Now What Therapy

About Now What Therapy

Now What is a therapy podcast for people who don’t want more insight—they want real change. Hosted by Amy Neufeld, a licensed therapist based in Laguna Beach, CA, this podcast goes beyond traditional talk therapy to help you understand what’s actually happening in your mind, your nervous system, and your relationships—and most importantly, what to do next. Each episode breaks down the emotional patterns, relationship dynamics, and internal conflicts that keep you stuck, overwhelmed, or disconnected. Using a clinically grounded but practical approach—including Amy’s innovative IAT (Insight-Action Therapy) method—you’ll learn how to move from awareness to action, and from insight to real-life transformation. This isn’t therapy that lives in a once-a-week appointment. It’s therapy that meets you in real time, helping you build resilience, regulate your nervous system, and create healthier, more connected relationships. If you’ve ever thought: I understand why I do this… but I still don’t know how to change it—this podcast is for you. Because insight is powerful. But insight without action keeps you stuck. Now that you see what’s happening… Now What?

Publisher

Amy Neufeld

Category

education · health & fitness · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

28 Feb 2026

Latest episode

21 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

28 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   21 Sept 2026

   What Happens When You Stop Caring What Everyone Else Thinks?

   What Happens When You Stop Caring What Everyone Thinks People love to say that when women hit 50, they stop caring what anybody thinks. Amy thinks that misses the point entirely. In this episode of Now What? with Amy Neufeld, Amy starts with a painfully awkward story from a friend’s 40th birthday party: a conversation about a pair of terrible leggings that took a very unfortunate turn when Amy discovered the woman she was talking to owned the company. Cue the long drive home. The replaying. The secondhand embarrassment. The imaginary conversations. And the absolute certainty that the other person must be thinking about it just as much as she was. Except…she probably wasn’t. That realization gets at something Amy has noticed more and more with age: most people are not paying nearly as much attention to us as we think they are. And that is actually fantastic news. This episode looks at what really changes as we get older. It isn’t that we suddenly stop caring. In a lot of ways, we care more deeply. We care about our people, our relationships, our health, our work, how we treat others, and the kind of life we’re living. What starts to change is where we put our energy. Amy talks about the difference between being thoughtful and trying to manage everyone else’s reaction to you, why someone being disappointed in your choice does not automatically mean you made the wrong choice, and how much energy can disappear into trying to control how other people perceive us. You can care about people without making yourself smaller, quieter, easier, more agreeable, or endlessly explainable. And you can let someone have their own reaction without making it your job to fix it. In This Episode Amy talks about: Why the idea that women “stop caring” around 50 misses what is really happening How one incredibly awkward party conversation became a perfect example of how much we overestimate other people’s attention Why we replay our own embarrassing moments while everyone else is usually busy replaying theirs How life experience gives us evidence that embarrassment, judgment, disagreement, and disappointment are survivable The enormous amount of energy we can spend managing other people’s possible reactions The difference between genuine consideration and approval-seeking Why someone being disappointed in you does not mean your decision was wrong How to tell the difference between feedback that deserves your attention and discomfort caused by someone else not approving Why caring less about universal approval can actually make room for caring more deeply about the things that matter Your Now What? Catch yourself one time this week spending energy on someone else’s possible opinion of you. Not real feedback. Not something you need to repair. The reaction you are imagining. Maybe it’s the text you’re adding another paragraph to because you need them to understand why you said no. The apology you don’t actually owe. The decision you keep defending. The outfit you’re second-guessing. Or something you want to say no to while already worrying about how the other person will take it. When you catch it, ask yourself: Does this actually deserve my care? Getting older isn’t about caring less. It’s about getting much better at deciding what is worth caring about. And remember: sometimes the thing you’re losing sleep over, the other person is lying awake wondering if her tag was out all night. Stay Connected with Amy Follow Amy for more candid conversations about midlife, parenting growing kids, relationships, mental health, and figuring out who you are now. Instagram: @amyneufeldtherapy (https://www.instagram.com/amyneufeldtherapy/) Podcast: Now What? with Amy Neufeld Website: amyneufeldtherapy.com (https://www.amyneufeldtherapy.com/) Email: amy@amyneufeldtherapy.com If this episode made you think of someone, send it their way. And if you’re enjoying Now What?, follow the show so you don’t miss the next episode. Relevant Keywords midlife, women over 50, caring what people think, people pleasing, approval seeking, confidence after 50, midlife women, self confidence, setting boundaries, fear of judgment, overthinking, people pleasing women, stop over explaining, emotional boundaries, self trust, women in midlife, getting older, aging and confidence, other people’s opinions, personal growth, midlife mindset, mental health podcast, therapist podcast, Amy Neufeld, Now What podcast

2. 

