The Angry Therapist Podcast

In this episode of Hard Things to Bring Up in Therapy, we sit down with the questions people are often too afraid to ask out loud — the ones about love, loss, sex, shame, attachment, boredom, longing, and the quiet fear that maybe something is wrong with us. From wondering why “healthy love” feels boring after toxicity… to grieving a breakup someone else moved on from too quickly… to asking how often long-term couples should be intimate… to questioning why we attract emotionally unavailable partners… to the messy, human moments around sex, desire, loneliness, and readiness. These are the things we carry alone. This episode sets them down in the open. Why This Episode Matters These aren't just questions — they’re emotional crossroads.Most people bring them into therapy last, if ever.But naming them is the beginning of healing, clarity, and choosing differently. Perfect For You If… You’re in a season of confusion about love or relationships You’re healing from a breakup You’re dating but frustrated by your patterns You want a healthier relationship with intimacy and connection You’re afraid to ask the questions that matter most Listen Now Every question in this episode is a doorway. Step through. 📘 Read John’s new book in progress Sh*t Your Therapist Would Never Tell You on John’s SubStack ⁠HERE⁠ If you’re ready for deeper work, the Secure Self course is available HERE Order John's new book, Break Up. On Purpose,⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow John on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find out more about John⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this module, we explore why healthy love can feel unfamiliar — even uncomfortable — when your nervous system is used to chaos or stress. You’ll learn how your brain adapts to emotional environments, why joy can feel out of reach, and how tiny moments of safety can transform your entire relational world. What you’ll learn: Why calm love can initially feel “flat” How repetition compulsion shows up in attraction The neuroscience behind your default mode network Why joy can feel unsafe — and how to rebuild access to it How tiny daily joys create enormous emotional change The difference between excitement and emotional intensity How to build a relationship that feels grounded, stable, and deeply connected This module is all about expanding your capacity for joy, hope, and relational peace — one small moment at a time. If you’re ready for deeper work, the Secure Self course is available ⁠HERE⁠ Follow Dr. MaryCatherine McDonald on Instagram HERE 📘 Read John’s new book in progress Sh*t Your Therapist Would Never Tell You on John’s SubStack ⁠HERE⁠ Order John's new book, Break Up. On Purpose,⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow John on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find out more about John⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. MaryCatherine McDonald, a clinical therapist and expert on relationship patterns, dives into the reasons behind our repetitive relational behaviors. She reveals how early experiences shape adult attraction, often leading us back to familiar yet harmful dynamics. The discussion highlights how healing occurs in relationships, not isolation, and emphasizes using triggers as opportunities for growth. Together with host John Kim, they explore strategies for choosing grounded partners and navigating emotional triggers with compassion.

Shaka Senghor, a renowned author and criminal-justice reform advocate, shares his transformative journey from incarceration to healing. He discusses how alignment impacts what we attract and redefines manifestation beyond mere desire. Shaka emphasizes the importance of transitioning from shame to self-respect and reveals how his imagination kept him alive in solitary confinement. He shares daily practices that foster grace and a mindset shift that liberates us from emotional prisons, inviting listeners to notice the smallest moments of abundance.

Shaka Senghor, an author and criminal justice reform advocate, shares his deeply transformative journey from 19 years of incarceration to becoming a beacon of hope. He discusses the powerful impact of forgiveness, revealing how it liberated him from anger. Shaka emphasizes the importance of imagination and human connection, even in solitary confinement. He also reflects on the grief, shame, and vulnerabilities that shaped his healing process, and the healing groups he started within prison that fostered growth and resilience.

Get ready to dive deep into the messy world of love and relationships. Discover how to distinguish genuine affection from love bombing. Learn what true love feels like in simple moments of care. Challenge the myth of 'the one' and embrace love as a choice. Explore the complexities of maintaining friendships with exes and the importance of setting boundaries. Unpack the power of repair in relationships and whether a marriage can truly be revitalized. It's a raw discussion about love's honest, human side.

