Once Upon a Session
Once Upon a Session is a podcast where two therapists bring their love for books, storytelling, and emotional insight together. Each session explores a theme — attachment, grief, love, trauma, healing — through the lens of fictional characters and real-life growth. It’s cozy, funny, heartfelt, and deeply human.
Episodes
14 episodes
Session 12: Best Friends
Some friendships feel bigger than the story itself.In this episode of Once Upon a Session, we explore the psychology behind deep friendship, loyalty, and the people who become part of our identity through connection.From Ron and H...
Session 11: Mommy Issues
Why do maternal relationships shape us so deeply—and why are they so hard to untangle?In this episode of Once Upon a Session, we break down the psychology behind “mommy issues”—the ways early maternal dynamics influence identity...
Why We Love Star Wars: The Psychology Behind the Obsession
In this special episode of Once Upon a Session, Vanessa and Nareesa break down the emotional and psychological layers behind some of the most iconic characters in Star Wars. From complicated parent-child dynamics to identity, ...
Session 10: Sidekicks in the Spotlight
Why do side characters so often become the ones we love most?This week on Once Upon a Session, Vanessa and Nareesa explore the psychology behind fan-favorite supporting characters and why the people in the background sometimes leave the ...
Session 9: Forbidden Love
Some love stories are easy to root for. Others… make you pause.In this episode of Once Upon a Session, Vanessa and Nareesa explore the psychology behind forbidden love — the pull toward relationships that exist between desire and consequ...
Session 8: Plot Twists & Emotional Whiplash
Why do plot twists hit so hard—and why do we kind of love them?In this episode of Once Upon a Session, we break down the psychology behind emotional whiplash—those shocking, unpredictable moments in books and relationships that ...
Session 7: Hard to Love- When Empathy Gets Complicated
Some characters are easy to love.Nesta Archeron and Jaime Lannister aren’t.In this episode, we unpack what it really means when someone is labeled “hard to love”—and how trauma, shame, identity, and self-protection can push people...
Session 6: Quest For Closure
Closure… we talk about it like it’s something we’re owed. Like if we just get the right conversation, the right apology, the right ending everything will finally make sense.But what if closure isn’t something we receive… What if it’s som...
Session 5: Sibling Dynamics
In this episode of Once Upon a Session, Vanessa and Nareesa explore the psychology behind sibling relationships in fantasy and fiction. From fierce loyalty to painful rivalry, siblings often shape the emotional core of the stories we l...
Session 4: Fictional Men & Real Standards
Welcome back to Once Upon a Session — where stories meet healing.Let’s be honest: fantasy men have been setting the bar way too high… or maybe exactly where it should be.In this session, Vanessa and Nareesa unpack why we ...
Session 3: Emotional Cover Charge
Welcome back to Once Upon a Session — where stories meet healing.You know that moment when someone’s energy starts to feel… expensive? That’s the emotional cover charge.In this episode, Vanessa and Nareesa unpack what it ...
Session 2: Villains Who Needed Therapy
Welcome back to Once Upon a Session — where stories meet healing.Some villains just needed a session — or ten.In this episode, Nareesa and Vanessa unpack the psychology of literary and fantasy antagonists: the misunderstood, the m...