Group Therapy Podcast

My guest in the boudoir today is not only hilarious, but a humanitarian! Maeve Strathey, a Toronto-based Fundraising Strategist – think charity meets Mad Men. When she’s not helping charities raise more money, she’s playing Mario Kart with friends, hanging with her nine nieces and nephews, or eating something delicious. And we are super thankful that she could be here to chat with me and therapist Annie Amirault to chat about gratitude. If you’re anything like me, your immigrant parents were always telling you to be grateful growing up. It’s hard not to feel grateful for what you have when all they came here with was like, 25 cents and a banana. But nowadays, gratefulness is a trend. People keep gratitude journals, go for gratitude walks, and are coached by motivational experts to give more gratitude to those that are in our lives to receive the benefits. But what are the benefits? And is there a right and wrong way to practice gratefulness? We’re going to get to the bottom of it on today’s episode.

My guest is episode is actor, writer, and stand-up comic Foad HP. HP, like the sauce. He has been featured on Just For Laughs, JFL42, CBC Radio’s Laugh Out Loud, SiriusXM, and he won the 2016 Toronto Comedy Brawl. He has also made guest appearances on Nikita and American Gods. Foad joined me to chat with therapist Ekta Hattangady about positivity. We hear so much about it in the media and there are countless motivational coaches out there spreading the gospel of positivity and abundance, but what does it really mean, and does it work? Can’t we just bitch from time to time? Well, we could pretty much talk about this topic all day, but Foad and I are going to scratch the surface on the pros and cons of positivity.

I caught up with straight girl/lesbian, best friend comedy duo Carlie and Doni for episode 8. Based in Los Angeles. They are regulars at The Improv and have a monthly show there called “Your Mom Says Hi!” which won a Global Accolade Award of Excellence and has been featured in festivals ITVFest and Out Web Fest. The girls have Headlined Universities and Comedy Clubs all over the country and their music video “Gangsta Waitress” features cameos by both Lily Tomlin and Richard Lewis. Carlie and Doni were voted best comedians in L.A. by Los Angeles Magazine as well as Hot Comics to watch by Campus Activities Magazine and I was so lucky to catch up with them with therapist Matthew Shima to chat about being fluid as fuck. That’s right, we’re talking about sexual orientation and how each of us has and continues to navigate the spectrum that is our sexuality - together, Carlie, Doni and I represent the spectrum and unveil some of the issues and hang ups that we’ve experienced coming into our own as straight, fluid and gay women.

Listen to this meditation for some solace when morons don't know when to put a lid on it.

Let's take a deep dive into anxiety, because we're all so afraid of it. But what is it? Who has it? Can you be anxious and not know it? How does it feel and what can you do about it? We'll get to the bottom of it. 

Ever been made a fool by someone that never deserved your attention in the first place? Made to feel like you were insane for reasons you were rightfully on edge about? Feeling like you have no idea what's going on and like your in the upside down? Us too. We've all been been played at one time or another in our lives. Comedian Amanda Brooke Perrin shares her experiences and therapist Matthew Shima talks us through it. 

May 2, 2019 We're talking about memes today. We spend so much time scrolling, sharing, and tagging but what are memes, and why and what do they really mean to us? Why are they so relevant today, what compels us to share these, and why those specific memes? We'll discuss by diving into the top liked memes from @fuckjerry's instagram feed from 2019.

The meditation for when you've had it up to HERE with getting angry about what's wrong with the world.  "Life moves fast. If you don't slow down and look around every once and a while - you might miss it." - Ferris Bueller 

Snowflakes have been targeted in the media increasingly over the past couple years, but what does it mean to be a snowflake, really? Who is a snowflake? Who has the right to call others snowflakes? Are there clear cut victims and bullies? How can we become better, more resilient humans on both sides of the aisle? Am I going to get cancelled after this podcast?! I GUESS WE'LL JUST SEE.

A little message to let you know we're still here, and still listening! Group Therapy Podcast is going to be back with new interviews, meditations, and more! The future is funny.

Award winning comedian Kate Barron shares her creative process and struggles with pesky impostor syndrome. We chat with Ekta Hattengady about this curious phenomenon that wreaks havoc on the self-esteem of high-achievers.  In this episode:  Balancing humility and confidence Sensitive Clit Energy vs. Big Dick Energy Understanding we are not alone Advertising and Self-Esteem The 3 Ego States and Our Imposter Lives "Climbing The Jungle Gym" Finding yourself again and again on your own path

Valentine's Day is on the horizon and this episode with Tenika Bennett, founder of Unattached and Unbothered, is all about loving ourselves. Whether your singing 'All By Myself' or 'Thank You, Next', you'll want to check out the insights we share with therapist Ekta Hattangady. In this episode:  - Single shaming - The art of doing things alone - Dealbreakers and 'being picky' - The gifts of being single AF and more!

A guided no BS meditation on how to calm the f*ck down when you want to punch your boss in the face.

Have you ever had a job that made you question your mental stability? Rhetorical question. Actor Ryan Turner (False East, The Handmaid's Tale, The Expanse) and I chat about the jobs we'd rather not be in, but can't seem to escape. In this episode:  - Why & how we get into soul sucking jobs - The best time to leave your soul sucking job - How to feed your inner strength - Jobs that can enable your big dream - Enduring rejection and staying the course - The importance of securing mentorship And more!

A calming meditation for when the men in your life just don't get it. 

We couldn’t have picked a better guest than Ellie Ashton, a Toronto based comedian, to chat our ear off about lady problems. There are a lot of them. Enough to warrant at least another 4873829 episodes to figure this stuff out. We’re not whinging about how hard we have it, though. We’re taking a look at why we think and act certain ways, and how we can empower ourselves to resiliently deal with what the world throws at us (pssst: it’s internalized sexism). In this episode: Men & Women in the Me Too era. Being a woman, and leader in the workplace. Handling perceptions and sexism in conversation and in the office. The wonderful world of feminine products, and the ‘female tax’. The importance of speaking up and using your voice, especially in sex.

Woo! First episode, check! And we are so unbelievably blessed that Brian Ward, co-host of the Food & Chair Magazine podcast, popped our damn cherry - so to speak. I chat with Brian, a super talented and supportive Toronto-based comedian, and therapist Ekta Hattangady about family expectations. You know, the thing that gives you heartburn before you even go home to your folks over the Holidays. There’s no TUMS for disappointing your mama and papa, but we go into ways we can handle the criticism and self-criticism we often feel in the presence of loved ones. In this episode: - External and internal expectations, not only career expectations, but for other aspects of attainment of security & the differences between our generation vs. our elders. - How we measure ourselves using standards that don’t belong to us. - Seeking validation from the ones we love, including our partners. - The fears our family have for us, and and why that fear exists.   - How the pressure can (sometimes) help propel you forwards. 

Funny people discussing real issues with an in-house therapist over cocktails. Host Arianne Tong invites comedians into her bedroom to slip into a kimono and chat about a specific topic related to mental health with one of her registered resident therapists.

Arianne Tong hosts Group Therapy, the podcast where she invites a comedian to talk with a therapist...in her bed. Kimono-clad, they process real like issues over casual cocktails.

Arianne Tong hosts Group Therapy, the podcast where she invites a comedian to talk with a therapist...in her bed. Kimono-clad, they process real like issues over casual cocktails. PREMIERES JANUARY 2019!!!