In Session with Nat & Ang

In Session with Nat & Ang
  • 3.7 (3)
  • Mental Health

Welcome to In Session with Nat & Ang!We’re Nat and Ang, and this podcast is a safe space where we talk about mental health, real life, and what it’s like being Arab American.Each episode, we open up about the struggles, thoughts, and feelings that many of us keep inside. We talk about balancing both parts of who we are, learning how to cope, and finding tools and resources that actually help.You’ll hear vulnerable moments, silly conversations, and unexpected stories as we figure things out together.Join us In Session and walk with us on this journey—one honest conversation at a time.

  1. Sep 11

    The Real Reason You Can't Stop Overthinking (It's Not What You Think)

    You know that thing where someone sends you a text with a period at the end and your whole day is ruined? Yeah. We need to talk about that. We're both therapists. We teach people how to stop overthinking for a living. And we still can't stop doing it ourselves. In this episode, we're getting honest about what overthinking actually looks like, where it comes from, and why your brain keeps doing it even when you know better. We also share the exact tools we use with our clients (and on ourselves) that actually work when your thoughts won't shut up. Including one trick from a random book at a spa that changed everything. In this episode, you'll learn: The real difference between thinking through a problem and spiraling into a loop — and the one question that tells you which one you're doing right nowA 20-minute technique called "worry time" that trains your brain to stop hijacking your entire day with thoughts that don't even matterWhy most of your overthinking has nothing to do with the other person — and the deeper thing your brain is actually trying to controlChapters: 00:00 – We're Guilty Too 00:54 – Welcome and Why We're Talking About Overthinking 03:08 – The Period That Ruined My Day 05:28 – Where Overthinking Takes the Most Energy 07:49 – When You Start Twisting Other People's Words 10:10 – Thinking vs. Overthinking — Where's the Line? 12:33 – Perspective Taking and the Million Possibilities You're Ignoring 14:57 – The Calculator vs. the Student 17:24 – The Worry Time Technique That Changed Everything 19:50 – Honoring Your Thoughts Without Letting Them Win 22:12 – Crushing the Ants: Automatic Negative Thoughts 26:50 – Why We Don't Use Our Own Tools 29:16 – Why Don't We Just Ask Instead of Assume? 33:44 – The People Pleaser Problem 35:15 – Intuition vs. Anxiety — How to Tell the Difference 39:11 – Peace Is the Tell 41:30 – Why It Takes 10 Minutes to Send a Text 43:53 – The Worry Monster and Telling Your Thoughts to Leave 46:18 – Being Okay With Uncertainty 48:45 – Faith, Control, and Letting Go

  2. Sep 4

    What You Don’t Know About Trauma. Special Arabic Edition

    You think trauma only counts if something big happened, a war, an accident, something the whole world can see. But what about the things that happened in your house? The words that were said to you as a kid that you barely remember? The patterns you carry into every relationship without knowing why? In this episode, we sit down with a mental health therapist who spent nine years working with individuals and families impacted by war. Together we break down what trauma actually is, why your brain hides it from you, and how the things your parents said without thinking are still shaping who you are today. We also talk about something nobody in our community wants to hear: your unhealed trauma doesn't stay with you. It gets passed down. In this episode, you'll learn: Why two people can live through the exact same event and walk away with completely different wounds, and the hidden factors that determine which one you'll be The kind of trauma that doesn't look like trauma at all,  and why the small things said in childhood can cause more damage than the obvious ones. How unhealed pain gets inherited by your children before they're even born,  and why healing isn't just for you anymore. Chapters 00:00 – Welcome and Introducing Today's Guest 01:31 – What Is Trauma, Really? 03:38 – The Difference Between a Traumatic Event and a Trauma Response 05:06 – Why Some People Are Affected More Than Others 09:10 – Is Trauma Always Visible? 12:26 – Secondary Trauma and What You Absorb From Others 12:56 – How Parenting Styles Become Childhood Trauma 15:16 – The Story of the Girl Who Rejected Her Own Femininity 17:50 – The Small Things That Leave the Deepest Marks 19:24 – Can You Actually Forget Your Trauma? 21:32 – How Trauma Distorts Your Memory 24:00 – PTSD: When the Body Relives What the Mind Forgot 29:08 – Recognizing the Signs and Knowing When to Get Help 33:02 – Why Healing Matters More Than You Think 35:44 – Generational Trauma: What You Pass Down Without Knowing 39:52 – There Is Always Hope;  And It's Never Too Late

