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The Reflective Mind Podcast

The Reflective Mind Podcast

By: Jennifer Reid MD
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 I'm Dr. Jennifer Reid, a board-certified psychiatrist, author and host of The Reflective Mind podcast. I have a passion for translating psychological research into practical wisdom people can use in their daily lives. I'm so glad you're here!

amindofherown.substack.comA Mind of Her Own Hygiene & Healthy Living Psychology Psychology & Mental Health
Episodes
  • The Hidden Trap of "Confidence Culture": Why Telling Women to "Believe in Yourself" Isn't Enough

    The Hidden Trap of "Confidence Culture": Why Telling Women to "Believe in Yourself" Isn't Enough
    Jun 3 2025
    In this eye-opening episode of the Reflective Mind Podcast, host Dr. Jennifer Reid sits down with two leading researchers who've uncovered a troubling trend in the messages women are receiving about confidence. Dr. Shani Orgad (London School of Economics) and Dr. Rosalind Gill (Goldsmiths University) discuss their recent book, Confidence Culture, and reveal how our culture's constant messaging to women about building confidence—from beauty brands hiring "confidence ambassadors" to workplace programs promising empowerment—may actually be making things worse. As Dr. Orgad explains, "Confidence culture really encourages women to see themselves as held back by a lack of self-confidence rather than by structural inequalities, by barriers that are social, cultural and by social injustices."What You'll Discover:* Why the proliferation of "love yourself" and "believe in yourself" messages represents both a culture and a cult* How confidence imperatives shift blame from structural inequalities to individual women* The stark differences between confidence messaging aimed at men versus women* Why vulnerability culture on platforms like LinkedIn creates new pressures for women* What a "climate of confidence" could look like as an alternativeThe Research: The authors analyzed hundreds of texts, advertisements, workplace guides, and social media campaigns to document how confidence messaging has become ubiquitous—and problematic. Their findings show that while men receive confidence coaching focused on "mastery" and "performance," women are told to work on deep psychological transformation, often framed as "acts of self-love."Why This MattersThis conversation offers a crucial reframe for anyone who's ever felt that despite all the "empowerment" messaging around them, something still feels off. Whether you're a woman navigating workplace dynamics, a parent concerned about messages your children receive, or simply someone interested in understanding how cultural narratives shape our lives, this episode provides both validation and a path forward.The answer isn't more confidence coaching—it's changing the conditions that undermine confidence in the first place.Key QuotesOn the Paradox of Confidence Culture:"Precisely at the time where precarity and inequality are really rife and on the rise... when women are being disproportionately affected and injured by all these societal ills and structural inequalities, at that very same time, they're encouraged to harness somehow their individual resources to survive with grit, with resilience, with confidence."— Dr. Shani OrgadOn the Core Problem:"Confidence culture encourages women to fix themselves rather than to fix the world."— Dr. Shani OrgadOn Gender Differences:"For men, working on becoming confident was framed as a concerted effort and often kind of a short-lived... confidence project complete. By contrast, for women, working on the self is often presented as an ongoing project... it's a never-ending, bottomless pit project."— Dr. Shani OrgadOn Moving Forward:"We don't think about this as just a personal responsibility to overcome, but we actually see it as socially produced, culturally produced, affecting us all... and we put our energy into working towards a society where everyone can feel confident."— Dr. Rosalind GillAbout the GuestsDr. Shani Orgad is Professor of Media and Communications at the London School of Economics and Political Science. She's the author of five books, including Heading Home: Motherhood, Work, and the Failed Promise of Equality.Dr. Rosalind Gill is Professor of Social and Cultural Analysis at Goldsmiths University of London. Her recent works include Gender in the Media, Mediated Intimacy, and Perfect: Feeling Judged on Social Media.Together, they co-authored Confidence Culture, a groundbreaking analysis of how modern society's confidence imperatives impact women and perpetuate inequality.Thanks for reading A Mind of Her Own and listening to The Reflective Mind Podcast! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.Dr. Reid on Instagram: @jenreidmd and LinkedInAlso check out Dr. Reid's regular contributions to Psychology Today: Think Like a Shrink.Seeking a mental health provider? Try Psychology TodayNational Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255Dial 988 for mental health crisis supportSAMHSA's National Helpline - 1-800-662-HELP (4357)-a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.Disclaimer:The views expressed on this podcast reflect those of the host and guests, and are not associated with any organization or academic site.The information and other content provided on this podcast or in any linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is the information a substitute for professional medical expertise or treatment. All content, ...
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    47 mins
  • "Cry When the Baby Cries" and Other Celebrations of Unhinged Mothering

