Immersion
by Pamela Carey
The Paradox of Choice in Online Dating: An NYC Perspective…
About this podcast
Immersion is a psychology podcast for curious people interested in how we live, what shapes us, and what we can change.
We take an idea that gets repeated but rarely examined and look at what’s underneath it. That might mean discussing what contempt does to a relationship, how photographing everything affects our memory, or what Sartre and Frankl each had to say about purpose.
We draw on psychology, philosophy, history, culture, and conversations with guests who know more than I do. We stay with the complicated parts instead of rushing toward a tidy answer, then bring it back to something you can actually use. Sometimes we follow one larger theme (like self-worth, choices, or community) across a series of episodes.
Topics include relationships, trauma and healing, identity, decision-making, existentialist philosophy, language, and the larger systems that shape our lives.
Got a question, story, or take? Send us a voicemail. We love hearing from you.
https://www.speakpipe.com/pamelacarey
Let's dive - 30 minutes beneath the surface, every Sunday.
This podcast is a production of Bounding Husky LLC doing business as Pamela Carey Enterprises
Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional or licensed psychologist
Episodes
The newest 20 of 64 episodes
- The Paradox of Choice in Online Dating: An NYC Perspective (Interview – Part 2) · 29 min · Episode 66This is Part 2 of our discussion on the Paradox of Choice and dating apps. In this episode, I’m joined by a friend to discuss his experiences navigating dating apps in a place…
- What dating apps are doing to love: Why more options can make finding love harder · 23 min · Episode 65If you’ve been on the apps for some time, you know that while there are more options than ever to find love presented in front of us, in many ways, it can feel harder. This is…
- Why trying to make the “best” choice can make you less happy · 28 min · Episode 64Would you rather feel happy with your decision or make a slightly better “objective” choice? It’s an interesting question, and in this episode, we unpack it through the lens of…
- Does More Analyzing Lead to Better Decisions? | Decision Series Ep. 1 · 19 min · Episode 63Do you struggle making decisions? The vast amount of optionality in our modern world has improved our lives in many ways, but it has also left many of us feeling frozen - trapped…
- How Do You Know If You’re Successful? (Are You Playing the Right Game?) · 32 min · Episode 62If you imagine 12 people lined up and ask each of them what it means to be successful, you may be surprised to realize that almost everyone is using a different scoreboard. Even…
- How to Organize Life Into Categories When it Feels Overwhelming · 25 min · Episode 61Life can feel like a lot of moving parts. Work, relationships, health, money, creativity, family, fun - when everything is swirling around at once, it can be hard to step back…
- The 5 character structures: How childhood wounds shape our patterns (and how we heal) | Somatic therapy interview · 25 min · Episode 60Today we welcome Rebecca Stone to the podcast to talk about somatic therapy - the intersection of mind, body, and emotions. I had been wanting to speak to someone with this…
- How Do We Actually Heal From Trauma? A Psychologist on Self-Worth, Recovery & More · 47 min · Episode 59I sat down with clinical psychologist Anita, who specializes in trauma work to talk about what working through trauma actually looks like, how trauma-focused therapy works, and…
- How to make your life feel bigger & more alive (When your routine has become a rut) · 35 min · Episode 58How do we make our lives feel fuller, more alive, and packed with meaningful memories? Often we stick to the same routine - watching the same shows or scrolling the same apps…
- The Most Dangerous Emotion in Connection: The Psychology of Contempt · 25 min · Episode 57Contempt is one of the most damaging emotions in human connection - but what exactly is it, and why can it be so difficult to let go of? In this episode of Immersion, we explore…
- Do the 5 Love Languages Actually Work? · 32 min · Episode 56Are the love languages actually still a useful tool in 2026? The original 5 Love Languages book was published by Dr. Gary Chapman in 1992, but the framework is still talked about…
- When Your Identity Becomes a Cage: How to Hold Your Story Lightly (Part 3) · 31 min · Episode 55How do we balance our past experiences and tendencies with the freedom of who we can become? In this episode, part 3 of a mini-series on identity and self-concept, we explore how…
- Who Are You, Really? Rethinking Identity, Freedom, and the Self (Part 2 on Identity) · 24 min · Episode 54What is the self? Are we as fixed as we think we are? In this episode, we explore identity, freedom, and self-concept through the lenses of philosophy and spirituality. Last…
- Do You Really Know Yourself? | The Psychology of Identity & Self-Concept (Part 1) · 30 min · Episode 53In order to love ourselves, we first have to know ourselves. But getting to know ourselves isn't always easy. Over time, we can become attached to a particular identity or story…
- You Don’t Need to Be "Fully Healed" to Date (For the Anxiously Attached) · 23 min · Episode 52Ever feel like the second dating gets stressful, anxious, or overwhelming, your only option is to hit pause and retreat? While taking space is completely valid, true relational…
- What Limerence Actually Feels Like: Is It Love or Limerence? · 31 min · Episode 51Part 1 was about the clinical definitions and the "why" behind limerence - this episode is about what it actually feels like to live through it. Limerence is a unique experience…
- When a Crush Becomes an Obsession: Understanding Limerence & Steps to Heal · 42 min · Episode 50Have you ever found yourself completely consumed by thoughts of someone, to the point where it feels less like a crush and more like an overwhelming, permanent presence in your…
- Why You Feel Like You’re Never Enough (Contingent Self-Worth) (series part 4) · 33 min · Episode 49Do you ever feel like your value as a person depends entirely on your last achievement, your productivity, or what someone else thinks of you? You’re not alone. This is part 4 in…
- How to Build Self-Worth and Stop Seeking External Validation (Part 3 in series) · 29 min · Episode 48The topic of self-worth cuts deeper than self-esteem. That is because self-worth is an internal sense that you are enough, and that you are fundamentally deserving of love and…
- Building Self-Esteem: The 6 Pillars · 28 min · Episode 47While self-esteem may seem like an elusive, vague concept, there are practical, everyday actions we can take to build it. In this episode, we explore the actionable frameworks…







