Join therapists Melisa and Courtnie for real, unfiltered conversations about mental health, healing, and the beautifully chaotic mess of everyday life. This is where honesty meets humor, and no topic is off-limits. From professional insights to personal anecdotes, they’ll remind you that you’re not alone—because healing gets a little easier when we do it together.
54. You're Not Inconsistent. Your Life Just Looks Different Now.
Remember when you could stick to a routine, get everything done, work out consistently, keep up with your responsibilities, and somehow still have energy left over?
And now? You're lucky if you remember what you walked into the kitchen for.
In this episode of Collectively Unhinged: Therapy Talk, we're talking about something so many of us struggle with: comparing who we are today to who we were a few years ago, without acknowledging how much our lives have changed.
Maybe you used to be more disciplined, more productive, or more consistent. But you also might have had fewer responsibilities, less stress, and a completely different level of emotional and mental capacity.
So why do we keep expecting ourselves to function exactly the same way?
We're unpacking the guilt that comes with falling out of routines, the pressure to constantly be productive, and how easily we confuse having less capacity with somehow becoming less capable.
We also explore something deeper: Are you actually missing your old routines, or are you grieving the version of yourself you felt most proud of?
Because sometimes the hardest part isn't struggling to stay consistent. It's feeling like you're no longer the person you used to be.
If you've been telling yourself, “I used to be so much better at this,” this episode is for you.
🎧 Tune in as we talk about redefining consistency, letting go of outdated expectations, and learning to work with the life you have now instead of constantly measuring yourself against the life you had before.
Because growth doesn't always look like doing more. Sometimes it looks like learning what you can realistically sustain.
🎙️ Hosted by therapists from Strong Mind Mental Health.
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📱 FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL:
linktr.ee/strongmindmh (linktr.ee/strongmindmh)
—
🌐 VISIT OUR WEBSITE:
strongmindmh.com (strongmindmh.com)
—
🎵 INTRO MUSIC:
“Good Night” by FASSounds
—
DISCLAIMER:
The information provided on this podcast, Collectively Unhinged: Therapy Talk, is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as therapy or a substitute for advice from a qualified professional who is aware of the facts and circumstances of your individual situation. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapist-client relationship between you and the hosts or Strong Mind Mental Health, LLC. If you want to read more, check out our Media Disclaimer (https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/64e1733c3759ac224cbbe5ea/685a0f75978bdd197972435d_SMMH-Disclaimer%20Podcast%20Blog%20Social%20Media%20Content.pdf).
19 Sept 2026
53. A Therapist’s Guide to Dating: What to Pay Attention to Before You Get Attached
What can you actually learn about someone in the early stages of dating, before you're emotionally invested enough to explain everything away?
Dating advice tends to focus on the obvious red flags. But some of the most useful information about a potential partner isn't hidden at all. It's tucked inside the stories they tell, the way they describe past relationships, how they respond when you disappoint them, and what happens when they're wrong.
In this episode of Collectively Unhinged: Therapy Talk, therapists Courtnie and Melisa take a different approach to dating red flags. Instead of trying to diagnose the person across the table or treating every imperfect behavior as a reason to run, we're talking about how to pay attention to relational patterns.
We unpack why someone's dating history isn't necessarily the important part, but how they tell that history can be. Can they recognize their own mistakes? Was every breakup entirely someone else's fault? What have they actually learned from the relationships they've had?
We also look at how people talk about those they dislike, why someone's reaction to a small boundary or disappointment can tell you more than how they behave when everything is going their way, and what happens when you tell someone they've hurt you.
Because compatibility isn't only about how much fun you have when things are good.
It's also about what happens when something doesn't go their way.
In this episode, we discuss:
What someone's dating history can and can't tell you
Why "all my exes were crazy" isn't the only thing worth listening for
Accountability and self-reflection after past relationships
How someone talks about people they dislike
What happens when you say no or disappoint them
How people respond to boundaries
What defensiveness can look like early in dating
Why being able to admit you're wrong matters
Validation, accountability, and healthy repair
Why small moments of conflict can reveal more than perfect dates
You learn a lot more about someone from their response to your "no" than their response to your "yes."
And this is only Part 1. Stay tuned for Part 2, where we're talking about the difference between attention and emotional attunement, the relationship beliefs people reveal without realizing it, what happens to you when you're around someone, and the green flags that deserve a lot more attention.
🎙️ Hosted by therapists from Strong Mind Mental Health.
—
📱 FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL:
linktr.ee/strongmindmh (linktr.ee/strongmindmh)
—
🌐 VISIT OUR WEBSITE:
strongmindmh.com (strongmindmh.com)
—
🎵 INTRO MUSIC:
“Good Night” by FASSounds
—
DISCLAIMER:
The information provided on this podcast, Collectively Unhinged: Therapy Talk, is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as therapy or a substitute for advice from a qualified professional who is aware of the facts and circumstances of your individual situation. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapist-client relationship between you and the hosts or Strong Mind Mental Health, LLC. If you want to read more, check out our Media Disclaimer (https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/64e1733c3759ac224cbbe5ea/685a0f75978bdd197972435d_SMMH-Disclaimer%20Podcast%20Blog%20Social%20Media%20Content.pdf).
29 Aug 2026
52. Not Every Therapy Session Has to Be Deep (Part 2) When Is It Time to Go Deeper?
If therapy can be a place to vent, when does venting stop being helpful and start keeping us stuck?
In Part 1, we talked about why not every therapy session needs to involve trauma processing, tears, homework, or a major breakthrough. Sometimes you really do need a safe place to talk, laugh, vent, and put down everything you've been carrying.
But there's another side to that conversation.
In Part 2 of Collectively Unhinged: Therapy Talk, therapists Courtnie and Melissa explore what happens when talking about something isn't actually helping us move through it. We break down the difference between processing and rumination, when a therapist should move from listening and validating to gently challenging you, and why a good therapist isn't necessarily going to agree with everything you say.
We also talk about something clients don't always realize: you can tell your therapist what you need. Maybe today you need to vent. Maybe you need practical advice. Maybe you need someone to challenge you. Maybe you're not ready to go deeper yet. Therapy is a collaborative relationship, and different sessions can require very different things.
And finally, we ask a bigger question: How do you know if therapy is actually working?
Because progress isn't always measured by how profound your last session felt. Sometimes the biggest signs of growth happen outside the therapy room: recognizing a trigger sooner, recovering faster, setting a boundary, communicating differently, tolerating discomfort, or responding to an old problem in a new way.
🎙️ Hosted by therapists from Strong Mind Mental Health.
—
📱 FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL:
linktr.ee/strongmindmh (linktr.ee/strongmindmh)
—
🌐 VISIT OUR WEBSITE:
strongmindmh.com (strongmindmh.com)
—
🎵 INTRO MUSIC:
“Good Night” by FASSounds
—
DISCLAIMER:
The information provided on this podcast, Collectively Unhinged: Therapy Talk, is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as therapy or a substitute for advice from a qualified professional who is aware of the facts and circumstances of your individual situation. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapist-client relationship between you and the hosts or Strong Mind Mental Health, LLC. If you want to read more, check out our Media Disclaimer (https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/64e1733c3759ac224cbbe5ea/685a0f75978bdd197972435d_SMMH-Disclaimer%20Podcast%20Blog%20Social%20Media%20Content.pdf).
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