Podcasts about aamft

Lindsey Castleman and Aron Strong launch their first podcast episode caterered to Christian therapists.   As licensed marriage and family therapists and also AAMFT approved supervisors, Lindsey and Aron have a passion to bring their Christian faith and really great therapy together.  Listen in to hear why Lindsey and Aron want to blend neuroscience, attachment science and Biblical principles together for counselors who want to be authentic in the counseling room.  Learn more from Aron and Lindsey at inrelationship.us 

In this episode, AAMFT Leadership Symposium keynote speaker Dr. Laurelle Myhra joins Eli to discuss both the benefits and challenges of conducting systemic therapy with indigenous populations within predominantly Western mental health systems.

MFTs Providing Therapy Across State Lines Through License Portability in the United States: An interview with Roger Smith Curt and Katie chat with Roger Smith, Chief Advocacy Officer and General Counsel for American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, about the challenges and progress in licensure portability for Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs). He explains why AAMFT opted for an endorsement model over interstate compacts, the success of the Access MFTs initiative, and what's next for portability efforts in 2025. Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com! In this podcast episode, we talk with Roger Smith about LMFT License Portability As more and more therapy is happening online, therapists have an opportunity to work with clients from all over the world. In the United States, there have been efforts by social workers, mental health counselors, and psychologists to create inter-state compacts to help regulate these therapists (and provide opportunities to deliver care legally in other states). Marriage and Family Therapists have been left behind and are now seeking a different path (reciprocity or portability) due to the unique characteristics of the LMFT profession. We reached out to Roger Smith of AAMFT to help us understand why this decision was made as well as what it means for MFTs. Why AAMFT Chose the Endorsement Model Over Compacts ·      Interstate compacts were considered but ultimately deemed too costly and unsustainable. ·      Large states like California and New York have not adopted ANY healthcare compacts, limiting effectiveness. ·      Endorsement model: Allows MFTs to practice in other states if they hold an unencumbered license—without having to meet initial requirements again. Success of the "Access MFTs" Model ·      In 2024, 7 out of 10 targeted states passed the Access MFTs model law. ·      States that adopted the model include Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Tennessee, and Virginia. ·      Efforts continue in Kentucky and North Carolina for 2025. Future of MFT Portability & Barriers California is not pursuing portability legislation but is working with CAMFT on national exam advocacy. Exam requirements can be a barrier to full portability. Expansion plans focus on pro-telehealth states and underserved regions. Member Interest & Cost Considerations for MFTs seeking to practice across state lines A 2022 AAMFT survey showed strong member interest in portability, especially among younger therapists. Costs are a factor—both the Access MFTs model and interstate compacts involve financial considerations for therapists. National Licensure for therapists: Why It's Not an Option Licensure is a state-level issue, and federal intervention is unlikely. A national exam or license would face constitutional challenges and resistance from state regulatory boards. Stay in Touch with Curt, Katie, and the whole Therapy Reimagined #TherapyMovement: Our Linktree: https://linktr.ee/therapyreimagined Modern Therapist's Survival Guide Creative Credits: Voice Over by DW McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/ Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https://groomsymusic.com/

In this episode, Sara Qualls joins Eli to discuss how family therapy may help caregivers cope with symptoms of cognitive impairment while still meeting the needs of multiple relatives.

In this episode, Eli sits down with Dr. Kristy Koser for a discussion about helping couples navigating complex decisions while maintaining their relationship after a diagnosis of infertility and pursuing fertility treatments.

“It's Not Me & It's Not You…It's Stress: How To Restore Harmony In Your Relationships with Liz Earnshaw, LMFT”. We all experience stress but we often overlook that the issues we are having with our partners aren't due to the person, but to the stress! From emotional disconnection to conflicts over big and small issues, stress can quietly erode intimacy and trust between partners. You'll learn about the different types of stress, hear relatable stories from the book, and learn practical strategies for managing stress to be more present. Whether you're feeling the pressures of daily life or navigating a major challenge, this episode will provide insights and tools to help you and your partner maintain a strong, supportive connection, even in the toughest times. Be sure to follow the show and share this episode with a friend!    RESOURCES MENTIONED JOIN MICHELE'S NEWSLETTER + Receive A Free Curated List of 52 Self-care Tips Say hi to Michele on INSTAGRAM GUEST INFORMATION Website: https://abetterlifetherapy.com/ Book: ‘Til Stress Do Us Part Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizlistens/ GUEST BIO: Elizabeth Earnshaw is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, Certified Gottman Therapist, Clinical Fellow of the AAMFT, and the author of I Want This To Work: An Inclusive Guide to Navigating the Most Difficult Relationship Issues We Face in The Modern Age” and Til Stress Do Us Part, How to Healh The #1 Issue in Our Relationships. Elizabeth founded the therapy practice A Better Life Therapy, LLC and shares relationship health content on Instagram as @lizlistens. If you enjoyed this interview, please take a moment to rate and review it on Apple podcasts. Your reviews are so appreciated! Not sure how to do it? Instructions are below. XO, Michele

In this episode, Eli interviews AAMFT's very own Chief Advocacy Officer, Roger Smith, to discuss AAMFT's efforts in developing a model of MFT license portability in order to promote more objectivity in assessing qualifications, as well as standardization between states in our increasingly mobile society.

Discover the secrets to successful relationships on this episode of the Dude Therapist podcast with Eli Weinstein and Elizabeth Earnshaw. They discuss the shifting dynamics in relationships, from traditional issues like infidelity to modern stressors like work pressure and societal influences. Elizabeth emphasizes the impact of external stressors on relationships and advocates for boundaries and effective communication. Gain practical solutions like joint accounts for financial harmony and learn the importance of empathy and understanding in resolving conflicts. Explore the complexities of ending relationships with honest communication and self-reflection. Tune in for valuable insights on fostering harmonious and fulfilling relationships. Elizabeth Earnshaw is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, Certified Gottman Therapist, Clinical Fellow of the AAMFT, and the author of I Want This To Work: An Inclusive Guide to Navigating the Most Difficult Relationship Issues We Face in The Modern Age". She sees couples and trains therapists at A Better Life Therapy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and is a co-founder at Ours, a company focused on helping premarital couples have important conversations. She has also hosted  a relationship advice segment on the iHeartRadio podcast, Good Risings, and creates relationship wellness content on Instagram @lizlistens. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thedudetherapist/support

Welcome to another insightful episode of The Association 100 podcast. Today, we're honored to have Chris Michaels, CEO of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), join us. With over 34 years of experience in association management, Chris brings a wealth of knowledge in leading strategic initiatives across various operational domains. Key Highlights: Strategic Leadership and Organizational Impact: Chris shares insights into her leadership journey at AAMFT, emphasizing strategic planning, innovative membership benefits and fostering a supportive work culture. Her efforts have significantly enhanced operational effectiveness and staff retention. Systemic Ethics Textbook: Explore the development and impact of AAMFT's Systemic Ethics Textbook, a groundbreaking resource aimed at advancing ethical practice across the marriage and family therapy profession globally. Expanding Global Reach Smartly: Chris discusses how AAMFT is meeting international needs by providing resources and training when and where they are requested, enhancing the association's global impact without imposing predefined solutions. Advocacy Efforts and Achievements: Hear about AAMFT's advocacy victories, including Medicare inclusion for therapists and portability laws facilitating cross-state practice, which are crucial for expanding access to mental health services. Join host Colleen Gallagher as we delve into how AAMFT is not only advancing the marriage and family therapy profession but also setting standards for association excellence worldwide. Whether you're an association professional or someone interested in the impact of effective leadership, this episode offers valuable lessons on transforming associations into powerful advocates for their members and professions. Resources: Learn more about the Systemic Ethics Textbook and its contributions to the field: https://www.aamft.org/store/detail.aspx?id=EBSET2024  Explore the Minority Fellowship Program and its community engagement projects: https://www.humansyst.org/Foundation/What_We_Do/Minority_Fellowship_Program.aspx  Discover insights from the Leadership Symposium and its focus on developing association leaders: https://networks.aamft.org/leadershipsymposium/home  Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association 100 podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode, and follow us for the latest in association trends and strategies. Follow us on LinkedIn at The Association 100 and OnWrd & UpWrd. Stay tuned for more episodes that delve into the strategies and insights powering successful associations.

Whether you've been single and are looking for a relationship, divorced, or lost your life partner, Elizabeth Earnshaw, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and Certified Gottman Therapist, guides us through dating in midlife and how to find love again. We discuss how to look for red flags, where to meet someone, what chemistry really means, how to maintain healthy boundaries, why people cheat, why you can lose friends after a divorce, how to be fully empowered and more. If you are single and in your twenties or older this interview is for you! And if you are in a relationship, there is a lot to learn from this conversation too so be sure to tune in. Share this interview with a friend!   RESOURCES MENTIONED JOIN THE NEWSLETTER + Receive A Curated List of 52-Selfcare Ideas + Great Weekly Tips CONNECT WITH MICHELE ON IG Buy Michele's Book 1st interview I did with Liz on HOW TO MAKE YOUR RELATIONSHIP LAST   GUEST INFORMATIONWEBSITE: https://elizabethearnshaw.com/ https://abetterlifetherapy.com/ https://www.withours.com/ BUY THE BOOK: I Want This to Work: An Inclusive Guide to Navigating the Most Difficult Relationship Issues We Face in the Modern Age by Elizabeth Earnshaw SOCIAL MEDIA: https://www.instagram.com/lizlistens/ Guest Bio: Elizabeth Earnshaw is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, Certified Gottman Therapist, Clinical Fellow of the AAMFT, and the author of I Want This To Work: An Inclusive Guide to Navigating the Most Difficult Relationship Issues We Face in The Modern Age” and Til Stress Do Us Part, How to Heal The #1 Issue in Our Relationships. Elizabeth founded the therapy practice A Better Life Therapy, LLC. Follow, Share, and please rate and review the show on Apple podcasts. XO, Michele

In this episode, Carmen discusses her work in family therapy and her Socioculturally Attuned Family Therapy. Carmen shared that she entered the field when there were feminist critiques of family therapy and a focus on power in the therapeutic relationship. She explained that she went to Loma Linda University to direct the family therapy doctoral program, and worked with Douglas Huenerardt, Ph.D. doing cotherapy. They invited students to observe, and their goal was to be able to articulate the work they were doing, and later finalized it into a research study. She explained that the model that evolved out of that work was named Socioemotional Relationship Therapy. Later, she moved to Oregon to teach at Lewis and Clark College, and worked with Teresa McDowell, EdD, LMFT, and wrote the textbook, Socioculturally Attuned Family Therapy, with Teresa and Maria Bermudez, Ph.D., LMFT. We discussed how Carmen's background in sociology led her to always be thinking about sociocultural aspects and how they play out in relationships. She explained that Teresa introduced the idea of Third Order Thinking or Third Order Change to her, which goes beyond the Systemic concept of Second Order change, to bring awareness to the therapist and client of how the sociocultural system the relationships are embedded in and influence their experiences. She also discussed how this helps therapists be aware of how they are accountable for possibly unknowingly reinforcing and repeating larger societal patterns. Carmen discussed the Socio-Emotional Relationship Therapy Model and how it is influenced by experiential, structural therapy, and social constructionist theory and technique, while centering sociocultural awareness. She discussed how emotions are the window into the larger context by helping us see the thinking that is happening and how that thinking may be a product of social-cultural influences. She also discusses the role of power in the model, and being aware of how that determines what is important, what is valued and the meaning of things, and seeing how power plays out in the couple or family dynamics. She explained that they operationalize relational equity as the Circle of Care, which consists of four parts: 1) Mutual Vulnerability - openness and willingness to admit mistakes, safe to express one's sensitivities, 2) Mutual Attunement - that each person is aware of the other person and their needs, as often the person with more power is less attuned, 3) Mutual Influence - whose interests are organizing the relationship and whether there is a willingness to be influenced, and 4) Shared Relational Responsibility - where both are taking responsibility for the wellbeing of the relationship. Carmen discusses how when these are balanced, there is a more equitable relationship, and by the therapist's awareness of power, they can support the changes in the relationship to be more equitable and mutually supportive. Carmen Knudson-Martin, Ph.D., LMFT is a professor emerita in the Marriage, Couple, and Family Therapy program at Lewis and Clark College. Her scholarship focuses on how the larger social context influences health and well-being and how therapists can address the inequities that result. Carmen especially loves working with couples and is widely recognized for her work regarding gender, marital equality, and relational health. She is a founder of Socio-Emotional Relationship Therapy, an approach that attends to the ways couple interaction, emotion, and socio-cultural context come together in clinical process. Carmen's teaching and practice are based on her conviction that how therapists conceptualize client concerns is an ethical issue and that clinical practices have consequences that are never neutral. Carmen is an AAMFT approved supervisor and licensed MFT. She served as an associate editor of the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, vice-president of the Family Process Institute, board member of the American Family Therapy Academy (AFTA), and president of the California Division of the American Association for Marital and Family Therapy (AAMFT-CA). She is currently editor of the AFTA Springer Series in Family Therapy. Prior to coming to Lewis and Clark, she directed family therapy programs at Loma Linda University in Southern California, Montana State University, and Valdosta State University in Georgia.

When we have injuries, losses, disappointments, betrayals, and other painful things happen in our marriages, healing rituals are a way we can mark that things are different. We use rituals all the time to symbolically mark changes in our lives, such as graduation ceremonies, funerals, weddings, birthdays, baptisms, etc. We live in a world of symbols and meaning and we can use these things to help us move through our healing. We invited marriage and family therapist, Amanda Christensen, to talk with us about the importance of healing rituals in healing from betrayal. The Power of Community in Pornography Recovery: Download Relay and try it out for free, or learn more at Relay's website. Use code GEOFF1 for 15% off!  Broken trust? Download my FREE video series “The First Steps to Rebuilding Trust”  Join my 12-week program, The Trust Building Bootcamp, to heal your broken relationship. Sign up for our FREE weekly newsletter to stay up-to-date on exciting new announcements!  Download my FREE guide to help you quickly end arguments with your spouse:  Connect with me on social media: INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK Visit http://www.geoffsteurer.com for online courses and other supportive resources. About Geoff Steurer: I am a licensed marriage and family therapist, relationship educator, and coach with over 20 years of experience. I am the co-author of, "Love You, Hate the Porn: Healing a Relationship Damaged by Virtual Infidelity", the host of the weekly podcast, "From Crisis to Connection", and have produced workbooks, audio programs, and online courses helping couples and individuals heal from the impact of sexual betrayal, unwanted pornography use, partner betrayal trauma, and rebuilding broken trust. As a leader in the field, I am a frequent contributor on these subjects at national conferences, documentaries, blogs, magazines, and podcasts. I also write a weekly relationship advice column available on my blog. I founded and ran an outpatient sexual addiction and betrayal trauma recovery group program for over 14 years, co-founded and chaired a local conference to educate community members about harmful media, and founded and administered a specialized group therapy practice for over 10 years. I currently maintain a private counseling and coaching practice in beautiful Southern Utah where I live with my wife and children. About Jody Steurer: Jody has been a strong voice supporting women as co-host of the podcast “Speak Up Sister”. She completed a bachelor's degree in psychology from Brigham Young University and is an ACA certified coach. She runs a small business and has years of experience in corporate training and organization. Jody's most challenging work has been raising her four children (two of which are on the autism spectrum). She loves to do landscape design, paint in watercolor, spend time outdoors, and snow ski. About Amanda Christensen: Amanda is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist specialized in treating couples affected by pornography and sexual addiction. For addicts, she focuses on accountability and teaches how to truly connect instead of escaping. She will also provide empowerment for spouses of addicts to help them create healthy boundaries and understand their betrayal trauma. Amanda will facilitate a full disclosure for the couple so they can heal and rebuild trust. Amanda is also trained in treating trauma through EMDR. She is a co-host of the podcast, Not The Experts, which focuses on betrayal trauma resilience and has been a guest on several other podcasts. She is on the board of Reach10 and has presented at multiple conferences and workshops. Amanda is also an AAMFT approved supervisor for therapists in training. She is currently adjunct faculty at Brigham Young University teaching practicum and Sexual Development and Analysis for MFT masters students. https://hopemft.com/portfolio/amanda-christenson/

Lori joins Dr. Dave Schramm and Dr. Liz Hale to discuss the common issues thatresult in a mid-life or “gray” divorce. About Lori Schade:Lori Schade is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and AAMFT approved therapysupervisor running a therapy practice in Pleasant Grove Utah called CompassionateConnections Counseling. She specializes in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy andsupervises therapists towards certification in the model. She has been an adjunct facultymember in the Marriage and Family Therapy Department at Brigham Young University as wellas Utah Valley University. For over three decades she has practiced therapy alternately withraising seven children and has published several peer reviewed materials related to herprofession. In her spare time she enjoys running, traveling, tandem bike riding with herhusband, knitting and playing the organ. She is convinced the grandchildren are one of life'sbest kept secrets. Insights: “There's always hope. I have a very easy time being hopeful for married couples, sometimes I have to say, ‘borrow my hope.’ I actually got that from Dr. Rebecca Jorgensen. And I think it's so lovely. And a lot of times small changes bring about really large changes in dynamics in marriage.” - Lori Schade “There are two kinds of commitment. One is personal commitment, where you feel free to exercise where you want to put your loyalty. The term is kind of like restraint. It's actually called constraint commitment, and constraint commitment are all of those variables that keep people feeling stuck. It might be religious beliefs, it might be children in the home, it might be financial constraints, but there are those things where people might divorce but they stay there because they feel these barriers to divorce? And so sometimes at midlife, those are removed. And so I think it's quite possible that that's also why we might see a resurgence of divorce and at that time.” -Lori Schade Invites: Find time in your week to have a connection check-in with your partner by asking these three questions. How connected are we from last time we checked? More or less or the same? What's been happening in our lives that may have impacted the level of connection? What is one small thing that would help me feel more connected?" Reach out to a therapist to learn more about Emotionally Focused Therapy to see if it could potentially strengthen your relationship with your partner. Lori’s Links: Compassionate Connections Counseling WebsiteBook mentioned by Lori: The Lost Love Chronicles: Reunions & Memories of First Love by Nancy Kalish Visit our site for FREE relationship resources and regular giveaways: StrongerMarriage.orgpodcast.strongermarriage.orgFacebook: StrongerMarriage.orgInstagram: @strongermarriagelife Dr. Dave Schramm: https://drdaveschramm.com https://drdavespeaks.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrDaveUSU Facebook Marriage Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/770019130329579 Facebook Parenting Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/542067440314642 Dr. Liz Hale: http://www.drlizhale.com/

Today With Elizabeth Earnshaw: Today on The Inner Edit I am joined by Elizabeth Earnshaw, LMFT, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and trusted relationship teacher. She is also a business owner, an author, a podcast segment host, and a content creator…you might know her as @lizlistens. Liz is one of the original Instagram therapists, but as the platform and algorithms have changed, so has her mindset about how she uses the space. Listen now to hear how Liz remains true to herself, trustworthy to her clients, and ethical in her career as a therapist while sharing her message online. Pick It Apart [2:33] Elizabeth shares why she decided to start her Instagram page and its aim of introducing therapy to people who might not realize what it is or how it can help. [8:05] Elizabeth and Christie discuss how Instagram has changed, along with how (and why) Elizabeth continues to use the platform in ways that align with her values. [18:24] Christie has an AHA moment, realizing that Instagram began to lose its appeal for her when it became something she “should” do. [25:45] Christie asks Elizabeth her thoughts on the pressure put on creators with large platforms to take a stance on every issue in the world. [32:55] Elizabeth explains how taking public stances as a therapist can limit what her clients feel comfortable sharing. [40:51] Elizabeth speaks about taking care of herself and her nervous system responses to negative comments on social media by setting boundaries. [41:33] Christie asks Tomi about how she responds to current events with her audience. Christie Rocha's and Elizabeth Earnshaw's Ah-Ha Moments “For years, I have always enjoyed [Instagram]. I've always liked it. And I think when it shifted to a ‘you should do this' is when it starts feeling like ‘ugh'.” – Christie Rocha “Once it became the obligation to say things a specific way…that obligation took the joy away…I'm only going to [post] now when I feel like it's something I really want to say or I feel confident about it, and it's aligned with what feels good. And I'm really trying not to look at metrics.” – Elizabeth Earnshaw   “[As a therapist], any [public] stance that you take can be read by your client…and that can limit the way they talk to you.” – Elizabeth Earnshaw   “It's much more powerful to talk about what you believe instead of what you don't believe.” – Elizabeth Earnshaw More About Elizabeth Earnshaw Elizabeth Earnshaw is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, Certified Gottman Therapist, Clinical Fellow of the AAMFT, and the author of I Want This To Work: An Inclusive Guide to Navigating the Most Difficult Relationship Issues We Face in The Modern Age". She sees couples and trains therapists at A Better Life Therapy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and is a co-founder at Actually, a company focused on helping premarital couples have important conversations. She hosts a relationship advice segment on the iHeartRadio podcast, Good Risings, and creates relationship wellness content on Instagram @lizlistens. Connect with Elizabeth Earnshaw Website Instagram Facebook Connect with Christie! Website Like Us: Facebook | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast Other Shows Mentioned: SS #177: Katie McDonald: Gaining a Competitive Edge Through Self-Care   TIE #204: Kim Young: Building Genuine Influence: Strategies to Foster Authentic Connection with Your Audience   TIE #207: Christie Rocha: How to Cope With Creator Burnout   TIE #210: Chelsea Conners: Transforming Creative Ruts: The Breathwork Strategy for Digital Creators

In this episode, Laurel chats with Larisa Garski, LMFT and Justine Mastin, LMFT, LADC about their newest book “The Grieving Therapist: Caring for Your Clients and Yourself When It Feels Like the End of the World.” Larisa and Justine take Laurel on a journey through the Realms of Grief as a therapist, walking through their writing process, personal stories, and offering tools and wisdom for caring for yourself as a clinician.Larisa Garski, LMFT is the chief of clinical staff for Empowered Therapy in Chicago IL. Larisa is the co-author of The Grieving Therapist: Caring for Yourself and Your Clients When it Feels Like the End of the World, and Starship Therapise: Using Therapeutic Fanfiction to Rewrite Your Life. Larisa has also contributed to numerous other books on pop culture and psychology, co-hosts the Starship Therapise podcast, and is an AAMFT-approved supervisor.Justine Mastin, LMFT, LADC is a psychotherapist, author, and so much more. Justine runs Blue Box Counseling, a private practice in Minneapolis, MN and is an AAMFT-Approved Supervisor. She literally wrote the book on Therapeutic Fanfiction—Starship Therapise: Using Therapeutic Fanfiction to Rewrite Your Life—and she offered support to healers in The Grieving Therapist: Caring for Yourself and Your Clients When it Feels Like the End of the World. Justine also co-hosts both the Starship Therapise and Dark Side of the Mat podcasts and has presented a TEDx talk. Justine is proud to educate future therapists at the University of Massachusetts Global.Buy “The Grieving Therapist” for 25% off and FREE shipping through North Atlantic Books using the code GRIEVING: https://www.northatlanticbooks.com/shop/the-grieving-therapist/Where to find Justine and Larisa:Instagram @grieving_therapist, @mindbodyfandom (Justine), @starship_therapisejustinemastin.comstarshiptherapise.comPodcast: starshiptherapise.com/podcastGet in touch: https://www.academyimh.comTake a course: https://learn.academyimh.comSupport the showPlease share your voice with us! We would love to hear from you! Record a voice message here. Send us a comment here.Apply to be a guest on this podcast here. Would you like to share your work with the Conscious Mental Health Community ? We offer both paid and free sponsorship opportunities. To apply click here.

What are the common reasons people enter couples therapy? How can you improve communication with your partner? What are the Four Horseman and why does research show they are what can cause a relationship to fail? What are the most common reasons relationships fail and is there something people can do to prevent those things? The role of core values, communication styles, and love languages on relationships. Whether you have been in a long-term relationship or are in a new one, you will learn from this fascinating interview. Elizabeth Earnshaw is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, Certified Gottman Therapist, Clinical Fellow of the AAMFT, and the author of “I Want This To Work: An Inclusive Guide to Navigating the Most Difficult Relationship Issues We Face in The Modern Age”. She sees couples and trains therapists at A Better Life Therapy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and is a co-founder at With Ours, a company focused on helping premarital couples have important conversations. She hosts a relationship advice segment on the iHeartRadio podcast, Good Risings. RESOURCES MENTIONED Join Michele's Newsletter Website: https://elizabethearnshaw.com/ https://abetterlifetherapy.com/ https://www.withours.com/ Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/lizlistens/ Books Referenced: I Want This to Work: An Inclusive Guide to Navigating the Most Difficult Relationship Issues We Face in the Modern Age by Elizabeth Earnshaw What Makes Love Last?: How to Build Trust and Avoid Betrayal by John Gottman The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships by John Gottman Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence by Esther Perel Sex Talks: The Five Conversations That Will Transform Your Love Life by Vanessa Marin As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Make sure you are following the show and please rate and review it on Apple podcasts. Your reviews are so appreciated! XO, Michele

Today we have Logan Cohen, devoted Family Man to both two-legged and four-legged members, and a seasoned Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT). Logan's accolades don't just end there! He's an Approved Supervisor with the AAMFT, a Level II Clinical Certified Trauma Professional (CCTP-II), and a beacon of hope in Charlotte, NC, leading a team of compassionate practitioners. We discuss a range of topics from his ground-breaking 2021 book, “How to (Hu)Man Up in Modern Society: Heal Yourself & Save the World" and on to personal struggles, the power of therapy when approached properly from all side and the idea of learning not just from one another but from the process itself.Lets jump in and see how you can create a more humane place for yourself in this world!

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Trust that when you stop thinking about something, you will see what direction to go. - Christine Heath For my last episode of season 5, I am chatting with Christine Heath. Christine is a therapist and a student, trainer, and program developer of the Three Principles for over 30 years. She met and studied with Sydney Banks and, during our conversation, she shares her journey. We discuss the innate health that resides in each of us and the limitless possibilities of slowing down our thinking in order to be present in the moment, and more importantly to tap into our deeper intelligence. Christine Heath, LMFT, MAC is a licensed marriage and family therapist in both Hawaii and Minnesota, as well as a Master Addictions Counselor and a Certified Substance Abuse Counselor. She is also the co-author of the book “The Secret of Love: Unlock the Mystery, Unleash the Magic”. In 1985, she co-founded the Hawaii Counseling and Education Center, an outpatient mental health and addictions program, and is the Executive Director. Christine met Sydney Banks over 40 years ago and the truth of his teachings changed her life and her practice. Since then, she has been helping people to understand the Three Principles through clinical work, professional training, and clinical supervision, and she is a consultant to social services and health care agencies, businesses, and chemical dependency programs and professionals. She is an AAMFT-approved supervisor and provides clinical supervision based on the Principles. For more information on Christine Heath, visit https://www.hcechawaii.com/   ---   #theinspiress #solopreneurinspiration #livethelifeyouwant❤️ #liveinthenow #liveinthemoment #bepresentnow #happiness #wisdom #inspirationalquotes #solopreneur #entrepreneurinspiration #solopreneurs #solopreneurlife #solopreneurcoaching #coachjasmynesays #transformativecoachjasmyne #BringYourBusinesstoLife #GetInspiredNow #DreamItDareItDoIt #LiveTheLifeYouWant #MakeitHappen #EpisodeDropped  

Dr. George James, LMFT, counsels people on how to overcome everyday relational struggles so they can build successful connections in love, family and career. With a practical approach to relationships and life, Dr. James helps bring success within reach of those he influences. He works extensively with professional athletes, entertainers, adult men and women, executives, couples and young adult men on various issues, including adulting, career, anxiety, work-life balance, love life, leadership, parenting, depression and communication. Dr. James is the Chief Innovation Officer, senior staff therapist and AAMFT-approved supervisor at Council for Relationships. In addition, he is an assistant professor for the Couple and Family Therapy Program at Thomas Jefferson University. Dr. James graduated from Villanova University as a Presidential Scholar and majored in psychology with a concentration in Africana Studies. He received his Masters of Family Therapy degree from Drexel University (where he also received awards in leadership and community service) and his doctorate in clinical psychology from Immaculata University. He is married to Candace, and they are parents to their creative daughter, Nalani and cheerful son, Alexander. The mission of George Talks, LLC is to inspire, teach and empower interpersonal relationships by helping individuals to have fulfilling, meaningful and fruitful familial, business and intimate relationships. George Talks, LLC also seeks to help people overcome the individual and relational struggles and challenges that prevent them from maximizing their potential. Through its innovative programs, events and resources George Talks, LLC will increase knowledge, skills, and efficacy and empower individuals, couples, families and businesses to actualize their full potential. Utilizing a model that allows individuals, couples and families to appropriately identify problem areas, repair past struggles and rebuild, we aim to promote strong, healthy, fruitful, productive and vibrant interpersonal relationships. you can find his social media pages here: https://georgetalks.com/?page_id=3000

This episode is such a wonderful note to end on before I am heading into a little break - it was a true joy to talk to Justine & Larisa who wrote the wonderful book called The Grieving Therapist. I hope listening will feel as comforting as it did for me. Here is some of what we talked about:  Diving deep into collaborative creative projects Processing pandemic grief and making meaning from what happened Exploring what change might come from loss Justine Mastin, LMFT, LADC is a psychotherapist, author, and so much more. Justine runs Blue Box Counseling, a private practice in Minneapolis, MN and is an AAMFT-Approved Supervisor. She literally wrote the book on Therapeutic Fanfiction—Starship Therapise: Using Therapeutic Fanfiction to Rewrite Your Life—and she offered support to healers in The Grieving Therapist: Caring for Yourself and Your Clients When it Feels Like the End of the World. Justine also co-hosts both the Starship Therapise and Dark Side of the Mat podcasts and has presented a TEDx talk. TedTalk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmtZU0_xmKY&t=1s Larisa Garski is the chief of clinical staff for Empowered Therapy in Chicago IL. Larisa is the co-author of The Grieving Therapist: Caring for Yourself and Your Clients When it Feels Like the End of the World, and Starship Therapise: Using Therapeutic Fanfiction to Rewrite Your Life. Larisa has also contributed to numerous other books on pop culture and psychology, co-hosts the Starship Therapise podcast, and is an AAMFT-approved supervisor. The Grieving Therapist book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/724011/the-grieving-therapist-by-larisa-a-garski-lmft/ Starship Therapise podcast: https://www.starshiptherapise.com/podcast/ Thank you for listening!

I can't believe we are rolling into summer and if you're concerned about the summer slump of low client referrals or a drop in client session hours, now may be the time to get started on creating an additional stream of income.  Or perhaps you're feeling burnt out on clinical work and are dreaming of starting something new with your clinical skills…Either way I have you covered!  In this episode I'm going to discuss 3 income generating options you might want to consider… Before I dive in, it's important to choose options that align with your values, strengths, and experiences plus with determination and creativity, you can thrive beyond clinical work and find fulfillment in their new business ventures. 1.Workshops, trainings and speaking engagements: Conduct sessions for other therapists or even the general public, covering topics such as stress management, self-care techniques, trauma-informed approaches, or specific therapeutic modalities. Or if you have another specialty that therapists can benefit from like social media and marketing, insurance paneling. etc.. Providing these trainings not only allows you to connect with like-minded professionals but also positions you as an authority in your field. Collaboration with local organizations, such as your state associations, agencies, hospitals,  schools, or wellness centers can help reach a broader audience. You may have to provide free workshops or trainings to get started and that's ok because you're getting your name out there as well as the value you provide. Once you get your feet under you - you can start to charge for your workshops and services.  A few years ago I did a free online workshop for my local AAMFT chapter and from that workshop I received paid opportunities..so don't count out doing things for free or a small fee. It can lead to more opportunities that will be paid.  2.Writing, Publishing, and blogging: You can utilize your expertise in mental health topics by writing and publishing books, articles, blog posts, or even starting a podcast. These avenues not only allow you to reach a wider audience but also build credibility and generate passive income through book sales or sponsored content. Additionally, therapists can monetize their blog or podcast through affiliate marketing. These are great options if you desire to create an income stream that allows you to work from home as well as in the pockets of your day. If you have small children at home and you aren't able to get out and about as much this is a great option. How do you get started with these? If you want to start writing, I'd suggest looking at upwork or other freelance sites. Experience isn't always necessary so you can probably find some opportunities.  Blogging is still a thing! And the more niche your blog, the better. Now blogging takes time, patience and consistency of effort and action to grow but if you want to work from home and cut back on clinical work - growing a blog could be for you. Blog about things you enjoy and are passionate about and what people are searching for - research shows that people want to be healthier, happier and wealthier, so what niches can you write about that help people in one of these areas? Help them solve problems and give them value. Most bloggers monetize through affiliate marketing. Which means that when they recommend a product or service, they are paid a commission, at no extra cost to the purchaser. For example, one company I'm an affiliate for is the mindfulness app. When someone purchases the app through my link, I receive a commission.  There are many affiliate marketing programs out there so get creative.  3.Podcasting: Similar to blogging. Pick your niche, create content, be consistent, add value to your audience. If you are curious about podcasting and want a free course, check out this training from John Lee Dumas of Entrepreneurs on Fire podcast. It's the same program I went through before starting my podcast.  These are just 3 business ideas that I suggest for therapists seeking a change. If you'd like more ideas then be sure to grab my list that includes 50 ideas for creating an additional stream of income.  Before I end today's episode it's important to know that while these ideas take time to grow - it's even more important that you take action on starting As a therapist who has experienced burnout from clinical work, I struggled for many months on how to move through it. I went to therapy, I talked to my life coach, I read a bunch of self-help books…and while each were helpful in their own way, nothing really changed for me until I decided to TAKE ACTION. I took messy, chaotic (at times), and imperfect action. And as I've mentioned before, the first few attempts at starting something new where flops. But I took what I learned from those ‘failures' and kept moving forward. I found I was moving through my burn out because I was taking responsibility for controlling what I could - which was figuring out a way to pivot my skills into something new. I actually found that with my new attitude and vision, I was a better therapist.  And while I still experience burn out here and there, it's way more manageable because I am working on growing my business.  Take home message? Pick something and start taking action on it. It may help you cope with your burn out. And that's a wrap for today's episode. I hope you found this discussion on business ideas for burnt-out therapists informative and inspiring. If you're a therapist experiencing burnout, remember that taking action and exploring new avenues can lead to a more fulfilling professional journey. The Therapy Show with Lisa Mustard is sponsored by TherapyNotes! Why not find out what more than 100,000 mental health professionals already know, and try TherapyNotes for 2 months, absolutely free. Click here: www.lisamustard.com/therapynotes or enter promo code “Lisa” at www.TherapyNotes.com. Want to pivot your skill set and generate more income? Looking to expand your services or create new ones? Grab my list of 50+ ideas that can help you create an additional stream of revenue here: https://bit.ly/ideasformoreincome Need continuing education contact hours? If so, then be sure to check out my Podcourses.  Learn about Holistic Counseling with Chris McDonald, LCMHC - check out her trainings here. Learn about the Psychcraft Network. Transforming Your Relationship With Anxiety Course - Click HERE to get a FREE course on transforming your relationship with anxiety from Mindfulness.com (affiliate link) Free Podcast Course from John Lee Dumas (affiliate link): https://bd140.isrefer.com/go/fpca/lisamustard/      

The festive season is upon us! And while this time of year is traditionally dedicated to friends, family, and celebrations, it is often accompanied by stress and looming deadlines. It is also the time of year when many of us feel the very real effects of burnout, especially after laboring under consistently high levels of stress for most of the year. Today on the solo podcast episode, I take a closer look at the prevalence of burnout in modern culture today. I break down the reasons why I believe burnout to be an epidemic today (and research supports that belief) and offer advice on what can be done to address and prevent it. In my recent Forbes article Why Burnout Is An Epidemic and 3 Powerful Ways to Address it, I outline my observations and provide strategies and tips for shifting our behaviors and habits in ways that pave the way for reduced stress and burnout, and allow for more self-care, and emotional and physical restoration. Listeners who wish to do further exploration on this topic and learn more about how to “find brave” every day to build a happier, more rewarding and fulfilling life and career on your own authentic terms, can find helpful support in my latest book, The Most Powerful You. Today, you'll hear a breakdown of how a confluence of unprecedented factors — such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise in remote work — have contributed to new highs in burnout rates. I unpack some key psychological concepts that important to understand, including perfectionistic over-functioning and its effects, and I explain how these habits affect our loved ones and contribute significantly to burnout. I also discuss how we can learn to identify what is within our control (and what isn't) and begin to shift our habits and address burnout head on, in our own daily lives.   It may seem that there is simply too much outside of our control to enact meaningful change within our lives. But by making small tweaks to your mindset and introducing calming, self-restoring and balancing rituals, you can learn to identify small changes that make a big difference. To learn more about this important subject and how to create real and lasting positive change, don't miss this episode, especially now, as we embark on a new holiday season.    Key Highlights From This Episode:  Kathy's definition of burnout and the symptoms that can arise as a result. [03:15] Why we are experiencing an epidemic of burnout. [04:03] The concept of perfectionistic over-functioning and how it is affecting women. [06:13] How to gain greater awareness so you can make greater choices. [08:21] Understanding the changes that have happened in your life to lead you to experience burnout. [10:21] How to determine which stressors are in your control, and which are not. [11:53] What you can do to address the stressors that are in your control. [13:51] How therapeutic support can help if you are feeling depressed or burnt out. [17:18] How to value yourself and your well-being 10% more. [22:40] Why we aren't doomed to a condition of burnout. [26:07]   For More Information:  Kathy Caprino Kathy Caprino on LinkedIn Kathy Caprino on YouTube Kathy Caprino on Instagram Kathy Caprino on Twitter   Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:  Get your copy of Kathy's book The Most Powerful You Check out Kathy's Forbes article, Why Burnout Is An Epidemic and 3 Powerful Ways to Address it Access the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy, aamft.org For a helpful locator of a marriage and family therapist in your area, visit the AAMFT therapist locator Get smarter in just five minutes with the Uptime app! Learn how your relationship with parents who were narcissists could be contributing to your Perfectionistic Over-Functioning. Read the helpful book, Will I Ever Be Good Enough?: Healing the Daughters of Narcissistic Mothers KEY RESOURCES FOR CAREER AND LEADERSHIP GROWTH The Most Powerful You, Now in Paperback and on Uptime! My book The Most Powerful You (which is being translated into Arabic, Chinese and Polish) has now been published in paperback! And it's being featured in Uptime, an app that offers 5-minute summaries (or “hacks” as they call them) with key insights and powerful action steps from the world's best books. To check out the Uptime app on your phone, use the link bit.ly/uptimeMostPowerfulYou.   Ready to Take Your Professional Life and Leadership to the Next Level? Take Kathy's training and Become The Most Powerful You! In reading a great deal about leadership today, and interviewing top leadership experts, I'm recognizing a disappointing trend - that the general concept and understanding of leadership has become so vague and watered down that most of it isn't helpful at all, and it's not suited to a majority of women who want to lead differently. The Most Powerful You training goes deeper. It helps you recognize and understand more about yourself as a person and the leader you want to be, then take empowering, transformative actions to operate in your role in a way that takes your leadership and your career higher, making the impact you dream to. If you truly want to help your team, staff and organization become “The Most Powerful We,” this is the right training for you.  Take this course individually or bring it to your workforce and teams today! Click here for more information. And stay tuned in January for news of the open enrollment of Kathy's new LIVE 8-week training/coaching course on how to close the 7 power gaps and thrive at the highest level in your career and professional life!  ———————- Calling all coaches!  Do you run a coaching business that focuses on supporting professional women? If so, I've got some exciting news about supporting your coaching growth, success, and impact. Right now, we're opening the enrollment of my private (1:1) coaching training program called The Amazing Career Coach Certification, which is a 17-week, hands-on training program that certifies female coaches in my proprietary 16-step career growth model, which is perfect for coaches who want a deeper dive into learning powerful, proven coaching frameworks, concepts, and skills that teach the 16 most essential steps to building an amazing career that your clients need to know. And this training will help you become far more effective and impactful in supporting women to thrive today in their jobs, roles, and careers. And through the program, you'll get access to a powerful Small Business Acceleration program called The Rapid Growth Academy, delivered by my friend and colleague, award-winning business growth expert Matthew Pollard. Through Matthew's program, you'll be taught critical business and sales growth info that will help you grow your business success in the quickest way possible. In my view, there's nothing on the market like for both new and more seasoned coaches because it targets the two critical aspects of success: how you support your clients to thrive, and just as importantly, how to grow your own business to the next level. For more information, visit certification.amazingcareerproject.com and check out the details. Join me this Winter!   ——————— Order Kathy's book The Most Powerful You today! In Australia and New Zealand, click here to order, elsewhere outside North America, click here, and in the UK, click here. If you enjoy the book, we'd so appreciate your giving the book a positive rating and review on Amazon! And check out Kathy's digital companion course The Most Powerful You, to help you close the 7 most damaging power gaps in the most effective way possible.  Kathy's Power Gaps Survey, Support To Build Your LinkedIn Profile To Great Success & Other Free Resources Kathy's TEDx Talk, Time To Brave Up & Free Career Path Self-Assessment Kathy's Amazing Career Project video training course & 6 Dominant Action Styles Quiz ——————— Sponsor Highlight I'm thrilled that both Audible.com and Amazon Music are sponsors of Finding Brave! Take advantage of their great special offers and free trials today! Audible Offer Amazon Music Offer   Quotes:  “The deal is you cannot change or address that which you're not aware of.” — @kathycaprino [0:08:36] “What makes you most stressed, worried, and anxious? If you woke up tomorrow, and you weren't stressed and anxious, how would you know?” — @kathycaprino [0:10:08] “There are a lot of (negative) words that are thrown around about people who seek therapy, but they're mistaken. You need to be strong to admit you need help. That's strong. That's brave. That's not weak.” — @kathycaprino [0:18:19] “If you don't have 10% more to give to yourself, you are stuck in a cycle of over-functioning and being a martyr.” — @kathycaprino [0:24:57] “We're not doomed to a condition of burnout.” — @kathycaprino [0:26:07] “It's probably more than just a tiny tweak. It's a consistent change. It's a consistent change in your mindset. It's a consistent change in how you feel about yourself and how you love yourself and how you accept yourself and validate yourself and honor yourself.” — @kathycaprino [0:26:58] Watch our Finding Brave episodes on YouTube! Don't forget—you can experience each Finding Brave episode in both audio and video formats! Check out new and recent episodes on my YouTube channel at YouTube.com/kathycaprino. And please leave us a comment and a thumbs up if you like the show!

This week's episode features collegial debate between two colleagues who are proponents of two schools of thought: Attachment or EFT Theory, and Differentiation or Crucible Theory. The two schools are substantially different in how they view aspects of adult development, and we have two guests who will walk us through the differences and similarities. We are joined this week by Adam Fisher and Nathan Hardy. Dr. Fisher is an assistant clinical professor at Brigham Young University, with a joint appointment between Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), and the department of Counseling Psychology and Special Education (CPSE). Dr Hardy is an Associate Professor and graduate of the COAMFTE accredited Ph.D. program at Kansas State University. Dr. Hardy came to OSU in 2016. Dr. Hardy serves as the MFT Program Director and is an AAMFT Approved Supervisor and Clinical Fellow of AAMFT. This week they sit down with Eli to discuss their early education and influences, similarities and differences between Attachment and Differentiation, the type of therapist and client each model works best for, and more.

This week on the podcast we're talking leadership with outgoing AAMFT President Shelley Hanson and AAMFT President-elect Silvia Kaminsky. Shelley and Silvia sit down with Eli to discuss their early-career influences and beginnings of their leadership journey. They also discuss the importance of systemic thinking to leadership, the benefits of having diverse people in positions of leadership, imposter syndrome, and how to look for opportunities to serve where your passion takes you. Finally, they discuss programs such as AAMFT's Leadership Symposium, and how these programs can benefit emerging leaders.

John Rolland, MD, MPH, is Executive Co-Director and Co-Founder of the Chicago Center for Family Health and author of the book: Helping Couples and Families Navigate Illness and Disability. Dr. Rolland is an AAMFT approved clinical supervisor and serves on the Editorial Boards of several journals. In this episode Dr Rolland sits down with Eli to discuss early inspirations and what sparked his interest in family systems, the difficulty of integrating the pathology driven medical model with the strength and health model of family therapy, and his Family Systems Illness Model. Dr Rolland also discusses the need for psychoeducation to give families the beginnings of a map they can use to get through the experience of illness.

In this special episode of Truth's Table, Ekemini sits down at the table with Nelba Marquez-Greene, the mother of Ana Grace Marquez-Greene who was killed in the Sany Hook school massacre. Truth's Table is honored to have Nelba at the table to talk about her beloved daughter, Ana Grace, ongoing grief, and political action needed to keep our children safe. Pull up a chair, grab some tissue, and have a seat at the table with us. Learn more about Nelba Marquez-Greene: Nelba holds a Bachelor of Music from the Hartt School and a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy from St. Joseph College. Nelba taught and supervised at the Family Therapy program at the University of Winnipeg's Aurora Family Therapy Centre and later worked as the Coordinator for Klingberg Family Therapy Center's outpatient child and adolescent psychiatric clinic. She also served as adjunct faculty at Central Connecticut State University. Nelba founded the CTAMFT (Connecticut Association for Marriage and Family Therapy) Diversity Committee and served on the CTAMFT Board of Directors. For her advocacy, she received the 2004 Minority Fellowship Award by the AAMFT, the 2004 Distinguished Professional Service Award, and the 2013 Service to Families Award by the CTAMFT. In 2018, she was profiled as one of “100 Women of Color” and a YWCA (CT) Women's Leadership Award recipient. She was featured in People Magazine's October 2019 issue as one of Ten Women Changing the World and also recognized by Chelsea Clinton and Hillary Clinton in their Book of Gutsy Women. Nelba has testified and advocated at the state and federal levels on many different mental health initiatives, hosted TEDx talks, and is a nationally sought after speaker. In the many years that have followed, stints in advocacy, public policy, community care, etc. have affirmed her core belief that in order to change the world we must take care of people. First- that grief, trauma and loss must be allowed in the room. Second- that tools, language, skills, resources and acceptance should be available to live a full, grieving life. Purchase our new book! Truth's Table: Black Women's Musings on Life, Love, and Liberation: https://www.amazon.com/Truths-Table-Womens-Musings-Liberation/dp/0593239733/ Truth's Table listeners can save 30% off The Gospel of Peace in a Violent World when they order at https://www.ivpress.com/the-gospel-of-peace-in-a-violent-world using promo code TRUTH22. That's promo code TRUTH22 at ivpress.com for 30% off the book. Support Truth's Table: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TruthsTable PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/TruthsTable Merchandise: https://teespring.com/truthstable

Deb Coolhart, Associate Professor at Syracuse University, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, with a private practice in Fayetteville, NY. She is a Clinical Fellow of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy and an AAMFT-approved supervisor. Under her leadership, the Gender Expansive Support Team was created and continues to provide services in the Central New York community. In this episode, Deb sits down with Eli to discuss her early career and research interests and influences, the need for inclusive, affirming language, the need to acknowledge the pervasive experience of mistreatment that trans people face, the different ways clients may experience dysphoria, and much more.

Many brilliant and passionate Experts have joined the Hope After Breast Cancer team to help our women heal their unseen wounds. Our Contributing Expert, Beth Leonard, is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist who specializes in sex therapy. She's excited to share her expertise with our community, including details about the "Female Desire Rocket!" You're sure to be inspired by Beth's video. Beth shares, “My life motto is ‘Don't waste your pain.' In life, pain is inevitable. The many ways we try to push it away, anesthetize it, or avoid it can further wound us and cause damage to us and our relationships. But when we allow it, pain can be a powerful tool in the Father's hand for change and growth. Specific sex therapy issues I address include trauma, sexual /physical abuse, desire disorders, mismatched desire in couples, female sexual pain, and recovery from the impact of sexual addiction/betrayal.” Beth is a member of the American Association of Marriage & Family Therapists (AAMFT) and the American Board of Christian Sex Therapists (ABCST) and is in training to become an AAMFT approved supervisor. She is also trained in EMDR, Sand Tray, and Trauma-Focused Art Therapy. Thank you for your contribution to our community, Beth!    Shared with love by Jan James, Hope After Breast Cancer Find out more about our private Facebook support groups (Booby Buddies, Hope After Breast Cancer, Sex After Breast Cancer, Booby Buddies en español) here. Joining our Newsletter List will give you a monthly recap of our best content, as well as information about available training and support. Subscribe to our Hope After Breast Cancer Podcast on your favorite podcast platform! Please help me provide more content to our community by buying me a cup of coffee (or two) at Buy Me A Coffee. And please pray for my efforts to have significance in the lives of the women we serve! Thank you! Disclaimer: While professional experts and the Company address health issues and the information provided on this Website and its components relates to medical and/or health issues, the information provided is not a substitute for medical or health advice from a professional who is aware of the facts and circumstances of your individual situation.

