Friends with (therapy) Benefits

Elizabeth Carr
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Mental Health
  • Monthly

Welcome to Friends with (therapy) Benefits, the mental health podcast for women who are really good at holding everything together, even when it's costing them something. Hosted by Elizabeth Mae Carr, a licensed therapist, recovering overachiever, and oldest daughter, this podcast brings therapy insights out of the therapy room and into your everyday life. We're talking people-pleasing, perfectionism, anxiety, burnout, boundaries, relationships, and the complicated business of figuring out who you are when you're not busy being who everyone else needs you to be. Think of it as therapy tidbits for people who aren't in therapy, can't access therapy, or are already in therapy and want a little more to think about between sessions. Expect honest conversations, practical tools, listener questions, a little humor, and plenty of moments that make you think, "Wait. I do that." New 15-minute minisodes every Monday morning, plus a full-length episode each month for when we need to get into it. Because you don't have to be falling apart to start paying attention to your mental health. And you don't have to figure everything out on your own. Reach out to Elizabeth directly at heyelizabethmae@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 19h ago

    Monday Mini 05: Just Because You're Good at It Doesn't Mean It's Your Job

    Are you the dependable one? The planner? The problem-solver? The person everyone automatically assumes will handle it because, well, you're good at it? Yeah. We need to talk. Somewhere along the way, being capable can turn into being responsible. And before you know it, you're managing things, fixing problems, and carrying expectations you never actually agreed to. In this week's Monday Mini, we're talking about people-pleasing, emotional labor, boundaries, and the sometimes uncomfortable realization that just because you CAN do something doesn't mean it's your job to do it. We'll explore how being the reliable one can become part of your identity, why stepping back can feel so uncomfortable, and what it looks like to let other people figure things out for themselves. Because being good at something is a skill. Being responsible for everything? That's a whole different conversation. Something to take with you: What are you still doing simply because everyone knows you're good at it? 🎙️ Friends with (therapy) Benefits is hosted by Elizabeth Carr, MA, LPC. New Monday Minis every week, bringing a little humor, perspective, and therapist insight to the everyday experiences we're all trying to figure out. Find me on Instagram and TikTok: @elizabethmaecarr Let's keep the conversation going. Have a question, a situation you're trying to work through, or something you'd love a therapist's perspective on? Send it my way! Your question might inspire an upcoming episode of Friends with (therapy) Benefits. Find me on Instagram and TikTok: @elizabethmaecarr For more reflections on mental health, self-care, and figuring life out as we go, read my Substack: https://elizabethmaecarr.substack.com/ New 15-minute minisodes every Monday morning, plus a full-length episode each month. Friends with (therapy) Benefits is for education and reflection, not a replacement for individualized mental health treatment. Please avoid including identifying or sensitive personal information in listener submissions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Monday Mini 05: Just Because You're Good at It Doesn't Mean It's Your Job

  2. Nov 2

    Monday Mini 04: Who Told You Everything Had to Happen Right Now?

