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

In Episode 42 Therapy Chat host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C again interviews Keri Nola, who is a psychotherapist and coach for healers and the creator of the Messages From Shadow deck. Keri and Laura continue the conversation begun in Therapy Chat podcast Episodes 38 with Renee Beck and 40 with Lourdes Viado. Keri discusses the Shadow in more depth and discusses how she became acquainted with this concept. She and Laura discuss welcoming all the parts of ourselves and Keri offers a Messages from Shadow deck reading for listeners. To learn more about Keri Nola’s work, visit her website at www.kerinola.com and remember to visit iTunes to subscribe, leave an honest rating and review and download current and past episodes of Therapy Chat! Thanks for listening!Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

They share that when someone is looking for a therapist, the process can be extremely overwhelming. Kelly and Miranda point out that therapist marketing efforts can, at times, make it worse for people who are trying to find the right therapist for their specific issues. They address the ethical concerns that many therapists have raised about niching and focusing on specific areas of psychotherapy. Kelly and Miranda talk about the culture of therapist education and how it affects therapist confidence. They reveal the most profitable niche for therapists, what a niche is, and the concept of ideal clients. They break down the process of writing to ideal clients on therapist websites, and talk about some of the barriers therapists find in putting what they know into words. Kelly and Miranda talk about how putting ourselves out there helps to reduce stigma about seeking mental health treatment, and how the media contributes to misconceptions about therapy. They explain that therapists who focus on working with the

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! In episode 40, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews a fascinating guest. Lourdes Viado, PhD is a psychotherapist in private practice in Las Vegas who is also the host of a new podcast called Women In-Depth. Lourdes explains depth psychology and concepts of Jungian psychology such as the Shadow (if you find that interesting go back and listen to episode 39 too, with Renee Beck). She describes her works with clients in the "Middle Passage" who are feeling out of alignment with themselves. She shares some strategies she uses, including poetry, metaphor and dreamwork, which help her clients find their own way back to themselves while navigating this intense transition. After you listen to this episode be sure to visit Lourdes's website www.lourdesviado.com and check out her new podcast, Women In-Depth.  You'll also find information about working with her in therapy and all of her offerings and contact information. Thanks for listening to Therapy Chat and as always, yo

Welcome back! In Episode 39 of Therapy Chat Podcast, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews Kat Love as the third installment in the practice building series. Kat Love is a website designer and founder of www.katlove.com. She specializes in helping therapists build websites with empathy and compassion. The focus is on speaking to clients in a way that expands our ability to be of service, whether by providing useful free information and resources on our websites, or by helping clients find us to begin therapy. Kat and Laura discuss some of the reasons that therapists may be hesitant to create websites, some of the mindset blocks that get in the way of creating a website that speaks to your clients, and overcoming these fears. You can find more of what Kat Love is doing at www.katlove.com and as always, please visit iTunes to leave a rating and review, subscribe to receive the latest episodes as soon as they are released, and you can also visit www.therapychat.com to download new and previous episodes. Enjoy! Ad

