To be known is to be loved—but being seen can feel far riskier. A reflection on non-binary identity, gender boxes, and the freedom of being witnessed without being reduced.

In this episode of Out of Session with Kindman and Co., hosts Elizabeth and Logan discuss the importance of therapists embracing their own humanity and messiness. They challenge the societal expectation that therapists must always appear composed and all-knowing.

Lately, I’ve been taking cues from my cats: bask in the sun, notice a bug, stretch often, nap when needed. Maybe slowing down isn’t about time at all — it’s about attention.

We’re taught to “push through” sickness, stress, and exhaustion as if resilience is always a virtue. But what happens when strength is fueled by perfectionism and pressure instead of care? This reflection explores how ignoring our body’s signals can backfire—and what it looks like to recalibrate, slow down, and choose sustainability over survival mode.

Gender-affirming care saves lives. Despite mounting evidence and countless lived experiences, recent laws and court rulings are stripping trans people of essential health care. These attacks aren’t just political—they’re personal, life-threatening, and urgent to resist.

“Improv masks it, makes it fun. Like, oh, yeah, I'm just playing this silly game. But then when we sit and we start to debrief what that game brought up for us, we see that it brought up a lot more than just funny space aliens.”

Shannon Stott’s approach to improv isn’t just about laughter—it’s about listening to your body, accessing your truth, and practicing how you want to move through the world. In this conversation, Logan Kim and Shannon dive deep into how playful, low-stakes games can help us explore identity, make intentional choices, and connect more fully with ourselves and others.

“Most of the moments that we have are actually low stakes,” Shannon reflects. “And improv helps us remember that it’s possible to be right here—in this moment—making one choice at a time.”

Over the last few months I’ve struggled to decide whether I wanted to add anything to the very public and politicized discourse on transness, our existence, and our rights. Even now, I have doubts – what could I even say that hasn’t already been said? Is it right to take up space when people are being ruthlessly abducted and deported, when hospitals are being bombed in an ongoing genocide, when the climate crisis threatens the sustainability of any life here? 

If anyone is reading this, then clearly I’ve decided to go ahead and write this. Because silence and withdrawal don’t do anything for anyone. Because making myself small while having the privileges I have would make me complicit with the anti-trans agenda that denies our existence. And, because if this reaches even one person in a meaningful way, then it’s worth it.

January has been the longest year of my life. There's a lot going on, so we're going to talk about some of it in the next 30 minutes or so, and just kind of talking about how we're managing and contending with all of the forces out there, stuff going on in politics, climate change. If you live in Los Angeles, the wildfires, queerphobia and transphobia everywhere. War for and conflict, racism, misogyny, just to name a few, but if you can name it, there are all kinds of big systemic stressors stressing us all out right now. So how are we dealing with all of this? It's coming up a lot for both of us as therapists, but also as human beings.

While Valentine’s Day is often focused on romantic love, it’s important to remember that love exists in many forms—and all of them are equally valuable. Platonic love with friends, familial love, love for our pets, and even self-love all deserve to be recognized and honored. These aren’t just feelings to celebrate on Valentine’s Day, but every day. Especially in difficult times, nurturing love in all its forms can be a powerful way to stay grounded.