    I love a good hustle. I love making plans, checking things off my to-do list, and working toward something I'm excited about. But somewhere along the way, we started treating exhaustion like a receipt. Like being busy means we're successful, and slowing down means we're falling behind. And I'm starting to question that. In this week's Monday Mini, we're talking about the difference between loving your ambition and getting caught up in hustle culture. Because the goal isn't to stop working hard. It's to make sure you actually have the time, energy, and ability to enjoy the life you're working so hard to build. We're getting into: Why being busy isn't necessarily the same as being productive or fulfilled.The difference between something actually being urgent and something feeling urgent.How anxiety, comparison, fear, and shame can create pressure to constantly do more.Why our capacity changes and why that's worth paying attention to.How to recognize an urge to act without automatically acting on it.Why rest and recharge deserve a place in your hustle, too. I'm also sharing a little personal victory involving a mile-long to-do list, two actual deadlines, a poke bowl, a face mask, and an evening in bed watching Ted Lasso. And in Therapist Mode, we're unpacking how our nervous systems respond to perceived urgency and how practicing the pause can help us make more intentional choices. Something to take with you this week: The next time you feel that pressure to do more, ask yourself: Is this actually urgent, or does it just feel urgent? You don't have to abandon your ambition to make room for rest. And you don't have to turn every good idea into another assignment. Don't shame your hustle. Just remember that you get to decide what it looks like now. Things can still get done at a calmer pace. We're continuing this conversation over on Instagram this week. Come hang out in my Stories and tell me where you're feeling the most pressure to keep moving. Let's connect: Instagram: @elizabethmaecarr TikTok: @elizabethmaecarr Substack: elizabethmaecarr.substack.com Friends with (therapy) benefits is for education and conversation and is not a substitute for individualized mental health care. Let's keep the conversation going. Have a question, a situation you're trying to work through, or something you'd love a therapist's perspective on? Send it my way! Your question might inspire an upcoming episode of Friends with (therapy) Benefits. Find me on Instagram and TikTok: @elizabethmaecarr For more reflections on mental health, self-care, and figuring life out as we go, read my Substack: https://elizabethmaecarr.substack.com/ New 15-minute minisodes every Monday morning, plus a full-length episode each month. Friends with (therapy) Benefits is for education and reflection, not a replacement for individualized mental health treatment. Please avoid including identifying or sensitive personal information in listener submissions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Monday Mini 04: Who Told You Everything Had to Happen Right Now?

  3. Oct 26

    Monday Mini 03: The Things We Think But Don't Say

    You ever have a thought so unhinged that you immediately wonder what the hell is wrong with you? Maybe you've thought about quitting your job, disappearing for a weekend without telling anyone, or wished everyone you love would just leave you alone for five minutes. And then comes the guilt. Because what kind of person thinks that?! Well, a human one. In this week's Monday Mini, we're getting into the REAL scaries. Not ghosts, haunted houses, or things that go bump in the night. I'm talking about the thoughts we have but would probably never say out loud. The petty thoughts. The uncomfortable ones. The ones that make us wonder what they say about who we are. We're talking about why two things can be true at once, how shame gets attached to perfectly human experiences, and why having a thought doesn't mean you believe it, want it, or plan to act on it. And in Therapist Mode, we're breaking down the difference between thoughts, feelings, intentions, and behaviors. Because a thought isn't a confession, and not everything your brain produces deserves a full psychological investigation. Something to take with you this week: The next time you have a thought that makes you uncomfortable, instead of immediately judging yourself for it, get curious. Is this something that needs your attention, or is your brain just doing brain things? And listen, we're taking this conversation over to Instagram this week. Come peep my Stories, because I'm giving you a chance to share some of those unhinged thoughts we usually keep to ourselves. Anonymously, of course. 👀 Keep the conversation going! 💬 The conversation doesn't end when the episode does. Come hang out with me for more mental health conversations, personal reflections, and the occasional unhinged thought. 📸 Instagram: @elizabethmaecarr 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@elizabethmaecarr 🎙️ Listen to Friends with (therapy) benefits on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts. 📝 Read along on Substack for more conversations about mental health, relationships, and figuring ourselves out along the way. Friends with (therapy) benefits is hosted by Elizabeth Carr, LPC — a licensed professional counselor having honest, relatable, and occasionally hilarious conversations about mental health and the messy business of being human. New Monday Minis every Monday, plus full-length episodes twice a month. This podcast is intended for education and conversation and is not a substitute for individualized mental health care. Let's keep the conversation going. Have a question, a situation you're trying to work through, or something you'd love a therapist's perspective on? Send it my way! Your question might inspire an upcoming episode of Friends with (therapy) Benefits. Find me on Instagram and TikTok: @elizabethmaecarr For more reflections on mental health, self-care, and figuring life out as we go, read my Substack: https://elizabethmaecarr.substack.com/ New 15-minute minisodes every Monday morning, plus a full-length episode each month. Friends with (therapy) Benefits is for education and reflection, not a replacement for individualized mental health treatment. Please avoid including identifying or sensitive personal information in listener submissions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Monday Mini 03: The Things We Think But Don't Say

