The I AM Podcast

Hey Folks! I’m Dave Kydd, and this is Episode 12 of The I Am Podcast — where we build our Internal Art Museum one image at a time. These are the pictures and metaphors I use in therapy to help people understand themselves and live more meaningful lives. In this episode, we explore the most important question of all: What is the meaning of life? Using a simple image — two hands — we break down the...

Hey folks! In this episode of the I AM Podcast, I explore why couples often fall into the same unhealthy communication patterns without even realizing it. Using ideas from transactional analysis , I break down the three ego states we all move between Parent, Adult, and Child, and how these roles shape the way we interact in relationships. When partners unconsciously fall into Parent–Child dynamics...

In Episode 10 of the I AM Podcast (Internal Art Museum), I explore The Truman Show as a powerful metaphor for false narratives and the illusions that keep us stuck. What if the story you believe about yourself… isn’t real? Using the image of Truman standing at the edge of his artificial world, I unpack how our “problem villains” (see episode 2) can create an entire alternate reality that feels con...

👋 Hello folks! In this episode, we explore anxiety and why it can be understood as “fake fear.” Using the image of an imaginary bear chasing you, I unpack how anxiety convinces us we’re in danger when we’re not. Unlike animals who leave fear behind when the threat is gone, humans can carry fear with us , replaying it, projecting it into the future, and letting it shape our choices. We’ll look at...

Hey folks, I’m Dave Kydd, and this is the eighth episode of The I Am Podcast — where we build our Internal Art Museum one image at a time. Each week, we take a simple image from my psychotherapy practice and use it to make sense of everyday stress, emotions, and problems. In this episode, we talk about stress — yours, mine, Lily’s, Charlie the dog’s (not Billy the cat, he’s fine) — and we picture...

Hi, I’m Dave Kydd, and this is the sixth episode of The I Am Podcast — where we build our Internal Art Museum one image (and now one movie) at a time. These are the pictures, metaphors, and now moving pictures I use in my therapy practice to help people understand life more clearly and grow into who they were always meant to become. Welcome to the new series called Moving Pictures! Moving Pictures...

👋 Hello folks. In this episode, we’re talking about parenting — and why it helps to picture it like swimming lessons . We’ll explore what it means to start with your kids in the shallow end, holding them close, and slowly guide them toward the deep end — where they can swim on their own. Along the way, I’ll share how parents can balance encouraging with challenging , and why every child’s journey...

Hello folks. In this episode, we’re talking about marriage — or any long-term relationship, really — and why it helps to picture it like building a house. I’ll walk you through the “foundation” every relationship needs: seven non-negotiable needs that form the base of a healthy partnership. Then we’ll climb up to the walls and roof — the daily choices and habits that keep your relationship standin...

Hello folks! In this episode, we’re diving into one of life’s hardest experiences — grief. I want you to imagine your grief like a storm: unpredictable, powerful, and at times, impossible to see through. I’ll share a bit about my own losses, and how those experiences shaped the way I understand grief in my work as a psychotherapist and as a person. We’ll talk about what it really means to “move th...

They say a picture is worth a thousand words — so how much is a podcast about a mental picture worth? Let’s find out. I’m Dave Kydd, a psychotherapist who believes we’re all born with the hunger to live the best possible life — to become who we’re meant to be. That’s what this podcast is all about. In The I Am Podcast , we talk about how to live our best lives through pictures. Each episode focuse...

Hi, I’m Dave Kydd, and this is the second episode of The I Am Podcast — where we build our internal art museum one image at a time. These are the pictures and metaphors I use in my therapy practice to help people see life more clearly and grow into who they’re meant to be. In this episode, we explore what it means to imagine your life like a movie. Every story has a main character (that’s you) and...