Two years ago, we started Strong Mind Mental Health with zero clients, zero income, and nothing but our own drive, vision, and a belief that we could build something different. Today, we’re celebrating two years of growth, grit, and gratitude—with a team of incredible therapists, a community we love, and a mission that keeps evolving. 🎉

In this special anniversary episode, we’re reflecting on:

• How we went from an idea to a thriving six-figure practice

• The mistakes we made (and what we’d never do again)

• What no one tells you about owning a therapy practice

• Our proudest moments, lessons learned, and what’s next

• Why we believe in creating human-first therapy—for clients and clinicians

  
  

✨ If you’re a therapist thinking about private practice, a grad student trying to figure it out, or just someone curious about what it really takes to build something from scratch—this one’s for you.

Real talk. No fluff. Just two therapists reflecting on the wild, messy, beautiful journey of building something meaningful.

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📱 FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL:

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🎵 INTRO MUSIC:

“Good Night” by FASSounds

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DISCLAIMER:

The information provided on this podcast, Collectively Unhinged: Therapy Talk, is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as therapy or a substitute for advice from a qualified professional who is aware of the facts and circumstances of your individual situation. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapist-client relationship between you and the hosts or Strong Mind Mental Health, LLC. If you want to read more, check out our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Media Disclaimer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Do you equate self-care with face masks and wine nights? In this episode, we break down the real meaning of self-care—and spoiler alert—it’s not always cute or Instagram-worthy. From setting boundaries and saying "no" without guilt, to recognizing rest as productive, we're diving into the deeper, sustainable habits that actually support your mental health.

We explore why glamorized self-care can sometimes feel like a band-aid, and how redefining it helps you prevent burnout, feel more connected, and create space for healing. Whether you're a therapist, a parent, or just tired of the hustle culture—this one’s for you.

Topics include:

• What self-care actually looks like in everyday life

• Why boundaries are a form of self-respect

• Letting go of "performative rest"

• Unlearning the guilt around putting yourself first
  

✨Tune in, reflect, and ask yourself—what does real self-care look like for you?

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📱 FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL:

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🌐 VISIT OUR WEBSITE:⁠⁠

⁠⁠strongmindmh.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

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🎵 INTRO MUSIC:

“Good Night” by FASSounds

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DISCLAIMER:

The information provided on this podcast, Collectively Unhinged: Therapy Talk, is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as therapy or a substitute for advice from a qualified professional who is aware of the facts and circumstances of your individual situation. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapist-client relationship between you and the hosts or Strong Mind Mental Health, LLC. If you want to read more, check out our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Media Disclaimer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Ever felt like a fraud—even with the degrees, experience, and glowing reviews to back you up? In this episode, we unpack impostor syndrome—what it is, how it shows up (especially in helping professions), and what it really takes to move through it.

We’re getting real about:

• Therapist panic moments (aka: “I have no idea what I’m doing”)

• The pressure to be everything in therapy culture

• Why social media feeds our comparison trap

• Personal stories of awkward, hilarious, and painfully human moments as therapists

• Tools to challenge impostor thoughts (hello, imposter monster 👋)

Whether you’re a therapist, creative, student, or just human, this episode is for anyone who's ever thought, “They’re going to realize I don’t belong here.”

✨You’re not failing—you’re just growing. And yes, you do belong here.

Listen now, share with a friend, and don’t forget to hit “follow” for more real-talk therapy convos and weekly unhinged wisdom.

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📱 FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL:

linktr.ee/strongmindmh⁠⁠⁠

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🌐 VISIT OUR WEBSITE:⁠⁠

⁠strongmindmh.com⁠⁠⁠

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🎵 INTRO MUSIC:

“Good Night” by FASSounds

—

DISCLAIMER:

The information provided on this podcast, Collectively Unhinged: Therapy Talk, is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as therapy or a substitute for advice from a qualified professional who is aware of the facts and circumstances of your individual situation. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapist-client relationship between you and the hosts or Strong Mind Mental Health, LLC. If you want to read more, check out our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Media Disclaimer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

When you’re raising kids, it’s easy to forget you’re also growing a marriage. Between school drop-offs, late-night tantrums, and laundry mountains, quality time as a couple can feel like a luxury — but it’s actually a necessity. In this episode, we unpack how parenthood changes your relationship dynamic, why micro-moments of connection matter, and how to keep your partnership strong without adding more to your plate.

