Inspiration from the Couch

In today’s episode, Avery, Lucy, and Jamie talk about speaking the truth. We start our conversation by talking about what happens to us physically and emotionally when we don’t tell the truth. Even small seemingly insignificant lies can impact how we feel about ourselves and how we show up in our relationships with others, but the desire to please or keep the peace can interfere with telling the t...

Our third book club episode is on The F*ck It Diet by Caroline Dooner. In this episode we provide an overview of the book and discuss key takeaways that resonated most with each of us (e.g., trust your body, the crisis/famine state we put our bodies in when we diet, the power of making all foods legal). We share about our own relationships with food and our bodies. We also debrief on our #liethefu...

In this episode, Jamie, Avery, and Lucy talk about getting older! We reflect on what it’s been like for us personally as we go through our middle age stage of life---physically, emotionally, and socially. We discuss society’s view of aging including some of the negative stereotypes associated with aging and how many of us have internalized negative messages about aging. We also explore resistance...

Compassion (and more specifically self-compassion) is THE Secret Sauce in thriving and in living with peace and ease. Join Lucy, Jamie, and Avery as we talk about why compassion is so important, our experiences with compassion, barriers to compassion, and how we can practice integrating self-compassion into our lives.    In this episode we discuss: What is compassion? And what is the opposite of c...

Curiosity is living from a state of inquiry. There is a closing off that happens when we feel like we have to have it all figured out or when we feel like we have to be the expert. Curiosity fosters openness and acceptance and is an important tool when engaging in the present and in thinking about the future. Curiosity can give us the space to learn and grow. In this episode, we talk about how to...

Anxiety disorders affect approximately 18% of the population. Apart from diagnosed anxiety disorders, anxiety symptoms affect most, if not all, of us from time to time.  Anxiety isn’t all bad. The ability to look ahead and avoid negative consequences is very helpful and keeps us safe. However, worry is not always helpful and sometimes just causes emotional discomfort. Many situations can cause an...

Our second book club episode is on Untamed by Glennon Doyle. In this episode, Lucy, Jamie, and Avery explore Glennon’s 4 Keys to Freedom: 1) Feel it All, 2) Be Still and Know, 3) Dare to Imagine, and 4) Build and Burn. We also highlight our favorite nuggets of wisdom about parenting that Glennon shares in Untamed .  Note: No prior reading/knowledge of this book is required to enjoy and benefit fro...

In today’s episode, Avery, Jamie, and Lucy talk about accessing support. We sometimes get the message that we should be able to do everything on our own, but we all need help sometimes. We talk about how it feels to ask for help, the barriers to asking for help, and the benefits of giving and receiving support.  In this episode we discuss: What happens when we don’t ask for help and how asking for...

In today’s episode, Jamie, Lucy, and Avery discuss the importance and difficulties of saying no. We explore how to make more room in our lives for things that truly matter by saying one of the bravest words---no. We share anecdotes of our own struggles and successes in this area, review a “personal bill of rights” which provides rationale for saying no, and role play assertive and not so assertive...

“Do it Afraid” is one of our favorite mantras, and in today’s episode, Jamie, Avery, and Lucy explore what this phrase means and how to put it into practice in our lives.  We talk about ways that we play it safe and ways that we take risks, as well as the pros and cons of each. We share about how to support ourselves while doing things that align with our goals/values but that terrify us nonethele...

In today’s episode, Lucy, Jamie, and Avery talk about all things related to validation. We think of validation as a fundamental communication and healing skill, which, in essence, says “I see you.” There is great power in being seen, heard, and understood just as we are. We explore what validation is and what it is not. (HINT: validation is not approval, agreement, reassurance, judgment, or proble...

In our first book club episode, Jamie, Avery, and Lucy discuss The Trance of Scarcity by Victoria Castle. We talk about Victoria’s brilliant metaphor of being “in the Circle” (where you live with flow, abundance, vitality, and ease) versus being “out of the Circle” (where life is defined by a sense of not enough-ness, constriction, urgency, separateness, and depletion). We explore two ways for get...

Avery, Lucy, and Jamie chat about Wise Mind (aka, “Intuition” or “Knowing”) in the fourth episode. We discuss how to tap into one’s inner wisdom through incorporating emotions, thoughts, and the body, rather than over-relying on external sources to make effective decisions. We share stories of our own struggles connecting with Wise Mind and what we have learned to overcome these barriers. In this...

Warning: this episode is coming in hot with a few unexpected F-bombs. Be prepared! Or at least pop in your earbuds if you have small kids loitering or skip to the 52 second mark to avoid altogether! In today’s episode we talk about the importance of play. As adults, it can be hard to connect with “nonproductive” activity such as play. Jamie, Lucy, and Avery share their own experiences with play, d...

Join Jamie, Lucy, and Avery for an episode on The Pandemic Experience, recorded in April of 2021. As we look back over the last year, we reflect on our personal journeys and what we have noticed from a professional standpoint in our work as psychologists. We talk about the strategies that have helped us cope with challenges this year and the lessons we hope to hold onto going forward.  In this epi...

This first episode introduces you to Drs. Avery Hoenig, Jamie Wilson, and Lucy Smith, the creators and co-hosts of the Inspiration from the Couch podcast. As both psychologists and moms, they have created this podcast to share the pearls of wisdom that they have found transformative in their personal lives and in their professional endeavors. In Episode 1, Avery, Jamie, and Lucy tell you about the...