What Your Therapist Really Thinks
A mental health podcast from Dreavita
Everyone Has ADHD Now — Or Do They? The Truth (with Bri Franklin)
This week we're joined by Bri Franklin, Licensed Mental Health Counselor and adult ADHD specialist, for one of our most personal episodes yet. Bri didn't always know she had ADHD — and neither did we. In this conversation we get into what ADHD actually is (and what it isn't), why so many high achievers go undiagnosed for years, and why the biggest barrier to living well with ADHD isn't a lack of strategies — it's shame. We talk about the "should" trap, what self-acceptance actually looks like in practice, and why ADHD isn't a deficit of attention but a different way of moving through the world. Plus — Katie may or may not have gotten an unofficial diagnosis by the end of this episode.
If you've ever felt like you're too much and not enough at the same time, this one's for you.
What It Really Takes to Become a Therapist (with Dr. Ashlei Petion)
What does it really take to become a therapist? Dr. Ashlei Petion — licensed professional counselor, counselor educator, and adjunct professor at the College of New Jersey — joins hosts Andrea Piazza and Katie Roletto to pull back the curtain on counselor education, mentorship, and burnout in the mental health field.
From volunteering on the National Suicide Hotline as an undergrad to earning a PhD in counselor education and supervision, Ashlei shares the parts of the journey grad school doesn't prepare you for: financial barriers, unpaid internships, the exploitative "associate" years, and why trauma counseling still isn't required to graduate. The conversation digs into how mentorship changes everything — especially for students from underrepresented communities — why so many counselors burn out before they fully arrive, and Ashlei's case for universal healthcare as a mental health issue. Plus a first look at her 2027 book on generational trauma and healing.
Follow Dr. Ashlei Petion on Instagram @drashleipetion and at drashleipetion.com.
Follow us on social media @dreavita, and start your mental health journey today at dreavita.com.
What You Inherited: Childhood PTSD, Family Trauma & Healing (with Darly Sebastian)
We're joined by Darly Sebastian — licensed professional counselor, life coach, and author of Echoes of a Ghost Child and Unbecoming — to talk about relationship trauma, childhood PTSD, emotional inheritance, and inner child healing. If you've ever wondered why you keep repeating the same patterns in love, work, or family — this one's for you.
Echos of a Ghost Child is available on Amazon
Follow us on social media @dreavita, and start your mental health journey today at dreavita.com.
The Many Parts of Being a Woman (with Holly Wigmore)
Therapist Holly Wigmore — a queer- and trans-affirming counselor and IFS-certified candidate practicing in Oregon and California — joins Andrea and Katie for a wide-ranging conversation on what it actually means to be a woman in the therapy room, as both patient and provider. They unpack intersectionality, why so many clients specifically seek out women therapists, the historical baggage of certain diagnoses, the quiet suffering of men under masculinity's weight, and how Internal Family Systems ("parts") work helps people hold their own multitudes. Plus a hard look at high-functioning anxiety — the kind that gets praised as competence — and Holly's parting line you'll want to write down: stop equating your worth with how much you can tolerate.
This is Your Brain... This is Your Brain on Social Media
We’re diving into one of the most complicated relationships we all have: social media and our mental health.
Joined by Therapist & Wellness Consultant Tamara Aquino, we explore how social media can both connect us and disconnect us—from ourselves, our emotions, and reality.
From the pressure to appear perfect to the addictive nature of scrolling, we unpack what’s actually happening in your brain when you open Instagram or TikTok—and why it’s so hard to stop.
We dive into the complicated (and slightly uncomfortable) relationship between AI and mental health.
Let’s be honest—people are already using tools like ChatGPT to process emotions, manage anxiety, and even replace therapy in some cases. But… is that actually helpful? Or are we heading into dangerous territory?
Joined by Dreavita leaders April Hishinuma and Jordan Wright, we explore the real impact of AI on mental health—from both the clinical and tech perspectives.
Plus: what therapists actually think when you tell them you’ve been talking to AI.
Whether you’re AI-curious, AI-dependent, or AI-skeptical—this episode will make you think twice about how (and why) you’re using it.
In this episode of What Your Therapist Really Thinks, we’re diving into a topic that most people avoid—but almost everyone struggles with: sex.
Joined by licensed mental health counselor and somatic sex therapy PhD candidate Cardelia Dischert, LMHC we unpack the real conversations happening behind the therapy door around intimacy, shame, and connection.
From the gaps in sex education to the emotional side of sexual wellness, this episode explores why so many people feel stuck—and what it actually takes to build a fulfilling, healthy relationship with your body and your partner.
In this first episode of What Does My Therapist Really Think? comedian Katie Roletto and licensed clinician Andrea Piazza pull back the curtain on what it’s actually like to work in mental health—and why the system so often feels like it’s failing everyone.
From therapist burnout to insurance chaos, to why clients are constantly forced to “start over,” Andrea shares what she’s seen from every level of the industry—and what inspired her to build something different with Dreavita.
This episode is your behind-the-scenes look at therapy—from both sides of the couch.
Ever wonder what it’s actually like on the other side of the therapy chair? In Dreavita’s mental health podcast, we talk with therapists and other mental health professionals about the real stuff - the wins, the struggles, and the moments that keep them going. From ADHD to anxiety to relationships, we explore what clinicians are experiencing so we can better understand how to support the people supporting all of us.