Joining us today at Maximal Being Fitness, Nutrition, and Gut Health is Nitasha Strait, a licensed marriage and family therapist, a certified sex therapist, an AAMFT approved supervisor, and also owner and CEO of The Better You Institute.Topics - Couples' Therapy- Hormones- Opening to your partner about kinks- Marriage- Volume of the ejaculate - Importance of communicationDoc Mok an advanced GI doctor specializing in nutrition, gut health, and cancer. Joining him is the podcast's layman, Jacky P, smashing the broscience on this week's podcast.If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a differenceReach out to us at team@maximalbeing.comOr https://www.maximalbeing.com/site/contactFREE STUFF3 NUTRITION HACKS (that Your Doctor Won't Tell You) FREE e-book: https://www.maximalbeing.com/3-nutrition-hacksThe Perfect Human Diet: A FREE 5 part training video: https://www.maximalbeing.com/the-perfect-human-dietWE CAN HELP YOUSign-up for our Kombucha Course: https://www.maximalbeing.com/kombuchaThe Meal Prep Bootcamp Course: https://www.maximalbeing.com/offers/oGLXwoof/checkoutNeed a Sustainable Nutrition Solution for Gut Health: https://www.maximalbeing.com/sustainable-nutrition-solutionOur sponsorsEmerson Ecologics (10% OFF All Supplements): https://wellevate.me/maximal-beingiHerb supplement BDB5528 and receive 10% off your orders: https://www.maximalbeing.com/iherbResourceshttps://www.maximalbeing.comhttps://thebetteryouinstitute.com/SocialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/maximalbeing/Twitter: https://twitter.com/maximalbeingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/maximalbeings/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/maximalbeing/Linked'in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maximal-being-13a5051a1/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi7KVUF8U-gfhOE1KSNAqIgSupport the show

Joining us today at Maximal Being Fitness, Nutrition, and Gut Health is Nitasha Strait, a licensed marriage and family therapist, a certified sex therapist, an AAMFT approved supervisor, and also owner and CEO of The Better You Institute.Topics - Couples' Therapy- Hormones- Opening to your partner about kinks- Marriage- Volume of the ejaculate - Importance of communicationDoc Mok an advanced GI doctor specializing in nutrition, gut health, and cancer. Joining him is the podcast's layman, Jacky P, smashing the broscience on this week's podcast. Their guestIf you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a differenceReach out to us at team@maximalbeing.comOr https://www.maximalbeing.com/site/contactFREE STUFF3 NUTRITION HACKS (that Your Doctor Won't Tell You) FREE e-book: https://www.maximalbeing.com/3-nutrition-hacksThe Perfect Human Diet: A FREE 5 part training video: https://www.maximalbeing.com/the-perfect-human-dietWE CAN HELP YOUSign-up for our Kombucha Course: https://www.maximalbeing.com/kombuchaThe Meal Prep Bootcamp Course: https://www.maximalbeing.com/offers/oGLXwoof/checkoutNeed a Sustainable Nutrition Solution for Gut Health: https://www.maximalbeing.com/sustainable-nutrition-solutionOur sponsorsEmerson Ecologics (10% OFF All Supplements): https://wellevate.me/maximal-beingiHerb supplement BDB5528 and receive 10% off your orders: https://www.maximalbeing.com/iherbResourceshttps://www.maximalbeing.comhttps://thebetteryouinstitute.com/SocialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/maximalbeing/Twitter: https://twitter.com/maximalbeingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/maximalbeings/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/maximalbeing/Linked'in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maximal-being-13a5051a1/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi7KVUF8U-gfhOE1KSNAqIgSupport the show

Joining us today at Maximal Being Fitness, Nutrition, and Gut Health is Nitasha Strait, a licensed marriage and family therapist, a certified sex therapist, an AAMFT approved supervisor, and also owner and CEO of The Better You Institute. Topics - Sex as a topic- Gender- Ethical non-monogamy- Physiologic sexual dysfunction versus psychosocial sexual dysfunction- Sexual compatibilityDoc Mok an advanced GI doctor specializing in nutrition, gut health, and cancer. Joining him is the podcast's layman, Jacky P, smashing the broscience on this week's podcast. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a differenceReach out to us at team@maximalbeing.comOr https://www.maximalbeing.com/site/contactFREE STUFF3 NUTRITION HACKS (that Your Doctor Won't Tell You) FREE e-book: https://www.maximalbeing.com/3-nutrition-hacksThe Perfect Human Diet: A FREE 5 part training video: https://www.maximalbeing.com/the-perfect-human-dietWE CAN HELP YOUSign-up for our Kombucha Course: https://www.maximalbeing.com/kombuchaThe Meal Prep Bootcamp Course: https://www.maximalbeing.com/offers/oGLXwoof/checkoutNeed a Sustainable Nutrition Solution for Gut Health: https://www.maximalbeing.com/sustainable-nutrition-solutionOur sponsorsEmerson Ecologics (10% OFF All Supplements): https://wellevate.me/maximal-beingiHerb supplement BDB5528 and receive 10% off your orders: https://www.maximalbeing.com/iherbResourceshttps://www.maximalbeing.comhttps://thebetteryouinstitute.com/SocialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/maximalbeing/Twitter: https://twitter.com/maximalbeingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/maximalbeings/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/maximalbeing/Linked'in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maximal-being-13a5051a1/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi7KVUF8U-gfhOE1KSNAqIgSupport the show

Joining us today at Maximal Being Fitness, Nutrition, and Gut Health is Nitasha Strait, a licensed marriage and family therapist, a certified sex therapist, an AAMFT approved supervisor, and also owner and CEO of The Better You Institute. Topics - Sex as a topic- Gender- Ethical non-monogamy- Physiologic sexual dysfunction versus psychosocial sexual dysfunction- Sexual compatibilityDoc Mok an advanced GI doctor specializing in nutrition, gut health, and cancer. Joining him is the podcast's layman, Jacky P, smashing the broscience on this week's podcast. Their guest If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a differenceReach out to us at team@maximalbeing.comOr https://www.maximalbeing.com/site/contactFREE STUFF3 NUTRITION HACKS (that Your Doctor Won't Tell You) FREE e-book: https://www.maximalbeing.com/3-nutrition-hacksThe Perfect Human Diet: A FREE 5 part training video: https://www.maximalbeing.com/the-perfect-human-dietWE CAN HELP YOUSign-up for our Kombucha Course: https://www.maximalbeing.com/kombuchaThe Meal Prep Bootcamp Course: https://www.maximalbeing.com/offers/oGLXwoof/checkoutNeed a Sustainable Nutrition Solution for Gut Health: https://www.maximalbeing.com/sustainable-nutrition-solutionOur sponsorsEmerson Ecologics (10% OFF All Supplements): https://wellevate.me/maximal-beingiHerb supplement BDB5528 and receive 10% off your orders: https://www.maximalbeing.com/iherbResourceshttps://www.maximalbeing.comhttps://thebetteryouinstitute.com/SocialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/maximalbeing/Twitter: https://twitter.com/maximalbeingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/maximalbeings/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/maximalbeing/Linked'in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maximal-being-13a5051a1/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi7KVUF8U-gfhOE1KSNAqIgSupport the show

In this episode of Oh My Heath ... There's HOPE! Jana talks with Debbie Elzea.   Ladies, are you feeling stuck, anxious, lonely, or disappointed with your intimate relationship and/or sex life? If you (or your man) are hurt, frustrated, shut down, or turned off, you are not alone, or broken! Male-female relationships and intimate and erotic pleasure can be complex, a learned skill, an art, and a science. Coaching empowers you to take control of your life, learn new skills, mind-body-spirit practices, self-expression, and confidence. You'll reduce stress, overcome blocks, discover your unique turn-ons, connect sensually and emotionally with your partner, with new confidence, sensuality, skills, and joy!   I help women with the six elements we need for great intimate lives as explained in my article for the AAMFT! Worthiness/confidence, embodiment, emotional connection, time, creativity, and knowledge! I also help women understand and inspire "the male mind," something often missing in gender-neutralized counseling. You deserve to be cherished by your beloved!   YOU have the power to create a loving, passionate, and connected intimate life and marriage; you just need support, insight, and skills. My coaching emphasizes YOU showing up less stressed and happier in life, intimacy skills that make you man want to be your HERO again, deep sensual connection, and intimate physical bonding. I invite you to a free intro call!   “Women marry men hoping to change them, but men marry women hoping they never change.”   This 30-minute episode is on: 1) Growing up in a broken home and learning to change your life connection 2) Helping women be in a loving relationship 3) What is challenging your marriage and relationship 4) Treat your husband like you're his girlfriend 5) Keeping the intimacy going in your relationship 6) Learn how to fight less with Debbie Elzea   This episode is about: In this episode, Jana and Debbie discuss growing up in a broken home and learning to find love and intimacy as an adult.  Helping women discover intimacy again. What is challenging in your marriage? Treat your husband like a hero and he might just start becoming one again. Get in touch with Debbie: www.moreintimacy.net https://www.facebook.com/groups/RomanceRebootandBedroomBootcamp https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbie-marielle-elzea-a0a0188/ Debbie's gift to you... Join my FB group for women, More Intimacy In Marriage for Women: https://www.facebook.com/groups/RomanceRebootandBedroomBootcamp and enjoy a complimentary heart to heart call with me: https://www.moreintimacy.net/book-online Get in touch with Jana and listen to more Podcasts: https://www.janashort.com/ Show Music ‘Hold On' by Amy Gerhartz https://www.amygerhartz.com/music. Get Your Free Copy of Best Holistic Life Magazine! One of the fastest-growing independent magazines centered around holistic living. https://www.bestholisticlife.com/   Grab your gift today: https://www.janashort.com/becoming-the-next-influencers-download-offer/ Connect with Jana Short: https://www.janashort.com/contact/

In today's episode, Lisa Renda and I continue our conversation of the very sensitive topic: when women abuse men. We wrap up this discussion as we cover: Why do men experience so much shame when they are abused? If a man has betrayed his wife/partner and she becomes abusive in her trauma, how much abuse should he take from her? Resources for abused men to heal and recover Download my FREE guide to help you quickly end arguments with your spouse: https://www.geoffsteurer.com/3-steps-to-end-your-marriage-argument Connect with me on social media: www.instagram.com/geoffsteurer/ www.facebook.com/GeoffSteurerMFT Visit http://www.geoffsteurer.com for online courses and other supportive resources. About Geoff Steurer: I am a licensed marriage and family therapist, relationship educator, and coach with over 20 years of experience. I am the co-author of, "Love You, Hate the Porn: Healing a Relationship Damaged by Virtual Infidelity", the host of the weekly podcast, "From Crisis to Connection", and have produced workbooks, audio programs, and online courses helping couples and individuals heal from the impact of sexual betrayal, unwanted pornography use, partner betrayal trauma, and rebuilding broken trust. As a leader in the field, I am a frequent contributor on these subjects at national conferences, documentaries, blogs, magazines, and podcasts. I also write a weekly relationship advice column available on my blog. I founded and ran an outpatient sexual addiction and betrayal trauma recovery group program for over 14 years, co-founded and chaired a local conference to educate community members about harmful media, and founded and administered a specialized group therapy practice for over 10 years. I currently maintain a private counseling and coaching practice in beautiful Southern Utah where I live with my wife and children. About Lisa Renda: I have personal experience living in relationships affected by PTSD, ADHD, and addiction. I passionately support and educate clients around these concerns. I also counsel people living with sexual addiction concerns. I find joy in my work as clients move towards greater peace and hope in their lives. I am trained in EMDR and am a certified sexual addiction therapist with the International Institute of Trauma and Addiction Professionals. I am currently working towards my certification for Somatic Experiencing, a Somatic type of therapy to release trauma from the body. I currently serve as an AAMFT approved supervisor Candidate and am on the staff of Northpointe Recovery Intensive Outpatient Program for substance abuse recovery. I am passionate about attachment, Trauma, and neurobiology, and how they each have an impact on how we recover from trauma and addiction, particularly process addictions. In my relaxing hours, I enjoy sleeping out in the Southern Utah wilderness to see the beautiful stars, hiking, kayaking, and reading historical fiction. Most of all loving my beautiful grandkids. I try to set a little time aside for some volunteer passion projects such as working at Encircle in Saint George. On the horizon, I hope to do more gardening and travel. http://www.sequoiaintegrative.com/

In today's society there are still many relationship roles and behaviors that are considered taboo and not widely addressed. I've invited Lisa Renda to join me as we tackle the dynamic of women abusing men. We discuss the stereotypes and shame that typically cause this form of abuse to be hidden or qualified by other experiences and excuses. In this episode we cover: What are the ways that women can abuse men? What are some of the hesitations men have when seeking treatment as victims of abuse? Why do men experience so much shame when they are abused? If a man has betrayed his wife/partner and she becomes abusive in her trauma, how much abuse should he take from her? Download my FREE guide to help you quickly end arguments with your spouse: https://www.geoffsteurer.com/3-steps-to-end-your-marriage-argument Connect with me on social media: www.instagram.com/geoffsteurer/ www.facebook.com/GeoffSteurerMFT Visit http://www.geoffsteurer.com for online courses and other supportive resources. About Geoff Steurer: I am a licensed marriage and family therapist, relationship educator, and coach with over 20 years of experience. I am the co-author of, "Love You, Hate the Porn: Healing a Relationship Damaged by Virtual Infidelity", the host of the weekly podcast, "From Crisis to Connection", and have produced workbooks, audio programs, and online courses helping couples and individuals heal from the impact of sexual betrayal, unwanted pornography use, partner betrayal trauma, and rebuilding broken trust. As a leader in the field, I am a frequent contributor on these subjects at national conferences, documentaries, blogs, magazines, and podcasts. I also write a weekly relationship advice column available on my blog. I founded and ran an outpatient sexual addiction and betrayal trauma recovery group program for over 14 years, co-founded and chaired a local conference to educate community members about harmful media, and founded and administered a specialized group therapy practice for over 10 years. I currently maintain a private counseling and coaching practice in beautiful Southern Utah where I live with my wife and children. About Lisa Renda: I have personal experience living in relationships affected by PTSD, ADHD, and addiction. I passionately support and educate clients around these concerns. I also counsel people living with sexual addiction concerns. I find joy in my work as clients move towards greater peace and hope in their lives. I am trained in EMDR and am a certified sexual addiction therapist with the International Institute of Trauma and Addiction Professionals. I am currently working towards my certification for Somatic Experiencing, a Somatic type of therapy to release trauma from the body. I currently serve as an AAMFT approved supervisor Candidate and am on the staff of Northpointe Recovery Intensive Outpatient Program for substance abuse recovery. I am passionate about attachment, Trauma, and neurobiology, and how they each have an impact on how we recover from trauma and addiction, particularly process addictions. In my relaxing hours, I enjoy sleeping out in the Southern Utah wilderness to see the beautiful stars, hiking, kayaking, and reading historical fiction. Most of all loving my beautiful grandkids. I try to set a little time aside for some volunteer passion projects such as working at Encircle in Saint George. On the horizon, I hope to do more gardening and travel. http://www.sequoiaintegrative.com/

