THERAPY GECKO: “GECKMAIL: I HAVE A SCAT FETISH”
Podcast: Therapy Gecko | Host: Lyle “Gecko” | Date: November 30, 2025

EPISODE OVERVIEW

In this unique episode of Therapy Gecko, Lyle sets aside the usual anonymous call-ins to read and ponder listener emails, known as "GeckMail." With his signature blend of self-aware introspection, humor, and raw honesty, Lyle digs into a diverse collection of stories and life dilemmas—from work paranoia, caffeine dependency, and psychedelic misadventures, all the way to heartbreak, sexuality, and the pains of feeling unlovable. The episode’s centerpiece: a moving, vulnerable letter from a listener struggling with an extreme sexual fetish and self-acceptance.

KEY DISCUSSION POINTS

1. Why Have Guests At All? (03:00)

• Lyle muses on the podcast’s evolving format, considering how guests don’t have to be celebrities—“Can’t they just be whoever is walking around? That’s kind of what the show is.”
• Sets the introspective, laid-back vibe: “I’m gonna do a lot more pondering than advice giving... if I fucking don’t know, I’m just gonna say, I don’t know.”

2. Workplace Paranoia & Boundaries (05:00)

Jackson’s Email: Co-worker Watching

• Jackson feels watched at work after a suspicious Slack message. He wants to keep things chill but feels uncomfortable.
• Lyle encourages honest, casual communication:
  Quote: “You don’t have to even be like, what the fuck are you doing? But you gotta go in there and find the information. Maybe she likes you! Maybe you love her too, and you guys can get married and have a baby.”

3. Star-Crossed Lovers & Heartbreak (09:20)

Sour Candy’s Email: Falling for a 'Red-Bearded Colonizer'

• A poetic, bittersweet story of an Asian listener’s love affair with a Scottish man, filled with rituals, longing, and heartbreak.
• Lyle reflects on the myth that love alone is enough:
  Quote: “That’s one of the toughest things about love and relationships, is that two people can be so in love…and yet the logistics of the universe just don’t work out.”
• He ponders: “You only get 50% of the choice.”

4. Caffeine, Stimulants, and Mental Health (15:20)

Sam’s Email: Peach Vibe Celsius Addiction

• Sam details how caffeine helps and hurts his social anxiety; wonders if he’s addicted and reflects on his experiences.
• Lyle connects, sharing his own struggles with caffeine and ADHD medication, painting a vivid picture:
  Quote: “I don’t feel normal if I’m not on some kind of stimulant...I get really fucking depressed if I don’t have coffee or Celsius or Vyvanse. Now that’s probably not good.”
• Personal anecdote: Lyle recalls envying two men present in the moment:
  “[They] are so deeply in the present right now...and I fucking wish I could do that.”

5. Grief, Homesickness, and Life Arcs (24:20)

Fish Farmer Email

• A listener shares about moving cross-country, working at a fish hatchery, and missing their late grandmother.
• Lyle praises embarking on a life “arc” and the value of personal growth away from home.

6. Psychedelic Misadventures & Hallucinations (27:00)

Walker’s Email: The Indian Guru and the Blood Moon

• A wild mushroom trip turns frightening; an imagined “Indian guru” soothes Walker to sleep; the next day’s news about Blood Moons startles him.
• Lyle debunks any supernatural elements but imparts a safety message:
  Quote: “Why didn’t you sleep in the car, dude? ... Just next time this happens, sleep in the car. It’s a terrible idea [to drive].”

7. The Struggle of Creative Motivation (30:00)

James’ Email: Musical Burnout

• A bassoonist/composer wrestling with professional insecurity and side jobs seeks motivation.
• Lyle highlights perseverance and intrinsic love for one’s work:
  Quote: “As long as you keep doing the work…if something is going to happen, it’ll happen. Just love it.”

8. Dreams, Loss, and Possible Premonitions (32:30)

Margarita (Morbo) Email: Recurring Dream Before Grandfather’s Death

• A recurring, comforting dream of her grandfather morphs the night he passes away.
• Lyle remains agnostic but acknowledges the story’s impact:
  Quote: “I don’t know if I’m gonna go ahead and say that it was a predictor...but I think it is a pretty crazy coincidence.”

9. Scat Fetish, Trauma, and the Meaning of Life (36:00)

Solid Snake Email: "I have a scat fetish and will never be loved"

• The episode’s emotional core:
  A listener shares painful details about childhood trauma, the development of a scat fetish, intense isolation, and suicidal thoughts.
• Lyle approaches with compassion and pragmatic openness:
  • On Community: “Whatever is going on with you—you’re not the only one. You might be one of the few people brave enough to talk about it...Who are you drawing this fetish art for? Start there... Find other people who have the same problem as you.”
  • On Suicidality:
    “Is your life worth living? ... Only you can decide that. But I'm pretty confident you don’t have all the information and experiences that can inform you… There are things out there—people, places, meanings—you might discover and then realize that yes, your life is worth living.” (42:40)
  • Lyle encourages the listener to seek perspective, connection, and therapy, ending with a characteristically humorous but sincere riff:
    “Who knows? There might be some dungeon in Venezuela where you can hang out with guys and shit in each other’s mouths all day...but you—you have to go in search... Don’t you want to know if you can live a life that’s worth living?”

