Bonus Episode - “Distorted Mirrors” - Inspired by Pablo Picasso

Distorted mirrors don’t lie . . . but they don’t tell the whole truth either.

In this 5-minute bonus episode of The Lemon Tree Coaching Podcast, we explore how perception shapes emotional reality - through the lens of art, memory, and the mind’s need to make meaning.

Inspired by the fragmented beauty of Pablo Picasso’s Cubist work, this reflection dives into a powerful idea: what we feel isn’t always a direct reflection of what       is . . . it’s often layered with everything we’ve lived.

Emotions can be honest and distorted at the same time.

This episode is your pause.
Your reset.
Your gentle reminder to get curious about your reactions instead of immediately believing them.

Reflection prompts:
• What might be influencing how this moment feels?
• Am I responding to the present . . . or to the past it’s touching?
• What changes when I create space before reacting?

Come for the insight, stay for the self-awareness
Where inner work meets everyday life#TheLemonTreeCoaching #EmotionalAwareness #SelfReflection #InnerWork #PsychologyPodcast #MindsetShift #HealingJourney #PerceptionVsReality #PersonalGrowth #PodcastReflection

This podcast is for educational and reflective purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you’re struggling, consider reaching out to a licensed therapist or qualified healthcare provider.

Mental Health Resources:
• In the U.S., you can call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
• Chat via 988lifeline.org
• Text HOME to 741741 to reach Crisis Text Line
• If you are in immediate danger, call 911

You don’t have to navigate it alone. 💛

Transcript

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SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome back to the Lemon Tree Coaching Podcast, where psychology, storytelling, and personal growth intertwine. I'm your host, Dr. Alison Sukamelli, and today's bonus episode is a short reflection, a five-minute pause on perception, emotion, and the idea that what we see isn't always what is. Today we're stepping into the concept of distorted mirrors. If you've ever looked at a piece of art by Pablo Picasso, especially during his cubist period, you'll notice something unsettling. Faces don't quite align, eyes exist from multiple angles at once, features feel fragmented, exaggerated, or misplaced, and yet there's something true about it. It doesn't look accurate, but it feels honest. And that's where psychology begins. Because emotionally, we don't experience life in clean lines and perfect proportions. We experience it through distortion. When someone says something that hits a wound, you don't just hear their words, you hear every version of that moment that came before it. Every time you felt dismissed, every time you felt misunderstood, every time you questioned your worth. And suddenly what was said in the present moment becomes layered with the past. The reflection changes. And this is what I mean by distorted mirrors. Your mind is constantly interpreting reality, not just receiving it. It's filtering, shaping, adjusting based on memory, belief, fear, and expectation. So when something feels overwhelming, confusing, or even painful, it doesn't necessarily mean the moment itself is as intense as it feels. It means your perception is carrying more than just the present. And this is where people often get stuck. They assume if it feels this real, it must be this real. But emotional intensity is not always a measure of objective truth. It's often a reflection of internal significance. A Picasso painting doesn't aim to show you what something looks like, it shows you what something feels like. And your emotional experiences work the same way. Think about a time when you replayed a conversation over and over in your mind. Each time it shifted slightly, the tone became sharper, the meaning became heavier, the other person's intentions became more defined, even if they never said those things explicitly. And that's not because you were trying to distort reality. It's because your mind was trying to make sense of it, to fill in gaps, to create coherence, to protect you, to prepare you. But sometimes in doing that, it reshapes the reflection. So the question becomes: how do you tell the difference between what is and what your mind is creating? The answer isn't to distrust your emotions, it's to get curious about them. And instead of asking, is this true? Try asking what might be influencing how this feels. Is this reaction connected to something older? Is there a pattern here? Am I responding to this moment or to everything it reminds me of? Because when you begin to separate the present from the past, something shifts. The mirror starts to clear, not perfectly, not all at once, but enough to see more accurately. And here's the deeper truth: distortion isn't a flaw in your system, it's a feature of being human. Your mind is not a camera, it's an interpreter. And interpretation is shaped by experience. So the goal isn't to eliminate distortion completely, that's not realistic. The goal is awareness, to recognize when your emotional mirror might be bending the image and to pause before reacting as if it's the full picture. Because when you do that, you create space. Space to respond instead of react, space to understand instead of assume, space to reconnect with what's actually in front of you, not just what it reminds you of. And that's where growth happens. Not enforcing clarity, but in gently questioning distortion. So the next time something feels overwhelming, sharp, or confusing, ask yourself: is this the moment as it is, or the moment as it's being reflected through everything I've lived? That question alone can change everything. Thank you for being here, for doing this work, and for allowing yourself to see a little more clearly each time. Until next time, I'm Dr. Allison Sukamelli, and this is the Lemon Tree Coaching Podcast, where inner work meets everyday life seen through a compassionate lens. Take care, and I'll see you next week.