Podcast
ShrinkChicks
Hosted by Jennifer Chaiken, LMFT and Emmalee Bierly, LMFT · EN
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.
29episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
The Hidden Cost of Being the “Good Kid” with Maggie Nick
Mar 1600:48:16Tap to summarizeThis week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen are joined by trauma therapist, parenting educator, and cycle-breaking advocate Maggie Nick (AKA Maggie with Perspectacles) to talk about the hidden cost of being the “good kid.” Maggie shares her own story of growing up as the easy, responsible child no one had to worry about, and how perfectionism, people-pleasing, and self-criticism often grow out of that role.They unpack why being praised for being easy can quietly turn into pressure, how approval tied to performance shapes identity, and why many “good kids” become adults who struggle with boundaries, self-worth, and showing their real selves. Maggie also explains how these patterns show up in parenting today and how parents can shift from raising compliant kids to raising emotionally secure ones.The conversation explores curiosity over criticism, staying connected to your child when they struggle, and why loving your child sometimes means letting go of your ego as a parent. You can learn more about Maggie’s work, her book, and her community Camp Loveable at MaggieNick.com and by following @maggiewithperspectacles on social media.Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action!Get Matched With One of Our Therapists at The Therapy Group!ShrinkChicks on InstagramOur Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal!!Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBgA special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:AG1: Go to DRINKAG1.com/SHRINKCHICKS to get an AG1 Flavor Sampler and a bottle of Vitamin D3+K2 for FREE in your AG1 Welcome Kit with your first AG1subscription orderAir Doctor: Head to AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code SHRINKCHICKS to get UP TO $300 off todayQuince: Go to quince.com/shrinkchicks for free shipping and 365-day returns on your next orderGreenChef: Head to Greenchef.com/50shrinkchicks and use code 50shrinkchicks to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shippingPique Life: Unlock 20% off and establish your powerful foundation for sustained well-being at Piquelife.com/shrinkchicksSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Trauma Responses: Understanding The Fawn Response
Mar 900:44:58Tap to summarizeThis week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen wrap up their trauma response mini-series with a deep dive into the fawn response, the often-overlooked survival strategy rooted in people-pleasing and conflict avoidance. While many people are familiar with fight or flight, fawning happens when your nervous system moves quickly to smooth things over, keep the peace, and protect the connection.They explore how the fawn response can look like saying yes too fast, minimizing your needs, avoiding conflict, or feeling resentful after people-pleasing. Em and Jen break down how fawning develops, why culture rewards it, and how it can slowly lead to self-abandonment and shaky intimacy if left unchecked.Listener questions cover the difference between genuine flexibility and fawning, how to practice assertiveness without triggering your nervous system, what to do when someone is fawning to you, and how resentment signals crossed boundaries.Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 5 minutes to skip the intro and get straight to today’s content.Get Matched With One of Our Therapists at The Therapy Group!ShrinkChicks on InstagramOur Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal!!Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBgA special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:AG1: Go to DRINKAG1.com/SHRINKCHICKS to get an AG1 Flavor Sampler and a bottle of Vitamin D3+K2 for FREE in your AG1 Welcome Kit with your first AG1subscription orderAir Doctor: Head to AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code SHRINKCHICKS to get UP TO $300 off todayQuince: Go to quince.com/shrinkchicks for free shipping and 365-day returns on your next orderGreenChef: Head to Greenchef.com/50shrinkchicks and use code 50shrinkchicks to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shippingPique Life: Unlock 20% off and establish your powerful foundation for sustained well-being at Piquelife.com/shrinkchicksSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Trauma Responses: Understanding The Flight Response
