Sidekick Sessions: Recent Episodes
Adrian & Molly
Welcome to the couch! Join Molly and Adrian for some friend therapy and the pursuit of mental health. They get vulnerable about depression, anxiety, grief, parenting meltdowns, adulting, and other things that made them laugh/cry.
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We’re back with another episode where everything’s made up and the points do matter! This week, Molly & Adrian discuss some of our best sports & playground injuries, Molly’s webbed feet, who we’d pick for a celebrity golf tournament, and “how to have conversations 101.” We also expose some embarrassing moments, like Adrian being pantsed by high school girls, and Molly does some soul searching about whether or not she’s a bully. What cringeworthy memories live on a loop in your head? We hope ours will make you laugh (instead of making us cry)!!
This week Abby joins Adrian, Molly, and Molly’s new bucket hat on the couch for some spoooooky fun. We discuss our favorite costumes from years past, debate the best candy, and learn about how Halloween impacts city planning. Abby shares about the books her family wrote, and Molly & Adrian play a game to try to convince the Taylors to let us make their Netflix movie. Join us for some laughs and hear if Adrian will be pranking Molly after this episode!!
Adrian and Molly are back, and we’re still friends! This week we get into perfectionism and how it impacts our inner voices and the way we approach life. Adrian shares about the intricacies of the game of golf, and Molly remembers some of her significant basketball moments (real and from dreams). We also unpack what it’s like to be a youngest child and a late bloomer who hit puberty late. Is this a Malcolm Gladwell takedown podcast now?? We hope you’ll listen, laugh, and find out!
Welcome to Season 2: Delta Variant! After a long summer break, Molly and Adrian return to the couch to catch each other up on what we missed, like Molly hitting a deer, becoming a professional slackliner, and getting really into TikTok. We also share thoughts on episode 1 of Netflix’s Squid Game, trailblazing comedian Bobby Lee, and how people respond to different portrayals of Asians and Asian Americans in media. And of course we get into a bunch of random topics like throwing babies in pools, the various animals fighting for territory in our backyard, Adrian’s fear of dolls, and shutting down conversations with strangers (and dogs who are only okay at volleyball). We’re excited for our new season and hope you’ll join us for laughs along the way!
Adrian, Molly, Benita, and Abby are joined on the couch this week by our housemate & favorite history teacher, Marilyn! We explore the idea of a “Therapy Menu,” where your therapist gives you options for potential topics to dig into. Our menu suggestions include childhood trauma, attachment styles, boundaries, genograms, power & control, money, and more. What would you add?? Marilyn also shares about teachers’ mental health in COVID, and we discuss the experiences of people of color in therapy, including why white, mediocre therapists are sometimes okay (and why we hope they do better). And we share some stories about getting the second vaccine shot, gender reveal parties, and confetti gone wrong. Hope this episode makes you laugh and helps you on your own therapy journey!
This week Adrian, Abby and Benita come together on the couch talking about experiences of emotions. We talk about how we all experience (and possibly suppress) anger and sadness and learn the different types of tears that humans cry (#sadboisummer). We also touch on the science behind the benefits of crying and how it can aid in processing big emotions. Finally, Abby and Benita reflect on how women are often socialized into saying “sorry” more than needed and we discuss how to respond to over-apologizing in a way that is helpful.
Chase, a friend & former housemate, joins Molly, Adrian, and Abby on the couch! We discuss Bo Burnham’s new Netflix special ‘Inside’ and Chase’s foray into van life by converting a used ambulance. We explore the particularities of a white woman’s Instagram, the challenges of the creative process in isolation, repression & responding to unexpected setbacks, the evolution of the internet, how people of different generations are impacted by social media, the experience of dissociation, and small talk and the importance of meaningful conversations. Chase also shares his love for Shohei Ohtani, who is apparently the BTS of baseball.
Abby, Benita and Adrian return to the couch this week! We talk about name pronunciations and the temptation to accommodate mispronunciations. We discuss clips of Asian American celebrities Steven Yeun on Conan and Hasan Minhaj as he educated the world on the Ellen show.
