Therapy Isn’t Scary: Breaking Mental Health Myths with Dr. Bonnie Wims

🌟 Welcome to Season 11

We’re kicking off Season 11 with a powerful, heart-first conversation designed to help anyone who’s ever felt unsure about therapy or struggled to believe they deserve healing.

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Bonnie Wims, a New York City-based Counseling Psychologist and host of Therapy Deconstructed. Bonnie opens up about her mental health journey—growing up in a home marked by trauma, chasing success as a way to quiet fear, and eventually learning to sit with the voice in her head that said she wasn’t enough.

If you’ve ever wondered whether therapy can help, or if you’re the problem, this episode is a reminder: you are not broken, and you’re not alone.

We’re proud to be the 2024 People’s Choice Podcast Award Winner for Health and the 2024 Women In Podcasting Award Winner for Best Mental Health Podcast, with over 1 million downloads. We’re building a brave, compassionate community—one honest conversation at a time.

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🧠 Quote of the Episode

“You’re not broken. Life is hard, and things happen to you, but you deserve happiness and fulfillment just like anybody else.” — Dr. Bonnie Wims

👩‍⚕️ Meet Our Guest: Dr. Bonnie Wims

Dr. Bonnie Wims knows what it means to survive trauma while chasing success and wondering why it still doesn’t feel like enough. Raised in Colorado in an abusive home, she learned early to shrink herself to survive.

Even after earning a doctorate, moving to London, and starting a thriving private practice, she still wrestled with fear—until therapy helped her meet that fear with compassion instead of avoidance.

Now, Bonnie helps others do the same through her work and her podcast, Therapy Deconstructed. She’s on a mission to help you stop hiding and start healing.

Connect with Dr. Bonnie Wims:
Website: https://www.bonniewims.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wimsassociates/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drbonniewims/
Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therapydeconstructedpodcast/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drbonniewims/
Podcast: https://www.bonniewims.com/podcast/

🎧 Podcast Shoutout!

We love supporting fellow creators, especially when they’re as real and funny as Caitlin & Jenny of How to Be a Grownup!

This hilarious and heartfelt podcast helps moms laugh, learn, and survive the chaos of adulting.

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-be-a-grownup-a-humorous-guide-for-moms-with-ck-gk/id1600435714
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/18bYm4GWnS5JKiKcTqRQsT
Website: https://www.ckandgkpodcast.com/episodes

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Therapy is a safe space where you can finally be honest with yourself.
• That voice telling you you’re “too much” is often fear pretending to protect you.
• You don’t have to stay with the first therapist you meet—finding the right fit matters.

✅ Action Items

1. Track your self-talk — Begin noticing how you speak to yourself and ask: “Would I say this to someone I love?”
2. Take a small first step — Reach out to a therapist or call 988 if you’re in crisis.
3. Remember you have choices — If your current therapist isn’t a good fit, it’s okay to move on.

⏱️ Episode Highlights

00:00 – Meet Bonnie and welcome to Season 11 03:00 – Why fear keeps people out of therapy 08:00 – Bonnie’s childhood and internalizing pain 14:00 – Her first experiences with therapy as a client 22:00 – The power of “speed dating” your therapist 35:00 – How self-talk sh