Couch Time Podcast

What better way to talk about toxic work environments than to analyze Netflix's reality show, Selling Sunset? With a plethora of episodes focused on the dynamics among a gorgeous group of LA realtors, the drama never seems to end. We understand that as viewers, we are only privy to a small fraction of the reality stars lives. Therefore, here on Couch Time, we dissect the information given and use realistic inferences so we can learn and share key takeaways that relate to our field of expertise.

A hot topic in today's celebrity media is Kourtney Kardashian's engagement to Travis Barker. This relationship provides us with some interesting topics that fans have probably noticed during her life in the spotlight. Today we will discuss starting over in your 40's, how to come out of codependency, cycles of life, and the impact that living your life as a reality TV star can have on your mental health.

Suzette Bray is a seasoned LMFT and founder of Village Counseling and Wellness and we are honored to have her on for today's episode. It's her years of experience, extensive training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and open mind that guide our conversation in hopes to destigmatize borderline personality disorder. If you are new to the field, studying to become a clinician, or are just wanting to learn more about mental health and private practice, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

Arguably one of the most iconic popstars of the late 1990's and early 2000's, Britney Spears has been in the media since the beginning. Lately, there has been so much buzz regarding the many documentaries circling her conservatorship and we thought it was a perfect topic to discuss. Fans around the world have joined together to create a ‘Free Britney' movement due to observed odd behaviors and her potential cry for freedom.

Hello listeners! After a teeny, tiny, break to reassess the direction of the podcast, we are happy to announce that we are back with a new look. We are glad to have you along with this journey and very excited to share this new chapter of Couch Time with you.

Our guest today is Dr. Veronica Eyo, LCSW who opens up about her experience with motherhood and pregnancy during her higher education journey. She shares details about her dissertation and how it related to this very topic.

If anyone embodies our slogan “Keeping it Real” more than us, it's Lauren Ruth Martin, LPC-MHSP. We had the pleasure of having her on our show and she served up some great advice along with a few belly laughs on the side! So, be sure to listen in for information on niching down your specialty and how it's more important than ever to show up for your clients as an authentic human FIRST, and then as a clinician.

Today we cover the first of many discussions related to our recommended PRIVATE PRACTICE MUST-HAVES. There is so much we wish we would have known before taking the journey on the road to licensure and then to start our very own private practices. We want to open up our experiences for other clinicians to learn from in hopes to provide better guidance for those wanting to take a similar path. Although we are still trying to navigate obstacles of owning a business, there is much to be shared so far!

Listen on apple Listen on Spotify Listen on Google We are in great company with Andrew Susskind, LCSW during this exclusive interview. Every clinician has their own story and today Andrew shares his background, experiences, and how he keeps a growing edge to fulfill his lifelong commitment to providing therapy all while the clinical field continues to evolve. 4 Tips to keep a growing edge:Constantly learn by attending post graduate trainings and find the trainings that are fun for you and speak to you.Your own therapy is primary and pay top dollar for that experience even if that means stretching to make that experience happen.Continue the best consultation and supervision out there because we learn from one another. Give back to the clinical community and share your learnings and extending your knowledge to help other therapists grow. Andrew has found a calling as an author to share his personal and professional experiences to help others end compulsive sexual behavior and addition recovery. In both publications, he coaches with strategy to help find clear direction to healing and recovery. Andrew's books can be found on Amazon with the links below.Publications: It's Not About the Sex: Moving from Isolation to Intimacy after Sexual Addictionhttps://www.amazon.com/Its-Not-About-Sex-Isolation/dp/1949481069/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=andrew+susskind&qid=1555180896&s=gateway&sr=8-1 From Now On: Seven Keys to Purposeful Recoveryhttps://www.amazon.com/Now-Seven-Keys-Purposeful-Recovery/dp/0991306805/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=andrew+susskind&qid=1555181860&s=gateway&sr=8-2 Connect with Andrew Susskind, LCSW:- https://westsidetherapist.com- @andrewsusskindLet's Connect! We want to hear from you!Visit us at our websites:- https://road2wellness.co- www.suzihalajyan.comConnect with us on Instagram: @therapy_with_janetb@sessionswithsuzi