  4. Oct 24

    S2E6 – You Can Love Your Life and Still Want Something Different

    You can love your family and still want everyone to leave you alone. You can be grateful for the life you've built and still wonder if something needs to change. You can be the person everyone depends on and secretly wish, just once, that somebody else would figure it out. And you know what? None of those things automatically make you selfish, ungrateful, or a bad person. In this episode of Friends with (therapy) benefits, we're talking about the things we think but don't always say out loud. Especially when we've spent so much of our lives being the responsible one, the accommodating one, the person who knows what everyone else needs. Because somewhere between taking care of everybody else and keeping everything moving, it's easy to lose track of what you actually want. And sometimes, when those uncomfortable thoughts finally show up, we feel guilty before we've even had a chance to understand them. 🎙️ In this episode: Why recognizing your own needs can feel harder than recognizing everyone else'sThe uncomfortable thoughts we have about our relationships, responsibilities, and everyday livesHow people-pleasing and overfunctioning can disconnect us from what we really wantWhy two seemingly contradictory feelings can both be trueThe difference between having a thought, feeling something, and actually wanting to act on itHow to start listening to yourself without immediately judging what comes upWe're making room for a little more honesty, a little less guilt, and the possibility that wanting something different doesn't mean you don't appreciate what you already have. Because you can love your life and still need something from it that you're not getting. Let's keep the conversation going. Follow Elizabeth on Instagram and TikTok for more conversations about mental health, relationships, boundaries, burnout, and all the things we're usually thinking but not saying. And if this episode sounds like somebody you know, send it their way. Friends with (therapy) benefits — Real Life. Real Feelings. A Little Therapy. Let's keep the conversation going. Have a question, a situation you're trying to work through, or something you'd love a therapist's perspective on? Send it my way! Your question might inspire an upcoming episode of Friends with (therapy) Benefits. Find me on Instagram and TikTok: @elizabethmaecarr For more reflections on mental health, self-care, and figuring life out as we go, read my Substack: https://elizabethmaecarr.substack.com/ New 15-minute minisodes every Monday morning, plus a full-length episode each month. Friends with (therapy) Benefits is for education and reflection, not a replacement for individualized mental health treatment. Please avoid including identifying or sensitive personal information in listener submissions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    S2E6 – You Can Love Your Life and Still Want Something Different

  5. Oct 19

    Monday Mini 02: Why Is It So Hard to Give Yourself What You Need?

