You Seem Fine Podcast

Hannah Shahabi and Roland Scheppske

Hannah Shahabi, LPC and Roland Scheppske, LPC are two millennial therapists living in Virginia. Hannah and Roland have often found themselves having lengthy conversations with one another and developing hot takes about different therapy topics. It was in these discussions that the two of them realized a lot of ways that they mentally envisioned these aspects, were through the specific lens of a millennial (i.e. those born between the years of 1981-1996). With the fun spin these life experiences give to their hot takes, both Hannah and Roland decided that being able to express these thoughts and appeal to others, who often find themselves in a “I’m fine, this is fine” mentality, would not only be fun, but also beneficial. Specifically, for listeners to be inspired to seek out and achieve betterment in their own therapy journey. The You Seem Fine podcast provides an inside look on how Hannah and Roland conduct therapy around that topic. as well as how they handle that personally in a segment called “Behind the Couch and Under the Cushion”. As a fun bonus, Hannah and Roland lean into their Swiftie side by sharing their Taylor Swift lyric of the week at the start of each episode during the “I Don’t Need Therapy, I Have Taylor Swift” segment. *THIS PODCAST IS NOT A SUPPLEMENT OR REPLACEMENT FOR THERAPY CONDUCTED WITH A LICENSED PROFESSIONAL.*

  1. I've Got a Blank Slate, baby, and I'll Write Your Name

    EPISODE 2

    I've Got a Blank Slate, baby, and I'll Write Your Name

    Hot Take: Self-disclosure is necessary and therapeutically beneficial in the therapy room. This week, Roland and Hannah are joined by psychologist Dr. Chloe Goldbach for a candid conversation on one of the most debated topics in the therapy world: therapist self-disclosure. Should clinicians be a “blank slate”? Or does sharing parts of ourselves actually make the therapeutic relationship stronger? Together, they explore how self-disclosure can foster trust, model vulnerability, and create more authentic connections — especially in communities where shared experience matters. From challenging the rigid “never self-disclose” lessons taught in grad school to unpacking how culture, identity, and power shape disclosure, this conversation blends clinical insight with real-world nuance. Dr. Goldbach brings a feminist therapy lens to the table, emphasizing how therapist humanity isn’t a flaw — it’s a strength. Whether you’re a clinician rethinking your stance or someone curious about what happens behind the therapy room door, this episode invites you to consider how showing up as yourself can be a radical act of care. https://lgbtcounselingdmv.com/dr-chlo%C3%AB-goldbach%2C-ph-d https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/chloe-goldbach-arlington-va/1317255 https://www.youtube.com/c/TheChloeConnection (Also on IG!) https://www.amazon.com/Counseling-Gender-Expansive-World-Resources-Therapeutic-ebook/dp/B0BJ172NDN

    56 min
  2. What is the Playlist Protocol?

    EPISODE 5

    What is the Playlist Protocol?

