Your Therapist Needs Therapy

Jeremy is joined by one of his favorite collaborators, Emily Lapolice, to announce a retreat for May 14-16, 2027. Jeremy and Emily talk about their thought process in putting the retreat together, share some of their hopes for what might be accomplished in that weekend, and highlight some of the ideas for a safe, calm, trauma sensitive retreat that centers autonomy and community. 

To learn more about the retreat and sign up, head over to Rest & Return: A Weekend for Soft Landings

To learn more about Emily and her work, head over to iwtherapies.com or f...

This week Jeremy grapples with the paradox that everyone wants community but so few people actually do community well. Using some real life examples from his own lived experience, Jeremy highlights some of the common pitfalls of too many humans interacting with one another, and lays out some of the high points of communities that unfortunately still tend to fail at scale. We wrap this week’s episode looking forward to what changes we can focus on to support better communities in the future. 

As always, Jeremy has all his practice info at Wellness with Jer, and you...

This week Jeremy asks why is it so hard to do the things we actually want to do? He explores the gap between desire and capacity, and why exhaustion, perfectionism, and the lure of immediate gratification can make even the things we love feel like chores. Maybe the answer isn't more discipline, but less shame, less friction, and permission to do things badly simply because we enjoy them.

As always, Jeremy has all his practice info at Wellness with Jer, and you can find him on Instagram and YouTube. You can donate directly to support religious trauma...

This week Jeremy talks about the tiny tyrants who make everyday life miserable. From HOA presidents and angry customers to sports parents screaming at umpires, we unpacked why small amounts of power can bring out our worst impulses. We explore the psychology and social conditions that turn ordinary people into enforcers, and what it looks like to use the small amounts of power we all have to build community instead of hierarchy.

As always, Jeremy has all his practice info at Wellness with Jer, and you can find him on Instagram and YouTube. You can donate directly...

This week Jeremy pulls out some cork board and red string to connect all the ways in which late stage capitalism wants you to be burnt out. Jeremy talks about the extractive nature of late stage capitalism and how it creates and then profits from your exhaustion. While self care is always lovely and stress management is never a bad thing, Jeremy makes the case that no rest will ever truly cure burnout as long as capitalism is still the system we live under. Something something revolución.

As always, Jeremy has all his practice info at W...

This week Jeremy gets the chance to sit down with Dhyana Levey, a journalist who specializes in working with survivors of insular religious groups. Dhyana and Jeremy chat about the modern hype around cult documentaries, and the spaces where both (either?) the media and survivors can get the story wrong. Dhyana shares some tips about deciding when and how to share a survivor story with the media, and also has some pointers on where more caution is needed. 

Dhyana’s work can be found at undooblivion.org, and her former work in sharing stories of survivors is ava...

This week Jeremy channels his inner “world’s greatest detective” to be able to look at the overt evil we encounter in the modern world. We ponder on what it means that corruption no longer feels the need to hide itself, war crimes do not merit front page coverage, and the government is full of a cast of villains that would make a comic book writer blush. Jeremy also talks about the mental toll of living in a dystopia so absurd that it outpaces satire.

But hey! If you want to help cool people doing cool things, you ca...

This week Jeremy gets to chat with Packers fan extraordinaire and very funny human Tom Grossi. Tom shares his journey from being a teacher to a Packers podcaster to announcing a draft pick, and he highlights the incredible connections the internet can create. Jeremy and Tom talk about some of the ways that sports can be a wonderful community in spite of endless monetization, and Tom talks about some of the ways he takes care of his mental health during his insanely busy season. They also talk about AEW and pro wrestling, because they’re sickos who love Kenny Om...

This week Jeremy looks at how celebrity culture has convinced us that visibility is the same as wisdom, turning artists, athletes, and influencers into stand-ins for philosophers, political analysts, and moral authorities. Jeremy uses the recent example of Roger Waters of Pink Floyd fame rubbing elbows with Tucker Carlson as to why it’s a bad idea that our culture keeps outsourcing its thinking to famous people. We take a critical look at the cultural ideas that create a false sense of equivalency between excellence and expertise, and propose some mental parameters to protect our brain from its own wo...

This week Jeremy talks about one of his favorite topics: safety! Jeremy looks at what safety for our system actually looks and feels like, and how that is different from discomfort. Jeremy breaks down why working through being uncomfortable is part of healing, and how safety as a signal isn’t necessarily a sign to shut down. We also apply a critical historical lens on how therapy continues to rebrand social critiques into individual responsibilities, and how the profession as a whole needs to do better.

As always, Jeremy has all his practice info at Wellness with Je...

