
Therapy in a Nutshell
I’m Emma McAdam, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and my mission is to make mental health resources more easy to access. I take therapy skills and psychological research and condense them down into bite-sized nuggets of help.
I’m here to spread the message that while mental illness is real, it’s common, it’s debilitating, it’s also treatable. There are dozens of research-backed approaches to treating depression, anxiety, and other mental illness. Change, growth, and healing are possible. Please keep courage! Try one little thing every day to improve your life and health and things can get so much better!
Therapy in a Nutshell, and the information provided by Emma McAdam, is solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and is not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health.
Therapy in a Nutshell and it’s logo are Registered Trademarks of Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC
Latest episodes

Dec 2, 2022 • 15min
Repressed Memories: Can You Forget About Trauma?
The idea of repressed memories goes all the way back to Freud, through the 90’s when therapists accidentally implanted people with false memories, through the courtrooms, and into today where the idea of repressed memories is still popular among lay people and controversial among therapists and researchers. So today you’ll learn three skills for better understanding lost memories, aka dissociative amnesia or repressed memories (or at least my opinion about it). The idea of repressed memories goes all the way back to Freud, one of his first patients, Anna O had all sorts of unexplained physical symptoms, when she began talking with her doctor about her life, previously forgotten memories of trauma came back and as she talked about them, her physical symptoms went away. Freud developed the concept of repression, that current symptoms are all related to something that happened in the past, that we repress the memories to protect ourselves, and that we must analyze our psyche in order to uncover it, integrate it and then be freed from it. So that’s where the whole process of psychoanalysis came from, the idea of patients laying on a couch, talking about their childhood. But this concept of repressed memories has become very controversial, because of the way memory works. Most people assume that memory is like a video, your memory records things as they actually happened and stores those memories away, permanently. But memory doesn’t work like that, memories are highly influenced by our biases and how we’re feeling during or after an event. Even Freud learned that many of the things that his patients “remembered” weren’t actual events. Memories can be altered, implanted, influenced, and straight up created under suggestion. Lot’s of laboratory experiments have demonstrated that our memories are terribly fickle.
If you want to see for yourself how this can work, watch this YouTube video “Take This Test and Experience How False Memories Are Made”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5sk504Yc94
After I filmed this video on repressed memories and dissociative amnesia, the NYT published a very relevant article and two strong opinions on it: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/27/opinion/recovered-memory-therapy-mental-health.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/29/opinion/letters/mental-health.html
Looking for affordable online counseling? My sponsor, BetterHelp, connects you to a licensed professional from the comfort of your own home. Try it now for 10% off your first month: https://betterhelp.com/therapyinanutshell
Learn more in one of my in-depth mental health courses: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/?utm_medium=YTDescription&utm_source=Podcast
Support my mission on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/therapyinanutshell Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.therapyinanutshell.com?utm_medium=YTDescription&utm_source=Podcast
Check out my favorite self-help books: https://kit.co/TherapyinaNutshell/best-self-help-books
Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health. In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.
And deeper than all of that, the Gospel of Jesus Christ orients my personal worldview and sense of security, peace, hope, and love https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/believe
If you are in crisis, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or your local emergency services.
Copyright Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC

Nov 28, 2022 • 9min
9 Ways Grief Impacts the Body
Learn more about grief in this mini-course: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/grief/?utm_medium=YTDescription&utm_source=Podcast
“Grief is unpredictable, and it will go wherever it finds an outlet. If it can’t be expressed emotionally, it may find expression in the body.” (136)
Grief, like all emotions, isn’t just in your head; it shows up in your body in remarkable ways. But most people have never been taught what is common in the grieving process and how grief does show up in your body, and this can leave some people feeling stuck, spiraling through endless grief and pain. Grief has many physical symptoms. When you learn the physical symptoms of grief, you can be more equipped to address it and work through the process of grief and loss. In this video we’ll learn from grief expert Dr. Dorothy Holinger the author of The Anatomy of Grief, how grief shows up in the body and what we can do to work through it. Grief does not have a concrete number of stages of grief. But, when you learn about the physical symptoms you can gain more awareness of your body and be more accepting of those symptoms of grief and loss. I recently recorded an interview with Dorothy about how grief impacts the body, but unfortunately some of the video files got corrupted, so I’m summarizing our conversation here. The full length interview is on my podcast. https://tinpodcast.podbean.com/e/how-grief-shows-up-in-the-body/ I’m not going to pretend that grief is some easy thing that can or should be fixed, but there are some things you can do that can help your heart and body work through the suffering.
00:00 Introduction 01:03 All Courses 40% off 02:02 How grief impacts the brain 02:46 How grief affects the heart 03:56 Grief tears 04:48 decreased pleasure after a loss 05:01 Loss of appetite after a loss and difficulty sleepin 05:25 weakened immune system while grieving 05:40 headaches and body aches during grieving 05:56 other somatic changes with grief 07:05 When you're not allowed to mourn 07:44 How to deal with grief
Looking for affordable online counseling? My sponsor, BetterHelp, connects you to a licensed professional from the comfort of your own home. Try it now for 10% off your first month: https://betterhelp.com/therapyinanutshell Learn more in one of my in-depth mental health courses: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/?utm_medium=YTDescription&utm_source=Podcast
Support my mission on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/therapyinanutshell
Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.therapyinanutshell.com?utm_medium=YTDescription&utm_source=Podcast
Check out my favorite self-help books: https://kit.co/TherapyinaNutshell/best-self-help-books
Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health. In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.
And deeper than all of that, the Gospel of Jesus Christ orients my personal worldview and sense of security, peace, hope, and love https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/believe
If you are in crisis, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or your local emergency services.
Copyright Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC

Nov 26, 2022 • 15min
The 3 States of Anxiety or Trauma in the Nervous System
Explore the three states of the nervous system according to polyvagal theory. Learn how trauma affects the nervous system and the consequences of staying stuck in a hypervigilant state. Discover techniques within polyvagal theory to soothe the stress response and treat trauma. Understand the role of the vagus nerve in communicating sensations and its impact on our reactions to threatening situations. Recognize and address different states of anxiety or trauma in the nervous system with the help of a therapist and activities like yoga or somatic therapy.

Nov 17, 2022 • 6min
A guided Walkthrough for Getting through an Anxiety Attack
Check out my Free Course, Grounding Skills for Anxiety, Stress and PTSD here: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/grounding-skills-for-anxiety-stress-and-ptsd
Looking for affordable online counseling? My sponsor, BetterHelp, connects you to a licensed professional from the comfort of your own home. Try it now for 10% off your first month: https://betterhelp.com/therapyinanutshell
Learn more in one of my in-depth mental health courses: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com
Support my mission on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/therapyinanutshell
Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.therapyinanutshell.com
Check out my favorite self-help books: https://kit.co/TherapyinaNutshell/best-self-help-books
Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health. In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.
And deeper than all of that, the Gospel of Jesus Christ orients my personal worldview and sense of security, peace, hope, and love https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/believe
If you are in crisis, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or your local emergency services.
Copyright Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC

Nov 3, 2022 • 10min
The 6 Most Common Types of Intrusive Thoughts
Learn to drop the struggle with intrusive thoughts in Dr. Kat Green's online course: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.co...
What are intrusive thoughts? Intrusive thoughts are words or images that pop into your mind unwanted, they’re often disturbing, they have little to do with what you’re doing or with reality, and the thoughts that are distressing can seem really loud, demanding your attention. Even when other people tell you a thought isn’t true or it doesn’t mean anything, the thought may feel so disgusting that it’s hard to believe them. These thoughts make you wonder if you’re secretly a terrible person. Maybe you think that if they really knew how dark your thoughts were, they’d be horrified. And while intrusive thoughts can be really uncomfortable, you’re going to learn that they don’t mean anything about you. Study after study after study has shown that almost everyone has intrusive thoughts from time to time. Random, unwanted, disturbing thoughts are actually the norm. Almost everybody has intrusive thoughts- healthy people, average people, anxious people, calm people, people with OCD, they all have them. Most people just brush them off. But for people with OCD or anxiety disorders, intrusive thoughts can feel very intense, and then the way they respond to intrusive thoughts can make them louder. So first let's cover the top six most common types of intrusive thoughts and then we’re going to briefly talk about how you can stop feeding them.
Looking for affordable online counseling? My sponsor, BetterHelp, connects you to a licensed professional from the comfort of your own home. Try it now for 10% off your first month: https://betterhelp.com/therapyinanuts...
Learn more in one of my in-depth mental health courses: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.co...
Support my mission on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/therapyinanut...
Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.therapyinanutshell.com?utm_medium=YTDescription&utm_source=YouTube
Check out my favorite self-help books: https://kit.co/TherapyinaNutshell/bes...
Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health. In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.
And deeper than all of that, the Gospel of Jesus Christ orients my personal worldview and sense of security, peace, hope, and love https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/c...
If you are in crisis, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or your local emergency services.
Copyright Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC

Oct 27, 2022 • 12min
6 Thinking Patterns that Make OCD and Anxiety Worse
Check out the course, Taking Charge of Intrusive Thoughts, here: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/managing-intrusive-thoughts
OCD is caused by a combination of factors- genetic and biological(what’s going on with our bodies, including inflammation, nutrition, stress, etc), environmental (our experiences), and psychological- how we think. The way you think and act determines whether you feed or starve your OCD. In this video we’ll look at 6 types of thinking that feed OCD, they make it worse. And the reason we look at these is because when you can notice these thoughts, clarify that they aren’t helpful, and then replace them with something else, you actively decrease OCD symptoms. OK, so let’s explore 6 thinking patterns that make OCD worse and then we'll talk about what to do about it. 1. Inflated Responsibility 2. thought Fusion- Believing that Thinking it and doing it are the same thing 3. Excessive concern with controlling one’s thoughts “I shouldn’t ever think this…” 4. Overestimation of threat 5. Intolerance of uncertainty 6. Perfectionism- "I can't make a mistake"
Looking for affordable online counseling? My sponsor, BetterHelp, connects you to a licensed professional from the comfort of your own home. Try it now for 10% off your first month: https://betterhelp.com/therapyinanutshell
Learn more in one of my in-depth mental health courses: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/
Support my mission on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/therapyinanutshell
Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.therapyinanutshell.com
Check out my favorite self-help books: https://kit.co/TherapyinaNutshell/best-self-help-books
Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health. In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.
And deeper than all of that, the Gospel of Jesus Christ orients my personal worldview and sense of security, peace, hope, and love https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/believe
If you are in crisis, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or your local emergency services.
Copyright Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC

Oct 27, 2022 • 11min
3 Subconscious Reasons Why You Worry
Learn how to stop worrying with the online course Worry Free, taught by Nick Wignall- https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/WorryFree
Worry isn’t something that happens to you, it’s actually something that you do, that you subconsciously choose to do, because it serves a function- your brain rewards you for it. And then it becomes a habit. If you want to learn how to worry less, you need to understand why your brain likes to worry, because that will free you to find a replacement for that habitual type of thinking. So in this video you’ll learn the 3 subconscious benefits you get from worry, and how to retrain your brain to worry less. First off, I have to credit Dr. Martin Rossman, he’s the author of “The Worry Solution” and he’s an expert in mind/body medicine. This video is basically a concise excerpt from his longer, excellent youtube video “How your Brain can turn anxiety into calmness”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYJdekjiAog OK, so worry serves at least 3 functions. But real quick, let’s define worry: Worry is a form of thinking, cognition, it’s imagining future outcomes, usually the bad ones. It’s considering all the things that could possibly go wrong. Stress is the physiological response, it’s what happens in your body when you are physically threatened- like a huge dog jumps out to attack you, your adrenaline surges, your heart rate and breathing increase, your blood pressure goes up. While worry happens in your mind, stress is what happens in your body. And it doesn’t just respond to physical threats, you can have a physical response to being rejected by your peers or getting an angry email from your boss. Anxiety- Is the emotional response, it happens in the limbic system in your brain. I consider it a combination of thoughts and physical reactions, but it basically creates a strong motivation to avoid a threat. If you’re anxious around heights, it makes you back away from the cliff edge. If you’re anxious about an upcoming test, you try to avoid that anxiety by either studying harder or procrastinating.
Looking for affordable online counseling? My sponsor, BetterHelp, connects you to a licensed professional from the comfort of your own home. Try it now for 10% off your first month: https://betterhelp.com/therapyinanutshell
Learn more in one of my in-depth mental health courses: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/store
Support my mission on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/therapyinanutshell
Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.therapyinanutshell.com
Check out my favorite self-help books: https://kit.co/TherapyinaNutshell/best-self-help-books
Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health. In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.
And deeper than all of that, the Gospel of Jesus Christ orients my personal worldview and sense of security, peace, hope, and love https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/believe
If you are in crisis, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or your local emergency services.
Copyright Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC

Oct 24, 2022 • 5min
This Skill Treats Insomnia 80% of the Time
Learn more in one of my in-depth mental health courses: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.co...
If you were to ask someone, “What’s causing your insomnia?” they might say something like: “my stress, anxiety, my brain won’t shut off”, maybe they think it’s their cat waking them up or they drank too much coffee or they watched a scary movie before bed. And granted, all of these things can mess with your sleep for a night or two, or more, but they aren’t the thing that causes chronic insomnia. In most cases chronic insomnia is caused by 1 bad habit where you accidentally trained your brain not to sleep. Staying in bed awake. This is the worst thing you can do for your insomnia. And it’s the key to one of the most effective treatments for insomnia, CBT-I, an evidence based treatment for insomnia that has shown up to 80% effectiveness at relieving insomnia.
Looking for affordable online counseling? My sponsor, BetterHelp, connects you to a licensed professional from the comfort of your own home. Try it now for 10% off your first month: https://betterhelp.com/therapyinanuts...
Support my mission on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/therapyinanut...
Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.therapyinanutshell.com?utm_medium=YTDescription&utm_source=YouTube
Check out my favorite self-help books: https://kit.co/TherapyinaNutshell/bes...
Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health. In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.
And deeper than all of that, the Gospel of Jesus Christ orients my personal worldview and sense of security, peace, hope, and love https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/c...
If you are in crisis, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or your local emergency services.
Copyright Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC

Oct 17, 2022 • 20min
Wait, What?! Depression is Not Caused by A Chemical Imbalance?
Here is the link to my "Change Your Brain" course: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.co...
Despite 85-90% of people believing that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance, there is no evidence that a chemical imbalance causes depression or is associated with depression. A new meta-analysis by the University College London reviewed the evidence and made headlines this week.
Check out my two unlisted videos on what causes depression: https://youtu.be/Tr1sOJn8Z1Y https://youtu.be/EmCkBCZdZ7M
Check out two videos by other creators on what causes depression: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fid1L... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAC9O...
University College London's review that indicates there is no evidence for the low-serotonin hypothesis that a chemical imbalance causes depression: https://www.nature.com/articles/s4138... Researchers have known for over a decade that there is no evidence for the chemical imbalance : Johan Hari, Lost connections, the inflamed mind, "reducing the stigma but at what cost" https://guilfordjournals.com/doi/10.1..., https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2009-0... Do antidepressants work to treat depression: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NB...
Looking for affordable online counseling? My sponsor, BetterHelp, connects you to a licensed professional from the comfort of your own home. Try it now for 10% off your first month: https://betterhelp.com/therapyinanuts...
Learn more in one of my in-depth mental health courses: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.co...
Support my mission on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/therapyinanut...
Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.therapyinanutshell.com?utm_medium=YTDescription&utm_source=YouTube
Check out my favorite self-help books: https://kit.co/TherapyinaNutshell/bes...
Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health. In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.
And deeper than all of that, the Gospel of Jesus Christ orients my personal worldview and sense of security, peace, hope, and love https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/c...
If you are in crisis, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or your local emergency services.
Copyright Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC

Oct 13, 2022 • 20min
The Myth of the Chemical Imbalance: What Causes Depression? (Lost Connections Summary Part 1)
The podcast challenges the idea of a chemical imbalance as the cause of depression. It explores alternative factors contributing to depression and questions the validity of the chemical imbalance theory. The chapter also discusses the misleading advertising of antidepressants and the importance of incorporating various treatment options for depression.