Trust & Thrive

In this episode, I share more about Relationship OCD (ROCD) and how social media can fuel the cycle of comparison, doubt, and intrusive thoughts. From seeing engagement posts to scrolling through "perfect" couple photos, social media can create pressure that can send many into ROCD spirals, leading to rumination and reassurance-seeking.As a Swiftie since her debut album, I share my excitement about the news of Taylor and Travis getting engaged, while also unpacking how public figures and certain images of love can intensify ROCD themes. I hold space for acknowledging how difficult it can be to live with ROCD, while providing hope for those who feel alone and isolated in the cycle...adding in the importance of self-compassion when we are caught up in the cycle.Feature on the Unbothered Podcast: Living with Relationship OCDSTAY CONNECTED:INSTA: @trustandthriveTIKOK: @trustandthriveEMAIL: trustandthrive@gmail.com 

In this episode, I open up about what it can feel like to live with OCD, sharing personal experiences and giving visuals that bring the struggles to life. I also talk about the difference between OCD and generalized anxiety disorder, and the wide spectrum of ways OCD can manifest. This solo episode is a reminder that OCD doesn’t always look the same from person to person, and that what I share is only a small portion of my experience. As always, this episode/my podcast/content is not a replacement for therapy or professional support. You are not alone.STAY CONNECTED:INSTA: @trustandthriveTIKOK: @trustandthriveEMAIL: trustandthrive@gmail.com 

In this episode, I share how important it is to acknowledge the nuances of one's mental health and how OCD, anxiety, depression, whatever it is you are going through can look different for everyone and manifest differently for each person.I hope this episode can remind you that your experience does not need to match someone else's to be valid and real. I hope you can hold some compassion for yourself, even when others can't. I see you and honor your experience...and I'm so glad you're here.STAY CONNECTED:INSTA: @trustandthriveTIKOK: @trustandthriveEMAIL: trustandthrive@gmail.com 

Emily Nader is a Lebanese-American Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), licensed in Texas and Arizona. Through her online private practice, she works with adults in their 20s–40s who’ve spent years people-pleasing, feeling overwhelmed by anxious thoughts, and losing touch with their authenticity in life and relationships. She’s also a dog mom to two chocolate labs, a travel lover, and deeply proud to be a daughter of immigrants.With years of experience supporting clients through anxiety, low self-worth, relationship challenges, and cultural nuance, Emily brings a warm, honest, and deeply validating presence to her work. She’s passionate about helping adults stop shrinking just to keep the peace, and start showing up fully in their lives and relationships.In this episode, we unpack the deeper roots of people-pleasing, often shaped by early experiences in unsafe or unpredictable environments. We explore how survival strategies like staying quiet, over-accommodating, or shutting down during conflict can follow us into adulthood, even when they no longer serve us.We reframe guilt that shows up when we start honoring our needs, and talk about how to offer compassion to the parts of us that learned to keep the peace. For anyone who has learned to abandon themselves, we hope this episode can remind you you're not alone and lean into self-trust. FOLLOW EMILY:INSTA: @empathywithemTIKOK: @empathywithemWEBSITE: http://www.empathywithem.comSTAY CONNECTED:INSTA: @trustandthriveTIKOK: @trustandthriveTHREADS: @trustandthriveFACEBOOK: bit.ly/FBtaramontEMAIL: trustandthrive@gmail.com

In this episode, I talk about what it really means to ride the wave of intrusive thoughts and uncomfortable emotions. I share my experience of sitting with the discomfort of riding the wave, without numbing, avoiding, or rushing to fix them...which is so hard. I share how I’ve been learning to sit with my own feelings of uncertainty and overwhelm, while also holding space for others. In this episode, I lean into what I've been practicing in my every day life...which is embracing the messy parts of myself that make me human. I hope this episode can remind you that you’re not alone, and that you don’t have to have it all figured out to show up.STAY CONNECTED:INSTA: @trustandthriveTIKOK: @trustandthriveEMAIL: trustandthrive@gmail.com 

Shannon Amabile is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based in Los Angeles and the founder of The Happy Byrd, a private practice specializing in the mental health and creative support of entertainment professionals. She is also the co-founder of Starlight Support, a mobile therapy service that brings clinical care and mental health resources directly to set for child actors and their families. With complex experience and a passion for fostering safe and collaborative environments, she is dedicated to helping creative people overcome challenges, harness their talents, and achieve their goals with lasting success.Carly Gilmore is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (#144088) who grew up in Burbank, CA, surrounded by the entertainment industry. Growing up in Burbank, it was as normal to be attending acting classes after school as it was to be attending sports after school. She has used her knowledge and experience from being a part of that world to begin creating space for services that would have benefitted her during that time. She received her BA in Psychology and Human Development from Eckerd College and MA in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine. Carlypractices at The Happy Byrd under the Supervision of Shannon Amabile and is currently taking new clients. In this episode, we dive into the unique mental health challenges faced by child actors and young professionals in the entertainment industry. Our guests share clinical insights on working with child actors, the emotional toll of early fame, identity development under constant judgment and scrutiny, and the high expectations placed on young performers.We explore how early exposure to performance and public life can lead to anxiety, perfectionism, and identity confusion, and why both advocacy and specialized mental health support are critical in this space. From working with clients in the industry to systemic change, we discuss the evolving role of mental health professionals on set and what it truly means to prioritize the wellbeing of child stars.Whether or not you're in the mental health field or entertainment business, this episode is a reminder that mental health shows up in every field and deserves to be supported.FOLLOW CARLY & SHANNON:INSTA: @gilmore.girl.guidance; @the_reframe_queen; @thehappybyrdWEBSITE: hhttps://thehappybyrd.com/STAY CONNECTED:INSTA: @trustandthriveTIKOK: @trustandthriveTHREADS: @trustandthriveFACEBOOK: bit.ly/FBtaramontEMAIL: trustandthrive@gmail.com

