The Intense Mind with Imi Lo

Time Stamps and more: https://eggshelltherapy.com/podcast-blog/2026/03/29/nadja/ Many of the people I work with are highly intelligent, analytically sharp, and deeply uncomfortable with the idea of play. The word itself can feel faintly embarrassing, associated with self-indulgence. Doing something with no measurable output, no goal, no justification, tends to produce anxiety more than relief. Nadja Rolli is a child psychotherapist and author who has spent her career working with play as a clinical and developmental tool. She walks through a five-stage model of play development, sensory, attachment, constructive, fantasy, and competitive, and what becomes clear is that many adults, particularly high-functioning ones, were pushed into achievement-oriented, competitive modes long before the earlier stages were properly lived through. The things that follow from that, needing to justify rest, struggling to lose without it feeling like something larger, being uncomfortable with open-ended unproductive time, are not personality quirks. They have a developmental logic. We also get into how play connects to trauma repair, what attachment play looks like across a lifetime, why some people genuinely do not know what they enjoy anymore and what that points to, the historical reasons play came to be seen as dangerous or morally suspect, and what gets lost developmentally when children are moved too quickly into screens and competitive gaming before the earlier stages are inhabited. The question underneath all of this is not really about whether you should play more. It is about whether you have ever genuinely felt entitled to exist outside of what you produce, and what it would mean to recover that. Nadja Rolli is a child and adolescent psychotherapist based in London and the author of Can We Play Now? Eggshell Therapy and Coaching: eggshelltherapy.com About Imi Lo: www.imiloimilo.com Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/eggshelltherapy_imilo/ Newsletters: https://eepurl.com/bykHRz Disclaimers: https://www.eggshelltherapy.com/disclaimers Trigger Warning: This episode may cover sensitive topics including but not limited to suicide, abuse, violence, severe mental illnesses, relationship challenges, sex, drugs, alcohol addiction, psychedelics, and the use of plant medicines. You are advised to refrain from watching or listening to the YouTube Channel or Podcast if you are likely to be offended or adversely impacted by any of these topics. Disclaimer: The content provided is for informational purposes only. Please do not consider any of the content clinical or professional advice. None of the content can substitute mental health intervention. Opinions and views expressed by the host and the guests are personal views and they reserve the right to change their opinions. We also cannot guarantee that everything mentioned is factual and completely accurate. Any action you take based on the information in this episode is taken at your own risk.

In this episode, I speak with integrative psychotherapist Joseph Pawson to explore the territory of his forthcoming book, Dependency and Denial, which examines what happens when our need for others gets exiled from awareness, and what it costs us to keep it there. We talk about why dependency is not the pathological clinginess most people associate with the word, but something far more universal, the very basis of how we relate to each other and to the world. Joe describes how, when early experiences of not being met are too painful, we can build an identity around self-sufficiency that works so well it becomes its own kind of trap, particularly for people with strong intellects or high emotional capacity, the very people who are most able to survive without letting anyone in. We get into what denial actually looks like in someone who is functioning well on the surface, the kind of person who can talk about vulnerability with real fluency but cannot let anyone carry anything for them. Joe speaks honestly about writing the book partly as a letter to himself, and about his own difficulty with needing others. We also get into a fear I hear often: the conviction that if you allow yourself to need someone, you will need too much and overwhelm them entirely. Joe's book Dependency and Denial is published by Karnac Books. He can be found at jpsychotherapy.co.uk. About Joe Joe Pawson is an integrative psychotherapist registered with the UKCP, with over ten years of experience. His approach draws on developmental, humanistic, relational, and transpersonal traditions. https://www.jppsychotherapy.co.uk The book: https://www.karnacbooks.com/Author.asp?AID=26116 Eggshell Therapy and Coaching: eggshelltherapy.com About Imi Lo: www.imiloimilo.com Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/eggshelltherapy_imilo/ Newsletters: https://eepurl.com/bykHRz Disclaimers: https://www.eggshelltherapy.com/disclaimers Trigger Warning: This episode may cover sensitive topics including but not limited to suicide, abuse, violence, severe mental illnesses, relationship challenges, sex, drugs, alcohol addiction, psychedelics, and the use of plant medicines. You are advised to refrain from watching or listening to the YouTube Channel or Podcast if you are likely to be offended or adversely impacted by any of these topics. Disclaimer: The content provided is for informational purposes only. Please do not consider any of the content clinical or professional advice. None of the content can substitute mental health intervention. Opinions and views expressed by the host and the guests are personal views and they reserve the right to change their opinions. We also cannot guarantee that everything mentioned is factual and completely accurate. Any action you take based on the information in this episode is taken at your own risk.

