Simple Conversations

Psychologist Noah Laracy explains why change is so much harder than most people expect, and why understanding your triggers or attachment style often isn't enough to actually move forward in life. Noah breaks down "terminal uniqueness" — the belief that you need a special solution just for you — and why staying stuck often feels safer than being ordinary. Chapters; 00:00 - Be More Ordinary 02:11 - The Obscurity Window 06:48 - Why is Noah a Psychologist? 09:18 - Don't Let Therapy Get Soft 14:12 - Working on Skid Row 18:57 - Toxicity and Anxiety Love Each Other 21:05 - You Might Not Have Anxiety 26:11 - Embarrassment 28:03 - Crumbling as a Person 32:12 - How to find what's holding you back in life The conversation covers the neuroscience and psychology of anxiety, including how exposure and response prevention therapy helps people override fear responses tied to OCD and anxiety disorders, and why the real challenge isn't the first step but staying consistent weeks later. Noah also explains why people self-sabotage right when life starts going well, describing the internal backlash that pulls people back into old belief systems just as they start to make progress. Drawing from his own experience getting sober and working as an outreach worker on Skid Row, Noah shares a practical three-question exercise to identify what's actually keeping you stuck in your job, relationships, or health, and what to do about it. If you're interested in psychology, anxiety, behavior change, self-sabotage, or why personal growth feels so much harder than it should, this conversation offers real, research-backed insight without the usual motivational fluff. Find Noah Laracy on TikTok and Instagram, and read his newsletter, Dangerous Living, on Substack. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Neuroscientist, Devin Effinger breaks down exactly what happens in the brain during depression and anxiety. Devin explains the neuroscience behind negative thought loops and rumination, why your brain treats imagined future threats the same as real danger, and how chronic stress physically reshapes the regions responsible for emotional regulation and memory. Drawing on his own experience recovering from a traumatic brain injury and decade-long drug addiction, Devin shares why "hitting rock bottom" isn't actually necessary — or even healthy — for change, and introduces RISE, a practical technique (Reflect, Interrupt, Shift, Engage) for breaking out of negative thought spirals before they spiral into full depressive or anxious episodes. Chapters; 00:00 - The Brain during Depression 06:55 - Head Injuries and CTE 15:45 - Devin's Addiction 26:44 - Phones are as addictive as Heroin 31:23 - How to snap out of Negative Thought Loops 34:23 - Rock Bottom is a lie 38:22 - Ketamine + Exposure Therapy Devin; https://www.instagram.com/deffinger/?hl=en ASG; https://www.instagram.com/asg_simple Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jeremy Jacobson — psychology and philosophy researcher, personal trainer, and creator behind Eud.aimonic — breaks down why "momentum" might be the thing keeping you stuck, and why building habits doesn't guarantee who you'll be tomorrow. Drawing on existentialist philosophy and psychological research, Jeremy explains the real difference between Stoicism and "Broicism" — a red-pilled, manosphere distortion of Stoic philosophy that swaps virtue for status, money, and material success — why gym culture often becomes a gateway into religion and self-discipline, and how social media hijacks the brain's limbic system to farm attention. The conversation dives into empathy exhaustion from social media overexposure, why "letting go" of emotions can be dangerous advice for people who actually need to act, and how periodization — a training concept from sports — can help you navigate competing life priorities like career, relationships, and health without burning out. Jeremy also opens up about his own transformation from an unmotivated teenager to a disciplined creator and trainer, and shares the honest self-reflection process that sparked real change in his life. If you're interested in psychology, philosophy, self-improvement, Stoicism, discipline, habit change, or how social media affects mental health and behavior, this conversation offers a research-backed, no-fluff perspective you won't find in typical self-help content. Chapters; 00:00 - Who is Jeremy 00:30 - Momentum is the Wrong Approach 06:41 - People Can Change 08:59 - Gym + Religion = Happiness? 13:09 - Broicism 20:29 - How Social Media clouds your Brain 33:35 - Stop Letting Go of Stuff Jeremy; https://www.instagram.com/eud.aimonic/ https://eudaimonic.com/ ASG; https://www.instagram.com/asg_simple Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Autism has become a hot topic online in 2026. Every is an expert and everyone claims they have it. What if I told you that the actual behaviours of autism are much more than just fixation and a lack of social skills. Mother, Brigitte Shipman joins me along with her son, Joseph Shipman to discuss living with autism from 2 different perspectives. Brigitte outline show the diagnosis completely changed motherhood for her. Joseph explains what life is like with autism is ways we would never think about. Chapters; 00:49 - A Mother recalls the Autism Diagnosis 06:20 - Joseph's early memories of realising he was different 11:20 - The Fears attached to Autism 16:55 - Surprising Factors of Autism 24:50 - Advice for Parents that are Coping and Grieving 31:44 - Offensive terms we don't realise are offensive 38:10 - How we can all be more accommodating Brigitte & Joseph; https://www.instagram.com/mothersguidethroughautism/ https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/ ASG; https://www.instagram.com/asg_simple Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Henry Duffield is a Content Creator known for using psychology to help us understand the trends of modern and past times. One of the main concerns of people young and old all over the world is... Am I Cool? Henry joins me to put that Neuroscience Degree of his to good use and help us understand trends, fashion advancements, marketing campaigns and most importantly.... Is Clavicular really Dorian Grey from the 1800s? Chapters; 00:36 - The Evolution of Coolness 04:50 - Dorian Grey Mogs Clavicular 11:25 - The Marlboro Man 14:10 - The Deflation of Originality 24:37 - Taking Care of your Dress Sense 33:00 - Try Harder 34:37 - How To Understand Yourself Henry; https://www.instagram.com/henrythekidd_/ https://www.tiktok.com/@henrythekid/ https://offlinehenry.substack.com ASG; https://www.instagram.com/asg_simple/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.