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! In Episode 38 host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews Oakland, CA psychotherapist Renee Beck, LMFT. Renee specializes in dreamwork, tarot and transpersonal psychotherapy. In this episode she explains the shadow that is in all of us - the unconscious parts of ourselves which are hidden from our awareness. She describes how she works with her clients using dreamwork and tarot as well as other creative methods to bring the shadow to conscious awareness. She is available for clinical supervision in California and offers consultation on dreamwork and tarot anywhere in the world. She can be found at www.reneebeckmft.com. Hope you enjoy this episode and please visit iTunes to leave a rating and review and subscribe for all the latest episodes as soon as they're released! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Welcome back to the Practice Building Series on Therapy Chat! In Episode 37, the second episode in the practice building series, you will hear Laura Reagan's episode with Joe Sanok, who is a podcaster, counselor, business coach and successful entrepreneur. Joe shares tons of tips and techniques for building a practice which runs effectively, efficiently and highly productively. Joe also offers several freebies for listeners! You can find more about Joe by visiting his website, www.practiceofthepractice.com and listening to his Practice of the Practice podcast on iTunes. And don't forget to visit Therapy Chat on iTunes to subscribe and leave a rating and review! Let us know what you think of this practice building series!Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Welcome to Episode 36 of Therapy Chat! In this episode, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews author and psychotherapist Tim Ambrose Desmond, LMFT. Tim is a student of Zen master Thich Nhat Hahn who wrote a book called Self Compassion in Psychotherapy: Mindfulness-Based Practices for Healing and Transformation. Laura and Tim discuss how he became interested in self compassion, how it has helped him, and how it can be used in psychotherapy. He explains concepts from the book. To learn more about Tim and try out his online course teaching self compassion, visit his website, http://www.timdesmond.net or visit  Morning Sun Mindfulness Center online at http://www.morningsuncommunity.org to learn more about his work. Thanks for listening to Therapy Chat, and as always, please visit iTunes to leave a rating and review and subscribe to receive the latest episodes!  Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Welcome back! In Episode 35, the first episode of the Practice Building Series, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C speaks with counselor, coach and podcaster Colleen Mullen, PsyD, LMFT. Colleen is a psychologist and coach practicing in San Diego, CA and hosts a popular podcast called Coaching Through Chaos.  She is also the co-host of a new podcast she will talk about in this episode. With so much going on, Colleen understands that burnout is an occupational hazard for entrepreneurs. She offers some ways to identify when you are at risk for burnout, and some strategies to avoid entrepreneur burnout. You can find out more about what Colleen is doing by visiting her website, www.coachingthroughchaos.com. Listen in on this conversation for some key points therapists need to think about when considering going into private practice. Enjoy! And please visit iTunes to leave a rating and review for Therapy Chat, as well as subscribing and downloading episodes! You can also listen and download episodes at www.therapychatpodcas

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! If you’re a therapist, my guest today is someone who needs no introduction. Dr. Dan Siegel is my guest, and he explains the concept of interpersonal neurobiology, the nature of the mind, integration and “Mwe”. He shares his story of becoming interested in the brain and the mind beginning in college, and continuing through his medical school training. He explains his disappointment at discovering in medical school in the late 1980’s that there did not seem to be a science of the mind that psychiatry was using to inform mental health work. He wanted to understand both how the body functions and how our mental lives play a part in keeping us alive. He explains that interpersonal neurobiology is not a branch of neurobiology, but a framework combining many disciplines including the mental health fields of psychology, psychiatry, counseling, social work, as well as sociology, philosophy, quantum physics, math and others to answer the question “what is the mind?” He explains that he has

Welcome! Today we’re discussing Perfectionism, Worthiness, and Self-Compassion. I’m using a personal example from my own experience as the basis for our discussion. Join me! What you’ll hear in this episode: The “growth ceiling” can cause anxiety as we exceed our expectations. As an example of a “growth ceiling,” I never imagined having a thriving full-time practice where I love going to work and serving my clients, or having a podcast, or interviewing prominent guests. Brene’ Brown refers to this as “foreboding joy,” the dread that “good things just can’t happen for me.” The solution to these attitudes is to stay in the moment and to realize that no one is more worthy of good things than another. Kristin Neff identifies Three Elements of Self-Compassion: Self-Kindness Common Humanity Mindfulness Scarcity—What does it mean to operate from this focus? My personal example is when I was overjoyed to interview Dr. Dan Seigel for the podcast. Listen in to hear the disastrous story of my recording attempt! I no

Welcome! My guest for this episode is Dr. Andrea Brandt, a psychotherapist, speaker, and author who has much knowledge and experience to bring to the table. Her book, Mindful Anger: A Pathway to Emotional Freedom, explores revolutionary thinking on the topic of anger. Join us as we discuss mindful anger. What you’ll hear in this episode: Mindfulness and anger are not usually thought of as partners. Anger is almost always viewed as a negative emotion. “The Pleasure Principle” that humans live by teaches us to avoid anger. The goal? To get wisdom from your anger Anger helps us set boundaries, meet needs, and accomplish change. Andrea shares a personal example from her own family, where a passive-aggressive approach to anger stemmed from the murder of her grandfather by the Chicago mob in the 1920’s! Andrea later went through therapy and learned to get in touch with her feelings. She remembers being startled by the power of the energy in tandem with anger. “Anger is a very corrosive emotion if you don’t have th

