What do we do when the people we love stay in relationships that hurt them? In episode 5 of The Group Session Podcast, we explore the emotional, cultural, and generational reasons why some women—especially in midlife—remain in unhealthy marriages or partnerships. We look at how loneliness, fear, and past conditioning play a role, and what friends can do to support without judgment.



With empathy and data, we unpack the psychology of staying, the cost of leaving, and how to hold space for those still figuring it out.

—

Robert Saint Michael, NLP

Certified Mental Health Life Coach

Master NLP Practitioner

 robertsaintmichael.com [https://robertsaintmichael.com/]

Instagram:  @robertsaintmichael [https://instagram.com/robertsaintmichael]



Like, comment, subscribe, and share with someone who needs this reminder: love shouldn’t hurt.



Referenced in this episode:

 * Pew Research Center [https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/04/07/older-americans-are-more-likely-to-be-living-alone-than-those-in-other-countries/] data on midlife divorce and loneliness

 * Journal of Marriage and Family [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jomf.12863]: Emotional dependency in long-term unions

 * Harvard Health Publishing [https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/the-health-advantages-of-married-life] on chronic stress and marital dissatisfaction





Unhappily, She Stays With Him

Episode 4 – Red, White, & Blue Crimes Against Color | The Group Sessions Podcast



Cultural appropriation isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about power, policy, and political erasure. In Episode 4 of The Group Sessions, we break down how borrowed culture leads to real-world harm. From TikTok trends to Texas legislation, we unpack how dominant culture profits from marginalized expression while erasing the people behind it. We’ll talk about Christian nationalism, DEI rollbacks, and why emotional intelligence—not just IQ—is critical to navigating today’s political climate. If you’ve ever felt unseen in a world that loves your rhythm but silences your voice—this session is for you.

—

Robert Saint Michael, NLP

Certified Mental Health Life Coach

Master NLP Practitioner



Explore more at robertsaintmichael.com [https://robertsaintmichael.com/]

Follow on Instagram [https://instagram.com/robertsaintmichael]

Like, share, and subscribe wherever you’re listening.





Referenced in this episode:



 * Texas Senate Bill 10 – Ten Commandments in Schools (Texas Tribune) [https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/24/ten-commandments-texas-schools-senate-bill-10/]

 * Jesse Williams BET Awards Speech (2016) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeMUZ4cPcwQ]

 * Daniel Goleman’s Work on Emotional Intelligence (Harvard Business Review) [https://hbr.org/1998/11/what-makes-a-leader]

 * American Psychological Association on Emotional Intelligence [https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2006/10/emotional-intelligence]

 * DEI Backlash Report – The Atlantic [https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2023/09/dei-backlash-universities/675248/]





Red, White, & Blue Crimes Against Color

Welcome to Group.



In Episode 3 of The Group Sessions Podcast, we break down the psychological toll of digital burnout. If you’ve been feeling numb, anxious, or constantly distracted, you’re not imagining it. The scroll is stealing your attention, hijacking your dopamine system, and rewiring your nervous system.



This episode explores how overstimulation from social media affects emotional regulation, focus, sleep, and overall mental health. We talk about dopamine depletion, attention fatigue, and how living in survival mode has become the default for so many of us.



This isn’t just a detox — it’s a reset.



You’ll leave with research-backed insight, grounded strategies, and a new way to relate to your screen.



—



Robert Saint Michael, NLP

Certified Mental Health Life Coach

Master NLP Practitioner



Visit robertsaintmichael.com [https://robertsaintmichael.com/] to book a free mental health consultation or explore the advice column. Follow on Instagram [https://instagram.com/robertsaintmichael] for more insights and weekly updates.



Like, comment, subscribe, and share to support the show.



Referenced in this episode:

Dopamine Nation by Dr. Anna Lembke [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/667020/dopamine-nation-by-anna-lembke-md/]

Harvard Health – How blue light affects sleep [https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/blue-light-has-a-dark-side]

Pew Research – Tech and anxiety in Gen Z [https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/08/10/teens-and-social-media-key-findings/]

NIH – Digital overstimulation and nervous system dysregulation [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9062890/]







The Feed Is Not Your Friend

Why the Strong One Is Always Tired



In Part 2 of this series on The Group Sessions Podcast, we continue the conversation on the trauma of parentification—focusing on what happens when a child internalizes adult responsibilities before their brain even finishes developing.



