Introducing My Husband: From Behind the Scenes to Sharing the Mic

This episode marks a meaningful milestone for the podcast — the first episode of its second year, and the first with my husband, Ben, joining me on the microphone.

For the past year, he has been an essential part of this podcast behind the scenes. In this episode, he steps forward — not because he was pushed, but because the timing felt right.

We reflect on what it has meant to create this podcast over the last year, the different ways we’ve each participated in that process, and how sharing a voice is not the same as sharing readiness. This conversation is about honoring pace, consent, and the often-invisible labor that sustains meaningful work.

This is not a conversation about expertise or advice. It’s about relationship. About what it looks like when two people with different rhythms consciously co-create something that fits who they are — and who they are becoming.

In this episode, we explore:

• What one year of creating this podcast has taught us
• The value of behind-the-scenes support and invisible labor
• Why timing and consent matter in shared projects
• What shifted when it felt right to share the microphone
• How shared voice doesn’t require shared pace
• The intention for this next chapter of the podcast

This episode marks both a reflection and a beginning — a new chapter shaped by trust, choice, and the willingness to step forward together.

If you and your partner are ready to co-create the roadmap to the relationship of your dreams, join us for the next in-person "Getting the Love You Want" Weekend Couples Retreat!

For support in how to have deeper connections and better communication in the relationships that matter most in your life, follow the host, Trish Sanders on Instagram , Bluesky or LinkedIn.

Transcript

Welcome And Why This Matters

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Hello, and welcome to the When Depression is in your bed podcast. Today's episode is a little bit different and it's a very meaningful one for me. After a year of creating this podcast, I am joined today by my husband Ben, who has been behind the scenes supporting this podcast since the very beginning. Today's conversation is not about expertise or advice. It's about what it looks like when two very different people choose to consciously share a path and co-create a journey that truly makes sense for both of them. And I'm really grateful to share the microphone with him today. I'm your host, Trish Sanders, and this is my co-host today, Ben Sanders. And we are both delighted that you are here. Let's get started. So I cannot tell you how excited I am.

SPEAKER_00 0:42

Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_01 0:44

Welcome.

SPEAKER_00 0:45

I haven't seen you in a minute.

SPEAKER_01 0:47

What?

SPEAKER_00 0:47

I haven't seen you in a minute.

SPEAKER_01 0:49

What does that mean?

SPEAKER_00 0:50

Oh, you're saying welcome, like thank you for coming to our home.

SPEAKER_01 0:54

I mean welcome to the podcast.

SPEAKER_00 0:56

Oh, yeah, I'm very excited to be here.

SPEAKER_02 0:58

I have been wanting you to join me for a year, and I think it's been sort of the plan. Is that right? For you to join me? Do you feel the same way that it's been the plan from the beginning?

SPEAKER_00 1:07

From the beginning? One year? Uh yeah. I mean, I th I I kind of thought it would be like a couple months, but what's another 10 on top of a couple? But I mean, like you planned on co-hosting with me from when I started.

A Year In And Ben Joins

SPEAKER_02 1:17

Yeah, absolutely. You just thought it would take less than a year to get on there. Well, I that is actually what I want to talk about today. And since we have been talking about co-hosting this episode for a year, we've talked about many different possible topics. And we just completed the official 50-second episode, one official year on the podcast. We decided we really have to move forward on this co-hosting thing. And talking about it, it just made sense to kind of just have today be an introduction and see what it's been like for you being involved in the podcast because you've been editing and very involved and incredibly supportive since the beginning, since I came to you with this idea of like, hey, I'm gonna start a podcast. And right from the first moment, you're like, okay, that's what you want to do, then I totally support you, which was really awesome. So I want to cover today just what this past year has been like for you, since you have not been in front of the microphone all this time. But I do want to start out with a really deep gratitude for you because, like I said, when I first came to you with the idea to start a podcast, it really was something brand new for me. It wasn't something I'd been planning for a very long time. It was something that really just came to me in alignment with where I was, and it hit me like this is what I have to do next. And it felt so right and aligned for me. And coming to you with this idea, like, oh, we're gonna do this now. And you were just so receptive and open and supportive, and that's really how you most often are when I come to you with plans or ideas for plans, even if they seem a little bit, I don't know what they seem like to you wacky or bananas or.

SPEAKER_00 2:48

I got you. I I want you to live your uh fullest life, and I want to be part of that. So it means a lot to me to support you through that.

