In this raw and wide-ranging episode of Tell Me About Your Mother, Evan and Melissa explore what it means to be a therapist, parent, and human being—flawed, opinionated, and under pressure to perform. From setting boundaries on the soccer field to navigating adolescent risk-taking and drug use, the conversation covers the deep discomfort of losing control, the power of regulation, and the dangers of sanitized professionalism.

Topics include:

• Why regulating yourself is the most powerful parenting move
• The limits of behavioral control in adolescence
• The dark side of data, AI, and digital permanence
• Why therapists shouldn’t have to apologize for being human
• Self-diagnosis trends and the loss of clinical nuance

Whether you’re a clinician, a parent, or just someone trying not to lose it in public—this episode is your permission slip.

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Have any questions or insights about this episode? Reach out to us at contactus@tellmeaboutyourmother.run

In this fiery and insightful episode of Tell Me About Your Mother:

• Evan and Melissa respond to the backlash after their viral EMDR TikTok clip (24k+ views).
• They clarify what EMDR is actually doing in the brain—hint: it’s not magic or hypnosis.
• The hosts tackle common misunderstandings about working memory theory, bilateral stimulation, and exposure therapy.
• Evan shares a powerful campfire story involving a dysregulated parent and shame spirals.
• Melissa explores how trauma theory intersects with parenting, cultural expectations, and body image.
• Together, they reflect on the ethical tightrope therapists walk when navigating social situations with clinical awareness.

Whether you’re a therapist, client, or just trauma-curious—this episode blends science, snark, and soul in classic TMAYM fashion.

Support the show

Have any questions or insights about this episode? Reach out to us at contactus@tellmeaboutyourmother.run

In this episode, we dive into a fresh look at EMDR therapy and how new research reframes it as “working memory therapy.” We explore the cultural differences in how trauma and sexuality are discussed in clinical training, the challenges of certification in our field, and the ways client conversations about sex, cursing, and honesty become litmus tests for therapeutic trust. Along the way, we swap stories on therapy frustrations, parenting young adults, and how history and culture shape our work as clinicians.

• The hidden costs of certifications and ROI in therapy careers
• How Dutch researchers approach EMDR and trauma treatment differently
• Why EMDR might be better understood as “working memory therapy”
• Cultural contrasts: bluntness about sex/trauma in Dutch trainings vs U.S. squeamishness
• Therapy rapport: clients opening up about sex and cursing as signs of safety
• Parenting struggles: guiding a 20-year-old through clutter, college, and career choices
• Therapy frustrations: reflections clients resist, accountability, and ego defenses
• Books and history: Comanche Nation, whitewashed history, and cultural imperialism

Support the show

Have any questions or insights about this episode? Reach out to us at contactus@tellmeaboutyourmother.run