Full Transcript: https://eggshelltherapy.com/irritation/ You send articles they never read. You explain things they forget by tomorrow. You correct them even when you know it will start an argument. And you cannot stop, no matter how many times it backfires. This piece is about why. Read by voice artist Theresa. Eggshell Therapy and Coaching: eggshelltherapy.com About Imi Lo: www.imiloimilo.com Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/eggshelltherapy_imilo/ Newsletters: https://eepurl.com/bykHRz Disclaimers: https://www.eggshelltherapy.com/disclaimers Trigger Warning: This episode may cover sensitive topics including but not limited to suicide, abuse, violence, severe mental illnesses, relationship challenges, sex, drugs, alcohol addiction, psychedelics, and the use of plant medicines. You are advised to refrain from watching or listening to the YouTube Channel or Podcast if you are likely to be offended or adversely impacted by any of these topics. Disclaimer: The content provided is for informational purposes only. Please do not consider any of the content clinical or professional advice. None of the content can substitute mental health intervention. Opinions and views expressed by the host and the guests are personal views and they reserve the right to change their opinions. We also cannot guarantee that everything mentioned is factual and completely accurate. Any action you take based on the information in this episode is taken at your own risk.

Full Text: https://eggshelltherapy.com/existential-depression/ Sometimes, you have a lingering, niggling sense that says you are capable of more than your life currently reflects. Perhaps you wake up with a quiet, persistent hum that whispers you are in the wrong city, the wrong company, the wrong room. You function well on the surface, meeting obligations and appearing competent, but underneath there is a constant awareness that you are hemorrhaging meaning, that something essential remains unlived and unexpressed. You watch peers announce promotions, publications, and prestigious positions, and feel a burning mixture of longing and shame at your own reaction. Does that mean you are somehow a horrible person to be feeling a bit envious? We are taught to interpret this dissonance as personal failure, as arrogance, as evidence that we have somehow made the wrong life choices. We shame ourselves for wanting recognition, for caring about prestige, for imagining ourselves in contexts that finally match our internal magnitude. But what if the pain is not pathological? What if it is developmental, a sign of growth, and the seed of your next breakthrough? Psychoanalyst Heinz Kohut wrote about our human need for mirroring, for having our inner reality reflected back accurately by our environment. For those whose complexity, intensity, and particular cognitive capacities were rarely recognized or understood, the longing for congruence between internal and external reality is not shallow vanity. When you fantasize about being at a prestigious institution or in a vibrant professional community, you are not necessarily chasing status. You are imagining finally being in an environment where your intellectual intensity would not be threatening, where your innovative thinking would be welcomed, where you could experience what Kohut called "twinship" with others who share your essential nature. Continue reading to understand why your envy is a messenger, how the lack of mirroring created your current crisis, and what it means to hold the tension between who you are and who you might become without collapsing into either denial or self-destruction. https://eggshelltherapy.com/existential-depression/ Eggshell Therapy and Coaching: eggshelltherapy.com About Imi Lo: www.imiloimilo.com Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/eggshelltherapy_imilo/ Newsletters: https://eepurl.com/bykHRz Disclaimers: https://www.eggshelltherapy.com/disclaimers Trigger Warning: This episode may cover sensitive topics including but not limited to suicide, abuse, violence, severe mental illnesses, relationship challenges, sex, drugs, alcohol addiction, psychedelics, and the use of plant medicines. You are advised to refrain from watching or listening to the YouTube Channel or Podcast if you are likely to be offended or adversely impacted by any of these topics. Disclaimer: The content provided is for informational purposes only. Please do not consider any of the content clinical or professional advice. None of the content can substitute mental health intervention. Opinions and views expressed by the host and the guests are personal views and they reserve the right to change their opinions. We also cannot guarantee that everything mentioned is factual and completely accurate. Any action you take based on the information in this episode is taken at your own risk.

Full text: https://eggshelltherapy.com/toxic-relationship/ If you have been in a toxic relationship—whether with a partner, a friend, or a parent—with someone who repeatedly hurts you, gaslights you, or manipulates you, you may be familiar with the feeling of being stuck in a loop: betrayal, apology, forgiveness, then betrayal again. They repeatedly violate your trust in ways that leave you questioning reality itself, but then soon beg for your forgiveness with such raw vulnerability that your heart cracks open and guilt floods in. You stay because you think about your shared history, all that you are truly grateful for, and how good it would be if they could change. Then, within days or weeks, they betray your trust again. The shock hits deeper each time because the apology felt so real. The loop just repeats, leaving you increasingly confused, depleted, and emptied from your core. Most of us are so trapped in cultural stories of unconditional loyalty and forgiveness that we fail to see what truly lies within a toxic relationship loop. Even when you intellectually know that walking away is the right answer, that rightfully protecting yourself is not selfish, every time you try to walk away, you may feel haunted by guilt. We have all been shaped by years of cultural programming that tells us we are abandoning someone if they say they need us and we walk away. We are told that someone who tries their best should be free from blame. We are taught that love means endless second chances, that loyalty requires enduring pain, and that good people never give up on others. But ultimately, relationships without boundaries cannot nourish either side, and love without limits may simply be detrimental to both. If you have ever felt trapped or is contemplating walking away from something that is not working anymore, I hope this piece can help shift something. Eggshell Therapy and Coaching: eggshelltherapy.com About Imi Lo: www.imiloimilo.com Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/eggshelltherapy_imilo/ Newsletters: https://eepurl.com/bykHRz Disclaimers: https://www.eggshelltherapy.com/disclaimers Trigger Warning: This episode may cover sensitive topics including but not limited to suicide, abuse, violence, severe mental illnesses, relationship challenges, sex, drugs, alcohol addiction, psychedelics, and the use of plant medicines. You are advised to refrain from watching or listening to the YouTube Channel or Podcast if you are likely to be offended or adversely impacted by any of these topics. Disclaimer: The content provided is for informational purposes only. Please do not consider any of the content clinical or professional advice. None of the content can substitute mental health intervention. Opinions and views expressed by the host and the guests are personal views and they reserve the right to change their opinions. We also cannot guarantee that everything mentioned is factual and completely accurate. Any action you take based on the information in this episode is taken at your own risk.

