Shrink Wrapped

If alcohol were invented today, there’s no way it would be legal. We’d take one look at the health risks, the accident stats, the domestic violence rates, the economic toll, and we’d be like, ‘Absolutely not, ban that immediately.’ But instead, it’s one of the most socially acceptable drugs in the world. We toast with it at weddings, sip it at funerals, and apparently need it to survive brunch.

At the end of the day, this episode is...

Burnout isn’t just about being overworked—it’s about being overwhelmed and under-resourced. It’s your brain hitting Control+Alt+Delete while your body throws up the “nope” sign. And let’s be honest, it’s become so normalized that half of us treat it like a personality trait.

So today, we’re going there. What burnout actually is, why it happens, and what to do when your inner battery isn’t just dead—it’s corroded and leaking sarcasm.

...

Ah yes, the classic motivational war cry: “You just need to want it more.” As if sheer desire alone can break generational trauma, cure chronic illness, override neurodivergence, or magically conjure up the time, money, and childcare you’d need to chase your goals. It’s the kind of advice that sounds deep until you actually think about it—and realize it’s basically just guilt wrapped in a Pinterest font. So today on Shrink Wrapped,...

On today’s episode, we’re digging into Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD for short) and no, it’s not just about being “emotional” or “dramatic” (but thanks, media, for that stereotype). You know the drill, we’ll break down the DSM criteria, which is just the official diagnostic checklist. Spoiler: it’s more than just being “difficult” to deal with. There’s actual science behind it, and I'm here to translate it into something...

At some point, we stopped finger-painting and started filing taxes, and honestly? I think that was a mistake. Remember when you used to lose hours making up dance routines, narrating Barbie soap operas, or building elaborate stick forts like you were training for a post-apocalyptic HGTV special? That wasn't wasted time- that was you, unfiltered. Before the productivity cult got you. Before your calendar looked like a game of Te...

You ever look back on the worst months of your life and realize they’re basically… missing? Like your brain just rage-quit mid-season and refused to film the episodes? That’s the thing about deep depression and trauma—they can turn your memory into a drunk intern who lost the filing cabinet, shredded half the files, and then went on vacation. Whole days vanish, conversations get replaced with static, and time turns into one long, b...

Communication is allegedly the thing that separates us from the animals—but let’s be honest, a lot of us are just highly verbal raccoons with unresolved issues and Wi-Fi. We say too much, say too little, say the wrong thing, or rehearse the perfect comeback in the shower six hours too late.

Today’s episode? We’re cutting through the noise. No fluff, no corporate team-building retreat energy—just real talk about how to say what you m...

Let’s be real—nobody teaches you how to actually do friendship past the age of 12. Like, yes, we learned to “share our toys” and “say sorry,” but nobody prepared us for the adult-level chaos of mismatched priorities, unspoken resentment, and the slow, silent fade of a once-daily texter into a quarterly “miss you!” emoji.

Friendship in adulthood? It's weird. Beautiful, but weird. Friendships are living, evolving relationships tha...

“Close your eyes and travel back in time to a memory you’ve forgotten—a moment when you felt a simple joy. What can you thank your past self for in that moment?”

Yes, we’re time traveling—but instead of fixing the timeline or warning yourself about that one haircut, we’re hunting for a soft, overlooked moment of joy. Something random. Something pure. Maybe it’s riding your bike with no hands, or eating popsicles on a curb, or laughi...

Welcome to today’s episode, where we’re adventuring into the wide, wild world of autism- because let’s face it, there’s a lot of misinformation out there. We’ll start with the DSM criteria, which is basically the official list of things that make up autism, and guess what, bestie: it’s not as cut-and-dry as some would like you to believe.

You can email questions in to Michelle@ONeilCounseling.com and I'm going to compile th...

Today we’re diving into the not-so-sexy science of habit-building: how to actually create routines that stick, why motivation is a fickle little gremlin, and what to do when your brain tries to self-sabotage because “change is hard and Netflix is easier.” Spoiler alert: it’s not about willpower—it’s about systems. And tiny wins. And maybe tricking your brain a little.

Email your questions to Michelle at Michelle@ONeilCounseling....

You ever open an old junk drawer and realize there’s a whole world in there you forgot existed? A tangle of chargers for phones you don’t own anymore, three pairs of scissors, and a mysterious key you’re scared to throw away. That’s what unpacking repressed sexuality feels like—except instead of electronics and craft supplies, it’s tangled-up desires, outdated shame, and parts of yourself you didn’t even know you’d shoved in the ba...

Let's talk about cycles- the emotional kind, not SoulCycle; though both can leave you breathless, questioning your life choices, and wondering why this feels familiar again. Whether it's dating emotionally unavailable people like it's your full-time job, people-pleasing your way into chronic resentment, or repeating the same dysfunctional family dynamics with the enthusiasm of a cursed heirloom, these patterns don't...

Welcome to today’s episode, where we’re tackling anxiety- because who doesn’t love that constant feeling of doom and worry, right? As always, we’ll start with the DSM criteria, which is our favorite official checklist, that defines anxiety. But let’s be real, you know it’s way more than a couple of bullet points on a page, and you know I'm going to break it down in a way that’s less “clinical speak” and more “what’s actually go...

“Reflect on a recent challenge or setback. Instead of focusing on the negative, find one aspect to be thankful for. Did it bring a hidden blessing? Teach you resilience? Help you discover an inner strength?”

In other words: we’re doing that annoying-but-actually-helpful thing where we look for the silver lining instead of just screaming into the void. (Don’t worry, screaming still has a place. But today, we reflect.)

Join us on t...

So… let’s talk about conflict. That fun little thing where you suddenly morph into a passive-aggressive cryptkeeper, your heart rate spikes over a minor disagreement, and somehow you’re in a full-blown existential crisis because someone looked at you the wrong way in a meeting.

Whether you're a chronic avoider who'd rather fake your own death than have a tough conversation, or you throw down like it's an emotional UFC ma...

Today’s episode is all about the absolute chaos gremlin that is your inner dialogue—and how your thoughts and words might be quietly running your life like a shady back-alley puppet master. You ever catch yourself thinking, “Ugh, I’m such an idiot,” just because you tripped over nothing or sent an email with one typo? Yeah, your brain's got jokes—and not the good kind.

But here’s the thing: thoughts aren’t facts, and that sarcas...

I'm putting a trigger warning at the top of this episode. There are light discussions of child abuse, sexual assault, and mental health trauma. If you can't handle hearing about those themes, I totally don't blame you, just skip this episode- no tea, no shade, no pink lemonade, I'll just catch you next week, babe.

Choosing not to let trauma rule your life doesn’t mean it didn’t wreck you in places you didn’t even...

Today we’re asking:

“What are three fears holding you back? And what’s one small action you can take to challenge each fear?”

Yep. We’re not just naming the monsters under the bed—we’re pulling them out into the daylight, giving them a little side-eye, and figuring out how to politely (but firmly) evict them. These fears can be anything from “everyone secretly hates me” to “I can’t ask for what I need because I will spontaneously com...