Free Therapy with Ben & Kevin

Performance Anxiety and Feeling Like Less of a Man #7

Every guy is carrying a list of things he'd never say out loud. How often he's embarrassed in bed. What makes him feel like less of a man. The stuff he pretends to have figured out and absolutely doesn't. This week there's no therapist. Just Ben and Kevin. Their producer handed them the questions most men would lie about and dared them to answer honestly. They get into performance anxiety and the trap of staying stuck in your own head, the moment money makes you feel like less of a man, the version of yourself you've already mourned, and the gap between chasing status and feeling like enough. It turns out the more you say this stuff out loud, the less alone it makes you feel. If you spend way too much time in your head, this one's for you. New episodes every week. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and iHeart, watch on YouTube, and follow @freetherapy on Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

We Were Wrong About Happiness (here's what we learned) #6

You did everything you were supposed to do. The job, the friends, the life. So why does something still feel off? Happiness expert Dr. Danielle Taillieu explains why chasing happiness might be the exact thing keeping you from it. We get into the feelings you were never allowed to have, why you can be surrounded by people and still beat yourself up the second you're alone, the comparison trap that quietly wrecks you, and what the research actually says about a life well lived. If you've ever caught yourself asking why am I not happy, we think Danielle can help. New episodes every week. Follow on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts and on Instagram at @freetherapy. 1:02 - Why We Suppress Our Anger 4:48 - Why Happiness is Hard 7:57 - Research on Happiness 11:11 - Accept the Challenging Emotions 23:48 - How Comparison Destroys Happiness 29:33 - Will Love Make You Happy? See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Stop Letting Social Media Diagnose You (you're not broken) #5

This week we sit down with therapist Leah Miller to talk about the TikTok-ification of mental health and why it might be doing more harm than good. The pendulum has swung. Mental health is finally mainstream, which is great, except now everyone is self-diagnosing from 30-second videos and walking away convinced something is deeply wrong with them. We get into the words that are suddenly everywhere (narcissism, gaslighting, trauma dumping), what they actually mean clinically, and how they're being used in ways that are making people worse, not better. Leah explains the algorithm trap that turns one curious scroll into five days of doom content, the difference between being sad and being depressed, and why "asking for what you need" is not the same as being a narcissist. She also gets into the bigger idea underneath all of it: the human experience can't be captured in a soundbite. Most of what you think is wrong with you isn't a disorder. It's just being a person. If you've ever spiraled after a mental health TikTok and walked away convinced something was broken in you, this one's for you. Leah is one of those therapists who can take the most over-used buzzword on the internet and hand you back the actual meaning in a way that feels like a deep breath. 01:16 — Mental Health is Mainstream 03:50 — Stop Overdiagnosing Yourself 06:21 — The Algorithm Keeps You Spiraling 12:00 — Deconstructing Viral Mental Health Myths 16:38 — Your Quirks Aren’t Mental Illness 22:00 — You're Not Incurable. You're Human. 28:28 — "Trauma Dumping" is a Problematic Term 36:50 — Trauma: Big T vs. Little T 41:00 — What "Holding Space" Means See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

What Women Actually Want From Men (it's not what it used to be) #4

Most men are walking around with a totally wrong idea of what women actually want. Height, money, abs. Turns out the bar is somewhere else entirely. The rules have quietly shifted in a way a lot of guys haven't caught up to yet. This week we sit down with Dr. Sarah Oreck, a psychiatrist who treats mostly women and has a front row seat to what they're actually dealing with in dating, relationships, and life. We get into why "boyfriends are embarrassing" right now, what safety actually means to a woman, the type you swear is yours until you meet someone who isn't, and why doing the work on yourself beats finding someone to fill the hole. We also talk about the incel pipeline, what's broken about how guys connect with each other, and the one thing Sarah thinks would change more men's lives than any app, hack, or supplement. If you've ever felt like the dating world is rigged against you, or quietly suspected you might be getting in your own way, this one's for you. Sarah's the kind of voice you want in your corner. 0:00 — Sarah's honest take on men today 2:24 — The masculinity problem right now 6:17 — Are you confident or arrogant? 7:21 — Being strong and vulnerable at once 17:25 — Porn vs. intimacy explained 19:13 — What "feeling safe" really means 20:24 — Are boyfriends embarrassing right now? 24:43 — What if "your type" is wrong? 29:41 — Stop looking for your other half 33:49 — How to be vulnerable with friends See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Why Is Dating So Difficult (especially when you have your sh*t together) #3

Dating is hard. But when you have your life together, somehow, it gets harder. Therapist Dani Lewin explains why, and what to actually do about it. She gets into why dating gets more complicated the older and more established you become, what your checklist is actually telling you, and how to rethink what "settling" really means. We also talk about non-negotiables, the ick, and what women actually find emotionally attractive in men. If the relationship piece feels like the one thing you can't solve, we think Dani can help. New episodes every week. Follow on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts and on Instagram at @freetherapy. And as a reminder, we are not therapists, and while this may feel like therapy, it’s not. So if you’re struggling, please reach out to a mental health professional who can help. 0:00 – Why dating feels impossible 2:13 – Love is a merger, not a startup 5:10 – How to find your real non-negotiables 9:14 – The ick is actually about you 12:03 – The operating system you should break 19:44 – You're not settling, you're choosing 25:25 – Masculinity and strength relationships 33:28 – Should relationships feel ‘good’? 37:44 – Why you're addicted to highs and lows 41:36 – What Ben & Kevin need to work on See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.