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

Welcome to episode 148 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. This week's episode features Laura revisiting her interview with 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

Welcome to episode 147 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. This week Laura re-visits her interview with Buddhist Psychologist and student of Thich Nhat Hahn Tim Ambrose Desmond, LMFT.   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 t

Welcome to episode 146 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. This week Laura re-visits the issue of when your partner doesn't understand trauma. *The names and characters in this episode represent a composite of people I have know personally and professionally. No real person is represented in this episode, which is intended for educational purposes.* When Your Partner Doesn't Understand Your Trauma Michael can't understand it. He just doesn't get what is going on with his wife of over 25 years, Amy. Michael is concerned about her and wondering when she is going to "get over" the childhood physical and sexual abuse she went through years ago.  He really just wants her to be okay. And honestly, he's sick of her trauma symptoms affecting her, him and their children. He's not sure how much longer he can take it.  Why can't she just get over it? To be fair, Michael doesn't realize that Amy's mood and behavior are related to her childhood trauma. He

Welcome to episode 145 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. This week Laura re-visits her interview with Deirdre Fay, MSW, LICSW, who integrates trauma and attachment theory with yoga and meditation in embodiment. She is also the founder of the Becoming Safely Embodied Skills and maintains a private practice in Arlington, MA. 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 grounded Deirdre in her commitment to fin

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! In today’s episode host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C re-visits her interview with Stuart Fensterheim, LCSW Stuart is a clinical social worker in Scottsdale, Arizona, practicing with couples using Sue Johnson’s Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) which is an attachment-based couples therapy method.  In the episode, Stuart talks about how he works on making connections with couples and how our childhood attachment affects the way we show up in relationships as adults. He also touches upon John Bowlby's Attachment Theory, which focuses on your relationship with your primary caretaker and how it influences everything through your life. To make sense of this theory, he talks further about the relationship young babies have with their caretaker, avoiding failure to thrive and how the needs of a young baby to experience touch and closeness, continue with us throughout our adult life. Resources http://www.thecouplesexpertscottsdale.com http://www.thecouplesexpertscottsdale.com/podcasts http://

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! In today’s episode host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C re-visits her interview with Rebecca Wong, LCSW-R.  Rebecca Wong, LCSW-R, a relationship therapist in New Paltz, NY, the creator of Connectfulness, and co-host of the upcoming Practice Of Being Seen podcast. Rebecca talks about using play in her couples work, as well as how our attachment relates to our ability to trust our partners. Rebecca explains that needing attention is not a bad thing – it’s normal. She talks about the concept of being seen, in relationships and in our work with clients. She and Laura discuss getting out of our heads and into our bodies to connect with our partners, other people in our lives and as therapists, how we can connect with our clients. Rebecca explains how using animal-assisted therapy with dogs and horses helps us understand our emotions as shown in our bodies. Rebecca describes her five-step process of Connectfulness, a research-based practice she developed and uses with her couples therapy clients.

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! In today’s episode host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C re-visits her interview with Amy Sugeno, LCSW. Amy is a clinical social worker in private practice who specializes in working with survivors of trauma related to attachment, particularly related to adoption. Amy explains how attachment trauma can affect children who were adopted, even if the adoption went as smoothly as it possibly could. She describes how children who have been adopted may act out behaviorally to tell their parents how they feel. Amy also talks about a surprising way adoptive parents (and others parenting traumatized children) may experience trauma themselves and how to recognize the symptoms. She and Laura discuss how prior difficulty with conceiving a child can contribute to the experience for parents, how the parent’s own attachment style and trauma history is “churned up” through the process of adoption. She describes how adoption can change relationships within a family and between the family and their community.