    "Cry When the Baby Cries" and Other Celebrations of Unhinged Mothering
    May 21 2025
    In this deeply honest conversation, Dr. Jennifer Reid speaks with cartoonist and author, Becky Barnicoat, about her graphic memoir, Cry When the Baby Cries, inspired by a massively popular cartoon she created for The New Yorker. Together they explore the messy, beautiful, and often isolating experience of modern motherhood—from IVF struggles and miscarriage to postpartum transformations and the bittersweet joy of watching children grow and change.On Drawing Her Graphic Memoir"The drawings that I did sort of started to kind of suggest a kind of wild, maybe slightly unhinged mother home alone with her baby... maybe refusing to conform to social expectations, maybe not being able to conform, you know, because of tiredness, because of mental distress and isolation."IVF and Fertility Struggles"I struggled to confide in anyone for a long time. The only person that knew was my husband and I felt so alone... I think I started to become really quite depressed and the way that that manifested for me was that the world started to feel unsafe and quite hostile."The Shock of New Parenthood"It's just one of the most kind of beautiful but painful experiences available."Postpartum Bodies and Society's Expectations"Kids and like bodies that have given birth are not very welcome in society. And I think that's a real shame and it's to all of our detriment."Becky Barnicoat is a cartoonist and writer for The New Yorker, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Grazia, BuzzFeed and more. Before becoming a full-time cartoonist, she spent 10 years working as an editor and writer at The Guardian. She is the author of the graphic memoir Cry When the Baby Cries, a darkly funny account of her first years as a parent. She lives in the UK.Warning: episode mentions sexual assault and graphic images of childbirthThanks for reading A Mind of Her Own and listening to The Reflective Mind Podcast! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.Dr. Reid on Instagram: @jenreidmd and LinkedInAlso check out Dr. Reid's regular contributions to Psychology Today: Think Like a Shrink.Seeking a mental health provider? Try Psychology TodayNational Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255Dial 988 for mental health crisis supportSAMHSA's National Helpline - 1-800-662-HELP (4357)-a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.Disclaimer:The views expressed on this podcast reflect those of the host and guests, and are not associated with any organization or academic site.The information and other content provided on this podcast or in any linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is the information a substitute for professional medical expertise or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this website is for general information purposes only.If you or any other person has a medical concern, you should consult with your health care provider or seek other professional medical treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something that have read on this website, blog or in any linked materials. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or emergency services (911) immediately. You can also access the National Suicide Help Line at 1-800-273-8255 or call 988 for mental health emergencies. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amindofherown.substack.com
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    44 mins
  • "It's Wonderful AND It's Hard." Embracing the Beautiful Complexity of Motherhood

    "It's Wonderful AND It's Hard." Embracing the Beautiful Complexity of Motherhood
    Apr 16 2025
    "Mothering is a messy, interrupted experience." "It's not an 'or' situation…it's despairing AND it's light."In this introspective conversation, Dr. Jennifer Reid speaks with psychotherapist Dr. Margo Lowy about her book Maternal Ambivalence: The Loving Moments and Bitter Truths of Motherhood. Dr. Lowy shares insights from her research and personal experience on maternal ambivalence, which she describes as "the mother's ability to hold together all her feelings and not disregard the difficult ones."Key Points:* Personal Journey* Dr. Lowy shares her experience with three children born across a span of 17 years.* She describes becoming less rigid and more able to "flow" with motherhood over time.* Her experience with secondary infertility highlights additional complexities in maternal emotions.* "What I want to normalize is for mums to let them know that they're not alone. We all have these feelings."* The Danger of Idealized Motherhood* Society expects mothers to be "fully selfless, fully caring, and really virtually on tap for our children."* This impossible standard undermines mothers' humanity and authenticity.* Children have an "antenna" for when parents are being genuine versus hiding feelings.* Motherhood as a Series of Losses* Each milestone brings both happiness and grief as children grow.* "Actually, mothering is a series of losses. It's an experience of expansion and contraction."* A mother's job is paradoxically "to be able to be left" by her child.* Creating Support Systems* Dr. Lowy advocates for creating spaces where mothers can share feelings without judgment.* The importance of surrounding yourself with people "that give you energy and that were kind of on my side and weren't judgy."* Social support is crucial during challenging periods like infertility.Dr. Reid on Instagram: @jenreidmd and LinkedInAlso check out Dr. Reid's regular contributions to Psychology Today: Think Like a Shrink.Thank you for listening to The Reflective Mind Podcast! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.Seeking a mental health provider? Try Psychology TodayNational Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255Dial 988 for mental health crisis supportSAMHSA's National Helpline - 1-800-662-HELP (4357)-a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.Disclaimer:The views expressed on this podcast reflect those of the host and guests, and are not associated with any organization or academic site.The information and other content provided on this podcast or in any linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is the information a substitute for professional medical expertise or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this website is for general information purposes only.If you or any other person has a medical concern, you should consult with your health care provider or seek other professional medical treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something that have read on this website, blog or in any linked materials. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or emergency services (911) immediately. You can also access the National Suicide Help Line at 1-800-273-8255 or call 988 for mental health emergencies. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amindofherown.substack.com
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    34 mins
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