   14 Sept 2026

   Parenting Teens: How to Stay Close and Step Back

   Parenting Teens: How to Stay Close and Step Back Parents of teenagers are asked to do something that sounds almost impossible when their child is struggling: move closer and step back—at exactly the same time. Your teen needs to know that you are there, that their feelings are safe with you, and that they do not have to handle hard things alone. But they also need enough room to think, make decisions, solve problems, and begin experiencing themselves as capable. So how do you stay emotionally close without taking over? And how do you step back without making your teenager feel as though you have disappeared? In this episode of Now What? with Amy Neufeld, Amy talks about one of the most confusing parts of parenting teenagers: knowing when to get involved, when to give them space, and how to manage your own parental alarm system when your child is in pain. You’ll learn: What it actually means to stay emotionally close to your teenager Why a parent’s reaction can sometimes become so big that a teen’s feelings get smaller How listening, silence, and body language can help your teen feel understood Why stepping back is not the same as detaching or leaving your child alone How to tell the difference between a true emergency and something that feels urgent because it is painful to watch Why “letting them fail” is too simple for every teenager and every situation How to give your teen room while staying within reach What staying close and stepping back can sound like during a real friendship problem How to repair when you realize you jumped into fixing—or stepped too far away Amy also explains why the support you give must fit the teenager and the situation. Safety, mental health, development, capacity, neurodivergence, disability, and the actual level of risk all matter. Stepping back does not mean parents should ignore a situation that requires adult involvement or professional support. Your Now What The next time your teenager is struggling, pause before deciding that your only choices are taking over or doing nothing. Remind yourself: I can move closer emotionally without making my reaction the center of this. I can step back enough to let my teenager remain in the driver’s seat. Their feelings get to take up the space. Their experience gets to remain theirs. And I can remain available. You may not be able to make the hard thing go away, but you can give your teenager two incredibly important messages at the same time: You are capable of handling difficult things. And you do not have to handle them alone. If you know another parent trying to figure out how to stay close without taking over, send this episode their way. Parents of older kids need the support. Stay Connected With Amy Instagram: @amyneufeldtherapy (https://www.instagram.com/amyneufeldtherapy/) Website: amyneufeldtherapy.com (https://amyneufeldtherapy.com/) Email: amy@amyneufeldtherapy.com (mailto:amy@amyneufeldtherapy.com)

3. 

   7 Sept 2026

   Can't Get Started? Skip the Beginning.

   Can’t Get Started? Skip the Beginning. There’s something you need to do, or maybe even want to do, but you cannot seem to get yourself started. You already know what you’re supposed to tell yourself: You’ll feel so much better afterward. You’ll be glad you did it. Just get up and go. But when you’re tired, overwhelmed, procrastinating, or staring at a beginning that feels way too big, knowing how good you’ll feel afterward isn’t always enough to get you moving. In this episode of Now What? with Amy Neufeld, Amy shares the simple mental trick that helped her get out of a warm bed for a very early Pilates class: instead of picturing the finish line, she pictured herself already five minutes into the experience. Research suggests that imagining yourself inside the process may be more effective than focusing only on the final outcome. This isn’t about visualizing your perfect future self or convincing yourself that everything will be wonderful. It’s about making the next scene feel real, ordinary, and close enough to help you take the first physical step. If getting started is the hardest part, maybe it’s time to skip the beginning. In This Episode Why picturing how wonderful you’ll feel afterward doesn’t always create motivation The counterintuitive difference between visualizing an outcome and visualizing the process How picturing yourself five minutes into an activity can make starting feel more manageable Why the mental picture should be ordinary, specific, and realistic How to use this strategy for exercise, difficult phone calls, work, social situations, and other things you’ve been avoiding The first physical move to make before your brain begins another negotiation Your Now What Think of one thing you’ve been having trouble starting. Now skip the beginning and picture yourself five minutes in. Where are you? What can you see? What are you physically doing? Is anyone with you? What does that ordinary moment look and feel like? Stay with the picture for a few seconds. Then, before your brain starts negotiating again, make the first physical move. Put your feet on the floor. Open the computer. Put on your shoes. Dial the number. You don’t have to picture yourself finishing. For now, just skip the beginning and picture yourself five minutes in. Stay Connected With Amy Instagram: @amyneufeldtherapy (https://www.instagram.com/amyneufeldtherapy/) Website: amyneufeldtherapy.com (https://www.amyneufeldtherapy.com/) Email: amy@amyneufeldtherapy.com (mailto:amy@amyneufeldtherapy.com) Have a question or an idea you want Amy to cover on a future episode? Send her a message or email her. Stay connected and stay curious. Keywords how to get started, difficulty getting started, procrastination, motivation, mental imagery, visualization, process visualization, outcome visualization, behavior change, overcoming procrastination, taking action, task initiation, feeling stuck, building motivation, practical psychology tools, mental health podcast, therapy podcast, personal growth, Now What with Amy Neufeld, Amy Neufeld therapist

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

11 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

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Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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