SPEAKER_02 2:55

Well, thank you so much for that, and thank you for being there. And on the technical side, thank you for being my my editor. I will mention that you do have a history and a background in audio engineering, which was a pretty sweet deal for me, I have to say.

SPEAKER_00 3:09

Yeah, it was a couple lifetimes ago, but yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:11

You're currently in IT, and we'll get to know more about you and what you do. Just I'll mention that for now because you have not in any way a therapy background, which I think is noteworthy as I as I introduce you.

SPEAKER_00 3:22

My therapy background is marrying a therapist.

SPEAKER_02 3:26

Yes. Yeah, that's that's your therapy background. And it's something that I say in my couples' workshops and even to couples that I'm working with that many, many moons ago I used to think that it was a real benefit to marry a therapist because you had 24-7 access to therapy. But then somewhere around our separation, I started to realize that that may not always be such a great thing.

SPEAKER_00 3:49

I mean, there's pros and cons to an IT person married to a therapist person.

SPEAKER_02 3:54

It actually is a very common combination. Actually, I meet a lot of therapists that their partner is an IT person. So yeah, so there's something there, but we can explore that perhaps maybe another time. Maybe we can find other therapist IT partners and talk to them and see what their relationship is like. Okay. So I prepared a few questions for us to go over today. If you have any questions for me, you're welcome to ask. Uh, I didn't tell you to prepare anything, but I just wanted to have a little bit of the guidance for our conversation today. Are you open to some questions?

SPEAKER_00 4:23

Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. Awesome. Are these an easy to hard questions or are these a mixed bag questions?

SPEAKER_02 4:30

They're just some exploration of what it's been like for you being involved in this podcast in a different way than I've been involved in the podcast for the past year.

SPEAKER_03 4:39

Okay.

Support, Editing, And Weekly Rhythm

SPEAKER_02 4:40

So my first question is what has it been like for you supporting the podcast for the whole past year and even really before, because there was set up an advance of our first recording and and our first trailer and all of that. So, what's it been like for you?

SPEAKER_00 4:52

I think there's a lot of excitement for me because I know that this is something you're super passionate about. So I've just been super excited to see the podcast coming together from your passion of you know, supporting from a therapist and a human level. I get a little bit um anxiety when we try to get the episodes happening every week, but it also feels like quite the accomplishment. So um I don't mind working, you know, to get this done on time because it's so easy to procrastinate on things, and then that can be uh a dangerous way to go because then it might not come out one week and then might not come out two weeks. So I'm very proud of you and us to make it happen weekly.

SPEAKER_02 5:29

Yes, I I have to say that that is something I deeply value about your commitment to supporting this because in theory, when I started the podcast, I had planned to have several episodes recorded so that I'd kind of have a little bank of episodes that we could release, and there was like a little buffer, but that is actually not what has happened so far. And we really are recording mostly the week that we're releasing an episode, and sometimes it's a real time crunch. But you have always supported me and prioritized in our schedule and worked with me to be able to get the podcast out, and that is something that I truly appreciate because I know that that is a reflection of how much you support what is important to me. So thank you for that.

SPEAKER_00 6:11

No problem with pleasure. I think the initial releases were a little more stressful because I wasn't in a routine. So uh I being an IT person, being in a routine sort of eases you into your editing head and it becomes less pressure and not a big deal.

SPEAKER_02 6:27

Yeah, I do think that we have found a routine. I I'd like to find a little bit more of a routine where we I can have a little bit of a buffer, but just a couple episodes.

SPEAKER_00 6:35

I mean, you the goals are great. So uh buffer goals.

SPEAKER_02 6:38

Yes, buffer goals. But it also has been kind of nice because when it's the holidays, I'm recording an episode about the holidays and what's happening that week. I don't have to plan in advance, like, oh, this episode will be released during this period of time, which has actually been really nice for me, recording it so much in alignment with real time. Um, that has been a real plus for me that I really enjoyed. I haven't had to plan, which sometimes in this capacity, even though I'm a planner in a lot of other ways, that has felt a little bit daunting to me.

SPEAKER_00 7:04

Well, I think it makes sense. Like if it's very current, it's fresher in your mind rather than trying to go back to something that happened far ago. Uh, how you remember it might be different than how you actually feel in the moment.

SPEAKER_02 7:16

Yes, I think that those are some of my favorite episodes when I talk about something that really just happened this week. That has been something, and I'm sure that I'll do more of it. I I hope that that's something that we'll do together, be able to talk about conflicts and challenges and areas of growth and special positive, sweet moments together that we can talk about in real time as well.

