Episodes

  • Bonus Episode - Van Gogh & the Need to Be Understood

    Bonus Episode - Van Gogh & the Need to Be Understood
    Jul 16 2026

    Ask The Lemon Tree Coaching Podcast a Question. Text the TLT Pod today.

    Why does being understood matter so much? In this 5-minute bonus episode, Dr. Allison Sucamele explores the psychology behind one of our deepest human needs through the life of Vincent van Gogh. Although celebrated today as one of history's greatest artists, Van Gogh spent much of his life longing for connection, recognition, and the feeling of truly being seen.

    Together, we'll examine why feeling understood creates psychological safety, how chronic misunderstanding can lead us to hide parts of ourselves, and why our worth should never be measured by applause or popularity. Whether you're an artist, teacher, parent, creator, or simply someone who has ever felt unseen, this reflection offers a gentle reminder that authenticity matters more than universal approval.

    Sometimes the most meaningful life isn't the one everyone understands - it's the one lived in alignment with who you truly are.

    Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for therapy, psychological treatment, or medical advice. Vincent van Gogh's life has been the subject of ongoing historical and medical discussion, and many aspects of his mental health remain uncertain. Rather than diagnosing historical figures, this episode uses his story to explore universal psychological themes. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis in the United States or Canada, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If you are elsewhere, please contact your local emergency services or crisis resources.
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    7 mins
  • # 174: The Psychology Behind Flying Monkeys & Pick-Me’s - Social Cover-Ups Rooted in Insecurity & Ego Protection

    # 174: The Psychology Behind Flying Monkeys & Pick-Me’s - Social Cover-Ups Rooted in Insecurity & Ego Protection
    Jul 15 2026

    Ask The Lemon Tree Coaching Podcast a Question. Text the TLT Pod today.

    Sometimes the greatest harm doesn't come from the loudest voice. It comes from the people who enable, excuse, protect, or normalize unhealthy behavior.

    In this episode of The Lemon Tree Coaching Podcast, we explore the psychology behind:
    🍋 Flying monkeys
    🍋 Pick-me behavior
    🍋 Group enabling
    🍋 Social cover-ups
    🍋 Insecurity, ego protection, and cognitive dissonance
    🍋 Why truth-tellers are often scapegoated

    Understanding these patterns isn't about becoming cynical. It's about developing discernment, protecting your peace, and choosing integrity over performance.

    🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts or through the link in our bio.

    📚 Resources: Learn more about cognitive dissonance (Leon Festinger), normative social influence (Solomon Asch), scapegoating, groupthink (Irving Janis), attachment theory (John Bowlby), and relational aggression.

    ⚠️ Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and reflective purposes only and is not a substitute for psychological, medical, or mental health advice.

    🆘 If you are in emotional distress or experiencing a mental health crisis in the United States or Canada, call or text 988to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Help is available 24/7. ❤️

    Enjoyed today's episode? 🍋 Follow @thelemontreecoaching on Instagram for daily psychology insights, podcast updates, and thoughtful reflections designed to help you grow with purpose.

    📲 https://www.instagram.com/thelemontreecoaching
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    21 mins
  • Bonus Episode - The Bell Jar: When the Life You’re Supposed to Want Becomes a Cage

    Bonus Episode - The Bell Jar: When the Life You’re Supposed to Want Becomes a Cage
    Jul 9 2026

    Ask The Lemon Tree Coaching Podcast a Question. Text the TLT Pod today.

    In this bonus episode of The Lemon Tree Coaching Podcast, Dr. Allison Sucamele reflects on Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar through a psychological lens, exploring the invisible distance between a life that looks full of possibility and a life that no longer feels inhabitable. From Esther Greenwood’s haunting fig tree to the suffocating metaphor of the bell jar, this episode examines choice paralysis, perfectionism, identity fragmentation, social expectations, and the quiet cost of performing the version of yourself that receives the most approval.

    What happens when you achieve what you were supposed to want, yet still cannot breathe?

    A brief literary reflection on the difference between visible functioning and internal freedom, and the parts of ourselves still searching for air.

