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! Today host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C flies solo to have a deeper discussion of trauma triggers  In this week's episode, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C discusses a topic which comes up frequently on Therapy Chat: trauma triggers. She provides a more in-depth discussion than has happened in past episodes, using examples of how trauma triggers may show up for us and how clinicians and non-professionals can conceptualize these symptoms through the lens of trauma. She also offers recommendations for clinicians and non-professionals for how to address these triggers when they arise.  Resources  To learn more about Tara Brach's RAIN approach: https://www.tarabrach.com/rain/  Kristin Neff's self-compassion guided meditations: https://self-compassion.org/category/exercises/#guided-meditations  Please let us k

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 to Terry Marks-Tarlow, Ph.D about accessing clinical intuition.  Terry Marks-Tarlow, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist who lives in Topanga and maintains a private practice in Santa Monica, California. Terry works with adults, adolescents and couples. She is Core Faculty of the Insight Center in Los Angeles. She is a Research Associate at the Institute of Fractal Research in Kassel, Germany, and sits on the Advisory Board of the California Dance Institute.   Terry has been practicing and teaching yoga for over 30 years. During psychotherapy, she taps into the embodied wisdom available from yoga plus her dance background. Terry loves art and draws profusely, illustrating many of her own books. Generally, she strives towards a balanced life, aiming to embody her own value

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 to Dr. Rachel Altvater about what parents need to know about play therapy.   Dr. Rachel Altvater is a Licensed Psychologist in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia, Registered Play Therapist–Supervisor, and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional. She is the owner of Creative Psychological Health Services, a psychologist at Gil Institute for Trauma Recovery and Education, an affiliate faculty member at Loyola University Maryland, the Continuing Education Director of Starbright Training Institute, and a board member of The MD/DC Association for Play Therapy.   Dr. Altvater published two articles in the International Journal of Play Therapy on her research of technology use in play therapy and is a contributing author in Integrating Expressive Arts into Counseling Prac

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 to Irene Siegel, Ph.D., LCSW about Transpersonal Therapy, Shamanism and Trauma.   Irene Siegel, Ph.D., LCSW is co-director of Center Point in Huntington N.Y. where she conducts her integrative psychotherapy practice and teaches meditation and healing. She is an approved EMDR consultant and teacher. She studied the ancient healing arts of shamanism throughout North and South America, and teaches the integration of Western psychotherapy and science with ancient healing arts as depicted in her recently published book The Sacred Path of the Therapist: Modern Healing, Ancient Wisdom, and Client Transformation.   As a teacher and lecturer, she has broken through traditional barriers presenting at numerous conferences, introducing the innovative concept of integrating shamanis

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 flies solo to look back at episode 165 with Gretchen Schmelzer and reevaluates the trauma therapy process and also answering a listeners question. Resources Click to listen to Episode 165 with Gretchen Schmelzer  Journey Through Trauma by Gretchen Schmelzer: https://amzn.to/2sIt6J5 (affiliate link) Trauma & Recovery book by Judith Herman: https://amzn.to/2Msbt9q (affiliate link) Janina Fisher's Psychoeducational Aids for Psychological Trauma Flip Chart: https://janinafisher.com/flip-chart Want a cool Therapy Chat t-shirt, sticker or mug? Find them here: https://www.teepublic.com/user/therapychat Please consider supporting Therapy Chat by becoming a member on Patreon! Just $1 a month would make a huge impact to keep Therapy Chat going strong! To learn more head to - https://pat

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 to Danielle Matthew about the impacts of bullying. Danielle Matthew is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who treats bully victims and their families and educates schools, medical professionals and the community about the bullying epidemic. With over 20 years of experience, Danielle authored Amazon Parenting Best-Seller, The Empowered Child: How to Help Your Child Cope, Communicate, and Conquer Bullying, and is the Director of The Empowerment Space Bullying Therapy Program in Los Angeles. Featured in Huffington Post, Washington Post and TODAY.com, Danielle has also appeared on Fox, ABC and CBS Morning Shows and Mom Talk Radio. Resources dmatthew@empowerment.space https://www.amazon.com/Empowered-Child-Communicate-Conquer-Bullying-ebook/dp/B076H95DTX  Phone: 818-267-4242

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 to Gretchen Schmelzer, PhD about her new 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 them such as AIDS

