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

Do you ever feel like you've lost touch with yourself?

Maybe you're overwhelmed by everyone else's needs, emotionally exhausted, or simply moving through the motions of daily life wondering why you don't feel like yourself anymore.

Welcome to From Both Sides of the Couch, a psychology and mindfulness podcast for women who want to reconnect with themselves and create lives that feel more grounded, intentional, and fulfilling.

I'm Dr. Laurie Bruce, a licensed clinical psychologist and mindfulness coach with more than 25 years of experience helping women navigate stress, anxiety, burnout, difficult relationships, perfectionism, life transitions, and the emotional challenges that come with caring for everyone but themselves.

Each week, we'll explore the psychology behind why we think, feel, and behave the way we do, while learning practical mindfulness skills that help you move from autopilot to greater awareness, self-trust, and emotional well-being. Together we'll talk about topics like:

Stress and anxiety
Burnout and emotional exhaustion
Mindfulness and self-awareness
Boundaries and people-pleasing
Relationships and communication
Perfectionism and self-compassion
Midlife transitions and personal growth
Emotional regulation and resilience

My goal isn't to help you become someone new.

It's to help you reconnect with the person you've always been beneath the responsibilities, expectations, and endless doing.

If you're ready to slow down, understand yourself more deeply, and begin living with greater intention, I'm so glad you're here.

Let's connect: www.drlauriebruce.com

🌿 Take the "How Connected Are You?" Quiz
Discover how connected you are to yourself and receive personalized insights to help you begin reconnecting with greater awareness and intention.
Take the quiz: https://drlauriebruce.com/quiz

🤍 Join My Free Community
Continue the conversation inside our free Skool community, where you'll find encouragement, practical resources, and a supportive group of women who are learning to live with greater presence, self-trust, and intention.
Join here: https://www.skool.com/resilient-and-restored-8441/about

✨ Ready to go deeper?
If you're looking for ongoing support and guided practices to help you reconnect with yourself and create a more intentional life, I'd love to welcome you into Resilient & Restored, my membership for women who are ready to move beyond simply getting through their days and begin living with greater purpose and peace.
Learn more: https://drlauriebruce.com/resilientandrestored

Do you ever feel like you've lost touch with yourself?

Maybe you're overwhelmed by everyone else's needs, emotionally exhausted, or simply moving through the motions of daily life wondering why you don't feel like yourself anymore.

Stress and anxiety
Burnout and emotional exhaustion
Mindfulness and self-awareness
Boundaries and people-pleasing
Relationships and communication
Perfectionism and self-compassion
Midlife transitions and personal growth
Emotional regulation and resilience

My goal isn't to help you become someone new.

It's to help you reconnect with the person you've always been beneath the responsibilities, expectations, and endless doing.

If you're ready to slow down, understand yourself more deeply, and begin living with greater intention, I'm so glad you're here.

Let's connect: www.drlauriebruce.com

Listen on:

Episodes

Mar 17, 2026

Episode 72: Emotional Boundaries

Mar 17, 2026

19 min

As a therapist, have you ever spent the day being fully present and caring deeply—yet something about the work you did feels heavier than it used to?

In today’s episode of From Both Sides Of The Couch, we dive into why therapists and coaches often experience burnout, emotional exhaustion, and overload when emotional boundaries with clients are not clearly established—and when we fail to recognize how much of others’ pain our nervous system may be trying to carry.

Join me, Dr. Laurie Bruce, as we explore therapist burnout, emotional boundaries, nervous system co-regulation, and emotional contagion. We’ll also highlight the importance of presence while understanding emotional over-identification and empathic distress, and learning to recognize the subtle patterns that can leave us feeling depleted.

Yes, it is possible to sit with profound pain without absorbing it. Notice your nervous system, and allow yourself the space to reset.

Listen as I talk about Emotional Boundaries in the latest episode of the From Both Sides Of The Couch podcast.

Enjoy this episode? Follow us on your favorite podcast platforms and leave a 5-star review!

