Live Q&A with Sydney Overbay: Perception vs. Reality, Emotional Immaturity and Growth, Faith Deconstruction, ADHD & More

What do a therapist dad, his adult daughter, and a live stream full of honest questions have in common? A raw, insightful, and often hilarious live Q&A.

In this special live episode, therapist Tony Overbay, LMFT, is joined by his daughter Sydney for a candid conversation that covers everything from emotional immaturity and ADHD to family dynamics, addiction, and navigating a faith crisis.

With their signature mix of warmth, wit, and psychological depth, Tony and Sydney explore how perception truly shapes reality (via the Dartmouth scar study), what it means to heal your inner child, and why we so often double down on what’s familiar—even when it no longer serves us.

You’ll hear real-time questions and breakthroughs from listeners on topics like trauma, medication, parenting, and personal growth. Sydney shares her lived experience leaving a high-demand religion, and Tony offers grounded, compassionate insights on how we all carry parts of ourselves—from inner kids to "addicts"—that are doing their best to help us survive.

Whether you're working through your own stuff or just love real talk about what it means to grow up (emotionally and otherwise), this episode has something for you.

00:00 Introduction and Casual Banter

00:27 Addressing Viewer Messages and Introductions

00:47 Losing and Finding the Phone

02:04 Mental Health Questions and Therapy Advice

07:08 Perception and Reality

16:48 Faith, Beliefs, and Community

27:51 Parent-Child Dynamics and Emotional Health

37:23 Personifying Addiction: Meet Andy

38:04 The Power of Self-Identification

38:51 Medication and Personal Progress

41:16 Emotional Immaturity and Childhood Adaptations

47:57 Navigating Family Dynamics and Acceptance

01:09:08 The Importance of Genuine Curiosity