Most people picture therapy as two people in chairs, facing each other, talking. That image captures something true, but it's only part of the story. Melissa and Susan are joined by Marissa Fike, a therapist at Grove who has built her practice around the idea that healing can arrive through many unexpected doors: a carefully blended cup of tea, a poem you didn't know you were ready to write, a walk through the woods with a card asking what grounds you. Marissa shares her path from English teacher to therapist, the ways she weaves mindfulness and experiential work into sessions, and her belief that the skills people practice in the therapy room are most powerful when they follow someone home.

Remember that listening to this podcast is not therapy. It might be therapeutic, but it isn't a replacement for good mental health treatment. We can help with getting you connected with a good therapist. Check out our website. Grove: A Healing Collective

The early days of parenthood are celebrated more than they are prepared for, and a lot of new parents end up in that season feeling like they're doing something wrong. In this conversation, Melissa and Susan dig into what postpartum mental health actually looks like: not just depression, but anxiety, anger, and intrusive thoughts that can feel alarming without being dangerous. They share their own experiences, talk about why fathers experience postpartum struggles far more than most people realize, and make the case for why connection might be the most important resource a new parent can find. If you've ever wondered whether what you were feeling was normal, or something worth bringing up with someone, this conversation is worth your time.

Remember that listening to this podcast is not therapy. It might be therapeutic, but it isn't a replacement for good mental health treatment. We can help with getting you connected with a good therapist. Check out our website. Grove: A Healing Collective

In this episode, Melissa and Susan explore a timely question: can AI actually replace therapy? They talk through the pros, the limits, and the real risks of using tools like ChatGPT for emotional support, self-reflection, and mental health questions. From boundaries and human connection to the danger of relying on AI in moments of crisis, this conversation looks at where AI can be helpful as a tool and where it falls short of real therapy.

Remember that listening to this podcast is not therapy. It might be therapeutic, but it isn’t a replacement for good mental health treatment. We can help with getting you connected with a good therapist. Check out our website.

Grove: A Healing Collective