Once Upon a Session

What happens when love stops respecting boundaries? In the season finale of Once Upon a Session , we’re stepping into the world of dark romance to explore boundaries, obsession, control, and the complicated line between intensity and intimacy. Through Ryat Archer from The Ritual by Shantel Tessier and Zade Meadows from Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton, we examine relationships where desire is inte...

What happens when the life you planned is no longer the life you get? In this episode of Once Upon a Session , we explore the grief of imagined futures—the careers, relationships, identities, and versions of ourselves that never had the chance to exist. Through Violet Sorrengail from Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros and Severus Snape from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, we examine two very d...

Family isn’t always the people we’re born to. Sometimes it’s the people who choose us, protect us, and remind us that we belong. In this episode, we explore the psychology of found family through Feyre Archeron from A Court of Thorns and Roses and the magical children of The House in the Cerulean Sea . We unpack how healing relationships can challenge old beliefs, create emotional safety, and show...

Fear of abandonment isn’t just about being afraid of someone leaving. Sometimes it becomes the reason we lose ourselves trying to make them stay. In this episode, we explore fear of abandonment and codependency through Lily from It Ends With Us and Molly from Where’s Molly . Together, their stories reveal how early attachment wounds, trauma, and insecurity can blur the line between love and depend...

What if one book leaves you questioning what’s real … while the other asks you to question the life you’re living ? In this Lit in Lit episode, Vanessa dives into Verity by Colleen Hoover, exploring unreliable narration, manipulation, and the psychology of perception, while Nareesa unpacks The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, examining regret, possibility, and what it means to find purpose in an imp...

Love triangles aren’t always about choosing between two people. Sometimes they’re about choosing between the relationship you have… and the one you deserve. In this episode, we explore the psychology behind toxic relationships through the lens of Fabric of Our Souls by K.M. Moronova & Kiss of the Basilisk by Lindsay Straube. Together, we unpack trauma bonds, attachment, red flags, emotional de...

Why do we push away the things we want most? In this episode, we explore the psychology of self-sabotage through Elide Lochan from Throne of Glass and Anthony Bridgerton from The Viscount Who Loved Me . One believes she’s a burden. The other believes love always ends in loss. Different stories, same pattern: fear quietly convincing us that safety matters more than happiness. Together, we unpack ho...

Some of our earliest lessons about love, safety, and self-worth come from the people who raise us. In this episode, we explore the psychology of the father wound through Klaus Mikaelson from The Vampire Diaries and Dorian Havilliard from Throne of Glass . We unpack how control, rejection, fear, and impossible expectations can shape identity, relationships, and the ways people learn to survive. Bec...

Grief changes us. Sometimes in obvious ways. Sometimes in ways we don’t recognize until much later. In this episode, we explore the psychology of grief through Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones and Diana Martinez from the Gods & Monsters series. Together, we unpack how loss shapes identity, influences relationships, and impacts the choices people make long after the moment of loss has pa...

Some people make jokes because they’re funny. Others make jokes because they learned early that making people laugh was safer than letting them see the truth. In this episode of Once Upon a Session , we explore the psychology behind humor, avoidance, and emotional masking through two unforgettable class clowns: Lehabah from Crescent City and Carrion Swift from Quicksilver. Together, we unpack what...

Some characters die in battle. Others become the reason people keep fighting. In this Memorial Day episode of Once Upon a Session, we explore the psychology of sacrifice, loyalty, and what it means to be remembered through two fallen warriors: Gavriel from Thrones of Glass and Liam from Fourth Wing. Together, we unpack the emotional weight carried by the protectors, the ones who love quietly, figh...

Some friendships feel bigger than the story itself. In this episode of Once Upon a Session, we explore the psychology behind deep friendship, loyalty, and the people who become part of our identity through connection. From Ron and Harry in Harry Potter to the Padavano sisters in Hello Beautiful, we unpack what makes certain relationships feel unbreakable—and what happens when love, jealousy, grief...

Why do maternal relationships shape us so deeply—and why are they so hard to untangle? In this episode of Once Upon a Session , we break down the psychology behind “mommy issues”—the ways early maternal dynamics influence identity, attachment, and the relationships we find ourselves in later. From Little Fires Everywhere to The Plated Prisoner , we explore how love can blur into control, how prote...

