• ENCORE: The pursuit of endless bliss
    Oct 30 2025

    This Isn't Therapy... it's an *encore* episode about the pursuit of endless bliss. Many people arrive to therapy with a "fantasy goal" thinking they want to be calm, happy, and relaxed all the time. Through two #lovelylistener stories, Jake and Simon talk about how to find a realistic sense of joy, happiness, purpose, and pleasure and what we can (or should) expect from life. This episode is for those wondering why the pursuit of endless bliss doesn’t produce the feelings (and lasting results) they promise.

    Read more: The Pursuit of Endless Bliss by Jake Ernst.

    Don't forget, Mary: Submit a quandary, query, or question with our newest segment Asking For A Friend...

    Contact: thisisnttherapypodcast@gmail.com

    Creators & Guests

    • Simon Paluck - Host
    • Jake Ernst - Host

    Hello, hi! Follow us on Instagram: @notatherapypodcast⁣
    Jake Ernst: @mswjake
    Simon Paluck: @directedbysimon
    Episode mixed by Jordan Paluck
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    44 mins
  • ENCORE: Is therapy harming kids?
    Oct 23 2025

    This Isn't Therapy...this is an *encore* critical look at the argument that children need less therapy, not more, and how this "mental heath culture" is stripping parents of autonomy, ultimately causing more harm than good. In this episode, Jake and Simon dive into a review (written by Anna Nordberg for Slate) for a book by a right-leaning conspiracy theorist titled Bad Therapy. "In Bad Therapy, Shrier [the book's author] ladles heavy helpings of anecdote over some scientific research to argue that therapists, school counselors, and the language of therapy that has influenced parenting in the past decade or so are, in her view, harming kids." So, what really is harming the kids? Is it therapy or maybe, just maybe, it's something else...

    Source: Who’s Making The Kids Cry by Anna Nordberg for Slate

    P.S. Don't forget: Submit a quandary, query, or question with our newest segment Asking For A Friend...

    Contact: thisisnttherapypodcast@gmail.com

    Creators & Guests

    • Simon Paluck - Host
    • Jake Ernst - Host

    Hello, hi! Follow us on Instagram: @notatherapypodcast⁣
    Jake Ernst: @mswjake
    Simon Paluck: @directedbysimon
    Episode mixed by Jordan Paluck
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    48 mins
  • ENCORE: The pressure to be happy
    Oct 16 2025

    This Isn't Therapy... it's the *encore* episode about the pressure to be happy. In this episode, Jake and Simon talk about how to feel authentically happy when there's a lot of pressure to perform positivity or force happy feelings. Jake and Simon hear from two Lovely Listeners who wonder about the true meaning of happiness and how to spot the difference between authentic joy versus fake happiness. In a culture that might encourage us to "just think positive!" we're asking "...should we?"

    Got a quandary, query, or question? Submit your Q (anonymously) to Asking For A Friend...

    Creators & Guests

    • Simon Paluck - Host
    • Jake Ernst - Host

    Hello, hi! Validate us by...
    Following us on Instagram: @notatherapypodcast⁣
    Following us on TikTok: @notatherapypodcast
    Jake Ernst: @mswjake
    Simon Paluck: @directedbysimon
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    40 mins
  • ENCORE: How social media is re-wiring our brain
    Oct 9 2025

    This Isn't Therapy... it's the *encore* surprise solo session with Jake! In this episode, Jake shares two snippets from his weekly newsletter Just Trying To Help. Jake walks us through his theories for how social media is re-wiring our brains, reshaping our moods, and changing how we connect.

    P.S. Happy Leap Year! Ribbit Ribbit!

    Read the full articles here:

    • How Social Media Re-Wired Us All
    • The Rise of Algorithmic Moods

    Got a quandary, query, or question? Submit your Q (anonymously) to Asking For A Friend...

