Arguably the most gripping of Sven's podcasts. To the same session, he welcomes two strangers: a self-proclaimed narcissist and the victim of a brutal life at the hands of one. In harrowing detail hear how their earliest experiences led them to untold misery, then greater understanding. Sven works hard with both guests - Dustin, a narcissist who was shocked into self-realization and is now determined to salvage his life, his marriage, and his relationship with his son. Then experience the moment when Dustin breaks down and apologizes to Amanda, the victim of the same kind of cruel behavior he's determined to change. Trigger warning, and explicit content.

Sven again takes on his online followers' questions in this Lightning Round. Wondering what good parenting looks like? Feeling competition with your ex to find new love? What does it mean to follow your energy? Dealing with the silent treatment? Not sure if you should get a cat? You've come to the right place for all this, and much more. Come on in! Explicit content.

Note: Trigger warning. 
Meet Rebecca, who has spent most of her life running from a "...dark black void," the result of an almost unbelievably harrowing childhood and parents who were abusive in the extreme. Sexually assaulted at age 10, mom blames her, drops the charges, and then beats her, and that's only one small part of her story. Regaining a successful life in her 40s, Rebecca struggles with feelings of both hate and love while working to flush out her pain. She wonders, "Who am I?" Join Sven in session for this heartbreaking yet hopeful session. Explicit content. 

Sven kicks off Season 3 with a Lightning Round all about releasing the pain. Responding to more than a dozen questions about everything from loss of trust to loss of a child, Sven brings the calm with insightful advice and understanding. Feeling the need to feel lighter? Join us for Lightning Round XXVI! Explicit content.

Sven counsels a young woman from South Africa who can't seem to break out of a pattern of bad relationships. After allowing that she bases her decisions primarily on the opinions of her mother and others, Sven helps her see a better path forward. It's the fundamental life question, he says, of living a life of fear vs. living a life of trust. 

Sometimes feel that you're living a life of just pleasing others? Tons of good advice in this episode. Come and sit in on this Badass Counseling session! Explicit content.

It's Sven's 25th Lightning Round, answering his followers' online questions right as they come at him. Listen for detailed insight on dealing with extreme takers (and being an extreme giver), tips on effective journaling, relationship red flags, a poignant question concerning an age difference, and more.
It's OK to obsess about a podcast like this one! So join us for Lightning Round XXV. Explicit content.

Sven works with two women with very different issues, and some striking details. Kimberly found out she was living with a cheater in ways you have to hear to believe. Oh, and he wants to bring home the sister of one of his ex-girlfriends because "she's a cool girl" -- with a provocative profession. Kimberly needs Sven's help to make a move. 
Angie suffers from chronic injuries that make her question her identity as she strives to recapture her former life, and the profession she loves. Listen for the reveal of her former occupation. 
Join Sven as he helps these women to adapt to adversity and learn the benefits derived from surviving life's inevitable challenges. Explicit content. 

More of Sven's unrehearsed responses to online followers' questions right as they come in. Listen for tons of insight on journaling, relationships gone bad, reliving trauma, choosing a therapist, and much more. Come on in for Lightning Round XXIV! Explicit content.

In this counseling episode, Sven works with two different clients whose lives are dramatically influenced by their children. Devin faces an inevitable divorce but doesn't want her teenage son to blame her for it. Richie lost a son in a drunk driving accident and fears losing his other son, perhaps literally, dealing with a divorce and many other recent deaths in the family. Sven helps Devin understand the reality of her situation, and counsels Richie that a different approach to parenting provides his best hope. Join Sven and his clients in-session for this ultimately uplifting, instructive episode on the heartaches and joys of parenting. Explicit content. 

Taped the day before Valentine's Day, love is in the air (and often gone with the wind) during this Lightning Round. Sven's suggested topic is breakups, and several poignant questions quickly follow. The Badass direct approach is in high gear, so please join us for Lightning Round XXIII! Explicit content.

