Once Upon a Session

Vanessa & Nareesa

Once Upon a Session is a podcast where two therapists bring their love for books, storytelling, and emotional insight together. Each session explores a theme — attachment, grief, love, trauma, healing — through the lens of fictional characters and real-life growth. It’s cozy, funny, heartfelt, and deeply human.

  1. -4 дн.

    Session 18: Love Triangles & Toxic Relationships- Red Flags We Romanticize

    Love triangles aren’t always about choosing between two people. Sometimes they’re about choosing between the relationship you have… and the one you deserve. In this episode, we explore the psychology behind toxic relationships through the lens of Fabric of Our Souls by K.M. Moronova & Kiss of the Basilisk by Lindsay Straube. Together, we unpack trauma bonds, attachment, red flags, emotional dependency, and why walking away from someone we love can feel so much harder than staying. Because sometimes the hardest relationship to leave isn’t the one that’s hurting us—it’s the one we’ve built our hope around. Disclaimer: We’re licensed therapists, but we’re not your therapists. Everything shared in this podcast is for conversation, reflection, and entertainment—not a substitute for therapy. ✨ Follow Once Upon a Session for new episodes exploring stories, psychology, and healing.

    1 ч. 21 мин.

  2. 28 июн.

    Session 17: Self Sabotage- When Fear Wears a Disguise

    Why do we push away the things we want most? In this episode, we explore the psychology of self-sabotage through Elide Lochan from Throne of Glass and Anthony Bridgerton from The Viscount Who Loved Me. One believes she’s a burden. The other believes love always ends in loss. Different stories, same pattern: fear quietly convincing us that safety matters more than happiness. Together, we unpack how trauma shapes our choices, why self-protection can start looking like self-destruction, and what it takes to believe we’re worthy of the lives we keep talking ourselves out of. Because sometimes the biggest obstacle in our story… is the one we’ve unknowingly become. Disclaimer: We’re licensed therapists, but we’re not your therapists. Everything shared in this podcast is for conversation, reflection, and entertainment—not a substitute for therapy. ✨ Follow Once Upon a Session for new episodes exploring stories, psychology, and healing.

    1 ч. 15 мин.

  3. 21 июн.

    Session 16: Daddy Issues- The Fathers Who Shape Us

    Some of our earliest lessons about love, safety, and self-worth come from the people who raise us. In this episode, we explore the psychology of the father wound through Klaus Mikaelson from The Vampire Diaries and Dorian Havilliard from Throne of Glass. We unpack how control, rejection, fear, and impossible expectations can shape identity, relationships, and the ways people learn to survive. Because sometimes the hardest part isn’t understanding where our wounds came from—it’s deciding what happens next. Disclaimer: We’re licensed therapists, but not your therapists. This podcast is for reflection and conversation, not a substitute for therapy. ✨ Follow Once Upon a Session for new episodes exploring stories, psychology, and healing.

    1 ч. 33 мин.

  4. 14 июн.

    Session 15: Grief- The People We Become After Loss

    Grief changes us. Sometimes in obvious ways. Sometimes in ways we don’t recognize until much later. In this episode, we explore the psychology of grief through Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones and Diana Martinez from the Gods & Monsters series. Together, we unpack how loss shapes identity, influences relationships, and impacts the choices people make long after the moment of loss has passed. Because grief isn’t just about what we lose. It’s also about who we become afterward. Disclaimer: We’re licensed therapists, but we’re not your therapists. Everything shared here is for conversation, reflection, and entertainment. ✨ Follow Once Upon a Session for new episodes exploring stories, psychology, and healing.

    1 ч. 24 мин.

  5. 7 июн.

    Session 14: Class Clown- The Funny Ones Are Never Okay

    Some people make jokes because they’re funny. Others make jokes because they learned early that making people laugh was safer than letting them see the truth. In this episode of Once Upon a Session, we explore the psychology behind humor, avoidance, and emotional masking through two unforgettable class clowns: Lehabah from Crescent City and Carrion Swift from Quicksilver. Together, we unpack what happens when humor becomes armor, why the funniest people are often carrying the heaviest emotional loads, and how being “the comic relief” can sometimes mean no one notices when you’re struggling. Because sometimes laughter isn’t about joy. Sometimes it’s survival. Disclaimer: We’re licensed therapists, but not your therapists. This podcast is for reflection and conversation, not a substitute for therapy. ✨ Follow Once Upon a Session for new episodes exploring stories, psychology, and healing.

    1 ч. 4 мин.

  6. 25 мая

    Session 13: Fallen Warriors- Why Heroic Sacrifice Breaks Our Hearts

    Some characters die in battle. Others become the reason people keep fighting. In this Memorial Day episode of Once Upon a Session, we explore the psychology of sacrifice, loyalty, and what it means to be remembered through two fallen warriors: Gavriel from Thrones of Glass and Liam from Fourth Wing. Together, we unpack the emotional weight carried by the protectors, the ones who love quietly, fight fiercely, and often give everything before they ever ask for anything in return. Because grief doesn’t just come from losing someone. Sometimes it comes from finally realizing how much they carried for everyone else. Disclaimer: We’re licensed therapists, but not your therapists. This podcast is for reflection and conversation, not a substitute for therapy. ✨ Follow Once Upon a Session for new episodes exploring stories, psychology, and healing.

    1 ч. 24 мин.

  7. 19 мая

    Session 12: Best Friends- Soulmates, But Platonic

    Some friendships feel bigger than the story itself. In this episode of Once Upon a Session, we explore the psychology behind deep friendship, loyalty, and the people who become part of our identity through connection. From Ron and Harry in Harry Potter to the Padavano sisters in Hello Beautiful, we unpack what makes certain relationships feel unbreakable—and what happens when love, jealousy, grief, and growing up begin to complicate those bonds. Because sometimes the relationships that shape us most aren’t romantic at all. Disclaimer: We’re licensed therapists, but not your therapists. This podcast is for reflection and conversation, not a substitute for therapy. ✨ Follow Once Upon a Session for new episodes exploring stories, psychology, and healing.

    1 ч. 18 мин.

  8. 10 мая

    Session 11: Mommy Issues- How Childhood Attachment Shapes Adult Relationships

    Why do maternal relationships shape us so deeply—and why are they so hard to untangle? In this episode of Once Upon a Session, we break down the psychology behind “mommy issues”—the ways early maternal dynamics influence identity, attachment, and the relationships we find ourselves in later. From Little Fires Everywhere to The Plated Prisoner, we explore how love can blur into control, how protection can impact autonomy, and why these early bonds leave such a lasting imprint. Because sometimes the way we were loved… becomes the blueprint for everything that follows. Disclaimer: We’re licensed therapists, but not your therapists. This podcast is for reflection and conversation, not a substitute for therapy. ✨ Follow Once Upon a Session for new episodes exploring stories, psychology, and healing.

    1 ч. 21 мин.
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Once Upon a Session is a podcast where two therapists bring their love for books, storytelling, and emotional insight together. Each session explores a theme — attachment, grief, love, trauma, healing — through the lens of fictional characters and real-life growth. It’s cozy, funny, heartfelt, and deeply human.

Информация

  • Автор
    Vanessa & Nareesa
  • Годы выхода
    2 тыс.
  • Выпуски
    20
  • Ограничения
    С ненормативной лексикой
  • Авторские права
    © 2026 Once Upon a Session
  • Сайт подкаста
    Once Upon a Session