Marisa is a Black and Latina Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT 136357) and the founder of Illuminated Life Therapy, based in San Diego, California. She specializes in working with adults in their 20s and 30s who are navigating anxiety, low self-esteem, and trauma related to relationships.This season of life often brings intense relational and identity shifts, decision uncertainty, and pressure around timelines, comparison, and boundaries—and Marisa creates a grounded, supportive space to explore it all. She integrates Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Internal Family Systems (IFS), helping clients move toward emotional security, clarity, and self-trust.With nearly a decade of experience across mental health settings, Marisa brings a warm, authentic, and empowering presence to her work. She values the importance of showing up as your full self in relationships and supports clients in reconnecting with their voice, needs, and boundaries.Marisa is deeply committed to creating an inclusive, affirming space for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ individuals. In this episode, we explore the pressures and complexities of navigating life in yours 20s and 30s (and all decades). We discuss life transitions and societal timelines that leave many feeling "behind," especially in a Westernized, individualistic culture that often overlooks cultural values, family dynamics, and collective expectations. As therapists, we also explore our experiences showing up on social media and what it looks like to show up authentically. The conversation also touches on the grief that can come with change, the evolving nature of relationships, especially in one's 20s and 30s, and what it means to trust your path. Wherever you are on your journey, we hope this episode can remind you that you're not alone or "behind."FOLLOW MARISA:INSTA: @illuminatedlife.therapyWEBSITE: https://www.illuminatedlifetherapy.comSTAY CONNECTED:INSTA: @trustandthriveTIKOK: @trustandthriveTHREADS: @trustandthriveFACEBOOK: bit.ly/FBtaramontEMAIL: trustandthrive@gmail.com

In this solo episode, I open up about my personal experience with Relationship OCD (ROCD), including how it's shown up in my current relationship and how I navigated these thoughts before I even knew I lived with OCD. I share both about my personal relationship, while incorporating what I've learned as a therapist and in my work.I also answer your questions from Instagram and TikTok, including how to tell the difference between real concerns and OCD, exploring one's relationship to guilt, and how to talk to your partner about OCD.While OCD can feel incredibly isolating and there can be a great deal of shame and guilt that comes with ROCD specifically, I hope this episode can remind you that you're not alone and that you just as deserving of love as anyone else.As always: this episode is for education and entertainment purposes — it is not a replacement for therapy or professional mental health services.STAY CONNECTED:INSTA: @trustandthriveTIKOK: @trustandthriveEMAIL: trustandthrive@gmail.com 

In this solo episode, I share more on feelings of self-doubt and imposter syndrome that can come up in my work as a therapist at different periods of time. I share what it's like to be struggling with my own mental health and have periods of feeling too hard on myself. I also discuss the privilege of this work, leaning into my humanness, and how deeply I care about the work and people I meet with. Whether you're in grad school, currently a therapist or social worker, or dealing with these feelings in other areas of your life, you're not alone.STAY CONNECTED:INSTA: @trustandthriveTIKOK: @trustandthriveEMAIL: trustandthrive@gmail.com 

Liz Rhea, MSW, LMSW is an associate licensed social worker and private practice owner in Atlanta, Georgia. Liz is a queer-identified therapist and specializes in supporting queer and trans folks, as well as folks navigating complex trauma, including religious trauma and purity culture recovery. Liz believes deeply in the utilization of reclaiming and healing within community in the therapeutic space. In addition to her work as therapist, Liz is a Founding Organizer for Let's Talk About It, a queer and trans-centered mental health training organization, and she creates content about being a chill therapist for both therapists and therapy-goers on instagram and tiktok! In this episode, we explore the intersection of religion, politics and therapy, and what it means to hold space for clients navigating all three. We discuss the nuances of religious trauma, especially as experienced by queer individuals. We also unpack ways to navigate the politics of religion in the therapy space, balancing personal and professional beliefs, why therapy is inherently political, and showing up online as a therapist. FOLLOW LIZ: INSTA: @lizrheatherapyTIKOK: @lizrheatherapyWEBSITE: https://www.lizrheatherapy.com/STAY CONNECTED:INSTA: @trustandthriveTIKOK: @trustandthriveTHREADS: @trustandthriveFACEBOOK: bit.ly/FBtaramontEMAIL: trustandthrive@gmail.com