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! In today’s episode, Laura speaks with 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 into psycho

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! In today’s episode, Laura speaks 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 Register now for the next Daring Way™ and Relational Equine Assisted Learning retreat: https://laurareaganlcswc.com/retreat Leave me a message via Speakpipe by going to https://therapychatpodcast.com and clicking on the green Speakpipe button. 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 can also download the Therapy Chat app on iTunes by clicking

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! In today’s episode, Laura speaks in person with Charlotte Hiler Easley. Charlotte is a psychotherapist in private practice who specializes in working with survivors of trauma using equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP). Charlotte discusses her work using Equine Assisted Survivors of Trauma Therapy, a method she developed in collaboration with a rape crisis center when she was in grad school. When you work with Charlotte, you will be encouraged, coached, and heard with compassion and understanding. You can also expect to be gently challenged to understand who you really are and why you’re here. You will work together with Charlotte to understand your patterns of behavior and thought and develop skills that will enable you to get unstuck and to move ahead in your story. Resources Charlotte’s website: https://charlotteeasley.com/ Charlotte’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/charlottehilereasleyLCSW Central Kentucky Riding for Hope’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CKyRH

Welcome to episode 138 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. This week, we speak with Rebecca E. Williams, PhD and Julie S. Kraft, MA, LMFT, about their new book The Gift of Recovery: Mindfulness Skills for Living Joyfully Beyond Addiction. Rebecca E. Williams, PhD, is a clinical psychologist specializing in recovery from mental illness and addictions. She received her master's degree from Harvard University and her PhD from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is currently the Wellness and Vocational Enrichment Clinic director of the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System. In addition, she is an associate clinical professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego, an adjunct faculty member at the University of San Diego, and coauthor of Couple Therapy for Alcoholism. Williams is coauthor, with Julie Kraft, of The Mindfulness Workbook for Addiction. She has a psychotherapy practice in San Diego, CA. Julie S. Kraft, MA, LMFT, receiv

*Warning, explicit episode* Welcome to episode 137 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. This week, we speak with Tamara Powell, LMHC about spiritual bypass. Tamara is the owner of Arya Therapy Services, the now global phenomenon in holistic health and healing. She is also the founder of Tales from a Trapezoid dedicated to the more raw and edgier side of life, working with those who may often feel like a trapezoid in a world full of circles. Tamara also hosts her own podcast Sacred Psychology, where through stories and interviews, she takes listeners behind the veil of counseling into erotic, relational, and spiritual diversity, uncovering how to accomplish mankind’s greatest challenge – finding purpose and passion no matter the worldview or proclivity. Resources Find Tamara at: https://aryatherapy.com https://aryatherapy.com/about-the-podcast (Sacred Psychology Podcast) https://talesfromatrapezoid.com https://www.facebook.com/talesfromatrapezoid Become a member of Therapy Chat by joinin

Welcome to episode 136 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. This week, we speak with Paula Scatoloni, LCSW, CEDS, SEP and Rachel Lewis-Marlow, MS, EdS, LPC, LMBT about embodied recovery. Paula is a somatic-based psychotherapist, Certified Eating Disorders Specialist, and Somatic Experiencing™ practitioner in Durham, NC. She has a private practice in Chapel Hill, NC and has worked in the field of eating disorders for over two decades. Prior to developing Embodied Recovery, Paula co-developed the first intensive outpatient program for eating disorders with Dr. Anita Johnston author, Eating In the Light of the Moon. She also served as the Eating Disorder Coordinator at Duke University for nine years where she developed campus policies and managed a multidisciplinary treatment team. She is a certified Shake Your Soul ® instructor and has provided mindful movement classes at Carolina House Treatment Center. Paula has taught extensively on the etiology and treatment of eating disorders throug

Welcome to episode 135 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. This week, we have a very interesting guest in Dr. Natalie Feinblatt who speaks to us all about cults and how they work. 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 handle on

