In this episode of You Don't Look Like a Therapist, I'm joined once again by my friend, colleague, and Mental Health Clinician Joe Lilly (affectionately known as Joe Joe to those of us who love him). In this episode, Joe Joe and I discuss some current trends that we're seeing in the field of mental health, we explore some existential themes related to finding meaning in life and aging (including feeling "stuck", a loss of purpose, taking risks and overcoming fear to change our situations, exploring feelings of having "missed our chance" b/c of age, etc.), and Joe avoids talking about the Iowa Hawkeyes betting/gambling scandal with some of the best deflection/redirection skills I've ever seen. I also tell you all why I'm particularly grouchy tonight, why Joe should not be trusted with home remodels, and what my IDFM shirt stands for (PFarm, what up!?). Join us for a fun, important, and insightful episode!

On this episode of You Don't Look Like a Therapist, I'm joined by my big sister Holly Hess, Purposeful Life and Leadership Coordinator at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin.  Holly spends her days on campus working with students in exploring their identities, finding their authentic selves, preparing for the next steps in their lives, starring in Tik Toks, and generally providing support in navigating the craziness, uncertainty, and excitement that is life in our early 20s.  In this episode, Holly and I discuss how we help others (and ourselves) find our true self-- that sense of purpose, understanding, and knowledge of who I am at my core and where I'm headed next.  We talk about ways to challenge our limiting beliefs, how to navigate the changes in identity that come with various chapters of life, how to "pull the threads" to help us take chances that may feel scary, and how Holly has maintained and thrived throughout various career changes and a lasting 25+ year marriage(!).  We also talk about our favorite spots in Door County, Wisco, our favorite ways to piss people off at holiday gatherings, and Holly is forced to choose her favorite (mis)adventure that me and my idiot friends have experienced over the years.  A fun, important, and insightful episode-- join us. 

On this episode of You Don't Look Like a Therapist, I'm joined by one of my favorite Therapists of all time, my former college roommate and one of my all-time best friends, Joe Lilly.  Joe is the Director of Outpatient Behavioral Health for a large hospital system in the Midwest, has provided therapy services to individuals and couples in various settings, has been with his wife Kate for over 20 years, and is one hell of a rave dancer.  Tonight, we discuss topics related to surviving and thriving in long term relationships: living with intention, realizing that conflict can be healthy and provide learning opportunities, "stealing minutes" in order to have more valuable time with your partner, and much more.  We also tell lots of stories about some of the various trips we've been on together (such as driving a rental car from the US to Tijuana), dancing in a horsehead costume on a boat in the ocean, Wednesday Night craft beer nights at The Library in La Crosse, Wisco, and Joe also runs the gauntlet, where he reveals his love for the "Dirrty" phase of Christina Aguilera's career.  It's as ridiculous (and educational!) as it sounds.  

Join us. 

So, so stoked to reveal my guest on the next episode of the "You Don't Look Like a Therapist" podcast is none other than the one and only Tyler Despins.  We've been Mox & Suit for over 20 years, we've traveled the world together, we've supported each other through ups, down, and all arounds.  We share a few tattoos and countless stories that those tattoos hold.  We've watched ourselves grow from punk ass kids at Winona State University to now doing this, taking a deep dive into a topic that is near and dear to both of our hearts-- helping and supporting people through grief and loss, and more specifically, "hidden loss", the death of a pet or the breakup of a relationship (not a divorce), losses that maybe don't get the recognition of other types of loss.  Ty is the Owner/Operator of Cherished Pet Cremations in Rochester, MN and works tirelessly to support people through the grieving process associated with losing a pet.  Join us in this episode as we discuss how we help people to navigate and heal through these hidden losses, how we support people in being "OK" with feeling these losses as intensely as the death of a human or a divorce, we play a game of "this or that" where we learn Ty's fav Spice Girl, we get a cameo appearance from Ty's 90 year old cat, Dante, and we shed light on this incredibly important topic that impacts each of us at some point in our lives.

The very, veryyyyyyyy first episode (ever!) of the "You Don't Look Like a Therapist" podcast with Mitchel Paulson, a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and owner of a private therapy practice in Denver, CO and St. Paul, MN.  He also moonlights as potty mouthed rapper MJ FLAWS (formerly Moxie) when he's not helping clients navigate the human experience or teaching therapists-in-training as an Adjunct Instructor.   

Hop in the therapy room with Mitchel in this first episode as he introduces himself, his podcast, his music, and listen to him try to sell you on why you should join him on this journey when there's a million other podcasts that you could listen to instead.  It only gets better from here, I promise.