This episode is an excerpt from our video course module on understanding trauma and the nervous system. In it, we break down trauma in a way that finally makes sense. You’ll learn why trauma isn’t about the “big event,” but about unbearable emotional experiences without a relational home — and why your brain responds exactly the way it does. Follow Dr. MaryCatherine McDonald on Instagram HERE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode brings together members of John Kim’s Single on Purpose coaching team for an unfiltered, deeply human conversation about what happened when the SOP community was suddenly closed. These are therapists, coaches, and facilitators — doing therapy on each other — exploring the activation, the grief, the meaning, and the unexpected wounds that surfaced. You’ll hear them talk about: What SOP meant to them personally and professionally The abrupt ending and why it hit so hard Abandonment wounds, leadership, and rupture-repair The magic of the community they built together Why therapists are human, vulnerable, and messy too What they’re taking with them into the next chapter Whether you were part of SOP, or you’re experiencing your own ending, transition, or rupture — this conversation will land. CONNECT WITH THE COACHES: Sean Cardinalli Instagram: @seancardinalli https://www.instagram.com/seancardinalli/ Medium: https://seancardinalli.medium.com/ Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/profile/1388439 Linktree: https://campsite.to/seancardinalli Mikey Brackett Instagram: @mikey.brackett Email: mikeybrackett@me.com Therapy website: https://mikeybtherapy.com Coaching website: https://mikeybrackett.com Madeleine Downey IG (info/coaching/counselling): @madeleinedowney Substack: https://madeleinedowney.substack.com (It’s Giving Alchemy) Shadow Work Group – Inner Compass Collective: https://inner-compass-collective.circle.so/ Email: Madeleine@vanessabennett.com Amy Brown Website: AmyBrown.Online IG: CoachingWithAmyBrown Email: Amy@MINDmgt.com Taune Lyons Taunelyons.com - therapy & somatic experiencing  Comingtooursenses.substack.com  Coming to our senses podcast - Spotify & apple IG: Taunelyons  Inner compass academy for classes on depth and somatic inner parenting Taune@taunelyons.com If you’re ready for deeper work, the Secure Self course is available here. https://theangrytherapist.thrivecart.com/secure-self-bundle/ 📘 Read John’s new book in progress Sh*t Your Therapist Would Never Tell You on John’s SubStack ⁠HERE⁠ Order John's new book, Break Up. On Purpose,⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow John on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find out more about John⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this module of the video course, we explore what really happens inside relationships when two people are trying — and struggling — to grow. We talk about emotional language, repair, anger, shutdown, nervous-system responses, and what it means to feel safe with someone for the first time. Whether you’re navigating conflict, trying to understand your partner better, or learning how to show up with more emotional maturity… this episode will help you understand what’s underneath the reactions you keep getting stuck in. LINKS: 🔗 Secure Self Video Course — transform how you communicate, repair, and connect HERE 👉 Apply to Inner Compass Academy HERE 👉 Follow Vanessa on Instagram HERE 📘 Read John’s new book in progress Sh*t Your Therapist Would Never Tell You on John’s SubStack ⁠HERE⁠ Order John's new book, Break Up. On Purpose,⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow John on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find out more about John⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this raw, unfiltered reflection, John shares the real story behind going rogue as a therapist — from coffee-shop sessions to walk-and-talks, to breaking every rule therapy school ever taught him. He explores the lifelong pattern of exchanging truth for membership, the fear of being seen, and the moment one client validated everything he was terrified to try. This episode dives into authenticity, boundaries, regret, responsibility, and what it really means to help people while staying human yourself. Key Themes & Takeaways: Why authenticity often feels like rebellion The moment validation becomes a catalyst The battle between honesty and belonging The emotional cost of doing therapy differently The blurry line between helping and harming The evolving role of therapists in a social media world Why growth is abstract, nonlinear, and deeply personal 📘 Read John’s new book in progress Sh*t Your Therapist Would Never Tell You on John’s SubStack ⁠HERE⁠ If you’re ready for deeper work, the Secure Self course is available HERE Order John's new book, Break Up. On Purpose,⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow John on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find out more about John⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices