Therapists IRL

Jen Starkey and Stephanie Hill
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  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to "Therapists IRL," the podcast where we keep it real, bringing you candid conversations with real-life therapists about their real-life struggles. Join us as we cover everything from personal journeys with mental health issues to toxic relationships, family dysfunction, addiction, and the everyday challenges they face outside of the office. Hosted by Steph Hill and Jen Starkey, two practicing licensed therapists with a passion for breaking down walls and busting myths. With episodes dropping weekly, we invite you to sneak a peak into the authentic and unfiltered lives of these two therapists, and their therapist guests. Whether you’re a fellow mental health professional, a therapy enthusiast, or you’ve never even stepped foot inside a therapist’s office, "Therapists IRL" is your go-to source for genuine conversations about the mental health struggles we all face, and the healing that is possible. Through this podcast, we hope to reduce the stigma associated with seeking help by highlighting that therapists, like anyone else, grapple with their mental health and emotional well-being...and healing is possible.

  1. 17/04/2025

    When Mr. Rogers is NOT Your Neighbor and Oscar the Grouch Would be a Welcome Replacement

    Send us a text Welcome to Therapists IRL, Episode 46, where Steph takes us on a tour of her neighborhood, introducing us to the colorful cast of characters wreaking havoc on her life (and her poor pooches lives too). Where is Mr. Rogers when we need him? If you've ever been harassed, screamed at, threatened, attacked, or just found yourself on the receiving end of some generally appalling behavior by an unhinged neighbor, this episode is for you.  No therapists were harmed in the making of this episode,  but vulnerability hangovers are real. Please note: While our podcast aims to destigmatize and normalize mental health issues, increase awareness, foster understanding, and offer support with love and laughter, we are not a substitute for professional mental health advice or treatment. [Read our full disclaimer here.] If you're struggling, we encourage you to reach out to a licensed therapist, counselor, or healthcare provider. If you are in crisis, please contact your local emergency services or a mental health crisis hotline. In the U.S., dial 9-8-8 for immediate services. Remember, your mental health matters, and seeking professional help is a sign of strength. We're here to share stories, insights, and a bit of humor, but your well-being is our top priority. With care, Jen and Steph

    1h 3m

  2. 10/04/2025

    TBT - Episode 1- Intros and Mantras and Myths...Oh My!

    Send us a text Whew! We've managed to keep this going for over a year (limping right along). For TBT, we thought we'd welcome some new listeners with our very first, very awkward Episode 1. Whether you're new here, or have been with us from the start... Welcome to the inaugural episode of "Therapists IRL," the podcast where two seasoned therapists dive headfirst into the ties that bind us all...being human.  In this very first episode, Jen and Steph share a little about themselves, their background as therapists, what motivated them to plunge into the podcast pool (spoiler alert:  to destigmatize mental health issues, normalize struggle, and send a message of hope and healing), and then tackle a few therapy myths desperately in need of debunking. If you're ready for a podcast that feels like a heart-to-heart chat with a friend, grab your favorite beverage, settle in, and get ready to laugh, learn, and maybe even find your own path to therapy enlightenment with Steph and Jen on "Therapists IRL." Because believe it or not, your therapist is human too…We may be a little bit nuts but a lot relatable. No therapists were harmed in the making of this episode,  but vulnerability hangovers are real. Please note: While our podcast aims to destigmatize and normalize mental health issues, increase awareness, foster understanding, and offer support with love and laughter, we are not a substitute for professional mental health advice or treatment. [Read our full disclaimer here.] If you're struggling, we encourage you to reach out to a licensed therapist, counselor, or healthcare provider. If you are in crisis, please contact your local emergency services or a mental health crisis hotline. In the U.S., dial 9-8-8 for immediate services. Remember, your mental health matters, and seeking professional help is a sign of strength. We're here to share stories, insights, and a bit of humor, but your well-being is our top priority. With care, Jen and Steph

    1h 6m

  3. 03/04/2025

    Wounded Healers Series: The Importance of Hope, With Debbie Merkel

    Send us a text Have you ever heard anyone sing on our podcast before??  Today's guest did!  Welcome to another episode of Therapists IRL, where you never know what will happen!  Debbie Merkel knows despair. She also knows intimately how to grasp onto hope, with a tender heart tested in the fires of trauma. Trauma that led her into the clutches of an eating disorder.  Sharing her story of darkness and her determined march towards the glimmers of hope... Debbie's message of healing AND her beautiful voice will leave you feeling like maybe it's possible for you, too.  Ted Talk: "The Importance of Hope"  https://youtu.be/z2o57MNH_Sw?si=v3eVLPDzCUp2oexi No therapists were harmed in the making of this episode,  but vulnerability hangovers are real. Please note: While our podcast aims to destigmatize and normalize mental health issues, increase awareness, foster understanding, and offer support with love and laughter, we are not a substitute for professional mental health advice or treatment. [Read our full disclaimer here.] If you're struggling, we encourage you to reach out to a licensed therapist, counselor, or healthcare provider. If you are in crisis, please contact your local emergency services or a mental health crisis hotline. In the U.S., dial 9-8-8 for immediate services. Remember, your mental health matters, and seeking professional help is a sign of strength. We're here to share stories, insights, and a bit of humor, but your well-being is our top priority. With care, Jen and Steph

