LET'S TALK ABOUT
Episode 11: The Hidden Barrier That Stops Organizations From Making Real Impact
Most organizations focus on supporting people after a crisis, but what if prevention was the real breakthrough? In this episode, Emily and Essence unpack why social issues like homelessness, incarceration, and poverty are so often treated as inevitable, and how shifting from intervention to prevention can create meaningful change. They explore the power of root cause analysis, the importance of listening to impacted communities, and why cross-sector collaboration, data sharing, and diverse leadership perspectives are essential for solving problems at their source rather than only responding after the fact.
Episode 3: Trauma-Informed Care: Moving Beyond the Buzzword
Essence and Emily re-introduce the purpose behind “Talking Shoppe,” explaining their collaborative approach, and engage in their recurring segment “work wife, work overlord, and work nemesis.” They discuss trauma-informed care in organizational and therapy contexts, highlighting that many workplaces stop at acknowledging trauma rather than building practical, systemic supports. They define trauma, emphasizing trauma’s impact and the importance of recovery. They critique posters, certifications, and KPIs that sacrifice humanity, psychological safety, role clarity, follow-through, tools for success, barrier reduction, and self-awareness, sharing examples like flexible scheduling and accessible office practices. They close with a weekly R.E.P.O.R.T segment.
Episode 2: What is Psychological Safety?
In episode two of Talking Shoppe, Essence and Emily talk about their interests, new discoveries, and the struggles of setting up audio equipment. They introduce a game segment, “Work Wife, Work Overlord or Work Nemesis,” using nostalgic TV shows, and briefly reflect on awkward coworker invitations. The main topic is psychological safety, defined (via Amy Edmondson) as the belief that one won’t be punished or humiliated for speaking up; they emphasize it’s a felt experience that can’t be declared, and distinguish supportive structure from harmful rigidity, using bowling bumpers, balloons, and dam metaphors. They describe consequences of low psychological safety—self-censorship, festering conflict, marginalization, and burnout—and connect it to Deming-Rivers Social Club and therapeutic work with groups and organizations. They close with their Weekly R.E.P.O.R.T.
Episode 1: Get to Know Essence and Emily
Essence and Emily are psychologists and wives who split their time between therapy and helping organizations improve workplace culture through Dr. Social Club. They’re starting this podcast to share their raw, unfiltered conversations and make their big ideas more accessible than typical social media content. Their work centers on supporting nonprofits and human services organizations in building inclusive, sustainable cultures, using practical, sustainable training to address real issues like burnout and turnover rather than relying on overly simplistic “self-care” advice. In this first episode, they share how they went from doctoral training and the internship match process to working at Palm Beach County Youth Services Department, and how a systemic lens shaped how they understand individual and workplace problems. The podcast is meant to feel like getting ice cream with friends, and they close with a weekly “R.E.P.O.R.T.” on what they’re reading, eating, playing, obsessing over, recommending, and treating themselves to.