Head Shrink Inc.

Doc David
  • 5.0 (7)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Biweekly

Welcome to your dose of advice about relationships and how they work. We talk about mental health, pop culture and all things relationship. Have a question? We will answer it. We guarantee you will come away with facts from our opinions.When you get a chance you can follow Doc David in a variety of ways.Instagram: DrdavidsimonsenTwitter: HeadshrinkincTikTok : The_doc_davidHave a question? Send an email to :HeadShrinkInc@gmail.comI look forward to connecting!

  1. 1d ago

    How Emotional Intelligence Breaks The Blame Cycle In Relationships

    Send me a question or comment The most toxic sentence in an argument might be only four words: “Well, you do.” When we answer a complaint with a counter-complaint, the conflict stops being about dishes, tone, schedules, or parenting and turns into a contest to prove who’s worse. I’m Doc David, and I break down why that reflex is a sign of low emotional intelligence, not as an insult, but as a clear map of what’s happening in real time when couples get stuck. We start with the common pattern I see in therapy: one partner raises a concern, the other partner fires back with a “you too,” and suddenly nobody is solving the original problem. That defensiveness keeps you out of introspection, blocks accountability, and pulls you into a never-ending blame cycle that can spread from marriage and romantic relationships into friendships and workplace communication. I also share a resource I’m exploring, Emotional Intelligence 2.0, for anyone who wants to build these skills intentionally. Then we pivot to the alternative: the higher-maturity response. You slow down, decide if the criticism is valid, and either own it with a clean apology and repair, or you address the criticism directly without switching to a new attack. We talk about why vulnerability is so hard for many people, how family-of-origin patterns teach self-protection, and how putting “the microscope on yourself” can radically change relationship dynamics over time. If you want calmer conflict, better communication skills, and stronger emotional intimacy, press play. Subscribe, share this with someone who argues in circles, and leave a review with the one phrase you’re going to practice the next time you feel defensive. Doc David

  2. 3d ago

    Five Clear Signs Of Emotional Immaturity

    Send me a question or comment A fragile ego can turn a simple conversation into a fight, a marriage into a minefield, or a parent-child relationship into years of resentment. We dig into five grounded signs of emotional immaturity that show up everywhere: at home, at work, in friend groups, and loudly on social media. If you have ever thought, “Why can’t we just talk about this like adults?”, this one gives you language for what you are seeing and why it keeps happening.  We walk through accountability problems like blaming and deflecting, then move into the difference between reacting and responding when someone brings up a concern. We also get honest about discomfort tolerance: avoiding hard conversations may feel peaceful in the moment, but it often trains relationships to stay shallow and unstable. Parenting teenagers comes up as a real-life example of how choosing comfort over growth can backfire, and why the question “Who is this in the best interest of?” is such a powerful compass.  From there we look at how emotionally immature people can make everything about themselves and treat boundaries as personal attacks, especially online where identity and ego collide. We finish with one of the biggest relationship killers: expecting a partner, friend, coworker, or even a child to manage your emotions. If you want healthier relationship communication, stronger boundaries, and better emotional regulation, you will take away clear red flags to watch for and practical ways to respond without getting pulled into the chaos. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review, then tell us: which sign of emotional immaturity do you see most often? Doc David

  3. Aug 28

    A Conversation About Forgiveness That Changes Families with Peter Anderson LMFT

    Send me a question or comment We talk with LMFT Peter Anderson about the winding path that leads him from acting school and depression to seminary, languages, and a life in marriage and family therapy. We dig into forgiveness, boundaries, burnout, and why something as simple as cuddling can be a serious tool for rebuilding connection.  • Peter’s early career turns, depression, and the pivot back to school  • Seminary, listening, and the moment therapy clicks as a calling  • Ancient texts, stoicism, and using old ideas to support mental health  • Building a private practice, managing burnout, and choosing a better clinical fit  • Sex addiction language, impulse control, and why nuance matters  • Growing up with alcoholism, anger, and the long work of forgiveness  • Understanding family patterns through genograms and honest conversations  • Estrangement, boundaries vs cutoff, and what politics can ignite in families  • Cuddling, spooning, and low pressure ways couples restart intimacy  • Therapist life off the clock, telehealth fatigue, and protecting family time  I have got a great surprise for you today, so I'd love you to listen in and leave comments.  Doc David

  4. Aug 5

    Parasocial Relationships 101

    Send me a question or comment We break down parasocial relationships and why they feel so real even when the connection is one-sided. We talk through the good, the bad, and the warning signs that show up when social media turns familiarity into dependence.  • defining parasocial relationships as one-sided emotional bonds  • why radio and TV shaped this long before social media  • how constant exposure creates a false sense of closeness  • potential benefits such as reduced loneliness, learning and motivation  • emotional support and role modelling from creators  • the illusion of intimacy and why it is not reciprocity  • warning signs like anxiety when posts stop and choosing content over people  • unrealistic expectations about relationships, parenting and appearance  • financial exploitation, grifts and selling through manufactured closeness  • echo chambers, polarization and defending bad behaviour  • how attachment style and isolation change the risk level  If you have any comments, feel free to send them my way. Doc David

  5. Jul 20

    When Family Loyalty Becomes A Weapon

    Send me a question or comment We sit down with John and Ashley to trace how a devout, image-driven family culture turns love into compliance and turns honest boundaries into “betrayal.” We unpack the slow build to estrangement, the smear campaign and legal threats that follow, and what accountability would actually need to look like for reconciliation.  • how enmeshment makes normal boundaries feel like panic  • religion and scripture used as a tool for control and spiritual abuse  • early warning signs like mandatory family dinners and guilt-based loyalty  • generational patterns of betrayal, deflection and protecting the harmful person  • the seven-page letter and why “the last straw” is never just one thing  • smear campaigns, bullying tactics and cease-and-desist threats over public storytelling  • anchoring to faith and truth when the family goes silent  • what we require for repair: one-on-one effort, therapy, honesty and real change  • how a healthy marriage helps rebuild identity after a narcissistic family system  “We have a book that we wrote, and it’s called Christ-like boundaries, and it’s available on Amazon.”  “leaveandcleave.com is the website, and that’s the name of our other handles on various social medias.” Doc David

  6. Jul 6

    Alienated Mother reconciles with daughter

    Send me a question or comment I had the opportunity to speak with Sunday. She was a single working mother raising her daughter. Sunday's mother began to interfere and created an Alienation situation for her. Listen in! Doc David

  7. Jun 18

    Why do I stay in the middle?

    Send me a question or comment Some accuse me of taking sides (I try not to). I want people to understand why taking a side is generally not useful in my goal of trying to help people reconcile.  Doc David

  8. Jun 16

    Hello, It's me again

    Send me a question or comment I used to podcast all the time. I've been away unintentionally for a year. I thought I would get back into it so here we go again. Doc David

See All (102)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Welcome to your dose of advice about relationships and how they work. We talk about mental health, pop culture and all things relationship. Have a question? We will answer it. We guarantee you will come away with facts from our opinions.When you get a chance you can follow Doc David in a variety of ways.Instagram: DrdavidsimonsenTwitter: HeadshrinkincTikTok : The_doc_davidHave a question? Send an email to :HeadShrinkInc@gmail.comI look forward to connecting!

Information

  • Creator
    Doc David
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2026
  • Episodes
    102
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Head Shrink Inc.
  • Show Website
    Head Shrink Inc.