  3. Jul 29

    The Reason You Can't Trust Anyone Might Have Nothing to Do With Them

    You say you trust people. But do you? Or are you just waiting for them to prove you right about what you already believe — that everyone eventually lets you down? In this episode, we get into the thing nobody wants to admit: that most of our trust issues aren't about the person in front of us. They're about the person who hurt us years ago. We break down whether trust should be earned or freely given, what happens when past pain bleeds into new relationships, and whether it's actually possible to love someone you don't fully trust. This conversation got real — and it might change how you look at every relationship in your life. In this episode, you'll learn: The difference between being cautious and self-sabotaging — and how to tell which one you're actually doing right nowWhy forgiveness and trust are not the same thing — and why one has to come before the other can even beginThe question you need to ask yourself before you blame the other person for your inability to let them inChapters: 00:00 – Welcome and Today's Topic 01:22 – Can Broken Trust Actually Be Repaired? 03:23 – Should Trust Be Earned or Freely Given? 05:15 – Why Trust Gets Harder the Older You Get 07:00 – What Trust Actually Looks Like in Practice 09:06 – There's Always Gonna Be a "What If" 10:20 – Can You Love Someone You Don't Trust? 14:11 – How Past Relationships Wreck Your Current One 17:15 – Are You Reacting to Them or to Your History? 18:00 – Relationship OCD and Unrealistic Expectations 23:23 – Where to Start When Rebuilding Trust 26:06 – Second Chances — Where's the Line? 31:22 – You Can Forgive and Still Walk Away 35:20 – One Piece of Advice for Someone Struggling to Trust 38:00 – Don't Block Something Beautiful Because of Something Broken 41:04 – Be Cautious, But Don't Self-Sabotage

  4. Jul 17

    What Would You Tell Your 18-Year-Old Self? (The Answer Might Make You Cry)

    Someone asked us a question that hit harder than we expected: if you could give your 18-year-old self one piece of advice, what would it be? And honestly, I didn't think I'd get this emotional about it. We went back to who we were at 18. The insecurities, the overthinking, the fear of rejection, the freedom we didn't appreciate until it was gone. One of us even read a letter she wrote to her future self years ago. And hearing those words now, knowing everything we've been through since, it just broke us. This episode is for anyone who's been so focused on what's next that they forgot to look around at what's right in front of them. In this episode, you'll learn: The fear that quietly held both of us back for years — and why it had nothing to do with failure and everything to do with something much deeperA letter written at 18 that predicted almost everything — and the three things she told herself to never let go ofThe one Japanese phrase that completely reframed how we look at every season of life — and why knowing something will end makes it matter moreChapters: 00:00 – Welcome Back and Today's Question 02:14 – Who Were We at 18? 05:02 – The Fear of Rejection That Kept Us Small 06:56 – What I'd Tell My 18-Year-Old Self 08:57 – Why the Hard Path Was the Right One 11:19 – Stop Overthinking — It's Not the End of the World 13:23 – We Were All in the Same Chapter Back Then 15:42 – A Feeling Is Just a Feeling and It Will Pass 17:59 – Did Life Turn Out the Way You Planned? 20:22 – The Japanese Phrase That Changed Everything 25:04 – Reading a Letter to My Future Self 29:42 – Keep Three Things: Hope, Faith, and Love 31:49 – Why You Should Write Yourself a Letter 35:09 – What Gets Better With Age 37:00 – What's Brought You the Most Peace in Your Twenties? 40:02 – Letting Go of Control 42:22 – The 2016 Theme Party That Made Us Feel Ancient 44:21 – Final Message: Every Phase of Life Means Something

  5. Jul 9

    Your Brain Is Lying to You. Here's What Depression Actually Looks Like

    You've probably said it before. "I'm so depressed." But do you actually know what depression looks like when it's real... when it's clinical... when it's the kind that convinces you there's no point in getting out of bed, seeing your friends, or even looking forward to tomorrow? In this episode, we're getting honest about depression — the difference between feeling sad and actually being diagnosed, why the happiest person you know might be the one suffering the most, and a brain surgery story that completely changed the way we understand what's happening inside someone's mind when they can't feel joy. We also share what's helped us personally and what to do if someone you love is going through it right now. In this episode, you'll learn: The clinical difference between sadness and depression — and why throwing the word around can be more harmful than you thinkA brain surgery story that reveals what depression actually does to the way you see the world — down to the colors around youSimple tools that don't require a complete life overhaul — just one thing today that can start to bring the light back inChapters: 00:00 – Crisis Resources and Outro Message 00:32 – Welcome and Why We're Talking About Depression 02:46 – Stop Throwing Around Words Like "Depressed" and "Bipolar" 05:01 – When Sadness Starts Getting in the Way of Your Life 07:20 – The Person Smiling the Most Might Be Suffering the Most 09:42 – The Brain Surgery That Changed Everything 12:06 – A Simple Mental Health Check You Can Do on Any Walk 14:32 – Your Brain Can Change How You Experience the World 16:34 – What We'd Say to Someone Who Feels Hopeless Right Now 20:48 – What Actually Helped During Our Hardest Seasons 25:16 – Therapy, Medication, Sleep, and What You Put in Your Body 29:55 – Why You Isolate and What to Do Instead 34:46 – Mood Monitoring and Building a New Routine 39:31 – How to Show Up for a Friend Who's Struggling 43:31 – Find One Thing Today 45:26 – This Is Not a Substitute for Professional Help

  6. Jul 2

    The Real Reason You're Stuck in a Situationship (It's Not Him)

