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Therapy in a Nutshell

Therapy in a Nutshell

By: Therapy in a Nutshell -Emma McAdam
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I’m Emma McAdam, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and my mission is to make mental health resources more easy to access. I take therapy skills and psychological research and condense them down into bite-sized nuggets of help.

I’m here to spread the message that while mental illness is real, it’s common, it’s debilitating, it’s also treatable. There are dozens of research-backed approaches to treating depression, anxiety, and other mental illness. Change, growth, and healing are possible. Please keep courage! Try one little thing every day to improve your life and health and things can get so much better!

Therapy in a Nutshell, and the information provided by Emma McAdam, is solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and is not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health.

Therapy in a Nutshell and it’s logo are Registered Trademarks of Therapy in a Nutshell, LLCCopyright 2020 All rights reserved.
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Episodes
  • How to Get Started When You’re Drowning in Overwhelm - ADHD Friendly
    Jul 10 2026

    Feeling overwhelmed and stuck? Learn how ADHD affects motivation—and 5 simple ways to get moving again when you feel overwhelmed and can’t get started.

    Learn the skills to regulate your Emotions, join the membership: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/membership

    Free Course: Grounding Skills for Stress, Anxiety and PTSD: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/grounding-skills-for-anxiety-stress-and-ptsd

    Do you ever feel so overwhelmed that you just… shut down? You want to be motivated, but instead you’re stuck, frozen, and frustrated with yourself. If you have ADHD—or you’re just overwhelmed by life—this can feel like a daily battle.

    In this video, you’ll learn why overwhelm isn’t laziness—it’s your brain going into survival mode—and why trying to “just try harder” often backfires. When your brain is overloaded, it’s not a motivation problem. It’s a state problem.

    If you’re tired of feeling overwhelmed and wondering why you can’t get motivated, this video will give you practical tools you can use today to start moving forward again.

    Looking for affordable online counseling? My sponsor, BetterHelp, connects you to a licensed professional from the comfort of your own home. Try it now for 10% off your first month: https://betterhelp.com/therapyinanutshell

    FREE Mental Health Resources: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/free-resources

    Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health. In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger Institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.

    And deeper than all of that, the Gospel of Jesus Christ orients my personal worldview and sense of security, peace, hope, and love https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/believe

    If you are in crisis, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or your local emergency services.

    Copyright Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC

    Show More Show Less
    22 mins
  • 4 Essential Habits for Emotional Regulation
    Jun 27 2026

    You can learn how to regulate your emotions by practicing these four skills.

    People who regulate emotions well don’t avoid feelings—they build habits that help them pause, process, and respond with intention. In this video, I’ll teach you 4 essential emotional regulation habits that emotionally stable people practice every day. You’ll learn how to stop reacting impulsively, challenge unhelpful thoughts, process emotions in a healthy way, and build emotional resilience over time. These are practical, research-backed mental health skills you can start using immediately for anxiety, stress, anger, overwhelm, and emotional reactivity.

    Learn the skills to regulate your Emotions, join the membership: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/membership

    Looking for affordable online counseling? My sponsor, BetterHelp, connects you to a licensed professional from the comfort of your own home. Try it now for 10% off your first month: https://betterhelp.com/therapyinanutshell

    FREE Mental Health Resources: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/free-resources

    Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health. In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger Institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.

    And deeper than all of that, the Gospel of Jesus Christ orients my personal worldview and sense of security, peace, hope, and love https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/believe

    If you are in crisis, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or your local emergency services.

    Copyright Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC

    Show More Show Less
    20 mins
  • When You're Drowning in Overwhelm
    Jun 12 2026

    Feeling overwhelmed or stuck in an emotional crisis? Learn 3 simple, practical tools to handle overwhelm, regain control, and move forward with confidence.

    Sign up for my free Panic Attacks course https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/ending-panic-attacks-and-anxiety-attacks

    Looking for affordable online counseling? My sponsor, BetterHelp, connects you to a licensed professional from the comfort of your own home. Try it now for 10% off your first month: https://betterhelp.com/therapyinanutshell

    FREE Mental Health Resources: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/free-resources

    Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health. In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger Institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.

    And deeper than all of that, the Gospel of Jesus Christ orients my personal worldview and sense of security, peace, hope, and love https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/believe

    If you are in crisis, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or your local emergency services.

    Copyright Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC

    Show More Show Less
    19 mins
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I love all the therapy in nutshell podcasts, they are short, straight to the point, full of golden nugets that helped me to make sense of many things.

Brilliant

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Honest, simple yet profound. She makes perfect sense and is professionally sound. I listen to as many of her podcasts as possible and download the additional material.

Great info

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