In this dramatic counseling session, Sven works with two individuals who have suffered with emotional and physical abuse in the extreme. Garrison feels torn and lost, caught between cruel old messages and his desire for an authentic life. Jennifer survived an incredibly painful childhood filled with betrayal and abandonment, knows what she needs to do to break free, but feels sickened by the thought of confronting her feelings of past trauma. Join Sven in session for the tears, insight, and hope. Explicit content.

Sven ventures outside into the cold to answer his followers' online questions. Listen for advice on grieving after a breakup, what to do when your parents pressure you to get married, guiding an unemployed child who asks for money, and more. Sven also gives his views on the transformative power of music. Bundle up, take the chill off,  and join us for Lightning Round XXII! Explicit content.

Sven counsels a client with a particularly tragic story. Struggling with the will to exist, she recalls a childhood with alcoholic, abusive parents. And...her brother was worse. Emotional, physical, and sexual abuse all impact her incredible story. Why has she now reached the darkest depression of her life? Sven helps her to understand, and find the tools she needs to recapture her authentic, optimistic life. Explicit content.

Finding it hard to deal with lost love? Wondering what Sven means when he says "Flush"? Feel like you're living for everyone but yourself? Wondering how best to repair your relationship with your kids? Sven tackles these questions and much more, with keen insight and no-nonsense advice, in his latest Lightning Round. Explicit content.

Generational trauma in the extreme! Buckle up for Sven's group therapy session with two women whose struggles with their mothers are almost beyond belief. Lenna suffered a terrible accident at age 4 and has felt depressed and suicidal for most of her life. Dionne has discovered that her entire family story was a lie. Yes, mother plays the central role in both cases. Listen for stories of revenge, neglect, abuse, police action, forced drugging, and more. Sven's compassion and insight prove invaluable to both women, and they in turn support each other in this impactful episode. Explicit content.  

Trouble setting boundaries? Missing red flags in your relationship? Wondering if you should talk to your partner about your therapy session? Need help letting go of a grudge? Wondering if jealousy is a wrong thing to feel? Join Sven for his 20th Lightning Round as he fields these questions and more from his online followers. Explicit content.

If your spouse gets mad and storms out because you don't want to have sex when they have COVID and you don't, is it time to leave? How hard is it to leave when you know you should? For many of us, it's one of the hardest things we've ever done. And so it is with Sven's two guests in this week's counseling episode. Lindsey has been tolerating spousal abuse for years, echoes of her childhood home life. She has come to realize that she has "...a past that doesn't fit my future." In a bizarre story, Megan has moved in with her boyfriend but finds that his ex controls every aspect of his life, using their children to manipulate and abuse him. Megan has tried to help to no avail, and says, "I'm the last person on his list." So far, both these women have decided to stay. Sven helps them face the reality of their situations with compassion and understanding. Explicit content.

Feeling uninspired? What inspires Sven? Feeling the pressure of being the golden child? Or resentful that you're not? When seeking therapy, do you choose a social worker, psychologist, or psychiatrist? What's the real purpose and benefit of journaling? 
In this Lightning Round episode, Sven's online followers look for these answers and more, and Sven delivers with insight and tons of personal reflection. Come on in! Explicit content.

Sven counsels two individuals at dramatic inflection points in their work life, each discovering deep connections to their past and new hope for the future. Aislinn loves her work but her boss doesn't care about her ongoing education and aspirations, and is holding her back. Curtis, a distinguished Marine veteran, finds it difficult to get up and go to his job and feels horribly stuck. He believes no one really cares about him. Sven helps him begin to work through the effects of life-long pain from violent, abusive parents and military trauma. 
Getting out the pain makes career decisions easier and better...but that's just the beginning. Listen in to these illuminating conversations in this impactful episode. Explicit content.

There's a lot of inside information about counseling in this Lightning Round! Listener questions prompt Sven to discuss his philosophy of soul counseling and the reason the word "badass" fits perfectly with his approach. He fields lots of questions about core beliefs and provides powerful insight about dealing with boredom. Check out Sven's response to a question about trusting yourself after a massive failure, and much more. It's time for Lightning Round XVIII! Explicit content.

