Trust and Thrive

Tara Montazeri, LMFT
  • 5.0 (94)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to Trust and Thrive! I'm Tara Montazeri, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and host of the podcast. Through honest conversations, solo episodes, and interviews with guests, we explore topics related to mental health, relationships, OCD/anxiety, self-compassion, and the messy, nuanced parts of being human. I hope these conversations can help you feel curious, connected, understood, and less alone. Thank you for being here!Instagram and TikTok: @trustandthrive; Email: trustandthrive@gmail.com

  1. 1d ago

    337: Healing After Pet Loss and Honoring Our Animals - with Beth Bigler, Pet Loss Grief Counselor

    When society says "it's just a pet," Beth Bigler says "your grief is valid and profound." As a double-certified Pet Loss Grief Counselor and founder of Honoring Our Animals, Beth is a pioneering voice in pet loss support, offering personalized care to individuals and families before, during, and after their beloved's transition. After the sudden death of her soulmate cat Arnie, she transformed her loss into a mission they began together: guiding guardians to honor their grief, connect with their beloveds, and integrate loss into their lives. Beth is the author of Honoring Our Animals: 365 Meditations for Healing After Pet Loss (Quarto/Wellfleet Press, 2025), the first daily grief companion created specifically for pet guardians, available worldwide and a go-to resource for therapists, veterinary clinics, and animal care organizations.  Her second book is forthcoming from HarperCollins in 2027. She has been featured in Forbes, Psychology Today, The Sunday Times, USA Today, Business Insider, Daily Mail, and numerous television and radio outlets including KFI AM 640. Beth also built a 20-year career breaking ground as a writer, producer, and educator across stage, film, and television. Find her on Instagram @honoringouranimals. In this episode, we discuss the complexity of pet loss and grief that can follow. We discuss the societal judgment around grieving animals, why grief does not need to be justified or compared, and why loss of a pet can feel more painful than other losses for some. We hold space for the valid, complex emotions that can come with pet loss and remind listeners that there is no "one right way" to grieve. We touch on the beauty of bonding more deeply with certain animals and discuss the guilt that can arise when bringing a new pet after a loss. In addition, we discuss being able to hold space for both grief and love at the same time. We hope this episode can provide support, validation, compassion, understanding, and hope for those who need it. FOLLOW BETH: INSTA: @honoringouranimals WEBSITE: www.honoringouranimals.com BOOK: Honoring Our Animals: 365 Meditations for Healing after Pet Loss  STAY CONNECTED: INSTA: @trustandthrive TIKOK: @trustandthrive THREADS: @trustandthrive FACEBOOK: bit.ly/FBtaramont EMAIL: trustandthrive@gmail.com

  2. Jul 16

    336: Relationship OCD and Romanticizing the Past

    We're back with a solo episode on Relationship OCD. In this episode, I talk about a common experience many with ROCD may experience: romanticizing the past - whether that's the beginning of your current relationship, past relationships, or past experiences, including being single.  I explore how this pattern can show up in the context of Relationship OCD. I also touch on the anxiety, doubt, shamem and guilt that can arise from these thoughts and experiences.  If you can relate to feeling the need to find meaning in every thought and feeling, you are not alone. As always, resonating to this episode does not necessarily mean you live with OCD. These thoughts can show up for a variety of reasons. As a reminder, I created a Spotify playlist with ROCD-focused episodes. You can listen here. STAY CONNECTED: INSTA: @trustandthrive TIKOK: @trustandthrive EMAIL: trustandthrive@gmail.com

  3. Jul 9

    335: Making Space for Grief After Diagnosis

    In this solo episode, I talk about the grief that can come with receiving a diagnosis, or simply understanding patterns and behaviors that have impacted your day-to-day life. I share my personal experience in hopes of normalizing and validating anyone who might feel similar.  You might be grieving experiences and how different they could have been, for younger you who did not get the support they deserved and needed, and more. Whatever this may look like you for you, you are not alone. While I speak about my experience with OCD, I hope this episode can support anyone processing the impact of their experiences with compassion. I will also be hosting a support group in-person at the OCD Conference in Seattle. If you'll be there, you can join me in room 603 (Skagit) at 8pm on Friday, July 10th. The conference will be hosted at the Hyatt Regency in Seattle. Learn more here. STAY CONNECTED: INSTA: @trustandthrive TIKOK: @trustandthrive EMAIL: trustandthrive@gmail.com

  4. Jul 2

    334: Self-Reparenting and Childhood Complex Trauma - with Barlas Günay, Registered Psychologist and Mindfulness Teacher

    Barlas Günay is a registered psychologist and certified meditation and mindfulness teacher based in the Netherlands, who over the past 13 years has guided thousands of people across the globe through profound journeys of healing and self-discovery. Trained in both the USA and Canada, he is the founder of Accept and Act, a healing platform offering online psychotherapy and a membership-based self-reparenting community with a combined following of over 100,000 across social media.  He specializes in (childhood) trauma recovery, relationships, and holistic psychology, with a particular focus on the transformative practice of self-reparenting. His mission is to help as many people as possible heal from their traumas, reconnect with themselves, and step into life as conscious, free, and authentic adults and parents, because he believes that when individuals heal, the world becomes a safer, happier place for all. In this episode, we share a conversation around complex trauma and the nuance that can show up from these childhood experiences. We explore the potential impacts of childhood complex trauma, how the nervous system might response, and examples of survival responses. We hold space for the real and valid grief that may arise related to working through these wounds.  We also discuss how trauma can influence our sense of safety in relationships, and why healing is less about "fixing" and more on holding compassion for parts of ourselves that did what they needed to do to survive. As always, this episode is not a replacement for therapy or individualized care. We simply hope to bring validation and education around these heavy topics.  We hope you can take care of yourself in whatever ways support you, whether that's taking a step away from listening or simply checking in with what's coming up for you. FOLLOW BARLAS: INSTA: @acceptandact TIKTOK: @acceptandact FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/acceptandact/ STAY CONNECTED: INSTA: @trustandthrive TIKOK: @trustandthrive THREADS: @trustandthrive FACEBOOK: bit.ly/FBtaramont EMAIL: trustandthrive@gmail.com

