Shrink Unleashed

Send us Fan Mail There is a saying in Al-Anon, we become sicker than they are. What that means is that often when dealing with an alcoholic and/or drug addict we can become so involved in their life, taking care of them, watching over them, enabling them, that before we know it our own lives have begun to unravel. This scenario does not just have to pertain to alcoholics or drug addicts, but toxic...

Send us Fan Mail My husband/wife, my mother/father, my child, my friend, etc., etc., really upset me. Well, have you told them? Ahh, no.  One of the most common dialogues I hear in my sessions is a patient telling me about a person who upset them, and stating that they have never told them that they are upset. The fear that bringing up their feelings could incite verbal conflict or communicate a l...

Send us Fan Mail How many times have you struggled with, what is the right thing to do. Or more to the point, "I know what the right thing to do is, but I really don't want to do it." Sometimes our decision making process can be shaped by fear, shame, or guilt. However, sometimes our process is just simple selfishness or self-interest. Contrary action is taking an action that we kno...

Send us Fan Mail Our childhood is the framework for all of our thinking and behavior, and even though my childhood was flawed I have learned to acknowledge it, and overcome it. The key word is acknowledge. If we are to triumph over our insecurities, flaws, and weaknesses, we must first admit that they exist. We all have them in one way or another. There is a saying “there are people who have probl...

Send us Fan Mail I call this episode; I Was the Fat Kid in Elementary School. Being that kid has had a profound impact in every facet of my life. I feel that there is no better way to illustrate the impact our childhood can have on our future is by using myself as an example. When I set out to do this podcast, I had every intension of being honest and candid. What better way to fulfil my goal than...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to my introduction, where I give you a preview of who I am, and what this show is about. My name is James Stein. I am a licensed psychotherapist based in Los Angeles California, and this is Shrink Unleashed. Have you ever asked yourself, how did I get into this mess? Why do I keep making the same mistakes over and over again? Why can’t I seem to pick the right partners? In...