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Join hosts Laurel and Juniper as they share candid and semi-unhinged predictions about the mental health landscape (and beyond) in 2025.

From rejecting toxic wellness and healing narratives to embracing intersectional feminist rage, dIY Zine culture and public grieving, we share our what we say goodbye to our outs and welcome our ins.

Plus, we even get into some tips for reclaiming rest and identity in hustle culture, share childhood memories of being disagreeable, Juniper is introduced to ACOTAR and Laurel learns about Juniper's Debbie Downer alter ego.

You don't want to miss this hot and sour episode with a hint of salty goodness.

🎙️ Introduction and Meme of the Week (00:00 - 09:01)

📅 2025 Outs (09:02 - 19:17)

🔮 2025 Ins (19:17 - 27:26)

🧠 Mental Health Field Changes (27:26 - 36:16)

👥 Diversity in Mental Health (36:16 - 47:32)

🛌 Rest Revolution (47:32 - 58:14)

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Hey friends! In this quick update episode, Laurel drops in to share where she and Juniper are in the process of producing the gender exploratory therapy series (spoiler alert…it’s a lot more of an in-depth and lengthy process than we anticipated!), and lets everyone know about CMH’s winter break.

Don’t forget that our fundraiser for Advocates for Trans Equality is ongoing! See the links below to direct you straight to where you can purchase these merch items.

We hope you have the end to 2024 that you most need, and we will see you in the new year! ✨🪩🧠

Share your thoughts (and please be civil, hate speech will be deleted)!

All profits from our "Protect Trans Kids" Merch will go directly to Advocates for Trans Equailty

Please share your voice with us! We would love to hear from you!

Record a voice message here.
Send us a comment here.
Apply to be a guest on this podcast here.

Would you like to share your work with the Conscious Mental Health Community ? We offer both paid and free sponsorship opportunities. To apply click here.

Please share your voice with us! We would love to hear from you!

Record a voice message here.
Send us a comment here.
Apply to be a guest on this podcast here.

Would you like to share your work with the Conscious Mental Health Community ? We offer both paid and free sponsorship opportunities. To apply click here.

Send us a text

‼️Content warning for sensitive discussions regarding the LGBTQ community. ⚠️

What is Gender Exploratory Therapy, and why is it raising concern amongst therapists and LGBTQ+ advocates? In part 1 of our series, Juniper and Laurel, delve into Therapy First, the organization behind this controversial model. We examine its claims about "exploratory care", and gender-critical approaches, and discuss its implications for trans and gender-diverse communities.

🎙️ Introduction to Gender Exploratory Therapy (00:58 - 02:11)

📚 Interviews and Perspectives (04:12 - 05:12)

🧐 Exploration of Therapy First (05:12 - 09:23) (05:12 - 09:23)

⚖️ Understanding Gender Affirmative vs. Exploratory Therapy (09:23 - 18:38) (09:23 - 18:38)

🔄 The False Binary in Therapy Approaches (18:38 - 27:36) (18:38 - 27:36)

🚫 Discouragement of Transitioning (27:36 - 37:51) (27:36 - 37:51)

🛑 Conversion Therapy Discussion (37:51 - 47:57) (37:51 - 47:57)

📊 Research and Evidence (or lack thereof) in GET (47:57 - 56:06)

🌐 Conclusion (56:06 - 01:07:12)

Share your thoughts (and please be civil, hate speech will be deleted)!

All profits from our "Protect Trans Kids" Merch will go directly to Advocates for Trans Equailty

Please share your voice with us! We would love to hear from you!

Record a voice message here.
Send us a comment here.
Apply to be a guest on this podcast here.

Would you like to share your work with the Conscious Mental Health Community ? We offer both paid and free sponsorship opportunities. To apply click here.

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Gratitude is great—until it isn’t. 🦃

In this episode, we explore our complicated relationship with gratitude. From the pressure to “stay positive” during the holidays to the rise of forced gratitude culture, we unpack why it’s okay to feel everything all at once.

Random topics explored:

• Blamesgiving
• National Day of Mourning
• Critique of manufactured and forced gratitude
• Gratitude in the mental health field

Featuring a rant about the downfall of dystopian fashion in a rhinestone-filled apocalypse, an ode to bald eagles, a poetry-filled Mad Libs game, and some spicy takes on the gratitude journal phenomenon. Join Juniper and Laurel, discussing balanced gratitude and uncovering the holiday hype that leaves some people deflated.

Spoiler: You don’t have to write five things you’re thankful for every morning to live a meaningful life.