SPEAKER_00 7:34

Yeah, I mean, that certainly seems like an opportunity because you know, we could be holding on to it or just forget about it, and there's stuff to uncover, and maybe something that doesn't feel as heavy is something worth talking about.

SPEAKER_02 7:44

Yeah, I think that that makes a lot of sense.

SPEAKER_00 7:46

I mean, it gives a opportunity of maybe a deeper understanding or a connection that we wouldn't have otherwise.

SPEAKER_02 7:52

Yeah, and maybe a conversation that we wouldn't have otherwise. I think that we try to talk about things, but life can get busy, and sometimes conversations don't happen, even positive conversations like sharing a gratitude. I think I we try to share appreciations to each other, but certainly I can say that there's times when things happen that I don't say thank you.

SPEAKER_00 8:08

Oh, well, I'll take a showering of thank yous anytime. Or maybe we're just a little bit of annoyed with each other and we just don't feel like sharing in the moment. So we'll take this opportunity to do it here.

SPEAKER_02 8:16

Yeah, sometimes that happens. Maybe I'm annoyed sometimes, but but I think that life just He says sometimes. But I think that life gets busy. I think that that's like my number one.

SPEAKER_00 8:26

Yeah, I don't like to say that over and over again, but I mean there's a lot of validity to that.

SPEAKER_02 8:30

I think I'm in a place and I have been in a place of trying to redefine that and see my life as abundant and productive and conscious. Like I've been consciously choosing my schedule a lot more. And I think that that has been some area that I've grown a lot in, especially over the past year. The the structure of having to release a podcast every week has forced me to make changes in my my life schedule and it has helped me learn how to prioritize what really is important to me.

SPEAKER_00 8:55

Absolutely, I agree.

SPEAKER_02 8:56

So, in alignment with what we've already been talking about, that this was my idea that I came to you with, what has it been like for you to be adjacent or adjacent, as you would say, to a project that is so incredibly important to me that wasn't, you know, sort of in your vision at all, but has, I think, come to be a part of your vision. What has that experience been like for you?

Recording In Real Time

SPEAKER_00 9:19

I mean, I think anytime you're trying something new, you're a little bit skeptical or like tentative. I couldn't vision myself doing that. So, in the spirit of how we're very different in that way, I was sort of like going off the energy that you were having for it and the excitement behind it. So I was like, Oh yeah, let's let's do it. So, like, if you wanted to take on base jumping, I'd be like, I don't know if I would do bass jumping, but if that's something you're really interested in, too, uh, you know, I'll I'll support you through that. And you know, just getting acclimated and getting in the mindset of things, like over time. I hear your episodes and we work on your episodes together, and it sort of just became a part of our our lives. And I don't know, you get more comfortable with it and more rewarded about shared experiences and stories and goals or paths and questions and answers and exploration and trying to help and you know give a positive light that maybe others could benefit from.

SPEAKER_02 10:19

You mentioned in there that you could not have seen yourself doing something like this when I first brought it to you. And to be honest, I also did not really envision myself having a podcast until the day I was like, oh, I think this is the next thing I need to do with my life, but it was something that I came to me. What has shifted in you from not being able to see yourself as somebody who would be co-hosting a podcast to sitting here today talking into a microphone with me?

SPEAKER_00 10:45

Well, I think my always my first reaction is I always enjoyed being behind the scenes, either like in music. Uh, I play bass, so I'm not like the lead singer, just holding the groove down on the bass, or you know, engineering or you know, beyond the computer or the the console or in IT where you're just you know doing stuff that's not necessarily in the forefront. Maybe there's like a comfort in that, right? Like you're not the focal point, it's a vulnerability thing. So hearing you and your shares and our experiences and feeling more confident and sort of just knowing yourself that you can be yourself and you don't have to force anything. You kind of learn that in life, like to be yourself and feel confident yourself. And if it doesn't work out for others, then you know it's not the end of the world. So I think the shift really is just knowing myself better, and it's it's okay to be yourself, taking a chance. I mean, it could be if if I can help somebody through my words, then it's a beautiful thing.