We’re sharing real stories, clinical insights, and actionable ways to nurture your relationship while parenting in the chaos. Because your kids don’t need perfect parents — they need present ones who still choose each other.

Let’s talk small moments, big love, and what it means to show up for each other — even when you're exhausted.

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📱 FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL:

⁠linktr.ee/strongmindmh⁠⁠⁠⁠

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🌐 VISIT OUR WEBSITE:⁠⁠

strongmindmh.com⁠⁠

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🎵 INTRO MUSIC:

“Good Night” by FASSounds

—

DISCLAIMER:

The information provided on this podcast, Collectively Unhinged: Therapy Talk, is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as therapy or a substitute for advice from a qualified professional who is aware of the facts and circumstances of your individual situation. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapist-client relationship between you and the hosts or Strong Mind Mental Health, LLC. If you want to read more, check out our ⁠⁠⁠⁠Media Disclaimer⁠⁠⁠⁠.

"Daddy Issues, We All Got 'Em"

You’ve heard the phrase. You’ve laughed at the memes. But today, we’re going deeper — way deeper.

In this episode of Collectively Unhinged: Therapy Talk, we’re unpacking “daddy issues” through a clinical lens. Spoiler alert: it’s not just about dating older men or absentee fathers. We’re talking about emotional wounds, attachment patterns, and how early paternal dynamics shape how we love, trust, and set boundaries as adults.

We cover:

• What “daddy issues” really mean (no shame, just insight)
• How they show up in dating, emotional over-functioning, and boundary struggles
• What healing the father wound actually looks like — therapy, reparenting, and reclaiming self-worth

Whether your dad was absent, overly critical, emotionally distant, or blurred every boundary — this episode is for you. Because the truth is: many of us are still untangling how those early dynamics shaped us.

Trigger questions to explore:

• Do you struggle to trust others but over-give in relationships?

• Do you choose emotionally unavailable partners?

• Do you feel unseen, unheard, or never “enough”?

Tune in for truth, tools, and a little collective unhinging as we normalize the healing process.

Listen now and share with someone who needs this episode.

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📱 FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL:

linktr.ee/strongmindmh⁠⁠⁠

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🌐 VISIT OUR WEBSITE:⁠⁠

⁠strongmindmh.com⁠⁠⁠

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🎵 INTRO MUSIC:

“Good Night” by FASSounds

—

DISCLAIMER:

The information provided on this podcast, Collectively Unhinged: Therapy Talk, is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as therapy or a substitute for advice from a qualified professional who is aware of the facts and circumstances of your individual situation. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapist-client relationship between you and the hosts or Strong Mind Mental Health, LLC. If you want to read more, check out our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Media Disclaimer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

"Why Healthy Habits Are So Hard: Diet Culture, Mental Health, and Sustainable Wellness"

Binge cycles, burnout, and the truth about 'lifestyle changes' that don’t work for everyone

Do you struggle to stick to a “healthy lifestyle”? Ever start a new diet, workout plan, or morning routine… and feel like a failure when it doesn’t last?You’re not lazy or undisciplined — you’re probably exhausted by a system that doesn’t work for real people with real lives and real trauma.In this episode of Collectively Unhinged: Therapy Talk, we’re breaking down:

Why “just be consistent” is a damaging lie

How diet culture hijacks your nervous system

The link between trauma, anxiety, and disordered eating patterns

And how to build wellness that’s actually sustainable — emotionally and physically

Let’s stop shaming ourselves and start asking: What do I actually need to feel nourished, not punished?

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📱 FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL:

linktr.ee/strongmindmh⁠⁠⁠

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🌐 VISIT OUR WEBSITE:⁠⁠

⁠strongmindmh.com⁠⁠⁠

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🎵 INTRO MUSIC:

“Good Night” by FASSounds

—

DISCLAIMER:

The information provided on this podcast, Collectively Unhinged: Therapy Talk, is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as therapy or a substitute for advice from a qualified professional who is aware of the facts and circumstances of your individual situation. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapist-client relationship between you and the hosts or Strong Mind Mental Health, LLC. If you want to read more, check out our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Media Disclaimer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

🎙️ Welcome back to Collectively Unhinged: Therapy Talk — where we embrace the chaos of being mental health professionals and keep it as real as your last 8 a.m. client.