Mar 200:39:59Tap to summarizeThis week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen continue their trauma response series with a deep dive into the flight response: what it is, how it shows up, and why it can feel so productive while still being avoidant. Unlike fight or freeze, flight often looks subtle in daily life: staying busy, overworking, changing the subject, scrolling, researching, or emotionally distancing when things feel intense.They explore how the flight response is a nervous system survival strategy, why society often rewards it, and how it can quietly prevent intimacy, resolution, and emotional depth. Listener questions cover flight during conflict, overworking as avoidance, the urge to fix instead of feel, and how avoidant attachment patterns often overlap with flight behaviors.Em and Jen also discuss why unhealthy coping feels better in the moment, how collective trauma keeps our nervous systems activated, and how understanding your response helps you make choices aligned with your values, not just your survival instincts.Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 6 minutes to skip the intro and get straight to today’s content.Get Matched With One of Our Therapists at The Therapy Group!ShrinkChicks on InstagramOur Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal!!Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBgA special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:AG1: Go to DRINKAG1.com/SHRINKCHICKS to get their best offer, and for a limited time only, get a FREE AG1 duffel bag and FREE AG1 Welcome Kit with your first subscription orderAir Doctor: Head to AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code SHRINKCHICKS to get UP TO $300 off todayQuince: Go to quince.com/shrinkchicks for free shipping and 365-day returns on your next orderGreenChef: Right now, go to GreenChef.com/shrinkchicksgraza and use code shrinkchicksgraza to get started with 50% off Green Chef + FREE Graza Olive Oil Set in your 2nd and 3rd boxesPique Life: Secure 20% off your order and begin your intentional wellness journey today at Piquelife.com/shrinkchicksSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Cameron Rogers on Motherhood, Mental Health, and Motivation
Feb 2300:44:22Tap to summarizeThis week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen launch a new storytelling series featuring notable voices sharing the real emotional journey behind their success. First up: content creator, author, and host of Conversations with Cam, Cameron Rogers.Cameron opens up about transitioning careers, building a brand in motherhood and mental health, and how becoming a mom reshaped her relationship with work. She shares how people-pleasing showed up early in her career, why saying no became essential after having kids, and how boundaries, therapy, and intentionality changed everything.They talk about juggling entrepreneurship and parenting, navigating PMDD while creating content, handling postpartum visibility, and learning to let go of control when stress tightens its grip. Cameron also reflects on personal growth, political identity shifts, embracing being misunderstood, and what it really means to trust your intuition while building a life and business.Find Cameron @cameronoaksrogers on Instagram and TikTok, listen to her podcast Conversations with Cam, get her journal at Quiet-Your-Mind.com, and join her Substack: Fill Your Cup. Get Matched With One of Our Therapists at The Therapy Group!ShrinkChicks on InstagramOur Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal!!Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBgA special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:AG1: Go to DRINKAG1.com/SHRINKCHICKS to get their best offer, and for a limited time only, get a FREE AG1 duffel bag and FREE AG1 Welcome Kit with your first subscription orderBobbie: If you want to feed with confidence too, head to hibobbie.com to find the formula trusted by parents and loved by their babiesQuince: Go to quince.com/shrinkchicks for free shipping and 365-day returns on your next orderGreenChef: Right now, go to GreenChef.com/shrinkchicksgraza and use code shrinkchicksgraza to get started with 50% off Green Chef + FREE Graza Olive Oil Set in your 2nd and 3rd boxesOlive & June: Visit OliveandJune.com/SHRINKCHICKS for 20% off your first SystemPique Life: Secure 20% off your order and begin your intentional wellness journey today at Piquelife.com/shrinkchicksSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Trauma Responses: Understanding The Fight Response
Feb 1600:46:17Tap to summarizeThis week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen continue their trauma response series with a deep dive into the fight response: what it is, why it develops, and how it shows up in everyday life. Often misunderstood and heavily judged, the fight response is a nervous system survival strategy rooted in mobilization, power, and protection.They explore how fight can look like anger, defensiveness, control, irritability, or needing to win, especially for people who learned early on that being loud or strong was the only way to be heard. Em shares how fight shows up in her own body, why it’s often reinforced by systems that reward dominance, and how neglecting basic needs can lower the threshold for activation.Listener questions focus on recognizing when you’re in a fight state, coming down from it in real time, and unlearning the belief that conflict is the only path to safety. Em and Jen offer practical tools for regulating the body, slowing conversations, and building new relational pathways without shaming a response that once served a purpose.Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 4:30 to skip the intro and get straight to today’s content.Get Matched With One of Our Therapists at The Therapy Group!ShrinkChicks on InstagramOur Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal!!Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBgA special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:AG1: Go to DRINKAG1.com/SHRINKCHICKS to get their best offer, and for a limited time only, get a FREE AG1 duffel bag and FREE AG1 Welcome Kit with your first subscription orderBobbie: If you want to feed with confidence too, head to hibobbie.com to find the formula trusted by parents and loved by their babiesQuince: Go to quince.com/shrinkchicks for free shipping and 365-day returns on your next orderGreenChef: Right now, go to GreenChef.com/shrinkchicksgraza and use code shrinkchicksgraza to get started with 50% off Green Chef + FREE Graza Olive Oil Set in your 2nd and 3rd boxesDavid Protein: David is offering our listeners a special deal: buy 4 cartons and get the 5th free when you go to davidprotein.com/SHRINKCHICKSOlive & June: Visit OliveandJune.com/SHRINKCHICKS for 20% off your first SystemPique Life: Secure 20% off your order and begin your intentional wellness journey today at Piquelife.com/shrinkchicksSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Trauma Responses: Understanding The Freeze Response
Feb 900:41:06Tap to summarizeThis week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen break down the freeze response, one of the most misunderstood trauma responses. They explain how freezing is an involuntary nervous system reaction to overwhelming threat, often linked to trauma, and why so many people carry shame for something their body chose automatically.They explore what freeze can look like in daily life (numbness, dissociation, procrastination, avoidance, shutdown), as well as “functional freeze,” where you’re moving through life on autopilot. The conversation covers why freezing happens, how it differs from feeling stuck or avoidant, and practical ways to gently come out of a freeze state by activating the nervous system.Listener questions dive into freezing in relationships, with authority figures, and during conflict; plus, how to explain the freeze response to a partner who misreads it as disengagement. Em and Jen also talk about slowing relational tempo, understanding what your nervous system learned about safety, and how awareness can reduce shame and increase choice.Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 6:45 to skip the intro and get straight to today’s content.Get Matched With One of Our Therapists at The Therapy Group!ShrinkChicks on InstagramOur Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal!!Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBgA special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:AG1: Go to DRINKAG1.com/SHRINKCHICKS to get their best offer, and for a limited time only, get a FREE AG1 duffel bag and FREE AG1 Welcome Kit with your first subscription orderBobbie: If you want to feed with confidence too, head to hibobbie.com to find the formula trusted by parents and loved by their babiesQuince: Go to quince.com/shrinkchicks for free shipping and 365-day returns on your next orderGreenChef: Right now, go to GreenChef.com/shrinkchicksgraza and use code shrinkchicksgraza to get started with 50% off Green Chef + FREE Graza Olive Oil Set in your 2nd and 3rd boxesDavid Protein: David is offering our listeners a special deal: buy 4 cartons and get the 5th free when you go to davidprotein.com/SHRINKCHICKSOlive & June: Visit OliveandJune.com/SHRINKCHICKS for 20% off your first SystemPique Life: Secure 20% off your order and begin your intentional wellness journey today at Piquelife.com/shrinkchicksSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Reimagining Healthy Relationships
Feb 200:43:06Tap to summarizeThis week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen are joined by one of their all-time favorite guests, Alexandra Solomon, licensed clinical psychologist, adjunct professor at Northwestern University, and host of the Reimagining Love podcast, for a conversation about healthy relationships and the patterns we carry from our families of origin.Together, they explore why it’s so hard to break old dynamics even when you can name them, why change happens in degrees, and how learning to receive (kindness, consistency, care) can feel just as vulnerable as giving. The discussion also touches on embodiment, tolerating discomfort, and the grief that can surface when you start doing relationships differently. Plus, feeling turned off by healthy love, staying open without waiting for things to fall apart, and navigating big relational shifts…like when a partner changes their mind about family. You can find everything about today’s guest by visiting DrAlexandraSolomon.com!Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action!Get Matched With One of Our Therapists at The Therapy Group!ShrinkChicks on InstagramOur Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal!!Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBgA special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:AG1: Go to DRINKAG1.com/SHRINKCHICKS to get their best offer, and for a limited time only, get a FREE AG1 duffel bag and FREE AG1 Welcome Kit with your first subscription orderBobbie: If you want to feed with confidence too, head to hibobbie.com to find the formula trusted by parents and loved by their babiesQuince: Go to quince.com/shrinkchicks for free shipping and 365-day returns on your next orderGreenChef: Right now, go to GreenChef.com/shrinkchicksgraza and use code shrinkchicksgraza to get started with 50% off Green Chef + FREE Graza Olive Oil Set in your 2nd and 3rd boxesDavid Protein: David is offering our listeners a special deal: buy 4 cartons and get the 5th free when you go to davidprotein.com/SHRINKCHICKSOlive & June: Visit OliveandJune.com/SHRINKCHICKS for 20% off your first SystemPique Life: Secure 20% off your order and begin your intentional wellness journey today at Piquelife.com/shrinkchicksSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →“Ready” Is Not a Feeling
Jan 2600:40:27Tap to summarizeThis week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen unpack a belief that keeps a lot of people stuck: the idea that you need to feel ready before making a big decision. They talk about why “ready” is not actually a feeling, and how waiting for certainty can quietly turn into avoidance.They explore the difference between readiness and willingness, how to make decisions that align with your values (not other people’s opinions), and why clarity often comes after movement, not before. Listener questions cover fear of regret, feeling “not grown up enough,” knowing when to trust yourself, and how to move forward when readiness and fear show up together.Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 8 minutes to skip the intro and get straight to today’s content.Get Matched With One of Our Therapists at The Therapy Group!ShrinkChicks on InstagramOur Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal!!Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBgA special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:AG1: Go to DRINKAG1.com/SHRINKCHICKS to get their best offer, and for a limited time only, get a FREE AG1 duffel bag and FREE AG1 Welcome Kit with your first subscription orderBobbie: If you want to feed with confidence too, head to hibobbie.com to find the formula trusted by parents and loved by their babiesQuince: Go to quince.com/shrinkchicks for free shipping and 365-day returns on your next orderGreenChef: Right now, go to GreenChef.com/shrinkchicksgraza and use code shrinkchicksgraza to get started with 50% off Green Chef + FREE Graza Olive Oil Set in your 2nd and 3rd boxesDavid Protein: David is offering our listeners a special deal: buy 4 cartons and get the 5th free when you go to davidprotein.com/SHRINKCHICKSOlive & June: Visit OliveandJune.com/SHRINKCHICKS for 20% off your first SystemPique Life: Secure 20% off your order and begin your intentional wellness journey today at Piquelife.com/shrinkchicksSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Terry Real Wows "Us" Again
Jun 6, 2022Tap to summarizeThis week on ShrinkChicks, Emmalee and Jen are thrilled to have a listener favorite guest, and one of their mentors, Terry Real, back on the podcast to tell us all about his new book: Us: Getting Past You and Me to Build a More Loving Relationship. Terry shares some stories and concepts from the book, how Bruce Springsteen writing the forward of "Us" came to be, the difference between “us” vs. “you and me”, two parts of our brains: the wise adult and the adaptive child and what they mean, fight, flight, freeze, and fix responses to our partners - and which one Emmalee, Jen and Terry identify with, why Terry believes couples therapists should lovingly take sides, and so much more! Link to Terry’s new book Us: Getting Past You and Me to Build a More Loving Relationship:https://www.amazon.com/Us-Getting-Build-Loving-Relationship/dp/0593233670/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1654019537&sr=8-1Terry’s website & Relational Life Therapy Training: https://terryreal.comNever miss an episode of ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBgThanks to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:Nuuly: Get $10 off your first month of Nuuly when you sign up with our code: SHRINK10 at nuuly.com Coterie: Get 20% off your order plus FREE shipping when you go to coterie.com/shrinkTruebill: Truebill is the new app that helps you identify and stop paying for subscriptions you don’t need, want, or simply forgot about. Go to truebill.com/shrinkchicks to start cancelling today - it could save you thousands a year!Dipsea: Sign up for an extended 30 day FREE trial when you go to dipseastories.com/shrink ZocDoc: Go to zocdoc.com/shrink and download the ZocDoc app to sign-up for FREE and book a top-rated doctor. Many are available as soon as today!Shopify: Go to shopify.com/shrinkchicks for a FREE fourteen-day trial and get full access to Shopify’s entire suite of features!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →