The Hardcore Therapist
Who is the Hardcore Therapist?
Episodes
287 episodes
The Hardcore Therapist 150- Joseph Thomas (There Were Wires)
Today I’m joined by Joseph Thomas of There Were Wires, a band that came out of Boston’s chaotic hardcore and post-hardcore world, making music that holds intensity, atmosphere, and a lot of emotional weight.There Were Wires are...
The Hardcore Therapist 149.5- Are You Co-Parenting or Asking Your New Marriage to Carry Your Old Family Conflict?
In this episode of The Hardcore Therapist, I’m talking about co-parenting after divorce, especially when a new marriage, stepchildren, former partners, guilt, resentment, and unresolved family conflict all become part of the same system....
The Hardcore Therapist 149- Scott Crawford (Salad Days, Creem, Something Better Change Documentaries)
Today I’m joined by Scott Crawford, a multi-talented filmmaker, musician, writer, and documentarian who directed Salad Days: A Decade of Punk in Washington, DC. A D.C. native who started the fanzine Metrozine as a teena...
The Hardcore Therapist 148.5- Are You Ready for Love or Just Ready to Be Chosen Again?
After divorce, readiness for love is not measured only by time it is measured by whether you can enter a relationship without performing, self-silencing, or falling in love with someone’s potential. I explore how to recognize genuine readine...
The Hardcore Therapist 148- Ryan Smith (Rain the Shining)
Today I’m joined by Ryan Smith, the musician behind Rain the Shining. Rain the Shining is Ryan’s Baltimore-based music project, blending guitar-driven indie rock with roots in hardcore and punk. His music carries that tension between reflection...
The Hardcore Therapist 147.5- For Lou Koller: When a Band Becomes Part of Your Story.
In this tribute episode, I reflect on the death of Lou Koller of Sick of It All and what it means when a band becomes woven into the story of your life. I share memories of seeing Sick of It All throughout several decades in Detroit and explore...
The Hardcore Therapist 147- Chris LaPointe (Wake of Humanity)
Today I’m joined by Chris LaPointe, vocalist of Wake of Humanity, a Washington state vegan straight edge hardcore band rooted in animal rights, environmental justice, human justice, and resistance.Wake of Humanity is part o...
The Hardcore Therapist 146.5- What do you do when you love your parents but feel deeply divided by their political beliefs?
In this episode, I talk about navigating political differences without abandoning your values, your emotional regulation, or your sense of self. I explore the difference between disagreement and dehumanization, how to set boundaries without ...
The Hardcore Therapist 146- Frank Bach (Monk LA)
Today on The Hardcore Therapist, I’m joined by Frank Bach, vocalist of the Los Angeles hardcore band Monk. Frank’s work sits at a really interesting intersection of hardcore music, mindfulness, creativity, and self-inquiry. Monk brings...
The Hardcore Therapist 145.5- Are You Communicating, or Are You Auditioning to Be Understood?
Are you communicating—or performing a perfectly polished version of yourself in hopes of being understood?In this episode, I explore how overexplaining can become a form of emotional begging, especially when fear of rejection, conflict, ...
The Hardcore Therapist 145- Creech (Rebelmatic and Creaturenomics)
Today’s guest on The Hardcore Therapist Podcast is Creech also known as Creature or Creaturenomics.He’s the lead vocalist and frontman for the NYC hardcore punk/funk band Rebelmatic, known for intense, growling vocals and high-e...
The Hardcore Therapist 144.5- Overexplaining Is a Form of Emotional Begging: How It Keeps You Trapped in Anxiety
In this episode, I’m talking about overexplaining as a form of emotional begging and how it can keep us trapped in a cycle of anxiety.I break down why we overexplain, how it connects to people-pleasing, attachment wounds, reass...
The Hardcore Therapist 144- Chris Wrenn (Bridge Nine, Sully's and Fenway Punk)
Today I’m joined by Chris Wrenn, founder of Bridge 9 Records and now author of his new book Fenway Punk.Chris has been a central figure in hardcore for decades helping shape the scene through Bridge 9 and building something that...
The Hardcore Therapist 143.5- Why do I miss someone who treated me badly?
In this episode of The Hardcore Therapist, I talk about why it can be so hard to let go of someone who hurt you, even when you know the relationship was not healthy.I explore how attachment, intermittent reinforcement, rejection...
The Hardcore Therapist 143- Mandy Morgan (Nadine Records, Berzerk, Calamity Jane)
Today’s guest on The Hardcore Therapist Podcast is Mandy Morgan.She’s the force behind Nadine Records and was also in the band Berzerk—coming up in a scene that didn’t always make space for women to take up that kind of energy.<...
The Hardcore Therapist 142.5- What’s the Link Between Mental Health and Procrastination?
Procrastination is not always laziness — it is often anxiety, overwhelm, perfectionism, depression, ADHD, shame, or nervous system dysregulation.In this episode of The Hardcore Therapist, I explore the connection between me...
The Hardcore Therapist 142- Todd Kowalski (Propagandhi)
Today’s guest is someone who has been shaping the sound—and the message—of punk and hardcore for decades. I’m joined by Todd Kowalski, bassist and vocalist of Propagandhi.If you know Propagandhi, you know this isn’t just music—...
The Hardcore Therapist 141.5- “Why do I keep ignoring red flags when I know better?”
In this discussion on The Hardcore Therapist, I dive into the painful reality of staying when our nervous system is already screaming that something is wrong. We explore the powerful forces ike intense chemistry, the pull of potential, the w...
The Hardcore Therapist 141- Kevin Salk (Punk Rock Photographer)
Today’s guest is someone who captured a moment in time that a lot of people talk about—but very few people actually saw the way he did.I’m joined by Kevin Salk, a photographer who documented the early Southern California hardcore scene i...
The Hardcore Therapist 140.5- How Do You Rebuild Trust With Yourself After Betrayal or Heartbreak?
After betrayal or heartbreak, the hardest part is not always trusting someone else again — t is learning how to trust yourself. In this episode, I explore how betrayal impacts the nervous system, self-worth, rumination, attachment wounds, ...
The Hardcore Therapist 140- Anthony Giannotti ( Victory Crown Barber Co.)
On this episde of The Hardcore Therapist, I’m joined by Anthony Giannotti, founder of Victory Crown Barber Co., and someone who has spent over a decade mastering his craft as a barber, entrepreneur, and educator.Anthony didn’t just step ...
The Hardcore Therapist 139.5- Looking Backward to Move Forward in Modern Dating
Are you exhausted by dating apps, endless swiping, ghosting, low-effort conversations, and starting over again and again? You might be experiencing dating burnout.In this episode of The Hardcore Therapist, I answers the question...
The Hardcore Therapist 139- Richard Blake (PhD, Psychology and Breathwork)
In this episode of The Hardcore Therapist, I sit down with Dr. Richard L. Blake to unpack what’s known as the treatment-prevalence paradox—the reality that even with increased access to therapy, self-help tools, and mental health aware...
The Hardcore Therapist 138.5- Are you dating the person in front of you or the potential of who you hope they could become?
In this episode of The Hardcore Therapist, I breaks down the dating trend of the “nanoship” — a tiny romantic connection that can start to take up way too much space in your nervous system. From almost-relationships to situationships, ...