Unprocessed

Lia Avellino
  • 5.0 (9)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

We have access to more mental health information than at any other point in history, and yet anxiety & depression rates are growing. Mental health advice is tricking us into believing that we are self-improvement projects, which ironically is creating more disconnection as we hide our flaws to avoid judgment when we can't "work" our way out of our struggles. The truth is: we experience freedom by being honest about who we are, not changing who we are. I will be a therapist who risks something--revealing my least impressive sides to you, shifting the shame, and not fixing the problem.

  1. 2D AGO

    What It's Like Being a Therapist Right Now

    A therapist wrote in a Facebook group "I don't want to be a therapist anymore" and hundreds commented basically saying #metoo. In this episode, I reveal what it's like to be healing from the collective pain that I am supporting others in living better through, and in the end break down--revealing not only the "what" it's like to be in a hard moment, but the "how" it feels. If you want to give yourself permission to stop holding all together, this one's for you.  This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional mental health treatment, diagnosis, or therapy. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapist-client relationship. The views and opinions expressed are based on my lived personal and professional experience but are general in nature. Individual situations vary, and listeners are encouraged to seek appropriate professional support for their specific needs. By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge that you are responsible for your own mental health decisions and actions. I am not responsible for any outcomes resulting from the use or misuse of information discussed on this podcast. The content of this podcast should not be relied upon as personalized mental health advice, crisis support, or a treatment plan. If you are experiencing distress or a mental health emergency, please contact a licensed mental health professional, local emergency services, or a crisis hotline in your area.

    21 min

  2. FEB 25

    To Be Admired = To Be Lonely

    I talk about how being admired was a place I used to hide to feel safe and how I came to the realization that admiration was actually an unsafe place for me because it kept me isolated. Many of us don't want to reveal our flaws because we worry they will compromise our connections--but what can we say about connections that don't include our true, varied, flawed selves. Listen in to explore how I came to believe I can have issues and also be deserving of love and how critique actually became my love language because it showed me someone was willing to see me fully and care about me enough to tell me what they saw.  This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional mental health treatment, diagnosis, or therapy. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapist-client relationship. The views and opinions expressed are based on my lived personal and professional experience but are general in nature. Individual situations vary, and listeners are encouraged to seek appropriate professional support for their specific needs. By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge that you are responsible for your own mental health decisions and actions. I am not responsible for any outcomes resulting from the use or misuse of information discussed on this podcast. The content of this podcast should not be relied upon as personalized mental health advice, crisis support, or a treatment plan. If you are experiencing distress or a mental health emergency, please contact a licensed mental health professional, local emergency services, or a crisis hotline in your area.

    16 min

  3. FEB 18

    How To Live With The Irreconcilable

    Living with the irreconcilable means living in discord. It means staying with someone you love but don't trust. Or choosing one life but longing for another. In my case, it means loving travel and choosing to travel internationally with 3 small children: I choose both the adventure and the sleeplessness. In this week's episode, I share about the psychological process of splitting, where we separate the good from the bad so we can join with the good, instead of seeing the whole picture. Living with the irreconcilable means giving up the goal for a solution. It means asking yourself: can I hold both sides? This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional mental health treatment, diagnosis, or therapy. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapist-client relationship. The views and opinions expressed are based on my lived personal and professional experience but are general in nature. Individual situations vary, and listeners are encouraged to seek appropriate professional support for their specific needs. By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge that you are responsible for your own mental health decisions and actions. I am not responsible for any outcomes resulting from the use or misuse of information discussed on this podcast. The content of this podcast should not be relied upon as personalized mental health advice, crisis support, or a treatment plan. If you are experiencing distress or a mental health emergency, please contact a licensed mental health professional, local emergency services, or a crisis hotline in your area.