Is the Counseling Compact Good for Therapists? Curt and Katie chat about the brand-new Counseling Compact and what therapists may not know or understand about these interstate agreements. We explore the proposed benefits as well as the potential risks and complications like regulatory discrepancies and a lack of consumer protections. We also look at how big tech can benefit while individual clinicians may be left unable to compete in a larger market. In this podcast episode we talk about the new Counseling Compact and Psypact The counselors got their 10th state and officially have Counseling Compact to practice in other states. We thought it would be a good idea to talk about what that means (and what we might want to pay attention to). What is the Counseling Compact? Opportunities for practicing privileges (not licensure) in other states The complexity of putting together these interstate compacts Implementation and regulation hurdles Scope of practice discrepancies and concerns Law and Ethics practices across states Benefits of Interstate Compacts for Mental Health Providers Continuity of care Ease of meeting with clients who are moving around the country Bringing clinicians to areas where there is a workforce shortage Potential Problems with the Counseling Compact “This very much goes against, according to the FBI, any sort of patient protection – that any of these licensing boards are put into place in the first place: to protect consumers.” – Curt Widhalm Not bringing more clinicians, if only states with workforce shortages join Doesn't solve the infrastructure problems (i.e., stable Wi-Fi) for rural areas that typically don't have local therapists The people who most benefit: the big tech companies like Better Help The FBI is opposing this legislation due to lack of federal background checks Lack of consumer protection or consistency in what consumers can expect from their therapist Costs for the therapists to get practicing privileges Large gigantic group practices and tech solutions will contract with insurance and leave smaller practices unable to compete and required to be private pay Solving the Problems with the Counseling Compact “It may actually delay [a national license], because it's a band aid where people can go practice in other states. So why would I get a national license, if I can practice in a couple other states and not worry about taking another test, getting another background check…?” – Katie Vernoy Overarching regulation and expectations at a national level Federal bodies to oversee background checks and consumer protections Expensive, time-intensive We don't have universal healthcare, so insurance parity will need to be addressed (and not just by big tech) Our Generous Sponsors for this episode of the Modern Therapist's Survival Guide: OOTify OOTify. "OOT" or "uth" (उठ) means "lift up" in the Hindi language. OOTify is a digital health solution that acts as an evidence-based hub to unify relevant mental health resources. Community, Connection, and Collaboration are critical to OOTIFY.  As they lift the mental healthcare system, they ensure providers are part of the process. OOTIFY is a platform for providers, built by providers, and owned by providers. OOTIFY is the process of lifting up mental healthcare, while lifting each other up. We need to talk about our mental health. We need to make our mental health stronger so we can withstand the things that happen in our life. We're going to go through trials and tribulations. But if we can work on our mental health, proactively, our wellness, we can handle all that as a community and come together. People are more open to talk about these stories and say, “Hey, listen, I'm going through this too.” Do be you want to be a part of the solution by joining a new web three community focused on mental health and wellness? Join the OOTify community as an investor or mental health provider by visiting ootify.com/contact. You can also give us a follow on social media to stay tuned on exciting updates. Turning Point Financial Life Planning Turning Point Financial Life Planning helps therapists stop worrying about money. Confidently navigate every aspect of your financial life - from practice financials and personal budgeting to investing, taxes and student loans. Turning Point is a financial planning & coaching firm that helps therapists stop worrying about money. Dave at Turning Point will help you navigate every aspect of your financial life - from practice financials and personal budgeting to investing, taxes and student loans. He'll help you move through that feeling of being stuck, frustrated and overwhelmed... And arrive at a place where you feel relief, validation, motivation and hope. And for listeners of MTSG, you'll receive $200 off the price of any service. Just enter promo code Modern Therapist. Be sure and visit turningpointHQ.com and download the free whitepaper “7 Money Mindset Shifts to Reduce Financial Anxiety” Resources for Modern Therapists mentioned in this Podcast Episode: We've pulled together resources mentioned in this episode and put together some handy-dandy links. Please note that some of the links below may be affiliate links, so if you purchase after clicking below, we may get a little bit of cash in our pockets. We thank you in advance! Counseling Compact Psypact Very Bad Therapy Podcast Relevant Episodes of MTSG Podcast: Special Series: Fixing Mental Healthcare in America Fixing Mental Health in America: An interview with Dr. Nicole Eberhart, Senior Behavioral Scientist, and Dr. Ryan McBain, Policy Researcher, The RAND Corporation Online Therapy Apps Why You Shouldn't Sell Out to Better Help   Who we are: Curt Widhalm, LMFT Curt Widhalm is in private practice in the Los Angeles area. He is the cofounder of the Therapy Reimagined conference, an Adjunct Professor at Pepperdine University and CSUN, a former Subject Matter Expert for the California Board of Behavioral Sciences, former CFO of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, and a loving husband and father. He is 1/2 great person, 1/2 provocateur, and 1/2 geek, in that order. He dabbles in the dark art of making "dad jokes" and usually has a half-empty cup of coffee somewhere nearby. Learn more at: www.curtwidhalm.com Katie Vernoy, LMFT Katie Vernoy is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, coach, and consultant supporting leaders, visionaries, executives, and helping professionals to create sustainable careers. Katie, with Curt, has developed workshops and a conference, Therapy Reimagined, to support therapists navigating through the modern challenges of this profession. Katie is also a former President of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists. In her spare time, Katie is secretly siphoning off Curt's youthful energy, so that she can take over the world. Learn more at: www.katievernoy.com A Quick Note: Our opinions are our own. We are only speaking for ourselves – except when we speak for each other, or over each other. We're working on it. Our guests are also only speaking for themselves and have their own opinions. We aren't trying to take their voice, and no one speaks for us either. Mostly because they don't want to, but hey. Stay in Touch with Curt, Katie, and the whole Therapy Reimagined #TherapyMovement: Patreon Buy Me A Coffee Podcast Homepage Therapy Reimagined Homepage Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube   Consultation services with Curt Widhalm or Katie Vernoy: The Fifty-Minute Hour Connect with the Modern Therapist Community: Our Facebook Group – The Modern Therapists Group   Modern Therapist's Survival Guide Creative Credits: Voice Over by DW McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/ Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https://groomsymusic.com/   Transcript for this episode of the Modern Therapist's Survival Guide podcast (Autogenerated): Curt Widhalm  00:00 This episode is brought to you by OOTify.   Katie Vernoy  00:03 OOTify is an immersive digital mental health ecosystem. It's designed to help minimize the fragmentation, trial and error and overwhelm felt by both patients and providers in the process of giving and receiving care. OOTify is the process of lifting up mental health care while lifting each other up.   Curt Widhalm  00:20 Listen at the end of the episode for more information.   Katie Vernoy  00:23 This episode is also brought to you by Turning Point.   Curt Widhalm  00:26  Turning Point Financial Life Planning helps therapists stop worrying about money. Confidently navigate every aspect of your financial life from practice financials and personal budgeting to investing taxes and student loans.   Katie Vernoy  00:39 Visit turningpointhq.com. To learn more and enter the promo code 'moderntherapist' for $200 off any service.   Announcer  00:47 You're listening to The Modern Therapist's Survival Guide where therapists live, breathe and practice as human beings. To support you as a whole person and a therapist, here are your hosts, Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy.   Curt Widhalm  01:03 Welcome back modern therapists. This is The Modern Therapist's Survival Guide. I'm Curt Widhalm with Katie Vernoy. And this is the podcast for therapists about things going on in the therapy worlds. And recently, the 10th state has joined the counseling compact, which initiates that it is all coming together for licensed professional counselors here in America. And what this does is creates a whole lot of space for people to make up what they think that it is. And we are here to correct that information. So, Katie, lots of things to talk about in this episode, what are your initial reactions.   Katie Vernoy  01:49 So my initial reactions typically with all of these pacts, so there's Counseling Pact, there's PSYPACT or Counseling Compact and PSYPACT, which is a psychologist, and then the social workers are working on something. As for MFTs so far, we don't have something going on. But I have mixed feelings. Because I think for me, I have clients who travel around to different states. And so I can only see them when they're in states I'm licensed in, I've got ideas around being able to support folks in areas that have fewer clinicians or clinicians who specialize in and what they need. And I also recognize I live in a state that has a very high cost of living. And so if there are therapists in states with much lower cost of living who are quote, unquote, taking my clients, I think it would be something where that that may make it harder for me to compete in my own market. So lots of mixed feelings. And I'm not quite sure at least until we started prepping for this episode, I wasn't quite sure what these compacts meant. And so I think probably we should start with, What's the Counseling Compact? If we, you know, it's PSYPACT different? What's the social workers working on? But broadly, what are these things? And why do people care about them?   Curt Widhalm  03:05 So these pacts are going to be slightly different between the counselors and the psychologists and psychologists is PSYPACT. The Counseling Compact is for counselors, we're not really going to talk a whole lot about social workers and MFTs, because they have not gotten their act together and have anything moving in this direction yet. Social workers do. But in talking about the two that are already in place, or quickly moving into place, what it does is allows for somebody, this is language from the Counseling Compact, what it does is allows for somebody who is licensed in and resides in one of the member states to have practicing privileges through some regulation stuff in other states. So it's not just like a license reciprocity where you are granted now a 10 state license, you have to go through some certain steps of just picking a couple of states out of this here. But if you are, say, practicing in Nebraska, and you have a person in West Virginia, who wants to utilize your services, you would need to go to the West Virginia Board and have a streamlined ability to get a privilege to practice with clients in West Virginia.   Katie Vernoy  04:30 Okay, but you have to live in Nebraska, it can't be like I live in California, and I'm licensed in Nebraska. So now then I can practice with somebody in West Virginia, if I get that streamlined.   Curt Widhalm  04:42 Yes, and this is the language that you have to be licensed in and reside in one of those states. So many people have licensure in multiple states already. If you are not one of the 10 states as a resident this does not apply to you. So this is not like a, you know, huge like opening up the gates to everybody living all over the place. California being where Katie and I reside, we can't just go and get licensed in Utah and now have the ability to practice in all of these other states. A residency requirement is part of this as well.   Katie Vernoy  05:20 Well, one thing, I think that it does start things moving, because I know with PSYPACT, there are 34 states in process. So it is the beginning of something, it's just a matter of right now, this is the very beginning stages and other states may join. But in some of the conversations and research we've done, it sounds like there's a lot that goes into it once a state joins. And even in putting together the overarching compact, there is this need to get kind of almost universal expectations, kind of an overarching, regulatory body, there's also needs to, you know, look at scope of practice issues, which at least as we're aware of MFT stuff, but there's very different scope of practice for California MFTs than there is for Texas, or West Virginia MFTs, for example. And so there's a lot of complexity that's going to be sorted out as this starts to get implemented. But the idea is that these compacts these interstate compacts are meant to provide a launchpad for more states to join, right?   Curt Widhalm  06:29 And this is some of the stuff that's got to be ironed out over the next couple of years. And frankly, I'd be surprised if all 10 of these states are able to address some of these discrepancies over the next few years. And for example, and I know not all of these states are currently part of the 10. But they do sometimes have some legislation to get them involved in the Counseling Compact here. But looking at the different requirements in different states, Georgia as an example, one of the 10 States does have a pretty high barrier to entry when it comes to becoming licensed within the state. And so I'm going to emphasize again, this is practicing privileges in other states, that is not a full reciprocity of license. So if somebody is practicing, gets practicing privileges in Georgia as a member of this Counseling Compact, one of the things that needs to be addressed is the discrepancy between what is allowed from one state to the next, for example, some states allow counselors to provide diagnostics of clients, other states do not and what has yet to be ironed out on this is how much does this change the scope of practice in these other states? What's unclear at this point is how these things are going to be regulated. While there is a central body that will oversee this compact, because of the way that it's set up each of these states are the ones who are still overseeing their own licensees, disciplinary actions and abilities to practice. So it's not like you're gonna be able to sit at home and do telehealth across all of these 10 states, and be able to practice just in the way that you are at home with your home state's clients, you're also going to run into well, I can diagnose this client but not this one. Or I need to be aware of, you know, my ability to do things ethically, one way in one state, but because of the ways that the laws are written in another state, I'm not allowed to do this. So these are some of the things that now have to be centrally addressed across all of these states here.   Katie Vernoy  08:48 And I think it's something that can get very confusing, but I want to re emphasize that there is this element of expectation that this means I'm in licensed and these other states and and because it's practicing privileges, is it telehealth only? If I go visit the state, could I still see those clients in person? Like what is the what is the practical difference between practicing privileges and licensure? In this regard.   Curt Widhalm  09:12 The differences is, it's not a license in another state. It's the allowance of you to be able to provide services to people in that state. But it is not the equivalent of having a license in both states.   Katie Vernoy  09:30 But what is the practical difference there? Like why do I care if I'm licensed or have practicing privileges?   Curt Widhalm  09:37 One of the major differences is that it's a lot easier to revoke practicing privileges than it is to revoke somebody's license. Having a license in both states means that you are obligated to both states licensing boards. What practicing privileges means is that you're allowed to practice here but you're still responsible to your own state's governing body for disciplinary actions, and so on and so forth. So it could be very easy. If a therapist is working with a client who's out of state and residing in Georgia, for example, Georgia could very easily be like, you're not meeting the requirements of practice in our state where you're doing out things, things outside the scope of practice in our state. And we don't like that, and you're no longer allowed to practice here. So it's a lot easier than going through a lot of the big disciplinary actions that may require revoking somebody's license in a state that they're actually licensed in.   Katie Vernoy  10:40 So for the clinician, it means that they would really need to be able to identify all the different scope of practice, how to really stay up to date in all these different states, as well as what is that kind of fine line that I can walk, either to treat all my clients the same, but super restricted, or, you know, like having different rubrics for how I treat each client. So it can get pretty complicated is what you're saying, for the clinician to pay attention to what's required of them.   Curt Widhalm  11:11 Yeah, and I think to this is where the goal is over the next couple of years to change some of this information. So that way, we're able to make it a lot simpler for people because the goal in this is with the intention of making practice easier, allowing for more people to have access to more mental health providers. However, these obstacles exist, and giving kind of the next couple of years of the ability for state legislatures to change the subsequent laws that now need to go into effect because this is in place, the goal probably is to simplify this stuff.   Katie Vernoy  11:50 Okay.   Curt Widhalm  11:51 And I haven't heard or seen anything where any of these member states have, you know, any real opposition in this way, it's just that things in the legislature can take other priorities. I mean, we saw this with the COVID 19 pandemic, where it's like all the states for a couple of years where like, everything now has to focus on COVID. So some of these obstacles are still in place. And it's just a acknowledgment that that's the system that we currently live in.   Katie Vernoy  12:21 So you mentioned kind of getting more providers for places that have provider shortages. And I think that's one of the biggest stated benefits, I think, clinician match and finding clinicians that have a specialty when you don't have a lot of clinicians in your state can be very helpful. There's also continuity of care. I've talked about my clients traveling around and especially as things open back up, there's clinicians or clients that are traveling a lot more and so we have to time their sessions versus just being able to meet at a regular time via telehealth, I think there's a lot of positives that are being seen here. We've started talking about some of the hesitations and and and we are aware that the for the MFT stuff CAMFT, AAMFT and AAMFTRB, you know, what least AMFT and CAMFT are talking and have reached out to AAMFTRB, whatever that is.   Curt Widhalm  13:12 Yeah, you got it right.   Katie Vernoy  13:13 So there's, there's conversations happening, I think, and obviously different stages for all the licenses, there's, there's a, there isn't a knowledge that this is something it's kind of the wave of the future, because we can interact so freely across state lines, like why not get this process in place, but there's a lot of complications, you know, the overarching scope of practice, the complication of setting it up and running it and all those kinds of stuff. There's a lot of stuff that's very challenging there. How much do we want to talk about that, that element versus you, you've already previewed for me anyway, that you are a little bit of a skeptic here. When do we want to what do we When do we want to shift gears to that? Because I think that there's so many folks are super excited about this. And I think there are things that are exciting about it. But there are some real concerns that I want to make sure we get to. So where should we go next? I guess is the question that I'm asking here.   Curt Widhalm  14:06 So this has all of the makings of a wonderful piece of legislation and cooperation that I don't know actually addresses what it's saying that it's intended to address.   Katie Vernoy  14:21 Okay.   Curt Widhalm  14:21 It is no surprise to anybody who listens to our podcasts that we have a mental health crisis, and we have a very understaffed mental health workforce. This theoretically allows for more clients to address more providers, but many of these states are amongst the most impacted as far as having the fewest providers available. And so if you combine 10 states who don't have enough workforce for each of their own individual states, by their 10 powers combined, theoretically can't address that even more people are going to be able to access a limited number of providers. It's not like we have, you know, a bunch of people who are all just residing in Utah, there's, you know, 9 million LPCs in Utah, who now just have like all of this free time to go and see clients who need to see counselors that Utah just has this, you know, mass amounts of people who have been confined to by state lines. This is, you know, a bunch of people without enough food now sharing that they don't have enough food with more people in more places.   Katie Vernoy  15:38 It doesn't make it worse. It just doesn't solve it is what is how I see it. But I think if folks who, if these states that have those needs don't get it started, I think it's hard because I think the big states don't need those extra jobs. Right? I mean, it maybe they do. I mean, I think there's a lot of clinicians in California, they're like, yeah, let me practice somewhere else, because I need I need clients, there's, you know, you could trip over a therapist, every few steps in California. So I mean, it's possible that with this starting, I mean, PSYPACT is going on 34 states. So we've moved beyond the the threshold in PSYPACT, where it's just states that are having provider shortages. I think I think I see what you're saying this does not solve? Did you want to start it?   Curt Widhalm  16:28 But I do want to correct one thing that you're saying is, we have a bias because we hang out with a lot of therapists in a very populated city.   Katie Vernoy  16:38 Sure.   Curt Widhalm  16:38 But California has a mental health workforce shortage as well. It's just that, this goes to address that there's rural parts of our states. And there's rural parts of a lot of these other states that are part of this, that we we have our own shortages, and we're not able to address this inviting more people to address, you know, people in rural areas. It's well intended, but it doesn't motivate or necessarily get people to the jobs that are needed in these positions.   Katie Vernoy  17:12 What you just said actually made me think about the series that we're still somewhat in the process of Fixing Mental Healthcare in America. But I think there's that that piece that the the RAND Corporation identified where there has been efforts and telehealth is a great effort to try to bring, you know, therapy to these rural areas, but the infrastructure and you know, good good WiFi, and all of the pieces to actually be able to address these things potentially are more impactful than just adding clinicians from another state that are probably going to want to access or your wealthy urban clients anyway.   Curt Widhalm  17:52 Which leads to my second criticism of this is that because of the scramble that's going to happen, the people who are most likely able to address the shortcomings of this public policy position across these 10 states are venture capital led groups like BetterHelp, that will do all of the legwork to match you up with clients in all of these rural areas. And we've got other episodes that we will talk in, you know, in BetterHelp's defence it's not just BetterHelp who can take advantage of these. But I have my concerns that the people who have already been doing this against the law, as we've discussed in our previous episodes are motivating therapists to practice across state lines, when they're not allowed to are the ones who are going to continue to contribute to the already capitalistic problems of our profession. And once again, not really with the best intentions of what clients have in store for them. But just by virtue of being able to match people more easily than any of the individual therapists in private practice. Where like, hey, my clients going on vacation, I can still see them for their regular session.   Katie Vernoy  19:21 We'll link to a lot of those episodes in the show notes. But but what I'm hearing you say Curt, is that this is super charging the big tech problem.   Curt Widhalm  19:31 Yes, it is.   Katie Vernoy  19:32 Okay. Mic drop.   Curt Widhalm  19:39 Pick that mic right back up, because they're, I don't know, I'm the resident, you know, contrarian of the show, the one who's maybe trying to poke at things and often I hear from listeners or from Katie or other people in my life is like, Why let perfection be the enemy of good? And so I am looking, you know, for who else opposes this? And I did come across somebody else on the opposition side of this. And it's a little group called the FBI.   Katie Vernoy  20:20 Why? Why is the FBI opposing this?   Curt Widhalm  20:25 For those unfamiliar with the FBI, they are a law enforcement agency. And they are one of the generally two places that when you go to get licensed that your background checks go to.   Katie Vernoy  20:38 Ah, yes.   Curt Widhalm  20:39 And so the rationale in other interstate compacts, including Counseling Compact, including PSYPACT, including medical compacts, and nurses compacts, the FBI has had a pretty consistent position on this. And their reasoning is that these states entering into these agreements, does not give them the right to supersede federal background checks. Now, allowing for practicing privileges in another state allows for the bypass of doing a background check for that state.   Katie Vernoy  21:13 Oh, interesting.   Curt Widhalm  21:14 And the way that the Department of Justice allows for some of these states to get the results of background checks, does not allow for them to share the information from those background checks.   Katie Vernoy  21:27 Oh, that's why if you get licensed in another state, even if you can say like, Hey, I'm licensed over here, they did my background check. The new state still needs a background check.   Curt Widhalm  21:37 And giving practicing privileges as I understand this legislation to be written today does not require background checks. It allows for the disciplinary boards to share information about discipline. But let's say that a therapist from one of these 10 states, goes on a weekend Bender in Vegas and ends up in the Clark County Jail. That information does not necessarily get shared with either licensing states because why, but then also doesn't get shared with any of the other practicing privileged states. It's not something that would mess like up. Overall therapists don't get arrested.   Katie Vernoy  22:22 Yeah, just don't   Curt Widhalm  22:23 Yes. But especially don't get arrested in your practicing states, because you're practicing states have with their own State Department of Justice's, like, California BBS. Like if somebody gets arrested, and they're licensed California, they get a little like, ping the next morning of like, hey, one of your licensees was arrested. But if you're, if you're gonna get arrested, don't get arrested, you know, being outside of your jurisdiction, at least, there's some opportunities to fall through the cracks there. And the...   Katie Vernoy  22:55 Are you telling people to how to avoid getting in trouble?   Curt Widhalm  22:58 This is not legal advice. And legal advice, once again, is don't get arrested. But what the FBI's database does, is allows for this information to be pinged in each time that somebody goes through a background check. The FBI is saying that this does not actually empower any of the states to know information if somebody was to have a an offense against them that wasn't caught or happened after their own background check to get a license in their own state.   Katie Vernoy  23:31 Well, I'm just even thinking for myself, I have not been arrested. I don't have anything that I have to worry about. But yeah, I haven't had a background check for 15 years? So I could be doing all kinds of stuff and get practicing privileges elsewhere - is what you're telling me?   Curt Widhalm  23:48 Yes. And so this very much goes against, according to the FBI, any sort of patient protection that any of these licensing boards are put into place in the first place to protect consumers.   Katie Vernoy  24:03 Well, I haven't think taking this further the whole consumer protection angle, and I think I'm gonna give you credit, you mentioned this before we started recording. But as a consumer, I have no place to check if you actually do have practicing privileges in my state, or if there's any problems. I mean, I guess I could look at your licensing state if I knew how to do that, knew where to do it, and can see if there's any any dings on your license, but, but it really takes some of the stuff out of the consumers hand being able to identify, you know, anything about the person that they're working with.   Curt Widhalm  24:41 And I imagine that these are things that are going to need to be addressed over the next few years as having some way of centrally notifying each other's state licensures or any of that kind of stuff. And I'm sure that there's somebody out there saying, But Curt this hasn't been a problem with PSYPACT yet. And the answer that I have back in response to you is "that we know of, and it will likely happen."   Katie Vernoy  25:13 Well, I think it's something where there's, and this was something that I hadn't thought about. But in a conversation that we had, I think it's something where, with psychologists, the, as far as I know, the licensing exams, their expectations are pretty constant across the United States. And so if somebody messes up in the state that they're licensed in, that's going to have a big impact, because it is the same pretty far across and I, this doesn't address the federal background checks. But I think it does address this kind of idea of all the complexity and and consumers having an issue because what they're expecting from their clinician is not what they get, because their clinician practices way differently than anybody in their state, for example, but MFTs don't have that. I mean, there's that there's a national association, but all 50 states basically have different expectations. Counselors, I think, are a little bit more streamlined and so that's probably why they're moving forward. Social workers are very streamlined, and I'm sure they're going to probably get, you know, glide through this. But I think it's something where that feels solvable, you know, getting a getting some way that there's this the background checks and that kind of stuff, if you're if you're part of this compact, if you choose to get practicing privileges, there's a federal body that you then have to get a background check. And then that, you know, somebody at the federal level is running it versus each state having to do it. You know, I think there's some legislation that could probably really help this. But that seems really expensive. And I'm wondering, you know, there's part of me, that's like do therapists care? Do to consumers care? I mean, like, we're worried about this regulation and there's part of me, and there's a whole podcast devoted to this Very Bad Therapy. But there's, there's bad clinicians that are not going to have oversight. But then there's also all of these clients, who don't have access to therapists who accept them as who they are. And so having some of these things come into place, like to me, it seems like it could be good. So I'm getting all over the place. So bring us back to something that's that's helpful. But I think there's, there's this element of it feels solvable. I just don't know the timeline, or how much money, but...   Curt Widhalm  27:36 That those two points are the problems that I foresee with this, that it's none of these things that I'm bringing up are unsolvable. Maybe the BetterHelp thing. But...   Katie Vernoy  27:52 That's a different problem. It's separate from this problem to solve.   Curt Widhalm  27:55 Right. But it's probably going to be a lot more costs that are passed on to the providers than anybody sees. The buzz that I'm initially hearing from people on this is very much like you that most people are taking this as, oh, I can just kind of see my clients wherever they travel, as long as they're in one of these 10 states.   Katie Vernoy  28:19 Yeah.   Curt Widhalm  28:19 And that is not true. And each one of these states is going to be additional costs. And you know, the background checks thing is, all right, you still go down to your local fingerprinting place, you do your live scan, you're just having it reported to a different state board and the FBI each time. And those things add up, you know, 50 bucks at a time adds up. Yeah, times that by 10 states, times it by the application fees, because part of the legislation that was written for all of these states is basically written by the same people. And it's, you know, quote, unquote, not actually a direct quote here, but not going to have anything more than administrative costs passed on to clinicians. There's a lot of administration costs in this that any of the licensing boards are more or less operating at a break even point that adding on a bunch of new staff to process out of state therapists and to verify things. Those are going to be cost that add up. Are they going to be cheaper than getting a license and meeting all the requirements in these other states? Absolutely. But these are costs that are going to add up for people. This is not going to be a free for all that all of these state licensing boards are going to allow here.   Katie Vernoy  29:40 Yeah, I think that's the thing that's that's hard because there's a lot of elements to this, that says that like this is this, this makes everything smooth and easy. This really provides additional access and the more we've talked together about it when we've talked to other folks about it, it just I'm hearing that there is so much complexity to how this operates, that it may not happen for all states, because you know, states that have enough clinician, states that have a higher cost of living, they may not feel the need to, to add to their costs, or their clinician base. And so they're not going to take it on. But but when I look at, you know, really what we're talking about, it's, it's trying to put a bandaid on this problem. And hopefully, it's it's something that there's actually real federal legislation that can help to increase the infrastructure in places that need more clinicians, help to, to create systems that actually address some of these concerns that you're bringing up. But that would require tax dollars, versus clinicians paying application fees, and all those things. I mean, I heard, I think that's the thing I heard was like, millions of dollars to get this setup, you know, I mean, like, that's, I guess, if you've got a lot of clinicians, that's a cross of a lot of clinicians, you know, if they are savvy clinicians, those fees are then incorporated into the fees they charge, which then for private pay clinicians anyway means that they're charging more. Insurance panels aren't going to pay you more just because you've got some extra that's under your belt. And so it's something where the cost thing hasn't been figured out, nor has the infrastructure both on the client side, but also on this regulatory side, it feels like there's just so much to figure out here.   Curt Widhalm  31:35 And that's something that I haven't even seen how insurance is going to work across state lines that I willingly admit that I don't know the inner workings of a lot of the insurance process, but knowing that, all right, yeah, it's great that you can see a client to timezones away. But does their insurance allow it? And this is another factor that's going to be in it. And, you know, we can talk all day long, and I'm already pre addressing some of the criticisms of this episode from people. We don't yet have universal health care. Don't even bring that up, like...   Katie Vernoy  32:14 Sure.   Curt Widhalm  32:15 Don't make arguments about systems that we don't have. These are problems that need to be addressed in the meantime. And yeah, I know that some people are going to say that this is the first step towards national licensure and this kind of stuff. OK or maybe...   Katie Vernoy  32:32 It may, it may actually delay it, it may delay it, because it's a band aid where people can go practice in other states. So why would I get a national license, if I can practice in a couple other states and not worry about taking another task, getting another background check, blah, blah, blah. I before we before we finish up, because I think there's probably going to be responses that then lead to additional episodes on this topic. But I think that just to kind of maybe poke the beast here a little bit. But with the with the insurance stuff, I think we're already seeing what insurance companies are going to do. And that is contract with these large tech companies that have clinicians across all the states pay them more so clinicians can get more, but it means that individual practitioners almost de facto have to be private pay, because they're going to get worse insurance rates, and they're not going to be able to really compete, certainly not in advertising dollars, or whatever. And we have a whole episode on this, but they're not able to compete with a gigantic quote unquote, tech solutions and or group practices. And so I think, I think it's something where there is a lot to consider here. I think there's going to be a lot of conversations that we want to have related to the disruptors, the tech disruptors in the space, who are the good ones, who are the ones that are challenging, and potentially hurting our profession? How do we, you know, step into this and, and take ownership of this space because, you know, there is so much and and potentially these these compacts allow for us to compete at this level. Or it may make it harder and I guess that's to be seen, I really think.   Curt Widhalm  34:14 Giving over the power, giving over the insurance contracts to publicly traded corporations means decisions get made quarter by quarter based on profits. And that is not what the healthcare system should be. We're kind of in a space where some people are able to compete against that but so many more episodes to be done on this. We will include some links to some stuff in our show notes. You can find those over at mtsgpodcast.com. You can bring up your concerns or tell us why you think that I am wrong on our social media.   Katie Vernoy  34:54 Or I'm wrong. I we've got a lot that we said here. So definitely join us over at the Facebook Group, tell us what we're what we missed, because we certainly missed a lot, I'm sure.   Curt Widhalm  35:04 And until next time, I'm Curt Widhalm with Katie Vernoy.   Katie Vernoy  35:08 Thanks again to our sponsor, OOTify.   Curt Widhalm  35:10 “OOT” or “uth” (उठ) means “lift up” in the Hindi language. OOTify is a digital health solution that acts as an evidence based hub to unify relevant mental health resources. Community connection and collaboration are critical to OOTify. As they lift the mental health care system, they ensure providers are part of the process. OOTify is a platform for providers built by providers and owned by providers. OOTify is in the process of lifting up mental health care while lifting each other up.   OOTify  35:43 We need to talk about our mental health. We need to make our mental health stronger so we can withstand the things that happen in our life. We're gonna go through trials and tribulations. But if we can work on our mental health proactively our wellness, we can handle all that as a community and come together, people are more open to talk about these stories and say, Hey, listen, I'm going through this too. Do you want to be a part of the solution by joining a new web three community focused on mental health and wellness? Join the unified community as an investor or mental health provider by visiting ootify.com/contact. You can also give us a follow on social media to stay tuned on exciting updates.   Curt Widhalm  36:25 This episode is also brought to you by Turning Point.   Katie Vernoy  36:29 We wanted to tell you a little bit more about our sponsor Turning Point. Turning Point is a financial planning and coaching firm that helps therapists stop worrying about money. Dave, our good buddy over atTurning Point will help you navigate every aspect of your financial life from practice financials and personal budgeting to investing, taxes and student loans. He'll help you move through that feeling of being stuck, frustrated and overwhelmed, and arrive at a place where you feel relief, validation, motivation and hope.   Curt Widhalm  37:00 And for listeners of MTSG you'll receive $200 off the price of any service. Just enter the promo code 'moderntherapist', be sure and visit turningpointhq.com and download the free white papers Seven Money Mindset Shifts to Reduce Financial Anxiety. That's turningpointhq.com   Announcer  37:18 Thank you for listening to The Modern Therapist's Survival Guide. Learn more about who we are and what we do at mtsgpodcast.com. You can also join us on Facebook and Twitter. And please don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss any of our episodes.

This week's episode is a special show featuring the co-editors of the JMFT Special Anniversary Issue: Andrea Wittenborn and Kendal Holtrop. Dr. Andrea Wittenborn is Professor of Human Development and Family Studies. She also holds an appointment in the Division of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at Michigan State University. Dr. Kendal Holtrop is an Associate Professor of Human Development and family studies. She obtained her PhD from Michigan State University in 2011, served on the faculty at Florida State University for six years, and then returned to MSU in 2017. In this episode, they discuss topics and interventions from the special issue, the importance of consuming research and staying up-to-date, and the move in research toward focusing on external validity. Finally, they ask: what are conditions relevant to stakeholder groups, and how do we make the research highly relevant to public health?Teneo is AAMFT's online education platform and provides clinical training with a focus on systems and relational therapies. Teneo courses are all online and can be accessed anywhere in the world. Courses can be started, paused, and completed at any time to accommodate busy mental health professionals' schedules. Teneo course are approved by many state regulatory boards to provide Continuing Education credit hours, and cover such diverse topics as: Marketing your Practice, Eldercare, Working with LGBTQ Clients, and Ethics. Explore the course catalog at www.aamft.org/learning and use code TENEO10 for 10% off your purchase.

Jill Freedman and Gene Combs are Co-Directors of Evanston Family Therapy Center, as well as founding members of the Chicago Center for Family Health, an independent affiliate of the University of Chicago. In this episode they discuss the genesis of narrative therapy, remember Michael White and his many contributions to the field, and techniques and practices such as relational identity which have made a difference working with families. They also discuss the importance of the post-structuralist world view and narrative metaphor.Teneo is AAMFT's online education platform and provides clinical training on various topics with a focus on systems and relational therapies, offering continuing education credits for mental health professionals. Explore our course catalog at www.aamft.org/learning and use code TENEO10 for 10% off your purchase.

In part two of this two-episode focus on neurobiology and couple functioning, Eli sits down with Stan Tatkin. Stan is the founder of the PACT Training Institute and the developer of PACT—A Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy and an Assistant Clinical Professor at UCLA's David Geffen School Medicine. Stan sits down with Eli for a discussion on psychobiological approaches to couples therapy. Stan discusses his “origin story” of how he started working with couples, attachment theory as compliment to couples therapy, and strategies for self-soothing and autoregulation. Finally, he discusses interactive couples therapy, and how he uses state changes and movement to moderate fight or flight brain changes.Teneo is AAMFT's online education platform and provides clinical training with a focus on systems and relational therapies. Teneo courses are all online and can be accessed anywhere in the world. Courses can be started, paused, and completed at any time to accommodate busy mental health professionals' schedules. Teneo course are approved by many state regulatory boards to provide Continuing Education credit hours, and cover such diverse topics as: Marketing your Practice, Eldercare, Working with LGBTQ Clients, and Ethics. Explore the course catalog at www.aamft.org/learning and use code TENEO10 for 10% off your purchase.

Developing healthy relationships is a large part of how we heal the wounds implanted in us by the relationships of our past. Marriage and Family Therapist and author, Elizabeth Earnshaw, takes us through the ways in which your relationships mirror your parents' relationships and ways to free yourself from those patterns.ABOUT ELIZABETH EARNSHAW Elizabeth Earnshaw is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, Certified Gottman Therapist, Clinical Fellow of the AAMFT, and the author of “I Want This To Work: An Inclusive Guide to Navigating the Most Difficult Relationship Issues We Face in The Modern Age". She sees couples and trains therapists at A Better Life Therapy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and is a co-founder at Actually, a company focused on helping premarital couples have important conversations. She hosts a relationship advice segment on the iHeartRadio podcast, Good Risings, and creates relationship wellness content on:IG: @lizlistensTwitter: @liz_listensBook: I Want This To Work: An Inclusive Guide to Navigating the Most Difficult Relationship Issues We Face in The Modern AgeKEEP UP WITH DR. MARIEL - On Instagram: @dr.marielbuque- On TikTok: @dr.marielbuque- On Pinterest: @drmariel- Via her website: www.DrMarielBuque.comBonuses:                                                                         ❤ Get weekly coping tips to your inbox here: https://www.drmarielbuque.com/pl/2147514232 ❤ Watch the podcast video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKa79peiy6CJf2RDI13YNeQLike this episode?Subscribe to this podcast wherever you listen. Share these healing conversations with your friends on social!

