Shrinking Reality

Welcome to Shrinking Reality, season 8, episode 2 The pod bubble has officially burst! As the couples step into each other’s worlds, they’re discovering that building a connection in the pods is one thing, navigating real life with a new partner is something else entirely. In this recap of Love Is Blind: Boston , Season 11, Episodes 6–8, we’re putting on our therapist hats to explore the disconnec...

Welcome to Shrinking Realty, season 8, episode 1, part 2. This is part 2 of our coverage of the first 5 episodes of Love Is Blind Boston. We end these episodes with 5 engaged couples who are heading to Cancun, Mexico.

Welcome to season 7, episode 1, part 1 of Shrinking Reality. You know we love talking about relationships, human behavior, and all the things that make us ask, "What is REALLY going on here?" Today we are taking our therapist hats and bringing them into the world of reality TV because we're talking about Love Is Blind Season 11. In this episode we are covering episodes 1-5. Now, as t...

We are finishing out this season with the Love Island USA, season 8 reunion! The Villa doors closed, but the real-world chaos is just getting started. On this week's episode, we are diving straight into the Love Island USA Season 8 reunion. From breakups and messy online receipts to Ariana and Andy taking no prisoners on stage, we're breaking down every single moment that went down after t...

We made it to the end of our coverage of Married At First Sight, season 20, episodes 19 and 20. The couples reach Decision Day and decide to either stay married or get divorced. We find out what Felipe said to Tori that caused her to walk away. We see the fate of four couples who are left....Adam and Marissa, Michelle and Cam, BelleJolie and Mecca, and Nikki and Shawn. We finish the season with th...

Welcome to Shrinking Reality, season 6, episode 6...we are covering Married At First Sight, season 20, episodes 16, 17, and 18. Right out of the gate we discuss negging, something multiple people on this cast are doing! We have another break up from the couples retreat from hell! Drama ensues, boundaries are crossed, relationships break down and end... We highlight Dr David Burns's theories an...

In this episode, Ryan and Deede cover Married At First Sight, season 20, episodes 13, 14, and 15. One of the couples ends their relationship during the group therapy session! We discuss Deede's misophonia and which cast member triggers this in her, One of the couples displays different attachment styles, so we offer examples of what they could say and do to get their needs met and meet their p...

This week we cover Married At First Sight, season 20, episodes 10, 11, and 12. We've got two dinner parties happening, let the fireworks fly! The couples are getting closer to Decision Day! Who's going to call it early, who's going the distance, who do we think needs to get out ASAP?? Deede gets very triggered this week by one gaslighting, antagonistic man! Ok, maybe two men! Krista sh...

We are deep into Married At First Sight, season 20, episodes 7, 8, and 9...and LOVING IT! We get to see the first group therapy session, which had us reminiscing about our group therapy days!! We are falling in love with a couple of our couples, and growing more and more concerned with a few individuals...the gaslighting, the aggression, intensity, and more!

We are recapping Married At First Sight, season 20, episodes 4, 5, and 6. The couples are on their honeymoons and we are wondering how some of these couples got matched in the first place. We see some red flags, commitment-phobes, clashing of relationship styles and more! Who's building emotional safety with each other? Who's headed towards a split?

Welcome to season 6 of Shrinking Reality! We are covering Married At First Sight for the first time! Krista has watched multiple seasons of MAFS, but Deede and Ryan are brand new! As therapists, we break down each episode through the lens of psychology, attachment styles, communication, conflict resolution, and relationship dynamics. Together we'll explore what the couples get right, where the...

This episode concludes our coverage of Love Island, season 8. We recap Family Day...what we look for as couples and family therapists, the lens of attachment patterns, emotional bonds, intergenerational patterns, etc. We discuss the winners of the season, what we've seen since, and some predictions.

We go more in depth with Love Island's Movie Night, the drama, the fights, high emotions, the red flags we see in the moment. Did that humble the islanders? Were they able to take responsibility for their behavior? The couples compete in a karaoke contest...which saves one couple from being dumped from the island. America voted to dump one couple from the island!

We open with discussing the biggest walking red flags this season! We're not diagnosing, but we are pointing out problematic behavior. We also talk about Sincere's people-pleasing, some misconceptions about it and what's really underneath the behavior. We very briefly start covering Movie Night along with a reminder of Fight/Flight/Freeze/Appease as a relational stance when triggered in a relation...

Our podcast explores  Love Island USA  Season 8 through the lens of psychology. Rather than simply recapping each episode, we examine the behaviors, relationship dynamics, communication styles, attachment patterns, group influence, emotional regulation, and decision-making that shape life inside the villa. We discuss why contestants respond the way they do, how social pressures and the show's...

Tonight we discuss the finale of Perfect Match, season 4. Ryan didn't watch, so he learns the fate of our couples, including who was voted the Perfect Match! We also find out who's still together...if anyone!

On tonight's pod we cover episodes 5 & 6 of season 4 of Perfect Match on Netflix. Ryan wasn't able to see the episodes, so he's learning in real time what he missed! We break down a disconnection between Marissa and DeMari, including a live demonstration by Ryan and Krista on how they could have handled it in a healthier way.

We are discussing episodes 3 and 4 of Perfect Match, season 4. Should some people be banned from reality dating shows?? We discuss the cognitive dissonance that shows up for the individuals who participate in these shows. We also call out the gender double standards that we see in this episode.

Welcome to season 5 of the pod!! We are starting this season with Perfect Match, season 4. Perfect Match brings together various reality starts from other shows to match up, compete in challenges to gain power, and ends with a cash prize, and maybe a coupling?? We break down the first two episodes of this show...we'll see what transpires as we continue coverage.

We did a continuation of the download from Deede's narcissistic abuse recovery conference. Here we go into more of what it means to self-abandon in order to keep the peace, along with how we start to rebuild and heal from that. We discuss the trauma bond, betrayal blindness, and coercive control, along with real life examples.

This concludes our coverage of Temptation Island!! We were surprised by Shyanne and Jack, and have a different perspective of them after the reunion. It was a mixture of chaos and closure! We love this show and can't wait to cover it again next season!

This is part 1 of the Temptation Island reunion....Ryan didn't watch, so he's going to find out what happened as we go! Nick Viall and Natalie Joy hosted the reunion...we find out what happened with each of the couples after leaving the island. BUT...before we start, we've got some differences of opinions about some other reality stars!

We have the final episodes of Temptation Island, including the final bonfire....Ryan didn't get a chance to watch it, so he is learning the couples fates as we recap!! Who stays together? Who leaves alone or with someone else? What concerns do we have from what we have seen this season? Find out here.... Please follow us on Instagram....Shrinking Reality!

This is part 1 or a 2 part recap...we are breaking down Temptation Island, episodes 7-9. We have the couples receiving their videos from their partners and the last bonfire before the final bonfire and the conclusion of the show.

This is our second recording of Temptation Island, episodes 4-6. We discuss the biggest red flag person on this season, the covert behaviors we are seeing. As the couples settle in with the tempters, there is more drama, heightened emotions, more answers for the couples. We touch on therapeutic themes of the relational stance, "the fog," emotional abuse, insecurities, and what actual wor...