Is it harder to figure out what you need, or to actually give yourself what you need?

I asked this question in an Instagram poll, and the responses got me thinking about something we don't talk about nearly enough: all the little ways we compromise our own needs without even realizing we're doing it.

In this week's Monday Mini, we're talking about what happens when you're so used to considering everyone else's feelings, preferences, and expectations that you lose track of your own.

The quiet compromises. The guilt that comes with choosing yourself. The resentment that sneaks in when you've been saying yes to everyone but yourself. And why another self-care routine isn't always the answer.

Because sometimes the hardest part isn't finding time for yourself. It's figuring out what you actually want or need when you've spent so much of your life making sure everyone else is okay.

And listen, I'm not pretending I've mastered this either.

Something to take with you this week:

What do I actually need right now?

You don't have to justify the answer, make a plan, or do anything about it immediately. Just start by being willing to acknowledge it.

🎙️ Friends with (therapy) benefits is hosted by Elizabeth Carr, LPC, a licensed therapist having honest, relatable, and occasionally unhinged conversations about mental health, relationships, and figuring ourselves out along the way.

New Monday Minis every Monday, plus full-length episodes twice a month.

Come hang out with me on Instagram, where we keep these conversations going throughout the week.

Keep the conversation going! 💬

We're not done talking when the episode ends. Come hang out with me on social media for more mental health conversations, behind-the-scenes moments, and the occasional unhinged thought.

📸 Instagram: @elizabethmaecarr

🎵 TikTok:@elizabethmaecarr

▶️ YouTube: @Friendswiththerapybenefits

📝 Substack: @Friendswiththerapybenefits

A little reminder: This podcast is for education and conversation, not a substitute for individualized mental health care.

Let's keep the conversation going. Have a question, a situation you're trying to work through, or something you'd love a therapist's perspective on? Send it my way! Your question might inspire an upcoming episode of Friends with (therapy) Benefits.

Find me on Instagram and TikTok: @elizabethmaecarr

For more reflections on mental health, self-care, and figuring life out as we go, read my Substack:

https://elizabethmaecarr.substack.com/

New 15-minute minisodes every Monday morning, plus a full-length episode each month.

Friends with (therapy) Benefits is for education and reflection, not a replacement for individualized mental health treatment. Please avoid including identifying or sensitive personal information in listener submissions.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sometimes taking a break is exactly what we need. Other times, what we're calling "rest" might actually be a way of avoiding something we don't quite feel ready to deal with.

In the very first Monday Mini of Friends with (therapy) Benefits, we're talking about the difference between intentional rest and emotional avoidance, why avoidance isn't necessarily a bad thing, and how to recognize when your downtime isn't actually helping you recharge.

Because sometimes you need a nap. And sometimes you need to figure out what you're trying not to think about.

We'll get into:

• The difference between rest and avoidance
• Why avoidance can actually serve a purpose
• What intentional hibernation looks like
• How to recognize your own patterns without immediately criticizing yourself

Take this with you: The next time you feel like checking out, get curious about what you need. Rest? Space? Or a little attention to something you've been putting off?

Friends with (therapy) Benefits is hosted by Elizabeth Carr, a Licensed Professional Counselor who believes mental health conversations should feel a lot more like conversations and a lot less like lectures.

New Monday Minis every Monday, alongside our longer episodes. No perfect coping skills required.

Let's keep the conversation going. Have a question, a situation you're trying to work through, or something you'd love a therapist's perspective on? Send it my way! Your question might inspire an upcoming episode of Friends with (therapy) Benefits.

Find me on Instagram and TikTok: @elizabethmaecarr

For more reflections on mental health, self-care, and figuring life out as we go, read my Substack:

https://elizabethmaecarr.substack.com/

New 15-minute minisodes every Monday morning, plus a full-length episode each month.

Friends with (therapy) Benefits is for education and reflection, not a replacement for individualized mental health treatment. Please avoid including identifying or sensitive personal information in listener submissions.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if healing doesn’t always happen on a therapist’s couch?

In this episode of Friends with (Therapy) Benefits, Elizabeth sits down with therapist-turned-stand-up-comedian Matthew Sharpe, LPC to talk about humor as medicine and what happens when the things we usually process privately become material for a room full of strangers.

They talk about Matthew’s journey into stand-up, the vulnerability of getting on stage, using humor to make sense of difficult experiences, and why laughter can create the kind of connection we don’t always associate with “therapy.”

Because healing can look like crying in your car. It can look like sitting across from a therapist with a tissue box. And sometimes? It can look like standing under a spotlight, telling a joke about the thing that used to hurt.

This conversation is about expanding our definition of what healing looks like and remembering that sometimes laughing about it isn’t avoiding the hard stuff.

Sometimes, the laughter is part of the healing.

🎙️ Friends with (Therapy) Benefits explores mental health, relationships, self-care, and the messy reality of being a human—with a therapist who is also very much still figuring some shit out.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.