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

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! We often talk about embodiment, and connecting with emotion held in the body; but what does it actually mean and how do we do it? This week, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews Dr. Raja Selvam, PhD, a licensed clinical psychologist who is the developer of Integral Somatic Psychology (ISP), a therapeutic approach based on affective neuroscience and emerging scientific paradigms of embodied cognition, emotion, and behavior in cognitive psychology to improve cognitive, emotional, behavioral, relational, and spiritual outcomes in all therapy modalities. Earlier this year, Dr. Selvam's book, "Embodying Emotions: A Method for Improving Cognitive, Emotional, and Behavioral Outcomes" was released this year.    Dr. Selvam is also a senior trainer in Dr. Peter Levine’s Somatic Experiencing (SE) Professional Trauma Training Program. He has taught for twenty-five years in nearly as many countries in North and South Americas, Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and the Far

Welcome back to Therapy Chat!  In today's episode, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews Zahabiya "Zabie" Yamasaki, who is a survivor, an advocate and a teacher who is deeply passionate about helping survivors find healing after experiencing sexual violence. She offers courses, trainings and her newest offerings, her book with companion card deck. Zabie's kind and compassionate nature comes through in this interview, which we hope you will find valuable.   Zabie Yamasaki, M.Ed., RYT is the Founder of Transcending Sexual Trauma through Yoga. Zabie has trained thousands of yoga instructors and mental health professionals and her trauma-informed yoga program and curriculum for survivors is now being implemented at over 25 colleges campuses and agencies including the University of California (UC) system, Stanford, USC, University of Notre Dame, and Johns Hopkins University. Zabie received her undergraduate degree in Psychology and Social Behavior and Education at the UC Irvine and completed her g

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This month we resume new episodes after a summer that seemed to fly by! In today's episode, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews a returning guest who was last on the show in 2019. Today's guest is Chris McDonald, LMHCS! Chris generously agreed to join the Trauma Therapist Network community to share some experiential holistic self-care practices last month, and our members loved what she shared with us.    Today you'll hear Chris speak about incorporating holistic self-care practices into your life, and how these methods can help us get back into our bodies when we are feeling disconnected from ourselves.   Chris McDonald is a Holistic Licensed Therapist, 200 hour registered yoga teacher and holistic provider in Garner, NC. She is also host to the Holistic Counseling Podcast. She specializes in treatment of anxiety, depression, trauma and grief in young adults experiencing life transitions. She integrates yoga, mindfulness, meditation and Brainspotting into treatment

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This month we have been talking about self care and secondary traumatic stress/burnout. Today host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C revisits an interview from 2016 with Laura van Dernoot Lipsky, who is the author of the classic bestseller, "Trauma Stewardship: An everyday guide to caring for self while caring for others," and a newer book, "The Age of Overwhelm: Strategies for the long haul." She also has a fabulous TED Talk entitled "Beyond the Cliff." See below for links to these resources.    In this episode you'll hear the two Lauras discussing trauma exposure, an occupational hazard for those in the helping professions and something that has affected many of us who are caregivers, even if that is not what we do for work. You'll hear about how to come back from secondary traumatic stress, vicarious trauma and burnout. Laura van Dernoot Lipsky shares what helped her when she reached the point of knowing she needed a break from trauma work. Whether you are t

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! Continuing the theme of tending to our own needs, 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.   Host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C revisits a past episode in which she speaks about Secondary Traumatic Stress and Vicarious Trauma after attending a workshop on this topic by Laura Van Dernoot Lipsky, the author of Trauma Stewardship. This week is Part 1 and next week, in part 2, we will hear from Laura van Dernoot Lipsky herself! 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 p

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C revisits a conversation with an incredible healer and coach. Today's guest is Mara Glatzel, 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-co

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C revisits an episode from 2016 on a very important subject - self care for helping professionals! Ashley Davis Bush, LICSW is a psychotherapist in private practice in southern New Hampshire with over 30 years’ experience.  Ashley has written several self-help books, including Transcending Loss and Simple Self-Care for Therapists. She is a regular contributor to the Huffington Post and has some great tips to share with us today about improving our relationships to self-care. Join us! What you’ll hear in this episode: Ashley loves her work and counts it a privilege to be part of peoples’ lives. Her private practice is in her home, and it’s “a fun job, watching life unfold in front of you.” Even the simple choice of working from home can be a self-care choice. Ashley’s work focuses on grief, couples, and anxiety, but self-care is a common thread that is woven into her work with all clients. Ashley says that much of her practice patterns itself a