Full text: https://eggshelltherapy.com/gifted-trauma/ On the Gifted Trauma of Feeling Humiliated Today's article is on the gifted trauma of feeling chronically humiliated, even when no one is trying to humiliate you. You know the feeling in your body before your mind can name it. The heat rising when someone begins explaining something you already know. The sickening sensation in your stomach when an authority figure talks down to you, even when they are someone you perceive to have no real authority at all. The strange shame of watching someone else present your insight as their own. The way your body contracts to brace itself. You may find yourself re-experiencing this sense of humiliation constantly, triggered by what seem like the smallest slights. And there is almost no socially acceptable way to talk about it. It feels like a taboo to say you feel humiliated when no one intended to offend. You can hardly be honest about the daily abrasion of being too bright and fast for your environment. But the feeling is real. And it did not come from nowhere. It was planted when you were trapped in a body too small for your mind, in a world that moved too slowly, explained too much, and understood too little. You were told in all sorts of obvious and not so obvious ways that your penetrative insights were dangerous, your directness was hurtful, and when you excitedly shared what you passionately knew, you made others feel small. The first wound was the humiliation itself. The second wound, perhaps the deeper one, was learning to participate in your own shrinking. You learned to start sentences with "I might be wrong, but..." and "It is probably nothing..." You shave off the sharp edges from your speech, just in case they hurt anyone. You have become so skilled at reading micro-expressions, at catching that flash of discomfort across someone's face, that you retreat before you have even fully arrived. What started as survival became something else entirely: a muscular apology you carry in your body, a chronic self-betrayal you barely notice anymore. But... maybe the second half of your life is asking something different of you. It is asking whether you are willing to finally inhabit your brightness without apology, to stop protecting people from your full self, to risk the possibility that some will turn away when they see yo Eggshell Therapy and Coaching: eggshelltherapy.com About Imi Lo: www.imiloimilo.com Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/eggshelltherapy_imilo/ Newsletters: https://eepurl.com/bykHRz Disclaimers: https://www.eggshelltherapy.com/disclaimers Trigger Warning: This episode may cover sensitive topics including but not limited to suicide, abuse, violence, severe mental illnesses, relationship challenges, sex, drugs, alcohol addiction, psychedelics, and the use of plant medicines. You are advised to refrain from watching or listening to the YouTube Channel or Podcast if you are likely to be offended or adversely impacted by any of these topics. Disclaimer: The content provided is for informational purposes only. Please do not consider any of the content clinical or professional advice. None of the content can substitute mental health intervention. Opinions and views expressed by the host and the guests are personal views and they reserve the right to change their opinions. We also cannot guarantee that everything mentioned is factual and completely accurate. Any action you take based on the information in this episode is taken at your own risk.