    Content note: This episode discusses depression, suicide, psychiatric hospitalization, and emotional distress. In the U.S. and its territories, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
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    9 mins
  • # 173 - Resentment: The Silence That Keeps the Score - The Psychology of Self-Abandonment, Swallowed Boundaries, & the Quiet Cost of Keeping the Peace

    # 173 - Resentment: The Silence That Keeps the Score - The Psychology of Self-Abandonment, Swallowed Boundaries, & the Quiet Cost of Keeping the Peace
    Jul 8 2026
    Ask The Lemon Tree Coaching Podcast a Question. Text the TLT Pod today.What happens when patience quietly becomes self-abandonment? In this episode of The Lemon Tree Coaching Podcast, Dr. Allison Sucamele explores the psychology of resentment, self-silencing, swallowed boundaries, emotional suppression, sunk-cost thinking, and the hidden cost of repeatedly tolerating what hurts. Drawing from psychological research on attachment, emotion regulation, relationship patterns, and self-silencing, this episode examines why intelligent, compassionate people often stay quiet, over-accommodate, and keep giving long after something inside them has begun keeping score.Sometimes resentment is not simply anger. Sometimes it is the delayed recognition that keeping the peace required abandoning too much of yourself.Disclaimer & Crisis SupportThe Lemon Tree Coaching Podcast is for educational, informational, and reflective purposes only. It is not therapy, medical advice, diagnosis, crisis care, or a substitute for support from a qualified mental health professional. The topics discussed in this episode, including resentment, self-silencing, boundaries, relationship distress, coercive dynamics, and abuse, can be emotionally activating. Every situation is different, and communication or boundary-setting strategies may not be safe or appropriate in situations involving abuse, coercive control, stalking, threats, intimidation, or immediate danger.Research & Resources MentionedPsychological ResearchJack & Dill (1992) — The Silencing the Self Scale: Schemas of Intimacy Associated With Depression in WomenRead the studyGross & Levenson (1997) — Hiding Feelings: The Acute Effects of Inhibiting Negative and Positive EmotionView on PubMedButler et al. (2003) — The Social Consequences of Expressive SuppressionView on PubMedArkes & Blumer (1985) — The Psychology of Sunk CostView the studyRusbult and colleagues — Research on accommodation and constructive versus destructive responses in close relationshipsExplore related research via Google ScholarGottman and colleagues — Research on marital interaction, conflict, contempt, criticism, defensiveness, and withdrawalExplore The Gottman Institute researchChristensen & Heavey (1990) — Gender and Social Structure in the Demand/Withdraw Pattern of Marital ConflictView study informationHazan & Shaver (1987) — Romantic Love Conceptualized as an Attachment ProcessExplore the studyMurray, Holmes & Griffin (1996) — The Self-Fulfilling Nature of Positive Illusions in Romantic RelationshipsView on PubMedOverall & McNulty (2017) — What Type of Communication During Conflict Is Beneficial for Intimate Relationships?View on PubMedRecommended BooksSet Boundaries, Find Peace — Nedra Glover TawwabThe Book of Boundaries — Melissa UrbanCodependent No More — Melody BeattieAttached — Amir Levine & Rachel HellerHold Me Tight — Dr. Sue JohnsonThe Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work — John Gottman & Nan SilverAdult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents — Lindsay C. GibsonThe Dance of Anger — Harriet LernerWhen the Body Says No — Gabor MatéBurnout — Emily Nagoski & Amelia NagoskiSupport & Professional Resources988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — Call or text 988 in the U.S. and territoriesNational Domestic Violence Hotline — Call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788Psychology Today Therapist DirectoryOpen Path Psychotherapy Collective — Lower-cost therapy optionsNAMI — Mental health education and supportAmerican Psychological Association — Psychology information and professional resourcesPlease note: These resources are provided for educational and informational purposes only and do not replace individualized mental health care, crisis intervention, or professional support.The Thrive Careers Podcast My career wasn’t a straight line—it was a series of pivots, survival jobs, and...Listen on: Apple Podcasts
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    40 mins
  • # 172 - The Psychology of Sunsets

    # 172 - The Psychology of Sunsets
    Jul 1 2026

    Ask The Lemon Tree Coaching Podcast a Question. Text the TLT Pod today.

    We have all experienced it. The day begins to soften, the sky fills with color, and for a few quiet moments, the world seems to slow down. A sunset is more than something beautiful to look at, it is an experience that often leaves us feeling calmer, more connected, and quietly amazed.