This week Jeremy looks at the algorithms we consume. Jeremy breaks down how these mindless math equations actively shape who we become by rewarding outrage, insecurity, and endless engagement over truth and connection. We touch on how the attention economy reinforces the same psychological patterns found in authoritarian systems, from identity formation to fear-based messaging, and why that's so profitable. Most importantly, we discuss how reclaiming our attention, building real community, and choosing what feeds our minds can become acts of resistance in a world designed to keep us scrolling. Alternate title for the episode was “They see me sc...

In this week’s episode, Jeremy explores how therapy speak terms like gaslighting, narcissist, attachment, and trauma have drifted from clinical concepts into everyday weapons, and why curiosity is more healing than diagnosis. Jeremy talks about how to recognize the difference between using psychological language to build understanding and using it to shut conversations down. Basically, diagnosis can be helpful, but also, stop diagnosing everyone and everything.

To support survivors of religious trauma you can donate at this link!

As always, Jeremy has all his practice info at Wellness with Jer, and you can find hi...

CW: Suicide

This week Jeremy sits in the complex emotions surrounding the recent death of Ryan Stollar. Jeremy looks at how we try to hold the tragedy of a loss simultaneous with anger at harm perpetrated, and how that gets even more complex with holding space for mental health and complex trauma. Jeremy talks about accountability mattering even for the dead as a way to protect the living, and highlights that mental health issues are not an excuse for doing harm. 

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This week famed podcaster and friendly neighborhood therapist Jeremy Schumacher talks about parasocial relationships. Jeremy explores why these relationships feel so real, when they can be helpful, and how they can slide into dependency, especially in religious, therapeutic, and influencer spaces. Along the way, we examine the continuum between connection and exploitation, and ask what ethical responsibility comes with influence.

To support survivors of religious trauma you can donate at this link!

As always, Jeremy has all his practice info at Wellness with Jer, and you can find him on Instagram and YouTube. You can...

This week Jeremy takes a look at what happens when therapeutic frameworks evolve from useful models into systems of certainty. Jeremy uses Internal Family Systems (IFS) founder Richard Schwartz (among others) as an example of how authority, insider language, and resistance to criticism can emerge in therapy communities just as they do in religious and ideological movements. Rather than asking whether a popular therapy modality is a bit culty, we ask the more important question of what happens when curiosity gives way to dogma, and how to respond when therapists begin acting more like prophets than practitioners.

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This week Jeremy talks about the dirty laundry involved in major sporting events, such as this year’s upcoming World Cup. We look at the terrible environmental impact that will make this the worst World Cup ever for pollution, the nightmarish public transportation situation in the US, and how three host countries actually is a pretty bad idea. And since Jeremy knows so little about soccer, he also uses examples from the NBA, NFL, and MLB to show how sports work as effective propaganda. 

To learn more about the upcoming retreat for religious trauma survivors head here, and...

This week Jeremy peels back a dark corner of the internet to look at how meme culture and edgelord attempts at irony contribute to mass violence. We look at the recent shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego where three victims died while the perpetrators posted livestream links and a manifesto full of in-group jokes and microwaved 4chan references to show they culturally belong to a group of online extremists. The absurd and vapid nature of this online culture doesn’t get much coverage in the media, but is a growing source of online radicalization.

As al...

This week Jeremy discusses some therapy business drama! Aetna and/or Alma are the worst and blaming each other for what is in effect a huge pay cut for a majority of therapists. Jeremy breaks down the comically evil way in which this pay cut will happen, who it all effects, and what therapists can do moving forward. He also rants about capitalism and therapists with bad business practices!

As always, Jeremy has all his practice info at Wellness with Jer, and you can find him on Instagram and YouTube. To show your love for the show...

One of Jeremy’s greatest adversaries is the topic today, as we’re doing a deconstruction of professionalism! Hooray! Jeremy takes a look at how the arbitrary and socially constructed meaning of a concept like professionalism serves to protect people in power, and perpetuates harm specifically against marginalized communities. We also question how far the charade of professionalism can go while modern leaders are woefully inept but at least dress nice. 

As always, Jeremy has all his practice info at Wellness with Jer, and you can find him on Instagram and YouTube. To show your love for the s...

This week Jeremy goes over the recently released ‘Mental Health Action Plan’ from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Jeremy breaks down what he likes about it, what he really doesn’t like about it, and questions why more mental health providers aren’t involved in the process. It’s a mixed bag for sure, but an educational trip hopefully to read boring government documents with a therapist’s lens. 

As always, Jeremy has all his practice info at Wellness with Jer, and you can find him on Instagram and YouTube. To show your love for the show you can...

When the news feels like a fever dream, it's easy to ask whether truth even matters anymore. This week we look at propaganda's long history through authoritarian regimes, dystopian fiction, and how this all affects our collective mental health. Spoiler: reality always wins. It just takes longer than we'd like. Can’t believe I forgot to mention that the literal book on propaganda was written by Freud’s nephew! I’m slipping. This nugget exists for the three people who read podcast show notes, I see you. 