SHOW NOTES: https://eggshelltherapy.com/podcast-blog/2025/12/05/why-we-still-feel-lonely-with-philosopher-lars-svendsen/ We can be surrounded by people and still feel completely alone. We can have friends, a partner, a full social calendar, and still feel like something is missing. I spoke with philosopher Dr. Lars Svendsen about loneliness. His work so brilliantly weaves together philosophy, psychology, and decades of cross-cultural research. Prior to this conversation, I did not know that... Norway is one of the most individualistic countries on earth. It also has some of the lowest loneliness rates in the world. People who see their friends every day report more loneliness than those who do not. Creating new social spaces and community events does almost nothing to cure loneliness. In one study, people preferred giving themselves electric shocks over sitting alone with their thoughts for 15 minutes. Loneliness, it seems, is less about what is missing out there and more about what we are looking for. I hope you come away from this conversation feeling a little less lonely. Or at least, in my own case, a bit more hopeful. Dr. Svendsen is a Norwegian philosopher. He is a professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Bergen, Norway. He is the author of several books, including A Philosophy of Boredom (2005), Fashion: a Philosophy (2006), A Philosophy of Fear (2008), Work (2008), and A Philosophy of Freedom (2014). He has a unique ability to communicate difficult contemporary and international topics straightforwardly. Dr. Svendsen has received several prizes for his work, and his books have been translated into more than 35 languages. Eggshell Therapy and Coaching: eggshelltherapy.com About Imi Lo: www.imiloimilo.com Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/eggshelltherapy_imilo/ Newsletters: https://eepurl.com/bykHRz Disclaimers: https://www.eggshelltherapy.com/disclaimers Trigger Warning: This episode may cover sensitive topics including but not limited to suicide, abuse, violence, severe mental illnesses, relationship challenges, sex, drugs, alcohol addiction, psychedelics, and the use of plant medicines. You are advised to refrain from watching or listening to the YouTube Channel or Podcast if you are likely to be offended or adversely impacted by any of these topics. Disclaimer: The content provided is for informational purposes only. Please do not consider any of the content clinical or professional advice. None of the content can substitute mental health intervention. Opinions and views expressed by the host and the guests are personal views and they reserve the right to change their opinions. We also cannot guarantee that everything mentioned is factual and completely accurate. Any action you take based on the information in this episode is taken at your own risk.

SHOW NOTES: https://eggshelltherapy.com/podcast-blog/2025/10/27/deathanxiety/ I sat down with philosopher Tom Cochrane to explore death anxiety, happiness, and how we cope when existential dread surfaces. We began with the classic philosophical arguments against fearing death. For Tom, ultimate comfort does not require a cosmic designer. It comes from recognizing the world's intrinsic value. He advocates for what he calls "aestheticism," seeing the universe as beautiful, sublime, dramatic, and worthwhile on its own terms. This perspective is available to both atheists and theists. On self-sufficiency, Tom's critique is pointed and unique. A fully self-contained life becomes emotionally flat, he likened it to being like a ‘stale lemonade’. Humans are "contingent to the bone" and flourish through embraced interdependence and risk, not through isolation. The key insight: we have control over our imagination. Even when it runs away from us, we can redirect it and build better habits of attention. About Tom Cochrane: Born in the UK, Tom completed his BA (hons) in philosophy at University College London, followed by a MA in music composition at Birmingham Conservatoire, and then a PhD in philosophy at the University of Nottingham. His PhD supervisor was Gregory Currie. Following his PhD, Tom was a postdoctoral fellow at the Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva (2007-2010). He was then an international visiting fellow at the Sonic Arts Research Center, Queen's University Belfast (2010-2012), before moving to the University of Sheffield as a lecturer (2012-2017). After a brief stint at the University of York in 2017, he joined Flinders in February 2018. Tom's main areas of expertise are the philosophy of mind (particularly emotions) and philosophy of art/aesthetics (particularly music). He also has interests in metaphysics and ethics. He is the editor of The Emotional Power of Music (Oxford University Press, 2013) He is also the author of The Emotional Mind: A control theory of affective states (Cambridge University Press, 2018) and The Aesthetic Value of the World (Oxford University Press, 2021). Tom's latest book, The Aesthetic Value of the World: https://academic.oup.com/book/39016 Eggshell Therapy and Coaching: eggshelltherapy.com About Imi Lo: www.imiloimilo.com Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/eggshelltherapy_imilo/ Newsletters: https://eepurl.com/bykHRz Disclaimers: https://www.eggshelltherapy.com/disclaimers Trigger Warning: This episode may cover sensitive topics including but not limited to suicide, abuse, violence, severe mental illnesses, relationship challenges, sex, drugs, alcohol addiction, psychedelics, and the use of plant medicines. You are advised to refrain from watching or listening to the YouTube Channel or Podcast if you are likely to be offended or adversely impacted by any of these topics. Disclaimer: The content provided is for informational purposes only. Please do not consider any of the content clinical or professional advice. None of the content can substitute mental health intervention. Opinions and views expressed by the host and the guests are personal views and they reserve the right to change their opinions. We also cannot guarantee that everything mentioned is factual and completely accurate. Any action you take based on the information in this episode is taken at your own risk.