    Is it harder to figure out what you need, or to actually give yourself what you need? I asked this question in an Instagram poll, and the responses got me thinking about something we don't talk about nearly enough: all the little ways we compromise our own needs without even realizing we're doing it. In this week's Monday Mini, we're talking about what happens when you're so used to considering everyone else's feelings, preferences, and expectations that you lose track of your own. The quiet compromises. The guilt that comes with choosing yourself. The resentment that sneaks in when you've been saying yes to everyone but yourself. And why another self-care routine isn't always the answer. Because sometimes the hardest part isn't finding time for yourself. It's figuring out what you actually want or need when you've spent so much of your life making sure everyone else is okay. And listen, I'm not pretending I've mastered this either. Something to take with you this week: What do I actually need right now? You don't have to justify the answer, make a plan, or do anything about it immediately. Just start by being willing to acknowledge it. 🎙️ Friends with (therapy) benefits is hosted by Elizabeth Carr, LPC, a licensed therapist having honest, relatable, and occasionally unhinged conversations about mental health, relationships, and figuring ourselves out along the way. New Monday Minis every Monday, plus full-length episodes twice a month. Come hang out with me on Instagram, where we keep these conversations going throughout the week. Keep the conversation going! 💬 We're not done talking when the episode ends. Come hang out with me on social media for more mental health conversations, behind-the-scenes moments, and the occasional unhinged thought. 📸 Instagram: @elizabethmaecarr 🎵 TikTok:@elizabethmaecarr ▶️ YouTube: @Friendswiththerapybenefits 📝 Substack: @Friendswiththerapybenefits A little reminder: This podcast is for education and conversation, not a substitute for individualized mental health care. Let's keep the conversation going. Have a question, a situation you're trying to work through, or something you'd love a therapist's perspective on? Send it my way! Your question might inspire an upcoming episode of Friends with (therapy) Benefits. Find me on Instagram and TikTok: @elizabethmaecarr For more reflections on mental health, self-care, and figuring life out as we go, read my Substack: https://elizabethmaecarr.substack.com/ New 15-minute minisodes every Monday morning, plus a full-length episode each month. Friends with (therapy) Benefits is for education and reflection, not a replacement for individualized mental health treatment. Please avoid including identifying or sensitive personal information in listener submissions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Monday Mini 02: Why Is It So Hard to Give Yourself What You Need?

  6. Oct 12

    Monday Mini 01: Is It Rest, or Are You Avoiding Your Life?

    Sometimes taking a break is exactly what we need. Other times, what we're calling "rest" might actually be a way of avoiding something we don't quite feel ready to deal with. In the very first Monday Mini of Friends with (therapy) Benefits, we're talking about the difference between intentional rest and emotional avoidance, why avoidance isn't necessarily a bad thing, and how to recognize when your downtime isn't actually helping you recharge. Because sometimes you need a nap. And sometimes you need to figure out what you're trying not to think about. We'll get into: The difference between rest and avoidanceWhy avoidance can actually serve a purposeWhat intentional hibernation looks likeHow to recognize your own patterns without immediately criticizing yourself Take this with you: The next time you feel like checking out, get curious about what you need. Rest? Space? Or a little attention to something you've been putting off? Friends with (therapy) Benefits is hosted by Elizabeth Carr, a Licensed Professional Counselor who believes mental health conversations should feel a lot more like conversations and a lot less like lectures. New Monday Minis every Monday, alongside our longer episodes. No perfect coping skills required. Let's keep the conversation going. Have a question, a situation you're trying to work through, or something you'd love a therapist's perspective on? Send it my way! Your question might inspire an upcoming episode of Friends with (therapy) Benefits. Find me on Instagram and TikTok: @elizabethmaecarr For more reflections on mental health, self-care, and figuring life out as we go, read my Substack: https://elizabethmaecarr.substack.com/ New 15-minute minisodes every Monday morning, plus a full-length episode each month. Friends with (therapy) Benefits is for education and reflection, not a replacement for individualized mental health treatment. Please avoid including identifying or sensitive personal information in listener submissions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Monday Mini 01: Is It Rest, or Are You Avoiding Your Life?