Dr. Laurie Bruce is a clinical psychologist and mindfulness coach. She received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2000. Her expertise is in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which is a treatment that combines both traditional cognitive and behavioral strategies with Eastern Mindfulness practices. She is also a Certified Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapist and completed a year-long intensive training through the Integrative Psychiatry Institute. She’s passionate about the safe, legal, and ethical use of psychedelic medicines to help address trauma, mood, and anxiety disorders and for personal and spiritual development.

Follow her socials:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555258666969
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlauriebruce/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-bruce-psy-d-0201277/

Visit her website.
Website: https://www.drlauriebruce.com/

#TherapistBurnout #MentalHealthProfessionals #EmotionalBoundaries

Mar 10, 2026

Episode 71: How to Trust Yourself Again: Psychologist Explains Self-Trust & Intuition

Mar 10, 2026

23 min

Used to trust yourself—but after painful or negative experiences, find that you no longer do?
In this episode of From Both Sides Of The Couch, we’re exploring practical steps to rebuild self-trust, along with the key variables that foster trust in others—and, most importantly, within ourselves.
Join me, Dr. Laurie Bruce, as we define what self-trust truly means and explore how trust is shaped by predictability, reliability, emotional safety, benevolent intent, competence, and perhaps the most powerful element of all—repair after rupture.
This is your reminder that self-trust is built when our nervous system learns safety and consistency through repeated lived experiences.

Listen to this week’s episode of From Both Sides Of The Couch: How to Trust Yourself Again: Psychologist Explains Self-Trust & Intuition

Enjoy this episode? Follow us on your favorite podcast platforms and leave a 5-star review!

Dr. Laurie Bruce is a clinical psychologist and mindfulness coach. She received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2000. Her expertise is in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which is a treatment that combines both traditional cognitive and behavioral strategies with Eastern Mindfulness practices. She is also a Certified Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapist and completed a year-long intensive training through the Integrative Psychiatry Institute. She’s passionate about the safe, legal, and ethical use of psychedelic medicines to help address trauma, mood, and anxiety disorders and for personal and spiritual development.

Follow her socials:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555258666969
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlauriebruce/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-bruce-psy-d-0201277/

Visit her website.
Website: https://www.drlauriebruce.com/

#SelfTrust #EmotionalSafety #NervousSystemHealing

Mar 3, 2026

Episode 70: Overcontrolled vs Undercontrolled: How to Master Your Emotions

Mar 3, 2026

18 min

Hey friends! Do you keep blowing up in ways you later regret? Or do you pride yourself on being the calm one, yet quietly feel disconnected and alone? In today’s episode of From Both Sides Of The Couch, we explore how some people are chronically overcontrolled or undercontrolled, coping styles rooted in nervous system temperament and central to DBT and RO DBT.

Join me, Dr. Laurie Bruce, as we take a deeper look at Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Radically Open DBT, how early patterns and environment can reveal these temperaments, and the physical and emotional costs of living in undercontrol or overcontrol.

Neither style is right nor wrong. Both reflect the nervous system temperament we are born with. And strengthening our mindfulness skills can truly be a game-changer.

Know how to master your emotions, whether you’re overcontrolled or undercontrolled, here on the From Both Sides Of The Couch podcast.

Enjoy this episode? Follow us on your favorite podcast platforms and leave a 5-star review!

Dr. Laurie Bruce is a clinical psychologist and mindfulness coach. She received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2000. Her expertise is in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which is a treatment that combines both traditional cognitive and behavioral strategies with Eastern Mindfulness practices. She is also a Certified Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapist and completed a year-long intensive training through the Integrative Psychiatry Institute. She’s passionate about the safe, legal, and ethical use of psychedelic medicines to help address trauma, mood, and anxiety disorders and for personal and spiritual development.

