Why do you cringe at things you said years ago?
Why do other people’s awkward moments make you physically recoil?

Cringing is a self-conscious emotion tied to shame, belonging, and internalised social rules. It’s your nervous system trying to protect you from rejection.

In Episode 21 I talk about:

• What cringing actually is from a psychological perspective
• Why you judge yourself so harshly for past behaviour
• Why you cringe at other people for being “too much” or "embarrassing"
• How conditional approval shapes your internal rulebook
• The shame loop: rumination, replaying, and self-punishment
• Why highly empathetic or hyper-vigilant people cringe more
• How to respond with curiosity instead of self-abandonment and judgement

Cringing doesn’t mean you’re cruel.
It means something inside you learned that being visible wasn’t safe.

This is honest, uncomfortable self-reflection. Sit with it.

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Hi, I'm Tash. Welcome to the Things We Say in Therapy Podcast!

This podcast is uncomfortable… on purpose.

Here, we talk about the honest truths. The thoughts you whisper in therapy but rarely say out loud. The patterns, the triggers, the relationships, the self-sabotage, all of it.

If you’re on a self-growth journey, curious about psychology, or just trying to understand yourself (and the people around you) a little better… you’re in the right place.

Some of these conversations might confront you. They might challenge you. They might even sting a little.

But discomfort isn’t a sign you’re doing it wrong, it’s often a sign you’re growing.

So I invite you to lean in. Stay curious. And be gentle with yourself along the way.

We release new episodes every Monday and Thursday, your double dose of self-reflection.

Let’s navigate it together.

See you there.

Tell us why you love the show!

Support the show

🎙️NEW EPISODES EVERY MONDAY AND THURSDAY!! Follow so that you don’t miss an episode!💚💛

I📖f you are struggling with your health, please don't go through it alone. View this: international mental health helpline directory

🌳Linktree: https://linktr.ee/thingswesayintherapy

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Most people don’t think of themselves as emotionally dismissive.

But if emotional conversations make you uncomfortable, overwhelming, or something you instinctively try to shut down, this episode will help you figure out why.

In Snack Size Deep Dive 9 of the Things We Say in Therapy Podcast, we explore emotional dismissiveness: what it actually looks like, why it happens, and how it’s often rooted in a low tolerance for emotional discomfort rather than a lack of care.

This episode covers:

• What emotionally dismissive behaviour looks like in everyday interactions
• Why minimising, fixing, joking, or changing the subject is often a defence mechanism
• How dismissiveness slowly damages emotional safety and connection
• The difference between being dismissive because you care vs being emotionally unsafe
• How to catch yourself in real time without shame or self-abandonment
• How to respond to other people’s emotions with validation instead of avoidance

Dismissing emotions doesn’t make you a bad person.
It’s usually something you learned to survive.

But awareness is what turns protection into connection.

If this episode feels uncomfortable, that’s not a problem, it’s information. Sit with it.

🎙️NEW EPISODES EVERY MONDAY AND THURSDAY!! Follow so that you don’t miss an episode!💚💛

I📖f you are struggling with your health, please don't go through it alone. View this: international mental health helpline directory

🌳Linktree: https://linktr.ee/thingswesayintherapy

📺YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thingswesayintherapypodcast?si=Q_9A2cnWL0ceLooM

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