re still angry about, and whether you can accept someone

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00:36:35

Rewind: Building Self-Confidence

ShrinkChicks ·

2026/09/07

This week on ShrinkChicks, Emmalee and Jen are throwing it back to an episode from 2024, Building Self-Confidence. This was one of their top episodes, and during this holiday weekend, they wanted to re-release it to share tips and tricks that can help you build self-confidence and self-esteem. They discuss why doing something new can trigger feelings of insecurity, self-confidence and mastery, how to know if your inner critic is right or wrong, building self-confidence with a core wound of

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00:37:28

How to Cope With Emotionally Immature Family...

ShrinkChicks ·

2026/08/31

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen talk all about emotionally immature parents and in-laws, the boundaries that can get blurry in family relationships, and how to protect your peace without losing yourself. They explore why understanding emotional immaturity and childhood emotional neglect can be so validating, especially when family members see the relationship very differently than you do.They answer listener questions about setting boundaries with in-laws, navigating a partner’s relationship

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00:41:50

Navigating Mental Health Struggles in a Relationship

ShrinkChicks ·

2026/08/24

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen talk about being the partner of someone struggling with mental health, or being the partner struggling, and what it’s like to navigate mental illness within a relationship. They explore the balance between supporting a partner and overfunctioning for them, while recognizing that fairness doesn’t always mean doing the same exact things. They also discuss how relationships can evolve as each person’s needs, capacity, and mental health change over time.They answer

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00:38:51

Jealousy in Romantic Relationships & Beyond

ShrinkChicks ·

2026/08/17

This week on ShrinkChicks, we’re talking all about jealousy. Where does it actually come from, and what do you do with it? Your hosts dive into jealousy at every angle; anxious attachment and reassurance-seeking, why checking a partner's ex's Instagram feeds the monster instead of starving it, and how to build real security instead of chasing a certainty that doesn't exist. Some people barely feel jealousy at all, and that gets explored too, including whether it might tie back to avoidant

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00:38:11

When Is It Time to Say Enough in a Relationship?

ShrinkChicks ·

2026/08/10

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen take on a common yet difficult relationship question: how do you know when it's time to stay and fight for a relationship, versus when it's time to leave? They break down discernment counseling, a specific, structured approach to help you get clarity, and explore why "enough" is rarely one big event. The hosts dig into the difference between loyalty and self-erosion, why "if you can't handle me at my worst" is a myth we should retire, and what it actually means

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00:37:11

Why Therapy Works: Real Wins From the ShrinkChicks...

ShrinkChicks ·

2026/08/03

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen celebrate the many ways therapy can change your life by sharing powerful stories and wins from the ShrinkChicks community as well as themselves. From learning to regulate emotions and set healthier boundaries to receiving long-awaited diagnoses and building stronger relationships, this episode highlights the lasting impact that therapy can have.They discuss why the relationship with your therapist matters so much, how therapy creates the space to respond instead

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00:38:43

Navigating Conversations Through Relationship Milestones

ShrinkChicks ·

2026/07/27

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen talk about the hard conversations that come with every stage of a relationship and why they're never just a one-time discussion. From marriage and finances to kids, careers, family dynamics, and major life transitions, they explore how healthy relationships require ongoing communication as life continues changing.They answer listener questions about bringing up a prenup, navigating seasons of sacrifice, deciding whether you're ready for kids, asking for help

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00:38:05

How to Argue Without Ruining Your Relationship

ShrinkChicks ·

2026/07/20

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen dive into what it really means to fight fairly in relationships and how conflict can actually bring couples closer when it’s handled well. They explore the difference between productive conflict and escalation, and why learning how you and your partner argue is just as important as learning how you love.The conversation breaks down common conflict mistakes like bringing up the past, using blame or contempt, and not taking a pause when feeling activated. Em and

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00:41:03

Insecurities: Why They Keep You Stuck (and How to...

ShrinkChicks ·

2026/07/13

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen unpack insecurities: where they come from, why everyone has them, and how they quietly shape our relationships, careers, and sense of self. They explore the connection between insecurity and hyper-independence, why asking for help can feel so uncomfortable, and how comparison culture can keep us stuck.They also answer listener questions about needing reassurance in relationships, feeling hurt when someone's energy changes, worrying people won't like the "real"

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00:46:24

Rewind: Boundaries with Emotionally Immature People

ShrinkChicks ·

2026/07/06

On this rewind episode of ShrinkChicks, Emmalee and Jen welcome Nedra Glover Tawwab back to the podcast! Nedra is a licensed therapist, a New York Times Bestselling author, and an expert on relationships and boundaries. If you haven’t followed her on Instagram yet, go do it now! They start the episode off by talking about Nedra's book, Consider This. Then, Nedra answers your questions about emotionally immature people and boundaries. She covers topics like navigating the emotionally immature

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00:41:01

Sibling Relationships in Adulthood: Closeness,...

ShrinkChicks ·

2026/06/29

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen talk about adult sibling relationships and why growing up in the same family doesn't always mean growing up with the same experience. They explore how family roles, parentification, favoritism, and changing family dynamics can shape sibling relationships long after childhood.They answer listener questions about feeling responsible for younger siblings, navigating resentment toward a "golden child" sibling, and having difficult conversations without blame. They

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00:41:53

Are You Settling or Just Compromising in Your...

ShrinkChicks ·

2026/06/22

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen unpack the difference between compromise and settling in relationships, and why the line between them can feel so confusing sometimes. They explore how compromise is typically preference-based and healthy within a relationship, while settling often involves self-abandonment, avoidance, or giving up core parts of yourself.The two answer listener questions about how to tell the difference in real time, what to do if you realize you’ve settled after the fact, and

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00:36:49

How Our Assumptions Keep Us Stuck

ShrinkChicks ·

2026/06/15

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen talk about how assumptions can quietly keep us stuck in relationships, work, and everyday life. From assuming people are upset with us to deciding how conversations will go before they happen, they unpack why our brains fill in the blanks and how those patterns often start as protection.They answer listener questions about mind reading, assuming a partner doesn’t want connection, putting off hard conversations with friends, worrying your boss is disappointed in

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00:35:05

When Life Doesn’t Look the Way You Thought It Would

ShrinkChicks ·

2026/06/08

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

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00:37:12

How to Build Adult Friendships

ShrinkChicks ·

2026/06/01

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

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00:42:25

Rewind: How to Respond and Not React

ShrinkChicks ·

2026/05/25

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

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