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

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week's guest is Jeremy Mohler a licensed therapist, men's coach, and writer. We talked about how he facilitates men's groups and works with individual clients to help men connect with their emotions using IFS. Jeremy shares from his own experience of connecting with his vulnerable younger parts. I really appreciate what Jeremy is doing to help men have healthy relationships with the important people in their lives. Jeremy is the author of Make Men Emotional Again, an email newsletter helping men and couples have better relationships. He sees therapy clients in Baltimore and Silver Spring, Maryland. Follow Jeremy on Instagram Subscribe to his Substack here.Find Jeremy's website here.The Institute for Creative Mindfulness is an EMDRIA-approved EMDR Therapy training institute created by Dr. Jamie Marich, a clinician and author who is on a mission to confront stigma around mental health, trauma, and dissociation.They’re offering a special discount to Therapy Chat

This week on Therapy Chat, my guest is Dr. Thomas Hübl. We talked about his work over more than 2 decades working with groups of survivors of war, oppression, genocide and other collective traumas about how healing happens. This episode is particularly timely at this point in history - with violence, including war and political violence; oppression and the impact of a worldwide pandemic affecting millions of people, so many of us feel powerless and hopeless about the future. This episode is meant to inspire hope that healing is possible, even after the unthinkable occurs in communities.Thomas Hübl, PhD, is a renowned teacher, author, and international facilitator who works within the complexity of systems and cultural change, integrating the core insights of the great wisdom traditions and mysticism with the discoveries of science. Since the early 2000s, he has led large-scale events and courses on the healing of collective trauma. He is the author of Attuned: Practicing Interdependence to Heal Our Trauma—and

This week on Therapy Chat, my guest is Theresa Soltzberg, LMFT, MBA, a Certified IFS therapist who uses expressive arts and specializes in complex trauma. Theresa and I had a fascinating conversation about her work. She described how she uses the Enneagram with Expressive Arts and IFS to help survivors of complex/developmental trauma to reconnect with their inner worlds. She combines these approaches to support healing through deep parts work and creativity, offering a playful, colorful and enjoyable journey of self-discovery, transformation and authenticity. She offers coaching and therapy groups as well as individual counseling sessions. She is currently working on a book that captures the steps of this journey focused on mixed media visual arts journaling. Find Theresa Soltzberg's website hereFind Theresa on social media; Instagram and LinkedInThe Institute for Creative Mindfulness is an EMDRIA-approved EMDR Therapy training institute created by Dr. Jamie Marich, a clinician and author who is on a miss

This week's Therapy Chat episode features Dr. Judy Ho, a triple board certified and licensed Clinical and Forensic Neuropsychologist, a tenured Associate Professor at Pepperdine University, and author of three books, including most recently, The New Rules of Attachment, which was published in March 2024. Despite her impressive academic credentials, Judy presents complicated information about attachment in a way that is relatable and easy to understand, even for those who are not mental health professionals.Find Dr. Judy Ho's website here: https://drjudyho.com/Find Dr. Judy Ho on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.Buy Dr. Judy Ho's newest book, "The New Rules of Attachment: how to heal your relationships, reparent your inner child, and secure your life vision" on Amazon here.The Institute for Creative Mindfulness is an EMDRIA-approved EMDR Therapy training institute created by Dr. Jamie Marich, a clinician and author who is on a mission to confront stigma around mental health, trauma,

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week’s guest is someone I really respect and admire, Dr. Arielle Schwartz! This time we talked about her newest book, Applied Polyvagal Theory in Yoga: therapeutic practices for Emotional Health. When I was recently in the UK, I attended a two-day workshop with Arielle where she taught some of the material from the book - it was wonderful! I highly recommend any of her offerings!Find Dr. Arielle Schwartz ‘s website with all of her offerings at: https://drarielleschwartz.com Find Dr. Arielle Schwartz’s newest book, Applied Polyvagal Theory in Yoga: therapeutic practices for emotional health, on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3WhYoF4The Institute for Creative Mindfulness is an EMDRIA-approved EMDR Therapy training institute created by Dr. Jamie Marich, a clinician and author who is on a mission to confront stigma around mental health, trauma, and dissociation.They’re offering a special discount to Therapy Chat listeners! Save 15% on any of their courses or CE programs including