In this episode we hear about the  ground-breaking Handbook of Systemic Family Therapy (Wampler, 2020) from three contributing editors. We discuss it's creation, the process of its development and get a deeper dive into some of the chapters. This handbook is a magnificent resource for family therapist as its sets to redefine the  profession and practice of systemic therapy and it was a real pleasure and privilege to speak with Reenee, Mudita and Adrian about their role in creating this international handbookThe Handbook integrates the scholarly literature on systemic interventions focused on children, couples, and families into a single resource. Volume 1 includes critical information on the theoretical, practice, research, and policy foundations of the profession of systemic family therapy and its roles in an integrated health care system. Topics in Volume 2 (children and adolescents), Volume 3 (couples), and Volume 4 (family over the lifespan) reflect established and emerging interventions for the core difficulties in relationships that impact the mental and physical health of individuals, couples, and families. Adrian J. Blow, PhD, works as a couple and family therapy intervention researcher and educator at Michigan State University. Adrian is a Professor and Chair in the Human Development and Family Studies department and a core faculty member of the Couple and Family Therapy program. He studies families and trauma, military families, resilience processes in couples, and change processes (common factors) in interventions pertaining to Systemic Family Therapy. . He has mentored many students and in 2017 was awarded the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Training Award, which recognizes excellence in family therapy education. Mudita Rastogi, PhD, practices at Aspire Consulting and Therapy as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, grant consultant, coach, and educator. She is an AAMFT Approved Supervisor and Clinical Fellow, having practiced in both India and the US. She is a former Professor at the Illinois School of Professional Psychology, Program Director for the SAMHSA-funded Minority Fellowship Program at AAMFT, Associate Editor for the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, Editor of Multicultural Couple Therapy and Voices of Color, and Associate Editor for the Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. She is a founding member of the Indian Association for Family Therapy, with interest in diversity, inclusion, global mental health, parenting, and child-free couples. Reenee Singh, DSysPsych, is the former Chief Executive of the Association of Family Therapy and Systemic Practice in the UK. She is a Consultant Family and Systemic Psychotherapist, currently working at the Child and Family Practice, where she founded the London Intercultural Couples Centre and serves as a Director. Reenee is a Visiting Professor in the School of Psychology, University of Bergamo, Italy, and is the past editor of the Journal of Family Therapy. She is the author of three books and numerous academic publications in the areas of "race," culture, and qualitative research. Reenee has taught worldwide and presents her research at national and international conferences.Special Mention:Karen S. Wampler, PhD, retired as Professor and Chair of the Human Development and Family Studies department at Michigan State University. She previously served as Department Chair, Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) Program Director, and the C. R. and Virginia Hutcheson Professor at Texas Tech University. Prior to that, she developed and directed the MFT Program at the University of Georgia. Her research focused on applying attachment theory to couple interaction, family therapy process research, and observational measures of relationships. A past editor of the Journal of M

Mona Fishbane, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist licensed in Illinois and New Jersey, is the past director of the Couple Therapy Training Program at the Chicago Center for Family Health. Mona specializes in treating couples and adult individuals. Her particular focus is on integrating "news from neuroscience" with a systemic approach to therapy. She sits down with Eli for the first of a two-episode focus on neurobiology and couple functioning. She discusses how to empower couples and therapists by understanding neurobiology, top-down and bottom-up techniques for emotional regulation, and the importance of affect labeling or naming one's feelings. Finally, she discusses neuroplasticity and ways to regulate emotions so that we can live according to our higher values.Teneo is AAMFT's online education platform and provides clinical training on various topics with a focus on systems and relational therapies, offering continuing education credits for mental health professionals. Explore our course catalog at www.aamft.org/learning and use code TENEO10 for 10% off your purchase.

In this episode, we are pleased to introduce to you, Tony Schnare.Tony and his wife Gwen began formal pastoral ministry in 1991. Tony and Gwen are Maritimers at heart and enjoy opening their home and lives to others. Prior to coming to Fairhaven Leadership Retreat Centre, Tony served at Briercrest College and Seminary as Director of Counselling and Health Services and as Faculty in the graduate Marriage and Family Counselling program for 20 years. The last seven years of his Briercrest tenure, Tony also served as the Associate Dean of Seminary Students. Tony continues as Adjunct Faculty at Briercrest Seminary teaching classes on an annual basis. Tony is a registered Marriage and Family Therapist and is a Clinical Supervisor with AAMFT, CCPA, and PACCP. Having walked through their own challenging season of ministry, Tony and Gwen have had the privilege of walking alongside ministry couples throughout their time at Briercrest and now in their current ministry position at Fairhaven. In this episode, Tony and Chris have a rich conversation about conflict, communication, getting stuck, and how to get unstuck, in marriage.

