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

This week's episode features a recording of a Facebook live from last week. Host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C had a conversation with friend and colleague Melissa Wesner, LCPC on the hot topic of burnout in helping professionals and caregivers in general. Laura and Melissa discussed how burnout is affecting mental health professionals; identifying burnout and compassion fatigue symptoms using the ProQOL measure; and how to create an action plan to address emotional, physical, spiritual and relational needs including small changes that are sustainable. Melissa Wesner, LCPC is the Founder of LifeSpring Counseling Services, a group practice in Maryland that strives to provide hope, healing, and empowerment through the collaborative process of therapy. She is also a Certified Brainspotter and Brainspotting Consultant who offers Brainspotting Intensives to leaders, executives, and small business owners. Visit Melissa's practice website here: https://lifespringcounseling.net/ Melissa's membership community for

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews Brooke Bralove, LCSW-C about a tool she uses to support trauma survivors called Accelerated Resolution Therapy. Listen in as Laura asks all the questions about this method, called ART for short. Also, doors are now open for new Trauma Therapist Network community members! Brooke Bralove, LCSW-C is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, psychotherapist, sex therapist, Basic Accelerated Resolution Therapy Practitioner, and Certified Daring Way™ Facilitator, specializing in treating adults, couples, and groups with depression, anxiety, and relationship challenges. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University’s School of Social Work. Additionally, she is a graduate of the Washington School of Psychiatry's Clinical Program on Psychodynamic Psychotherapy and the National Group Psychotherapy Institute. Ms. Bralove has maintained a private practice in the D.C. metro area for more than 18 years.Visit Brooke'

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews Annie Schuessler of The Rebel Therapist ®. First, Laura mentioned the high incidence of helping professionals leaving their fields due to stress and burnout, and how this conversation inspires hope for helpers who feel stuck and are considering changing careers. Annie and Laura talked about how helpers and healers can pivot when the day to day is leading them to exhaustion and overwhelm. Annie's program that helps private practice therapists pivot is opening and she has a special offer, detailed in the show notes!Annie Schuessler is a business coach and the host of the podcast Rebel Therapist® where she shares stories of people creating unique and innovative businesses. She was a therapist in private practice for 20 years, and a business coach for over 10 years. Her mission is to help people trained as therapists create and launch exceptional programs beyond the therapy room. She lives in San Francisco with her spouse and two chi

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews Dr. Han Ren (she/they) who is doing big things on social media to normalize C-PTSD symptoms, promote liberatory psychology and anti-oppression work and show that being human is not a problem - even if you’re a mental health professional. In fact, as a mental health professional it can be an asset to share your lived experience. Dr. Han Ren is the co-owner of Pivot Psychology in Austin, Texas. She has a background in school psychology and primarily works with high achieving young adults at present. In this conversation she explained the concepts of liberation focused psychology and anti carceral movements and provided some resources for listeners to learn more via Instagram accounts; and she and Laura discussed how therapists may inadvertently shame clients due to our own fears and lack of understanding of the most effective ways to help clients change coping strategies which were once helpful, but now cause problems. Han shares a co

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews Dr. Rachel Altvater, a therapist, author and human, on the complexities of grieving, being human and how understanding perspective relates to being our most authentic selves. Laura and Rachel came together while both are grieving recent losses as well. Additionally, Rachel explains the concept of perspective, which is the focus of her new book, "Perspective: Contemplating the Complexities of Our Realities."Dr. Rachel Altvater (Psy.D., RPT-S™) is an award-winning, pioneering expert, leader, researcher, international trainer, author, and supervisor in the field of play therapy. She is a Licensed Psychologist in Maryland, Washington, DC, and Virginia, and she holds national certifications as a Registered Play Therapist–Supervisor™ and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional. She is the owner of Creative Psychological Health Services, co-owner of North Star Creations, past president of the Maryland/DC Association for Play Therapy

