American fertility rates continue to be at record lows as women increasingly opt out of bearing children. However, that doesn’t mean the social pressure to have a family has declined at the same rate. Savvy Psychologist explores the main reasons behind the choice to be childfree, plus 5 tips for how to come to your own decision.
Nov 19
Structural dissociation: Understanding your personality's survival parts
<p>539. Dissociation is a normal human experience, but when it's outside of normal limits, it can be dysregulating. In this episode, Dr. Monica Johnson and Alexandra Mejia look at the signs of structural dissociation, the importance of building a baseline of coping skills, and th ... Show More
27m 3s
Nov 12
How can you walk with grief instead of fighting it, with Hilary Bucell
<p>538. Loss is inevitable, but grief is our emotional response to what is gone. In this episode, Dr. Monica Johnson and psychotherapist Hilary Bucell look at the differences between grief and depression and discuss various forms of loss, including ambiguous loss (like dementia o ... Show More
30m 50s
Nov 5
Seasonal Affective Disorder: How to manage the winter blues
<p>537. You don't have to suffer through the winter months. In this episode, Dr. Monica Johnson looks at how to create a multi-faceted approach to wellness for SAD. She looks at the importance of regulating your sleep schedule, boosting natural light exposure, and using behaviora ... Show More
13m 23s
May 2024
Choosing to be child free, with Jennifer Watling Neal, PhD
A growing number of adults in the U.S. are choosing not to have children. Jenna Watling Neal, PhD, of Michigan State University, talks about her research that’s found 1 in 5 adults are child free, why people are choosing not to have kids, the stigma child-free adults face, whethe ... Show More
32m 52s
Nov 2023
317. Parenthood, Regrets, and Authenticity: A Conversation with Emmalee Bierly and Jennifer Chaiken of ShrinkChicks
<p>“When are you going to have kids?” is a question that many women are asked in their lives, sometimes by complete strangers. It’s just assumed that all women should want to have children. This week, Emmalee Bierly and Jennifer Chaiken, licensed marriage and family therapists an ... Show More
47m 16s
Apr 2023
So you don't want kids. How to build a child-free life
If you've decided not to have kids, your life will look different from what you might have seen growing up. Here's how to build your child-free life, with or without a long-term partner. We talk about finding community, planning for the future, making a financial plan and respond ... Show More
18m 38s
May 2024
Can I be childfree and still feel fulfilled? - with Laura Henshaw
<p>Whether it’s biological, circumstantial, financial, environmental, a result of trauma, or simply because you don’t want to, the reasons why people decide to be childfree are as diverse as the reasons why people decide to be parents. For many people, the decision to be childfre ... Show More
48m 57s
Jun 2021
The Societal Taboos of Child-Free Lives, Parental Regret and Eschewing Motherhood
A growing number of adults are choosing to not become parents, a lifestyle described as “child-free.” Yet many people, especially women, say they feel judged by their families, friends — and even their own doctors — when they vocalize not wanting children. By the same token, some ... Show More
55m 44s
Nov 2021
#21: Infertility: how one woman is raising awareness about reproductive health and how parenthood doesn’t look the same for everyone.
Infertility is a condition that affects both men and women, and even though 15% of couples worldwide experience infertility, it is considered a dirty little secret that no one is comfortable talking about. My guest Nathalie Carpenter describes it as a mental, emotional, and physi ... Show More
42m 16s