In this special episode of Once Upon a Session , Vanessa and Nareesa break down the emotional and psychological layers behind some of the most iconic characters in Star Wars . From complicated parent-child dynamics to identity, loss, and the pull between light and dark, nothing is off-limits. Because let’s be honest… this isn’t just a space opera. It’s trauma, attachment, and generational patterns...

Why do side characters so often become the ones we love most? This week on Once Upon a Session, Vanessa and Nareesa explore the psychology behind fan-favorite supporting characters and why the people in the background sometimes leave the biggest impact. Featuring Ruhn Danaan (Crescent City) and Manon Blackbeak (Throne of Glass), we unpack loyalty, hidden depth, resilience, identity, and the emotio...

Some love stories are easy to root for. Others… make you pause. In this episode of Once Upon a Session, Vanessa and Nareesa explore the psychology behind forbidden love — the pull toward relationships that exist between desire and consequence. Why do we want what we can’t have? And when does love cross the line from exciting to harmful? Tune in as we break down the emotional, psychological, and re...

Why do plot twists hit so hard—and why do we kind of love them? In this episode of Once Upon a Session , we break down the psychology behind emotional whiplash—those shocking, unpredictable moments in books and relationships that leave you reeling. From The Housemaid to The Perfect Marriage , we explore how twists create emotional intensity, why unpredictability can feel addictive, and what it say...

Some characters are easy to love. Nesta Archeron and Jaime Lannister aren’t. In this episode, we unpack what it really means when someone is labeled “hard to love”—and how trauma, shame, identity, and self-protection can push people away from the very connection they need most. Because sometimes… the people who seem the hardest to love are the ones hurting the most. Disclaimer: We’re licensed ther...

Closure… we talk about it like it’s something we’re owed. Like if we just get the right conversation, the right apology, the right ending everything will finally make sense. But what if closure isn’t something we receive… What if it’s something we create? In this episode, we explore the psychology behind our need for closure through the lens of storytelling and complex characters. We unpack why we...

In this episode of Once Upon a Session , Vanessa and Nareesa explore the psychology behind sibling relationships in fantasy and fiction. From fierce loyalty to painful rivalry, siblings often shape the emotional core of the stories we love. Through a therapeutic lens, the hosts unpack how sibling bonds influence identity, trauma, protection, and growth—and why these relationships resonate so deepl...

Welcome back to Once Upon a Session — where stories meet healing. Let’s be honest: fantasy men have been setting the bar way too high… or maybe exactly where it should be. In this session, Vanessa and Nareesa unpack why we fall for fictional archetypes — and what those crushes actually reveal about our real-world desires and emotional needs. We’re talking attraction, projection, and the psychology...

Welcome back to Once Upon a Session — where stories meet healing. You know that moment when someone’s energy starts to feel… expensive? That’s the emotional cover charge. In this episode, Vanessa and Nareesa unpack what it means to protect your peace without guilt, how to recognize when emotional labor becomes transactional, and why boundaries aren’t walls — they’re invitations for healthy access....

Welcome back to Once Upon a Session — where stories meet healing. Some villains just needed a session — or ten. In this episode, Nareesa and Vanessa unpack the psychology of literary and fantasy antagonists: the misunderstood, the morally gray, and the ones who were one good therapist away from redemption. From trauma responses to origin stories, we explore what makes a “villain,” why context matt...

Welcome back to Once Upon a Session — where stories meet healing. We’re pulling back the curtain on life inside a psych ward — not the movie version, but the human one. Vanessa and Nareesa talk about the realities of inpatient care, the stigma around psychiatric treatment, and how fiction gets mental health right (and wrong). Disclaimer: We're licensed therapists, but not your therapists. Thi...

Welcome to Once Upon a Session. In our intake episode, we’re introducing ourselves—two therapists who love a good book, a messy main character, and meaningful conversations about healing, burnout, boundaries, and growth. This episode is part origin story, part vibe check, and a little oversharing (because of course). Settle in—this is where the story begins. Disclaimer: We’re licensed therapists,...