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Therapy Thursday with Ellen K

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Therapy Thursday, the beloved weekly segment from KOST 103.5 FM’s The Ellen K Morning Show, is now a podcast! Each episode features licensed therapist Sarah Dash, LMFT offering free, on-air advice to listeners navigating personal challenges, relationship struggles, and everyday stress. With years of clinical experience and a warm, compassionate approach, Sarah creates a safe space for honest conversation and meaningful guidance. Hosts Ellen K and Ryan Manno join in with their thoughtful insights, candid reactions, and signature on-air chemistry, bringing heart, humor, and perspective to every discussion.

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  • 25 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 25 min
  • English

Episodes 25

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  • Thursday · 20 min

    Should a Tattoo Offend My Stepdaughter's Father?

    Carlos is dating a woman who has a daughter. He gets along so well with her that he considers her his daughter too. He's also very close to the daughter's biological father. They spend a lot of time together and consider each other brothers even if they're not related. Because Carlos is so close to his wife's daughter, he got a tattoo of her. Since he has so many tattoos, he didn't think anything of it. The problem is that since his tattoo, the girl's biological father has iced him out. He doesn't want to hang out anymore and is acting very cold towards Carlos. Sarah, Ellen, and Ryan help him understand things from the other father's perspective. They explain how something like this can seem bigger to someone else even if it's not a big deal for him. They also go through what Carlos can do to make ammends with his friend. Follow Therapy Thursday on YouTube Follow Ellen Follow Sarah See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • Transcript
  • October 1 · 22 min

    I Can't Find the Perfect Woman for Me feat. Stephen Baldwin

    Stephen Baldwin joins the show again! He talks about his career and what makes his relationship work. The crew then take a call from Jethro who is having trouble dating. He says that he has these standards for women and he feels like nobody can match them. Ellen, Ryan, Sarah and Stephen walk him through how he should be framing these first dates in his head to allow room for growth and open him up to more possibilities in the dating field. Follow Therapy Thursday on YouTube Follow Ellen Follow Sarah See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  • September 24 · 22 min

    Stephen Baldwin Joins Therapy Thursday!

    This week, Ellen, Sarah, and Ryan are joined by legendary actor Stephen Baldwin! Stephen talks about his career, his podcast One Bad Movie, and tips for how he's been married for 36 years! They then take a call from Lulu who is recently married to a man who's almost 20 years older than her. The real problem is that her new husband's son has been flirting with her. He's only 3 years younger and she finds herself a bit attracted to him. Ellen, Sarah, Ryan, and Stephen explain that attraction is natural but it's what you do with that attraction that matters. They also giver her ideas on next steps and how to avoid crossing a line with her son-in-law. Follow Therapy Thursday on YouTube Follow Ellen Follow Sarah See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  • September 17 · 25 min

    I Found a Suspicious Hotel Charge on My Husbands Credit Card

    Mary called into the show in distress about something on her husband's credit card. Her cousin was having a birthday party and her husband said that he was suffering from a severe migraine. Mary thought nothing of it and let him stay home and rest. Fast forward a few weeks, and she's going through her statement and noticed a mysterious charge on his credit card. After some investigating, she discovered that on the night her husband "had a migraine" he had booked a night in a hotel room and bought room service for two. With how suspicious this looks, Ellen, Sarah, and Ryan help Mary contextualize what the hotel charge could mean, how to communicate with her husband, and what to do if her worst fears are realized. Follow Therapy Thursday on YouTube Follow Ellen Follow Sarah See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  • September 10 · 21 min

    I'm Finally Putting Myself First

    Monica is a mother who is taking time for herself for the first time in her life. She says that she's declining some family dinner invitations, taking mornings to go to yoga, and spending a day in a nearby hotel to rest and recharge. Her husband is mostly supportive of her taking time to herself and recharging is making her a better mom. However, she's been getting some judgement from her sister and her mom. They both say that a mother shouldn't need a break and Monica doesn't know how to respond. Ellen, Sarah, and Ryan help Monica understand her own feelings and need for a break, how she can make sure her husband is able to recharge, and what responses she can use when she feels judged by her sister and mother. Follow Therapy Thursday on YouTube Follow Ellen Follow Sarah See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  • September 3 · 18 min

    Should I Feel Guilty for Taking a Day Off?

