5 Ways to Get Your Teenager to Talk to You
It’s tough trying to get your teen to talk. Science has shown that the teenager’s brain has yet to fully develop the frontal cortex, which is the area that controls our ability to reason, and to think before we act. As your teen’s brain develops,...
How War and International Conflict Affect Mental Health
Just when we were finally done with the stress and constant fear of living through a two-year global pandemic, the war in Ukraine broke out. The ripple effects of international conflict can and often do affect the mental health of people living around the globe. As...
EMDR to Treat Trauma in Young Adults
Childhood trauma doesn’t just affect children; it affects the adults they become. Unresolved childhood trauma impacts a young adult’s mental health, which can then impact their physical health. Side Effects of Trauma Many of the adult clients we work with come to us...
Grief & Loss After a Miscarriage
Throughout our lives we experience the loss of loved ones and friends. But there is no greater loss than that of a child. And it doesn’t matter what age that child was, the loss is profound. If you’ve experienced a miscarriage or pregnancy loss, you are most likely...
Do I Have the Baby Blues or Postpartum Depression?
According to the American Pregnancy Association, 70-80% of all new mothers experience what’s called the “baby blues”, while only 10% – 20% suffer from postpartum depression. With so many women experiencing some form of emotional upheaval after giving...
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- #13 Desire Disasters: What Kills Your Sex Drive & How to Get It Back with Shie Benisti LCSW March 17, 2025Send us a textStruggling with low libido? Feeling disconnected from your partner? You're not alone. In this episode of Not Your Therapist Podcast, licensed sex therapist Shie Benisti, LCSW, CST, joins us to break down the real reasons why sexual desire fluctuates—and what you can do to bring intimacy back.We dive into the mental, emotional, […]Kayla Reilly MSW, LCSW
- #12 Therapists Spill the Tea: What We Wish Clients Knew with Darrian Pelkey MSW, LCSWA March 17, 2025Send us a textEver wonder what your therapist really thinks about you? 🤔 In this episode of Not Your Therapist Podcast, licensed therapist Darrian Pelkey, MSW, LCSWA, joins me to spill the tea on what goes on behind the scenes in therapy.We’re pulling back the curtain on the things therapists wish clients knew—from common misconceptions […]Kayla Reilly MSW, LCSW
- Shrink Shots: Therapy Terms 101 – Emotional Regulation – How to Stop Flipping Out (Even When They Deserve It) March 13, 2025Send us a textEver feel like your emotions hijack your brain before you even have a chance to think? Emotional regulation is the key to handling stress, frustration, and overwhelm without exploding (or shutting down). In this quick Shrink Shots episode, we’re breaking down what emotional regulation actually means, why it’s so hard sometimes, and […]Kayla Reilly MSW, LCSW
- Shrink Shots: Therapy Terms 101 – Emotions – What the Hell Are They & Why Do We Have Them? March 11, 2025Send us a textEver wondered why you have emotions—or why they sometimes feel like they’re running your entire life? In this quick Shrink Shots episode, we’re breaking down the science behind emotions, what they’re actually trying to tell you, and how to deal with them without letting them take over. Spoiler alert: Your emotions aren’t […]Kayla Reilly MSW, LCSW
- #11 Rethinking Health: How to Ditch All-or-Nothing Thinking and Make Wellness Work for You with Liz Rodriguez March 10, 2025Send us a textEver feel like you’re either all in on health—meal prepping, intense workouts, cutting out everything fun—or completely off the wagon? That all-or-nothing mindset is exhausting, unsustainable, and (spoiler alert) not the key to long-term health.In this episode, I sit down with health coach Liz Rodriguez to reframe what real wellness looks like. […]Kayla Reilly MSW, LCSW
- Shrink Shots: Therapy Terms 101 – Reparenting – Giving Yourself the Childhood You Wish You Had March 6, 2025Send us a textDid your childhood leave you with some emotional gaps? Enter reparenting—the process of giving yourself the love, support, and validation you may not have received growing up. In this quick Shrink Shots episode, we break down what reparenting is, why it matters, and how you can start healing old wounds by becoming […]Kayla Reilly MSW, LCSW