SPEAKER_02 11:37

That's very much a part of my journey through this experience as well. For me, it's been not only through the podcast, but the podcast has been a huge part of me being able to really get in touch with who I am authentically and share that just transparently, like this is who I am, and the people who like it will connect with it, and the people who don't won't, and that's okay either way. And for me, it's been a real process of being more and more comfortable with making myself visible in a way that I think felt pretty scary to me at other parts in my life. And as I hear you talking about being behind the scenes, I think people who know us would assume that that's true of you, that you're more comfortable behind the scenes because of, you know, being an IT and being a basis, as you mentioned, and kind of those things. And they might not see that in me because I talk a lot and I seem to be more forward, although you could be very talkative in in situations as well. But I think compared to each other, it looks like I'm the more forward one and you're the more behind the scenes one. But as you said, it was interesting for me to hear because my actual experience of it has been very much one of feeling more comfortable behind the scenes and stretching into being literally in front of the mic. Um, and that's been a journey for me, and and it sounds like that's sort of a parallel for both of us.

From Behind The Scenes To Mic

SPEAKER_00 12:51

Yeah, I mean, I think we are definitely on a common ground there. When you keep on talking about that, I always think about what's behind me of the octopus and the turtle. And I think like we go into various stages about that. I don't know if everybody knows about the octopus and the turtle yet to great detail, but I turtle a lot and I octopus a lot. I don't think I'm just identified as one.

SPEAKER_02 13:10

Yeah, yeah. You know, it's actually it's it's funny. I have mentioned Imago certainly on the on the podcast from time to time, and I've been waiting for really two things to happen to talk about it more. One is that I've been waiting for Emily, who I run couples workshops with, of course, to come on and be a uh guest on the podcast because I thought that it would be more interesting to talk about Imago with somebody rather than me kind of just lecturing about it, which didn't seem as interesting. And two, I wanted to be able to have you here because I think to be able to dialogue with you, which dialoguing is the main intervention of Imago work, is much more interesting to listen to than again, sort of just like a lecture. And so I've been waiting for that to happen. So I I don't actually think that I've talked so specifically about the turtle and the octopus, but they are behind us and they're a big part of what I generally talk about. So we will talk more about that. And I also think a part of my journey has been discovering my duality around it as well, that I'm not just an octopus, that I have a lot of turtle tendencies as well. And over a decade of doing this work in Imago and coming into doing nervous system work, I also see a lot of similarity or parallels between the turtle and the octopus and the states of our nervous system, which I will definitely talk more about or I will talk more about on future episodes as well. And so thinking about this evolution, this personal evolution, this personal growth that you've been going through, is there anything that you needed internally, or was there something that you consciously thought or needed to do to prepare it? Because you mentioned you thought maybe we would co-host with me after a couple of months and it's been 12 months. Is there something that you needed or was helpful for you in making that shift?

SPEAKER_00 14:46

I think that not overthinking and not putting pressure on myself, which are tendencies that uh that I do on a regular basis with everything else in life, help me be here without questioning or not having the confidence to make this happen. Uh, I'm also like super excited over time because I like knew it was gonna happen. So I was like treating it like an exciting thing, like a vacation, like we're gonna go and do this, and it's sounds fun. I love spending time with you. I love talking to you. There was a delay and try not to beat myself up over a delay, but I always say better late than never. So I'm here.

SPEAKER_02 15:19

Yeah, I think it's really the perfect time. I have to tell you, I I don't remember like where we were, but I do remember the moment when I was like, So, what do you think about co-hosting with me? And I was kind of tentative because in my head I was like, Oh my gosh, it'd be so amazing. Ben and I did this together. But I know that I can sometimes be a driving or pushing force sometimes.

SPEAKER_00 15:38

I mean, absolutely. I know you have the best of intentions, but sometimes it just hits of oh, you gotta make this happen soon. You gotta do this, you gotta do this. And then I go into my turtle. Maybe you're a little bit more the octopus with that.

SPEAKER_03 15:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:50

But I know in my head that yes, it needs to happen. I think it just feels a little more urgency and maybe there's a little bit of pressure there, but I already had in my mind it was gonna happen. It just like when.

SPEAKER_02 16:00

Did you feel pressure when I because I tried to be gentle when I asked you, and I and you you said yes right away. You didn't say like, I don't know, we'll see. You know, it was kind of like, yeah, sure. Like, and I would because I remember that that's what I remember is actually me being shocked.

SPEAKER_00 16:15

I was like, he said yes. I like when you say you had to be gentle, like I don't know what that means. The opposite of that is you're doing this. Yeah, I like what is there an in-between? Like, what do you mean, gentle?

Octopus And Turtle Dynamics

SPEAKER_02 16:27

I think for me, my level of excitement, I have I have learned, or the story I tell myself at least over the course of their 21 years together. Well, two things. One, my level of excitement. I'm super excited. I'm like, oh my gosh, this is amazing! Like, let's do this. Like, you know, then I feel that that could be overwhelming or pressuring for you. And also I've noticed about myself that sometimes I say something as a statement that I don't mean like this is happening. It's really like, oh, I'm opening this discussion about this thing, but I'm not asking about it. So, like, just like when I said my excitement, like, let we're doing this, you know, I wouldn't mean like we're doing this, you're doing this with me, I'm ordering you or demanding you. But in my excitement, it could come out. This is happening, I've made the decision for us.

SPEAKER_00 17:11

Okay, so you're saying you were more conscious about your excitement?

SPEAKER_02 17:13

Yes, I I was I tried to be like, so what do you think?

SPEAKER_00 17:16

You know, even though my head I was like more like Tustin' Waters, okay.

SPEAKER_02 17:20

Yeah, yeah. In my head, I was like, oh my gosh, this would be amazing. Because I think that as for me, I'm a therapist, I'm a woman, I'm white, I'm in this monogamous heterosexual relationship with you for 20 plus years. I have a master's degree, all these things. I have a certain perspective and many other things, but I have a certain perspective that I see the world through. I have my eyes, my lens, and I think that your perspective is different than mine, of course, because we're two different people.

SPEAKER_00 17:50

Thousand percent.

SPEAKER_02 17:52

And the excitement of having a different perspective on the podcast, I think is just is invaluable. And so my excitement about that, I tried to, I don't know, like it doesn't feel right to say that I tried to like tampa down or something, but just when I presented it to you, I tried not to be overwhelming or pressuring.

SPEAKER_00 18:10

Uh yeah, I don't I don't remember it being overwhelming or pressuring. I think you were just very excited. And yeah, like I said, your your excitement gets contagious around here. So it's a beautiful thing.

SPEAKER_01 18:20

Hmm. That makes me so happy.

SPEAKER_02 18:23

That's so lovely. And what does it mean to you now to be joining here after a year of being very involved?

SPEAKER_00 18:29

Just Well, I mean, it feels kind of like there's a weight off my shoulders because I'm like, oh, when is it gonna happen? When is it gonna happen? When are we gonna make the time? When is it what what are we first gonna talk about? I said I didn't want to overthink it, but just stepping in. Like we didn't have this date and time, we just kind of figured it out and made it happen.

SPEAKER_03 18:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:45

And that's kind of you know, it's kind of refreshing, right? Like our year milestone was a big deal, and um let's make it happen. So you made it happen, and now this is the next step, and we're doing it together. So anytime we do something together and work as a team, it's successful, right? We have a a real opportunity.

SPEAKER_02 19:01

Yeah, I think so. In thinking about that idea of the octopus and the turtle, which, as I said, I'll go into more detail, but I think the reason I love the talking about octopus and turtle is that people tend to get it pretty quickly. And the octopus being all tentacles and you know, reaching, doing, being very active, having a lot of hands in a lot of different places, making, you know, things happen, making things move forward, that kind of energy. And then, of course, the turtle sort of being a little bit slower, maybe more likely to go in their shell, feel overwhelmed, and and kind of need to be protected in a certain way. I think that that's a very common relationship dynamic. And certainly in the Imago theory, we believe that it is. And I think that dynamic of someone being the striver or the pusher, and then the other person being on the receiving end of that is something that's pretty common. And sometimes it can be problematic. There could be arguments, it could be pressure, it could be overwhelming. It could feel like if the turtle's turtling and the octopus wants action, that that could be a letdown and a disappointment for the octopus. And if Then the turtle could feel like a disappointment, which is a pretty bad feeling on both sides, but also it could feel like too much to the turtle and and and I need a break or I need it to go slower. And so on one end of the spectrum, it could be pretty problematic. But on the other end of the spectrum, if you kind of are aware of some of those dynamics, people can make it work. And it could be something that I think is what we're demonstrating, that it could be an opportunity for growth, which is what I think I hear you saying that my excitement, which made me really happy to hear you say that my excitement can be contagious and can lead to opportunities for us. So for somebody who might be in that kind of dynamic in their relationship, and since you're in this particular example of us, uh maybe a little bit more of the turtle, is there advice that you could have for somebody who may experience, and this is probably will be talked about in much greater length in future episodes. But just for today, if someone's listening and they identify with being a turtle and their partner is maybe uh moving forward with some big energy, do you have any advice for your turtle friends or for an octopus who might be listening? Maybe you have some good octopus advice.

Boundaries, Follow-Ups, And Repair

SPEAKER_00 21:06

I mean, that's like a billion-dollar question, right? That's a whole industry. I think from my experience and our our relationship, I think there's we've kind of allowed each other to have their own space when they need it, to say, like, I need a minute.

SPEAKER_01 21:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:22

I mean, that's a hard thing in the moment when things are super octopus or super turtle when to you make have that boundary or that respect for the other person because you're so anxious or you're so excited or wanna make something happen, but the other person isn't ready for that. I think there's a boundary, like respecting each other's boundary. But that's like step one, right? So the the follow-up is the biggest thing because it needs to be addressed and discussed what is important to the other person. So, you know, it's not like we do it every single time.

SPEAKER_03 22:00

Yeah, not at all.

SPEAKER_00 22:02

So the follow-up is huge. So taking the boundary if it feels a little bit too much, and then doing the follow-up and scheduling a follow-up. We always say like 24 hours, but even that doesn't happen every single time. No, not always, or maybe some cases it doesn't happen at all, but I guess the success is making it happen.

SPEAKER_02 22:20

Yeah. Well, I de I definitely think we will talk more about this topic because it's a very important one. Um, before we move into wrapping up, I'll just ask, and I didn't prepare you in advance for this, but do you have any questions for me?

SPEAKER_00 22:31

So no pressure. I mean, I'm sure I can think of a bazillion things. I think I'm just getting used to our exchange on microphones and with uh everybody listening. I would like to know when you want to do a dialogue, example dialogue.

SPEAKER_02 22:46

Oh, like on air?

SPEAKER_00 22:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:48

I'm envisioning that, and we've sort of touched on this idea together. It's not this is not the first time we've had this conversation, but I'm imagining that you'll hopefully come back and co-host maybe once a month with me. How does that sound to you in this moment?

SPEAKER_00 23:01

I would love to. I don't I mean once, twice, at least once.

SPEAKER_02 23:06

Yeah, I would love to have you. I mean, more often I think would be great for me. It's not a question of how often I think our conversations would be helpful. I think we could talk together every week. It's more the logistics of our life and making sure that we have time to record together, uh, which is a little bit of a different thing than me recording by myself. If we can figure out that scheduling, I would love to have you on often. But so once or twice a month sounds good to you. So that the reason I was asking is because then if you're gonna come back in a month, then I think that we can have a dialogue in a month, and I can also focus on maybe talking a little bit more about the turtle and the octopus a bit and more about Imago theory and what the dialogue really is between now and then. So if people wanna have the structural piece and the informational piece, I can provide that and then we can actually just do it.

SPEAKER_00 23:49

So we'll do a dialogue at least once every visit about a current topic that we need to dialogue about.

SPEAKER_02 23:56

Yeah, I think the dialogue is such an incredibly powerful thing, but to talk about it from a psychoeducational perspective, I think it makes sense when you but it's not as interesting or fascinating to hear the steps as opposed to hearing it in action.

SPEAKER_00 24:09

No, I agree.

Plans For Dialogues And Co‑Hosting

SPEAKER_02 24:10

So yeah, that's wonderful. So we'll have a dialogue next time. Thank you so much for doing this. I really can't tell you what it's like. I don't know if I have the words exactly. I think I need to process this. It is a different experience being recorded as we're having this conversation. Uh, I don't feel like awkward exactly, but it definitely adds another layer. Maybe at some point we'll we'll get really used to it and it won't feel that way. But like I said, I do remember the first moment asking you if you thought maybe you'd be on the podcast with me, and you said yes. And I was so surprised, and I didn't want to push you or stress you out or overwhelm you. And like I said, it was mostly life and figuring out how to make this time. And it was like, hey, we've done 52 episodes. We really should make make sure we make this happen. That led to us being able to make this time today to record. But now that it's started, I hope that it's something that we can continue to support together to make sure that it happens because this feels really important to me, and it feels like something special to put out into the world.

SPEAKER_00 25:12

I know this is important to you, but it's important to me to be part of this with you. And yeah, I look forward to these. I don't think it's awkward. I mean, there's a slight awkwardness to it, but I feel like I feel genuine. Yeah. And I don't feel like I can't be myself like we were talking about, and I feel like we still have a lot to learn.