Full text: https://eggshelltherapy.com/ai-therapist/ Today’s letter is about the elephant in the room for all of us these past few years: the use of the AI therapist, coach, mentor, partner, friend, confidant, and sounding board. You may be someone who has resisted it with full strength, or embraced it with excitement, or maybe both. Whatever your stance, maybe it is time we talk about what happens when we turn to machines for the kind of relational healing or coaching that has always happened between humans. All in all, I believe there remain irreplaceable aspects of human connection in healing work that have nothing to do with technological limitations and everything to do with what it means to be human, to suffer, and to heal in the presence of another person who has also suffered and healed. Whether we are talking about therapy, coaching, mentoring, or any form of deep relational work, certain elements can only happen between two human beings. In this piece, we will focus on those irreplaceable human elements. Just because I do not discuss the potential benefits or value of having an AI therapist does not mean they are not there; they are simply not the focus of this discussion. Eggshell Therapy and Coaching: eggshelltherapy.com About Imi Lo: www.imiloimilo.com Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/eggshelltherapy_imilo/ Newsletters: https://eepurl.com/bykHRz Disclaimers: https://www.eggshelltherapy.com/disclaimers Trigger Warning: This episode may cover sensitive topics including but not limited to suicide, abuse, violence, severe mental illnesses, relationship challenges, sex, drugs, alcohol addiction, psychedelics, and the use of plant medicines. You are advised to refrain from watching or listening to the YouTube Channel or Podcast if you are likely to be offended or adversely impacted by any of these topics. Disclaimer: The content provided is for informational purposes only. Please do not consider any of the content clinical or professional advice. None of the content can substitute mental health intervention. Opinions and views expressed by the host and the guests are personal views and they reserve the right to change their opinions. We also cannot guarantee that everything mentioned is factual and completely accurate. Any action you take based on the information in this episode is taken at your own risk.

Show Notes: https://eggshelltherapy.com/podcast-blog/2025/10/18/jessica-baum/ Jessica, author of Anxiously Attached, returns to discuss her new book, Safe, which expands beyond her first work to cover all four attachment patterns: secure, anxious, avoidant, and disorganized. Drawing on interpersonal neurobiology, she explores how early attachment wounds live in the body as implicit memory and cannot be healed alone. They require safe, anchoring relationships where nervous systems can co-regulate, whether with therapists, coaches, or trusted others. She reframes triggers as awakenings, inviting curiosity about what earlier wounds are being touched, and contextualizes people-pleasing as an intelligent adaptation rather than a flaw. Eggshell Therapy and Coaching: eggshelltherapy.com About Imi Lo: www.imiloimilo.com Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/eggshelltherapy_imilo/ Newsletters: https://eepurl.com/bykHRz Disclaimers: https://www.eggshelltherapy.com/disclaimers Trigger Warning: This episode may cover sensitive topics including but not limited to suicide, abuse, violence, severe mental illnesses, relationship challenges, sex, drugs, alcohol addiction, psychedelics, and the use of plant medicines. You are advised to refrain from watching or listening to the YouTube Channel or Podcast if you are likely to be offended or adversely impacted by any of these topics. Disclaimer: The content provided is for informational purposes only. Please do not consider any of the content clinical or professional advice. None of the content can substitute mental health intervention. Opinions and views expressed by the host and the guests are personal views and they reserve the right to change their opinions. We also cannot guarantee that everything mentioned is factual and completely accurate. Any action you take based on the information in this episode is taken at your own risk.

Link to the full text: https://www.pecanphilosophy.com/writing/fear-of-being-unproductive Read with a human voice! Eggshell Therapy and Coaching: eggshelltherapy.com About Imi Lo: www.imiloimilo.com Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/eggshelltherapy_imilo/ Newsletters: https://eepurl.com/bykHRz Disclaimers: https://www.eggshelltherapy.com/disclaimers Trigger Warning: This episode may cover sensitive topics including but not limited to suicide, abuse, violence, severe mental illnesses, relationship challenges, sex, drugs, alcohol addiction, psychedelics, and the use of plant medicines. You are advised to refrain from watching or listening to the YouTube Channel or Podcast if you are likely to be offended or adversely impacted by any of these topics. Disclaimer: The content provided is for informational purposes only. Please do not consider any of the content clinical or professional advice. None of the content can substitute mental health intervention. Opinions and views expressed by the host and the guests are personal views and they reserve the right to change their opinions. We also cannot guarantee that everything mentioned is factual and completely accurate. Any action you take based on the information in this episode is taken at your own risk.