Join Sven as he counsels two clients searching for ways to get unstuck!  Nate is miserable in his job and knows what he wants to do, but is unsure how to get there. Sarah has made great progress in overcoming clinical depression, but can't figure out how to fill the void she has always felt in herself. She knows that wine and cigarettes are not the answer. Sven's insight and advice helps both these individuals deal with their pain and get on the road to a better future. Explicit content.

Time to release the pain! In this Lightning Round, listen in as Sven fields online questions, many dealing with flushing out the pain that gets in the way of an authentic, happier life. For example... 

• How do I prepare for my wedding day with my narcissistic mom there?
• I'm 62 years old. How do I find someone without baggage?
• My dad killed himself 3 years ago. How do I process this?
• I get along better with my in-laws better than my parents and I feel guilty.
• My dad is abusive. How do I move on without moving out?

...and more. Join us for Lightning Round XVII!

Sven counsels two men with some common problems that hit hard when it happens to you.  Daniel's core beliefs and fear of failure get in the way of his success. Brandon finds himself in a custody battle and thinks of confronting his ex about their feelings for each other -- but what does he really want and need? In this illuminating episode, Sven helps the guys understand the cause and effect of their feelings, and where to go from here. Explicit content.

The new year of Sven's Lightning Rounds gets off to a fast start with many questions centered around the concept of core beliefs: Why are they so hard to discover, so critical in the quest for real change, and how do they drive behaviors? Other questions in this session concern grandparents raising children, raising children who like you, and ways to overcome toxic shame. Sven also shares his feelings about seeking revenge. Join Sven and his followers for Lightning Round XVI. Explicit content.

In this deep and emotional episode, Sven counsels a client whose parents knowingly pushed them into an ongoing situation with a sexual predator, one of many examples of abuse and emotional neglect. Sven points out that the client clearly knows what love isn't, and helps them on the way to self-worth...and self-love. Listen in as the client experiences a life-changing epiphany. Explicit content.

Time to join Sven again for all the answers to questions his online followers throw at him. If you've been wondering...

• What to do when your partner wants to search your phone,
• How to move on when your partner has no problem doing it,
• How to accept that you may never have kids,
• If it's ok for a husband to take a female co-worker to dinner and share 2 bottles of wine, or
• What to do when your mother gives you a weight to carry that you were never meant to bear,

then come on in and take the chill off! It's Lightning Round XV!

Sven’s client wants a good relationship with her father. But listen as she says, “Blow my mind!” when she begins to understand the profound effects of her past. If you don’t feel safe as a child, can you repair the relationship with your parents? And it’s no surprise that you want to do better with your own kids. Easier said than done, but Sven helps find the way. Explicit content.

Join Sven for another recorded online session as he fields rapid-fire questions from his followers on an amazing variety of subjects, including:

• How do you know when your marriage is not repairable?
• How do I deal with the anger that comes from an injustice complex?
• Is it normal to have no memories of childhood?
• My husband doesn't appreciate gifts. Should we still give them?
• How do I manage my first holidays without my best friend who died?

and much more. Come aboard for Lightning Round XIV! 

Holiday season got you down? Sven has deep insight and inspiration for you! His first guest can’t remember much of her childhood but recalls that the holidays were a particularly tough time in a very volatile household, facing neglected birthdays just before Christmas, emotionally absent parents, and an unstable sister. And yet Sven’s guest finds the strength to put herself first and enjoy life—and the holidays—again.

Sven’s second guest brings a heartbreaking story of losing her mother just before Thanksgiving and losing her rock, her father, just before Christmas. The magic of the holidays vanished for her, a single mom raising three boys, two with special needs. She found herself alone and without hope. Sven provides a broad shoulder and positive thoughts about managing the pain and grief, and seeing the promise of a brighter path forward. Explicit content.

Sven again takes to the Internet to field a steady flow of questions coming in from his followers. This time, Sven gets into some of his own family history and provides guidance on topics including:

• Moving on after divorce when you're stuck and your ex isn't
• Staying in a relationship with a malevolent partner
• Best friends who abandon you
• Cutting ties with abusive adoptive parents
• Holidays when your kids want to see your in-laws...and you don't

And much more. It's full badass. It's Lightning Round XIII!