Welcome to episode 134 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. This week, we’re delighted to welcome back Hilary Jacobs Hendel, LCSW. In this episode, Hilary speaks to me all about her amazing new book “It’s Not Always Depression”. Hilary grew up in New York City in a culture of "mind over matter." Raised by a psychiatrist and a guidance counselor, family time included analyzing her thoughts and dreams. Feelings were rarely mentioned (except perhaps to discuss how to get rid of them!) She thought she had total control over my emotions. Now she wants to share what she (and many psychotherapists and researchers) know about the new science of emotions. She wants others to learn what she had the good fortune to learn: that core emotions provide a path to physical and psychological well-being. Resources http://www.hilaryjacobshendel.com https://www.facebook.com/AuthorHilaryJacobsHendel Become a member of Therapy Chat by joining me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/TherapyChat  Register no

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! In today’s episode, as we lead up to the next Daring Way, Laura Reagan, LCSW-C re-visits her interview with Charlotte Hiler Easley, LCSW. Charlotte is a psychotherapist in private practice who specializes in working with survivors of trauma using equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP). Charlotte discusses her work using Equine Assisted Survivors of Trauma Therapy, a method she developed in collaboration with a rape crisis center when she was in grad school. Charlotte talks about how horses are able to read our body language and react to our emotional experience. She explains what equine assisted psychotherapy is – hint: you don’t have to touch a saddle. She describes how survivors of trauma working with horses are able to learn and practice new ways of being in a relationship; setting boundaries; making a mind-body connection; feeling what safety feels like – because the work is all experiential. Thanks for listening to Therapy Chat. Please get in touch and let host Laura Reagan kno

Welcome to this special Sexual Assault Awareness Month Episode! I'm sharing two episodes from early in Therapy Chat's life on the issue of sexual assault. After the #MeToo movement, founded by Tarana Burke, ignited on social media over the past year, the general public began to understand what most women and many men already knew: sexual violence can affect anyone, and its effects are deep and longlasting. This is a problem in our culture which can be ended, but not without everyone gaining awareness. Statistics indicate that one in four women and one in six men will be sexually assaulted during their lifetime. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a great time to learn more about this important issue. Here's an article from the New York Times about why Tarana Burke started this movement: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/20/us/me-too-movement-tarana-burke.html What you’ll hear in this episode: Two types of sexual assault are Childhood Sexual Abuse (to be covered in a later episode) and Sexual

Welcome to episode 131 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. This week’s guest features Anna Seewald who talks about why parenting is so hard.   Anna Seewald is the founder of Authentic Parenting®. She is a speaker, author and a parent educator. She also has a popular Podcast on iTunes called Authentic Moments. She is a mom to a vibrant 9-year-old who doesn’t approve of her fashion choices. As a child she survived through a severe earthquake. She lost her young mom. She has been through trauma, pain, and a lot suffering. With a strong passion helping children Anna dedicated her life working with abused, neglected, orphaned, institutionalized children and juvenile delinquents. After nearly 20 years she realized that it is through helping parents she can help children. Today she is supporting parents around the world by moving from traditional ways of parenting into more peaceful, conscious ways by making sense of their past life experiences, healing from trauma, building effective communi

Welcome to episode 130 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. This week’s guest features Lanie Smith who talks about spirituality as burnout prevention using eco-art therapy. 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 Register now for the next Daring Way™ and Relational Equine Assisted Learning retreat: https://laurareaganlcswc.com/retreat Therapists! Would you like to get a free month of service with Bright

Welcome to episode 129 of the Therapy Chat Podcast with host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. This week’s guest features Xanthia Johnson. She is the founder of Urban Playogoly in Washington, DC. Urban Playology provides psychotherapy services to children, adolescents, individuals, couples and families. During defining transitions, she provides a safe place for you to be who you are. Whether you are 2 years old or 85 years young, you will enjoy a transformative experience. Her clinical areas of specialization and interest include but are not limited to: Women & Women of Color Issues, Urban Play Therapy, Expressive Arts, Sandtray Therapy, Grief & Loss, LGBTIQ Folk, TF-CBT, Broad Spectrum Couples & Family Work At Urban Playology, they utilize an Integrative therapy model with emphasis on advocacy and social justice for all clients. This approach helps them provide optimal support and sustainable nurturing for all clients. They offer professional training, clinical supervision, and clinical consultation on advoc