SPEAKER_03 25:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:29

And uh may you know, maybe we'll learn it together through this podcast. And I'm up for a challenge, you know, getting to know about yourself in a different format.

SPEAKER_02 25:39

I think that that's true.

SPEAKER_00 25:40

I think that vulnerability in the relationship and being uh out there like that is like an honesty that maybe like we wouldn't be experiencing.

SPEAKER_02 25:48

Yeah, I think that that's been so far individually for me, just being myself on the podcast. And you feel very much like you to me in this in this, you know, as we're recording.

SPEAKER_00 25:57

Well, I'm not doing like a DJ thing or like um like acting.

SPEAKER_02 26:02

Yeah, no, you feel very authentically bent.

SPEAKER_00 26:04

Oh, okay. I think I'm toning it down slightly because I don't want to scare the listeners or viewers.

SPEAKER_02 26:08

Well, it's true I haven't gotten as many of your jokes. That's been a little bit on the quiet side, but I'm warming up still.

unknown 26:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:16

But I think that you will blossom for sure. You don't feel awkward or um I appreciate that. This dynamic is different for me too. This is very new. It doesn't feel awkward for me, but it's very different than recording a solo podcast.

SPEAKER_00 26:28

I imagine so. That makes sense to me.

unknown 26:32

Yeah.

Vulnerability, Teamwork, Next Steps

SPEAKER_02 26:32

So as we wrap up, I do just want to name that this is a milestone, a crossing point for the podcast. And for the past year, the space has been shaped largely by my voice, of course, or solely by my voice, but it has also been very much a shared project with so much work and effort and time that you've put in behind the scenes. And I don't think that what this is feels completely new. It doesn't feel like a whole new podcast. It really does feel like a little new offshoot, like a little sprout of something that I've been growing with you for this past year. And this just sort of feels like it makes sense. And I am really excited to see what we grow together in this new way.

SPEAKER_00 27:17

Yeah, let's water this.

SPEAKER_02 27:18

Yeah. I love that. Yes. Let's water this. And it is our shared intention that you'll be able to join in at least once a month, more if we can figure out scheduling, and hopefully in time we'll be able to be able to do that. But I think the opportunity to have both of our perspectives being shared is really going to provide a value beyond measure. I think that my perspective is valuable or helpful. I hope that it's helpful for people. But I think that together we offer something that's worth, I think, even more than double. Uh, I hope that that's the case anyway.

SPEAKER_00 27:49

More than double, huh?

Closing Invitation And Subscribe

SPEAKER_02 27:50

Yeah, well, I think that it's not like my perspective is awesome and your perspective added makes it doubly awesome. I think that it's actually something else, like the I don't know, like the sum is, what is it? The whole is greater than the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Isn't that isn't that the I think that's right. I think that that's what it is. But that's what it feels like. Like when you add us together, we make something bigger than the two of us. I think that that's what I'm trying to say. Does that make sense? So thank you for being here with me in this moment. And thank you for listening as this podcast continues to evolve. And as always, I hope you take really good care of yourselves as well as the relationships that you have in your life that make growth possible. As our time comes to a close, I ask you to keep listening for just a few more moments. Because I want to thank you for showing up today. And I want to leave you with an invitation as you hit stop and move back out into the world on your own unique wellness journey. In order to move from where you are today to the place where you want to be, the path may seem long or unclear or unknown. And I want you to know that if that seems scary or daunting or downright terrifying or anything else, that is totally okay. Know that you do not have to create the whole way all at once. We don't travel a whole journey in one stride. And that is why my invitation to you today is to take a step, just one. Any type, any size, in any direction. It can be an external step that can be observed or measured, or it could be a step you visualize taking in your mind. It can be a step towards action or towards rest or connection or self-care or whatever step makes sense to you. I invite you to take a step today because getting to a place that feels better, more joyful, more connected than the place where you are today is possible for everyone, including you, and even when depression is in your bed. If today's episode resonated with you, please subscribe so you can be notified when each weekly episode gets released. I encourage you to leave a review and reach out to me on social media at trish.sanders.lcsw. Your feedback will help guide future episodes, and I love hearing from you. Also, please share this podcast with anyone who you think may be interested or who may get something from what I have shared. Until the next time we connect, take care of yourself and take a step.