Between a Hot Mess & a Therapist

Shawna Lovin, MA, LPCS
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  • SELF-IMPROVEMENT
  • WEEKLY SERIES

Welcome to the Between a Hot Mess and a Therapist Podcast. This isn’t “self-help.” This is self-return for the high-responsibility helpers—therapists, first responders, teachers, medical folks, attorneys—who look fine on paper but feel fried in their bodies. We’re talking nervous-system truth, burnout recovery without the martyr complex, shadow work without the performance, and the uncomfortable (sacred) process of becoming who you actually are. Expect real stories, real tools, and real language—because healing isn’t tidy. It’s emotional. It’s sacred. It’s necessary. New episodes drop weekly.

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  1. EPISODE 1

    71. Hey, Hey y'all, Howdy, How ya' doin'? (Season 3)

    Between a Hot Mess & a Therapist is back — and this season is for high-responsibility helpers who are tired of pretending they’re fine. If you’re the one holding it down at work, holding it together at home, and quietly falling apart in your body… yeah, love. I made this for you. Season 3 is nervous-system-first, truth-telling, and built for real life: 🔥 burnout + over-functioning 🧠 nervous system + regulation (without the performative “healing aesthetic”) 🧿 a little woo, a lot of wisdom ✈️ rest, slow living, and “different sky” medicine And yes — you might find a few videos dropped in. You can watch on YouTube or listen on your favorite podcast player. Got a Question? SUBMIT IT HERE Get your Energetic Blueprint: This is a recorded personalized energy capacity blueprint (30–45 min) using Human Design + a nervous-system lens—built for helpers who are tired of self-erasing to keep up. This podcast was brought to you by Healing Roots Wellness & Botanicals. For more information, please visit www.shawnalovinlpcs.com  Disclaimer: Although Shawna is a licensed counselor in the State of Texas, this podcast is not therapy and should not be used as a therapeutic intervention. Many of the practices and products mentioned are for educational and informational purposes only. Should you need support, please seek appropriate, qualified, and licensed professionals.

    15 min

  2. EPISODE 2

    72. New Year Energy for Helpers: Why “Fresh Start” Makes You Worse

    If the “new year, new you” energy makes you want to throw your phone… this episode is for you. We’re talking about the energetic pressure of a new year (including 2026’s “start over” vibe) and why it hits helpers differently—therapists, healers, first responders, teachers, medical + legal folks… anyone who’s high-functioning on the outside and quietly cooked on the inside. This isn’t a motivation episode. It’s a nervous-system reality check. In this episode, I talk about: Why “fresh start” energy can feel like pressure (not hope) when you’re already at capacityThe helper shadow: resentment, numbness, and the fantasy of quittingWhat “tired but wired” actually means (and why doom-scrolling isn’t decompression)The difference between speed and freedom—especially for helpersA reframe for building a life you don’t need a vacation from 👉🏾 Everything you need is on my website: www.shawnalovinlpcs.com ➡️ Texas LPC Associates Supervision that keeps you ethical and human ➡️ Messy Middle Blueprint: Your personalized energetic blueprint for burnout recovery Got a Question? SUBMIT IT HERE Get your Energetic Blueprint: This is a recorded personalized energy capacity blueprint (30–45 min) using Human Design + a nervous-system lens—built for helpers who are tired of self-erasing to keep up. This podcast was brought to you by Healing Roots Wellness & Botanicals. For more information, please visit www.shawnalovinlpcs.com  Disclaimer: Although Shawna is a licensed counselor in the State of Texas, this podcast is not therapy and should not be used as a therapeutic intervention. Many of the practices and products mentioned are for educational and informational purposes only. Should you need support, please seek appropriate, qualified, and licensed professionals.

    26 min

  3. EPISODE 3

    73. The Clinical Culture Manifesto

    I didn’t quit helping. I quit clinical culture. Today, I give you a manifesto for helpers who are high-functioning on the outside and quietly cooked on the inside. We’re naming the truth: burnout isn’t always personal failure. Sometimes it’s your nervous system doing its job inside an environment that demands self-betrayal. If you’re over it but not done… welcome. 👉🏾 Everything you need is on my website: www.shawnalovinlpcs.com ➡️ Texas LPC Associates Supervision that keeps you ethical and human ➡️ Messy Middle Blueprint: Your personalized energetic blueprint for burnout recovery Got a Question? SUBMIT IT HERE Get your Energetic Blueprint: This is a recorded personalized energy capacity blueprint (30–45 min) using Human Design + a nervous-system lens—built for helpers who are tired of self-erasing to keep up. This podcast was brought to you by Healing Roots Wellness & Botanicals. For more information, please visit www.shawnalovinlpcs.com  Disclaimer: Although Shawna is a licensed counselor in the State of Texas, this podcast is not therapy and should not be used as a therapeutic intervention. Many of the practices and products mentioned are for educational and informational purposes only. Should you need support, please seek appropriate, qualified, and licensed professionals.