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week’s episode features a beloved returning guest and a first time guest speaking about practical uses of Polyvagal Theory for therapists and anyone who wants to benefit from this valuable work. My guests today are Deb Dana, LCSW and Courtney Rolfe, LCPC, who co-authored the new book, Polyvagal Prompts: finding connection and joy through guided explorations. I was together with these 2 wonderful teachers just recently in Germany and England. By chance, Courtney and I were invited to the same dinner and a relationship that began with a podcast interview has become a friendship, luckily for me! I’m so grateful for the work that Deb and Courtney are doing to make Polyvagal Theory available for everyone’s use on our healing journeys!Find Deb Dana’s website with all of her offerings at: https://www.rhythmofregulation.com/Visit Courtney Rolfe’s website to keep up with everything she’s doing at: https://www.modernmindandheart.com/Find their book, Polyvagal Prompts: finding connecti

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week, just in time for the Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, my guest is Paula Scatoloni, LCSW. Paula Scatoloni is a Licensed Social Worker and a Healing Arts Practitioner in NC blending transpersonal psychology, somatics, and sound with the principles of traditional wisdom and earth-based spirituality. Paula created Transformative Harmonics as a bridge to help individuals shift their frequency into safety, connection, and empowerment so they can begin live a more purpose-driven life. We talked about how psychoacoustics can help with nervous system regulation and other transformative experiences, and my time in her Transformative Harmonics group earlier this year. It was amazing! Find Paula's website with all of her offerings at: www.paulascatoloni.comHere are the resources Paula mentioned in this week's episode:Somatic Experiencing International, https://traumahealing.org/Unyte-ILS, Safe and Sound, https://integratedlistening.com/products/ssp-safe-sound-protocol/

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week's interview features Lisa Dion, LPC, RPT-S. Lisa Dion, LPC, RPT-S, is an international teacher, creator of Synergetic Play Therapy, founder and President of the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute, co-founder of the Synergetic Education Institute, creator of the Business of Therapy and host of the Lessons from the Playroom podcast. She is the author of Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurobiological Approach for Integrating Intensity and is the 2015 recipient of the Association for Play Therapy’s Professional Education and Training Award of Excellence.I heard Lisa speak last year in London and really appreciated her vibrant, interesting way of speaking about neuroscience and nervous system regulation; the developing brain, and trauma and attachment. That's what we talked about in this week's episode. Hope you'll find it thought-provoking!Follow Lisa Dion on Instagram at: @synergeticplaytherapy @Synergeticplaytherapyinstitute @lisadionWatch this episode in vi

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! In the last of the interviews from Psychotherapy Networker Symposium in March 2024, I was fortunate to have a deep conversation with my friend and colleague Dr. Leslie Korn. Leslie has been a guest on Therapy Chat previously and I've learned so much from her about integrative nutrition and trauma. This time we talked about the intersection between childhood trauma, "dis-ease," "dis-orders," autoimmune responses, integrative nutrition and overall health and wellbeing. I talked about my own journey with a health crisis between 2015 and 2019 and what I've learned since then. We touched on attachment, developmental trauma, hormones, autoimmune responses, integrative nutrition and mental health, among many other things, in this fascinating conversation!Work with Leslie via her website here. Check out Dr. Leslie Korn's trainings and other offerings related to trauma and integrative nutrition via the PESI/Psychotherapy Networker partner page and get special d

This week's episode is the fourth of five live interviews recorded live at Psychotherapy Networker Symposium in March. This week's guest is someone I have admired and learned from for years, Dr. Janina Fisher! Janina Fisher was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Networker this year. I was so honored to be able to sit down with her face to face to discuss a topic she spoke about at the conference, the challenge of how shame shows up in our lives and can present obstacles along our healing paths. I shared some of my observations from my own lived experience of the insidious way shame can creep in without us even realizing its impact, and Janina spoke about shame as a somatic adaptation, and how trauma therapists can work with shame effectively to help clients who are unconsciously operating and responding from that space. I was so grateful to speak with this amazing teacher who has done so much for the field of trauma therapy over more than 30 years! Because of some tech issues, this is a short