    Creators & Guests

    • Simon Paluck - Host
    • Jake Ernst - Host

    Hello, hi! Validate us by...
    Following us on Instagram: @notatherapypodcast⁣
    Following us on TikTok: @notatherapypodcast
    Jake Ernst: @mswjake
    Simon Paluck: @directedbysimon
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    33 mins
  • ENCORE: Doom-slang is making us numb
    Oct 2 2025

    This Isn't Therapy... it's an *encore* doomy episode about the ever-evolving landscape of doomslang. Doomslang, coined by author and linguist Amanda Montell, is a term used to describe dystopian jargon like “dumpster fire” and “doomscroll” and “bed rot”. In this episode, Jake and Simon talk about how the constant conjuring of End Times is having surprising, unintended, and maybe even dangerous, consequences. From bed rot to brainrot, this episode sure packs a doomsday punch! Oh... and be sure to tune in this week for a very imporant Summertime announcement!

    Got a quandary, query, or question? Submit your Q (anonymously) to Asking For A Friend...

    Creators & Guests

    • Simon Paluck - Host
    • Jake Ernst - Host

    Hello, hi! Validate us by...
    Following us on Instagram: @notatherapypodcast⁣
    Following us on TikTok: @notatherapypodcast
    Jake Ernst: @mswjake
    Simon Paluck: @directedbysimon
    Show More Show Less
    46 mins
  • ENCORE: We talk to an AI therapist!
    Sep 25 2025

    FROM THE VAULT: This Isn't Therapy... it's the *encore* episode about AI therapists and if they can ever replace the real thing. In this episode, Jake and Simon discuss a recent BBC article about why teens are seeking out AI therapist bots and what that means for the future of mental health. Conversational AI or, in other words, "chatbots with a personality" are gaining more attention and users are finding new therapy-ish use-cases on platforms like Character.ai and Replika. The pros, the cons, the risks, and the benefits. All that and more!

    BBC Article discussed: Young people turning to AI therapist bots

    Got a quandary, query, or question? Submit your Q (anonymously) to Asking For A Friend...

    Creators & Guests

    • Simon Paluck - Host
    • Jake Ernst - Host

    Hello, hi! Validate us by...
    Following us on Instagram: @notatherapypodcast⁣
    Following us on TikTok: @notatherapypodcast
    Jake Ernst: @mswjake
    Simon Paluck: @directedbysimon
    Show More Show Less
    41 mins
  • ENCORE: What to do when therapy isn't working
    Sep 19 2025

    This isn't therapy... and it's not working out, either! In this *encore* episode, Jake and Simon discuss what to do when therapy isn't working. Importantly, they talk about how to know if therapy is actually working and what to do when you feel like it's not. This episode is based on a Lovely Listener question: "If I cry in therapy, does that mean it's working?" Strap in!

    Got a quandary, query, or question? Submit your Q (anonymously) to Asking For A Friend...

    Creators & Guests

    • Simon Paluck - Host
    • Jake Ernst - Host

    Hello, hi! Validate us by...
    Following us on Instagram: @notatherapypodcast⁣
    Following us on TikTok: @notatherapypodcast
    Jake Ernst: @mswjake
    Simon Paluck: @directedbysimon

    Original music composed by Kat Burns and performed by KASHKA.

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    47 mins
  • ENCORE: Fight, Flight, Freeze, and Fawn
    Aug 28 2025

    This Isn't Therapy... it's the episode about the four F's: fight, flight, freeze, and fawn. In this episode, Jake and Simon discuss the four threat responses and how to move through tough situations and face what's in front of us. This episode is for anyone who feels trapped by their reactions or is left feeling overwhelmed by stressful situations. These responses are what make us human; it is better to embrace them and face them rather than become ruled by them.

    Got a quandary, query, or question? Submit your Q (anonymously) to Asking For A Friend...

    Creators & Guests

    • Simon Paluck - Host
    • Jake Ernst - Host

    Hello, hi!
    Follow us on Instagram: @notatherapypodcast⁣
    Follow us on TikTok: @notatherapypodcast
    Jake Ernst: @mswjake
    Simon Paluck: @directedbysimon

    Original music composed by Kat Burns and performed by KASHKA.

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    49 mins