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 is a solo episode where host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C discusses some of the highlights of 2018 and intentions and plans for 2019. She talks about topics that will be heard on Therapy Chat in the coming year and asks listeners for input on upcoming topics as well as courses and webinars she is planning to create in 2019. Laura also provides an update on her own health journey which she has shared with listeners in recent episodes. Click here to read the article in Psychotherapy Networker about Therapy Chat! Click here to read the Bustle article that included Therapy Chat! Four Pillars book: https://www.amazon.com/Four-Pillar-Plan-Longer-Healthier/dp/0241303559 Click here to contribute to the survey on what courses/webinars you'd like me to make in 2019:  Want a cool Therapy Chat t-shirt, sticker or mug? Find th

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! In today’s episode, Laura welcomes back Sharon Martin, LCSW to speak about surviving the holidays.  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/handling-the-holidays-workbook/ https://livewellwithsharonmartin.com Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to https://therapychatpodcast.com and clicking on the green Speakpipe button. Please consider supporting Therapy Chat by becoming a member on Patreon! Just $1 a month would make a huge impact to keep Therapy Chat going strong! To learn more: https://patreon.com/TherapyChat - members get speci

This week, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C recorded a short note for listeners about what is coming up for the rest of the month of December, 2018. Find past and future episodes of Therapy Chat at: www.therapychatpod.com Contact Laura via Speakpipe to let her know what you think of Therapy Chat! Do you have a guest you'd like her to interview? A question you'd like her to answer on the show? Get in touch by going to the website above and leaving a message using the Speakpipe button. Support Therapy Chat on Patreon here: www.patreon.com/therapychat Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Welcome to episode 162 of the Therapy Chat Podcast. This week Laura is flying solo to answer a listeners question connecting with emotions that we have previously suppressed and not allowed to come to the surface.  Resources: Get a free month and 1 free book while supporting Therapy Chat: www.audibletrial.com/therapychat   Kristin Neff's website: www.selfcompassion.org   Book: Self Compassion by Kristin Neff   Christopher Germer's Mindful Self Compassion website: www.centerformsc.org   Book: The Mindful Path to Self Compassion by Christopher Germer   Tara Brach's website: www.tarabrach.com/compassion1   Hilary Jacobs Hendel's website: https://www.hilaryjacobshendel.com/   Book: It's Not Always Depression   Our first interview: Episode 97   Our second interview: Episode 134   Dr. Jonice Webb's website: https://drjonicewebb.com/   Books: Running On Empty and Running On Empty No More   Our first interview: Episode 25   Our second interview: Episode 111   The Adverse Childhood E

Welcome to episode 161 of the Therapy Chat Podcast. This week is my conversation in person with Kyle Davies about mind, body and spirit when living with chronic illness. 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 inside out. He doesn’t try to get people to learn loads of mental techniques that they quickly forget, or to try and fix their environment because situations and environments often can’t be c

Welcome to episode 160 of the Therapy Chat Podcast. This week is a re-run of episode 110 and 115 with Kyle Davies in anticipation of the new interview with Kyle that is coming in episode 160.  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 inside out. He doesn’t try to get people to learn loads of mental techniques that they quickly forget, or to try and fix their environment because situations and enviro

Welcome to episode 159 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. Today Laura speaks with Deb Dana, LCSW about Polyvagal Theory.   Deb’s work is based on the principles of Polyvagal Theory. Developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, Polyvagal Theory offers a way to understand the human autonomic nervous system and directly engage with our habitual patterns of response. Through a polyvagal lens we learn to listen to our embodied stories.  Using a polyvagal perspective, we can let go of self-criticism and bring an open heart to exploring the "ways and whys" of our daily experience...how we interact or isolate, join or judge, move toward or away, speak or stay silent.  Resources https://www.rhythmofregulation.com  Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to https://therapychatpodcast.com and clicking on the green Speakpipe button. Please consider supporting Therapy Chat by becoming a member on Patreon! Just $1 a month would make a huge impact to keep Therapy Chat going strong! To learn more: http

Welcome to episode 158 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. Today’s episode is a solo episode where Laura discusses the importance of self-care, avoiding chronic stress and keeping tabs on your health and well-being before issues start. Resources: https://therapychatpodcast.com   Episode 110 with Kyle Davies: http://traffic.libsyn.com/baltimoreannapolispsychotherapypodcast/TherapyChat_EP110.mp3 Poet Nayyirah Waheed on Instagram: @nayyirahwaheed   Her website: https://www.nayyirahwaheed.com/salt Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to https://therapychatpodcast.com and clicking on the green Speakpipe button. Please consider supporting Therapy Chat by becoming a member on Patreon! Just $1 a month would make a huge impact to keep Therapy Chat going strong! To learn more: https://patreon.com/TherapyChat - members get special perks and swag too! Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to go to iTunes and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes. You ca

