From Both Sides Of The Couch: Self-Awareness, Psychology & Mindfulness for Women

Ever said yes and immediately regretted it? This episode digs into why 'yes' can feel like part of who we are—people-pleasing, the fawn response, fear of disappointing—and offers one tiny, powerful practice: pause and say, “Let me think about it.”

Start small, be gentle with yourself, and remember boundaries are a practice, not proof you’re a bad person. Try the pause and see what you actually want.

Why is it so hard to rest, even when you know you’re exhausted?

For many high-achieving women, slowing down can feel surprisingly uncomfortable. You may finally have a moment to yourself, only to find your mind racing, your body feeling restless, or a nagging sense that you should be doing something more productive.

In this episode of From Both Sides of the Couch, we’re taking a closer look at the psychology and nervous...

About the Podcast

From Both Sides of the Couch is hosted by Dr. Laurie Bruce, a licensed clinical psychologist and mindfulness coach. Each week, Dr. Laurie blends psychological insight, mindfulness, and real-life conversations to help women cultivate greater self-awareness, strengthen self-trust, and create lives that feel more grounded, intentional, and fulfilling.

Embrace the Messy Start:

Today, I’m sharing a very real mome...

Have you ever looked at the life you built and wondered why you still do not feel like yourself?

In this solo episode of From Both Sides Of The Couch, I talk about the quiet, gradual ways women can lose connection with themselves while caring for everyone else, moving through responsibilities, and living on autopilot. This is not about needing to blow up your life or start over. It is about noticing the small ways you may have stop...

Hey friends! What if regret is not a sign that you are failing, but a signal pointing you back to what matters?

In today’s solo episode of From Both Sides Of The Couch, I am talking about the emotion of regret, the pressure of the no regret lifestyle, and why painful emotions often carry important information. I also share a personal update about the podcast returning to an audio-only format and what this decision has taught ...

Hey friends! Why does intimacy feel so hard when your nervous system does not feel safe?

In today’s episode of From Both Sides Of The Couch, I am joined by Vanessa Cushing, Licensed Professional Counselor and certified sex therapist, to talk about nervous system dysregulation, desire discrepancy, trauma, communication, and what sex therapy actually looks like in real clinical practice.

Join us as we unpack why desire can shut...

What happens when therapists become the people everyone else turns to, but their own support starts to disappear? 

In today’s episode of From Both Sides Of The Couch, I am joined by Lorain Moorehead, therapist, consultant, and host of The Self-Care Therapist podcast, to talk about why supervision, consultation, and therapy still matter after licensure.

Join us as we unpack the fine line between supervision, consultation,...

Hey friends! What happens when the life you expected no longer fits the person you are becoming?

In this episode of From Both Sides Of The Couch, I am joined by Dr. Elana Hoffman, licensed Clinical Psychologist, author, and host of Talk Relationship to Me, to talk about gray divorce and why more couples are starting over later in life. We get into what gray divorce means, why it may be increasing, the emotional grief that comes wi...

Hey friends! How do you heal and recover from a broken relationship? In today’s episode of From Both Sides Of The Couch, I am joined by The Therapist Brothers, Brannon and Tyler Patrick, both licensed clinicians, to explore the hidden trauma of betrayal and why infidelity can create such deep emotional wounds.

Join us as we unpack the deeper meaning of betrayal trauma, help you understand the experience of reality fragmentat...

Life transitions can leave you asking who you are when the old plan no longer fits.

In this episode of From Both Sides Of The Couch, I am with Yessi Sanchez, filmmaker, producer, and host of No Map Included, for a shared conversation about pivoting, identity, grief, uncertainty, and what it feels like when life no longer follows the path you expected.

We talk about Yessi’s decision to step away from acting, my own experience ...

Have you ever felt like you and your partner are speaking completely different languages?

In this episode of From Both Sides Of The Couch, I am with Keith Jordan, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and couples therapist with over 40 years in mental health, to talk about what actually breaks down communication in relationships and what it takes to repair it. We get into Gottman's Four Horsemen, Imago Relationship Therapy, the role of ...

Have you ever felt like your sense of worth was something you had to earn - and never quite got there?

In this episode of From Both Sides Of The Couch, I sit down with Dawna Daigneault, lead author of Understanding Self-Worth: A Guide to Worth Conscious Theory and Psychotherapeutic Practice, to explore what self-worth actually is and where it comes from. Together, we unpack the difference between lost self-worth and denied self-wo...

Hey friends! In this solo episode, we're closing out the three-part nervous system series with a deep dive into overthinking — what it really is, why you can't just stop it, and what actually helps.

Overthinking isn't a flaw or a discipline problem. It's your nervous system trying to solve for uncertainty and discomfort. This episode breaks down why that loop keeps going, why distraction alone isn't enough, and offers practi...

Hey friends! In this solo episode, we're continuing the three-part nervous system series with a deep dive into hypervigilance — what it really is, where it comes from, and what actually helps.

If your body won't relax even when everything is fine, if you're constantly scanning for what could go wrong, or if calm moments feel harder to trust than chaotic ones, this episode explains why that happens and offers five practical, b...

Hey friends! Have you ever found yourself functioning just fine on the outside, but something still feels off? In this episode, Dr. Laurie Bruce opens a three-part series on the nervous system, exploring why feeling safe is not the same as having a stable life, and what that difference means for how we feel day to day.

She walks through three subtle but common signs of nervous system dysregulation: hypervigilance, shutdown, and ov...

Hey friends! Today, I'm diving into a topic that touches so many of us in deeply personal ways: family estrangement between parents and their adult children.

I walk through six relationship patterns I see frequently in my clinical work that quietly erode family connection over time — from treating boundaries as rejection and using guilt as a communication tool, to refusing to acknowledge past mistakes and talking more than y...

Hey friends! Today, I am joined by Lydia Wasserbauer, a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, EMDR-trained therapist, and certified trauma professional, to explore the unique mental health challenges that athletes face — both during and after their competitive careers.

Lydia draws on 12 years as a competitive swimmer and her clinical expertise to unpack the pressures athletes carry that rarely make it into the conversati...

Do you love someone who’s struggling—and feel like nothing you do is working?

In today’s episode of From Both Sides Of The Couch, Dr. Laurie Bruce sits down with Gianna Yunker—a triple board certified family systems specialist, intervention professional, and person in long-term recovery—to explore what a modern, love-centered intervention actually looks like.

Together, they unpack why families get st...

Hey friends! Today, I am joined by Dr. April Tillery, a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist, to explore the perimenopausal and menopausal phases in women. We discuss the symptoms that can arise during perimenopause, how healthcare providers rule out underlying conditions, and the range of treatment options available to support patients.

Join us as we unpack the controversial WHI study, which led to widespread misunderstandin...