    57 min

  4. 20/03/2025

    Revisiting: A Non-Partisan Conversation About the Impact of Politics on Mental Health

    Send us a text This episode originally aired on November 14, 2024, just after the election, but (sadly) we feel it's still relevant. Welcome to Therapists IRL. In the wake of this 2024 Presidential Election, Steph & Jen explore the emotional impact of politics in today's America (without claiming red or blue). This episode takes a compassionate look at the pain, fear, and division rampant in our country today, on both sides of the aisle.  Without getting issue-specific, they candidly discuss the reality of life in a country divided.   Resources: The Center for Nonviolent Communication www.cnvc.org Books:  Nonviolent Communication, A Language of Life Author:  Marshall B Rosenberg, PhD   Nonviolent Communication Companion Workbook Author: Lucy Leu No therapists were harmed in the making of this episode,  but vulnerability hangovers are real. Please note: While our podcast aims to destigmatize and normalize mental health issues, increase awareness, foster understanding, and offer support with love and laughter, we are not a substitute for professional mental health advice or treatment. [Read our full disclaimer here.] If you're struggling, we encourage you to reach out to a licensed therapist, counselor, or healthcare provider. If you are in crisis, please contact your local emergency services or a mental health crisis hotline. In the U.S., dial 9-8-8 for immediate services. Remember, your mental health matters, and seeking professional help is a sign of strength. We're here to share stories, insights, and a bit of humor, but your well-being is our top priority. With care, Jen and Steph

    1h 10m

  5. 13/03/2025

    Wounded Healer Series: An Inspiring Conversation with Amy Abel on the Long Road to Recovery After a Fall (Literally!)

    Send us a text Welcome to Episode 42 of Therapists IRL, where Jen and Steph are joined by friend and colleague Amy Abel.  One year ago (almost to the day), Amy found herself on an unexpected medical journey after a freak accident that shattered her ankle. The road to her recovery was long, hard, and sometimes dark, but through it Amy found ways to cope and stay hopeful.  Anyone who has faced a health crisis, be it an illness or injury, knows the toll it takes mentally, physically, and emotionally. Join us as Amy shares her story and her message of hope for others. No therapists were harmed in the making of this episode,  but vulnerability hangovers are real. Please note: While our podcast aims to destigmatize and normalize mental health issues, increase awareness, foster understanding, and offer support with love and laughter, we are not a substitute for professional mental health advice or treatment. [Read our full disclaimer here.] If you're struggling, we encourage you to reach out to a licensed therapist, counselor, or healthcare provider. If you are in crisis, please contact your local emergency services or a mental health crisis hotline. In the U.S., dial 9-8-8 for immediate services. Remember, your mental health matters, and seeking professional help is a sign of strength. We're here to share stories, insights, and a bit of humor, but your well-being is our top priority. With care, Jen and Steph

    1h 13m

  6. 06/03/2025

    TBT!! Wounded Healers Series: A Candid Conversation with Kirk M. Samuels (The Intimacy Incubator) on Men's Mental Health

    Send us a text TBT!! We want to RE-introduce you to a man who not only invites other men into healing and wholeness, but also believes women will be safer as a result. Jen & Steph first spoke to Kirk in November 2024, in Episode 8 of Season 2, but we don't think we did enough to share this great man with y'all, so we're putting it back out there in honor of throwback Thursday. Join us as Kirk talks about his passion for seeing men recover from woundedness and emotional stuntedness to achieve the fullness of their potential as men of integrity who enrich and make safer the lives of those around them.  Spanning topics from pornography addiction to childhood abuse and more, please join us as we talk with Kirk about his very unique niche within the mental health world.  And please share with any men in your life who may benefit! Kirk M. Samuels Resources: Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/kirkmsamuels?mibextid=LQQJ4d Men's Group https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1549dNCEkX/?mibextid=K35XfP http://www.freeindeed36.com/? Radio Show:  Mad Men Radio https://www.1220kldc.com/show/madmen-of-masculinity-w-jason-b-kendrick-and-kirk-m-samuels/ http://madmenradio.com/ Books by Kirk M. Samuels For Your Eyes Only: The Inside Scoop About Men, Porn, and Marriage ( Amazon link : https://a.co/d/64uoR2g ) Seven Secrets of Modern Dating: The He Said, She Said Guide for Getting from Single to Spouse  ( Amazon link: https://a.co/d/1oY0V3T ) No therapists were harmed in the making of this episode,  but vulnerability hangovers are real. Please note: While our podcast aims to destigmatize and normalize mental health issues, increase awareness, foster understanding, and offer support with love and laughter, we are not a substitute for professional mental health advice or treatment. [Read our full disclaimer here.] If you're struggling, we encourage you to reach out to a licensed therapist, counselor, or healthcare provider. If you are in crisis, please contact your local emergency services or a mental health crisis hotline. In the U.S., dial 9-8-8 for immediate services. Remember, your mental health matters, and seeking professional help is a sign of strength. We're here to share stories, insights, and a bit of humor, but your well-being is our top priority. With care, Jen and Steph