Sven’s counseling session builds to a dramatic climax when his client realizes her parents never allowed her to express her own feelings. Despite a successful career in adulthood, the pattern was set for crippling depression, no sense of purpose, and suicide attempts. Sven asks the question, “Do you want to know why you’re miserable, depressed, and anxiety-ridden?” Together with his client they find the answer, and a better way forward. Explicit content.

Listeners have questions, Sven has answers. Deep answers! In this collection of Sven's followers' challenging issues:

• My mom doesn't realize she will lose her kids because of her narcissist husband.
• I can't establish boundaries with my parents because they threaten eviction.
• I've been abused all my life and can't find my authentic self.
• Is it possible to be happy alone, after a 23-year marriage?
• How can I get my mom to stop teaching my kids negativity like she did to me?
• Why do I keep going back to my abusive boyfriend?

And more. Listen as Sven goes full badass for Lightning Round XII!

The continuing effects of parental abuse create an intolerable life for Bella, who asks for Sven’s help to find true healing for her and her children. Bella’s story includes an alcoholic father and childhood sexual abuse by relatives…and a mother who continues to welcome the abusers into family gatherings (Yes, mom knows about it). “All I ever wanted from my mother is her love and attention, and I’ve never gotten that.” Sven shows Bella how she has repeated her dysfunctional family experience in her own relationships – an “aha” moment for Bella – and how to stand up for herself and find the way to a much happier future. Explicit content.

Tons of great advice from Sven in this Lightning Round! Fears of an age gap in your relationship? Dealing with abuse resulting from your setting boundaries? Need to reset your relationship with an adult child? Have too much social anxiety? Feeling troubled after leaving your ex (even if you want them back)? Afraid to go back to school when you're over 40? Looking to get over your guilt about cutting off your parents? For Sven's insight and guidance on these and other tough topics, check out this episode of The Badass Counseling Show! Explicit content.

When you’re raising 4 kids and discover that you’re married to a serial cheater, then what? And when you confront your husband and he says he’s found religion but then quits church after a few weeks, can you ever trust him? And can you trust yourself to face your fear of being alone in an entirely new life? In this riveting counseling session, Sven guides his client through a mash-up of challenging issues to help her understand her past and find the way to her brightest future. Explicit content.

Sven fields more of his followers’ rapid-fire questions on a variety of tough topics. 

• I’m living in my car and stuck in the past. Help! Sven responds from personal experience.
•  Does journaling really work? Again from personal experience, Sven really opens up.
• After 8 years of emotional abuse, he says he’s changed. Really?
• How to let go? By holding on tighter.
• How can I be sane in dating when I have mommy and daddy issues? 
• How can I deal with regret when I was so scared?

And much more. Join us for Lightning Round X.

When your inheritance is abuse and neglect, the lasting effects of trauma run deep from generation to generation. Listen in as Sven counsels Hunter, whose family disowned his grandparents for abusing his father, only to find himself the target of the same pattern of cruelty at home. Trapped between alienation from his father and his desire for acceptance, Hunter must choose between living with the trauma or facing the fear of being alone. When your father threatens suicide and blames you, where do you turn? Sven unlocks the impact of Hunter’s troubled past and helps him chart a way forward in this complex case. Explicit content.

More deep answers to questions from listeners! 

• Sven illustrates his response about dealing with "takers" with the story of Echo and Narcissus.
•  A woman's husband wants a divorce but suggests his wife "stay close" in case they try again, but Sven sees right through the BS. 
• How do I ask my partner if they've been cheating?
• How do I get over my father's death, 4 years ago?
• Am I too picky so I'll be alone forever? Sven offers a direct solution.
• How do I make a long-distance relationship work?

And much more in Sven's 9th Lightning Round podcast! 

Come inside Sven’s counseling sessions with two clients who can’t seem to change their lives the way they want. James is separated but still living with his wife. He thinks they love each other but if he is confident enough to reveal his true self to her, she would leave him. Recovering from suicidal tendencies, he learns that dealing with old parental messages plays a critical part in his quest for a loving, fulfilling life. 