https://eggshelltherapy.com/podcast-blog/2025/09/24/drlilie/ Today, we are fortunate to have Dr. Lilie Chouliaraki with us. She is a Professor in Media and Communications at the London School of Economics and has spent her career examining how the media discusses human suffering and our own vulnerability. We are going to explore her work on how approaches to helping people have evolved over time. She walks us through the concept of "post-humanitarianism," which examines how our sense of solidarity has shifted. It is less about a shared sense of humanity and more about personal benefit, a kind of self-focused, consumer-style activism. We also explore the highly complex but timely topic of victimhood identity. Dr. Chouliaraki discusses how the language of being a victim has become a powerful political tool. She has examined how this concept of victimhood is sometimes used, or even manipulated, by those who are already privileged to gain more power, a concept she calls the "weaponization of victimhood." This can happen in ways that actually reinforce inequalities rather than challenge them. About Dr. Lilie Chouliaraki Professor Lilie Chouliaraki is Chair in Media and Communications at LSE. She holds an MA and PhD from Lancaster University Department of Linguistics and a bachelor's degree from the School of Philosophy, University of Athens. In the past twenty-five years, her research has been examining how media shape our ethical and political relationships with vulnerable populations globally and how pain intersects with power relations in disaster news, humanitarian communication, migration, and conflict journalism across historical and digital contexts. Recently, Chouliaraki has focused on histories of victimhood within emotional capitalism, social media, and far-right populism. Her award-winning book "Wronged: The Weaponization of Victimhood" was published by Columbia University Press in 2024. She has received numerous international distinc The Dom Sub Living BDSM and Kink Podcast Curious about Dominance & submission? Real stories, real fun, really kinky. Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Eggshell Therapy and Coaching: eggshelltherapy.com About Imi Lo: www.imiloimilo.com Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/eggshelltherapy_imilo/ Newsletters: https://eepurl.com/bykHRz Disclaimers: https://www.eggshelltherapy.com/disclaimers Trigger Warning: This episode may cover sensitive topics including but not limited to suicide, abuse, violence, severe mental illnesses, relationship challenges, sex, drugs, alcohol addiction, psychedelics, and the use of plant medicines. You are advised to refrain from watching or listening to the YouTube Channel or Podcast if you are likely to be offended or adversely impacted by any of these topics. Disclaimer: The content provided is for informational purposes only. Please do not consider any of the content clinical or professional advice. None of the content can substitute mental health intervention. Opinions and views expressed by the host and the guests are personal views and they reserve the right to change their opinions. We also cannot guarantee that everything mentioned is factual and completely accurate. Any action you take based on the information in this episode is taken at your own risk.

Show notes: https://eggshelltherapy.com/podcast-blog/2025/09/17/sarabeth-2/ In this episode, we explore the shift from simply "fitting in" at work to cultivating true belonging. Dr. Sarabeth Berk Bickerton, author of Seen, Known, Valued, shares insights on redefining career success—from external markers like titles and pay to a more personal journey of meaning, values, and impact. We discuss her Career Belonging Matrix, the challenges faced by hybrid professionals, and practical strategies for communicating your unique value in a world that often prefers tidy labels. Find Dr. Sarabeth and her work: morethanmytitle.com Eggshell Therapy and Coaching: eggshelltherapy.com About Imi Lo: www.imiloimilo.com Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/eggshelltherapy_imilo/ Newsletters: https://eepurl.com/bykHRz Disclaimers: https://www.eggshelltherapy.com/disclaimers Trigger Warning: This episode may cover sensitive topics including but not limited to suicide, abuse, violence, severe mental illnesses, relationship challenges, sex, drugs, alcohol addiction, psychedelics, and the use of plant medicines. You are advised to refrain from watching or listening to the YouTube Channel or Podcast if you are likely to be offended or adversely impacted by any of these topics. Disclaimer: The content provided is for informational purposes only. Please do not consider any of the content clinical or professional advice. None of the content can substitute mental health intervention. Opinions and views expressed by the host and the guests are personal views and they reserve the right to change their opinions. We also cannot guarantee that everything mentioned is factual and completely accurate. Any action you take based on the information in this episode is taken at your own risk.

Full text: https://www.pecanphilosophy.com/writing/mindtraps "Others Have It Worse, So I Shouldn't Complain.” Self-sabotaging stories that keep you stuck are rarely obvious villains. They come masked as common sense, as truism, as gratitude or kindness, as protection against future pain. We carry them like sacred truths, hardly seeing how what is designed to self-sabotage is actually leaving us feeling hollow and disconnected. In this letter, I want us to see if we can expose some of these hidden self-sabotaging beliefs, see them for what they are, and re-examine if we truly want to carry them for the rest of our lives: “Others have it worse, so I should not complain." "My parents did their best, so I cannot be upset." "If I accept love, I will only be disappointed later." Self-sabotaging beliefs often disguise oppression as morality. They sound rational, even noble, yet they are nothing more than outdated schemas that keep us small. For the full article: https://www.pecanphilosophy.com/writing/mindtraps Eggshell Therapy and Coaching: eggshelltherapy.com About Imi Lo: www.imiloimilo.com Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/eggshelltherapy_imilo/ Newsletters: https://eepurl.com/bykHRz Disclaimers: https://www.eggshelltherapy.com/disclaimers Trigger Warning: This episode may cover sensitive topics including but not limited to suicide, abuse, violence, severe mental illnesses, relationship challenges, sex, drugs, alcohol addiction, psychedelics, and the use of plant medicines. You are advised to refrain from watching or listening to the YouTube Channel or Podcast if you are likely to be offended or adversely impacted by any of these topics. Disclaimer: The content provided is for informational purposes only. Please do not consider any of the content clinical or professional advice. None of the content can substitute mental health intervention. Opinions and views expressed by the host and the guests are personal views and they reserve the right to change their opinions. We also cannot guarantee that everything mentioned is factual and completely accurate. Any action you take based on the information in this episode is taken at your own risk.