Welcome to episode 157 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. This week we're delighted to welcome back Lanie Smith return to the podcast who talks all about creativity, play, and intuition Lanie Smith, MPS, ATR, a registered art therapist, has worked in a variety of settings for several years. Her work began with the Nat'l Institute of Health, researching the efficacy of art therapy with war-affected youth in N. Uganda, followed by two publications. Lanie developed environmental art therapy for sustainable practice at numerous sites in the Phoenix area. She provides art therapy to others to support the prevention of burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma. Lanie also supervises and trains on the ethical considerations regarding the use of art in therapy. Resources https://www.laniesmithcoaching.com Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to https://therapychatpodcast.com and clicking on the green Speakpipe button. Please consider supporting Therapy Chat by becoming a

Welcome to episode 156 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. This week, we’re delighted to welcome back Dr. Natalie Feinblatt who speaks to us all about working with former cult members. Dr. Natalie Feinblatt is a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice. She is based in Santa Monica & specializes in addiction. Natalie's goal is to empower her clients to live their lives with as much passion & purpose as possible. If you're willing to make changes to live a better life, then she is happy to help you do so every step of the way. If you're struggling to get sober, you're scared about the impact sobriety might have on your creative abilities (and life in general). If you're in early sobriety, you're working to gain your footing in a new landscape. If you're a trauma survivor, you're wondering why your sensitivity & insight aren't helping you get to that light at the end of the tunnel. What do you do if your pain is too great to handl

Welcome to Therapy Chat! In today’s episode, we’re delighted to welcome Dr. Robert T. Muller, author of the new book, "Trauma & the Struggle to Open Up". Dr. Robert T. Muller trained at Harvard University, was on faculty at the University of Massachusetts, and is currently at York University in Toronto. Dr. Muller was recently honored as a Fellow of the International Society for the Study of Trauma & Dissociation (ISSTD) for his work on trauma treatment. And his psychotherapy bestseller, Trauma and the Avoidant Client, in its third printing, has been translated and won the 2011 ISSTD award for the year's best written work on trauma. As lead investigator on several multi-site programs to treat interpersonal trauma, Dr. Muller has lectured internationally and has been the keynote speaker at mental health conferences in New Zealand and Canada. He founded an online magazine, The Trauma & Mental Health Report, that is now visited by over 100,000 readers a year. With over 20 years in the fie

Welcome to Therapy Chat! In today’s episode, we’re delighted to welcome Robyn E. Brickel, MA, LMFT to the podcast. Robyn E. Brickel, MA, LMFT is the clinical director and lead therapist at Brickel and Associates, LLC in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, which she founded in 1999. She is deeply committed to clinical practice, professional education and better public awareness of mental health issues. Robyn practices a strengths-based approach to therapy. She helps clients process and heal from trauma, addictions, challenged family systems, and mood disorders including maternal mental health issues. She works with individuals (both adolescents and adults), couples, families, and groups. With advanced training and experience in the treatment of trauma, dissociation, addiction and maternal mental health, Robyn helps people make and maintain positive changes in their lives. Clients find a safe therapeutic environment for recovering from dysfunctional relationships, anxiety, depression, abuse history, addictions, and

Welcome to Therapy Chat! In today’s episode, we’re delighted to welcome back trauma specialist and EMDR trained clinician Nityda Gessel. Feeling like a foreigner in your own body is beyond unsettling. Despite your drive and success, it is challenging to feel worthy, comfortable, and at peace within your own skin, and this further exacerbates your fear that you are just not good enough. You might worry that there is no fix for you and you'll feel this way forever. And because to others, you appear to have it all together, it's incredibly lonely to know that inside you there is a longing for love and living that is not being satiated- a pervasive fear that love and joy may never come. Nityda Gessel works with women who due to a traumatic past and overwhelming self-doubt, struggle to cultivate meaningful and fulfilling relationships and feel a sense of purpose in life. Her approach is one that addresses the mind and body as a whole. Nityda integrates somatic awareness, yoga, meditation and mindfulness in