Kasey Pierce and Scott Waltman

The Rescuer Trap

Health EN ↓ 4 episodes

Are you the fixer, the over-giver, or the emotional first responder in everyone’s life? These aren’t personality traits—they’re learned patterns. And what’s learned can be unlearned. The Rescuer Trap Podcast, hosted by Dr. Scott Waltman and Kasey Pierce, blends Stoic philosophy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and practical psychology to help you break free from people-pleasing, chronic responsibility, and emotional overfunctioning. Learn how to set boundaries, tolerate discomfort, and reclaim your autonomy—without guilt. If you’re exhausted from rescuing others and ready to live with clar...

Author

Kasey Pierce and Scott Waltman

Episodes

The Giving Tree: A Therapist Reacts 25.02.2026 15:36

In this mini-sode of The Rescuer Trap, host Scott Waltman PsyD ABPP provides a therapist’s perspective on the beloved children’s story The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. While he once viewed the story as a touching tale of selfless love, revisiting it as an adult and a mental health professional leads him to a much more somber conclusion. Scott explores several key themes such as overextending a...

Step Away from The Slot Machine: Behavioral Extinction 11.02.2026 43:51

The payout ain’t happenin’ anymore, friend. Step away before you go broke. In this episode, Kasey and Scott Waltman PsyD ABPP explore what happens when we stop treating everything like an emotional emergency and feed the behavior that maintains the other person's helpless behavior. Here is the Behavioral Extinction chart for reference: (notice how it does end, eh?) Listen everywhere! For episodes...

Acceptance vs. Resignation: Auditing Your Circle of Influence 28.01.2026 5:10

In this 5-minute riff, Kasey Pierce breaks down the Dichotomy of Control . She explains that true stability doesn’t come from managing other people’s emotions, but from a “graceful acceptance” of what we cannot change. * Acceptance vs. Resignation: Acceptance is about stripping away delusions of power rather than just giving up. * The Circle of Influence: A mental exercise to separate outer circle...

Ozempic, OCD, and Why I Didn’t Kick That Guy Down the Stairs 07.01.2026 42:57

Happy New Year! We’re kicking off 2026 with a look at the Ozempic craze before diving into the dark, intrusive thoughts we all secretly have… like the sudden urge to “Sparta kick” someone down a flight of stairs. In this episode, Kasey wonders if being a Rescuer is just a socially acceptable form of OCD. Enter Scott Waltman, PsyD, ABPP, to her rescue! (Again.) He helps us distinguish between the i...