    In this episode, we'll explore the psychology of sunsets and why these fleeting moments have such a powerful effect on our minds and hearts. Together, we'll look at awe, mindfulness, nostalgia, emotional regulation, and the surprising ways nature can restore our sense of peace. Summer offers the perfect invitation to pause, look up, and rediscover the quiet wisdom waiting at the end of each day.

    Related Recommendations

    • The Book of Delights by Ross Gay
    • Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
    • A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
    • The Overview Effect by Frank White
    • Previous episode: The Psychology of Awe
    • Previous episode: Everything Happening All at Once: The Psychology of Feeling Overwhelmed

    Resources

    • Greater Good Science Center (UC Berkeley), research on awe and well-being
    • American Psychological Association (APA), resources on stress and mindfulness
    • The Nature Fix by Florence Williams

    Connect with The Lemon Tree Coaching Podcast
    🍋 Follow along on Instagram for episode updates, psychology insights, journal prompts, book recommendations, and bonus reflections:
    @thelemontreecoaching on Instagram

    Take a deep breath, find a sunset if you can, and let's explore why some of life's most meaningful moments last only a few minutes.
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    12 mins
  • Bonus Episode - Why We Buy Things We Don't Need

    Bonus Episode - Why We Buy Things We Don't Need
    Jun 25 2026

    Ask The Lemon Tree Coaching Podcast a Question. Text the TLT Pod today.

    Why do we leave the store with far more than we intended, or click "Buy Now" even when we know we don't really need another package arriving at the door? In this bonus episode of The Lemon Tree Coaching Podcast, Dr. Allison Sucamele explores the fascinating psychology behind our purchasing decisions. Discover why we're often buying emotions rather than objects, how dopamine, stress, advertising, and the "ideal self" shape our spending habits, and why the excitement of a new purchase fades so quickly. This conversation isn't about guilt or deprivation, it's about becoming more aware of what we're truly hoping to find every time we reach for our wallets.

    Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for therapy, psychological treatment, or medical advice. If you're struggling with compulsive shopping, financial distress, or emotional well-being, consider reaching out to a licensed mental health professional.

    If you are in the United States or Canada and are experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If you are elsewhere, contact your local emergency services or crisis resources.

    Follow The Lemon Tree Coaching Podcast on Instagram @thelemontreecoaching for weekly psychology insights, bonus reflections, and new episode updates. 🍋
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    5 mins
  • # 171: The Invitation They Never Meant - The Psychology of Including People You Secretly Don't Want There

    # 171: The Invitation They Never Meant - The Psychology of Including People You Secretly Don't Want There
    Jun 24 2026

    Ask The Lemon Tree Coaching Podcast a Question. Text the TLT Pod today.

    Why do people invite someone to a wedding, party, gathering, trip, or celebration when they don't actually want that person there?

    Why extend an invitation only to seem surprised, uncomfortable, or even disappointed when the person accepts?

    In this episode, Dr. Allison Sucamele explores the psychology behind obligatory invitations, social expectations, people-pleasing, conflict avoidance, and the hidden dynamics that often exist beneath seemingly polite gestures.

    We'll examine why some people struggle to be honest about their preferences, how social performance can replace authenticity, and what happens when invitations become more about appearances than genuine connection.

    If you've ever walked into a room feeling like no one expected you to actually show up, or wondered why someone invited you in the first place, this episode is for you.

    Join us as we explore the psychology of invitations, belonging, exclusion, and the complicated ways human beings navigate social relationships.

    Disclaimer: The Lemon Tree Coaching Podcast is intended for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health, medical, legal, or relationship advice. Listening to this podcast does not create a therapeutic relationship. Please consult a qualified professional regarding your specific circumstances.

    If you are experiencing emotional distress, thoughts of self-harm, or a mental health crisis, call or text 988 in the United States and Canada to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If you are in immediate danger, call 911 or your local emergency services.

    Resources:

    • 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
    • NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)
    • Psychology Today Therapist Directory
    • Open Path Psychotherapy Collective


    Social Media Links:
    The Lemon Tree Coaching Podcast
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    Quietly Autistic at Last Podcast

    Teacher Resources (really, for anyone)
    The Lemon Tree by AKS
    Box Breathing
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    16 mins