    00:00- Opening 00:12- Legal Disclosure 00:42- Personal Intro (Hannah) 00:53- Personal Intro (Roland) 01:08- I Don't Need Therapy, I have Taylor Swift 01:19- Hannah's Swiftie Song 02:20- Hannah's Explanation 04:09- Roland's Swiftie Song 05:01- Roland's Explanation 08:04- Hot Take Intro 08:20- Spotlight! Playlist Protocol 08:41- Playlist Protocol background 09:18- What is it? 10:03- Nostalgia is key 10:57- More Personal & Provocative 11:31- Must be within therapy 12:41- Playlists around specificity to process 13:07- Parts work?! 14:00- Process & Heal 14:14- Music is Therapeutic 14:36- Neural Nostalgia 15:06- Formative Years Roots 15:31- Foundational & Step Process 16:26- What's the science? 16:39- Neuroscience- Music & Memory 17:18- Songs can bypass the thinking brain 17:48- EMDR / Brainspotting adjacent 18:39- White Noise or Nature sounds adjacent 19:34- Lyrics, Beat, Music All Matter 21:04- Dissonance can be interpreted 22:11- Memories AND Beat 23:29- Playlists are common for people 24:14- Music Reflects Feelings 25:17- Relatable, Memory, or New 26:11- Re-trauma or Re-trigger (Feedback Loop) 27:25- Music as coping mechanism 28:10- Relapse is easy 30:06- Narrative Therapy & Music 31:29- Re-tell their stories (physical writing) 31:52- WET (Written Exposure Therapy) 32:30- Re-telling the story where you are now 33:09- Habit Stacking 34:35- Tailored to many approaches 35:42- Where is the Playlist Protocol going? 36:04- Book? Podcast? CEs? Coming Soon! 37:28- Takeaways 38:05- Be creative with music to reflect YOU 38:33- Reflect on every playlist & what it's doing for you! 38:41- Behind the Couch & Under the Cushion 39:14- Behind the Couch (Roland) 39:35- Client accounts to help create Protocol 39:59- 30 Day Song Challenges w/ Clients 40:36- Themed Playlists for Reflection 41:09- Inject some fun into therapy 41:17- Behind the Couch (Hannah) 41:30- Music as a coping skill 41:43- Habit stacking with music 42:11- Insight to Client Emotions 42:58- Mirroring 43:18- Music puts words to emotion 43:48- All things creative are perfect for therapy space 44:41- Bilateral music playlists to calm down/settle in 45:27- Under the Cushion (Roland) 45:46- Music is always on 46:03- All genres 46:23- Driving & Music is cathartic 46:51- Cultural Experiences w/ music 47:06- Under the Cushion (Hannah) 47:08- Music is everything 47:26- Chaotic music playlists 47:48- Words to emotions & normalize feelings 48:03- Outro

    48 min
  3. Her Sister Was a Witch!

    EPISODE 6

    Her Sister Was a Witch!

    Hot Take: Many people who meet criteria for a mental health diagnosis aren’t “pathologically ill” — their bodies are responding appropriately to mis-attuned, oppressive, and unsafe systems. In this episode, Roland and Hannah are joined by Dr. Monica Band for a deeply nuanced conversation about mental health, diagnosis, and what we often miss when we pathologize human responses to cultural harm. Together, they explore the idea that anxiety, depression, dissociation, and burnout may not always be signs of something “wrong” with a person — but adaptive responses to environments that demand too much, offer too little, or fail to keep people safe. They unpack the role of diagnosis as both a tool and a limitation: how labels can bring clarity and access to care, while also reinforcing stigma, othering, and a false sense of defectiveness. The conversation challenges all-or-nothing thinking, social media over-diagnosing, and the pressure to be “normal,” while making space for resilience, post-traumatic growth, and community as medicine. This episode invites listeners to move away from self-blame and toward curiosity — asking not just what’s wrong with me? but what might my nervous system be responding to? Because sometimes healing isn’t about fixing yourself — it’s about changing the conditions around you. FIND DR. MONICA BAND HERE: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/monica-p-band-washington-dc/350458 https://www.mindfulhealingcounseling.com/dr-monica-p-band

    54 min

About

Hannah Shahabi, LPC and Roland Scheppske, LPC are two millennial therapists living in Virginia. Hannah and Roland have often found themselves having lengthy conversations with one another and developing hot takes about different therapy topics. It was in these discussions that the two of them realized a lot of ways that they mentally envisioned these aspects, were through the specific lens of a millennial (i.e. those born between the years of 1981-1996). With the fun spin these life experiences give to their hot takes, both Hannah and Roland decided that being able to express these thoughts and appeal to others, who often find themselves in a “I’m fine, this is fine” mentality, would not only be fun, but also beneficial. Specifically, for listeners to be inspired to seek out and achieve betterment in their own therapy journey. The You Seem Fine podcast provides an inside look on how Hannah and Roland conduct therapy around that topic. as well as how they handle that personally in a segment called “Behind the Couch and Under the Cushion”. As a fun bonus, Hannah and Roland lean into their Swiftie side by sharing their Taylor Swift lyric of the week at the start of each episode during the “I Don’t Need Therapy, I Have Taylor Swift” segment. *THIS PODCAST IS NOT A SUPPLEMENT OR REPLACEMENT FOR THERAPY CONDUCTED WITH A LICENSED PROFESSIONAL.*