In this episode, we're diving into the awkward gap between what grad school told us therapy would be like vs. what it's actually like in the room. Spoiler alert: textbooks didn’t prepare us for clients ghosting, crying in parking lots, or watching someone walk through a session in their underwear (yes, that happened).

From the pressure to be the “perfect therapist” to the emotional exhaustion no one warns you about — we’re breaking it all down. If you’re a student, a new therapist, or just nosy about the behind-the-scenes of the therapy world, this one’s for you.

We also share the biggest surprises, unexpected lessons, and what we wish we knew back then — including some much-needed advice: It’s not about having all the answers. It’s about showing up human.

🎧 Listen in, laugh with us, and feel a little more seen in this wonderfully unhinged profession.

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📱 FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL:

linktr.ee/strongmindmh⁠⁠⁠

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🌐 VISIT OUR WEBSITE:⁠⁠

⁠strongmindmh.com⁠⁠⁠

—

🎵 INTRO MUSIC:

“Good Night” by FASSounds

—

DISCLAIMER:

The information provided on this podcast, Collectively Unhinged: Therapy Talk, is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as therapy or a substitute for advice from a qualified professional who is aware of the facts and circumstances of your individual situation. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapist-client relationship between you and the hosts or Strong Mind Mental Health, LLC. If you want to read more, check out our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Media Disclaimer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

🎙️ This Mother’s Day, I Just Want to Be Left Alone

Mother’s Day isn’t always brunches, flower deliveries, and heartfelt Instagram captions. Sometimes, it’s wanting nothing more than to not be touched, talked to, or needed for 24 hours—and that’s what we’re talking about in this honest, validating episode.

In this episode, your co-hosts Melisa DeMahy, LMHC and Courtnie Vargas-Rodriguez, LMFT, both therapists and very real humans, dig into the emotional complexity of Mother’s Day—from exhaustion and guilt to quiet rebellion and self-preservation.

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🧠 Segment 1: The Reality Check
We start by breaking down what Mother’s Day really looks like for a lot of people—especially moms who are burned out and still expected to “celebrate” by managing everyone else’s needs. We get honest about why the day often feels like one more emotional task disguised as a holiday.

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🌸 Segment 2: The Guilt and the Grace
We talk about the deep guilt many mothers feel when they don’t want the whole day centered around family togetherness, and why rest is a radical—and completely valid—choice. If you’ve ever questioned your worth as a parent for simply wanting to be left alone, this segment is your permission slip.

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🛋️ Segment 3: What We Really Want
Whether it’s silence, a solo walk, or watching trash TV uninterrupted—this is a tribute to the moms who want less noise and more peace. We unpack how to advocate for what you need (even if it’s unpopular), and how to redefine celebration in a way that actually feels good.

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🎤 Closing
We wrap up with some heartfelt encouragement: Whether Mother’s Day brings you joy, grief, resentment, relief, or all of the above—you are not alone. You don’t need to perform motherhood to be worthy of rest, space, or celebration on your terms.

Perfect for: Moms who are tired, adult children navigating complicated relationships with their mothers, those grieving loss or absence, and anyone who wants to hear therapists speak the unfiltered truth about the pressures of Mother’s Day.

✨ Warning: There’s empathy, humor, and a total lack of toxic positivity.

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📱 FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL:

linktr.ee/strongmindmh⁠⁠⁠

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🌐 VISIT OUR WEBSITE:⁠⁠

⁠strongmindmh.com⁠⁠⁠

—

🎵 INTRO MUSIC:

“Good Night” by FASSounds

—

DISCLAIMER:

The information provided on this podcast, Collectively Unhinged: Therapy Talk, is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as therapy or a substitute for advice from a qualified professional who is aware of the facts and circumstances of your individual situation. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapist-client relationship between you and the hosts or Strong Mind Mental Health, LLC. If you want to read more, check out our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Media Disclaimer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.