Rebecca has become unmotivated and can’t understand why. After resting for many years recovering from a chronic illness, her self-employed dream career seems to be on track but she can’t overcome her fears of not being accepted and being paid what she is clearly worth. Explicit content.

How to navigate dating sites? Sven draws on his own personal experience in graphic detail. Other topics from followers include convincing your ex that you never cheated (and why), doing anything to get attention including staying in an abusive relationship,   and dealing with overthinkers and long distance relationships. Sven also employs an impactful Star Wars reference to illustrate the importance of feelings. Explicit content.

Sven quickly untangles a complicated web of breakups, make-ups, changing partners, children, and serial cheating to help his guest discover the root of her problems…and their solutions. “Should we break up?” is only the first of many questions to resolve on the way to a more authentic and fulfilling life. Explicit content.  

The best of Sven's online followers' questions and comments recorded from a live online session. "My husband says my feelings aren't real." "I love that you're in therapy but I don't need it myself." "How do I deal with the loss of a child?" "How do I find love again with my spouse when everything annoys me?" And much more. Explicit content.

Sven counsels a woman who comes to a startling revelation about the roots of her difficulties in dealing with the biological father of her young son. When shared parenting begins to hurt a child, it's time to go deep and solve the underlying issues. Listen for another dose of balm for the soul from Sven. 

Till death do us part? Sven tackles this question along with many others from a recorded online session with his followers. Issues include disconnecting from an abusive parent, taking sides in a divorce, change that isn't real, and the many sides of cheating. Explicit content.

They say “Forgive and forget” and “Forgive for yourself, not for them.” But what if that doesn't work? What if you just can’t forgive because what they did was so heinous and you feel stuck? Sven goes deep with two guests and helps them find the answers. Explicit content.

Sven fields his followers' questions in another recorded online session. He responds to "My friends say you're too aggressive and you want us to hate our parents." Other topics include: toxic masculinity, dealing with step families and difficult family members, helping a spouse through a difficult time, and what to say to your mistress. Time to go deep again! Explicit content.

The other side of the story from Episode 8! You've heard from the cause of the problem, now hear the effects on the partner he hurt. When trust is shattered, is there ever a path forward? Sven goes deep and counsels the woman betrayed just before her planned wedding. Explicit content.

Sven fields his followers' rapid-fire questions about regret and other topics. A  husband can't explain why he watches live cams, an adult victim of childhood trauma gets no empathy from their parent, a manipulating spouse threatens divorce, and more. Sven goes deep, as usual! Explicit content.

A random hookup derails an impending wedding, and Sven goes deep with a remorseful guy to discover why he would choose such a destructive path. Can this relationship be saved? Here's his side of the story, and in a future episode we'll hear from his (maybe still) fiancée. Explicit content.

Sven again responds to followers' questions and talks about body image, getting over someone, dealing with a dishonest husband, anger issues, the myth of pain-free relationships,  and tells the story of losing his virginity--and its lasting effects. Explicit content.

What drags us down in dating? It’s not what’s going on outside us or in the other person; it’s what’s going on inside ourselves. Sven proves it here, going deep quickly with two great guests struggling with dating, helping them to find the way forward to healthy, kickass relationships. 

Rapid-fire questions recorded from Sven's online followers with challenging issues, including finding the ideal partner, changing your love language, and the limits of forgiveness. Explicit content. 

It's a hellacious loop when you're involved with a cheater who denies, deflects, apologizes, and blames. What do you do when a part of you knows you should leave, a big part of you loves them and wants to stay, and part of you is just plain scared to leave?

In a prerecorded session, Sven takes questions from his online followers on a variety of provocative topics, including addiction and dream careers. Explicit content.

Continuing with the issue of young adults finding their way on their own, Sven plays his original short online post, and answers related questions submitted by young and older listeners who have deep issues and very strong opinions on the subject.

In Sven's inaugural podcast, he tackles the thorny issue of young adults struggling to move on from their parents' control and get their own lives started. Sven counsels a 26-year-old who overcame suicidal depression and is now trying to launch an independent, fulfilling life.