What Can Therapists Say About Celebrities? The ethics of public statements Curt and Katie chat about whether therapists should make public statements and diagnose public figures. This is our first continuing education eligible podcast, discussing the ethics of speaking out about the mental health of people in the public eye. We explore the origins of the Goldwater rule, a group of psychiatrists who purposefully broke it, and how masters level organizations address this concern. We also provide you with some ideas about how you can make this decision for yourself. In this podcast episode we look at the ethics of modern therapists diagnosing public figures For our first continuing education worthy podcast, we wanted to address something that is becoming more and more prevalent in our field: therapists speaking out about the mental health of public figures. What is the Goldwater Rule? The history of the Goldwater Rule The impact of DSM II (and the update to DSM III) The original intention of the rule versus the current interpretation of the Goldwater Rule Fears from the American Psychiatric Association that seems to have driven the development of (and on-going commitment to) this rule How the Goldwater Rule (and Similar Ethical Principles) Have Shifted Over Time Perspective from one of the original framers of the Goldwater Rule Moving from teleological to deontological interpretations How the internet and social media has changed the landscape The American Psychiatric Association expanding their commitment to the Goldwater Rule, stating reasons psychiatrists should not assess The Goldwater “Caveat” or “Principle” versus Goldwater “Rule” or even Goldwater “Doctrine” Beyond diagnosis to restricting any comment on the behavior or mental health of a public figure The stance on this ethic from American Psychological Association and the large Masters Level Organizations (AAMFT, ACA, NASW, and CAMFT, for example) The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump – the Public Diagnosis of an American President The group of psychiatrists who pushed back on the Goldwater Rule The Duty to Warn – does it apply here? What are the challenges of accurately diagnosing Trump? Where expertise is helpful (and how the public can water down diagnosis) Current Guidelines for Modern Therapists Whether diagnosis is required for a duty to warn The tactic of putting forward information without drawing conclusions (and why we don't like this strategy) Specific guidance from the professional organizations on what therapists can and cannot do Taking special care in how one decides what they say about an individual in public settings Using one's professional judgement and special care Cautions When Using Your Professional Judgment The potential harm of discussing diagnosis on social media Bias, cultural factors, and other information that could make an inaccurate or harmful diagnosis Mental health stigma and other concerns related to diagnostic language (ICD-10, DSM-V) Speaking outside of your professional expertise Questions to ask yourself before making a public statement Our Generous Sponsor for this episode of the Modern Therapist's Survival Guide: Buying Time LLC Buying Time is a full team of Virtual Assistants, with a wide variety of skill sets to support your business. From basic admin support, customer service, and email management to marketing and bookkeeping. They've got you covered. Don't know where to start? Check out the systems inventory checklist which helps business owners figure out what they don't want to do anymore and get those delegated asap. You can find that checklist at http://buyingtimellc.com/systems-checklist/ Buying Time's VA's support businesses by managing email communications, CRM or automation systems, website admin and hosting, email marketing, social media, bookkeeping and much more. Their sole purpose is to create the opportunity for you to focus on supporting those you serve while ensuring that your back office runs smoothly. With a full team of VA's it gives the opportunity to hire for one role and get multiple areas of support. There's no reason to be overwhelmed with running your business with this solution available. Book a consultation to see where and how you can get started getting the support you need - https://buyingtimellc.com/book-consultation/ Receive Continuing Education for this Episode of the Modern Therapist's Survival Guide Hey modern therapists, we're so excited to offer the opportunity for 1 unit of continuing education for this podcast episode – Therapy Reimagined is bringing you the Modern Therapist Learning Community!  Once you've listened to this episode, to get CE credit you just need to go to moderntherapistcommunity.com/podcourse, register for your free profile, purchase this course, pass the post-test, and complete the evaluation! Once that's all completed - you'll get a CE certificate in your profile or you can download it for your records. For our current list of CE approvals, check out moderntherapistcommunity.com. You can find this course here: What Can Therapists Say About Celebrities? The ethics of public statements - a continuing education podcourse Continuing Education Approvals: When we are airing this podcast episode, we have the following CE approval. Please check back as we add other approval bodies: Continuing Education Information CAMFT CEPA: Therapy Reimagined is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LPCCs, LCSWs, and LEPs (CAMFT CEPA provider #132270). Therapy Reimagined maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Courses meet the qualifications for the listed hours of continuing education credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. We are working on additional provider approvals, but solely are able to provide CAMFT CEs at this time. Please check with your licensing body to ensure that they will accept this as an equivalent learning credit. Resources for Modern Therapists mentioned in this Podcast Episode: We've pulled together resources mentioned in this episode and put together some handy-dandy links. Please note that some of the links below may be affiliate links, so if you purchase after clicking below, we may get a little bit of cash in our pockets. We thank you in advance! Fact Magazine The Goldwater Rule (Wikipedia) Debate Article: It is Ethical to Diagnose a Public Figure One has not Personally Examined The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 27 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Assess a President American Psychiatric Association – statement on Goldwater Rule Dr. Allen Dyer's website Dr. Ben Caldwell, Psychotherapy Notes: Ethically It's Fine to Diagnose Donald Trump For the full references list, please see the course on our learning platform. Relevant Episodes of MTSG Podcast: Therapy with an Audience Therapists Hater and Trolls Therapists Shaming Therapists Off Duty Therapist Who we are: Curt Widhalm, LMFT Curt Widhalm is in private practice in the Los Angeles area. He is a member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists ethics committee, an Adjunct Professor at Pepperdine University, lecturer in Counseling Laws and Ethics at California State University Northridge, a former Law & Ethics Subject Matter Expert for the California Board of Behavioral Sciences, and former CFO of CAMFT. Learn more at: www.curtwidhalm.com Katie Vernoy, LMFT Katie Vernoy is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, with a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology from California State University, Fullerton and a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and Theater from Occidental College in Los Angeles, California. Katie has always loved leadership and began stepping into management positions soon after gaining her license in 2005. Katie's experience spans many leadership and management roles in the mental health field: program coordinator, director, clinical supervisor, hiring manager, recruiter, and former President of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists. Now in business for herself, Katie provides therapy, consultation, or business strategy to support leaders, visionaries, and helping professionals in pursuing their mission to help others. Learn more at: www.katievernoy.com A Quick Note: Our opinions are our own. We are only speaking for ourselves – except when we speak for each other, or over each other. We're working on it. Our guests are also only speaking for themselves and have their own opinions. We aren't trying to take their voice, and no one speaks for us either. Mostly because they don't want to, but hey. Stay in Touch with Curt, Katie, and the whole Therapy Reimagined #TherapyMovement: www.mtsgpodcast.com www.therapyreimagined.com www.moderntherapistcommunity.com Patreon Profile Buy Me A Coffee Profile https://www.facebook.com/therapyreimagined/ https://twitter.com/therapymovement https://www.instagram.com/therapyreimagined/ Consultation services with Curt Widhalm or Katie Vernoy: The Fifty-Minute Hour Connect with the Modern Therapist Community: Our Facebook Group – The Modern Therapists Group   Modern Therapist's Survival Guide Creative Credits: Voice Over by DW McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/ Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano http://www.crystalmangano.com/ Transcript for this episode of the Modern Therapist's Survival Guide podcast (Autogenerated): Curt Widhalm 00:00 This episode of the Modern Therapist's Survival Guide is sponsored by Buying Time. Katie Vernoy  00:04 Buying Time has a full team of virtual assistants with a wide variety of skill sets to support your business. From basic admin support customer service and email management to marketing and bookkeeping, they've got you covered. Don't know where to start, check out the system's inventory checklist, which helps business owners figure out what they don't want to do anymore and get those delegated ASAP. You can find that checklist at buying time. llc.com forward slash systems stash checklist. Curt Widhalm  00:31 Listen at the end of the episode for more information. Announcer  00:34 You're listening to the modern therapist survival guide where therapists live, breathe, and practice as human beings. To support you as a whole person and a therapist. Here are your hosts, Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy. Curt Widhalm  00:49 Hey modern therapists, we're so excited to offer the opportunity for one unit of continuing education for this podcast episode. Once you've listened to this episode, to get CE credit, you just need to go to moderntherapistcommunity.com register for your free profile, purchase this course pass the post test and complete the evaluation. Once that's all completed, you'll get a CE certificate in your profile, or you can download it for your records. For a current list of our CE approvals. Check out moderntherapistcommunity.com   Katie Vernoy  01:22 Once again hop over to moderntherapistcommunity.com for one CE once you've listened. Woo hoo!   Curt Widhalm  01:28 Welcome back modern therapists. This is the Modern Therapist Survival Guide. I'm Curt Widhalm with Katie Vernoy. And this is our first continuing education eligible podcast and we're gonna go a little bit long format today. Today we're going to be exploring an ethical issue around therapists making public statements. And this is becoming what would seemingly be more and more prevalent as more and more of us have access to things like social media outlets. But the underpinnings of a lot of this debate starts back in the 1960s with little story about Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater. Now Barry Goldwater was running for president in the 1964 election. And for those of you American history buffs, you probably know, he did not win. And this, this is partially blamed on the way that the Lyndon Johnson campaign framed Barry Goldwater, in response to Fact Magazine presented a special issue that was titled The unconscious of a conservative  a special issue on the mind of Barry Goldwater. This was in response to a play on the words of Barry Goldwater's book the conscience of a conservative so what fact magazine had done is they had sent out a survey to over 12,000, psychiatrists, of whom about 2400 responded, and this was asking these psychiatrist opinions of the mental health status of Senator Barry Goldwater. The results of the survey range a little bit all over the place. About 27% of the overall people responded, said that Mr. Goldwater was mentally fit, 23% said that they didn't know enough to make a judgement, and a whole lot said things like Mr. Goldwater is a megalomaniac, paranoid, grossly psychotic, and some even offered specific diagnoses, including schizophrenia and narcissistic personality disorder.   Katie Vernoy  03:49 Oh, my goodness, that sounds pretty familiar.   Curt Widhalm  03:54 Yeah, this has come up recently, in...   Katie Vernoy  03:58 Just a little. Just a little bit.   Curt Widhalm  04:01 And part of the point of today's episode is where some of this debate has been in the last several years as far as America, how the rules have gotten to where we are, and what this means for us at this point in time. Now, a lot has been said, and we will get into this a little bit later in the episode about some of the more recent publications and recent debates in the field, including books like The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump by Therapy Reimagined speaker Bandy X. Lee and some of her colleagues. We will be discussing her later, and kind of where our responses are as a profession and some recommendations at the end of the episode. So, getting back to Barry Goldwater,   Katie Vernoy  04:50 Must we? I'm joking, I'm joking.   Curt Widhalm  04:54 So Goldwater ended up suing fact magazine and the publishers for libel based on this and Goldwater ended up winning this. Now, in the cases, Goldwater was issued $1 as compensatory damages and $75,000 in punitory damages to the publisher of that magazine, Ralph Ginsberg. And this was upheld by United States Court of Appeals in the Second Circuit, and the Supreme Court's denied a petition to review it. So, Goldwater ended up prevailing, but at the time, feeling like they have a little egg on their face of all of these psychiatrists making public statements, the American Psychiatric Association said, this is something where this might erode the trust in our professionals, and therefore our profession. We can't have this. We have a sense of urgency that we need to address this, let's take nine years to make a rule.   Katie Vernoy  06:03 Nine years for a very important role. Well at least, we can't say that they didn't think it out, take time to really consider.   Curt Widhalm  06:11 I point out a little bit of the nine years because what happened at the time is, we were under the guidance of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association's Second edition. Now, this was during a building towards the DSM three, which was going to come out several years later in 1980. But for those of us who weren't practicing back in 1964, and answering questionnaires from Fact Magazine, there was a pretty fundamental difference between the DSM two and the DSM three. And that difference was the DSM two was largely based in psychodynamic and psychoanalytic theory, which led to a lot of conjecture and potential bias in evaluating clients. With the DSM three helps move us towards today's DSMs is created more of behavioral checklist observations. And so what many of these psychiatrist were conjecturing about Mr. Goldwater is assumptions about his upbringing, assumptions about the relationships that he was having, and the underpinnings of wherever they're believed psychosis and megalomania, diagnostics and observations about him would be based out of.   Katie Vernoy  07:40 so it really switched from being based in more of a clinician theoretical orientation to what we know more at this point with the DSM 3, 4, 5, 5TR that's coming out that it moves to more of observable and behavioral criteria. Am I hearing that right?   Curt Widhalm  07:59 You are hearing that absolutely correct. And so what the DSM three allowed is, if somebody's not getting out of bed, that's a feature of depression.   Katie Vernoy  08:12 Yes   Curt Widhalm  08:13 Not based in whatever the DSM two criteria were before. Overall, as far as protecting, you know, diagnostics, making inter-rater diagnostics, a little bit more consistent. This is generally seen as a good thing.   Katie Vernoy  08:29 Yeah.   Curt Widhalm  08:31 But some of the debates in the 60s and 70s, and has continued today is in the APA's interpretations of the Goldwater principle - I'm emphasizing principle here at this point  - is that there's some fear that if psychiatrists are making statements about political candidates, that if those candidates win, particularly executive offices within the US federal government, there may be fear that the federal government would reduce the reimbursement rates given to (particularly) psychiatrist for their services, under things like Medicare, and Medicaid.   Katie Vernoy  09:16 So it was -  there was money - money was talking here.   Curt Widhalm  09:19 Well, not necessarily any direct threats that I can find in my research about the setup of this, but there is the potential fear and who knows there may be a president that might punish particular agencies or sectors of the economy, if they are in fact elected. I don't know if that could potentially happen, but that's where the American Psychiatric Association's concerns seem to have been lying.   Katie Vernoy  09:47 And it seems like they may not have been too far off. So what was the original intention of the Goldwater principle then?   Curt Widhalm  09:58 So in some of our Research here and a lot of our conversation here right now so far as some history that is provided by the British Journal of Psychiatry article called "It is ethical to diagnose a public figure one has not personally examined". This is a debate written by John Gartner, Alex Lankford and Eileen O'Brien. Now in this, John Gardner had mentioned some personal communications that he had had with Dr. Allen Dyer, who was the last living member of the original APA ethics committee that drafted the APA Goldwater response in 1974.   Katie Vernoy  10:40 Wow   Curt Widhalm  10:41 This did lead me to looking at some more information that Allen Dyer has written and fortunately, Dr. Dyer has a blog, where he has written about the evolution of the so called Goldwater rule and ethical analysis.   Katie Vernoy  10:58 Can we put that in our show notes?   Curt Widhalm  11:00 We will include links and or references to everything that we can in our show notes. So this is from 2017 from this "Evolution of the so called Goldwater rule and ethical analysis." And from Dr. Dyer, I'm quoting here, "the first thing to appreciate about the so called Goldwater rule is that it is not a rule but rather a principle. The APA's code of ethics is the annotations applicable to psychiatry, of the AMA principle of medical ethics, which explicitly state that the principles are quote, 'not laws, but standards of conduct, which define the essentials of honorable behavior for the physician.' end quote - Much of the current discussion applies rule based legalistic thinking to a matter of professional judgment based on principle. In ethical theory, this would be a category mistake, attempting to transform a teleological end-based approach into a deontological or rule-based approach.   Katie Vernoy  12:07 Okay, ethics nerd, I was trying to follow you there. We've got teleological, and deontological. I think I'm gonna need a little bit of an explanation.   Curt Widhalm  12:18 Okay. So these are two different ways of looking at ethics and keeping this as kind of a shorter conversation because this isn't the point of the episode. But I think it helps to clarify what Dr. Dyer is saying here. Teleological is a type of consequentialist ethics. And what that means is that we need to look at the outcome of an action to determine if it was morally good or not. Whereas a deontological approach would be if there is any chance that an action could cause harm, you should not do that action.   Katie Vernoy  12:59 Okay. So if we're looking at deontological, it would be if something could be harmful, like client's in crisis in your office, need to be hospitalized? Do you drive them to the hospital or not? It sounds like a deontological deontological?   Curt Widhalm  13:18 deontologist,   Katie Vernoy  13:19 A deontologist, which doesn't sound like what it is, if a deontologist would say you should never have a client in your car, you should never drive your client to the hospital, you should never manage your client crisis alone.   Curt Widhalm  13:32 Yes, all of all of those lawyers and all of those insurance agents that would say, you know, oh, you got into an accident with with your client in the car, you are at fault for this. That is a deontological way of thinking.   Katie Vernoy  13:48 Okay, and then the teleological way would be that if you believe that you can be safe, you know this client needs to get to the hospital soon. You know, there's there's no transportation available, and it's going to be hours and hours. And this client is decompensating and needs to get to the hospital, but you have a strong relationship, you feel safe, you put them in your car, you get them over to the hospital, because the end justifies the means?   Curt Widhalm  14:15 Close and I guess maybe the the place of clarifying this is with the correct intent that if you reasonably believe that you could help this client get to the hospital and it was reasonably possible and something were bad to happen along the way - It's kind of more of the Good Samaritan approach that the intentions were correct. The the fallout of it ended up being maybe not ideal, but if there's the potential to cause good and as long as the intentions were good, you can morally judge that as good.   Katie Vernoy  14:53 Okay, but that still is sounding a little bit like the ends justify the means   Curt Widhalm  14:57 You You You are correct here -  In that this is what Dr. Dyer is saying -  this was -  he saying that this was written as a way of saying, use your judgment. Be, you know, predictably well. This, this subcommittee said, this is teleological. This is consequential. Have some professional judgment in doing this.   Katie Vernoy  15:21 Mm hmm.   Curt Widhalm  15:23 And what has happened over the last 40 plus years is it has been interpreted through an entirely different and competing moral viewpoint that everyone seems to be taking as well "just don't do this."   Katie Vernoy  15:38 Yeah. I see the complexity, though. Because if we're looking at maybe not exactly the ends justify the means, but something where we are relying on individual professionals to have a good assessment of their motives, to have a good assessment of what the consequence would be for public diagnosis, for example. Do we feel like we can trust our professionals to make that judgment? That the consequences are sufficiently positive and being able to work in that gray?   Curt Widhalm  16:14 And what Dr. Dyer is saying is that the APA says, No, those individual people can't make that decision.   Katie Vernoy  16:24 So we're looking at people making something very concrete, black and white, that actually has a lot of gray in it, and it's supposed to be professional judgment, not this is good, or this is bad.   Curt Widhalm  16:37 Yes. Now, Dr. Dyer goes on to say the second thing to appreciate is that the Goldwater caveat - called rule and understood by many psychiatrist as an absolute prohibition - is, in fact, embedded in an affirmative obligation of physicians to society, quote, "a responsibility to participate in activities contributing to the improvement of the community and the betterment of public health." I take what Dr. Dyer is saying here, as the intention behind this was that psychiatrists should still be looking at improving the overall communities and public health that they work in, that there's an honor of being a medical professional to serving the greater good of society. And that this Goldwater caveat is that we maybe don't make diagnostics about people without evaluating them. But maybe when we feel that there is a sense of danger to somebody, we can use our professional - and in their case, medical - knowledge to be able to make communications about that.   Katie Vernoy  17:48 I'm not clear that that's what the Goldwater rule is being interpreted as now. Right. I mean, it seems like even saying anything has gotten to be taboo, according to the American Psychiatric Association.   Curt Widhalm  18:03 Oh, wait, there's more.   Katie Vernoy  18:05 Okay, okay. Keep going, keep going.   Curt Widhalm  18:09 Now, we also need to consider what the landscape of 1960s and 1970s world is as far as available information. I grew up in a part of the country at a point in my life, where, with an antenna and good weather, we could get maybe four television stations, the internet did not yet exist. Cell phones were a thing that was only imagined on the Jetsons that   Katie Vernoy  18:40 You and me both buddy, you and me both.   Curt Widhalm  18:43 This was several years after Mr. Goldwater was running for president. So the availability of information back at that time is much different than the landscape that we have today.   Katie Vernoy  18:54 Sure   Curt Widhalm  18:55 You know, I in my pocket normally carry a device that has more computing power than the first spaceships that went to the moon. Now, what I choose to do with it is make memes and send videos of cats to my wife. But I could also go and pull up videos of just about any public figure in a variety of different contexts that would allow for me as a mental health professional to at least say, yeah, what you're doing kind of looks "sus" as the kids who are using the language these days   Katie Vernoy  19:33 It's like "kind of looks what?" - suspect is that what you're saying is like for the old people in the audience, it's suspect that their your, your behavior looks suspect. All right?   Curt Widhalm  19:44 Yes. Now, in the intervening years, this is back to Dr. Dyer's blog, points out that the 2013 version of the principles and annotations preserves the original language of the 1973 version. But the 2015 APA commentary on ethics and practice takes a more administrative and specific tone. It preserves the affirmative ethical principle, better... of improving the community and betterment of public health through education and evidence based science. But says rather than offering opinions about a specific person, as the best means of facilitating public education, in some circumstances, such as academic scholarships, about figures of historical importance, exploration of psychiatric issues, for example, diagnostic conclusions. May be reasonably provided that it has sufficient evidence-base and is subject to peer review and academic scrutiny. It just means that you don't just go out as an individual and say, Here's my opinion. It needs to have a little bit of consensus here. But what the APA ethics committee did, instead, is started to reflect language that psychiatrists should not make any public statements about anybody no matter what. And this was really the beginnings of where the dangerous case of Donald Trump's how authored by Bandy X. Lee and colleagues ended up being a really big part of the debate here over the last now six years. And what the APA was seemingly trying to do is take the voice out of people saying, "hey, trust me, I'm a doctor. I know what I'm saying." And there were several questions and published across, you know, a number of different op eds, some that appeared in places like the New York Times that led to many of the professional organizations coming down more strictly on the emergence of the Goldwater rule. And this is where in March 2017, the American Psychiatric Association released a statement saying the APA remains committed to supporting the Goldwater rule.   Katie Vernoy  22:13 Ah   Curt Widhalm  22:14 And they gave three main points for the rationale of their opinion. Number one, when a psychiatrist comments about the behavior, symptoms, diagnosis, etc, of a public figure without consent, that psychiatrist has violated the principle that psychiatric evaluations be conducted with consent or authorization.   Katie Vernoy  22:35 So we're looking at consent as number one,   Curt Widhalm  22:38 Yes.   Katie Vernoy  22:38 Okay.   Curt Widhalm  22:40 Number two, offering a professional opinion on an individual that a psychiatrist has not examined, is a departure from established methods of examination, which require careful study of medical history, and firsthand examination of the patient. Such behavior compromises both the integrity of the psychiatrist and the profession.   Katie Vernoy  23:03 So that one sounds the most similar to the original intent, which is don't diagnose someone that you've not evaluated.   Curt Widhalm  23:10 Right,   Katie Vernoy  23:10 Right. Okay. And this is saying, don't do that, because it makes us look bad.   Curt Widhalm  23:18 Pretty much,   Katie Vernoy  23:19 Okay.   Curt Widhalm  23:20 And third, when psychiatrists offer medical opinions about an individual they have not examined, they have the potential to stigmatize those with mental illness.   Katie Vernoy  23:29 So we got there's no consent, it makes us look bad, and increases stigma.   Curt Widhalm  23:36 Yes.   Katie Vernoy  23:37 Okay.   Curt Widhalm  23:39 Now, turning this as maybe a question to you. You and I have both listened to a little bit of the news here in the last several years. What have you heard Donald Trump being diagnosed with?   Katie Vernoy  23:56 Malignant narcissism is one. He probably could be diagnosed with ADHD could potentially be diagnosed with psychopathy. I mean, like there's a lot of  - sociopathy, like there's - which I guess is malignant narcissism, but I've heard a lot of different suggestions about what's possible.   Curt Widhalm  24:17 And I've heard some people even suggesting things like dementia on top of that, just to be clear, these are things that Katie and I have heard, we're not actually   Katie Vernoy  24:28 We're not saying they're true. We're not diagnosing in public people!   Curt Widhalm  24:34 One of the op eds in the New York Times pointed out that in order for things like narcissism to be diagnosed, if you look in the DSM and particularly where we are today, the DSM five, that one of the features for diagnostics is that it has to be disturbing to the patient's themselves.   Katie Vernoy  24:58 Hmm.   Curt Widhalm  24:59 And therefore is actually an inaccurate use of a diagnostic, let alone the means to actually arrive there. Now, as I was mentioning earlier, there are lots of ways to get indirect observations of people these days. And maybe this calls into question the diagnosis or the diagnostic criteria of personality disorders where, hey, if one of the features of a personality disorder is that they're not bothered by the fact that they have that particular personality disorder, maybe that needs to be looked at in future DSMs. Maybe we'll talk to somebody someday about that. But in response to the APA reaffirming this   Katie Vernoy  25:47 for the American Psychiatric Association   Curt Widhalm  25:49 The American Psychiatric Association, in response to a op ed, published on New York times.com on March 7 2016, called "Should therapist analyze presidential candidates" on March 14 2016, the then president of the American Psychological Association - so taking this out of the medical realm and potentially a little bit more specific to providers of more traditional therapy - president of the American Psychological Association at the time, Dr. Susan H. McDaniel, wrote response to the article on whether therapists should analyze presidential candidates. And I'll read this in its entirety because it's about three paragraphs. "The American Psychological Association wholeheartedly agrees with Robert Klitzman PhD that neither psychiatrist nor psychologist should offer diagnoses of candidates, or any other living public figure they have never examined. Our association has declined requests from several reporters seeking referrals to psychologists who would make such speculations. Similar to the psychiatrist Goldwater rule, our Code of Ethics exhort psychologists to take precautions that any statements they make to the media are based on their professional knowledge, training or experience in accord with appropriate psychological literature and practice. And do not indicate that a professional relationship has been established with people in the public eye, including political candidates. When providing opinions of psychological characteristics, psychologists must conduct an examination adequate to support statements or conclusions. In other words, our ethical codes state that psychologists should not offer a diagnosis in the media of a living public figure they have not examined."   Katie Vernoy  27:40 So just diagnosis, it sounds like it also is going further into things that might be within the realm of psychology and not diagnosis. It was saying nothing could be in your professional opinion, unless you've done a an evaluation. And then there would be confidentiality issues. So the question that I have is - it just don't talk about public figures at all?   Curt Widhalm  28:06 That seems to be where both of the APAs are going with this language. Now, according to the Wikipedia article on the Goldwater rule, it is a citation needed statement on there. As you know, we're citing our references here. And I wasn't able to substantiate this claim that Dr. McDaniel received a lot of pushback from members of the American Psychological Association about her stance and interpretation of the American Psychological Association direction and intention with this, that apparently, many members of the American Psychological Association felt that this was too specific and restrictive. And that as long as they were framing it within the characteristics of hey, I haven't evaluated this guy, but based on these statements, and these misapplication of following through on his own things, yeah, this one presidential candidate seems to have this diagnosis. But of course, they were eventually talking about the opportunity to say this about Kanye West. Now, I recognize that most of our audience are probably not psychiatrists, and most of our audience are probably not psychologists. And so I want to create kind of some space as far as where do our other professional mental health associations take stances on these kinds of things. And that would be the American Counseling Association, the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapists, National Association for Social Workers. And Katie and my participation with the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists,  while a state Organization, they have 30 plus 1000 members, we generally give them a say in national discussions as well. But before we jump to more of these masters levels organizations, Katie, what are you feeling as far as - can we be talking about people publicly?   Katie Vernoy  30:16 So what I'm hearing is that you can, it's pretty clear that you should not diagnose publicly, I think the the folks who wrote The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump would disagree. But most of the time, so far, what you've talked about APA and APA, are saying don't diagnose. It seems like there's an ongoing discussion around whether we can give opinion on behavior. How are the psychiatrists and other folks about how are we analyzing that piece about... Can we talk about people in public?   Curt Widhalm  30:52 So this is going back to that British Journal of Psychiatry. And back to the point made by John Gartner. He says that you don't have to diagnose to warn, in some cases, people may use public figures as a way of educating the public about diagnostic criteria, such as narcissistic personality disorder, for example, and let readers draw their own conclusions: 'Hey, I haven't evaluated this particular candidate. These kinds of behaviors are generally consistent with narcissistic personality disorder. Once again, I haven't evaluated this person, they're not a patient of mine. Make your own conclusions.' I don't necessarily like that as a full, you know, greenlight to go ahead and do this. I think that, as you pointed out at the beginning of the episode, that there's a lot of nuance to this conversation. And as professionals, we have to foresee some of the responsibility of saying, 'I'm not gonna draw the conclusions for you, but I'm drawing the conclusions for you,' is not really good discussion of public health. But what Gartner's argument is, is that in the bottom line is many people may feel the duty to warn, and a duty to warn does not require a multi axial diagnosis. And he uses the example of someone who's bringing a gun to your house, you only need to know that somebody is bringing a gun into your house.   Katie Vernoy  32:29 Yeah,   Curt Widhalm  32:29 A diagnosis is not needed.   Katie Vernoy  32:31 When the question that I heard posed with it, or I read posed within that debate article, is that - Do we need opinions from psychological experts or psychiatric experts at all? Can we just not view it as a public as a general public? Can we not just view behavior and make our own assumptions and psychiatrists or therapists providing that expert opinion does more harm than good and isn't required?   Curt Widhalm  33:05 It's a topic worth diving into, you know, part of where seeing the public really destigmatize mental health in a lot of ways - and we've seen this reflected in our practices and the need for mental health services over the last several years - is the public is a lot more open to talking about the challenges they face. But a lot of people misdiagnose without the robust background of training of how to properly assess people. And, you know, how many people are you going to see on social media that's, you know, complained about, oh, I'm O... I'm so OCD, I need to straighten out the books on my shelf. That's not really a diagnostic of obsessive compulsive disorder and tends to diminish what actual obsessive compulsive disorder is for those who properly have that condition. It's something where leaving this discussion out into the public really allows for things to be watered down in such a way that some of these diagnostics tend to lose all meaning. So to answer your question, I think that it's healthy to have professionals with a background to be able to offer this opinion, it's a matter of how it's done that is potentially there. But so far with the information that we're seeing from the American Psychiatric Association and the American Psychological Association, is that any professional opinion about any public figure seems to be forbidden.   Katie Vernoy  34:41 So we're stuck with the experts being silenced. But then the guidance around how to actually provide expert opinions to the public seems to be a little bit limiting, at least from the two APAs.   Curt Widhalm  34:56 Yes.   Katie Vernoy  34:56 What are the master's level folks saying?   Curt Widhalm  34:59 That is an excellent question and I'm glad that you're bringing it up. Looking at the four codes of the masters level organizations. This was summarized pretty well in September of 2016 on psychotherapynotes.com by Dr. Ben Caldwell. And I'll expand on some of this because some of these things have been updated even since this blog post. But starting with the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy standard 3.11 simply requires that therapists exercise special care when making public their professional recommendations and opinions. There's no prohibition against diagnosing public figures according to AAMFT. Okay, the American Counseling Association as far as within their ethical code Standard C6C, says that counselors speaking with the media base their statements on appropriate counseling literature and practice to ensure that their statements are otherwise consistent with the ACA code of ethics, and to be clear about the nature of their relationship with those receiving the information. National Association of Social Workers - well, they talk about dishonesty and multiple standards. They also require social workers to protect client confidentiality when dealing with the media that standard 1.7K But they don't have any parallels to the Goldwater rule.   Katie Vernoy  36:38 Social workers really have no guidance at all, not very much anyway.   Curt Widhalm  36:43 CAMFT - This has been updated since Dr. Caldwell's blog here, but the CAMFT code of ethics 5.13 Public Statements, marriage and family therapist because of their ability to influence and alter the lives of others exercise caution when making public their professional recommendations, or their professional opinions, through testimony, social media and internet content, or other public statements. CAMFT also goes on to say 5.14 Limits of Professional Opinions, marriage and family therapists do not express professional opinions about an individual's psychological condition, unless they have treated or conducted an examination and assessment of the individual. Or unless they reveal the limits of the information upon which their professional opinions are based, with appropriate cautions as to the effects of such limited information upon their opinions. Now, how do you take this from the 4 master's level organizations?   Katie Vernoy  37:45 I mean, it's a little confusing to me. I think there's certainly caution that we need to take and not do this lightly, not pop off on our podcast, make sure that we're not just giving diagnosis willy nilly that we actually are cautious. Use our training, understand our training. And then also I hear- I think primarily from CAMFT but maybe from somebody other ones - that we need to make sure we put forward the limits that of information that we have, so I've not assessed this person or this is something I've not seen, but my statement is being based on this body of knowledge and this this information that I've been given. So it's a little more guidance, but it still is something where, you know, the rules... Ot just I mean, some of it feels like best judgment, which is a little bit more aligned to the the Goldwater principle. But it's it's still hard to know what's going to be in the best interest of society, of the our professions, of the individuals that are in the spot, the public, public eye that potentially are getting some of this stuff going on. Like it just feels really complex to make a decision around diagnosis or public statements.   Curt Widhalm  39:07 So in April of 2018, the American Counseling Association published an ethics update by Perry C Francis. Credited in counseling today, Perry Francis is a professor of counseling at Eastern Michigan University, and coordinator of the counseling and training clinic and the College of Education clinical suite, member of the American College Counseling Association, and he chaired the ethics revision task force that developed the 2014 ACA code of ethics. And summarizing many parts of the article, he also points to E5 of the ACA code of ethics which says, counselors take special care to provide proper diagnosis mental disorders, and dives into the discussion of what exactly is special care. And, in the description talks about that there's a list of behaviors and characteristics that make up not the entirety of a whole person. The DSM has been accused of being ethnocentric. And it's difficult to apply this to other cultures and contexts. Meanwhile, stakeholders like pharmaceutical companies welcome a growing list of diagnosable disorders and overall cautions that professionals who make real world statements might fail to take into account just the ramifications of what these statements might be saying, not only just to the public, but also to other businesses that work in mental health care. Therefore, as counselors according to Perry Francis, we need to take special care to ensure that any diagnosis is made using the most appropriate assessment techniques, including a well planned clinical interview and the most relevant instruments and tests. Part of taking that special care is taking into account the impact of culture on a client's life, including the fact that a client can live in multiple cultures. Perry Francis concludes this article by saying that the American Counseling Association has released a statement concerning publicly diagnosing the mental state of an individual. And it states in part, when publicly discussing public figures and others, professional counselors should avoid DSM and ICD related terms, especially the words diagnosis and disorder. Counselors should not attach a specific DSM or ICD diagnosis to any individual through messaging or statements in media outlets, or social media. Avoiding public statements that label an individual with a mental disorder is in the best interests of the public. This approach aligns with one of the counseling professions core professional values, as stated in the preamble of the ACA code of ethics, practicing in a competent and ethical manner.   Katie Vernoy  42:14 So that seems pretty clear to diagnosis.   Curt Widhalm  42:17 Yes,   Katie Vernoy  42:17 Right I mean, it's not about behavior. It's not saying this behavior as harmful like that's I mean, APA, both of the APAs seem to say like, Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa, like anything you say about a person, a public figure is too much, whereas the at least ACA is now saying, as long as it's not a diagnosis, you're good.   Curt Widhalm  42:38 That seems that seems to be where the stance is here.   Katie Vernoy  42:42 Okay. So that's what the professional associations are saying. I mean, I don't... like I feel like we still need to talk about how someone would make these decisions.   Curt Widhalm  42:55 Well, let's take this out of the research and the publications here so far. Let's talk about, you know, what our observations of the landscape of our field is. You and I both know, hundreds, if not 1000s, of therapists at this point, many of whom were connected to on social media. We have lots of friends who are professionals who talk on podcasts and are connected in the media, some who are on TV shows, providing therapy.   Katie Vernoy  43:29 Yes,   Curt Widhalm  43:30 We see lots of people in these spaces talking about lots of things.   Katie Vernoy  43:34 Yeah.   Curt Widhalm  43:34 What do you see?   Katie Vernoy  43:37 I mean, I see folks who are very open and talking about their own concerns. And so they're able to put forward their own mental health journey as an example. I see people talking about treatment between, you know, kind of how people treat each other and, and those types of things. I mean, I think the the treating someone on a TV show that feels like that's a, a demonstration of therapy with, hopefully, appropriate consents. And I don't I mean, besides our foray into having Bandy on the podcast, I've not seen someone, at least directly diagnose someone in public, I've seen people express concern about public figures or about the impact of public figures, but it feels a little bit more behavioral. And so kind of along the, this the second line, which is, you know, these behaviors are of concern, and this is why. But I don't know that I've seen a lot of the folks we know, kind of saying, like this person is a malignant narcissist. Like I don't necessarily see that -  although now that I just said it out loud. I think I probably have seen that as well. How about you? What are you seeing?   Curt Widhalm  44:48 Oh, I know a lot of our listeners are, you know, maybe have the same political ideologies as you and I. Maybe they're not. Maybe they make assumptions that they are. But what I do see is that especially as there becomes more advocacy within communities around a diagnosis - people coming from, for example, ADHD community, doing more to educate people about the things that go along with having ADHD that maybe extra, outside of the things listed within the DSM. Might see this same thing with any number of other diagnostic communities that come together. And what I see is also the inverse of some of these statements. And I particularly remember a time and seeing some discussions around Elon Musk making the claim that he was the first person with Asperger's to host Saturday Night Live. This is   Katie Vernoy  45:59 Yes,   Curt Widhalm  46:00 It's been some time in the past.   Katie Vernoy  46:01 Yeah.   Curt Widhalm  46:02 And many people have some opinions about this statement. And a lot of the commentary that I saw was professionals who also self identified - and I don't know, their diagnostic criteria -  of being part of the Autistic community ended up feeling that either or making statements on their own social media that, hey, Elon Musk isn't one of us. Doesn't belong on the spectrum. Now, these are professionals, I don't, you know, remember, and I don't I'm not pulling them up here. But I think it's just as important to caution saying the absence of a diagnosis without evaluating somebody is potentially just as damaging or dangerous as it is that saying somebody is at a certain diagnosis.   Katie Vernoy  46:56 Now that you say that, I think there's also been an impulse, maybe impulse is the wrong word, but there's been some of the you're not, you know, you aren't representative of us, like you talked about whether it's Elon Musk, or an original poster. And then there's also in comments, well, you definitely have this diagnosis, you definitely seem depressed, or you definitely seem X. Like people offering more diagnostic, you know, beyond the like, you should talk to your therapist about this, more of a diagnostic, what you're describing in this 50, you know, 50 word post suggest to me that you must be X diagnosis. And so to me, I think we are a little fast and loose in the more casual public spaces, like social media groups, and those types of things. But I think there is an element of the inverse diagnosis that's interesting. Because I hadn't thought about it that way. Like certainly saying, hey, this person has this diagnosis, that seems pretty clear. But saying this person with a self who self identified doesn't have a diagnosis, how is that harmful but how do you say, what did you think? Why do you think that's harmful?   Curt Widhalm  48:12 We haven't presented somebody with a proper assessment ourselves to publicly comment on what their diagnosis is. If  - We may not know their medical or psychological history it may be and not framing it, within the context of where you're basing that opinion is where these ethics codes are saying that that is unethical behavior. That you may only be making a snap judgment based on, you know, a few clips of a sketch comedy show. You may be incredibly biased based on the types of news outlets that you receive your information from. And particularly, you know, somebody like Elon Musk that doesn't have quite the number of televised appearances that somebody like Donald Trump might, that the limited amount of available information that you have ends up becoming where if they truly do have this diagnosis, you as a professional are making a statement that invalidates their experience. And one of the main principles of all of our codes of ethics is a stance of nonmaleficence not creating harm.   Katie Vernoy  49:33 Yeah. It's interesting because I think it's it's harder, I think, for some of our audience to be like, well, poor Donald Trump, poor Elon Musk, poor billionaires. Right. And I think, in truth, we actually need to pay attention to that because to me, they're, you know, although some people might disagree with me, they're humans too. And they, they could be harmed by the statements that are made. For most of us, I think maybe I'm putting myself too much in that. I think it's easier to, to look at this as a problem, when it's someone who is more traditionally oppressed. You know, if someone who legitimately, whether they claim it or not, has a mental health diagnosis, it doesn't prove them unfit for, for being in a public position, whether it's, you know, a government official or whatever. Like, if we, if we start making the case that they are problematic. Not only are we potentially breaking the Goldwater rule, but we're also potentially increasing stigma, as as the APA said, but we're also potentially harming the ability to have a more diverse representative pool in our legislation. We may be oppressing folks, because we've made this our job to try to protect society from folks who are mentally ill. And that feels really bad. I think the arguments against doing this in a more directed way to public figures. That's where it sits with me as appropriate. Like I, I was celebrating the The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump and I and I don't know that I would say like, Hey, that was a bad idea. But I think the precedent concerns me if we then use these types of stratagems to try to get folks either not elected or out of office.   Curt Widhalm  51:37 And bringing this back to earlier in the episode, the dangerous case of Donald Trump's pretty significant portion of that book is the arguments of the needing to step outside of the code of ethics as far as a duty to warn, that does not necessarily focus on the diagnostic criteria, but more so on behaviors that interpersonally end up feeling dangerous to people who have spent their career studying dangerous behaviors.   Katie Vernoy  52:11 Sure, and listening to Bandy speak in our conference, like she was talking about the the problem of violence. And there were specific, very public displays of incitement to violence or violence by Donald Trump that I think was potentially where she based her concern about and her duty to warn.   Curt Widhalm  52:32 And it also comes from a decade's long history of that being her particular area of study and specialty.   Katie Vernoy  52:40 Yeah.   Curt Widhalm  52:41 Which is quite a bit different in a number of ways of picking a celebrity and a random page in the DSM and going through some sort of BuzzFeed type evaluation and throwing your opinion out on the internet.   Katie Vernoy  52:59 Which is kind of what the original Goldwater thing was right? It was a magazine reaching out to a whole bunch of psychiatrists who were like, "Yeah, I think he's nuts.   Curt Widhalm  53:11 Pretty much   Katie Vernoy  53:12 It was, I mean, granted, it was a pool of folks. But it sounds like you described it as all over the place. And it wasn't something where they even necessarily individually, were thinking, oh, this is going to be public record. It was more like, oh, in the aggregate, this is kind of fun. I'm anonymously, putting forward my opinion about a candidate I don't like.   Curt Widhalm  53:34 And so this does bring to the overall discussion that making public statements as viewed by any of these professional organizations, does include even your own personal social media.   Katie Vernoy  53:48 Yeah.   Curt Widhalm  53:49 And there needs to be the caution. And this is really the emphatic point here. There needs to be the caution of how you're framing these statements. One of my Facebook memories said recently, was about the day that Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States. And for listeners of the podcast, I think I've described before I was in a pretty serious bike accident about 10 years ago. And one of my social media posts from Inauguration Day was of the presidential limo driving down the streets of Washington, DC, solely in the bike lane. And my response, I mean, they had all the streets closed down his parade, it was not great. But yeah, my statement was, as a survivor of a pretty traumatic bike accidents, this administration is not off to a good start. Now, you obviously get the humor of this, you know, maybe even you know if you were to read too much into my statements - oh is is that trauma speaking is that, you know, that, and I'm talking about my own, you know, experiences and potential mental health here, but you got the humor out of it knowing me?   Katie Vernoy  55:13 Sure. Yes, I do.   Curt Widhalm  55:15 But it was not about Donald Trump, it was about the administration.   Katie Vernoy  55:19 Yeah.   Curt Widhalm  55:20 And there is a crafting that we need to consider in making any of these kinds of statements, we're all going to have opinions about many different people. And that is fine. Your responsibility as a professional is to know that every statement that you make, that goes outside of the very privacy of your own home, which does include things that you put on the internet, can be taken as fact, as a professional who's speaking. And that opens you up to ethical and legal liabilities.   Katie Vernoy  55:57 I think that's really strong. And I think I'd like to get even a little bit more specific on some ideas around this, because to me, there's an element of public figures that we've not talked about yet that I think is important to consider. I know -  and I'm sure you've had this happen too -  that I will meet someone for the first time. And they say, I feel like I know you, I listened to the podcast. And we are small potatoes compared to a President of the United States. I think there's an element to us feeling like we know public figures based on how they present to the public, and the things that they do. And I think the more time you spend in public, the more of your real self shows up, I think we discount that some people play a role, arguably people will have, the more time they spend in public, the more likely they are to show their real self. But there is a version of this where Trump's acting all the time, and it is playing a role in order to get what he wants. And does that suggest, narcissism maybe. But if it's all pretend, can we really diagnose him? You know, and I think with the the limitations of the knowledge that we have, I think we have to be very cautious about what we say. We don't know someone based on a small snippet of social media, or even sometimes, our long videos of their behavior. I think we do need to be cautious of saying, Well, we have enough information, we can make this diagnosis. We have a whole episode or several episodes on people making assumptions on the internet. So we can link to some of those in the show notes as well. And so to me, I think it comes back to what information do I actually have. Making sure I discussed the limits of the information. And then I think the third thing that is really important is what is my intent. And this is, you know - for all the DBT Folks, this is getting into wise mind - and I think for those of us who are advocates, it's determining is this strategic? Is this about trying to win an election? Like it was with the Goldwater stuff? Is it about a duty to warn, because society is going down rapidly and we need to call this out and, and name it, or anything else? Like what is the actual intention? Am I angry? Am I scared? How is that impacting my judgment? I think it's something where if we just speak from a place of seat-of-my-pants, this is what I'm seeing and it's scary. And it's awful, because this person is politically different from me, I think we get very, very in a very, very dangerous territory as a society.   Curt Widhalm  58:52 To conclude all of this - I think you're summarizing it very, very well - is that for many of our professional organizations that we may belong to, at the masters level, there is not a ethical code that necessarily forbids this.   Katie Vernoy  59:11 Yeah   Curt Widhalm  59:12 You need to really be cautious about framing the information upon how you're basing your opinions. And in general, I would stop well short of, you know, leaving the trail of breadcrumbs up to a diagnosis, if you do have personal and professional concerns about somebody who may be out there and expressing this, whether you put it on your social media, or what you think is your personal social media. Most professional organizations are still going to look at that as a professional statement. That you very carefully framed the context of where you're discussing these things from.   Katie Vernoy  59:54 Yeah   Curt Widhalm  59:54 And I think that in several of these articles that we've been citing here - and we willl put the references in our show notes at mtsgpodcast.com - that what has changed since 2016, when this debate really started and why we feel that it's still a relevant discussion today, is that some of these professional organizations have clamped down even harder in the last few years.   Katie Vernoy  1:00:24 Yeah.   Curt Widhalm  1:00:24 And some of the information that's available out there or pops up to the top of your search engines is not necessarily the most up-to-date information. It's important to understand the historical context that where professional organizations are today is not where they started back when the Goldwater principle was first suggested. Some of these articles now we're calling it the Goldwater doctrine, without necessarily putting it into any sort of ethical rigor to move things from a guiding principle to a absolute gag rule. So our recommendation is, for most of you it's not forbidden to make public commentary. But really, really make sure that you frame any sort of statements or exaspirations or social media posts in ways that really frame how you are coming to your conclusion and what your relationship (or lack there of) is to the person that you're talking about. We would love to hear your thoughts on this. You can let us know on our social media or in our Facebook group, the modern therapist group, you can find our Show Notes and references at mtsgpodcast.com. And stay tuned for more information on how to get continuing education for listening to this podcast. Until next time, I'm Curt Widhalm with Katie Vernoy.   Katie Vernoy  1:02:02 Just a quick reminder, if you'd like one unit of continuing education for listening to this episode, go to moderntherapistcommunity.com purchase this course and pass the post test. A CE certificate will appear in your profile once you've successfully completed the steps.   Curt Widhalm  1:02:17 Once again, that's modern therapist community.com   Katie Vernoy  1:02:21 Thanks again to our sponsor Buying Time   Curt Widhalm  1:02:24 Buying Time's VAs support businesses by managing email communications, CRM or automation systems, website admin and hosting email marketing, social media, bookkeeping and much more. Their sole purpose is to create the opportunity for you to focus on supporting those you serve while ensuring that your back office runs smoothly with a full team of VAs gives the opportunity to hire for one role and get multiple areas of support. 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You can find us at patreon.com/MTSGpodcast or buy me a coffee.com/modern therapist. Thanks everyone.   Announcer  1:03:54 Thank you for listening to the Modern Therapist's Survival Guide. Learn more about who we are and what we do at mtsgpodcast.com. You can also join us on Facebook and Twitter. And please don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss any of our episodes.

