Have you started expecting therapy to do too much? In this episode, I sit down with therapist and writer Megan Cornish to talk about the pressure we place on therapy to solve problems that may actually stem from isolation, lack of community, and modern life itself. Megan shares that many of the struggles we now label as “mental health problems” were once held by friends, neighbors, faith communities, and everyday human relationships. She also breaks down ACT therapy exercises that can help you hold painful thoughts more lightly and reconnect to your values instead of chasing constant happiness. Get ready to rethink therapy, connection, and what makes a meaningful life.

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In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 How capitalism and work culture affect mental health.

04:15 Megan’s viral experiment with AI, LinkedIn, and gender bias.

10:00 Can therapy really work in the workplace?

14:30 How therapists became substitutes for friendship and community.

21:00 How therapy evolved beyond treating severe mental illness.

25:00 Did people cope better emotionally before therapy existed?

29:15 How AI relationships remove friction from connection.

33:30 The ACT therapy exercise that changed how Megan approaches friendship.

36:30 Why discomfort doesn’t always mean something is wrong.

45:30 Why non-attachment to suffering exists across many traditions.

47:45 Do we actually need life to make perfect sense?

49:00 The “80-year-old self” exercise for perspective and gratitude.

Resources + Links

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Megan Cornish on LinkedIn: @megan-cornish