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.

In today’s fast-paced world, where stress, anxiety, and overwhelming daily demands are all too common, finding a way to take care of your mental health can often feel like an extra chore on your to-do list. But what if self-care didn’t feel like a chore at all? What if it was fun, engaging, and—dare I say—game-like? That’s exactly the experience I had with Finch, a self-care app that combines the power of gamification with mental wellness practices to help you stay consistent and motivated in your self-care journey.

Joining a "No Buy" community group can be a game-changer for anyone committed to curbing spending and fostering mindful consumption. In these groups, you'll find a supportive network of like-minded individuals who share similar goals and challenges. The community is a treasure in it of itself, offering a judgement- free space for encouragement and company.

And other times, we put ourselves out there in ways we might not recognize, like just being our authentic, beautiful, imperfect selves in our small corners of the world. Do we sometimes suffer from a vulnerability hangover? Maybe (read: yes). Might we be perceived? Almost certainly. Do we risk rejection, tripping over our words, or struggling with something new? Inevitably, we do. Sometimes we go for it regardless, and what a wonderful thing it is when we do.