Episode Details

Send us Fan Mail

The Gaslit Truth Podcast is hosted by Dr. Teralyn Sell and Therapist Jenn Schmitz, exploring mental health, psychiatric medication withdrawal, therapy culture, and informed consent.

In this episode, Dr. Teralyn Sell and Therapist Jenn Schmitz explore whether modern mental health care may be unintentionally perpetuating distress, through a candid conversation with Dr. Richard L. Blake on the limits of psychotherapy, rising anxiety despite treatment, and the evidence for breathwork as an alternative path to healing. 

What if the system designed to heal us is quietly keeping us stuck? We sit down with Dr. Richard L. Blake—psychologist, breathwork teacher, and lead author on the largest randomized controlled trial of conscious connected breathwork for anxiety—to interrogate the paradox at the heart of modern mental health: treatment and awareness keep climbing, yet anxiety, depression, and self-harm rise too.

Richard shares his own journey from early success and severe depression to evidence-based breathwork, and why his deep dive into psychotherapy research left him alarmed by modest effects and high relapse. We unpack hard questions that rarely make it into glossy wellness feeds: how false memories and suggestive therapy taint “trauma” narratives, why retrospective ACE correlations can mislead, and how retelling the past can literally make it feel worse over time. We examine PTSD myths, the overreach of “big T vs little t” trauma, and the uncomfortable truth that exposure therapy consistently outperforms many insight-heavy approaches—yet is often avoided because it’s challenging.

Then we get practical. Richard breaks down slow vs fast breathwork, safety screens, and how faster protocols can induce psychedelic-like states and neuroplastic windows without drugs when guided well. We compare risks to common treatments, discuss training standards, and outline where breathwork fits alongside sleep repair, movement, nutrition, light hygiene, and deprescribing done safely. We also explore the “comfort trap”: how easy environments can reveal genetic vulnerabilities like high neuroticism, creating distress without a single villain to blame.

If you’re tired of perpetual “healing” that never ends, this conversation offers a straighter path: less rumination, more rehearsal; fewer labels, more skills; and an honest blend of body-based tools with behavior change. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a sanity check, and leave a review to tell us which idea flipped a switch for you.

We're recruiting for a first-of-its-kind psychiatric medication withdrawal research study. If you've experienced psychiatric medication withdrawal, you may be eligible to participate.  Email DrTeralyn@DrTeralyn.com to learn more. 

Savorista Coffee is offering our listeners 25% off their premium craft decaf and half caf blends with bold flavors, ethically sourced beans, and natural decaffeination. Small-batch roasted for exceptional taste. E

Use promo code GASLIT at checkout! 

https://savorista.com/discount/GASLIT

💊 Ready to Deprescribe Your Psych Meds?

Psych meds have harmed us—and we’re not just survivors, we’re deeply educated in psychopharmacology, psychology, and nutrition. As hosts of The Gaslit Truth Podcast, we guide people safely off psychiatric medications with strategies grounded in science and brain health

🔥 You’ve been harmed. You’ve been dismissed. It’s time to take your brain back—with guidance from people who’ve been there and know their stuff.

Support the show

Are you tired of being gaslit and want to DEEP THROAT some more truth? We want to hear from you!  Mes