The Sync'd Self

Episode 15: The Place Where We Used to Stop

What if the place where you used to stop was never meant to be the ending? Last season, Episode 15 was where The Sync’d Self came to a close. This season, Episode 15 is only the middle, and that shift feels bigger than a number. Because life has places like that, too. The point where we usually shut down. The conversation we avoid. The dream we keep postponing. The moment we start to doubt ourselves and decide, “Maybe this just isn’t for me.” But sometimes growth looks like coming back to that same old edge and realizing something is different. You are still nervous, but you are not running. You are still unsure, but you are not quitting. You are still figuring it out, but you are still here. In this milestone solo episode, Jesse reflects on capacity, confidence, self-awareness, and what it means to move past the places that once felt like endings. This one is for anyone who has ever thought, “This is usually where I stop.” Maybe this time, it is not the ending. Maybe this is the middle of something bigger.

Episode 14: Some of This Was Never Yours with Katie La, MA, LPC-S

Some of what you’re carrying… may have never been yours to begin with. In this episode of The Sync’d Self, Jesse sits down with trauma therapist Katie La for a deeply honest conversation about grief, intergenerational trauma, and the quiet ways emotional weight can be carried across generations. Together, they explore the kinds of grief that don’t always look like grief. The survival patterns people grow up around. The pressure to stay strong even when something internally feels off. And what it’s like to begin recognizing that some of the things shaping you may have started long before you ever had the language for them. The conversation also touches on cultural expectations, family dynamics, identity, and the complicated reality of trying to understand your experiences without turning the people you love into villains. Jesse also opens up about the recent loss of his mother and how grief can show up in unexpected ways—sometimes loudly, sometimes quietly, and sometimes just sitting in the background of everyday life. This episode is for anyone who has ever felt emotionally exhausted, disconnected, or like they’ve been carrying something they couldn’t fully explain. A conversation about grief, trauma, healing, and learning to meet yourself with a little more understanding along the way.

Episode 13: Faking it...Or Figuring It Out? with Ghadir Saad, AMFT, APCC

You’re not faking it. It just feels like you are. There are moments where you’re doing everything right—showing up, putting in the work, moving forward—and still questioning if you actually belong. Quietly. In this episode, I sit down with therapist Ghadir Saad to talk about the reality of imposter syndrome—not just as a mindset, but as something shaped by the world we’re living in. The pressure to have it figured out. The comparison that comes with social media. The weight of expectations—especially for those carrying family, cultural, or first-generation experiences. This isn’t about “fixing” self-doubt. It’s about understanding why it shows up… and what it actually means when it does. Because maybe the problem isn’t that you don’t belong. Maybe you’re just in the middle of becoming someone new.

Episode 12: Grounded, but Still Unsure

What happens when you are trying to stay grounded, but still do not fully trust yourself? In this solo episode of The Sync’d Self, Jesse explores the quieter side of growth: the part that feels uncertain, unsteady, and often invisible to everyone else. This conversation reflects on the pressure to seem okay, the weight of self-doubt, and the very human experience of trying to stay connected to yourself when life does not feel fully clear. Grounded, but Still Unsure is a reminder that certainty is not the requirement for growth, healing, or becoming who you are. Sometimes the deepest kind of strength is not having all the answers, but continuing to show up honestly anyway. If you have been carrying doubt in private while trying to move through life with intention, this episode is for you.

Episode 11: Faith & Mental Health: The Space In Between with Fr. Brad Mills, SJ, LCSW

You didn’t lose your faith… you just didn’t have the words for what you were feeling. A lot of people are quietly carrying a tension they don’t talk about. They’re showing up. They’re functioning. They’re doing everything they’re supposed to do. But internally… something feels off. Because when they’re struggling, the question isn’t just “what am I feeling?” It becomes… “what does this say about me?” Does this mean my faith isn’t strong enough? Why hasn’t this gone away? Am I doing something wrong? In this episode, we explore the space where faith and mental health meet — and sometimes clash. I’m joined by Father Brad, a Catholic priest and licensed clinical social worker, whose perspective sits at that intersection. We talk about: Why so many people feel like they have to choose between belief and emotional honesty How shame can quietly shape identity The reality of spiritual bypassing Why some people distance themselves from faith And what it actually looks like to begin integrating both This isn’t about choosing sides. It’s about understanding that struggling doesn’t make you weak… and it doesn’t make your faith any less real. If you’ve ever felt caught between what you believe and what you feel — this conversation is for you.