Welcome to this episode. Our topic is Mother’s Day and why it can be tough for some people. In fact, some people hate Mother’s Day because of a history of childhood emotional neglect, abuse, or trauma. Know that you’re not alone and that many people have mixed feelings about this holiday. Let’s discuss it! What you’ll hear in this episode:I hear four reasons from clients as to why Mother’s Day can be tough:  “My mom isn’t here and I miss her.” Solution: Find ways to honor your feelings and her memory. “I’m dealing with infertility.” Solution: Celebrate however YOU want, even if it’s unconventional. “My childhood included neglect, abuse, or trauma.” Solution: Do what makes you feel special and nurtured. “I’m a single mom who is unsupported EVERY day of the year.” Solution: Reach out to a friend who is also a single mom. I have two recommendations that might help deal with a difficult Mother’s Day: Avoid social media on Mother’s Day and the day after. Try a little self-nurturing lovingkindness med

This is Part 2 of a series about Sexual Assault Awareness, and today’s focus is on Childhood Sexual Abuse. Let’s jump right into our topic! What you’ll hear in this episode: Childhood Sexual Abuse is “a form of child abuse including sexual activity with a minor who is not capable of consenting.” Remember that a child CANNOT give consent to sexual activity! Childhood Sexual Abuse is not always physical contact, but can include digital/online interaction, fondling, exhibitionism, child pornography, sex trafficking, and much more. In 93% of cases, the sexual abuser of a child is someone known to the child or the family. Most statistics under-represent the frequency of occurrence, but 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 20 boys will be sexually abused during childhood. Up to 20% of adult females and 5-10% of adult males have been sexually abused during childhood. Being abused makes it more likely to be sexually assaulted later in life. Most offenders are male, with about 33% being juveniles. There is a “grooming process” used

Welcome! My guest today is Carolyn Daitch, Ph. D, author, and psychologist. She has written several books, including Anxiety Disorders: The Go-To Guide for Clients and Therapists, The Affect Regulation Toolbox: Practical and Effective Hypnotic Interventions for the Over-Reactive Client, Anxious in Love, and The Road to Calm Workbook: Life-Changing Tools to Stop Runaway Emotions. Carolyn is the director of the Center for the Treatment of Anxiety Disorders in Michigan. You might have guessed that our topic today is Anxiety. Join us! What you’ll hear in this episode: Carolyn’s work includes lots of writing, teaching, and therapy. She explains. Her focus on anxiety work began early in her career, when she ended up seeing a lot of clients with anxiety and panic attacks. At this point, she began assembling a toolbox of resources. Carolyn explains reactivity and affect disregulation, how they are basically the inability to manage emotions. These disorders cause too much of a reaction for some, when a small stimulus

Welcome! My guest today is Sharon Martin, LCSW, a psychotherapist in San Jose, CA. Sharon writes the blog “Happily Imperfect” for Psych Central. Our topic today is Perfectionism—something so many of us struggle to overcome. What you’ll hear in this episode: Sharon’s private practice focuses on perfectionism, co-dependency, people-pleasing, and anxiety—she tells us how they are all intertwined. Sharon works as a clinical supervisor, both independently and for a non-profit; she enjoys working with new social workers. In her 20+ years in this field, Sharon has had to learn to focus on self-care, knowing when to say “yes” and when to say “no.” “It can’t just be about making everybody else happy.” Sharon says that some total failures can be re-labeled as “partial succeses.” Change requires that you experience some amount of anxiety. Co-dependency is a relationship dynamic where two people are dependent on each other in different ways. One takes on the role of caretaker, rescuer, or fixer in this lopsided relation