Patricia D. Johnson, Psy.D., holds a Doctorate of Psychology degree in Clinical Psychology from Ryokan College; her Clinical Case Study dissertation, Biracial Identity Development. She also holds a Master of Arts degree in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from California State University, Dominguez Hills. Dr. Johnson is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, Consultant, and Lecturer. Dr. Johnson's research focuses on biracial individuals. Dr. Johnson is of dual ethnicity (biracial), Austrian-Hungarian/African American decent. She conducts workshops and classes on the subjects of interracial and biracial issues and is a nationally recognized expert for her work in these areas. Dr. Johnson worked with several multiracial/cultural groups to help bring about categorical changes allowing individuals to identify as being of mixed races on the United States Census. Dr. Johnson is a clinical member of The California Association of Marriage & Family Therapists (CAMFT). She was instrumental in the development of the Los Angeles chapter of CAMFT's multiracial/cultural committee. At the Annual American Association of Marriage & Family Therapists (AAMFT) Conference, Dr. Johnson presented Treating Biracial Individuals & Interracial Families. Dr. Johnson also served as committee member of the AAMFTCA Outreach Committee; as well as Chair of the Elections Committee - California Division. She was a featured speaker at AAMFT's Millenium Conference. Dr. Johnson's training includes the Maple Center Mental Health Clinic, Center for the Study of Young People in Groups (Cedars-Sinai Medical Center/Thalians Mental Health Hospital), Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's TEEN LINE, and Friends Medical Science Research/Matrix Institute on Addiction. At The Matrix Institute on Addiction, Dr. Dr. Johnson has made several television appearances as a professional expert, including CNN, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Montel Williams Show, The Leeza Gibbons Show, and The Other Half. She hosted a series for the Discovery Health Channel, Reconcilable Differences. She was frequently heard as an expert on For The Record with Samm Brown, 90.7 KPFK-FM, kpfk.org. Dr. Johnson has consulted for Arnold Shapiro Productions, Jonathan Goodson Productions, LETNOM Productions, Fisher/Merlis Television, Inc., Motown Records, and The Los Angeles Times.   We Discuss topics including: Social justice and psychology Understanding biracial issues The inter psychic development of biracial issues Having clinicians do the work understanding people with different ethnicities Working on ourselves before stepping in a room with a client _____________________ If you have any questions regarding the topics discussed on this podcast, please reach out to Robyn directly via email: rlgrd@askaboutfood.com You can also connect with Robyn on social media by following her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. If you enjoyed this podcast, please leave a review on iTunes and subscribe. Visit Robyn's private practice website where you can subscribe to her free monthly insight newsletter, and receive your FREE GUIDE “Maximizing Your Time with Those Struggling with an Eating Disorder”. For more information on Robyn's book “The Eating Disorder Trap”, please visit the Official "The Eating Disorder Trap" Website. “The Eating Disorder Trap” is also available for purchase on Amazon.

Liz is a licensed couples therapist, clinically trained coach, published writer, speaker, and the host of The Millennial Life Podcast. She is incredibly passionate about millennials and their journey toward health and wellness...most of all, in their committed relationships. Her work has been featured on platforms including Huffington Post, The New York Times, Elite Daily, Today.com, AAMFT and more.

In this episode I interview Dr. Stefanie Carnes, an internationally recognized expert on treating sexual addiction and betrayal trauma. We talk about the difficult subject of responding to sexual offenses. Even though sexual addiction is a serious issue, sexual offending directly violates another person and involves illegal activities. Sexual offenses can include behaviors such as eroticized rage, voyeurism of family members, revenge porn, marital rape, touching while asleep/unconscious, exhibitionism, child sexual abuse images, etc. Specifically, we discuss: The difference between addiction and offending behaviors The impact on partners and kids The necessary steps each person needs to take in these situation What the healing journey looks like when there have been significant boundary violations Examples of what long-term healing looks like Resources for both offending and betrayed partners Stefanie Carnes, Ph.D., CSAT-S is the President of the International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals, a training institute and professional organization for addiction professionals, and a senior fellow for Meadows Behavioral Healthcare where she works with sexually addicted clients and their families. Dr. Carnes is the clinical architect for Willow House: Relationship Healing for Women struggling with sex, love and intimacy disorders, and works closely with the staff of Willow House and Gentle Path to bring her unique expertise to the programs and to aid the clients who suffer with intimacy and relationship disorders. She is a licensed marriage and family therapist and an AAMFT approved supervisor. Her area of expertise includes working with patients and families struggling with multiple addictions such as sexual addiction, eating disorders and chemical dependency. Dr. Carnes is also a certified sex addiction therapist and supervisor, specializing in therapy for couples and families struggling with sexual addiction. She presents regularly at conferences at both the state and national levels. She is also the author of numerous publications including her books, Mending a Shattered Heart: A Guide for Partners of Sex Addicts, and Facing Heartbreak: Steps to Recovery for Partners of Sex Addicts, and Facing Addiction: Starting Recovery from Alcohol and Drugs. She currently co-facilitates Module 2 in the Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT) and Certified Partner Trauma Therapist (CPTT) Training. Websites: Sexhelp.com https://iitap.com Books: Courageous Love Mending a Shattered Heart Facing Heartbreak

Do you find yourself navigating obstacles, battling excuses, and wondering, “Will I ever get there?” Melody Bacon, PhD has taught in the MFT program at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology for over 10 years and in graduate programs for over 20 years.  She has an expertise in Bowen Family Systems therapy as well as Jungian Analytic Psychology. Dr. Bacon has had a long interested in the confluence of art and the human psyche, and how, this in turn reflects the larger culture. She has led a study abroad program to Zurich, Switzerland on Spirituality and Addiction which explores the ideas of C.G. Jung and how this is applied to the nature of substance use disorders. In addition to teaching, she also has a private practice specializing in relationship issues and is the author of two books, The Grace-Filled Divorce (2012) and Family Therapy and the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders (2019). Dr. Bacon is co-founder of The Family Matters program, an online program for families struggling with substance use disorders. She has presented at numerous conferences and workshops including AAMFT, International Family Therapy Association (IFTA), California Consortium of Addiction Program and Professionals (CCAPP) and the Raise Foundation Conference. In this episode… In this episode of An Unconventional Life, Dr. Melody Bacon inspires us by sharing her experience in getting started with her doctoral degree and getting to the finish line. She briefly discusses her book Grace Filled Divorce and how she found inspiration to write it. Dr. Bacon reveals how to ensure the guilt-trip card never hold you back, how to maintain commitment to your passion, and how hoarding a mountain of courage is critical to actually following through on achieving your goals. The “getting there” part is always the hardest. Real obstacles and made-up excuses will conspire against you, but Dr. Melody Bacon will give you the nudge you need to not only get started but also get done.

Dr. Stephanie discusses why a therapist should be apolitical during work with clients.   She interviews Kevin Kervick AKA "Old School Counselor" a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist practicing in the Northeast USA about his critique of the politicization of the AAMFT and the field of counseling and marriage and family therapy.  Mr. Kedrick is a Subscriber of the National Registry for Conservative Therapists.

Welcome to episode 230 of the Sexology Podcast! Today I’m delighted to welcome back Martha Kauppi, LMFT to the podcast. In this episode, Martha speaks to us about her new book, Polyamory: A Clinical Toolkit for Therapists (and Their Clients), looking at consensual non-monogamy, examining common myths around polyamory, and the relationship and sexual dynamics of polyamory.     Martha Kauppi, LMFT, is an educator, AASECT-certified sex therapist and supervisor, and AAMFT-approved supervisor. She specializes in relational sex therapy, including alternative family structures, and trains therapists to work effectively at the intersection of sex issues and relationship challenges.     Martha’s mission is to make sex a safe topic in therapy rooms everywhere by developing unique educational experiences and immediately applicable learning materials for therapists. She has a book coming out in August 2020 about working effectively with clinical challenges related to polyamory.    In this episode, you will hear:     How Martha became interested in writing her new book; Polyamory: A Clinical Toolkit for Therapists (and Their Clients)  Looking at consensual non-monogamy   How people are more open to polyamory now than in previous years  Deconstructing the stigma attached to polyamory  Examining common myths around polyamory   Recommendations for people considering opening their relationship   Looking the relationship and sexual dynamics of polyamory   How misconceptions around polyamory lead to a fear of it   Looking at differentiation   How therapists can better understand these issues to know when it’s right to recommend polyamory     Find Martha Kauppi online  https://instituteforrelationalintimacy.com     101 Ways to Keep Your Relationship Hot  http://www.sexologypodcast.com/subscribe/    Podcast Produced by Pete Bailey - http://petebailey.net/audio  

In this episode, Colleen Hilton joins the show to talk about our marketing mindset in private practice. Many therapists think that marketing is icky. However, marketing is actually essential to get clients the help that they need. The more effective your marketing efforts are, the better you can help the right people. Tune in as we talk about finding your ideal client and how Thrivelution can be a win-win for both therapists and clients. Meet Colleen Hilton Colleen Hilton is the founder & CEO of Acuity Counseling, Acuity Consulting and Thrivelution LLC. She is also a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist & an AAMFT approved Supervisor, with over 14 years of experience in the industry. Since 2016, Acuity Counseling has been providing boutique therapy services, with a retail-style model, making high-quality mental health available to the general public. With 3 brick and mortar locations and a strong online presence throughout the state via telehealth, Acuity is seeking to make a difference across all of Washington state. Acuity Consulting focuses on creating change in the business world by offering leadership coaching, and organizational mental health training. By supporting individuals and organizations in personal and professional change, believing in the systemic impact we will have together. Colleen co-founded Thrivelution LLC in 2020, amidst the unprecedented circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic. Thrivelution is disrupting the current market space by throwing out the antiquated practice of directory style searches, focusing on the quality of matches, and demonstrating a return on investment for small business owners. Colleen is outspoken as a leader and educator on the business side of the mental health industry. She is active in coaching private practice owners, as well as new group practice owners, in how to align their values as a helper, with their role as a business owner to assist them in creating successful, profitable businesses. Personally, Colleen is a wife and the proud mother of two inspiring young women. She is passionate about warm weather (still missing SoCal), boating, and finding great food wherever she is at. Colleen loves people and making new connections, finding great joy in learning from others, and hearing the amazing stories every person has to share. Success Mindset Many therapists think that marketing is icky or too salesy. Colleen is working on debunking that marketing mindset for private practice owners. Instead, we should use marketing to create a mindset for success. Marketing and advertising get an awful rap in the mental health industry. We feel like somehow being a helper doesn't align with marketing and advertising, but Colleen honestly believes that our professional ethics require that we do beneficial marketing and advertising. Charge What You're Worth Your marketing mindset has a lot to do with finances too. If you don't have enough money, then you are struggling. How will that impact the work that you do for clients? If you can hone in on marketing, then you can market to your ideal client and attract the person into your practice. That is why it's essential to have an exact brand. Then, the feedback loop just starts to work in a beautiful way where the clients are coming to us. We can charge what we're worth! Market To Your Ideal Client When we do effective marketing, we reach our ideal client and provide the most qualified help. While on the other hand, if our net is too broad or there is no net at all, we can't help our ideal clients. Clients will not magically find you when you build a website. We should be practicing from an abundance mindset - there are many clients out there, and you really should be helping the people you are passionate about supporting. Colleen will reverse engineer her marketing. So, think about your ideal client and answer these questions: What do they do for a living? What gender do they identify as? Where do they hang out? What are their problems? How can you solve their problems? Then, start thinking about ways you can engage with your ideal client. We are not selling something. Instead, we are communicating the value that we have and how we can provide help. Marketing is the ability to help people find you. Potential clients are out there, and they are struggling. By using doing effective marketing, we can provide them the exact solution that they are looking for. Get More Clients Through Marketing What if your ideal client is out there with the wrong therapist? They have a terrible experience, so they visit another therapist. Yet again, they have a terrible experience. Sadly, this keeps happening to your ideal client. Eventually, they give up on therapy altogether. Now, their problems keep getting worse and worse. They are digging a hole for themselves, and they can't figure out how to get out. Maybe ten years pass by, and they finally find you. If you could find that ideal client ten years ago, they would be in a much different place today. Give your clients what they are looking for in the first place. When you find your ideal client, you help them, and they get to help you. Working with our ideal client allows us to be supported financially. When we are supported financially, then we can do our best work. After grad school, we have the hopes and dreams to open a private practice. Like any business, marketing is a crucial component to getting more clients. For therapists, it's no different – we need to practice effective marketing techniques! About Thrivelution Colleen stumbled with her marketing at first. She didn't know how to communicate with potential clients. She had referral relationships, the directory listing, yet she didn't find herself with the right clients. Unfortunately, when you don't have the right clients, then you need to turn them away. It's a shame for the client because they ask for help, yet they find themselves with a roadblock. So, Colleen wanted to know why there wasn't a "dating app" for finding a therapist. Clients should go on the app and ask for what they want. Then, therapists should advertise their services. We need a matching system that focuses on clinical fit. Thrivelution is an algorithm that will present options to clients and clinicians. That way, they can mutually agree to the relationship. Once it's a good fit, the clinicians can take it from there. Clinicians can build thriving private practices, and clients can find the best therapist for them – it's a win-win! Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! Colleen's Resources Colleen's LinkedIn Thrivelution.com Code: "MATCH21" For 2 months free! Thrivelution on Facebook Download Our Thriving Practice Checklist Now! Resources Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free. Learn more about GreenOak Accounting  Join my Focus Groups Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course Google Workspace for Therapists | The E-Course 70. Your Successful Therapy Website Redesign: Understanding When & Why Kingsport Counseling Session Note Helper 3.0 Join the Google Workspace (formerly G-Suite) for Therapists Users Group Cool Resources Follow @PracticeofTherapy on Instagram Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind The Practice of Therapy Podcast & Blog. He is also President and Founder of Kingsport Counseling Associates, PLLC. He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. PLEASE Subscribe to The Practice of Therapy Podcast wherever you listen to it. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn, and Pinterest, “Like” us on Facebook.  

In this episode, Kellee and Abby, from the Whole Therapist Podcast, share their experiences as therapists. They discuss the importance of authenticity, the relationship between therapist and client, the relational neurosciences, and a bit about their podcast as well. Kellee and Abby are a Abby is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Registered Play Therapist Supervisor. She is EMDR Certified and a Consultant in Training. Abby is also a Circle of Security Parent Facilitator, and trained in Theraplay level One.  She specializes in working with children, families, and women’s issues. Abby has ten years of experience working with women and child survivors of trauma, anxiety disorders, and attachment injuries. Abby uses an attachment lens when working with children and adults.  Prior to founding Be and Belong Counseling PLLC, Abby has experience providing services to runaway and homeless youth, adolescent girls in residential treatment, women residing in domestic violence shelters, and providing intensive in-home therapy to families formed through adoption. Abby also offers consultation and supervision to interns and clinicians working towards clinical licensure or their Registered Play Therapist credential as an Advanced Clinical Supervisor (ACS). Kellee is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Registered Play Therapist, Certified Synergetic Play Therapist, EMDR Certified clinician, and a Circle of Security Parenting facilitator. Kellee does provide supervision for MFT applicants in CO, and is currently an AAMFT approved supervisor in training. Kellee also provides play therapy consultation to PsyD interns at the community mental health agency she works at part-time. Kellee has been providing therapy services to children, families, and adults since 2010.  Kellee has worked in a variety of settings including: providing therapy to those with substance abuse struggles in an inpatient and outpatient dual diagnosis center, providing in-home services with children and families involved with Child Protective Services, providing services to children and families residing in a domestic violence shelter, and providing services to adolescent girls in residential treatment. Kellee currently splits her time as an independent contract therapist with Forward Family Therapy and at a local community mental health agency where she provides therapy to children, families, and mothers experiencing postpartum depression/anxiety. Kellee has co-presented a poster presentation at the APT national conference in Phoenix, AZ in 2018 and co-presented on a co-created Multifamily Healing Group at the Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Conference in CO in 2018. Kellee consistently contributes to the “Ask A Therapist,” section in her local CO newspapers.  Check out Embodying Epigenetics: A training by Abby and Kellee of the Whole Therapist Podcast! Aggression in the Play Room by Lisa Dion The Power of Discord by Ed Tronik and Claudia Bonnie Badenoch books Robyn Gobbel Check out the Whole Therapist Podcast here! Find Abby's private practice website here and find Kellee's private practice website here. Looking for more creative content? Sign up for our newsletter and get a free creativity guide! Follow Creative Therapy Umbrella on Instagram or on Facebook! Have feedback? Fill out our anonymous survey to let us know your thoughts, concerns, questions, suggestions, and feedback. For us to serve you better, we need to hear YOUR voice!

Dr. George James, LMFT, counsels people on how to overcome everyday relational struggles so they can build successful connections in love, family and career. With a practical approach to relationships and life, Dr. James helps bring success within reach of those he influences. He works extensively with professional athletes,entertainers, adult men and women, executives, couples and young adult men on various issues, including adulting, career, anxiety, work-life balance, love life, leadership, parenting, depression and communication. Dr. James is the Chief Innovation Officer, senior staff therapist and AAMFT-approved supervisor at Council for Relationships. In addition, he is an assistant professor for the Couple and Family Therapy Program at ThomasJefferson University. Dr. James graduated from Villanova University as a Presidential Scholar and majored in psychology with a concentration in Africana Studies. He received his Masters of Family Therapy degree from Drexel University (where he also received awards in leadership and community service) and his doctorate in clinical psychology from Immaculata University. SHOW DETAILS Running time: 46:37 Subscribe on iTunes and leave us a review! or subscribe on: Overcast | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher CONNECT WITH GEORGE George’s Website George on Twitter George on Instagram George on Linkedin Council For Relationships CONNECT WITH JEFF @JGibbard on Twitter Jeff on Linkedin (make sure to introduce yourself) Jeff’s Website Support Shareable on Patreon Email to hire Jeff as a speaker, trainer, or consultant Join The Superhero Institute

Dr. George James, LMFT, counsels people on how to overcome everyday relational struggles so they can build successful connections in love, family and career. With a practical approach to relationships and life, Dr. James helps bring success within reach of those he influences. He works extensively with professional athletes,entertainers, adult men and women, executives, couples and young adult men on various issues, including adulting, career, anxiety, work-life balance, love life, leadership, parenting, depression and communication. Dr. James is the Chief Innovation Officer, senior staff therapist and AAMFT-approved supervisor at Council for Relationships. In addition, he is an assistant professor for the Couple and Family Therapy Program at ThomasJefferson University. Dr. James graduated from Villanova University as a Presidential Scholar and majored in psychology with a concentration in Africana Studies. He received his Masters of Family Therapy degree from Drexel University (where he also received awards in leadership and community service) and his doctorate in clinical psychology from Immaculata University. SHOW DETAILS Running time: 46:37 Subscribe on iTunes and leave us a review! or subscribe on: Overcast | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher CONNECT WITH GEORGE George's Website George on Twitter George on Instagram George on Linkedin Council For Relationships CONNECT WITH JEFF @JGibbard on Twitter Jeff on Linkedin (make sure to introduce yourself) Jeff's Website Support Shareable on Patreon Email to hire Jeff as a speaker, trainer, or consultant Join The Superhero Institute

This week's episode features chairs of AAMFT's Topical Interest Networks to discuss emerging trends in their topic area and the benefits of being a member of the group.Dr. Christopher Belous, chair of the Couples and Intimate Relationships topical interest network, is an associate professor and the clinical director of the family therapy program at Purdue University Northwest. He discusses the value that the network offers members through trainings, research, consultation groups, and the belonging found as part of this network.Jackie Williams-Reade is chair of the Family Therapists in Healthcare network and professor at Loma Linda University. She talks about the integration of healthcare into mental health and how the TIN is addressing needs for MFTs who work in healthcare settings- both experienced and new to the field.Learn more at www.aamft.org/TIN

This podcast episode was originally recorded for "Mormon Sex Info" Podcast. It's now being refurbished for your enjoyment here at the "Healing Sols Podcast." For more from Natasha Helfer, LCMFT, CST, CSTS, please visit https://www.natashahelfer.com. Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. Neil Cannon, an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist and Supervisor of Sex Therapy, on the topic of Erectile Dysfunction (ED). They cover the many factors that go into the ability to get or maintain an erection for penetrative sexuality… but it doesn't stop there. They also discuss the many messages men receive about their sexuality, men's sexual health, what most people assume it means to be sexually successful, relational dynamics. Both physiological and psychological factors are addressed, including a discussion on the various ways ED can be successfully treated. Dr. Cannon has a private practice in Denver, Colorado, received his PhD in Human Sexuality, is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and Clinical Fellow of AAMFT. Dr. Cannon teaches both graduate and post-graduate students of psychology, counseling and social work at The University of Denver, The University of Colorado, and Regis and Metropolitan State University. He is also an instructor at the University of Michigan, School of Social Work Sexual Health Certificate Program. The University of Michigan is known in the field of sex therapy for being one of the leading programs in the world for clinicians on a path towards becoming sex therapists. Dr. Cannon is a published author, professional speaker, supervisor, mentor, and nationally recognized expert on sex, intimacy and relationships. Links to resources that are covered during the podcast: Dr. Cannon mentioned some hypnotherapy audio resources that are available at: audiocounseling.com  

Anita Astley is the founder of Building Healthy Relationships LLC. She is a licensed individual, couples, and family therapist with over 20 years of clinical experience in working with individuals, couples, and families. Anita Astley earned her graduate degree from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and Post-Graduate Specialty in Marriage and Family Therapy from The Argyle Institute of Human Relations. She is a Clinical member of the Wisconsin Association of Marriage and Family Therapy, a division of the American Association of Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). During her time in New York State she was in private practice and also served multiple terms as President of the Albany/Hudson Valley Chapter of the AAMFT. In addition to work in private practice, Ms. Astley was an adjunct professor in the the Department of Psychology at Russel Sage College (Troy, NY, ), on site clinician at General Electric Research medical center, a clinician of a multi-interdisciplinary team at the Sexual Dysfunctions clinic at Montreal General Hospital, facilitated eating disorder clinic at McGill University, and has served as a consultant to numerous corporations in various therapeutic capacities. She has also worked with various media organizations on promoting and providing information on topical mental health issues. Currently, she is in private practice in Brookfield, Wisconsin. NEED HELP STARTING YOUR OWN PODCAST? www.BusinessBros.biz/setup or text PODCAST to 31996 Business Bros Merchandise: https://teespring.com/stores/businessbros Contact James for all your Insurance needs 619-884-0045 or James@SiasFirst.com OR CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW!!! GET A HOME OWNERS POLICY FAST!! www.businessbros.biz/homeowner JOIN THE BUSINESS BROS NETWORK www.businessbros.biz Want to be on an episode of Business Bros the #1 Podcast in San Diego? Call 619-884-4915 or Send us an email BusinessBros@SiasFirst.com so we can get in touch with you ASAP. Join the conversation or catch the podcast live on our social media feeds @BusinessBrosPod Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. You can listen to past episodes on our website www.SiasFirst.com. www.bensound.com

Gordon is the person behind The Practice of Therapy Podcast and Blog. He is the owner of a group private practice located in Kingsport, Tennessee, Kingsport Counseling Associates, PLLC. He has been in private practice for 18 years. He is an AAMFT approved supervisor and currently serves on the on the board of the TNAMFT. Gordon also happens to be a clergy person in the Episcopal Church. Gordon also had an interesting previous career as funeral director and embalmer... lots of stories there... Gordon is married to his wife "Sister" and they have one daughter who works as an environmental educator.

Welcome to episode 27 of the Zest Wellness podcast with Allie MacPhail, a registered Marriage and Family Therapist through the AAMFT (American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy). Allie has achieved Clinical membership with AAMFT and has been working with individuals, couples, families, and corporations for 16 years.   Her primary passion is to see people's lives and relationships move toward greater emotional, mental, and relational health. Allie's approach to both clinical work and corporate seminars is creative, empathic, and enthusiastic. She uses her expertise, along with the client's knowledge of self, to create movement towards clinical goals. In addition to offering clinical hours, Allie also offers support to corporations, schools, and groups by hosting focused seminars. These seminars are unique to each corporation, are interactive, and will leave participants with specific and practical ideas to help improve corporate and individual mental health. Allie has been the “relationship expert” for TV shows in Canada, including “The Mom Show” as well as a cross-Canada tour for Dentyne Gum. Please enjoy episode 27 “Building Better Relationships” with Allie MacPhail.   CG Zest Wellness is a comprehensive Wellness Program for Coralisle Group Ltd. To learn more visit www.cgzestwellness.com or www.joinzestwellness.com. Blog: http://www.cgzestwellnessblog.com/ Instagram: @cgzestwellness Facebook: @cgzestwellness Twitter: @cgzestwellness YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpvs_ATLJQOhLra2D7mXeNQ Music: Let's Chill (https://soundcloud.com/letschillcanada)   Coralisle Group Ltd. and its affiliates (together “CG”) does not provide medical advice. The information provided in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered in any circumstances to constitute medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.   Should you have any healthcare-related questions, please call or see your physician or other qualified health care provider/professional without delay. CG shall not be liable for any diagnostic and/or treatment decision made by you or anyone else in reliance on any information provided by CG via this podcast, any other program newsletter, or through the program itself.   Should any unexpected medical event occur while you are participating in the Program, please seek medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a physician or qualified health care provider/professional without delay.