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C was honored to again speak with Linda Thai, LMSW. Linda generously agreed to do a multi-episode series with Laura focusing on the grief journey to follow the process Laura is currently experiencing following a death in the family. This episode is the second of this series and was recorded in early May, 2023.Linda shared words of wisdom about grief and developmental trauma through a somatic lens, observing and working with how attachment wounds are held in and expressed through the body. This is a demonstration of one example of how somatic psychotherapy can look and feel, but it is not a therapy session as Linda and Laura are colleagues, not in a therapeutic relationship. This episode will later be released on video as well. There are many long pauses and if they're not long enough, while you're listening, please feel free to pause as needed. Also, there are a few points where Laura's voice is less audible due to sitting further fr

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C brings back a replay of a Part 2 of the past interviews with a former hospice social worker and grief counselor who is living with a terminal illness, Isabel Stenzel Byrnes, LCSW, MPH. In this conversation, In this conversation, you'll a deeper discussion of grief, loss and end of life. While preparing this episode for replay, Laura learned that Isabel is currently living with cancer. You won't want to miss listening to this conversation with someone who has found meaning and purpose in her life despite being born with an illness that forced her to confront her own mortality as a young child. Isabel Stenzel Byrnes, LCSW, MPH shares her unique perspective on grief as someone who has survived a lifetime of living with a terminal chronic illness, and the loss of many important people in her life. This episode raises thought-provoking questions about acceptance, our cultural view of death in the West, and how we handle unpleasant emotions.

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C brings back a replay of a past interview with a former hospice social worker and grief counselor who is living with a terminal illness. Last week's episode was the first in a multi-part series on grief which began with that conversation with Linda Thai, LMSW. Laura and Linda were unable to record the second conversation to be released this week as intended, so instead we'll hear this replay of a conversation from 2019 with Isabel Stenzel Byrnes, LCSW, MPH. In this conversation you'll hear how grief can illuminate trauma which was there waiting to be discovered; learn about some of the wisdom Isabel has gained through her experiences of grief and loss; and develop an understanding of how grief therapy, support groups, and writing can help with healing. While preparing this episode for replay, Laura learned that Isabel is currently living with cancer. You won't want to miss listening to this conversation with someone who has foun

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week's episode is quite different from the usual Therapy Chat conversation. Host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C was honored to speak with Linda Thai, LMSW.Linda generously agreed to do a multi-episode series with Laura focusing on the grief Laura is currently experiencing following a death in the family. This episode was recorded in April. Linda shared words of wisdom about grief and developmental trauma as well as intergenerational/ancestral trauma, touching on the immigrant experience and family dynamics. This episode will later be released on video as well.Linda Thai LMSW (she, her) is a trauma therapist who specializes in cutting edge brain- and body-based modalities for the healing of complex developmental trauma. As an educator and consultant, she is gifted with the capacity to contextualize, synthesize and communicate complex and nuanced issues pertaining to the impact of oppressive systems upon identity, mental health and wellbeing, and the invisibilized wounds of racial t

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week host Laura Reagan returns with a new interview with Akilah Riley-Richardson. Akilah Riley-Richardson, MSW, CCTP, is a published researcher, Relational Healing Facilitator, couples therapist, and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional. She has been in clinical practice for sixteen years and has experience working with couples and persons practicing consensual non-monogamy, both in the Caribbean and internationally. Akilah also specializes in working with sexual minorities and racial minorities.Akilah has presented in various spaces including the Psychotherapy Networker Symposium and the Black Mental health Symposium. She has been a Social Work Educator at the University of the Southern Caribbean since 2012. She is the founder of the BIPOC Relational Healing Institute and the creator of the P.R.I.D.E model.In this conversation, Akilah explains how individuals with marginalized identities such as being a member of the LGBTQIA community, living in a minoritized body or bein