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week's episode is replay of a fascinating conversation with someone who needs no introduction. Dr. Dan Siegel is this week's guest, and he explains the concept of interpersonal neurobiology, the nature of the mind, integration and “Mwe”. Personally, I think a "Mwe" consciousness is more crucial than ever right now. 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 we

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C revisits an interview with James Lake, MD, an integrative psychiatrist in California who has authored several books, including 2009’s Integrative Mental Health: A Therapist’s Handbook. Dr. Lake is a leader in the field of integrative mental health, as you will hear in this interview.   After our recent episodes with Dr. Aimie Apigian, Dr. Jodie Skillicorn and Dr. Leslie Korn, it seemed fitting to take a step back and replay the interview with Dr. James Lake to lay a foundation for understanding integrative mental health and how Master's-level clinicians can use it in our practices. Dr. Lake discusses how he uses complementary and alternative medicine (“CAM”) in his clinical practice, and how Master’s-level therapists can use integrative methods in their practices, within their scope of practice. He discusses use of supplements in psychotherapy practice, collaboration with alternative and complementary practitioners as well as allopathic m

This week host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C revisits a past interview with guest Dr. Leslie Korn, who has been interviewed previously on the show. You might remember that last week we heard a replay of the interview with Dr. Jodie Skillicorn, a holistic and integrative psychiatrist. If you liked that conversation, you'll want to listen to this! In our interview, you'll hear Leslie speak about using integrative nutrition, including herbs, for optimal emotional and physical wellbeing. She is the author of 9 books, including her most recent book, Natural Woman.   Leslie E Korn, PhD, MPH, LMHC, is a renowned integrative medicine clinician and educator specializing in the use of nutritional, herbal, and culinary medicine for the treatment of trauma and emotional and chronic physical illness. She completed her graduate education in psychiatry and public health at Harvard Medical School and her life training in the jungles of Mexico, where she lived and worked alongside local healers for more than 25 years.  Leslie

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! In today's episode, you will hear a replay from 2020, where host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews Dr. Jodie Skillicorn, a holistic psychiatrist and author of the book, "Healing Depression Without Medication: a psychiatrist's guide to balancing mind, body and soul". Jodie explains how trauma plays a role in many psychiatric symptoms and how she works with her patients using medications as a last resort. Tune in for an interesting and thought-provoking discussion! Dr. Jodie Skillicorn is an osteopathic physician board certified in Psychiatry and a diplomate of the American Board of Integrative and Holistic Medicine. She integrates conventional medical training with evidence-based holistic methods that include breathwork, meditation, yoga, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), Mind-Body Medicine, nutrition, exercise, nature, and auricular acupuncture at her private practice

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week, our conversation about trauma and health continues as host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews Dr. Aimie Apigian, a functional medicine doctor, about the biology of trauma and how this piece is often omitted from trauma treatment. She explains why healing is incomplete without the physiology of trauma being addressed, describes what is happening in the body when someone is in a chronic state of freeze, and shares information about her upcoming Annual Biology of Trauma Summit featuring Dr. Gabor Maté (featured in last week's episode) and many other experts in the field of functional medicine and the physiology of trauma. Dr. Aimie is a Double Board-Certified Medical Physician in both Preventive and Addiction Medicine and holds Double Masters Degrees in Biochemistry and in Public Health. She is the leading medical expert on addressing stored trauma in the body through her signature model and methodology, The Biology of Trauma™: a new lens that courageously uplevels the o

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! As we continue our exploration of the mind-body connection in trauma recovery, we have another episode on this topic. In today's podcast host Laura Reagan revisits an earlier episode speaking to Dr. Gabor Maté. Dr. Maté is the co-founder of Compassion for Addiction, a 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 p

On today's episode host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C speaks to Donna Jackson Nakazawa about her forthcoming book, The Angel and The Assassin: The Tiny Brain Cell That Changed the Course of Medicine.  Donna Jackson Nakazawa is an award-winning journalist and internationally-recognized speaker whose work explores the intersection of neuroscience, immunology, and human emotion. Her mission is to translate emerging science in ways that help those with chronic conditions find healing. She is the author of six books, including her most recent book, The Angel and The Assassin: The Tiny Brain Cell That Changed the Course of Medicine (Random House/Ballantine, January 2020), which illuminates the newly-understood role of microglia – an elusive type of brain cell capable of Jekyll and Hyde behavior. When triggered, microglia can morph into destroyers and take down synapses, causing depression, anxiety, and Alzheimer’s. But under the right circumstances, they can be angelic healers, repairing the brain in ways that can help

In the US, violence is a major problem. We hear news stories about mass shootings, war, and sexual and domestic violence daily. Last week in episode 333, therapist and author Terry Real talked about how patriarchal conditioning limits those who are socialized as male in their emotional expression.  In today's episode, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C revisits a prior interview with the co-authors of "The Tough Standard: The hard truths about masculinity and violence," Dr. Ronald Levant and Shana Pryor. In this conversation you'll learn about the construct of masculinity and how it impinges upon men and others, contributing to violent behavior.  Ronald F. Levant, EdD, ABPP, is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at The University of Akron; Past President of the American Psychological Association (APA) and APA Division 51; and two-term Editor of APA Division 51’s quarterly journal, Psychology of Men & Masculinities. He has developed and evaluated a number of measures designed to assess a variety of g

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C speaks with internally recognized speaker, author and therapist Terrence Real. Terry Real is the author of several books, including the classic "I Don't Want To Talk About It: Overcoming the secret legacy of men's depression," as well as his newest book, released in June 2022. His new book is entitled, "Us: Getting past you and me to build a more loving relationship."    In this conversation, Terry sheds light on how the patriarchy influences gender roles within relationships and the harm that is done when individuals are put into boxes limiting their expression. He talks about some of the ways his books and his method, Relational Life Therapy (RLT) help those who are socialized as male access emotional intimacy for deeper, more connected relationships with their partners. He is open about the emotional legacy of trauma and abuse and its impact so couples can recognize what stands in the way of vulnerability within relat

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! If you listened to the past two weeks' episodes about equine-assisted psychotherapy, you might be wondering why and how Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) is effective. Today's guest will help you understand. Philip Tedeschi is the founder of the Human-Animal Connection program of the School of Social Work at University of Denver. He is the Director Emeritus now, and when this interview took place, he was the founder and Director. Philip's passion for connection with animals really comes through in our conversation. This conversation focuses on connection with animals and nature for a better world. Find inspiration for all of the ways healing can happen by listening to today's episode. Resources Thank you to TherapyNotes for sponsoring this week's episode! TherapyNotes makes billing, scheduling, notetaking, and telehealth incredibly easy.  And now, for all you prescribers out there, TherapyNotes is proudly introducing E-prescribe! Find out what more than 100,00

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C revisits a conversation from a few years ago with Julia Alexander, MSW (now LCSW). At the time this was recorded, Julia was a new MSW starting her career in clinical work although she had years of experience in the field - and the pasture. As an equine-assisted psychotherapist, Julia shared how she was using Natural Lifemanship in her clinical practice then, and the vulnerability of finding her way as a clinician. Stay tuned for a future episode with Julia, where she will update us on what she is doing now.    Resources   Learn more about Julia at her website: julia alexander counseling.com   Read the blog post Mary Sue McCarthy wrote for Trauma Therapist Network here.    Listen to Episode 329 with Mary Sue McCarthy here. Thank you to TherapyNotes for sponsoring this week's episode! TherapyNotes makes billing, scheduling, notetaking, and telehealth incredibly easy.  And now, for all you prescribers out there, TherapyNotes is proudly intro

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C shares an experience from several years ago when she first felt the magic of interacting with horses in a therapeutic environment. As you listen to this vulnerable recounting of what it felt like for her, you may get a feel for how powerful equine work can be. Taking talking out of psychotherapy allows for a different level of relational attunement. If you missed last week's interview with Mary Sue McCarthy, be sure to check it out for more specifics on how and why equine assisted psychotherapy is so effective at helping us connect with ourselves and other beings. This month we will continue the theme of exploring equine-assisted psychotherapy and relationships with upcoming episodes about Natural Lifemanship and Animal Assisted Therapy. Then next month you'll hear our interview with internationally known couples therapy expert and author Terry Real. Resources Thank you to TherapyNotes for sponsoring this week's episode! TherapyNot

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews Mary Sue McCarthy, LCPC. Mary Sue is a trauma therapist in Hunt Valley, Maryland who has a talk therapy/EMDR practice as well as a second practice solely for Trauma Focused Equine Assisted Therapy (TF-EAP). Mary shares how she fell in love with this way of working, how it is different from talk therapy, and how TF-EAP is attachment work. She discusses how experientially practicing risking connection and detaching with connection allows her clients to practice relational boundaries in the session.   Mary Sue McCarthy, LCPC, NCC, is a second level Natural Lifemanship practitioner working toward her final certification. In private practice in Hunt Valley, Maryland, Mary Sue welcomes clients 25 years and older for support with recovery from trauma and related symptoms including addictions, depression, social isolation and “feeling stuck.” She is a Maryland Registered and Board Approved Clinical Supervisor and is available for consultati