    10 min

  4. FEB 11

    On Aging and Beauty

    In this week’s episode, I reflect with my friend and mother of 5, Vanessa Cornell, on what it is like to age in a culture that doesn’t want us to. I talk about this moment in my life, as I get closer to 40, and reflect on the messages I’ve gotten about what is beautiful, pretty privilege, the problems with body positivity, living in a culture that treats every hormonal shift as a problem that has to be solved, and what the research shows about women’s feelings when they are older and no longer being scrutinized and evaluated.  This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional mental health treatment, diagnosis, or therapy. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapist-client relationship. The views and opinions expressed are based on my lived personal and professional experience but are general in nature. Individual situations vary, and listeners are encouraged to seek appropriate professional support for their specific needs. By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge that you are responsible for your own mental health decisions and actions. I am not responsible for any outcomes resulting from the use or misuse of information discussed on this podcast. The content of this podcast should not be relied upon as personalized mental health advice, crisis support, or a treatment plan. If you are experiencing distress or a mental health emergency, please contact a licensed mental health professional, local emergency services, or a crisis hotline in your area.

    1h 10m

  5. FEB 4

    To Be Wild Or To Be Good?

    Those of us who have been rewarded for getting it right, often have a hidden side that wants to f**k shit up. What do we do with this side, amidst our responsibilities and morals? In this week's episode, I explore the psychology of the eldest daughter's plight and a conversation I had with my 7 year old about how to decide which side to let drive. This is for all the rule followers who are intrigued, but afraid, of breaking.  This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional mental health treatment, diagnosis, or therapy. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapist-client relationship. The views and opinions expressed are based on my lived personal and professional experience but are general in nature. Individual situations vary, and listeners are encouraged to seek appropriate professional support for their specific needs. By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge that you are responsible for your own mental health decisions and actions. I am not responsible for any outcomes resulting from the use or misuse of information discussed on this podcast. The content of this podcast should not be relied upon as personalized mental health advice, crisis support, or a treatment plan. If you are experiencing distress or a mental health emergency, please contact a licensed mental health professional, local emergency services, or a crisis hotline in your area.

    17 min

  6. JAN 28

    The Joylessness of Doing the Work While Trying to Live Your Life

    In this week's episode I talk about how joyless it can feel to try to be the person you want to be. That the reward you get comes later, not in the immediate aftermath. How exhausting it can be to practice restraint when you want to scream, and how triggering restraining can be for those of us who have over functioned and done it our whole lives. This episode is a big exhale for anyone who has held more than their share and is tired, but has to keep going.  Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional mental health treatment, diagnosis, or therapy. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapist-client relationship. The views and opinions expressed are based on my lived personal and professional experience but are general in nature. Individual situations vary, and listeners are encouraged to seek appropriate professional support for their specific needs. By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge that you are responsible for your own mental health decisions and actions. I am not responsible for any outcomes resulting from the use or misuse of information discussed on this podcast. The content of this podcast should not be relied upon as personalized mental health advice, crisis support, or a treatment plan. If you are experiencing distress or a mental health emergency, please contact a licensed mental health professional, local emergency services, or a crisis hotline in your area.

    12 min

  7. JAN 21

    Are You Getting Worse or Just Feeling More of The Truth?

    In this week's episode, I talk about how sometimes when we feel more, it can make us question our healing. I share about how when I feel more anger, I realize that feeling "worse" is actually getting me closer to my truth. Many of us confuse anxiety relief with feeling "good," but it's not emotional freedom. Listen in as I differentiate between feeling "right" versus "good," and my reflection on a culture that is telling us all pain needs to be fixed, not felt.

    16 min

  8. JAN 14

    Say The Thing!

    We are living in the time when many people are revealing vulnerable things, but not in a vulnerable way. It's not only what we say but how we say it that is the true reveal. I talk about how I've wordsmithed, in order to share what is sort of true, but not the heart of what is true. In Lily King's book she says "The truth has nothing to do with the facts." Are you living in truth or in fact? Listen in to learn about the difference between listening with our ears versus our hearts, revealing with our words versus our bodies.

    13 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

We have access to more mental health information than at any other point in history, and yet anxiety & depression rates are growing. Mental health advice is tricking us into believing that we are self-improvement projects, which ironically is creating more disconnection as we hide our flaws to avoid judgment when we can't "work" our way out of our struggles. The truth is: we experience freedom by being honest about who we are, not changing who we are. I will be a therapist who risks something--revealing my least impressive sides to you, shifting the shame, and not fixing the problem.

Information

  • Creator
    Lia Avellino
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    45
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Lia Avellino
  • Show Website
    Unprocessed