Welcome! Trauma therapy became my passion after I volunteered at a Sexual Assault Crisis Center in Virginia in 2002. I received great counseling experience and went through extensive volunteer training before I became an employee. I learned a lot about trauma, and even though sexual assault is not something we like to talk about, it’s a common problem. Statistics show that one in four women and one in six men will be sexually assaulted during their lifetime. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, so let’s discuss this important topic. 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 Assault/Rape not involving a child. This is our focus today. If you are assaulted, you have several options to consider: Call a Sexual Assault Crisis Hotline. Visit the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network at www.rainn.org. Most hospitals provide a forensic evidence exam at no cost to you, within 120 hours of the assault. You have a perso

Welcome! My guest today is Lisa Ferentz, LCSW-C, who is in private practice in Baltimore, specializing in treating child and adult survivors of trauma, abuse, and neglect. She’s a nationally known author, speaker, trainer, and consultant. What you’ll hear in this episode: After 32 years in private practice, Lisa knows that trauma survivors use coping strategies such as eating disorders, addictions, self-mutilation, depression, anxiety, and relationship problems.  Lisa does consulting work for clinicians in the US and Canada; she has written two books and has two more in process. Early in her practice, Lisa realized how important it is to approach her work from the viewpoint of being a good student and learning from your clients. In the exciting world of therapy today, incredible connections are being made between trauma and the impact on the brain. Lisa advises that clinicians be more aware and mindful in working with the body in trauma work. Lisa explains “dual awareness,” meaning being aware of what’s happ

Welcome! My guest today is Dr. Jonice Webb, a clinical psychologist and blogger for Psych Central. She’s the author of the book, Running on Empty: Overcome Your Childhood Emotional Neglect. We’ll delve into this topic and its impact in our society today. Join us! What you’ll hear in this episode: The definition of Childhood Emotional Neglect: a parent’s failure to respond enough to the child’s emotional needs This condition is different from physical neglect and abuse. In her private practice, Dr. Jonice kept seeing patients with the same patterns. She has identified 12 different types of parenting styles that lead to Childhood Emotional Neglect. Children of CEN end up treating their children with the same patterns of behaviors, and no one really knows what’s wrong. Dr. Jonice has developed a questionnaire, designed for adults, to determine if you’ve been affected by this condition. Her book gives examples of what happens to a child with real-life vignettes. How to heal from CEN? Fully recognize and accept

Welcome! Today’s topic is one that’s important to therapy professionals and to first responders, too. To anyone who works with people who are suffering, Vicarious Trauma is important. I just attended a workshop on this topic by Laura Van Dernoot Lipsky, the author of Trauma Stewardship.  Here’s what you’ll hear in this episode: The terms Vicarious Trauma and Secondary Traumatic Stress are interchangeable. Therapists bear witness to the traumatic stories of clients and are affected by them. The nature of therapy work requires empathy; it’s honorable, brave, and important work intended to make the world a better place. There are small ways to lessen the impact of trauma, by mindfully checking in with yourself and using positive coping methods. As a therapist, how much are you “numbing?” We discuss examples. Laura recommends spending 12-60 minutes each day, for six days a week, working out to the degree of breaking a sweat. We owe it to the people we help to take care of our Vicarious Trauma, and regular exerci

Welcome! Today’s guest is Mara Glatzell, MSW. She is an intuitive guide and energy healer for women who facilitates daily conversations about intention, truth, and celebration. A creative leader, Mara is expert at living in her own skin with grace and ease. At the core of her work is the desire to live a well-intentioned life, which means more joy, grit, and vibrant imperfection to spare. She is MY kind of person—how about you? Her website makes you feel warm, glittery, and nurturing, and her writings and programs are truly inspiring. Want to learn more? Join us! What you’ll hear in this episode: Mara works with women who want to live with more intention and responsibility. She likes to take nebulous concepts that are hidden in layers and break them down into tangible, relatable pieces. Mara’s work isn’t like other therapies or focused on symptoms, but is based on self-love and self-compassion. Mara found this niche after finding herself “not fitting into” the standard therapy role. She knows what it means t