PSYCHO THERAPIST

Max says his mother and father approached parenting on a "sliding scale from permissive to neglectful." Currently an undergrad psychology student who has done some intense therapy, Max understands a lot about his family. But even with his vast experiential and academic knowledge, he still finds himself confounded by his dad. He comes to the podcast hoping Renée can help him crack the cod...

Rebecca is whip-smart and wildly witty. Growing up in a family that, as she says, "never met boundaries," Rebecca was a parentified child who has since endured assault, harassment, and the loss of her brother. She has tenaciously pursued healing, but finds herself still mired in anger that she fears she will never release. She asks Renee for help harnessing this anger as she prepares for...

Paule's childhood was dominated by religious abuse, the scars from which still conspire to rob his days of joy. Nonetheless, Paule has taken his healing work head-on; his lifeforce is indefatigable. He came to the show hoping Renee could help him make greater strides in his healing, and as she does they discuss a wide range of details, from his diagnosis to his recent relationship with a woma...

JD has a challenging mental health diagnosis, regrets about her last relationship, and a fantastic sense of humor. She brings all of these to the show in the hopes that Renee can help her resolve her problematic romantic patterns. The two women discuss the validity of JD's diagnosis as well as how the early attachment trauma of JD's adoption contributes to her current challenges in love....

Mike has done a lot of work on himself and came to the show excited to tackle his recent experiences of procrastination and "self-sabotage." Since both he and Renée like to talk a lot about a lot, they tackle not only that but much more - from substance abuse to taking compliments. Renee helps Mike untangle the current manifestations of some long-festering issues, and it's hard to s...

Timothy is a divorced dad with a beautifully balanced life - a life he worked hard to create. When he found himself in personal crisis 6 years ago, he dove into healing with stunning bravery and commitment, despite having been raised in a repressed and avoidant emotional environment. Now in his 40s, Timothy finds himself facing a tricky life transition. Renée helps him explore the choices that are...

When Aiyana was younger, she liked that her mom was more like a friend than a parent. Now that she is a mom herself, Ayana is starting to realize that her relationship with her mom was problematic - as was much of her childhood. Lately, Aiyana finds herself mired in anger, which is particularly problematic since Aiyana and her daughter live with Aiyana's mom, Josefa. The two women have been a...

Maeve grew up with a single mom in an abusive household and often dreamt of meeting the dad she never knew, fantasizing that he would rescue her from her isolation and loneliness. When she was 12, her dreams came true - well, sort of. She finally met her father, only to find her dreams of security dashed. Now, at 33, Maeve has risen above the horrors of her upbringing; she is wise, resilient, and...

Justin says it was "synchronicity" that he came across Renee and the podcast in an Instagram ad. After a lifetime of both emotional and physical trauma, Justin has employed many different healing practices, from meditation to cryotherapy. Despite his remarkable dedication, he still suffers extreme anxiety most days. What's going on? Renee helps Justin sort through his past to find t...

Ali's life has been punctuated by abandonment, domestic violence, and homocide. Still, she managed to get a nursing degree and support a family in the wake of so much trauma. Renée helps her create a coherent narrative to support her healing as they sort through the relational complications that are currently blocking her. It's a wild ride, thanks to Ali's remarkable energy, humor,...

Despite a horrible childhood, Alena is remarkably happy. With a career she loves, a healthy son, and a brilliant co-parenting relationship, she feels like she has it all. Some of her friends and family, however, think differently; they tell Alena she needs a romantic partner. This is where Renee comes in. Alena comes to the podcast to ask if she is missing something. Is it possible that her unreso...

Last week we talked to Robelle, and this week it's her partner Michael's turn: He does not disappoint. Michael shares his journey from addiction to fatherhood and, along the way, he stumbles across some unhealed wounds. Renee helps Michael identify the pain points and develop strategies for healing, while also weaving Michael's story together with Robelle's to find the best way...

