Head Shrink Inc.

Send me a question or comment We talk through the quiet ways partners drift from connection into coexistence, and how to tell the difference between a hard season and becoming strangers. We share five warning signs we see early and the simple actions that can start repairing closeness today.  • losing curiosity and letting conversations turn transactional  • assuming you already know your partner’...

Send me a question or comment We share five practical ways to be emotionally available with your kids and your partner, based on what we see repeatedly in work with teens and couples. The goal is less turbulence at home by replacing fixing and defensiveness with listening, steadiness, and repair.  • listening before offering solutions so kids and partners feel heard  • making room for feelings whi...

Send me a question or comment Mother-in-law conflict can hijack a marriage faster than almost anything, and it often starts with a misunderstanding about what’s really being threatened. I’m Dr. David from Head Shrink Inc., and I’m unpacking the emotional engine behind those tense comments, the awkward loyalty pulls, and the feeling that nothing you do is ever “good enough.” We talk through why a m...

Send me a question or comment Seasonal affective disorder can look like “winter just makes me miserable,” but it is a real, diagnosable pattern with practical treatment options. We break down what SAD feels like, why people miss it for years, and how light therapy and simple tracking can help you get months of life back.  • common SAD symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, sadness, low focus, anhedon...

Send me a question or comment We break down what “toxic” looks like in real relationships and why it can feel subtle until you notice the pattern. We lay out the behaviours that keep conflict unresolved and explain how we protect ourselves with clearer boundaries and lower expectations.  • defining toxicity as patterns that vary by relationship context  • why toxicity can blend with gaslighting an...

Send me a question or comment Family court can turn your private life into a public argument, and the people asked to “sort it out” are often working inside messy rules and even messier incentives. We sit down with clinical social worker Erin Hillesso to unpack what custody evaluations and parenting evaluations actually do, how they differ from a guardian ad litem, and why neutrality is a skill yo...

Send me a question or comment Your kid argues about rules, ignores chores, and acts like boundaries are the enemy, but what if the real problem is that the boundaries keep moving? We dig into one of the biggest parenting issues I see across family therapy: inconsistency. When expectations change from day to day, kids get confused, behaviour gets louder, and the parent-child relationship takes a hi...

Send me a question or comment You can be in a relationship that looks stable from the outside and still feel quietly stuck on the inside. That limbo is the focus here: you’ve been together a long time, you’re not particularly happy, but you’re not miserable enough to leave. So what tells you it’s time to fix your relationship, and what tells you it’s time to finish it? I walk through how I think a...

Send me a question or comment People pleasing can sound harmless, even admirable, until you notice the cost: constant pressure to perform, fear of disappointing anyone, and a calendar full of commitments you secretly dread. I’m Doc David from Head Shrink Inc., and I’m unpacking the people pleaser pattern in a blunt, practical way. If you’ve ever called yourself a people pleaser, or you’ve been acc...

Send me a question or comment Fall arrives fast, so we walk through five concrete ways we make the seasonal transition feel calmer and more intentional. We focus on routines, daylight, connection, and the hard but freeing practice of letting one thing end.  • Resetting routines after summer to create predictability without overdoing it  • Setting boundaries for weekends so fall events do not cause...

Send me a question or comment We finish part two of Doc David’s dating tips by naming the warning signs that quietly turn into painful marriage problems later. We focus on safety, honesty, attraction, and long term choices so you can date with clear boundaries and real confidence.  • recognising possessiveness, extreme jealousy, and control as serious red flags  • understanding why marriage rarely...

Send me a question or comment We share six dating tips that help you spot problems early and make choices with clear eyes instead of pure emotion. We talk about friends, family patterns, outside perspective, and why self-respect is the backbone of lasting self-esteem.  • noticing what a partner’s friend group reveals  • understanding how hidden issues surface over time  • paying attention to famil...

Send me a question or comment The most toxic sentence in an argument might be only four words: “Well, you do.” When we answer a complaint with a counter-complaint, the conflict stops being about dishes, tone, schedules, or parenting and turns into a contest to prove who’s worse. I’m Doc David, and I break down why that reflex is a sign of low emotional intelligence, not as an insult, but as a clea...

Send me a question or comment A fragile ego can turn a simple conversation into a fight, a marriage into a minefield, or a parent-child relationship into years of resentment. We dig into five grounded signs of emotional immaturity that show up everywhere: at home, at work, in friend groups, and loudly on social media. If you have ever thought, “Why can’t we just talk about this like adults?”, this...

Send me a question or comment We talk with LMFT Peter Anderson about the winding path that leads him from acting school and depression to seminary, languages, and a life in marriage and family therapy. We dig into forgiveness, boundaries, burnout, and why something as simple as cuddling can be a serious tool for rebuilding connection.  • Peter’s early career turns, depression, and the pivot back t...

Send me a question or comment We break down parasocial relationships and why they feel so real even when the connection is one-sided. We talk through the good, the bad, and the warning signs that show up when social media turns familiarity into dependence.  • defining parasocial relationships as one-sided emotional bonds  • why radio and TV shaped this long before social media  • how constant expo...

Send me a question or comment We sit down with John and Ashley to trace how a devout, image-driven family culture turns love into compliance and turns honest boundaries into “betrayal.” We unpack the slow build to estrangement, the smear campaign and legal threats that follow, and what accountability would actually need to look like for reconciliation.  • how enmeshment makes normal boundaries fee...

Send me a question or comment I had the opportunity to speak with Sunday. She was a single working mother raising her daughter. Sunday's mother began to interfere and created an Alienation situation for her. Listen in! Doc David

Send me a question or comment Some accuse me of taking sides (I try not to). I want people to understand why taking a side is generally not useful in my goal of trying to help people reconcile.  Doc David

Send me a question or comment I used to podcast all the time. I've been away unintentionally for a year. I thought I would get back into it so here we go again. Doc David

Send me a question or comment Interviewed a mom and bio mom who are best friends. If you're divorced this is potentially a good goal to have. Doc David

Send me a question or comment The election is over and now you want to cut your family off? Don't do it. Doc David

Send me a question or comment Enmeshed parental relationships are not a good idea. Don't pressure your kids with your emotional turmoil Doc David

Send me a question or comment Have you ever been able to name the internal struggle that goes on inside of you. There is a young self and adult self that battle one another. Doc David

Send me a question or comment Do you challenge yourself in all areas? I try to, but am definitely not succesful at it. Don't value comfort over discomfort Doc David