- SHRINK SHOTS: Therapy Terms 101 – Dissociation – When ‘Zoning Out’ Is Actually a Trauma Response March 4, 2025Send us a textDissociation: When ‘Zoning Out’ Is Actually a Trauma ResponseEver found yourself zoning out mid-conversation or realizing you don’t remember the last five minutes of your drive? You’re not alone. This might be dissociation, a psychological defense mechanism that helps protect the brain from stress and trauma.In this episode of Shrink Shots, we […]Kayla Reilly MSW, LCSW
- #10 The Gut-Brain Connection: How Your Diet Impacts Anxiety and Depression March 3, 2025Send us a textDid you know your gut is your “second brain”? The connection between your gut and brain, known as the gut-brain axis, plays a huge role in your mental health. In this episode of Not Your Therapist, we explore how what you eat can impact anxiety, depression, and your overall mood.Learn why your […]Kayla Reilly MSW, LCSW
- SHRINK SHOTS: Therapy Terms 101 – Cognitive Distortions – Your Brain Is Lying to You (And You Don’t Even Know It) February 27, 2025Send us a textYour brain is constantly filtering reality, but what if those filters are twisting the truth? Cognitive distortions are sneaky thought patterns that make you believe things that aren’t actually true—and they’re a major reason behind anxiety, relationship problems, and low self-esteem.In this episode of Shrink Shots, we’re breaking down:✅ What cognitive distortions […]Kayla Reilly MSW, LCSW
- SHRINK SHOTS: Therapy Terms 101 – Projection – Are You Mad at Them, or at Yourself? February 25, 2025Send us a textEver find yourself getting irrationally annoyed at someone, only to realize later that you were actually mad at yourself? Or maybe someone accused you of something completely off-base, and you thought, Wait… that’s not me, that’s YOU!? That, my friends, is projection, one of the sneakiest defense mechanisms that can wreck relationships […]Kayla Reilly MSW, LCSW
- #9 The Science Behind Toddler Tantrums: Understanding Triggers for Parents February 24, 2025Send us a textToddler tantrums are tough, but they’re also a normal (albeit exhausting) part of parenting. In this episode of Not Your Therapist, we’re diving into the chaos of meltdowns to help you survive them with your sanity intact. You’ll learn why tantrums happen, what’s going on in your child’s brain during a meltdown, […]Kayla Reilly MSW, LCSW
- SHRINK SHOTS: Therapy Terms 101 – Boundaries – No, They’re Not Just a Buzzword (Here’s How to Use Them) February 20, 2025Send us a textSetting boundaries isn’t about controlling others—it’s about protecting your time, energy, and mental health. But here’s where most people get stuck: they set a boundary but don’t actually enforce it. If you say, “I won’t tolerate yelling,” but stick around when someone raises their voice, your boundary isn’t doing anything.In this episode […]Kayla Reilly MSW, LCSW
- SHRINK SHOTS: Therapy Terms 101 – Differentiation – How to Stop Absorbing Everyone Else’s Crazy February 18, 2025Send us a textEver feel like you’re losing yourself in a relationship? Maybe your mood depends on your partner’s mood, or you avoid conflict to keep the peace. That’s a differentiation problem—and it’s one of the biggest reasons people struggle with boundaries, emotional independence, and self-worth in relationships.In this episode of Shrink Shots, we’re breaking […]Kayla Reilly MSW, LCSW
- #8 What’s Your Attachment Style? How It Shapes Your Relationships & Emotional Connections February 17, 2025Send us a textHave you ever wondered why you react the way you do in relationships? Your attachment style is the blueprint for how you connect with others—shaped by early experiences and influencing everything from romantic relationships to friendships and even work dynamics.In this episode of Not Your Therapist, we dive deep into the four […]Kayla Reilly MSW, LCSW
- SHRINK SHOTS: Therapy Terms 101 – Insight – The ‘Oh Sh*t’ Moment That Actually Changes Things February 13, 2025Send us a textYou’ve had that oh sht* moment—where suddenly, your entire past, your relationships, or your behaviors just click. That’s insight, one of the biggest game-changers in therapy. But here’s the catch: insight alone doesn’t fix anything.In this episode of Shrink Shots, we break down:✅ What insight actually is & why it’s crucial for […]Kayla Reilly MSW, LCSW
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