This week's episode, recorded live at Psychotherapy Networker in March, features a very special guest: Dr. Shawna Murray Browne, LCSW-C. I was so fortunate to spend time with Shawna as she spoke about what the process of decolonization and reconnecting to the land can look like. Her course, Decolonizing Therapy for Black Folks, was so deeply impactful for me, and I barely scratched the surface of it beginning four years ago. In our conversation we both shared about our personal experiences during our journeys toward decolonization, touching on many meaningful milestones along the way. I deeply admire Dr. Shawna Murray Browne, LCSW-C and I hope you will be equally inspired when you listen to or watch this episode of Therapy Chat. Listen to our conversation to learn about Shawna's training program in her Liberatory framework teaching therapists to recognize how our field is influenced by colonization and what we can do to begin working from a decolonization perspective. She speaks about how trauma can b

This week's episode is the second in the live episodes recorded at Psychotherapy Networker back in March - my guest today is Dr. Arielle Schwartz! We talked about our own healing journeys, how yoga can help trauma survivors with embodiment, integrative therapies, and much more. Be sure to check out the link in the show notes for special partner discounts on Arielle's many offerings through PESI! Dr. Arielle Schwartz is a clinical psychologist and leading voice in the healing of trauma. She is an internationally sought-out teacher and author of seven books including The Complex PTSD Workbook, The Post-Traumatic Growth Guidebook, EMDR Therapy and Somatic Psychology, and Applied Polyvagal Theory in Yoga. As the founder of the Center for Resilience Informed Therapy, she offers a mind-body approach to therapy for trauma and informational mental health and wellness updates through her writing, public speaking, social media presence, and blog. She believes that the journey of trauma recovery is an awakening

This week on Therapy Chat you'll hear the first of 5 conversations recorded live at Psychotherapy Networker in March! My guest this week is the delightful Courtney Armstrong, LPC, an expert in trauma-informed clinical hypnosis. Listen in as Courtney demystifies this topic and explains how trauma informed clinical hypnosis can support therapists in practicing more authentically for better therapeutic outcomes. Therapists, be sure to check out the link in the show notes where in partnership with PESI/Psychotherapy Networker, many of Courtney's home study courses are offered at a discounted price. With over 25 years of experience, Courtney Armstrong, LPC is a licensed professional counselor and the founder of the Institute for Trauma Informed Hypnotherapy. She’s certified by the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis, is the mastermind behind the clinical hypnosis training program for the US Veterans Administration and has trained countless clinicians globally. Courtney's bestselling books, “Rethinkin

Therapists - are you in a toxic business relationship? This week I'm covering why many therapy practices are struggling to stay afloat. Kelly Higdon, LMFT and Miranda Palmer, LMFT are two therapists and business coaches who co-own ZynnyMe and lead Business School for Therapists. They've been keeping up with the factors affecting therapist wellbeing for years! In our conversation we discuss how therapists and clients are being misled and mistreated by companies that don't have our best interests in mind. If you've unwittingly entered into a toxic relationship with an abusive business entity, you'll want to listen to this episode and take back your power! Some of the topics we covered in this episode:Tech companies offering mental health treatment that is misaligned with therapist ethics and best practices, with potential HIPAA (and other) liability passed on to the therapist;Insurance companies and the companies that negotiate their fees making huge profits while providers are paid less and

This week I interviewed Antonieta Contreras about trauma therapy and the importance of a systemic approach to healing. We discussed misconceptions around trauma therapy, the importance of understanding the connection between trauma and the loss of internal equilibrium, and the role of nature, nurture, and consciousness in healing. Antonieta speaks about how she approaches therapy and how therapists can use her book, 'Traumatization and Its Aftermath,' to develop a systemic approach. Her book is packed with information on the experience of early trauma and its impact on identity development, and much more!Antonieta Contreras, LCSW-R, is a Gestalt trained psychotherapist in private practice in NYC and a Board member and Treasurer of the NY Association of Trauma Therapists (NYCATT). She is a consultant, supervisor and former faculty and co-director of ICP Trauma Studies Program. She is the author of the award winning book Traumatization and Its Aftermath (Routledge, 2023).Antonieta's website is found