This is a reshare of my interview with Jess Leondiou, originally featured on Make Your Mind podcast. I am grateful to Jess for graciously allowing me to repost our conversation from earlier this year. About Make Your Mind Podcast How do our minds really work? How different are we from one another? What is the science behind our interactions, and how do we fit into the larger collective of consciousness? Make Your Mind explores these profound questions with curiosity and dedication to expanding our understanding of ourselves and the world. Jess brings together experts from various fields - those who study the science of the mind, experts in self-inquiry, and thought leaders with social and cultural insights - for conversations that unpack these evolving topics. Our Conversation In her beautiful introduction, Jess reflects on how diagnosis impacts our sense of self. She explores the complex territory between finding relief and validation in labels, while also noticing how they can shift our self-perception. As research shows (Dweck), what we believe about ourselves profoundly shapes our behavior, and the language we use becomes central to how we operate. Thank you again, Jess, for this meaningful conversation and for the care you bring to exploring the breadth of human experience!! Originally featured on Make Your Mind podcast : https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/makeyourmind/episodes/Emotional-Sensitivity--Intensity-For-the-Neurodivergent-and-Gifted-Adult--with-Imi-Lo-e33ak1n Please do check out her wonderful work as well! Archley’s: https://www.archleys.com/pages/about-us?srsltid=AfmBOoquQqTW2HRBvOofa--49rkIqDCTLQU6qfcOXnxtuCG8rOmj9k0B Eggshell Therapy and Coaching: eggshelltherapy.com About Imi Lo: www.imiloimilo.com Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/eggshelltherapy_imilo/ Newsletters: https://eepurl.com/bykHRz Disclaimers: https://www.eggshelltherapy.com/disclaimers Trigger Warning: This episode may cover sensitive topics including but not limited to suicide, abuse, violence, severe mental illnesses, relationship challenges, sex, drugs, alcohol addiction, psychedelics, and the use of plant medicines. You are advised to refrain from watching or listening to the YouTube Channel or Podcast if you are likely to be offended or adversely impacted by any of these topics. Disclaimer: The content provided is for informational purposes only. Please do not consider any of the content clinical or professional advice. None of the content can substitute mental health intervention. Opinions and views expressed by the host and the guests are personal views and they reserve the right to change their opinions. We also cannot guarantee that everything mentioned is factual and completely accurate. Any action you take based on the information in this episode is taken at your own risk.

Full text: https://www.pecanphilosophy.com/writing/terror Eggshell Therapy and Coaching: eggshelltherapy.com About Imi Lo: www.imiloimilo.com Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/eggshelltherapy_imilo/ Newsletters: https://eepurl.com/bykHRz Disclaimers: https://www.eggshelltherapy.com/disclaimers Trigger Warning: This episode may cover sensitive topics including but not limited to suicide, abuse, violence, severe mental illnesses, relationship challenges, sex, drugs, alcohol addiction, psychedelics, and the use of plant medicines. You are advised to refrain from watching or listening to the YouTube Channel or Podcast if you are likely to be offended or adversely impacted by any of these topics. Disclaimer: The content provided is for informational purposes only. Please do not consider any of the content clinical or professional advice. None of the content can substitute mental health intervention. Opinions and views expressed by the host and the guests are personal views and they reserve the right to change their opinions. We also cannot guarantee that everything mentioned is factual and completely accurate. Any action you take based on the information in this episode is taken at your own risk.

Full text: https://www.imiloimilo.com/writing/unfinished Eggshell Therapy and Coaching: eggshelltherapy.com About Imi Lo: www.imiloimilo.com Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/eggshelltherapy_imilo/ Newsletters: https://eepurl.com/bykHRz Disclaimers: https://www.eggshelltherapy.com/disclaimers Trigger Warning: This episode may cover sensitive topics including but not limited to suicide, abuse, violence, severe mental illnesses, relationship challenges, sex, drugs, alcohol addiction, psychedelics, and the use of plant medicines. You are advised to refrain from watching or listening to the YouTube Channel or Podcast if you are likely to be offended or adversely impacted by any of these topics. Disclaimer: The content provided is for informational purposes only. Please do not consider any of the content clinical or professional advice. None of the content can substitute mental health intervention. Opinions and views expressed by the host and the guests are personal views and they reserve the right to change their opinions. We also cannot guarantee that everything mentioned is factual and completely accurate. Any action you take based on the information in this episode is taken at your own risk.