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week, due to a death in the family, host Laura Reagan is away and replaying a past episode which relates complex trauma, dissociation and EMDR. This week, Laura revisits her conversation with Kathy Steele on Structural Dissociation. Kathy Steele is a psychotherapist, consultant, trainer, and author. She practices in Atlanta, Georgia, working with complex psychological trauma, dissociation, attachment issues, therapeutic impasse, therapist self-care, and many other related topics in psychotherapy.Kathy has been in private practice since 1985, and with Metropolitan Psychotherapy Associates in Atlanta, Georgia since 1988. She was Clinical Director of Metropolitan Counseling Services, a non- profit psychotherapy and training center until 2016. Kathy received her undergraduate degree from the University of South Carolina in 1978, and completed her graduate work at Emory University in 1983.She is a Past President and Fellow of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week, due to a death in the family, host Laura Reagan is away and replaying a past episode which relates to last week's conversation with Rotem Brayer. on the Art & Science of EMDR. This week, Laura revisits her conversation with Dr. Debbie Korn on identifying and assessing dissociation in preparation for processing complex trauma using EMDR. Deborah L. Korn, PsyD maintains a private practice in Cambridge, MA and is a faculty member at the Trauma Research Foundation and the EMDR Institute. She is also the former Clinical Director of the Women’s Trauma Programs at Charter Brookside and Charles River Hospitals and a past board member of the New England Society for the Treatment of Trauma and Dissociation. Dr. Korn has authored or coauthored numerous articles and chapters focused on EMDR therapy, including comprehensive reviews of EMDR applications with Complex PTSD. She is an EMDR International Association-approved consultant and also on the Editorial Board of the Jour

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews Rotem Brayer, M.Ed, LPC, who is a licensed professional counselor, certified EMDR therapist, EMDR consultant, and advanced EMDR trainer. He is the founder of The EMDR Learning Community (emdr-learning.com), a community that brings EMDR therapists together and provides education on EMDR therapy and the integration of this modality with other treatment approaches. As the co-founder of EMDR Denver, a practice that helps clients heal with an “EMDR first” approach, Rotem divides his time between consulting on cases, coaching EMDR therapists, and helping clients heal from the effects of trauma and attachment wounds.   Rotem and Laura discussed the art and science of trauma therapy, and how he is working to take EMDR clinicians beyond protocols, so they can work effectively and safely with clients who have attachment wounds, trauma and dissociation. This was such a great conversation that will surely spark many thoughts and ideas for liste

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C shares about her recent experience attending Psychotherapy Networker, where she met this week's guest, Jules Taylor Shore, in person! Jules is a neuroscience nerd who is passionate about relational therapy. In this conversation you'll hear Jules explain memory reconsolidation, a natural healing process in the brain which can be interrupted by trauma and attachment wounds. Jules explains the role of implicit memory in how we function in relationships. This is a fascinating conversation about a complex subject that Jules makes understandable. Here's more about Jules:   Jules became a therapist because she stumbled into a therapist's office when she was in a hard space, fought with him for several months over whether or not feelings are important (she argued they were not), and found herself at the other end transformed. She remembers the day as clearly as if it were yesterday, when she looked up at him from a worn couch in a low c

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews Laura Khoudari, author of Lifting Heavy Things: Healing Trauma One Rep At A Time. In this conversation, you'll hear the two Lauras discussing trauma-informed strength training; dissociation and disembodiment within fitness culture; and how the culture of the fitness world is evolving.    Laura Khoudari is a pioneer in trauma-informed strength training, a speaker, and the author of Lifting Heavy Things: Healing Trauma One Rep at a Time. She is passionate about giving people the tools they need to heal from trauma and cultivate mental health and wellness. Her work has been widely recognized by the trauma and fitness community, and she has been featured by The New York Times, NPR, Buzzfeed, UpWorthy, Outside Online, Medium, Vice, and Nike.com. She has presented her work for Somatic Experiencing International, The Breathe Network, Reebok, Les Mills, Fitness4AllBodies, and conferences, schools, and fitness studios in the US and Canad