Follow her socials:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555258666969
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlauriebruce/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-bruce-psy-d-0201277/

Visit her website.
Website: https://www.drlauriebruce.com/

#DBT #RadicallyOpenDBT #NervousSystemHealth

Feb 24, 2026

Episode 69: The Shame Spiral: How to Stop Negative Self-Talk & Build Self-Compassion

Feb 24, 2026

21 min

Have you ever felt like you’re too much, too sensitive, too emotional, too flawed, or even too broken? In this eye-opening episode, we explore the spiral of shame and how it can quietly distort the way we see ourselves, the people around us, and the world we move through. Together, we look at why shame takes such a deep hold and how self-compassion can begin to soften its grip.

As we walk through how to notice and interrupt negative self-talk, understand how self-criticism can evolve into chronic shame, and learn practical ways to foster self-compassion that supports healing and emotional safety.

You are not your shame story. It can be acknowledged, understood, and rewritten. And remember, shame thrives in silence and secrecy, but healing begins when we bring it into the light.

Listen to this week’s episode of From Both Sides Of The Couch: The Shame Spiral: How to Stop Negative Self-Talk & Build Self-Compassion

Enjoy this episode? Follow us on your favorite podcast platforms and leave a 5-star review!

Dr. Laurie Bruce is a clinical psychologist and mindfulness coach. She received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2000. Her expertise is in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which is a treatment that combines both traditional cognitive and behavioral strategies with Eastern Mindfulness practices. She is also a Certified Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapist and completed a year-long intensive training through the Integrative Psychiatry Institute. She’s passionate about the safe, legal, and ethical use of psychedelic medicines to help address trauma, mood, and anxiety disorders and for personal and spiritual development.

Follow her socials:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555258666969
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlauriebruce/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-bruce-psy-d-0201277/

Visit her website.
Website: https://www.drlauriebruce.com/

#selfcompassion #healingfromshame #emotionalwellbeing

Feb 17, 2026

Episode 68: Why ADHD and Anxiety Go Hand in Hand

Feb 17, 2026

16 min

Have you ever been in a situation where you try to calm down, but your thoughts just won’t slow down? In this episode of From Both Sides Of The Couch, we’re talking about why ADHD and anxiety often show up together, even though they can seem contradictory.

Join me, Dr. Laurie Bruce, as we unpack how the brain regulates, why so many people experience both ADHD and anxiety, and how understanding their connection can reduce shame, increase self-compassion, and support healthier coping.

An ADHD brain under stress is more vulnerable to anxiety. Over time, this shapes self-beliefs and keeps the nervous system in a state of hypervigilance. Calm doesn’t come from trying harder, but from responding with compassion.
Learn more about ADHD and anxiety in this week’s episode of From Both Sides Of The Couch.
Enjoy this episode? Follow us on your favorite podcast platforms and leave a 5-star review!

Dr. Laurie Bruce is a clinical psychologist and mindfulness coach. She received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2000. Her expertise is in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which is a treatment that combines both traditional cognitive and behavioral strategies with Eastern Mindfulness practices. She is also a Certified Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapist and completed a year-long intensive training through the Integrative Psychiatry Institute. She’s passionate about the safe, legal, and ethical use of psychedelic medicines to help address trauma, mood, and anxiety disorders and for personal and spiritual development.

Follow her socials:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555258666969
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlauriebruce/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-bruce-psy-d-0201277/

Visit her website.
Website: https://www.drlauriebruce.com/

#ADHDAwareness #AnxietySupport #NervousSystemRegulation

Feb 10, 2026

Episode 67: When Trust Breaks: Healing Betrayal Trauma from the Inside Out

Feb 10, 2026

25 min

Have you ever trusted someone deeply, only to have them become the person who hurt you the most?
In this episode of From Both Sides Of The Couch, we’re diving into betrayal trauma — the kind that makes you question your self-worth, your memory, and even your own judgment. We unpack what betrayal trauma really is, why it cuts so deeply, and what healing actually looks like.