    David recently took a sick day from work. The thing is, he wasn't actually sick. David had been feeling burnt out and took a day to go out on a hike, spend some time in nature, and completely unplug from staring at screens all day. When he came back, everyone asked David how he was feeling, which led to him feeling guilt over lying about being sick. Ellen, Ryan, and Sarah help David by explaining that it's ok to take a day off and that mental health is just as important as physical health and that taking care of both can actually make you more productive at your job. Follow Therapy Thursday on YouTube Follow Ellen Follow Sarah See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  • August 27 · 41 min

    Billy Zane Joins Therapy Thursday Part 1

    In the first part of a two part interview, legendary actor Billy Zane joins Sarah and Ellen on the show! They talk about everything from gender norms and expectations to Billy's art and love of life. They even go into whether Cal or Jack was the right choice in Titanic. Check out the episode for all of this and so much more! Follow Therapy Thursday on YouTube Follow Ellen Follow Sarah See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  • August 27 · 30 min

    Billy Zane Joins Therapy Thursday Part 2

    In the second part of a two-part interview, legendary actor, Billy Zane joins Sarah and Ellen for Therapy Thursday! He talks about his method for portraying Marlon Brando in Waltzing with Brando, Brando's activism and love of life, who was harder to embody: Marlon Brando or The Phantom, and his perspective on the movie Orlando. Listen to this episode for all of this and so much more! Follow Therapy Thursday on YouTube Follow Ellen Follow Sarah See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  • August 20 · 24 min

    I'm Having an Affair with My Boss

    Portia is a concierge at her job and has been having an affair with her boss for the past 6 months. She's falling in love with him, but he's married with a kid. He's said, that his marriage is failing and basically over, but hasn't made any real steps in actually ending it with his wife. Portia is stuck between her feelings for her boss and the guilt of knowing that she is one part of a marital affair. Ellen, Ryan, and Sarah try to help Portia understand where she stands in this relationship and what she should do moving forward. Follow Therapy Thursday on YouTube Follow Ellen Follow Sarah See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  • August 13 · 20 min

    My Wife Doesn't Trust Me on a Business Trip

    Enrico has a business conference in Las Vegas which would really help his career. His wife was onboard until she found out that his ex was going to be at that same conference. Even when nothing has happened between the two in years, Enrico's wife is asking him to stay in a different hotel. Neither Enrico or his wife have had trust issues before so this seems to come out of nowhere. Ellen, Ryan, and Sarah try to get to the bottom of her distrust and solutions that can make both of them happy. Follow Therapy Thursday on YouTube Follow Ellen Follow Sarah See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  • August 6 · 30 min

    I'm Feeling Love Bombed & When Flirting Turns into an Emotional Affair

    Francis is dating a successful guy who seems to love her. There's just one problem: she thinks he's lovebombing her. She wants to take things slower while he keeps making plans for the future. Ellen, Ryan, and Sarah help walk her through and determine if she is being lovebombed, and what to make of this relationship. Angel has been married for 8 years, but recently he's grown closer to a woman from work, Stephanie. What started as harmless flirtatious joking at work has grown into something more. They text outside of work hours while the flirting has gotten more intense. He's planning on going to a work lunch without telling his wife. The crew explains to him when flirting crosses the line into an emotional affair and how things can continue to spin out of control. Follow Therapy Thursday on YouTube Follow Ellen Follow Sarah See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  • July 30 · 20 min

    My Best Friend is Dating My Ex-Husband

    Hillary has recently divorced her husband, Jason, of twelve years and her best friend, Nicole, was there for her during her toughest year of her life. Six months later, Jason and Nicole have come out announcing that they are in a serious relationship together. Hillary understandably feels betrayed and is questioning how much of her friendship was real during the hard times. Ellen, Sarah, and Ryan help her stay grounded while navigating her feelings of betrayal. Follow Therapy Thursday on YouTube Follow Ellen Follow Sarah See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  • July 23 · 28 min

    I'm Going to Marry Her Anyway & My Daughter's Boyfriend Is Older Than Me!

    Sam is ready to propose to his girlfriend Marta, but when he asked her father for his blessing, he got a firm no. Confused by the rejection, Sam feels he's built a stable future with a successful career, strong benefits, a car, and savings for a house. He's determined to marry Marta anyway, but he hasn't told her about her father's response. Sarah, Ellen, and Ryan help him figure out how to share the news with Marta and move forward while still balancing respect for her father. In our second session, Richard was looking forward to his 55th birthday dinner until his 28-year-old daughter, Krista, announces she's bringing her new boyfriend, who is a year older than Richard and has two grown children older than Krista. While Richard wants his daughter to be happy, he's struggling to accept the relationship and can't help seeing Krista as his little girl. How can he get through the dinner without letting his discomfort create tension? After all, like Sarah says, people are entitled to their feelings, but not to control other people's choices. Follow Therapy Thursday on YouTube Follow Ellen Follow Sarah See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  • July 16 · 23 min

    My Husband Has A Secret Bank Account

    Melissa's husband, Marcus, accidentally left his laptop open while he was in the shower, and a bank notification popped up on the screen. The alert was for a savings account Melissa had never seen before, an account with more than $14,000 in it. The discovery shocked her. For months, the couple had been discussing replacing their old car, and Melissa had been pinching pennies, making sacrifices, and carefully saving under the impression that money was tight. When she confronted Marcus, he admitted the account was his and revealed he'd been secretly saving for a month-long solo trip to Europe to celebrate his 50th birthday. Marcus says he wants time on his own to "find himself" as he gets older and believes every married person deserves a solo adventure. But if that's true, why keep both the trip and the account a secret? Melissa feels betrayed by the lack of transparency, especially while they were supposedly working toward shared financial goals. She's also struggling with Marcus's insistence that he "deserves" this trip and can't help but wonder why he doesn't want her there. Is this simply a milestone birthday journey of self-discovery, or is there more to the story? Melissa turns to Sarah, Ellen, and Ryan for help navigating what she sees as a case of financial infidelity. Follow Therapy Thursday on YouTube Follow Ellen Follow Sarah See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • Transcript
  • July 9 · 23 min

    The Romance Died After He Proposed & I'm Not Your Boy Toy

    After a magical year of romance, Sonjia’s boyfriend Willie proposed, and she said yes without hesitation. But ever since they got engaged, she’s noticed a shift in his behavior. The affection and attention he once showered her with seem to have disappeared, and now he feels distant and distracted. Was he more interested in the chase than the relationship itself, or was he simply putting on an act to win her over? Sonjia turns to Sarah, Ellen, and Ryan to find out whether this kind of change is normal at this stage of a relationship or a warning sign of bigger issues ahead. In our second session, Nick has recently leveled up his career, landing a high-paying management job after years of grinding through late nights and double shifts in the restaurant industry. He credits much of his success to his boss, Jezebelle, who runs her family’s restaurant group. But because of her intimidating management style and Nick’s rapid promotion, other employees have become skeptical about how he earned the role. To make matters worse, Jezebelle has started sending him flirty late-night texts and inviting him out for drinks after work. Nick worries he’s being pulled into a situation that could become inappropriate and potentially jeopardize his career, especially since there seems to be an unspoken expectation behind her attention. How can he shut it down before it goes any further without damaging his relationship with his boss or putting the hard-earned promotion at risk? Follow Therapy Thursday on YouTube Follow Ellen Follow Sarah See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • Transcript
  • July 2 · 36 min

    Mom Started Dating Again Too Soon & I Fell Back in Love with My Ex

    Desiree's father passed away from cancer about a year ago, but in recent months, her mom has joined multiple dating apps and started going on several dates a week. Desiree understands that everyone grieves differently and knows her mom has been lonely, but she can't shake the feeling that her mother is moving on too quickly. Seeing her get excited about the attention she's receiving from strangers has left Desiree feeling hurt, conflicted, and even betrayed. At the same time, she genuinely wants her mom to be happy. Now she's turning to Sarah and the crew for help sorting through these complicated emotions. In our second session, Phoebe married young and spent 16 years with her ex-husband, Ryan. Four years after their divorce, Ryan suffered a serious medical emergency—and Phoebe was still listed as his emergency contact. Seeing him in the hospital brought a flood of old feelings rushing back, and the two have since resumed contact. The complication? Phoebe is now engaged to Greg. As her connection with Ryan deepens, she finds herself torn between a past love she thought was behind her and the future she's built with her fiancé. Unsure where her heart truly belongs, Phoebe is searching for a way forward without hurting the people she cares about. Follow Ellen Follow Sarah Follow Therapy Thursday on YouTube See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • Transcript
  • June 25 · 34 min