  7. Sep 18

    S2E5: Humor Can Be Medicine Too

    What if healing doesn’t always happen on a therapist’s couch? In this episode of Friends with (Therapy) Benefits, Elizabeth sits down with therapist-turned-stand-up-comedian Matthew Sharpe, LPC to talk about humor as medicine and what happens when the things we usually process privately become material for a room full of strangers. They talk about Matthew’s journey into stand-up, the vulnerability of getting on stage, using humor to make sense of difficult experiences, and why laughter can create the kind of connection we don’t always associate with “therapy.” Because healing can look like crying in your car. It can look like sitting across from a therapist with a tissue box. And sometimes? It can look like standing under a spotlight, telling a joke about the thing that used to hurt. This conversation is about expanding our definition of what healing looks like and remembering that sometimes laughing about it isn’t avoiding the hard stuff. Sometimes, the laughter is part of the healing. 🎙️ Friends with (Therapy) Benefits explores mental health, relationships, self-care, and the messy reality of being a human—with a therapist who is also very much still figuring some shit out. Let's keep the conversation going. Have a question, a situation you're trying to work through, or something you'd love a therapist's perspective on? Send it my way! Your question might inspire an upcoming episode of Friends with (therapy) Benefits. Find me on Instagram and TikTok: @elizabethmaecarr For more reflections on mental health, self-care, and figuring life out as we go, read my Substack: https://elizabethmaecarr.substack.com/ New 15-minute minisodes every Monday morning, plus a full-length episode each month. Friends with (therapy) Benefits is for education and reflection, not a replacement for individualized mental health treatment. Please avoid including identifying or sensitive personal information in listener submissions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    S2E5: Humor Can Be Medicine Too

  8. Aug 14

    S2E4: A Solo Episode

    What happens when the person who usually knows what to do…doesn’t? In this deeply personal solo episode of Friends with (therapy) benefits, Elizabeth shares the story of an abnormal Pap smear during the height of COVID-19 that led to a diagnosis of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia Grade 2 (CIN 2), painful testing, multiple procedures, and some of the most frightening moments of her life. But this isn’t really an episode about a cervix. It’s about health anxiety, medical self-advocacy, women’s healthcare, and learning to trust your own voice when everyone around you seems to know more than you do. Elizabeth reflects on being told not to worry when she was terrified, undergoing a painful colposcopy without anesthesia, walking into a hospital alone during COVID, and realizing how difficult it is to advocate for yourself when you’re scared, overwhelmed, and don’t even know which questions you’re supposed to ask. She also explores the belief she carried for years: the doctor knows best, so what do I know? The lesson wasn’t to stop trusting doctors or experts. It was learning that their expertise doesn’t require you to abandon your own. Sometimes advocating for yourself means asking another question. Saying something hurts. Asking for more information. Getting another opinion. Or simply believing yourself when something doesn’t feel right. Because no matter how many experts are in the room, you are still the expert on your own life. 🎙️ In this episode: CIN 2 and abnormal Pap smears, health anxiety, women’s health, colposcopy and cervical procedures, medical self-advocacy, trusting yourself, finding your voice, and what it means to become an active participant in your own care. Let's keep the conversation going. Have a question, a situation you're trying to work through, or something you'd love a therapist's perspective on? Send it my way! Your question might inspire an upcoming episode of Friends with (therapy) Benefits. Find me on Instagram and TikTok: @elizabethmaecarr For more reflections on mental health, self-care, and figuring life out as we go, read my Substack: https://elizabethmaecarr.substack.com/ New 15-minute minisodes every Monday morning, plus a full-length episode each month. Friends with (therapy) Benefits is for education and reflection, not a replacement for individualized mental health treatment. Please avoid including identifying or sensitive personal information in listener submissions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    S2E4: A Solo Episode
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About

Welcome to Friends with (therapy) Benefits, the mental health podcast for women who are really good at holding everything together, even when it's costing them something. Hosted by Elizabeth Mae Carr, a licensed therapist, recovering overachiever, and oldest daughter, this podcast brings therapy insights out of the therapy room and into your everyday life. We're talking people-pleasing, perfectionism, anxiety, burnout, boundaries, relationships, and the complicated business of figuring out who you are when you're not busy being who everyone else needs you to be. Think of it as therapy tidbits for people who aren't in therapy, can't access therapy, or are already in therapy and want a little more to think about between sessions. Expect honest conversations, practical tools, listener questions, a little humor, and plenty of moments that make you think, "Wait. I do that." New 15-minute minisodes every Monday morning, plus a full-length episode each month for when we need to get into it. Because you don't have to be falling apart to start paying attention to your mental health. And you don't have to figure everything out on your own. Reach out to Elizabeth directly at heyelizabethmae@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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