Join me, Dr. Laurie Bruce, clinical psychologist and mindfulness coach, as we explore the research behind betrayal trauma, how it lives in the nervous system, and why it creates cognitive dissonance and attachment injury. We’ll also talk through common symptoms of betrayal trauma, science-backed ways to rebuild self-trust, and the truth about forgiveness.

Listen to this week’s episode of From Both Sides Of The Couch: Betrayal Trauma: When Trust Breaks Your Nervous System & How Real Healing Begins.

Enjoy this episode? Follow us and leave a 5-star review!

Dr. Laurie Bruce is a clinical psychologist and mindfulness coach. She received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2000. Her expertise is in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which is a treatment that combines both traditional cognitive and behavioral strategies with Eastern Mindfulness practices. She is also a Certified Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapist and completed a year-long intensive training through the Integrative Psychiatry Institute. She’s passionate about the safe, legal, and ethical use of psychedelic medicines to help address trauma, mood, and anxiety disorders and for personal and spiritual development.

Follow her socials:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555258666969
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlauriebruce/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-bruce-psy-d-0201277/

Visit her website.
Website: https://www.drlauriebruce.com/

#BetrayalTrauma #NervousSystemRegulation #TraumaRecovery

Jan 27, 2026

Episode 66: Nice vs Kind: How Setting Boundaries Is an Act of Love

Jan 27, 2026

20 min

Hey friends! Are you a nice person, or are you kind? In today’s episode of From Both Sides Of The Couch, we explore the important difference between the two and how learning to set boundaries can turn people-pleasing into personal power.

Join me, Dr. Laurie Bruce, as we talk honestly about why boundaries aren’t selfish or mean. They help regulate our nervous system and create a sense of safety, both for us and for others. When boundaries are unclear or missing, relationships often feel less secure rather than more loving.

The paradox is this: not holding boundaries doesn’t make relationships better; it actually makes them harder. Your worth doesn’t come from being needed. It comes from being whole.

Listen to this week’s episode of From Both Sides Of The Couch: Nice vs Kind: How Setting Boundaries Is An Act of Love.

Enjoy this episode? Follow us and leave a 5-star review!

Dr. Laurie Bruce is a clinical psychologist and mindfulness coach. She received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2000. Her expertise is in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which is a treatment that combines both traditional cognitive and behavioral strategies with Eastern Mindfulness practices. She is also a Certified Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapist and completed a year-long intensive training through the Integrative Psychiatry Institute. She’s passionate about the safe, legal, and ethical use of psychedelic medicines to help address trauma, mood, and anxiety disorders and for personal and spiritual development.

Follow her socials:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555258666969
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlauriebruce/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-bruce-psy-d-0201277/

Visit her website.
Website: https://www.drlauriebruce.com/

#EmotionalSafety #NervousSystemRegulation #HealthyRelationships

Jan 20, 2026

Episode 65: When Your Child Comes Out: How Parents Can Respond with Love and Support

Jan 20, 2026

33 min

Are you a parent whose child has shared that they are gay, lesbian, or trans?In today’s episode of From Both Sides Of The Couch, we talk about what it can feel like when a child comes out as LGBTQ and the things that can help or harm your relationship during this moment.

Join me, Dr. Laurie Bruce, as I share both clinical insight and my own personal experience as a mom to a trans son. We’ll walk through what LGBTQ means, explore the core elements of the Gender Unicorn, and talk about why moving away from rigid binaries matters. I’ll also share my own Gender Unicorn as part of the conversation.

Most importantly, this episode centers on safety. Our children need to know they are safe with us and that they can tell us their truth. Listening without judgment, allowing space for self-reflection, and validating their experience can make all the difference, for them and for us.

Watch this episode of From Both Sides Of The Couch: When Your Child Comes Out: How Parents Can Respond with Love and Support.

Enjoy this episode? Follow us on your favorite podcast platforms and leave a 5-star review!