SHOW NOTES: https://eggshelltherapy.com/podcast-blog/2025/08/26/dreams/ In this conversation, explore the significance of dreams in our lives, how they can serve as a window into our unconscious, and their potential to guide us through emotional healing. Dr. Ellis will share insights into the neuroscience of dreaming, the role of Jungian symbolism, and how dreams can help us process emotions, trauma, and even PTSD. We also discuss practical techniques for understanding and interacting with our dreams, including how to engage with recurring dreams and nightmares in a way that promotes healing and insight. About Dr. Leslie Ellis Dr. Leslie Ellis is a leading expert in the use of somatic approaches in psychotherapy, in particular for working with dreams, nightmares and the effects of trauma. She is the author of A Clinician’s Guide to Dream Therapy (Routledge, 2019) and offers many training opportunities in embodied, experiential dreamwork based on her book. She has a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology, with a specialization in somatic approaches. Her dissertation on using focusing-oriented therapy to treat PTSD for refugees with recurrent nightmares won the Ernest Hartmann award from the International Association for the Study of Dreams. Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus... Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Eggshell Therapy and Coaching: eggshelltherapy.com About Imi Lo: www.imiloimilo.com Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/eggshelltherapy_imilo/ Newsletters: https://eepurl.com/bykHRz Disclaimers: https://www.eggshelltherapy.com/disclaimers Trigger Warning: This episode may cover sensitive topics including but not limited to suicide, abuse, violence, severe mental illnesses, relationship challenges, sex, drugs, alcohol addiction, psychedelics, and the use of plant medicines. You are advised to refrain from watching or listening to the YouTube Channel or Podcast if you are likely to be offended or adversely impacted by any of these topics. Disclaimer: The content provided is for informational purposes only. Please do not consider any of the content clinical or professional advice. None of the content can substitute mental health intervention. Opinions and views expressed by the host and the guests are personal views and they reserve the right to change their opinions. We also cannot guarantee that everything mentioned is factual and completely accurate. Any action you take based on the information in this episode is taken at your own risk.

Show notes: https://eggshelltherapy.com/podcast-blog/2025/08/19/chriswells/ Today, we have Chris Wells, who is a writer, podcaster, and researcher, with a focus on inner experiences of gifted, complex, and intense people. We discuss: About Chris Wells Chris Wells, PhD (they/them/theirs), is a writer, researcher, and storyteller specializing in positive disintegration, neurodivergence, and personal transformation. As the founder of the Dąbrowski Center and creator of the Positive Disintegration Network, they are at the forefront of expanding and deepening conversations around Dąbrowski’s theory of positive disintegration. Their work bridges academic research, qualitative inquiry, and public testimony, using autoethnography and lived experience to illuminate the complexities of personality development. Chris co-hosts the Positive Disintegration, cosmic cheer squad, and PDA: Resistance and Resilience podcasts, and writes on Substack, where they challenge misconceptions, clarify theory, and provide insight into the lived reality of developmental transformation. With a background in qualitative research and autoethnography, they are committed to using personal storytelling as a means of collective healing and self-discovery. As a thought leader in the gifted and neurodivergentcommunities, Chris actively works to correct misunderstandings about overexcitabilities, giftedness, and the role of trauma in transformation. Their presentations and writings advocate for a broader, more inclusive understanding of positive disintegration, moving beyond existing mod Eggshell Therapy and Coaching: eggshelltherapy.com About Imi Lo: www.imiloimilo.com Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/eggshelltherapy_imilo/ Newsletters: https://eepurl.com/bykHRz Disclaimers: https://www.eggshelltherapy.com/disclaimers Trigger Warning: This episode may cover sensitive topics including but not limited to suicide, abuse, violence, severe mental illnesses, relationship challenges, sex, drugs, alcohol addiction, psychedelics, and the use of plant medicines. You are advised to refrain from watching or listening to the YouTube Channel or Podcast if you are likely to be offended or adversely impacted by any of these topics. Disclaimer: The content provided is for informational purposes only. Please do not consider any of the content clinical or professional advice. None of the content can substitute mental health intervention. Opinions and views expressed by the host and the guests are personal views and they reserve the right to change their opinions. We also cannot guarantee that everything mentioned is factual and completely accurate. Any action you take based on the information in this episode is taken at your own risk.

Click through to the full article about Hermeneutic Injustice and Invisible Childhood Trauma: https://www.pecanphilosophy.com/writing/hermeneutic-injustice In case you are wondering, the essay is narrated with the voice of a real human :) Eggshell Therapy and Coaching: eggshelltherapy.com About Imi Lo: www.imiloimilo.com Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/eggshelltherapy_imilo/ Newsletters: https://eepurl.com/bykHRz Disclaimers: https://www.eggshelltherapy.com/disclaimers Trigger Warning: This episode may cover sensitive topics including but not limited to suicide, abuse, violence, severe mental illnesses, relationship challenges, sex, drugs, alcohol addiction, psychedelics, and the use of plant medicines. You are advised to refrain from watching or listening to the YouTube Channel or Podcast if you are likely to be offended or adversely impacted by any of these topics. Disclaimer: The content provided is for informational purposes only. Please do not consider any of the content clinical or professional advice. None of the content can substitute mental health intervention. Opinions and views expressed by the host and the guests are personal views and they reserve the right to change their opinions. We also cannot guarantee that everything mentioned is factual and completely accurate. Any action you take based on the information in this episode is taken at your own risk.