🎙️ Intro & Go-To Responses For Social Greetings (00:00 - 07:04)

🍂 Gratitude and Mental Health (07:04 - 19:41)

🧠 Balanced Gratitude Concept (19:42 - 32:03)

🎭 Mad Libs and Closing (32:03 - 39:22)

Please share your voice with us! We would love to hear from you!

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Would you like to share your work with the Conscious Mental Health Community ? We offer both paid and free sponsorship opportunities. To apply click here.

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From ‘dopamine fasting’ to ‘serotonin diets,’ the internet is full of neurotransmitter misinformation. Is the gut really your "second brain"? Can getting 5 minutes of sunlight "boost" your mood?

Biohacking promises a shortcut to wellness, but what’s the real deal? We bust common myths about neurotransmitters and brain health, shedding light on the science behind these claims. Tune in for a fun, fact-filled conversation with Juniper and Laurel, traveling into the brain and getting to know the "it" neurotransmitters, serotonin and dopamine.

🧠 Introduction to Neurotransmitters (00:00 - 10:30)
🔬 Debunking Neurotransmitter Myths (10:31 - 21:01)
🧪 Neurotransmitters and Mental Health (21:01 - 29:47)
🌞 Critique of Biohacking and Wellness Trends (29:48 - 40:00)

Please share your voice with us! We would love to hear from you!

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Hey everyone! It’s Juniper and Laurel bringing you another episode of After Billable Hours. In this episode, we dive into our memes of the week, share stories from our high school extracurriculars, and play a super fun (and delightfully nerdy) game of assigning famous psychology legends their perfect dishes for the ultimate ‘psychology family dinner.’ Get ready for unserious fun with a side of critical insights and a dash of Psych 101 vibes!

🎙️ Introduction and Context (00:01 - 02:12)

🏆 Highschool Extra Curricular (02:12 - 05:30)

😂 Meme of the Week (05:38 - 08:02)

🧠 Psychology Family Dinner Game (08:28 - 18:18)

🍽️ More Dinner Guests (18:18 - 29:05)

🎓 Final Dinner Guests and Wrap-up (29:05 - 44:46)

Please share your voice with us! We would love to hear from you!

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Ever read a therapist’s bio and thought, “What does ‘psychodynamic’ even mean?” Welcome to our first CMH Short, where we (allegedly) try to keep things brief. Juniper and Laurel, your friendly mental health educators, are here to give you the lowdown on therapy lingo. We tackle everything from ‘CBT’ to ‘parts work,’ and even the mysteriously vague ‘somatic’ approaches. We break down what these terms really mean and how they show up in therapy. Whether you’re a clinician realizing you might need to simplify your language or a client wondering what you’re getting into, this quick episode has your back.

🎙️ Introduction to CMH Short (00:01 - 05:00)

📚 Therapy Terms Explained (05:00 - 12:07)

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Mindfulness
• Somatic
• Parts work/Internal Family Systems
• Systemic

🧠 More Therapy Terms (12:07 - 23:25)

• Person-centered
• EMDR: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
• Psychodynamic
• Motivational Interviewing

🗣️ Therapist Phrases Discussion (23:25 - 29:53)

• Laurel and Juniper rate common therapist phrases on an annoyance scale
• Discuss potentially problematic or overused phrases in therapy
• Reflect on the importance of language in therapeutic settings

Please share your voice with us! We would love to hear from you!

Record a voice message here.
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Apply to be a guest on this podcast here.

Would you like to share your work with the Conscious Mental Health Community ? We offer both paid and free sponsorship opportunities. To apply click here.

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What do horror films and mental health have in common? In this Halloween episode of After Billable Hours, Juniper and Laurel dive into how the spooky tropes we love (or hate) actually mirror the mental health struggles we face in real life.

From intense grief (The Babadook) to that creeping sense of burnout (Scream), they talk about how watching scary movies can sometimes help us confront our own fears (or the horrors of every day life).

Even if you’re not a horror fan like Laurel, there’s plenty to explore here. Plus, meme of the week and some laughs to keep things light. Join them for a conversation full of laughter, insight, and a little existential dread—perfect for a spooky season (or any day of the year).

🎙️ Introduction and Personal Updates (00:01 - 10:46)
🎃 Horror Films and Mental Health (10:46 - 21:21)
👻 Horror Movie Tropes and Mental Health Metaphors (21:21 - 33:14)
🎭 Doppelgängers & Psychological Themes (33:14 - 44:07)
🧠 Therapeutic Aspects of Scary Movies and Conclusion (44:07 - 54:25)

Please share your voice with us! We would love to hear from you!

Record a voice message here.
Send us a comment here.
Apply to be a guest on this podcast here.

Would you like to share your work with the Conscious Mental Health Community ? We offer both paid and free sponsorship opportunities. To apply click here.