    1h 20m

  7. 27/02/2025

    Wounded Healers Series: Kristi Thornton, on Being an Orphan, Hummingbirds & Coping with Medical Anxiety

    Send us a text Hi Listeners!  Meet one of Steph's all-time favorite people, Kristi.  Welcome to Episode 40 of Therapists IRL.  Kristi shares openly about what it is like to be orphaned, having lost her mom as a toddler and her father a few years ago.  She also shares about the impact of Long COVID on her overall health, and the anxiety that comes from living with unexpected and frightening impacts, and her quest for wellness.   (As you listen, you may notice we reference the upcoming holidays a lot... that's because this episode has been sitting in the archives since November.  Oops.  Chalk it up to real life, I guess.)   Follow Us on Instagram and TikTok:  TherapistsIRL Email:  TherapistsIRL@gmail.com Please reach out with questions, if you're in a helping profession and would like to come on the podcast, and/or your own mental health stories we can share anonymously.  No therapists were harmed in the making of this episode,  but vulnerability hangovers are real. Please note: While our podcast aims to destigmatize and normalize mental health issues, increase awareness, foster understanding, and offer support with love and laughter, we are not a substitute for professional mental health advice or treatment. [Read our full disclaimer here.] If you're struggling, we encourage you to reach out to a licensed therapist, counselor, or healthcare provider. If you are in crisis, please contact your local emergency services or a mental health crisis hotline. In the U.S., dial 9-8-8 for immediate services. Remember, your mental health matters, and seeking professional help is a sign of strength. We're here to share stories, insights, and a bit of humor, but your well-being is our top priority. With care, Jen and Steph

    1h 2m

  8. 20/02/2025

    Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder...Or so We Hope!

    Send us a text Welcome to Therapists IRL... Episode 39? It's been so long, we hardly remember! Yup. We went on a little unplanned hiatus. Please forgive us! We've missed you and we hope you've missed us and come listen to the new episodes we'll be dropping. This episode is a bit of a "catching you up" on where we've been and what we've been up to since November!  No therapists were harmed in the making of this episode,  but vulnerability hangovers are real. Please note: While our podcast aims to destigmatize and normalize mental health issues, increase awareness, foster understanding, and offer support with love and laughter, we are not a substitute for professional mental health advice or treatment. [Read our full disclaimer here.] If you're struggling, we encourage you to reach out to a licensed therapist, counselor, or healthcare provider. If you are in crisis, please contact your local emergency services or a mental health crisis hotline. In the U.S., dial 9-8-8 for immediate services. Remember, your mental health matters, and seeking professional help is a sign of strength. We're here to share stories, insights, and a bit of humor, but your well-being is our top priority. With care, Jen and Steph

    52 min
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About

Welcome to "Therapists IRL," the podcast where we keep it real, bringing you candid conversations with real-life therapists about their real-life struggles. Join us as we cover everything from personal journeys with mental health issues to toxic relationships, family dysfunction, addiction, and the everyday challenges they face outside of the office. Hosted by Steph Hill and Jen Starkey, two practicing licensed therapists with a passion for breaking down walls and busting myths. With episodes dropping weekly, we invite you to sneak a peak into the authentic and unfiltered lives of these two therapists, and their therapist guests. Whether you’re a fellow mental health professional, a therapy enthusiast, or you’ve never even stepped foot inside a therapist’s office, "Therapists IRL" is your go-to source for genuine conversations about the mental health struggles we all face, and the healing that is possible. Through this podcast, we hope to reduce the stigma associated with seeking help by highlighting that therapists, like anyone else, grapple with their mental health and emotional well-being...and healing is possible.

Information

  • Creator
    Jen Starkey and Stephanie Hill
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    47
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Therapists IRL
  • Show Website
    Therapists IRL