As always, Jeremy has all his practice info at Wellness with Je...

This week Jeremy looks at two recent bible events in the public eye, Trump reading some choice scriptures in the Oval Office and Russell Brand failing to navigate the worn pages of his good book. Jeremy looks at the cynical nature of these events as both a grift and a source of identity protection, while comparing these performances to other “get out of jail free” attempts from past public figures. We critique how the bible exists to protect power, and wonder how long it will still be useful to throw the bible at PR problems. 

As always, Jerem...

Ugh. This week there’s drama to talk about. We’re talking about the recent online firestorm around TherapyJeff, whose response to CNN's reporting on a so-called "rape academy" website was not good. We’ll cover why the way he said it matters as much as what he was, with the best possible reading, trying to say. Before getting to the outcry, we slow down on the CNN story itself, including a closer look at that 62 million users claim and what media literacy on a topic this serious actually requires. It's a messy story with no clear good guys, and th...

Jeremy tries his hand at being an optimist this week! We take a look at a few possible futures and what role mental health might play. Jeremy questions if the profession is ready (and willing) to pivot into different models of care and call on the entire field of mental health to shift tactics to meet the moment, rather than react decades too late. You can decide how Jeremy fares at trying out this concept of hope. 

As always, Jeremy has all his practice info at Wellness with Jer, and you can find him on Instagram and Y...

This week Jeremy catches up on a sex scandal! And a viral moment from a pastor? But, both stories highlight different aspects of the control culture present both in this authoritarian regime and in high control religions. Jeremy discusses the sex scandal of Kristi Noem and her husband, along with the misogynistic ramblings of podcast pastors. It’s not great, but a microcosm of where we are as a country. Cheers to the crumble!

As always, Jeremy has all his practice info at Wellness with Jer, and you can find him on Instagram and YouTube. To show yo...

Jeremy gets to chat this week with extremely talented Mario Ismael Espinoza. Mario shares their journey from being a professional dancer to moving into social work, and blending body movement and mental health. Jeremy and Mario talk about some of the similarities and differences of dance and sports performance which also covers some of our thoughts on identity formation and transformation. We also chat about meaning-making and spirituality, not coming from a place of scarcity, but from authenticity and connection. 

To learn more about Mario and their work, head over to miespinoza.com or find their work w...

This week Jeremy is joined by the incredibly talented Sammy from Haram Doodles. Jeremy and Sammy are both Borgenicht Fellows and they chat about some of the similarities they experienced leaving high control religion. Sammy talks about her deconstruction from Islam and starting Haram Doodles as a way to practice joy in her art while creating a safe space for ExMuslims to connect. Sammy also talks about her work with Ex-Muslims International to end apostasy and blasphemy laws. 

To learn more about Sammy and her work, head over to haramdoodles.com or follow her on Instagram. Follow t...

This week Jeremy is joined by returning guest Tracy Keller, owner over at Firefly Counseling. Tracy was the guest on episode 81 and this week we check in on the very chill, very normal times we’ve lived through since then. Tracy and Jeremy talk about the importance of community building and collaboration, and Tracy shares info about her ongoing group with Dr Jamie Camphouse “Raising Little Humans” and introduces her new group starting soon, “Re-Parent Your Inner Child.” 

To learn more about Tracy and her work, head over to fireflycounselingmke.com and to stay up to date on events f...

This week Jeremy takes a look at people deconstructing their civic pride and offers the framework of religious deconstruction as a useful model for navigating the fallout. We look at the “American Dream,” “Manifest Destiny” and even “We’re #1” as mythology that has been shown false and what happens to identity when people begin to pull on the thread of American exceptionalism. We talk about identity, community, and critical thinking as important tools in building a healthier, more realistic worldview.

As always, Jeremy has all his practice info at Wellness with Jer, and you can find him on Instagram a...

This week Jeremy tackles the ongoing drama in the world of Polyvagal Theory in the therapy room and online. Jeremy explains why some theories have better scientific data than others, and why therapy as a whole needs to do a better job of holding onto scientific rigour to not lose our professional credibility. Of course, we add the nuance that science cannot be so rigid that it stops being helpful. Jeremy looks at the factors like insurance companies and academia (and capitalism, obvs) influencing what research looks like in the modern psychology world, and offers some hope for more...

This week Jeremy gets to talk about an upcoming symposium he is attending. Jeremy shares the conversation starter paper he wrote, “Questioning the Utility of Religion as Moral Arbiter” in all its nerdy social constructionist glory. Part 2 will be new learnings, great conversations, and hopefully not too much travel drama after the symposium wraps up. To learn more about the wonderful Taos Institute head over to taosinstitute.net to see upcoming events, workshops, or do some self-paced learning.