  5. Jun 25

    333: Noticing Urgency and Slowing Down

    In this solo episode, I share recent life updates and reflect on what I've been noticing come up for me lately. After a few weeks of travel and starting my own practice, I've recognized the ways anxiety has shown up amidst an inconsistent schedule. I talk about the importance of checking in with one's capacity, recognizing urgency and guilt, and practicing slowing down instead of immediately reacting, even if it doesn't come naturally. I explore how anxiety can convince us that everything needs to be immediate and why guilt doesn't always need our attention. I hope this episode is a reminder that feeling the need to "do more" does not always need to be acted on and it's okay to check in with ourselves, and honor our limits. STAY CONNECTED: INSTA: @trustandthrive TIKOK: @trustandthrive EMAIL: trustandthrive@gmail.com

  6. Jun 11

    332: Emotional Intelligence and Navigating Uncomfortable Emotions - with Genny Rumanczik, Creator of The EQ School

    Genny Rumancik is a mental health advocate and educator, and the creator of The EQ School, which offers courses and online resources to improve self-awareness, navigate emotional self-management, and shift relational patterns for healthier relationships. Her debut book, The Wisdom of Feeling, will be published by Penguin Random House in June 2026. In this episode, we explore the topic of emotional intelligence and discuss why these skills are important, yet often overlooked. we discuss Genny's personal and professional journey, including her experience as a former teacher and impact on her work as a mental health advocate. Genny shares how she often draws from Daniel Goleman's framework, breaking down four key areas of emotional intelligence: self-awareness, emotional self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. In addition, we discuss the difference between intellectualizing emotions and what it can look like to truly feel them, the role of self-compassion and trauma-informed care, the role of acceptance in building resilience, and how authenticity can help us cultivate deeper connections with ourselves and others. FOLLOW GENNY: INSTA: @theeqschool WEBSITE: http://www.theeqschool.co/ BOOK: The Wisdom of Feeling FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/theeqschool STAY CONNECTED: INSTA: @trustandthrive TIKOK: @trustandthrive THREADS: @trustandthrive FACEBOOK: bit.ly/FBtaramont EMAIL: trustandthrive@gmail.com

  7. Jun 4

    331: Real Event OCD and Replaying the Past

    In this solo episode, I discuss the topic of Real Event OCD, a subtype of OCD that can involve rumination around something that actually happened in the past. This can come with feelings of guilt, shame, and doubt. Real Event OCD can leave one feeling trapped in a cycle of analyzing, replaying, and trying to "figure out" what their past says about them. I share a few examples of how Real Event OCD can show up, including some lighter experiences while also normalizing heavier themes such as past regrets, relationship dynamics, and fears of being a "bad" person.  In addition, I touch on how Real Event OCD can crate doubt around one's memory, leadong to distress and a strong urge to revisit, review, and make sense of past events. As always, this episode is not a replacement for professional support and does not reflect every OCD experience. STAY CONNECTED: INSTA: @trustandthrive TIKOK: @trustandthrive EMAIL: trustandthrive@gmail.com

  8. May 28

    330: The Nuance of Mental Health and Showing Up Online

    In this solo episode, I reflect on a topic that’s been on my mind and explore the complexity and nuance of mental health, especially in online spaces. As someone who shares both personal and professional experiences with OCD and anxiety, I’ve noticed the pressure to reflect so many different experiences within just a few of my posts. I talk about why social media does not capture the complexity of living with OCD and/or anxiety, the limitations of online content and my own personal boundaries I've been exploring, and the importance of holding space for one person’s experience without invalidating someone else’s. I also discuss my own journey with showing up online, reasons behind making these darker and often isolating experiences feel more digestible, and how humor can support us in feeling less alone. I share some of my own doubts around showing up online and my desire to continue showing up despite internal and external judgment. I hope this episode is a reminder to stay curious, hold space for nuance, and support one another in experiences that can already feel so isolating. We don’t have to fully understand someone’s experience in order to hold space for it. STAY CONNECTED: INSTA: @trustandthrive TIKOK: @trustandthrive EMAIL: trustandthrive@gmail.com

See All (338)

5
out of 5
94 Ratings

About

Welcome to Trust and Thrive! I'm Tara Montazeri, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and host of the podcast. Through honest conversations, solo episodes, and interviews with guests, we explore topics related to mental health, relationships, OCD/anxiety, self-compassion, and the messy, nuanced parts of being human. I hope these conversations can help you feel curious, connected, understood, and less alone. Thank you for being here!Instagram and TikTok: @trustandthrive; Email: trustandthrive@gmail.com

Information

  • Creator
    Tara Montazeri, LMFT
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    338
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Trust and Thrive
  • Show Website
    Trust and Thrive

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