Welcome back to TherapyChat! This week, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C speaks out about a major issue affecting those who use online mental health platforms like BetterHelp and others, and how this breach of public trust is likely to impact trauma survivors and anyone who has been abused or marginalized particularly deeply. Laura reminds listeners that we all have a voice, even when learning about abuse, as horrifying as it is, we are not powerless. In this episode Laura goes through the press release, pointing out important parts and offers some suggestions of what those affected can do.    Laura Reagan, LCSW-C, a trauma therapist located in Maryland, United States, who hosts Therapy Chat Podcast, shares important information that consumers who have used BetterHelp and other online mental health platforms need to know. Laura shares information from a press release sent out by the United States Federal Trade Commission regarding reported violations of privacy protections they claimed they would provide. According

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews Kasey Compton, LMFT, author of the recent book, "Fix This Next for Healthcare Providers: Your Business Is Like A Patient, You Just Have to Treat It That Way," psychotherapist, group practice owner, consultant, coach, mother, and human.    Laura and Kasey had a deep conversation about the surprising mindset shifts that can make all the difference for entrepreneurs. It's not what you think! Kasey shared about her journey from successful entrepreneur to happy, healthy and balanced human (who is still a successful entrepreneur). We all know that there's no end to the journey of healing - life is filled with experiences that help us grow. Kasey shares a message that there is no shame in embracing all of who you are. This conversation is filled with many meaningful nuggets you won't want to miss. She shared some of her story and Laura met her in that place to share her from her own experiences.   More about Kasey: Kasey

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews Dr. Shefali, Tsabary. Dr. Shefali received her doctorate in clinical psychology from Columbia University. Specializing in the integration of Western psychology and Eastern philosophy, she brings together the best of both worlds for her clients. She is an expert in family dynamics and personal development, teaching courses around the globe. She has written five books, three of which are New York Times best-sellers, including her two landmark books The Conscious Parent and The Awakened Family. Her newest book is "The Parenting Map: Step-by-Step Solutions to Consciously Create the Ultimate Parent-Child Relationship," which is scheduled for release on February 28, 2023. In this conversation, you'll hear Dr. Shefali speaking about the process of becoming a conscious parent, and then she described the 5 parenting strategies that create problems in our relationships with our children. In her newest book she lays out

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews Dr. Elizabeth Guthrie, author of "The Trauma Informed Herbalist," about how we can use herbs and nature to improve self connection and self care. Elizabeth Guthrie is a board certified wellness practitioner who holds a PhD in Natural Medicine with a focus in Naturopathic Psychology and a Master's of Public Health in Functional Nutrition. She has helped create research for University of Alabama Birmingham’s Integrative Medicine clinic, teaches practitioners online, and works as a wellness practitioner and yoga instructor in Birmingham, Alabama.   Visit Elizabeth's website.   Purchase Elizabeth's book, The Trauma Informed Herbalist, on Amazon here. Thank you to Kelly + Miranda for sponsoring this week's episode! Therapists - Make More Profits & Work Less in Private Practice from Kelly + Miranda of ZynnyMe begins 2/6/23! Therapists - Attend a free webinar presented by Dr. Janina Fisher. In this

  Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews Alicia Barmon, LCPC, a Baltimore area yoga therapist and psychotherapist, about breath work. Alicia combines Somatic Experiencing with breathwork to build a bridge between the subconscious and conscious mind - the implicit and the explicit... allowing trauma energy to emerge and be supported, held and felt in a new way - in relationship with the loving witness.  Her work emerges from the intersection of science and spirituality as she weaves modern science with ancient practices to create 30 minute daily practices that draw from quantum physics, Vedic philosophy, Chinese medicine, Buddhism and her deep reverence for trees and fungi.    She offers a breathwork class that has been running daily for 2 years. She also teaches the "Therapeutic Applications of the Breath' to practitioners, and she provides somatic based therapy and individualized breathwork sessions to harness the breath for personal and collective liberatio