And if you’re over on the east coast and want to connect later this year, check out the upcomi...

This week Jeremy tackles the rising tide of anti-intellectualism, and tries to bring some nuance to the conversation of “expertise.” Is the Internet making us dumber? Not really. Is AI making us dumber? For sure! But the reality of tools is they often reflect the user, and we are left with the fact that the human brain is prone to erroneous shortcuts, and critical thinking is a skill that requires regular practice.

As always, Jeremy has all his practice info at Wellness with Jer, and you can find him on Instagram and YouTube. To show your love for...

This week Jeremy looks at America’s favorite pastime of staging a glossy reassurance ritual that the old prosperity myth is still alive! Three cheers for late stage capitalism celebrating itself! Corporate ads sell nostalgia, AI hype, and body shaming drugs, while the halftime show keeps breaking through with culture that actually feels real. The result is a hollow spectacle that owns the stage but can’t quite control the meaning, and the cracks in this gilded age are getting harder to hide.

As always, Jeremy has all his practice info at Wellness with Jer, and you can...

This episode examines why America repeatedly defends powerful men and institutions accused of sexual harm while claiming moral outrage about “protecting children.” From QAnon’s fantasy villains to Donald Trump’s continued political protection, from cultural call-outs like Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us to the church’s billion-dollar abuse coverups, the pattern is the same: accountability stops where power begins. The uncomfortable truth of America’s colonial mindset is that saving children has always been optional, protecting power is non-negotiable.

To learn more about the upcoming retreat check out Rest & Return: A Weekend for Soft Landings. Emily has been...

Authoritarian movements in the U.S. don’t appear out of nowhere, they inherit patterns. In this episode, Jeremy traces the American authoritarian family tree from Gerald L. K. Smith’s Christian Identity movement shaping modern Christian Nationalism, looking at Joseph McCarthy’s fear-based security politics, and finally moving to Paul Weyrich’s Moral Majority and the direct connection to the MAGA movement today. Same emotional manipulation, same dynamics, different generations.

As always, Jeremy has all his practice info at Wellness with Jer, and you can find him on Instagram and YouTube. To show your love for the show...

This week Jeremy is joined by therapist, writer, and occasional radio host Deana Bianco. Jeremy and Deana talk about her journey to becoming a mental health professional, the decline in journalism standards, and how music helps us through tough times. We wonder if the kids are or aren’t alright, and talk about the lack of shared reality making us all a little crazy. Deana talks the joys of going on long runs, hiking up the mountains, and the necessity of curating the right playlist. 

You can find more about Deana and her work at mountainascentcounseling.com, or...

This week Jeremy looks at how evangelical, Dobson-style parenting normalizes obedience, fear, and punishment which leads into pro-cop, pro-ICE “law and order” politics. What looks like a contradiction between “don’t tread on me” freedom rhetoric and support for violent state power is actually a coherent system where freedom is reserved for the obedient and force is used to manage everyone else. Jeremy also briefly goes on tangents regarding how the church promotes fragile masculinity and cognitive biases. F*ck ICE. ACAB. 

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This week Jeremy shares some insight on the ins-and-outs of New Year's resolutions. He looks at resolutions as a modern control ritual that turns exhaustion, seasonal biology, and systemic burnout into individual failings. Jeremy talks about how capitalism repackaged ritual rest into productivity theater and self-surveillance that reliably produces shame and repeat consumers. This episode dismantles the myth of the “fresh start” and highlights that real change comes from safety, support, and a systemic approach to creating lasting change.

As always, Jeremy has all his practice info at Wellness with Jer, and you can find him on Inst...

This week Jeremy looks at the process in which standup comedy has become a “neutral” on-ramp for culture-war ideology, shifting the Overton Window not through arguments, but through vibes, repetition, and algorithmic adjacency. We look at what gets framed as “reclaiming” language or pushing boundaries and how it actually functions as desensitization to train audiences to suppress empathy and mistake numbness for nuance. We also look at the billionaire buyout of our attention span and how their ownership of the entertainment industry is a purposeful goal of authoritarians and fascists everywhere. 

Struggling to set boundaries that protect your peac...

Lolz, obviously not. This week Jeremy takes a deeper look at the inevitable and terribly unsurprising turn of right wing media grifters and tech fascists to religion! Joe Rogan thinks AI is Jesus, and Peter Thiel thinks Greta Thunberg is the antichrist. So, we look at the general unwellness of their thought processes, as well as the remaining utility of religion as opium for the masses. It’s a good time!

Struggling to set boundaries with your local tech fascist? Finding yourself stuck in a burnout cycle fending off your weird uncle’s religious ideas? Join Jeremy for...