    You like him. He seems like he likes you. But nothing's moving forward and you have no idea where you stand. Sound familiar? We're breaking down situationships today… why they happen, why we stay in them way too long, and why the answer to your confusion is usually already sitting right in front of you. We're also getting into the talking stage, the dating stage, exclusivity, and why there are way too many labels for something that should be simple. This one got heated. We have strong opinions. And we brought receipts. In this episode, you'll learn: The one question most women are afraid to ask — and why his reaction to it tells you everything you need to knowWhy "I still picked you" is the most dangerous line a man can use — and what he's really saying when he says itThe self-check you need to do before entering any relationship — because the real problem might not be him at allChapters: 02:15 – What a Situationship Actually Is 04:36 – Why Won't He Just Commit? 07:00 – Age, Intentions, and When It Gets Serious 09:25 – Why Women Don't Say What They're Feeling 11:46 – The Fear of Losing the Potential 14:09 – When Words Sound Right But Mean Nothing 16:33 – Why Women Want to Be Picked So Badly 19:02 – What to Do If You're in a Situationship Right Now 21:15 – Talking vs. Dating vs. Exclusive — What's the Difference? 26:01 – How Long Is Too Long to Figure It Out? 30:39 – The Self-Work You Need to Do First 33:01 – Listen to What He Says — It's More Telling Than You Think

  7. Jun 24

    Autism in Our Community: The Conversation We've Been Avoiding

    There's a conversation happening in almost every Arab household right now… but most families are having it behind closed doors. Parents are scared. They have questions. And they don't know where to turn because nobody in our community is talking about it openly. In this episode, we break down autism, what it actually is, what it looks like across the spectrum, and why the shame and stigma around it in our culture is doing more harm than the diagnosis ever could. We've both worked directly with autistic children as registered behavior technicians, and we're sharing what we've learned, what we've seen, and what we wish more parents understood. In this episode, you'll learn: Why so many families feel like autism "came out of nowhere", and the real reason it seems to be increasing in our communityThe single mindset shift that changes everything for parents who just received a diagnosis, and why most are doing the oppositePractical tools we used every day working with autistic children that any parent can start using at home right nowChapters: 00:00 – Why We Need to Talk About This 02:20 – Welcome and What Today's Episode Is About 04:41 – What Autism Actually Is 06:52 – How the Brain Works Differently 09:03 – What Stimming Looks Like and Why It Happens 11:25 – They Experience the World Through a Different Lens 13:43 – Obsessions, Routines, and Why They Matter 16:09 – The Book That Changed Everything 18:25 – Stop Fixing, Start Understanding 20:36 – Why Shame and Stigma Are Hurting Our Community 25:16 – The Genetic Component Nobody Talks About 31:28 – How to Help at Home: Naming Feelings and Token Systems 38:35 – Grounding Techniques and Taking Data 43:19 – The Beauty and Reward of This Journey

  8. Jun 17

    Body Image, Beauty Standards, and the Lies Our Culture Taught Us

    You've been hearing it your whole life. From family, from social media, from random people who feel entitled to comment on your body like it's their business. And at some point, you stopped questioning it and just believed them. In this episode, we're getting real about body image, where our insecurities actually come from, why our culture is so brutal about weight, and what happens when you start chasing a version of yourself that was never yours to begin with. This one's personal. We're sharing our own experiences and breaking down why so many of us are walking around at war with our own bodies. In this episode, you'll learn: - Why the way your family talked about food and weight when you were a kid is still shaping how you see yourself today — and you might not even realize it - The dangerous cycle that starts when you tie your beauty to other people's approval — and why it never stops at just one thing - A simple reframe that can shift the way you feel about your body — even on the days you don't want to look in the mirror Chapters:  00:00 – Welcome Back to In Session 01:54 – Our Personal Relationship With Body Image 05:57 – Growing Up Feeling Like the Biggest One in the Room 09:30 – When Your Relationship With Food Gets Dangerous 13:53 – How Your Family Shaped the Way You See Food 20:15 – The Cultural Comments That Stay With You Forever 26:24 – Why Beauty Standards Never Stop Changing 30:41 – Why "Just Lose Weight" Is Never That Simple 35:02 – Comparing Yourself the Moment You Walk In 39:39 – Unresolved Insecurities and Why People Project 41:30 – Social Media Is Making All of This Worse 47:18 – Body Dysmorphia and Where the Line Is 51:37 – Learning to Love Your Body for What It Can Do

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Ratings & Reviews

3.7
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Welcome to In Session with Nat & Ang!We’re Nat and Ang, and this podcast is a safe space where we talk about mental health, real life, and what it’s like being Arab American.Each episode, we open up about the struggles, thoughts, and feelings that many of us keep inside. We talk about balancing both parts of who we are, learning how to cope, and finding tools and resources that actually help.You’ll hear vulnerable moments, silly conversations, and unexpected stories as we figure things out together.Join us In Session and walk with us on this journey—one honest conversation at a time.

Information

  • Creator
    In Session with Nat & Ang
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 In Session with Nat & Ang
  • Show Website
    In Session with Nat & Ang