Ah, nostalgia…

What is it about this slippery little beastie that can simultaneously turn on all the good feels of reminiscing on the good ole’ days, while also making you compare your current self to your past self in a way that makes you want to crawl into a hole and never come out?

We are diving deep into the good, bad, and ugly of nostalgia in this episode— and a lot more!

In this episode of But For Real, we’re gabbing about:

• 01:18 - Val and Emerson’s post election reflections
• 05:10 - Tea & Crumpets - Hygge and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
• 11:00 - Step Into My Office - Tips for navigating seasonal mood shifts
• 16:45 - The DSM - The Psychology of Nostalgia
• 34:51 - Now That’s What I Call… OKAAAAY
• 36:22 - Em’s Pick: “Potential Breakup Song” by Aly & AJ
• 37:44 - Val’s Pick: “At Your Funeral” by Saves the Day
• 38:34 - Wait…What? - What’s the deal with Snapchat?
• 44:40 - Fire Dumpster Phoenix - Congressman Andy Kim won his race for a US Senate seat for NJ (first Korean-American to be elected to the US senate!) and a California mom’s reaction to passing the bar on the first try goes viral on TikTok

Resources + Stuff Mentioned in This Episode:

• Article explaining hygge
• Journal article from National Library of Medicine on “Is nostalgia a past or future-oriented experience?”
• Washington Post article on millennials being the “unluckiest generation”
• Potential Break Up Song by Aly & AJ
• At Your Funeral by Saves the Day
• Congressman Andy Kim won his race for a US Senate seat for NJ last week!
• A California mom shares her live reaction to passing the bar exam on the first try!

Connect with Us:

• Send a story or ask for advice: butforrealpod@gmail.com
• But For Real on IG: @butforrealpod
• Now That's What I Call... OKAAAAY Playlist
• The Gaia Center on IG: @thegaiacenter
• Val on IG: @valkaymartin
• The Gaia Center website: www.gaiacenter.co

DISCLAIMER: But For Real Podcast is not a substitute for individualized mental health treatment or healthcare. This podcast is solely for entertainment and educational purposes. If you are in crisis, please utilize crisis support services, such as the Crisis Text Line (Text START to 741741 in the US) or the 988

While this week’s episode is airing in a post-2024 election world, it was recorded prior to the election – so you’ll get to hear Val & Emerson’s thoughts + advice for their future selves…which is now advice for their current selves. 😵‍💫🤪

This episode runs the gamut from Dancing With The Stars & Bad Monkey, some of Emerson’s lore, whatever TF touching grass means, and our main event – navigating dating and attachment styles in the app era.

So, whether you’re looking for a good TV or music rec, want to reconnect with your own embarrassing middle school memories, or need help navigating the treacherous waters of dating apps, we’ve got you covered.

This episode covers:

• 01:20 - Val & Emerson’s pre-election thoughts + advice for their future selves
• 05:26 - Tea & Crumpets - Dancing With The Stars & Bad Monkey on Apple TV
• 10:39 - The Lore - Emerson’s self-proclaimed “very embarrassing and earnest story” of her first day of 6th grade
• 14:38 - The DSM - Attachment Styles in the App Era
• 44:07 - Now That’s What I Call…Okaaaay
• 46:04 - Emerson’s Pick: “doomsday” by Lizzy McAlpine
• 48:43 - Valerie’s Pick: “Control” by Poe
• 49:50 - Wait…What? – What does the slang phrase “touch grass” actually mean?
• 52:14 - Fire Dumpster Phoenix – The e-learning platform Flowdiary & UK researchers getting funding to create a vaccine that prevents ovarian cancer

Resources + Stuff Mentioned in This Episode:

• Bad Monkey on Apple TV
• Dancing With The Stars
• Doomsday by Lizzy McAlpine
• Control by Poe
• Flowdiary
• Funding has been awarded to researchers in the UK to create a vaccine that prevents ovarian cancer!

Connect with Us:

• Send a story or ask for advice: butforrealpod@gmail.com
• But For Real on IG: @butforrealpod
• Now That's What I Call... OKAAAAY Playlist
• The Gaia Center on IG: @thegaiacenter
• Val on IG: @valkaymartin
• The Gaia Center website: www.gaiacenter.co

DISCLAIMER: But For Real Podcast is not a substitute for individualized mental health treatment or healthcare. This podcast is solely for entertainment and educational purposes. If you are in crisis, please utilize crisis support services, such as the Crisis Text Line (Text START to 741741 in the US) or the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: (Call 988 in the US), or visit

You can’t watch more than 10 minutes of news these days without hearing some reference to AI (our bff, artificial intelligence)— and it’s popping up everywhere from celebrities and politics to music, shopping, and healthcare. In this ep, we’re breaking down the pros and cons, ethical considerations, and future directions of AI specifically within mental healthcare and therapy— and it is a JUICY one, y’all. And of course as always, we also get into a lot more!

This episode covers:

• 00:54 - Intro: Emerson seeing Chappel Roan and Val’s Texas Trip
• 03:46 - Tea & Crumpets: The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes and Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story on Netflix
• 08:11 - Step Into My Office: Navigating family estrangement when wanting to stay close to all members involved
• 13:36 - The Lore: Shea Wingate’s experiences with grief and learning to befriend the “grief monster”
• 20:16 - The DSM: AI & Mental Health – Advantages, Dangers, Ethical Considerations, and Future Directions
• 46:58 - Now That’s What I Call…Ooookay
• 48:16 - Val’s Pick: “Only Hope” by Mandy Moore
• 50:34 - Emerson’s Pick: “Be Careful With Yourself” by Julia Jacklin
• 52:34 - Wait…What: WTF is a kiki?!
• 54:30 - Fire Dumpster Phoenix: Cats ‘hired’ to motivate security guards in Philippines and Thailand becomes first Southeastern Asian country to legalize marriage equality!!

Resources + Stuff Mentioned in This Episode:

• Book: The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
• Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story on Netflix
• Shea Wingate – The Grief Girlie
• Woebot
• Wysa
• X2AI
• Headspace Care (formerly known as Ginger)
• Flamme
• 60 Minutes story
• Can AI Replace Therapists? A Psychiatrist Explains
• Fixing My Brain with Automated Therapy by Jacob Gellar
• Only Hope by Mandy Moore
• Be Careful With Yourself by Julia Jacklin
• Cats ‘hired’ to motivate security guards in Philippines
• Thailand becomes first Southeastern Asian country to legalize marriage equality!!

AI Journaling Apps:

• Rosebud