Listen on apple Listen on Spotify Listen on Google Join us today for a very special guest, Aileen Uy, LCSW who is also a certified life coach specializing in women's coaching and mentorship. She is going to unwrap the stigma around coaching and the common misconceptions with therapy as well as the practice of being a coach. Aileen gives a lot of insight into the guidelines, frameworks, and their perspective expectations and ethics that coaches are expected to adhere to. Although coaching is very unregulated with no formal process, training, or licensing, there are some accreditations for different kinds of coaching beyond the basics that can be found on the International Coaching Federations website referenced below. Both coaching and therapy promote wellness on a spectrum, but Aileen highlights that therapy and coaching do have some differences. 3 key points to help distinguish coaching from therapy:There is a lot of coaching that goes on in therapy but no therapy that goes on in coaching. Coaching often focuses on solutions through encouragement where therapy has a focus on recovery with more severe distress and requires intense healing through treatment. Clinical psychotherapy can be related to physical therapy where distress and discomfort or limited awareness with a heavy focus on treatment for that disorder. A personal trainer who focuses on physical upkeep, a coach would similarly help with maintaining optimal mental wellness. Want to learn more about today's topic? Here are the references from today's episode:- https://coachingfederation.org- https://www.jrni.co Connect with Aileen Uy, LCSW:- https://www.autherapy.life@aileen.therapycoachingLet's Connect! We want to hear from you!Visit us at our websites:- https://road2wellness.co- www.suzihalajyan.comConnect with us on Instagram: @therapy_with_janetb@sessionswithsuzi

Welcome back to Couch Time and thank you for joining us today for a special interview session with fellow clinician, Andrew Katsinas, LMFT. With a background in film and media, Andrew has come to appreciate the creative processes in healing and has brought that along with his spunky sense of humor to create a modern-day spin on telehealth therapy. Not only does Andrew own his own private practice, but he also has training in AASECT Sex Therapy with a goal of breaking down the barriers and taboo behind the “forbidden” topic. His calling has led him to work with those who seek help with relationships, intimacy, and sex while specializing in issues involving sexual dysfunction, the LGBTQIA+ community, and sexual trauma.

Join us in an interview session with fellow clinician, Genesis Games, LMHC as we get personal with her journey from the time she spent in grad school to becoming a business owner.

Hindsight is always much clearer and it's challenging not to look through that lens when reflecting on our individual roads to licensure and wish things had been done differently. We may not be able to change our past education decisions, but we can certainly assist YOU as you work along your own path to becoming licensed. Episode 05 is hopefully one of many educational tools that we intend to provide future and perspective therapists while making decisions that will greatly impact their careers. 

In this episode, we interview Lindsay Reiten, LCSW, and discuss owning your journey to becoming a licensed therapist along with the struggles we face to becoming licensed professionals. Just because your experiences are different from others, it doesn't necessarily mean you don't have an appropriate reason to become a therapist. If you are passionate about helping people, be proud and own your story!

We are sharing our journey towards licensure so this podcast will cover our experiences and hopefully will help anyone who is on their road to getting licensed! From the nostalgia to the most horrifying moments along our journey, we are going to dive deep into the details that NOBODY tells you while on your venture. No matter the route you take, every state has certain requirements for becoming a licensed therapist. This includes a required number of clinical hours (depending upon which state you live in) before sitting through your exam. There are different prerequisites and regulations for each state so be sure to do your research and determine which license and which path is right for you and your career path and timeline. Clinical supervision is required to reach hours towards licensure, and we have experiences with both agency settings and private practice to share. It's also possible to build hours at an agency in tandem with a private practice to fully round out your clinical experiences. Agency Pros and Cons- Understand agency policies and requirements for documentation and reporting rules- Administrative protocols are much different in agencies versus a private practice- Supervisors are always there and ready to help through new processes like doing your first risk assessment- Hours can be obtained a lot faster than in a private practice - Varying range of clients- Easy to burnout quickly since there is so much need and responsibility that comes with itPrivate Practice Pros and Cons- More unaccompanied time where you may not have group setting supervision- Less varying range of clients since some private practices specialize - Hours can be a lot lower than in an agency setting- Focus on learning more about a particular population - More personal and opportunity to learn about the intricacies of owning a private practice that you don't learn in school- Clinicians have more freedom than in those an agencySelf-advocacy during your licensure is HUGE. It's important you check that your clinical supervisors are licensed and, in a position, to be overseeing your clinical hours. Be aware of who and what license is necessary to supervise you otherwise your clinical hours could be rejected if not. We are looking forward to further discussions related to our road to licensure and would love to hear from our listeners. Visit us at our websites:- https://road2wellness.co- www.suzihalajyan.comConnect with us on Instagram: @therapy_with_janetb@sessionswithsuziResources MentionedBoard of Behavioral Sciences:https://www.bbs.ca.govFlorida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling:https://floridasmentalhealthprofessions.govWould you like to be a guest speaker on our show? Please reach out to be considered for an episode.

