Dear Therapist: Two therapists are better than one

The Premise (from Apple Podcasts):

We bring you real stories of what it means to be human, straight to your ears. Sit in on the intimate sessions of renowned therapists and national advice columnists Lori Gottlieb and Guy Winch as they guide fellow travelers through the everyday and extraordinary challenges of life. Each week, Lori and Guy invite you to be a fly-on-the-wall and listen to their personal, raw, transformative sessions, where they share behind-the-scenes insights, offer actionable advice, and bring people back to find out what worked (or didn't)--and what we can all learn about ourselves through the lens of others.

Series or standalone:

Standalone

Begin listening to:

Any episode

Format:

Discussion/advice/fly-on-the-wall therapy

Host(s):

Therapists and columnists Lorie Gottlieb and Guy Winch

Sound/production quality:

Excellent

Rating/age suitability:

Older teen/adult

Approximate length of episodes:

60 minutes

Curricular ties:

n/a

Similar recommended pods:

How Did We Get Here?; Where Should We Begin?

Podcast Librarian’s Review:

Two therapists are always better than one, especially when they’re Lorie and Guy! You may already recognize Lorie Gottlieb as the author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, which is about her own experience of seeking therapy while continuing to be a therapist herself. Lorie and Guy tag team each episode, talking to a person about the issue that is troubling them at that moment. A lot of these are really deep, like a woman still trying to come to grips with her father’s suicide. Others have to do with problems in romantic or familial relationships. While most of the topics are more on the adult side, there’s a great one about a high schooler called Libby’s Self-Induced Stress. As with the other therapy pods featured so far this month (How Did We Get Here? & Where Should We Begin?), Dear Therapists invites listeners in the room as the therapists speak to the guest, just as they would in their own practice. They offer practical, actionable steps for how the guests can advocate for themselves or make changes that will improve the situation. Lorie and Guy are what make this podcast something really special because they have incredible chemistry. They bounce off of each other seamlessly, taking turns asking questions and giving input to the guest. It never feels like one or the other is dominating the conversation, and the flow of their work is truly spectacular. While I would assume that most of these guests are already in therapy regularly, this one-time session allows them to come away from the conversation with a new view and simple steps they can take to make a change. The show is on a break between seasons right now, so I suggest catching up on all the old episodes before it returns!