We explore how early emotional labor shapes identity, blurs boundaries, and teaches children to earn love through over-functioning. From chronic burnout to strained sibling bonds, this episode unpacks the deeper psychological scars that come from being “the responsible one” too soon—and how many of us are still carrying those scars into our adult relationships.



We also confront the harder truths: how forced maturity can lead to distorted views of intimacy, vulnerability to grooming, and even the quiet reenactment of trauma with others—all because no one taught us how to safely receive care.



This episode offers reflection, affirmation, and an invitation to finally put the role down.



—



Robert Saint Michael, NLP

Certified Mental Health Life Coach

Master NLP Practitioner



🔗 Check out the advice column, book a free mental health consultation, or explore other resources at robertsaintmichael.com [https://robertsaintmichael.com/]



📲 Follow @robertsaintmichael on Instagram [https://instagram.com/robertsaintmichael] for more insights, live updates, and community healing.



📥 Like. Comment. Subscribe. Share!





Referenced in this episode:

– U.S. Department of Justice: Data on child sexual abuse by known perpetrators

– Chase, N.D., & Deming, M.P. (2015). Parental role reversal and long-term relational patterns

– APA: Effects of premature responsibility and emotional parentification

– Journal of Child and Family Studies: Impacts of adultified roles on intimacy development

First Born Burden (Part 2)

What if every episode felt like a real session?

Welcome to The Group Sessions — a healing space for the strong ones, the silent ones, and the ones still learning how to rest.



Hosted by Robert Saint Michael, Certified Mental Health Life Coach and Master NLP Practitioner, this podcast helps us unpack the trauma, identity, survival patterns, and emotional exhaustion we carry — especially when we were never allowed to fall apart.



Here, healing isn’t performative. It’s personal. Each episode blends research-backed insight with lived experience, drawing from psychology, behavioral health, public health disparities, sociology, culture, and resilience.



You’ll find myth-busting, truth-telling, and soul-tending conversations that reconnect you to yourself — piece by piece.



And if there’s something you want covered, you can reach out directly. Your story matters, and I’ll create an episode around your experience — anonymously, with care.



New episodes drop every week. Subscribe and start your sessions now.

You don’t have to heal alone.





Robert Saint Michael, NLP

Certified Mental Health Life Coach

Master NLP Practitioner



🔗 Visit robertsaintmichael.com [https://robertsaintmichael.com/] to explore the advice column, book a free consultation, or access more healing tools.

📲 Follow @robertsaintmichael [https://instagram.com/robertsaintmichael] on Instagram for updates, live events, and support.



📥 Like, comment, subscribe, and share.

Welcome to The Group Sessions

What happens when your older sibling becomes your parent?



In Episode 1 of The Group Sessions Podcast, we uncover the hidden cost of growing up too fast—and the lifelong trauma of being forced to cosplay adulthood in dysfunctional homes. This conversation dives deep into the psychology of emotional parentification, exploring how it warps childhood development and traps us in caregiving roles that follow us into adulthood—leaving us exhausted, underloved, and unheard.



We also unpack how parentification increases vulnerability to abuse—especially when children are conditioned to identify as “equals” to adults and taught to prioritize others’ needs above their own safety.



This is a powerful, triggering, and healing reflection on silence, survival, and the families we’re still learning to heal from.



—



Robert Saint Michael, NLP

Certified Mental Health Life Coach

Master NLP Practitioner



🔗 Check out the advice column, book a free mental health consultation, or explore other resources at robertsaintmichael.com [https://robertsaintmichael.com/]



📲 Follow @robertsaintmichael on Instagram [https://instagram.com/robertsaintmichael] for more insights, live updates, and community healing.



📥 Like. Comment. Subscribe. Share!