Therapists - there's so much important information in this conversation that you need to hear! In this conversation I spoke with Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge, who is an expert in PANS, PANDAS, and tick-borne illnesses as well as Autoimmune Encephalopathy (AE). Roseann shares about the symptoms, diagnosis, and holistic as well as allopathic treatment options for these conditions, emphasizing the importance of recognizing the sudden onset of neuropsychiatric issues without a trauma trigger while also speaking about how traumatic it can be for individuals and their families to suffer with these symptoms.The conversation highlights the need for therapists to be educated about these conditions, learn to support clients and find appropriate specialists to refer to for treatment of the health symptoms. The discussion sheds light on the prevalence of these illnesses and the challenges individuals face in getting proper diagnosis and treatment. Roseann also identifies how factors such as genetic mutations, nutrient d

I named this episode "The Eyes Have It" to honor the fascinating connection my guest, Monique Hoving-Smeets, MFT describes between right and left eyes and awareness among parts of self in trauma work. Monique, a therapist based in Canada who specializes in complex trauma and dissociation, is the developer of the Trauma Regulation and Integration Model (TRIP). Among so many things, Monique also explores the internal attachment dynamics that can contribute to trauma and how TRIP helps to address these dynamics. She shares examples of how TRIP has been effective in treating chronic somatic symptoms and discusses ongoing research and future developments of the therapy.Monique Hoving-Smeets - MFT/CCC/RCC based on Vancouver Island, BC Canada, is the owmerof a private practice called RelationshipWorx and creator of the TRIP Trauma Regulation and Integration Process. In her private practice the majority of her clients present with trauma, complex trauma, religious and ritual abuse, dissociative disorders and

In this week's episode my guests are Dr. Ann Kelley and Sue Marriott, LCSW, hosts of Therapist Uncensored podcast and authors of the upcoming book, Secure Relating: Holding Your Own In An Insecure World. They discuss the importance of spreading secure relating and changing society through understanding attachment. They describe how their book challenges traditional views of attachment and proposes a spectrum of attachment patterns. We had a great conversation that I know you'll find interesting! Ann Kelley, PhD, (she/her) is a licensed psychologist in private practice, specializing in couples therapy from an integrative, attachment-based, relational framework. Sue Marriott , LCSW, CGP (she/her) has been running a private practice for over 25 years, seeing individuals and couples and leading multiple long-term psychotherapy groups.Find Secure Relating: Holding Your Own in An Insecure World on Amazon here. Listen to Therapist Uncensored here. Learn about Ann & Sue's conference here.Register for:

Today's Therapy Chat guest is Dr. Peter Levine, the developer of Somatic Experiencing, who speaks about his journey as a wounded healer. He shares that by being open about our experiences healing, our authenticity allows others to know they're not alone. None of us in the helping professions have been immune to suffering, it's a part of the universal experience of being human; and there's no shame in having experienced trauma, no matter who you are. In our conversation, Dr. Levine shares about how he developed Somatic Experiencing, and the surprising muse he found during that process. He discusses his violent childhood growing up in a family which was under threat by the mafia, and how Somatic Experiencing approaches healing from trauma "stuck" in the body.Learn more about Somatic Experiencing here. The Ergos Institute is here.Find Peter Levine's new book, Autobiography of Trauma: A Healing Journey on Amazon here.Register for: Resilience Informed Therapy - An Integrative Somatic Ap

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! Betrayal comes in many forms. One of the most common ways we think of it is when a partner has a hidden life or a side relationship they're keeping secret from their partner. Secrecy and shame can lead to broken trust and overwhelming feelings of betrayal that are not easy to recover from. If you've ever experienced the pain of betrayal, you'll want to hear my conversation with LaDonna Carey, MA!In our conversation, we explored the topic of betrayal trauma and how therapists can effectively help their clients heal. We talked about various forms of betrayal trauma, how attachment factors in, and what the healing process can look like. LaDonna Carey trains therapists to support survivors of betrayal trauma. She talks about her upcoming training at the Aloha Summit in Maui, discusses upcoming events and training, the contribution to rebuilding Maui, which is focused on healing and restoring the therapist community after a betrayal amidst our community which impacted hund