Therapy Chat | Psychotherapy | Mindfulness | Trauma | Attachment | Worthiness | Self Care | Parenting

Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2 month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to www.TherapyNotes.com and using the promo code TherapyChat. Welcome back to Therapy Chat! In episode 248, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews Scotland and New Zealand-based clinical hypnotherapist and hypnotherapy coach Elisa DiNapoli. Elisa is a musician and performer who loves helping fellow performers overcome performance anxiety with clinical hypnotherapy. If you've wanted to learn more about hypnotherapy, you will want to listen in to this episode, which was recorded back in January, 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the world. Elisa Di Napoli has been a full time integrative clinical hypnotherapist since 2001, her practice expanding across New Zealand and Scotland. Her work places a great deal of importance on positive mental health, Neurolinguistic Psychology, and Holistic Coaching. She studied hypnotherapy at the prestigious Hypnotherapy Training Institute of Northern California

Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2 month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to www.TherapyNotes.com and using the promo code TherapyChat. Welcome back to Therapy Chat! Today host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C speaks with Gracy Obuchowicz about self-care from an ayurvedic perspective.  Gracy Obuchowicz is a Washington, DC-based group facilitator, retreat leader and self-care coach. She helps overwhelmed professionals find a deeper work/life balance and live their way into real purpose with strength and ease. Honest and nurturing, Gracy creates healing communities all over the world that activate deep change. Her thoughtful and practical application of self-care techniques continue to evolve and transform many lives. Gracy is a certified Integral Facilitator, a 500-hour registered yoga teacher, and a continuing scholar of Ayurveda. She has led transformational self-care retreats as close as West Virginia and as far away as India and Bali. She has led self-care workshops for the Department of

Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2 month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to www.TherapyNotes.com and using the promo code TherapyChat. Welcome back to Therapy Chat! Today host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C revisits her conversation with Gretchen Schmelzer, PhD about her book Journey Through Trauma: A Trail Guide to the 5-Phase Cycle of Healing Repeated Trauma. Gretchen Schmelzer, PhD is a licensed psychologist, trained as a Harvard Medical School Fellow. She is a trauma survivor, who has worked for twenty-five years with the complex issues of trauma, integration and behavior change across every level of system from individuals, to groups, to large systems and countries, including her role as the expert consultant Frontline for their documentary on Alaskan survivors of priest sexual abuse (aired April 19, 2011). She leads programs using leadership development and trauma-informed emotional intelligence to help communities worldwide engage in the difficult public health issues confronting

Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2-month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to www.TherapyNotes.com and using the promo code TherapyChat.  Welcome back to Therapy Chat! In today's podcast host Laura Reagan revisits an earlier episode speaking with Deirdre Fay, MSW, LICSW, who integrates trauma and attachment theory with yoga and meditation in embodiment.  The work she does arises out of her life. What she knows is grounded in her own healing as well as rigorous training as a psychotherapist looking for answers and ways to help others navigate the often-difficult terrain of healing trauma and attachment wounds. Deirdre knows what it’s like to make that journey. She did it dealing with her own history of trauma and as she searched for answers to relational and attachment issues. During the course of her life, she was lucky to have lived for six years in a spiritual community [Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health] which surrounded her with a nurturing environment. That experience g

Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2-month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to www.TherapyNotes.com and using the promo code TherapyChat.  Welcome back to Therapy Chat! In today's podcast host Laura Reagan revisits an earlier episode speaking with Sharon Martin, LCSW. Sharon is a licensed therapist, counselor, and mental health and wellness writer based in San Jose, CA. She has spent 20 years providing counseling, therapy, and clinical supervision. Sharon has built a specialized private practice that reflects her belief that you matter, and you can love yourself, heal, be empowered, speak your truth, and create a life you love. Listen for Sharon’s incredible insights on life, well-being and much more! Resources  https://livewellwithsharonmartin.com Want a cool Therapy Chat t-shirt, sticker or mug? Find them here: https://www.teepublic.com/user/therapychat  Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to https://therapychatpodcast.com and clicking on the green Speakpipe butto

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! In today's podcast host Laura Reagan revisits her conversation with Dr. Veronique Mead on chronic illness and trauma.  Dr. Veronique Mead integrates the research on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), attachment trauma and additional types of adversity as risk factors for autoimmune disease and other chronic illnesses. She shares this emerging new paradigm of disease on her blog Chronic Illness Trauma Studies to inform people living with chronic physical conditions and educate medical and health care professionals. Veronique draws from her background as a family physician and assistant professor, a Master's degree in body-oriented psychotherapy, specialty training in somatically based trauma and perinatal therapies, and applying and exploring these principles on a personal journey of recovery from chronic illness. She lives in Boulder, CO. Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2-month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to www.TherapyNotes.com and

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! In today's podcast host Laura Reagan revisits an earlier episode speaking to Dr. Gabor Maté. Dr. Maté is the co-founder of Compassion for Addiction, a new non-profit that focuses on addiction. He is also an advisor of Drugs over Dinner. As an author, Dr. Maté has written several bestselling books including the award-winning In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction; When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress; and Scattered Minds: A New Look at the Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder, and co-authored Hold on to Your Kids. His works have been published internationally in twenty languages. For twelve years Dr. Maté worked in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside with patients challenged by hard-core drug addiction, mental illness and HIV, including at Vancouver’s Supervised Injection Site. With over 20 years of family practice and palliative care experience and extensive knowledge of the latest findings of leading-edge research, Dr. Maté is a sou

Welcome to episode 241 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. This week's episode features two previous fascinating conversations with Amy Sugeno, LCSW, PLLC. Amy explains that Eco Therapy can take many forms, including animal-assisted (for example, canine and equine) therapies, wilderness therapies, walk and talk therapy, horticulture therapy and clinical eco-therapy in an office, as well as many other possibilities. She explains that this is a depth-oriented type of psychotherapy which can be very powerful. Amy describes how she conducts an eco-therapy session what to wear and what a client can expect overall. She and Laura discuss the power dynamics of the therapy relationship and how Eco Therapy can help create a balance. For the past 10 years, Amy has worked to help people heal from trauma. Most of her work has been with adults and teens affected by interpersonal violence and sexual abuse. Over the years, she has also worked with people struggling with suicidal thoughts, self-har

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! In this week's episode host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C revisits two of her favourite conversations with Dr Jonice Webb.  Dr. Webb has been a licensed psychologist since 1991, and has worked in a variety of different settings over the course of her career, including a psychiatric emergency service and substance abuse programs.  She has been the Director of several large outpatient clinics.  For the past eight years, she has been enjoying her private practice in Lexington, Massachusetts, specializing in the treatment of couples and families. Dr. Jonice Webb has been interviewed on NPR and over thirty radio shows across the United States and Canada about the topic of her book, Emotional Neglect, and has been quoted as a psychologist expert in the Chicago Tribune. She writes the popular Childhood Emotional Neglect Blog on PsychCentral.com. Over two decades of practicing psychology, Dr. Webb gradually started to see a factor from childhood which weighs upon people as adults.  This facto

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! In this week's episode host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C revisits two of her favourite conversations with Tim Desmond. Tim Desmond is a mindfulness teacher, therapist in private practice, and co-founder of Morning Sun Mindfulness Center in Alstead, NH. He is the author of Self-Compassion in Psychotherapy (W.W. Norton, 2015) and offers training and consultation to therapists around the world, helping them to integrate positive psychology and mindfulness practices into their work. Tim has presented at Yale University, the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy Colloquium, Greater Oregon Behavioral Health Conference, and the International Society for Ethics in Psychology and Psychiatry, as well as to mental health audiences around the country. His writings on mindfulness and positive psychology have appeared in the Psychotherapy Networker and the Mindfulness Bell magazine. Tim was interviewed about self-compassion by the Huffington Post, and writes for major mental health websites s

In episode 238 host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews Casey Hersch, LCSW about how energy healing can be a helpful part of healing trauma, chronic pain and chronic illness - when practiced in an ethical manner. Casey shares how consumers can identify safe and unsafe energy healing practices, some of the advantages and pitfalls of using these practices, and how to find an energy worker who is part of a professional organization with ethical standards to protect the public. Casey, a previous guest on Therapy Chat, discusses how energy healing practices have helped her as part of her recovery from trauma and Crohn's disease. Casey Hersch is a licensed clinical social worker, consultant, author, ballroom dancer, and founder of www.lightyoursparkle.life. She specializes in integrative treatment models for chronic illness. She has enhanced her understanding of healing through her studies of holistic treatment modalities. Her own struggles with autoimmune illness (Crohn's disease) and trauma inspire her to hel

Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2-month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to www.TherapyNotes.com and using the promo code TherapyChat.  In today's episode, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews the co-authors of "The Tough Standard: The hard truths about masculinity and violence," Dr. Ronald Levant and Shana Pryor. In this conversation you'll learn about the construct of masculinity and how it impinges upon men and others. Ronald F. Levant, EdD, ABPP, is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at The University of Akron; Past President of the American Psychological Association (APA) and APA Division 51; and two-term Editor of APA Division 51’s quarterly journal, Psychology of Men & Masculinities. He has developed and evaluated a number of measures designed to assess a variety of gender constructs. Dr. Levant’s signature contribution has been in establishing the empirical foundation for the “Normative Male Alexithymia” hypothesis. In addition, he developed Alexithymi

Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2-month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to www.TherapyNotes.com and using the promo code TherapyChat.  Welcome back! In this week's episode host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews an expert on workplace culture and its influence on employees. Rajkumari Neogy, the author of "The WIT Factor: Shifting the Workplace Paradigm by Becoming Your Optimal Self," discusses the importance of a workplace environment that makes employees feel a sense of belonging. Rajkumari, who holds a master’s degree in Transformative Leadership Development from the California Institute of Integral Studies describes his experience working at Facebook and other iconic organizations in the Silicon Valley, and why she became a leadership coach based on those experiences. You will hear more about: - How epigenetics factor into creating an inclusive workplace culture - Why leaders should care about "being nice" to their employees - How just as we can rewire our

Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2-month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to www.TherapyNotes.com and using the promo code TherapyChat.  Welcome back! In this week's episode host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews an expert on workplace culture and its influence on employees. Rajkumari Neogy, the author of "The WIT Factor: Shifting the Workplace Paradigm by Becoming Your Optimal Self," discusses the importance of a workplace environment that makes employees feel a sense of belonging. Rajkumar, who holds a master’s degree in Transformative Leadership Development from the California Institute of Integral Studies describes his experience working at Facebook and other iconic organizations in the Silicon Valley, and why she became a leadership coach based on those experiences. You will hear: - How epigenetics factor into creating an inclusive workplace culture - Why leaders should care about "being nice" to their employees - How just as we can rewire our neural pathw

Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2-month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to www.TherapyNotes.com and using the promo code TherapyChat.  In today's episode, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews Dr. Jodie Skillicorn, a holistic psychiatrist and author of the new book, "Healing Depression Without Medication: a psychiatrist's guide to balancing mind, body and soul". Jodie explains how trauma plays a role in many psychiatric symptoms and how she works with her partients using medications as a last resort. Tune in for an interesting and thought provoking discussion! Dr. Jodie Skillicorn is an osteopathic physician board certified in Psychiatry and a diplomate of the American Board of Integrative and Holistic Medicine. She integrates conventional medical training with evidence-based holistic methods that include breathwork, meditation, yoga, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), Emotional Freedom Techniques (E

Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2-month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to www.TherapyNotes.com and using the promo code TherapyChat.  233: Tolerating Discomfort As A White Person Confronting Racism & White Supremacy In this week's episode host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C discusses how the Window of Tolerance and Polyvagal Theory play a role in white people's reactions to confronting our roles in racism. Laura offers "Window of Tolerance 101" to explain hyperarousal and hypoarousal, and how our bodies and brains respond to threats. She describes Deb Dana's Polyvagal Ladder concept as well. Laura reflects upon her own complicity in upholding the systems of oppression that support white supremacy and what she has begun to understand while reading "White Fragility" by Dr. Robin DiAngelo. She reads from an article sharing thoughts of black therapists that are offered to white therapists. She offers resources for white people understanding more and getting

Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2-month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to www.TherapyNotes.com and using the promo code TherapyChat.  Episode 232: Confronting Structural Inequality & White Supremacy  I. I am a white person, and I have my own internalized biases, including racism. I am continually working to confront my own biases and to do better, and I do my best to challenge racism when I see it.  I am not an expert in anti-racism work but as a social worker and activist, I do have a lot of education and experience in social justice work. I cannot and won't pretend to have the lived experience of a Black or Brown person living in America and I will give a long list of resources at the end of this episode, that is not an exhaustive list by any means. As I posted on social media earlier in the week, we have two Americas. One that works for white people and one that works against Black people. After the recent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery,

Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2-month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to www.TherapyNotes.com and using the promo code TherapyChat.  Welcome to episode 231 of the Therapy Chat Podcast. In this week's solo episode, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C shares her observations of the reactions many of us are having to the pandemic. She touches on the following topics: Isolation Fear Anger Loss of Control/Powerlessness Some of the positive things that are coming from this What we can do about the feelings that are coming up And Laura wants to know whether this content is what you want to hear, or if you are itching for some of the usual content that you would normally hear on Therapy Chat. Please take a moment to complete this very short, anonymous survey! Please take a moment to let Laura know how you feel the content. Are you sick of hearing about the pandemic or do you want Laura to keep talking about it? https://forms.gle/1faMssk8FFAe1N4u9  Resources: Leave me a message via Speakp

Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2-month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to www.TherapyNotes.com and using the promo code TherapyChat.  Welcome to episode 230 of the Therapy Chat Podcast. In this weeks episode host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews Kyle Davies on the subject finding your true self whilst coping with Covid-19. Kyle Davies is a wellbeing and mindset coach, author and trainer. He specializes in helping individuals and groups to optimise their energy and wellbeing, combat stress and stress-related symptoms, improve mental clarity and performance, and develop inner resilience and flow. Kyle originally qualified as a Chartered Occupational Psychologist and is the creator of Energy-Flow Coaching™. He spent a chunk of his career pioneering a new approach for treating chronic fatigue and pain, anxiety, depression and other stress-related symptoms – which is reflected in the recently published book, The Intelligent Body. Kyle’s work is about developing people from the insi

Thank you to this episode's sponsor, TherapyNotes. Get a 2-month free trial of TherapyNotes by going to www.TherapyNotes.com and using the promo code TherapyChat.  In this week's episode host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews eating disorders specialist Jennifer Rollin, LCSW-C about how the current pandemic can bring up issues from those who are in recovery from eating disorders. Our guest also describes how people who don't identify as having eating disorders can begin having issues during this time, and offers resources for anyone who is struggling. Guest's bio: Jennifer Rollin is a therapist and founder of The Eating Disorder Center in Rockville, Maryland, who specializes in working with adolescents and adults with eating disorders and body image issues. Jennifer serves as the chairwoman of Project Heal's national network of eating disorder treatment providers. Jennifer has been named as one of the top eating disorder experts in the world by Balance Eating Disorder Treatment Center in NYC