Referenced in this episode:

– National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Impacts of emotional neglect and family role reversal

– Hooper, L.M. (2007). The Psychological Impact of Parentification in Childhood

– U.S. Department of Justice: Statistics on child sexual abuse and familial offenders

– Afifi, T.D. et al. (2016). Childhood caregiving and adult mental health outcomes

Parentified: When Kids Are Forced to Raise Kids (Part 1)

Another journal from yours truly. 2024 has been a good year, so I wanted to take time to reflect on some personal growth milestones during this holiday season of gratitude.

057. Journals on Personal Growth

In Episode 56 we are joined by educational, executive, and transformational coach Michelle Turnbull of Turnbull Coaching and Consulting, LLC [https://www.turnbullcoachingandconsultingllc.com/] for a co-interview on the journeys that lead us to the work we do today in the wellness space.


The Group Sessions Podcast

thegroupsessionspodcast.com [https://www.robertsaintmichael.com/podcast]

Instagram: @thegroupsessionspodcast [https://www.instagram.com/thegroupsessionspodcast/]


Hosted by:

Robert Saint Michael

Certified Mental Health Life Coach

and Master NLP Master Practitioner

For bookings: rsmpublichealth@gmail.com

Website: https://www.robertsaintmichael.com/


Guest:

Michelle Turnbull

Turnbull Coaching and Consulting, LLC [https://www.turnbullcoachingandconsultingllc.com/]

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespiritualthug/@turnbullcoachingconsultingllc [https://www.instagram.com/turnbullcoachingconsultingllc/]

Book: Breaking the Silence: Voices of Survivors: Vol 2 [https://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Silence-Voices-Survivors-Vol/dp/B0DHXP3VNL]







Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

056. Coach to Coach (feat. Michelle Turnbull)

Episode 55 of The Group Sessions podcast explores the presence of impostor syndrome as it pertains to artists, creators, and entrepreneurs. Film director and creative consultant Malachi E Robinson [https://www.instagram.com/thespiritualthug/] talks about his own experiences with impostor syndrome, and how it impacts the work he does with his agency Point Black Creative [https://www.pointblackcreative.com/about].




The Group Sessions Podcast

thegroupsessionspodcast.com [https://www.robertsaintmichael.com/podcast]

Instagram: @thegroupsessionspodcast [https://www.instagram.com/thegroupsessionspodcast/]


Hosted by

Robert Saint Michael

Certified Mental Health Life Coach

and Master NLP Master Practitioner

For bookings: rsmpublichealth@gmail.com

Website: https://www.robertsaintmichael.com/




Malachi E Robinson

Point Black Creative Agency [https://www.pointblackcreative.com/]

Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/Thespiritualthug

Instagram: @thespiritualthug [https://www.instagram.com/thespiritualthug/]





References:


All About Imposter Syndrome. (n.d.). Grad.uc.edu. https://grad.uc.edu/student-life/news/all-about-imposter-syndrome.html




Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

055. Imposter Syndrome (feat. Malachi E Robinson)

Episode 54 of The Group Sessions podcast analyzes the personification of anxiety detected in the 2024 Pixar movie: Inside Out 2. What does anxiety become when it makes contact with other complicated emotional experiences, and at what point can we consider anxiety problematic? In this session, we explore parallels between panic-inducing anxiety and complex trauma.




The Group Sessions Podcast

thegroupsessionspodcast.com

instagram: @thegroupsessionspodcast


Hosted by

Robert Saint Michael

Certified Mental Health Life Coach

and Master NLP Master Practitioner


For bookings: rsmpublichealth@gmail.com

Website: robertsaintmichael.com

Instagram: @robertsaintmichael





References:


Steimer T. The biology of fear- and anxiety-related behaviors. Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2002 Sep;4(3):231-49. doi: 10.31887/DCNS.2002.4.3/tsteimer. PMID: 22033741; PMCID: PMC3181681.


Center for Disease Control: Adverse Childhood Experiences https://www.cdc.gov/aces/about/index.html





Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

054. Anxiety Inside Out

Breakthrough mental health sessions for everyday people. Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/robertsaintmichael/support