10. Medieval Erectile Dysfunction (49:00)

Mike’s Email

• Delivered entirely in “Old English/medieval” style, listener asks about erectile dysfunction with his beloved.
• Lyle advises: “Take a Cialis, man.” and ponders whether the emailer speaks like this in bed.

11. Young Parenthood, Overwhelming Choices, and Infidelity Fantasies (51:30)

H’s Email: Living Too Many Different Lives

• A 23-year-old mother juggles a demanding job, parenting, relationship ambivalence, and a crush on a coworker.
• Lyle gently ponders gritty relationship realities and warns against “settling just for the kid,” reflecting:
  “That’s just gonna...that’s a lifetime of resentment right there. But I don’t know if that’s advice, but that’s my ponder...You’re doing what you do is so hard. This is a hard life.”

12. Tangled Love Affairs (55:30)

Kayo’s Email: High School Reunion, Affair, and Betrayal

• Listener rekindles with a high school crush, helps her leave her allegedly broken marriage—only to discover she never left her husband.
• Lyle is floored:
  “Wow. What a fucking story. Holy shit. When you meet somebody while they’re married, by nature of the way it started you can kind of predict how it ends.”

13. Sexual FOMO & Insecurity (65:00)

Jeremiah’s Email: Jealousy Over Partner's Sexual History

• Jeremiah feels inferior to his girlfriend, who’s had more sexual partners—she even offers an open relationship to “balance” things.
• Lyle validates the feeling but reassures:
  “You have nothing to be FOMO about...You ended up in the best scenario. Continue having great sex with your girlfriend. Tell her that you don’t need to have a threesome with another girl and just fucking be in that.”

NOTABLE QUOTES & MOMENTS

• “There’s certain things that, if you really like doing them, you just can’t not do it. So if you really like making music…I’m going to assume you just don’t live in a world where you don’t do it.” — Lyle (30:46)
• “The more you just try to attempt outside of yourself, the greater chance it is that you’ll discover again—people, places, things, whatnot, thoughts, brother. Things inside and out that might make you believe that your life is worth living.” — Lyle to Solid Snake (44:12)
• “Just love doing it. Just. I think that’s...the only way you’ll not get burnt out is to just love what you’re doing so much that you can’t not do it.” — (31:00)
• “I’m not a doctor, I’m a terrible guy for like, for like, medical advice, but I’ll just tell you my…experience” — (16:03)
• “Dude, take one of the pills...We need a dick pill sponsor for this show.” — (49:15)
• “Do you like your boyfriend? Because that’s just gonna...that’s a lifetime of resentment right there.” — (53:00)

TIMESTAMPS OF MAJOR SEGMENTS

• [03:00] Pondering Advice vs. Solving
• [05:00] Workplace Surveillance
• [09:20] Asian Listener’s Broken Romance
• [15:20] Caffeine Addiction & ADHD
• [24:20] Fish Hatchery & Homesickness
• [27:00] Heroic Dose Shrooms Trip
• [30:00] Artistic Motivation & Side Hustles
• [32:30] Dream Omens & Loss
• [36:00] Scat Fetish and Suicidality — Episode Core
• [49:00] Medieval Erectile Dysfunction
• [51:30] Overwhelmed Parent, Career & Relationship
• [55:30] Affair & Betrayal via Social Media
• [65:00] Sexual FOMO and Relationship Security

SUMMARY/TONE

Through the usual absurdity, candor, and offbeat compassion, Lyle continues to make Therapy Gecko a space where both the hilarious and the deeply wounded feel safe. The language is direct but gentle, full of self-deprecation and earnestness; Lyle never pretends to have the answers but chooses to ponder with listeners, pushing back on toxic positivity. The result: an episode as unpredictable and heartfelt as the lives of the listeners who write in.

MEMORABLE MOMENT

[42:40] — Lyle’s extended, heartfelt response to Solid Snake’s question: “Is this life worth living?”
A masterclass in radical empathy and pragmatism, he avoids platitudes and instead encourages searching for community, possibility, and new experiences—ending with both a funny riff (the “Venezuelan diarrhea dungeon”) and a sincere call to keep searching for meaning.

This summary skips all ads, sponsor messages, and non-content interludes to focus solely on listener stories and the gecko’s reflections.