    My Fiancé Is Secretly Paying His Ex’s Rent

    Rachel recently discovered that her fiancé has been secretly paying his ex-girlfriend Vanessa’s rent from their joint account for almost a year. He says Vanessa fell on hard times after losing her job and swears there’s nothing inappropriate going on between them. According to him, he only kept it from Rachel because he knew she wouldn’t understand. But for Rachel, the betrayal runs deeper than the secrecy and the shared money being spent on another woman: they’re supposed to be saving for their wedding.Her fiancé argues that Vanessa has no one else to turn to, and that helping her is a reflection of his character. But is this generosity or a major breach of trust? How should Rachel handle what feels like extreme financial infidelity and the fact that her fiancé is framing it as moral high ground? Could this “charity” spill into other parts of their relationship? Is Rachel being too harsh, or just setting reasonable boundaries? Sarah, Ellen, and Ryan weigh in to help Rachel make sense of this complicated situation. Follow Ellen Follow Sarah Follow Therapy Thursday on YouTube See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • Transcript
  • June 18 · 26 min

    My Husband Is Jealous of My Success

    Amanda and her husband, Tyler, both work for the same company. After Amanda is promoted, she suddenly finds herself in the uncomfortable position of managing her own spouse. While Tyler was initially supportive, his behavior has shifted: he’s now distant at work and at home, where frequent arguments often spiral into clashes over what he sees as a lack of respect for him as a man. At the same time, one of Amanda’s employees, Brandon, has been consistently encouraging and supportive, and she finds herself increasingly drawn to his company. Feeling caught between her husband’s growing resentment and her own complicated emotions, Amanda turns to Sarah for guidance on how to navigate her marriage, her role as a boss, and her emerging attraction to Brandon. Follow Ellen Follow Therapy Thursday on YouTube See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • Transcript
  • June 11 · 23 min

    My Best Friend Is Dating My Ex & I Fell in Love with a Cougar

    Trina’s best friend, Misty, has broken one of the biggest unspoken rules in the friendship handbook: she’s dating Trina’s long-term ex-boyfriend, Brandon. Even though Trina was the one who ended the relationship and things ended amicably, it still hurts. Misty was there for all the post-breakup drinks and ugly cries, but when Trina confronted her, Misty stood her ground, saying that Trina was the one who dumped him and Brandon is fair game now. Even Trina’s mom thinks she needs to let it go or risk losing both of them. Should Misty have told Trina about her feelings first? And is Trina justified in feeling hurt and uncomfortable? In our second session, Aaron, 28, has fallen hard for Abby, 50. She’s brilliant, independent, adventurous and unlike anyone he’s ever met before. After nine months of dates that felt straight out of a movie, Abby ended things. She doesn’t see a future and doesn’t want to invest more time in something she believes won’t last. She wants Aaron to find someone closer to his own age, but Aaron doesn’t want anyone else. He wants Abby. Should he respect her decision and walk away or fight for the relationship? Follow Ellen Follow Therapy Thursday on YouTube See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • Transcript
  • June 4 · 25 min

    Friend Turned Frenemy? & Ojos Locos Tests Boundaries

    Anita has recently lost weight, her confidence is soaring and she's even started dating a new guy that she met through a hiking club. But when her friend Linda posted a slideshow of their favorite memories together, Anita noticing a troubling pattern: every photo was from before Anita's weight loss. Was this an innocent oversight or does Linda feel threatened by Anita's transformation? Should Anita take the high road and let it go, or should she confront Linda head-on? In our second session, Roberto is regular at Ojos Locos, a sports bar where the servers are scantily clad and very flirtatious, that he's frequented for years with his friends. But now that he's engaged, his fiancé Kimber is uncomfortable with how much time he spends there and with his single friends. Roberto wants to hold on to his independence, while Kimber wants to protect their relationship, which are both valid. Is there a compromise that leaves everyone feeling respected and happy? Follow Ellen Follow Therapy Thursday on YouTube See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • Transcript
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