"How Do I Make These Thoughts Go Away?" Rethinking OCD and Phobias (with Meghan Cromie)

"How Do I Make These Thoughts Go Away?" Rethinking OCD and Phobias (with Meghan Cromie)

The first thing almost every new OCD client asks their therapist is "how do I make these thoughts go away?" — and according to therapist Meghan Cromie, that's the wrong question. Meghan, who specializes in OCD and phobias, joins hosts Andrea Piazza and Katie Roletto to demystify two of the most misunderstood corners of mental health. She breaks down what OCD really is (and why she calls it "the doubting disorder"), the difference between a fear and a clinical phobia, and the surprising subtypes most people have never heard of — including Pure O, where the compulsions happen entirely inside your head. She walks Katie through a real arachnophobia exposure hierarchy in real time, explains why emetophobia (fear of vomiting) can quietly mirror an eating disorder, and shares how her own journey through panic and agoraphobia shapes the way she works with clients today. Plus: how ERP (exposure and response prevention) actually works, why reassurance backfires, and Meghan's hot take that insight is overrated — you can't out-ruminate OCD. Follow Meghan on TikTok @megtherapy [https://www.tiktok.com/@megtherapy] and Instagram @stillmindspsychology [https://www.instagram.com/stillmindspsychology/]. Follow What Your Therapist Really Thinks @dreavita [https://www.instagram.com/dreavita/], and start your mental health journey today at dreavita.com [https://dreavita.com/].

Your Fandom Is Not a Disorder: The Case for Geek Therapy (With Geek Therapy)

This week we're joined by two clinicians from Geek Therapy — Halley Palmer, Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and founder of The Therapy Guild, and Jessie Duncan, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and trauma specialist — for a conversation that might just change the way you think about therapy altogether. Geek Therapy is the practice of using the media you actually love — video games, anime, comics, D&D, sci-fi — as a real therapeutic tool. And it works, because the research is clear: the most important factor in whether therapy is effective isn't the modality. It's the relationship. When your therapist gets your world, trust builds faster — and that's when the real work can begin. We talk about what a session actually looks like, how Jessie uses trauma containers inspired by client fandoms, why geek culture has always been a safe space for people figuring out who they are, and why your obsession with Naruto, Dragon Ball Z, or Law and Order SVU might be the exact thing that unlocks your healing. Also — yes, everyone's a geek. Halley said it and we're not taking it back. Follow Geek Therapy at @geektherapy [https://www.instagram.com/geektherapy/?hl=en] and learn more at geektherapy.org [https://geektherapy.org/]. Follow us on Instagram and YouTube Shorts @DreavitaDreamedia [https://www.youtube.com/@DreavitaDreamedia/shorts] and start your mental health journey at dreavita.com [https://dreavita.com/]

What's Wrong With This Kid? (You're Asking the Wrong Question) With Lauren Haaas

This week we're joined by Lauren Haas — licensed school counselor, PhD candidate, adoptee, and author — for a conversation that will completely change how you think about the kids in your life. Lauren pulls back the curtain on what it actually means to be a school counselor today — and spoiler: it has nothing to do with helping kids pick their classes. For many children, Lauren is the only mental health support they will ever have access to. We talk about what kids are really going through, why the question shouldn't be "what's wrong with this kid" but "what is this kid trying to tell us," and how bibliotherapy — the therapeutic use of books — is helping children feel seen in ways that no other intervention can. Lauren also opens up about her own journey as an adoptee, and how writing her children's book A Heart That Holds It All was just as healing for her as it is for the kids who read it. If you've ever felt unseen as a child — or you're raising one — this episode is for you. Pick up Lauren's book A Heart That Holds It All [https://www.amazon.com/Heart-That-Holds-All-Adoption/dp/B0F4KP3297] on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and follow her on Instagram @thecognitivecounselor. [https://www.instagram.com/thecognitivecounselor/] ollow us on Instagram @dreavita [https://www.instagram.com/dreavita/] and YouTube Shorts @DreavitaDreamedia [https://www.youtube.com/@DreavitaDreamedia/shorts] and start your mental health journey at dreavita.com [https://dreavita.com/]

Everyone Has ADHD Now — Or Do They? The Truth With Bri Franklin

This week we're joined by Bri Franklin, Licensed Mental Health Counselor and adult ADHD specialist, for one of our most personal episodes yet. Bri didn't always know she had ADHD — and neither did we. In this conversation we get into what ADHD actually is (and what it isn't), why so many high achievers go undiagnosed for years, and why the biggest barrier to living well with ADHD isn't a lack of strategies — it's shame. We talk about the "should" trap, what self-acceptance actually looks like in practice, and why ADHD isn't a deficit of attention but a different way of moving through the world. Plus — Katie may or may not have gotten an unofficial diagnosis by the end of this episode. If you've ever felt like you're too much and not enough at the same time, this one's for you. Follow us on Instagram @dreavita and start your mental health journey at dreavita.com

What It Really Takes to Become a Therapist (with Dr. Ashlei Petion)

What does it really take to become a therapist? Dr. Ashlei Petion — licensed professional counselor, counselor educator, and adjunct professor at the College of New Jersey — joins hosts Andrea Piazza and Katie Roletto to pull back the curtain on counselor education, mentorship, and burnout in the mental health field. From volunteering on the National Suicide Hotline as an undergrad to earning a PhD in counselor education and supervision, Ashlei shares the parts of the journey grad school doesn't prepare you for: financial barriers, unpaid internships, the exploitative "associate" years, and why trauma counseling still isn't required to graduate. The conversation digs into how mentorship changes everything — especially for students from underrepresented communities — why so many counselors burn out before they fully arrive, and Ashlei's case for universal healthcare as a mental health issue. Plus a first look at her 2027 book on generational trauma and healing. Follow Dr. Ashlei Petion on Instagram @drashleipetion [https://www.instagram.com/drashleipetion/] and at drashleipetion.com [https://www.drashleipetion.com/]. Follow us on social media @dreavita [https://www.instagram.com/dreavita/], and start your mental health journey today at dreavita.com [https://dreavita.com/].