Benita shares a few microaggressions (some macroaggressions) that she’s experienced as a woman of color living in Santa Cruz. We also circle back to the conversation about power dynamics between men and women from a few episodes ago and add more thoughts. Join us as we learn and GROW together!
Benita returns to the couch to help Adrian understand what’s the big deal with HSM & Hairspray heartthrob Zac Efron. We confess our childhood celebrity crushes and what posters we had in our bedrooms growing up. And we discuss why it’s okay for everybody to read YA fiction and why Americans are weird for eating peanut butter. There’s also a Growth (Groff) Corner this week where we argue for therapy participation trophies. Whether you see a therapist or you’re doing the work in some other way, hope this episode is laugh therapy for you this week.
On this week’s episode, Molly lets us into her grief process. We remember her dad Burr and what an awesome “cheerleader” he was. Molly shares about the disorientation of family illness, grief rituals, how to honor loved ones who’ve died, and advice for what (not) to do when a friend is grieving. Tbh, for an episode about death, it’s surprisingly fun.
Adrian also shares about his social anxiety dreams, Molly getting pictured in local magazines, Molly was her high school mascot, and we bond over our mutual love for 1992 Olympic champion Kristi Yamaguchi and comedian/sad man Mike Birbiglia.
This week is some major laugh therapy for us as we finally are joined by our friend Benita! We break down matchmaking reality TV shows like “Married at First Sight” and “Indian Matchmaking” and the culture of arranged marriages. We share sibling wedding stories and other weddings we’ve been late to. As usual, we also have a few BTS updates.
Molly, Adrian, and Abby discuss how we experience anxiety & depression and coping strategies we are learning. We discuss nicknames we’ve had, our beef consumption, emotional intelligence in children, how moments as kids have influenced our current mental health, focus toys for anxiety, the impact of telling boys to not cry, how we’re growfing in therapy, grounding techniques in moments of dissociation, and what our song should be.
On this episode, Sidekicks Molly and Adrian go on a conversation journey with a bunch of fun stops: meeting the actual donkey from Shrek, Ann Perkins and Leslie Knope, trying to focus during Zoom calls, differences in how men and women give compliments, the Bechdel test, paternal postpartum depression, attachment disorder, and barriers to starting therapy. And we officially introduce our third couch-member, the person behind our amazing laugh track! Join us for some laughter as we keep learning and growfing!
How can we talk to kids about Racism and Anti-Asian Violence? #StopAsianHate
Adrian and Molly discuss violence toward Asian Americans and how to talk to kids about race. This episode is a compilation of a couple conversations we’ve had over the past few weeks as we sit with the ongoing racial trauma and grief. As you join us on the couch, we hope this helps makes space for whatever you’re processing in this time.
They also discuss getting vaccines, getting hit on in lines, and the joy of little things the kids say/do.
Molly, Adrian, and Abby talk about weird/amazing things our bodies do, eating lots of fast food for pandemic holidays, pondering "What's the least washed parts of our bodies?" and processing emotionally intense dreams about death.
Adrian lives with all women so he has a lot to learn about menstrual cycles syncing, cramps, parenting through puberty, etc.
How do you grieve after losing a pet? How do you talk to kids as they process complex emotions of grief?
Molly and Adrian talk about grieving the death of pets and close family members. They discuss talking to children about grief and holding complex emotions. Adrian is having to level up his parenting which now includes grave digging for bunnies. Molly shares what she's learned through her own grief process.
How do you find a therapist that is a good fit for you? What are the challenges of starting therapy?
Sidekicks Molly, Adrian, and Abby discuss the challenge of starting therapy, "passing the vibe check," BTS, and failed weighted blankets.
Why is Friend Therapy essential to your mental health?
Sidekicks Molly and Adrian talk about their mental health journeys, the best friend tier debate, famous sidekicks, being like Donkey and Shrek, Ikea related parenting meltdowns, and why friend therapy is essential to your mental health.
Welcome to the couch! Join Molly and Adrian for friend therapy and the pursuit of mental health. They get vulnerable about depression, anxiety, grief, parenting meltdowns, adulting, and other things that made them laugh/cry.