    13 min

  4. EPISODE 4

    74. You’re Not ’FINE’: Why Gen X Helpers Don’t Ask for Help

    Gen X helpers don’t always burn out loud. They burn out quietly because many of you were raised to function through feelings, not ask for support. This episode is about the psychology and nervous-system conditioning behind “I’m fine,” and why asking for help can feel unsafe, shameful, or pointless—even when you’re exhausted. We talk about: the “don’t bother anyone” trainingindependence vs isolationwhy rest can feel like weaknesswhy you wait until you’re breakingwhat recovery looks like when you’ve been the strong one foreverIf you’re Gen X and tired of being the capable one… welcome. 👉🏾 Everything you need is on my website: www.shawnalovinlpcs.com ➡️ Texas LPC Associates Supervision that keeps you ethical and human ➡️ Messy Middle Blueprint: Your personalized energetic blueprint for burnout recovery Got a Question? SUBMIT IT HERE Get your Energetic Blueprint: This is a recorded personalized energy capacity blueprint (30–45 min) using Human Design + a nervous-system lens—built for helpers who are tired of self-erasing to keep up. This podcast was brought to you by Healing Roots Wellness & Botanicals. For more information, please visit www.shawnalovinlpcs.com  Disclaimer: Although Shawna is a licensed counselor in the State of Texas, this podcast is not therapy and should not be used as a therapeutic intervention. Many of the practices and products mentioned are for educational and informational purposes only. Should you need support, please seek appropriate, qualified, and licensed professionals.

    21 min

  5. EPISODE 5

    75. Stop Fixin’ Grown A** Folks: When Boundaries Make You the Problem

    When you set boundaries, somebody always calls you the villain or the problem. Especially if you’ve been the family’s emotional manager for years. In this episode, I’m talking about the messy middle of family rupture—when a message looks like love but lands like a summons… and you realize you can’t “repair” with people who are more committed to protecting their self-image than protecting your kids. I’m paraphrasing personal details on purpose. This isn’t a drag session. It’s a pattern. We talk about: How “sweet” texts can still be pressureWhy your body braces before your mind catches upRelief + guilt (and why that combo is a sign you’re changing something real)What it means to “break up with the mother wound”How to stop being the family’s emotional janitorIf you’re a helper who looks fine but feels cooked… welcome. 👉🏾 Everything you need is on my website: www.shawnalovinlpcs.com ➡️ Texas LPC Associates Supervision that keeps you ethical and human ➡️ Messy Middle Blueprint: Your personalized energetic blueprint for burnout recovery Got a Question? SUBMIT IT HERE Get your Energetic Blueprint: This is a recorded personalized energy capacity blueprint (30–45 min) using Human Design + a nervous-system lens—built for helpers who are tired of self-erasing to keep up. This podcast was brought to you by Healing Roots Wellness & Botanicals. For more information, please visit www.shawnalovinlpcs.com  Disclaimer: Although Shawna is a licensed counselor in the State of Texas, this podcast is not therapy and should not be used as a therapeutic intervention. Many of the practices and products mentioned are for educational and informational purposes only. Should you need support, please seek appropriate, qualified, and licensed professionals.

    16 min

  6. EPISODE 6

    76. When You’re the Regulator: The Family Role That Burns Helpers Out

    Some of you were not raised. You were recruited. If you grew up in an enmeshed or unpredictable home, you may have become the regulator early. The peacekeeper. The one who could feel the room before anyone spoke. The one who stayed alert, adapted fast, and kept everything from tipping over. Now you are a helper who is great in crisis, but your nervous system never fully stands down. In this episode, we talk about how family roles shape burnout, especially when your body has learned that safety depends on reading moods, managing tension, and staying one step ahead. We cover: enmeshment: when love feels like access and separation feels like betrayalunpredictability: eggshells, hypervigilance, and chronic bracingwhy your “intuition” may actually be nervous-system scanninghow this role turns into over-functioning and burnoutwhat boundaries look like when your body thinks distance is dangerIf you look calm on the outside but live internally on standby, this episode is for you. Got a Question? SUBMIT IT HERE Get your Energetic Blueprint: This is a recorded personalized energy capacity blueprint (30–45 min) using Human Design + a nervous-system lens—built for helpers who are tired of self-erasing to keep up. This podcast was brought to you by Healing Roots Wellness & Botanicals. For more information, please visit www.shawnalovinlpcs.com  Disclaimer: Although Shawna is a licensed counselor in the State of Texas, this podcast is not therapy and should not be used as a therapeutic intervention. Many of the practices and products mentioned are for educational and informational purposes only. Should you need support, please seek appropriate, qualified, and licensed professionals.

    12 min
See All Season 3 (6)

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About

Welcome to the Between a Hot Mess and a Therapist Podcast. This isn’t “self-help.” This is self-return for the high-responsibility helpers—therapists, first responders, teachers, medical folks, attorneys—who look fine on paper but feel fried in their bodies. We’re talking nervous-system truth, burnout recovery without the martyr complex, shadow work without the performance, and the uncomfortable (sacred) process of becoming who you actually are. Expect real stories, real tools, and real language—because healing isn’t tidy. It’s emotional. It’s sacred. It’s necessary. New episodes drop weekly.

Information

  • Creator
    Shawna Lovin, MA, LPCS
  • Episodes
    77
  • Seasons
    3
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Shawna Lovin, LPCS & Healing Roots Wellness & Botanicals. All Rights Reserved.
  • Show Website
    Between a Hot Mess & a Therapist