Robelle and her partner, Michael, have been together for a decade and are now parents of a 2 year-old. They came to the podcast to get help from Renée with their relationship and their new roles as parents. In this episode, Renee talks to Robelle; next week in Part 2 she will talk to Michael; and in a month or two, after working with them a bit, she will talk to them together. As for Robelle: she...

Jane came to the show to ask Renee for help with two things: her 17 year-old daughter and her own self-esteem. The teenager breaks her curfew regularly, and Jane has repeatedly let it slide. Now, tensions are building in the home as Jane's husband grows increasingly frustrated with his stepdaughter. The conversation starts like most other episodes, but about halfway through it takes a turn wh...

Jay breaks our long run of fabulous female guests, and we are here for it. He came to the show after finding one of Renée's Instagram posts about anxiety in the hopes she can help him with his. After a lifetime of intermittent anxiety and depression, Jay felt his symptoms intensify last fall, and they haven't let up since. He is new to therapy and desperate to understand why he suddenly...

Natallia came to the podcast after reading one of Renée's posts on anger in the hopes that Renée could help her understand why she is often angry at her children for "no reason." So while the conversation started out as a rescue mission for an overworked mom, it evolved into a much more complex and at times shocking case. Renée traces Natallia's path from an abusive, poverty st...

Molly had, in her words, "a rare, special, trauma-free childhood." She currently lives a beautiful life. Plus, she has done extensive work in therapy and with other healing practices. Then why she is experiencing a long list of distressing symptoms? Her days are plagued by anxiety, depression, intrusive thoughts, headaches, insomnia, and more. She asks Renée to help her figure out what i...

When Marcella was 12 years old, her mother woke her in the middle of the night and forced her to make a life and death decision for her entire family. That was neither the first nor the last time that young Marcella would be charged with adult responsibilities, and decades later, her sleep is still disrupted by recurring dreams fueled by the fear she has stuffed away since childhood. Even with the...

To use her own words, Kes is currently "cracking open." As a younger person, she was taught to avoid vulnerability and ignore her own needs. Lately, though, her system has been revolting against these positions - so much so that she recently dropped an F-Bomb on her very conservative father. So, what's going on? How can she best navigate this expansion? Can she really put herself fi...

Cee Cee has been experiencing intrusive, violent images and sensations so intense that she has taken time off of work to address them. But because of the severe depression that is almost always present, along with the many obstacles to getting the right therapy, she has not yet untangled her debilitating symptoms. Renee shows Cee Cee the connections between her current experiences and her past and...

Regan was diagnosed with Lupus when she was 9 years old. Three decades later, Regan has finally resolved the medical mysteries that defined her childhood, though she is still reckoning with the trauma of growing up in a chaotic home with a mentally ill parent. Renee gives a developmental frame to Regan's endlessly compelling narrative and helps Regan chart the next steps in reclaiming her lif...

Sarah's dad gave her a shot of Goldschlager liqeur when she was 12 years old. Now, 26 years later, after losing her mother to heart disease and her sister to an overdose, Sarah finds herself struggling with her relationship to alcohol. She is currently studying for a career in counseling while also raising a tween, jobs that take up enough time and energy to distract her from her own pain, bu...

Kimberly and her daughter, Ella, have been struggling with tension and distance in their relationship. Now that Ella is a mom herself, both she and Kimberly want to forge a healthier relationship, but they can't seem to untangle the misunderstandings and resentments - and this is where Renee comes in. At first, Renee thinks boundaries are the issue, but as she finds out, the story goes much d...

Maya is, in her own words, from a "lineage of fucked-up women." After losing her mother decades ago to a tragic accident, Maya was left with a case of arrested development as well as the gripping fear that she, too, will die young with a body full of unresolved trauma. Renee helps her forge a path out of the existential anxiety and physical distress that have recently dominated her days....

Ciara had to be an adult when she was a child. Taking care of everyone else left her little time to know herself. Now in her early 30s, Ciara tells Renée that she doesn't know what she wants and needs. This is affecting her 4 year relationship and activating a lot of old wounds. Did we mention that she and her family were Somali refugees who came to the States when Ciara was 4? Oh yeah, that...