Contrary to what you may believe, therapists do have their own worries. Along with our day-to-day concerns we also worry about our clients after tough sessions. These worrisome thoughts are especially difficult when dealing with high-risk clients with safety issues or self-injurious behaviors and couples because our concerns linger outside of therapy; wondering how their relationship is doing or if they ended in a breakup or divorce. We want you to recognize that it's normal to think about former clients and how they are doing now because we can't backtrack with them. It's simply the nature of the industry. So how do we go about fixing our own worries?DO A SELF CHECK! REMIND YOURSELF THAT YOU ARE ONLY THERE TO ASSIST AND IT'S NOT YOUR RESONSIBILITY TO FIX EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING. Burnout:Sometimes we need to take off that superhero cape. Burnout is REAL and so is compassion fatigue. Trying to fix everyone's problems outside of sessions is not our responsibility so it's important to remind ourselves that the responsibility goes to the individual or the caregiver of that individual. It is our job to offer feedback and recommendations to help solve issues and allows us to disconnect and alleviate those unhealthy expectations outside of therapy. What can you do if you feel burned out? 1. Step back and realize what is in your control2. Reduce client case load3. Boundaries with news and media4. Take fewer challenging cases5. Reach out to therapist forum groups and see who is open for referralsThe world looks completely different as therapists now in 2021. The year 2020 was the year of adaptation and make a shift to virtual therapy sessions. There is less judgement because nobody knew how to navigate the pandemic with little to no preparation to make that shift to telehealth with technology-based therapy. Imposter Syndrome:It never fully goes away but evolves as we grow within our industry and our experiences expand. Having those “firsts” will make you question your effectiveness but the best way to combat that feeling is through confidence in your abilities and knowledge. CALL IT OUT!If you are feeling “imposterish” because you are so new, remember that you have a unique perspective that you could be sharing with seasoned professionals. Unsolicited Messages on Social Media:· Establish your boundaries and make them VERY CLEAR for your audience · Come up with a standard response to those unsolicited messages (even if it's ignoring the message altogether)· Be selective with who you communicate with, how you communicate, and what platform is your most professional avenueWould you like to be a guest speaker on our show? Please reach out to be considered for an episode. Visit us at our websites:- https://road2wellness.co- www.suzihalajyan.comConnect with us on Instagram: @therapy_with_janetb@sessionswithsuzi Other resources mentioned: @drcassidy – Cassidy Freitas, Ph.D. @sitwithwhit – Whitney Goodman LMFT

We're Couch Time | Episode 01Introduction: Suzi Halajyan- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based out of Los Angeles, California. Janet (Bayramyan) Generales- Licensed Clinical Social Worker offering services in both Florida and California.Couch Time Origin: What can be recognized as an homage to the past, we also wanted to break down the stigma of psychotherapy that the industry grandfathers have brought to the realm. Our show serves as a reminder to therapists and clients alike, that therapists are humans too and while we are providing a professional service, we still need to bring ourselves into our practice and differentiate from one another. The process of modernizing therapy and bringing it into a new age means being OKAY with being yourself versus a blank slate therapist checking boxes and going through the motions. Our Purpose: We want to create a space to provide guidance to individuals on the road to licensure or therapists who are starting their own private practice. From business language to filling out proper documentation, we have experienced a lot of trial and error on the back end with establishing our own businesses. In future episodes we hope to help navigate you through using social media to help you build your practice, how to remove the taboo behind certain mental health subjects, and how to build a modern outlook on therapy all together. Would you like to be a guest speaker on our show? Please reach out to be considered for an episode. Visit us at our websites:- https://road2wellness.co- www.suzihalajyan.comConnect with us on Instagram:@therapy_with_janetb@sessionswithsuzi