Dr. Laurie Bruce is a clinical psychologist and mindfulness coach. She received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2000. Her expertise is in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which is a treatment that combines both traditional cognitive and behavioral strategies with Eastern Mindfulness practices. She is also a Certified Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapist and completed a year-long intensive training through the Integrative Psychiatry Institute. She’s passionate about the safe, legal, and ethical use of psychedelic medicines to help address trauma, mood, and anxiety disorders and for personal and spiritual development.

Follow her socials:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555258666969
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlauriebruce/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-bruce-psy-d-0201277/

Visit her website.
Website: https://www.drlauriebruce.com/

#ParentingLGBTQ #SupportingTransKids #LGBTQFamilies

Jan 13, 2026

Episode 64: Why Reassurance-Seeking Never Works And How to Calm an Anxious Attachment Nervous System

Jan 13, 2026

29 min

Why does reassurance never seem to last when you have an anxious attachment style?
Hey friends! Join me, Dr. Laurie Bruce, your psychologist and mindfulness coach. In today’s episode, we explore what happens in the brain when attachment wounds get triggered and why reassurance can feel helpful in the moment but fade so quickly.
Anxious attachment is not a character flaw. It’s the brain’s attempt to stay safe and connected. We’ll unpack how reassurance-seeking can turn into a cycle of negative reinforcement, and I’ll share five bottom-up strategies you can use to calm your nervous system and create more lasting regulation.

Healing isn’t about needing less reassurance from others. It’s about learning how to build your own internal sense of safety and stability.

Listen to this week’s episode of From Both Sides Of The Couch: Why Reassurance-Seeking Never Works And How to Calm an Anxious Attachment Nervous System.

Enjoy this episode? Follow us and leave a 5-star review!

Dr. Laurie Bruce is a clinical psychologist and mindfulness coach. She received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2000. Her expertise is in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which is a treatment that combines both traditional cognitive and behavioral strategies with Eastern Mindfulness practices. She is also a Certified Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapist and completed a year-long intensive training through the Integrative Psychiatry Institute. She’s passionate about the safe, legal, and ethical use of psychedelic medicines to help address trauma, mood, and anxiety disorders and for personal and spiritual development.

Follow her socials:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555258666969
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlauriebruce/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-bruce-psy-d-0201277/

Visit her website.
Website: https://www.drlauriebruce.com/

#AnxiousAttachment #AttachmentHealing #NervousSystemRegulation

Jan 6, 2026

Episode 63: Self-Compassion Explained: The Science, Mental Health Benefits & 4 Evidence-Based Tools

Jan 6, 2026

26 min

Hey friends! What evidence-based skills can help us change how we relate to ourselves when we’re hurting, struggling, or not at our best? In this episode, we’re diving into self-compassion, what the research actually says about it, and why it’s such a powerful foundation for mental health.

Join me, Dr. Laurie Bruce, as we walk through the 4 A’s you can start practicing today to strengthen your self-compassion muscle. We’ll also explore why self-compassion can feel so difficult, especially for caregivers, and how it’s different from self-confidence and self-esteem.

This isn’t about lowering your standards or letting yourself off the hook. It’s about replacing your inner critic with a wiser, kinder inner leader. Self-compassion supports healing, growth, and healthier relationships, and it begins right where you are.

Watch the full episode of From Both Sides Of The Couch: Self-Compassion Explained: The Science, Mental Health Benefits & 4 Evidence-Based Tools.Enjoy this episode? Follow us on Spotify and leave a 5-star review!
Dr. Laurie Bruce is a clinical psychologist and mindfulness coach. She received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2000. Her expertise is in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which is a treatment that combines both traditional cognitive and behavioral strategies with Eastern Mindfulness practices. She is also a Certified Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapist and completed a year-long intensive training through the Integrative Psychiatry Institute. She’s passionate about the safe, legal, and ethical use of psychedelic medicines to help address trauma, mood, and anxiety disorders and for personal and spiritual development.

Follow her socials:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555258666969
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlauriebruce/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-bruce-psy-d-0201277/

Visit her website.
Website: https://www.drlauriebruce.com/

#SelfCompassion #EvidenceBasedTherapy #EmotionalHealing