Karen welcomes Jim Thomas to the show for part two of their conversation on using attachment theory when working with couples. Jim obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in psychology from the Ohio State University. He studied alternative approaches to psychotherapy for two years at Boulder College, and earned his Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Colorado at Denver. He is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, EFT Therapist, and an AAMFT, Clinical Fellow and an AAMFT Approved Supervisor as well as an ICEEFT EFT Supervisor. In 1990, Jim joined the Colorado Institute for Marriage and the Family for Post-Graduate Training in couples and family therapy. His mentors there, Jan Raynak, MD, and Suzanne Pope, Ph.D., taught him the importance of co-creating meaningful experiences for clients in the therapy session, going beyond appearances to the heart of a relationship. From 1998 to 2002, Jim served as President-Elect, President, and Past-President of the Colorado Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (CAMFT). His peers elected Jim Chair of the Council of Division Presidents for the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). He served on the national board of directors for AAMFT. He presented workshops or facilitated strategic planning for the Alaska, Michigan, South Dakota, and Washington Associations for Marriage and Family Therapy. He also teaches EFT at Denver Family Institute. Jim left agency work to start the Institute for Change, P.C., and Engaging Trainings. His consulting work includes Shining Mountain High School in Boulder. He has consulted with Aurora Mental Health Center, Mental Health Corporation of Denver, Shiloh House, Community Reach Center, Dignity Program for Girls, Shepherd Valley School, and Emerson Street School.

Rage and Client Self-Harm An interview with Angela Caldwell, LMFT on cutting and non-suicidal self-injury. Curt and Katie talk with Angela about the causes of self-harm, the mistakes therapists make in addressing self-harm as well as how to identify reasons behind this harmful coping mechanism and how to identify when suicidality is a risk. We also look at how rage within nice families can lead to self-injury. It’s time to reimagine therapy and what it means to be a therapist. To support you as a whole person and a therapist, your hosts, Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy talk about how to approach the role of therapist in the modern age. Interview with Angela Caldwell, LMFT Angela Caldwell is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Family Coach. She is the Founder and Director of the Self-Injury Institute, where her practice focuses on the treatment of self-injury from a family systems perspective, as well as the Caldwell Family Institute, where she offers out-of-the-box coaching for families that are looking for something other than therapy to help them reach their growth potential. Angela is currently on the adjunct faculty for the MFT graduate program at California State University Northridge, where she teaches family systems theories and couples therapy. She has been teaching graduate students for over a decade at four different universities, and previously taught assessment for a large majority of her teaching career. She was selected by Antioch University to design a curriculum for a new Counselor Assessment class, and has offered consultation on assessments for the last eight years. Angela has served in MFT leadership for much of her career, including holding executive offices in CAMFT and AAMFT. She has worked side by side with Ben Caldwell and other leaders on various advocacy efforts in California, most notably on the passage of SB 1172, which banned reparative therapy for minors in 2012. In this episode we talk about: Angela’s perspective on family systems and champions of families and dinner tables The mistakes in treatment planning and way of being related to self-injury What not to do when clients disclose self-harm The intrusive nature of liability-focused treatment planning and interventions in the room The need to render cutting irrelevant The role of the family treatment for addressing self-injury Non-suicidal self-injury versus suicidal self-injury (the difference is intent) “It’s important for therapists to be able to talk about suicide – to use the word suicide with the same emphasis that we use the word hamburger.” Angela Caldwell, LMFT It’s important to be direct in asking about intent “I’m cautious to link self-injury with suicide in such a short, abrupt way.” Angela Caldwell, LMFT Rage in families who are too nice leading to self-injury The profiles in non-suicidal self-injury: peer-based and rage-based Social media self-injury and mental illness competitions How rage is often misunderstood – looking at how rage and anger are very different Rage is animalistic and limbic Self-injury is rage (when anger is not useful) when you do not want to be a burden Rage comes with tactile stimulus seeking, seeking destruction Discovery is mortifying The problem with group treatment for cutting The contagion factor – Barent Walsh Co-rumination – looking at adolescent female relationships Family Therapy as the most effective treatment for non- Rewrite the family constitution around anger and anger expression Family assertiveness training, teaching families how to disagree and hurt each other’s feelings Angela’s strategy to provoke fights within the families that she sees and conducts repair Our Generous Sponsors: Hushmail Hushmail and Hush Secure Forms take the guesswork out of secure communications by providing encrypted email, web forms, and e-signatures all in one package. During a time when limiting contact is necessary to protect our clients’ health, using secure email and web forms to communicate is more important than ever. Now’s the perfect time to move your paper forms and PDFs to HIPAA-compliant, digital forms that your clients can easily fill out. You can send them through secure email or put them on your website. Hush Secure Forms makes emailing securely with your clients and using HIPAA-compliant web forms very easy. You can start with one of their form templates and customize it to reflect your practice or use their drag-and-drop form builder to build beautiful forms from scratch. No need for extra services to get your forms signed; Hushmail provides email, web forms, and e-signatures that work seamlessly together in one package to get the job done. Great for contact forms, health histories, client experience surveys, referrals, and screenings. Among other popular forms, Hushmail’s template directory includes a COVID-19 screening questionnaire and several screening forms such as the PHQ-9 depression screening and the GAD-7 anxiety screening, which calculate a score upon completion. And as a Modern Therapist Survival Guide Listener, you get a 10 percent lifetime discount. Just go to hushmail.com/therapyreimagined and sign up for the Hushmail for Healthcare plan that suits your practice. Hushmail has a plan for everyone! Kelly & Miranda – ZynnyMe Do you ever wish there was someone who could really tell you what the right path is for YOU in private practice so you could avoid wasting time and energy and get to what you love- helping clients? Kelly & Miranda of ZynnyMe are two therapists who just that!  They don't get you cookie-cutter solutions that work for some people- instead they teach you a process that works for everybody.  Kelly & Miranda of ZynnyMe have been helping therapists from across the country and around the world grow, revamp, and launch profitable private practices that really help people- while also making sure therapists' lives stay in balance. Their award-winning and multiple time sell-out Business School Bootcamp for Therapists is the largest private practice resource on the planet and will transform your life and business whether you are 20+ years in, or you are starting from scratch. They have the largest collection of free private practice resources for therapists - go to ZynnyMe.com today and sign up for their free Marketing Masterclass COVID edition and get access to 10+ hours of free training AND a free community for therapists that is NOT on Facebook!  Resources mentioned: We’ve pulled together resources mentioned in this episode and put together some handy-dandy links. Please note that some of the links below may be affiliate links, so if you purchase after clicking below, we may get a little bit of cash in our pockets. We thank you in advance! Self-injury Institute Caldwell Family Institute Barent Walsh, PhD  Relevant Episodes: Preventing Client Suicide When Clients Die Connect with us! Our Facebook Group – The Modern Therapists Group Get Notified About Therapy Reimagined Conferences  Our consultation services: The Fifty-Minute Hour Who we are: Curt Widhalm is in private practice in the Los Angeles area. He is the cofounder of the Therapy Reimagined conference, the CFO of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, an Adjunct Professor at Pepperdine University, a former Subject Matter Expert for the California Board of Behavioral Sciences, and a loving husband and father. He is 1/2 great person, 1/2 provocateur, and 1/2 geek, in that order. He dabbles in the dark art of making "dad jokes" and usually has a half-empty cup of coffee somewhere nearby. Learn more at: www.curtwidhalm.com Katie Vernoy is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, coach, and consultant supporting leaders, visionaries, executives, and helping professionals to create sustainable careers. Katie, with Curt, has developed workshops and a conference, Therapy Reimagined, to support therapists navigating through the modern challenges of this profession. Katie is also Past President of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists. In her spare time, Katie is secretly siphoning off Curt's youthful energy, so that she can take over the world. Learn more at: www.katievernoy.com A Quick Note: Our opinions are our own. We are only speaking for ourselves – except when we speak for each other, or over each other. We’re working on it. Our guests are also only speaking for themselves and have their own opinions. We aren’t trying to take their voice, and no one speaks for us either. Mostly because they don’t want to, but hey.   Stay in Touch: www.mtsgpodcast.com www.therapyreimagined.com Our Facebook Group – The Modern Therapist’s Group https://www.facebook.com/therapyreimagined/ https://twitter.com/therapymovement https://www.instagram.com/therapyreimagined/   Credits: Voice Over by DW McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/ Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano http://www.crystalmangano.com/

Karen welcomes Jim Thomas to the show for part one of their conversation on using attachment theory when working with couples. Part two of this discussion will be released on Tuesday, September 1. Jim obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in psychology from the Ohio State University. He studied alternative approaches to psychotherapy for two years at Boulder College, and earned his Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Colorado at Denver. He is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, EFT Therapist, and an AAMFT, Clinical Fellow and an AAMFT Approved Supervisor as well as an ICEEFT EFT Supervisor. In 1990, Jim joined the Colorado Institute for Marriage and the Family for Post-Graduate Training in couples and family therapy. His mentors there, Jan Raynak, MD, and Suzanne Pope, Ph.D., taught him the importance of co-creating meaningful experiences for clients in the therapy session, going beyond appearances to the heart of a relationship. From 1998 to 2002, Jim served as President-Elect, President, and Past-President of the Colorado Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (CAMFT). His peers elected Jim Chair of the Council of Division Presidents for the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). He served on the national board of directors for AAMFT. He presented workshops or facilitated strategic planning for the Alaska, Michigan, South Dakota, and Washington Associations for Marriage and Family Therapy. He also teaches EFT at Denver Family Institute. Jim left agency work to start the Institute for Change, P.C., and Engaging Trainings. His consulting work includes Shining Mountain High School in Boulder. He has consulted with Aurora Mental Health Center, Mental Health Corporation of Denver, Shiloh House, Community Reach Center, Dignity Program for Girls, Shepherd Valley School, and Emerson Street School.

Join Kristin as she speaks with Reed Connell, Executive Director, and Deanna Linville, Director of Clinical Programs, at A Home Within, which helps provide free therapy for current and previous foster youth.  As Reed Connell states, A Home Within's therapists are all part of a 'community of hundreds of therapists nationwide who volunteer to provide one on one therapy to current and former foster youth for as long as necessary.'  In this podcast, they explain their organization and discuss how they are personally and professionally navigating the use of their passion for helping foster youth receive stable and undisrupted therapy, therapy that they will not 'age-out' of.  They explain how the organization also helps support the community of their therapists nationwide.Reed Connell, Executive Director of A Home Within, has spent nearly 20 years working in foster care, mental health, housing, and special education settings and has developed a sophisticated knowledge of childrenʼs programs and policy development. Reed has worked with statewide and national coalitions to design, pass, and implement a range of important children's legislation, and has worked with a range of nonprofit organizations and government agencies on resource, program, and capacity development. In 2014, Reed co-founded Social Change Partners, LLC to support nonprofits and government agencies in meeting the needs of children and families. Reed also works with a range of mental health systems change efforts, including Breaking Barriers and The California Children's Trust. Reed holds an MSW degree from UC Berkeley with a concentration in Management and Planning.  Deanna Linville, currently Director of Clinical Programs at A Home Within, is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of Oregon and an AAMFT approved supervisor. She has two decades of experience providing direct mental health care, clinical supervision, and training as well as conducting clinical research. Linville joined A Home Within in June 2020 to work as the program clinical director offering her clinical and research consultation services to clinical directors, volunteers, and staff. Her professional experiences to date inspire and inform her clinical research and allow her to stay on the cutting edge of best practices for training mental health professionals to provide ethical and culturally responsive care. Linville earned her MS and Ph.D. degrees at Virginia Tech in Marriage and Family Therapy as well as completed a 12-month doctoral fellowship at the Chicago Center for Family Health, where she gained specialized training and experience working in collaborative family healthcare settings. She has published over forty manuscripts as well as developed and tested numerous clinical interventions aimed to reduce health disparities, prevent eating disorders, and promote family wellness. Linville also works at the University of Oregon as an associate professor in the Couples and Family Therapy MS program.More information and information regarding how to volunteer can be found at their website: https://www.ahomewithin.org/

Stefanie Frank, JD, former legal counsel for AAMFT, discusses common questions, gray areas, and ethical dilemmas about interfacing with the legal system as a systemic family therapist. She covers a wide berth of topics including best practices for expert witnesses, responding to subpoenas, HIPAA compliance, notetaking, and privilege, and termination as part of ethical practice.

In this episode, we are going to delve into one of the most important, but often overlooked areas of our lives, our relationships. It’s something that I personally wanted to learn more about as I am no expert in this field. My guest today, Dr. Kirk Honda is a licensed psychologist and one of the very few experts that marry psychology with marriage and family therapy. Dr. Kirk Honda shares his expertise on personality disorders and attachment models. With over 20 years of experience practicing, Dr. Kirk Honda talks about what he has learned most about relationships and how you can apply it in yours! I personally enjoyed this conversation much as i realized how should I position myself in a relationship based on the partners’ needs. Dr. Honda is the host of the Psychology in Seattle podcast. Kirk Honda has been a marriage and family therapist in Seattle since 1996 and he has been teaching in the Couple and Family Therapy Program since 1998. He has been supervising clinicians in their work with clients since 1999 and is an AAMFT approved supervisor. He has been hosting The Psychology in Seattle since 2008. He has been interviewed as an expert in psychology and psychotherapy in the media. He has given community presentations on various psychological topics including couple therapy, personality disorders, and therapists’ experience of difficult clinical moments. Show Notes 0:30 Introduction to Dr. Kirk Honda 1:05 What is the Psychology in Seattle podcast 2:08 Why are relationships really important 5:29 Bridging the gap of different interests in a relationship 7:07 Different emotional attachments of people 12:10 Parenting guideline for kid behavior management 15:15 What can we do about the 4 different attachment concepts 16:50 Recommended attachment style for overworked and overcommitted people 21:30 Attachment behavior and classification 28:30 Can the child attachment style develop a pattern into that person’s relationship 32:20 What is the best thing for preoccupied insecure people to do 37:40 The impact of technology in communication methods on relationships 43:00 Generalization can often be misleading for attachment styles 47:12 Where can people find more about Dr. Kirk and his work 48:48 Dr. Honda’s final advice Connect with Dr. Kirk Honda https://psychologyinseattle.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/psychologyinseattle/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/PsychInSeattle Resources Dr. Kirk Honda’ books: Multirole Clinical Supervision: Evidence, Reflections, and Best Practices https://www.amazon.com/Multirole-Clinical-Supervision-Reflections-Practices/dp/1973214229/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&qid=1590137982&refinements=p_27%3AKirk+Honda&s=books&sr=1-1&text=Kirk+Honda Mary Ainsworth experiment: https://www.simplypsychology.org/mary-ainsworth.html CONNECT WITH MADS MISIAK FRIIS https://growthisland.io/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madsmfriis/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madsmf/ Find the episode at:

In this episode, senior pastor Shawn Zambrows and associate pastor Nick Quient talk with Dr. Jackie Williams-Reade, Associate Professor of Marriage and Family Therapy at Loma Linda University, about the integration of therapy and faith in a COVID-19 age. Jackie is also a member of The First Baptist Church of Redlands, just in case you wanted to know! For those who may need some further insight or counseling, you can find more resources by Dr. Williams-Reade on her web page here. She recently wrote a blog article on this specific topic here. If you are looking for a church service during COVID, we encourage you to enjoy our worship service on YouTube. We release the entire worship service Sunday mornings at 10am. If you want to be kept up to date, you can also follow our church on Facebook, check out our webpage, and like our Podcast Facebook page as well! Dr. Williams-Reade recommends these esources to help manage stress and anxiety related to COVID19: Managing Stress and Anxiety (CDC) Tips to Support Mental Health Amid Concerns about the COVID-19 Pandemic (AAMFT) Talking to children about coronavirus (CDC) What do Older Adults and People with Disabilities Need to Know? (HHS) Couples and COVID-19 (AAMFT)

Welcome to episode 170 of the Sexology Podcast! Today it’s my pleasure to welcome back Martha Kauppi, LMFT to the podcast. In this episode Martha speaks to us again about polyamory, why opening a relationship doesn’t have to mean separation, how there are different types of polyamory and the importance of self-regulation throughout this process.     Martha Kauppi, LMFT, is an educator, AASECT-certified sex therapist and supervisor, and AAMFT-approved supervisor. She specializes in relational sex therapy, including alternative family structures, and trains therapists to work effectively at the intersection of sex issues and relationship challenges.     Martha’s mission is to make sex a safe topic in therapy rooms everywhere by developing unique educational experiences and immediately-applicable learning materials for therapists. She has a book coming out in August 2020 about working effectively with clinical challenges related to polyamory.    In This Episode You Will Hear:     How can someone know if polyamory is right for them?   Why opening a relationship doesn’t have to mean separation   Looking at the different structures and dynamics of polyamory   How there is different types of polyamory  Is there a customary way of going polyamorous?   Developing meaningful relationships within polyamory  Using apps such as Ok Cupid to meet other polyamorous people   Approaching the other partner around going polyamorous   The importance of self-regulation throughout this process       Find Martha here:   https://instituteforrelationalintimacy.com   http://www.sexologypodcast.com/2019/02/26/does-polyamory-work     Find me online:   http://www.sexologypodcast.com    Find me on social media:   https://www.instagram.com/oasis2care  https://www.facebook.com/oasis2care     Download my new ebook for free here:   https://oasis2care.com/how-to-increase-your-libido/     101 Ways to Keep Your Relationship Hot  http://www.sexologypodcast.com/subscribe    If you are interested to book a video counseling with Dr. Moali   https://oasis2care.com/contact-nazanin-moali-psychologist     Podcast Produced by Pete Bailey - http://petebailey.net/audio 

Dr. Belous is an Associate Professor, the Director of the Couple and Family Therapy Center at Purdue University Northwest, and a practicing therapist. He is a certified sex therapist and educator, a certified family life educator, and a certified gay-affirmative psychotherapist. He is on the editorial board of the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy and the American Journal of Family Therapy. He is the founding chairperson of the Couples and Intimate Relationships Topical Interest Network and is the treasurer of the Queer and Trans Affirmative Network for the AAMFT. He is a sex and sexuality researcher focusing on social justice and couple and family therapy education and supervision. He has over 20 published works, has given more than 40 presentations at national and international conferences, and has completed 7 different research grants. The Cass Identity Formation Model Dr. Belous has done research on the process of coming out and helped people integrate their sexual identity into their holistic concept of themselves. He explains that science has worked to understand the coming out process for years. He gives The Cass Identity Formation Model as an example from the 1970s. Dr. Belous tells us her model begins with ‘confusion,' the stage where people discover they aren't heterosexual. ‘Comparison,' the stage where people decide to act straight or gay, is second. ‘Tolerance' is the third step; which Chris describes as the stage when people acknowledge their sexuality without fully accepting it. He says that leads to ‘acceptance,' when a person's sexual identity is fully accepted, and people start coming out. He tells us the fifth step is called ‘identity pride,' which is when people become activists, march in parades, and broadcast their sexuality. Her final stage, he explains, is ‘identity synthesis,' when a person's sexual identity is integrated with their everyday personality. Chris mentions that this model has many drawbacks, including its presumptions that straight people don't have to go through sexual identity integration, and its presumption that gay people must believe they're heterosexual before they realize they're gay. A Multidimensional Model of Sexual Identity Formation Dr. Belous more often works with a multidimensional model of sexual identity formation rooted in social constructionism and developed by Horowitz and Newcomb. He explains that in their model sexual identity is more fluid, and their system is less linear. With the Cass model, people look at their behavior to see where they are on a very linear scale. However, Chris describes Horowitz and Newcomb's model as referencing behaviors, desires, and experiences to form a coherent but temporary understanding of one's sexual identity. The Minority Stress Theory Chris explains that the minority stress theory was initially developed by Ilan Meyer to describe LGBTQ+ identities, but has expanded to include other minorities like race, ethnicity, and culture. When used in the context of sexual identity it codifies the fact that being LGBTQ+ is more stressful than being cisgender and heterosexual. Dr. Belous relates that the crux of the matter is that gay people have to come out repeatedly and coming out always involves theoretical or actual threats to their emotional, physical, and social safety. Stress is also compounded, Chris tells us, by the need to constantly fight against assumptions due to their sexuality. Mental health concerns like anxiety and depression are much higher in the LGBTQ+ community, and Dr. Belous believes that this theory accounts for that disparity. Coming Out is More Stressful than Staying Closeted Chris tells us that research has proven coming out is more stressful than staying closeted. In many parts of the world, he reminds us, coming out means you're risking your life, while it's a minor issue elsewhere. He tells us deciding to come out is influenced by their family of origin, personal values, and beliefs, and the environment one lives in. In Dr. Belous' research men often claimed they had to come out because of the depression, anxiety, irritability, and aggression that resulted from being closeted. Nearly half of the men he interviewed exhibited stereotypically gay traits that made people assume they were gay before they came out. How to Come Out Dr. Belous acknowledges that there is a lot of information online about coming out but reminds us that their information is usually based upon one person's very good or very bad experience with coming out. He encourages people to watch the videos and consider the advice out there, but he reminds us that your own experience of coming out may be very different. His advice is to think about the people in your life to find the person it's safest to come out to. He says you should look for someone who's very supportive and an ally of the community. Chris warns that coming out is hardest the first time, and he encourages practicing first, but he emphasizes that you deserve to feel authentic and to be relieved of the weight of this secret. Coming Out Safely When helping people come out, Dr. Belous emphasizes safety. Coming out to the wrong parents can lead to being kicked out and starting a downward spiral that leads to drug use and sex work. Those risks mean Chris advises some minors to remain closeted while living with their parents. Waiting until you are taking care of yourself or you have another place to live and sleep if things go wrong is essential. Impact of Stereotypes on Sexual Identity Dr. Belous explains that people like to put others into simple, stereotyped categories. He says that when gay men come out, people expect them to fit feminine stereotypes. Similarly, lesbians are expected to be masculine, and women with masculine traits are assumed to be lesbians. He says stereotypes can hinder people's desire to come out because they can make people feel like they don't fit in as a gay person when they don't fulfill those stereotypes. Chris points out that people who are bisexual, pansexual, demisexual, or any other sexual identity that doesn't fit in the heterosexual or homosexual box often run into similar problems. They can be rejected by both communities for not choosing one or the other. Bisexuals also suffer from bi-erasure, which Dr. Belous illustrated by describing a bi man in a relationship with a woman. He also explains bi privilege, when happens when bi people are out with their different-sex significant other and have most people recognize their relationship and treat them appropriately, while homosexual men and women are often presumed to be friends or brothers. Advice for Parents He advises all parents to think about what values they want to communicate to their child, and what kind of person they want their child to become. Parents also need to identify things that are 100% unacceptable to them. When this happens, Chris says visiting a therapist to make a plan for when those things happen is a good idea, because if you don't have a plan, you're not going to react well. He suggests not under or overreacting if your child comes out as a homosexual. If you suspect your child is gay, be as supportive of the LGBTQ+ community as possible and talk about homosexuality and how it's okay when it comes up. Those small changes can be enough to make children feel safe coming out. Chris also reminds us that there are completely heterosexual people who interact with the world in ways that mimic gay stereotypes. Those children will frequently be mistaken for homosexuals, and it's important not to presume your child is homosexual because of stereotypes they personify. Resources for Christopher Belous: https://academics.pnw.edu/marriage-family-therapy/member/christopher-k-belous-phd-lmft/ http://www.thebsi.org https://www.instagram.com/chrisbelous/ More info: Link to the free guide – Talking About Sex: http://bettersexpodcast.com/talk Join my email list here: http://bettersexpodcast.com/list Book and New Course – https://sexwithoutstress.com Web – https://www.bettersexpodcast.com/ Sex Health Quiz – http://sexhealthquiz.com/ Better Sex with Jessa Zimmerman https://businessinnovatorsradio.com/better-sex/More info and resources: How Big a Problem is Your Sex Life? Quiz – https://www.sexlifequiz.com The Course – https://www.intimacywithease.com The Book – https://www.sexwithoutstress.com Podcast Website – https://www.intimacywithease.com Access the Free webinar: How to make sex easy and fun for both of you: https://intimacywithease.com/masterclass Secret Podcast for the Higher Desire Partner: https://www.intimacywithease.com/hdppodcast Secret Podcast for the Lower Desire Partner: https://www.intimacywithease.com/ldppodcast

Dr. Belous is an Associate Professor, the Director of the Couple and Family Therapy Center at Purdue University Northwest, and a practicing therapist. He is a certified sex therapist and educator, a certified family life educator, and a certified gay-affirmative psychotherapist. He is on the editorial board of the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy and the American Journal of Family Therapy. He is the founding chairperson of the Couples and Intimate Relationships Topical Interest Network and is the treasurer of the Queer and Trans Affirmative Network for the AAMFT. He is a sex and sexuality researcher focusing on social justice and couple and family therapy education and supervision. He has over 20 published works, has given more than 40 presentations at national and international conferences, and has completed 7 different research grants. The Cass Identity Formation Model Dr. Belous has done research on the process of coming out and helped people integrate their sexual identity into their holistic concept of themselves. He explains that science has worked to understand the coming out process for years. He gives The Cass Identity Formation Model as an example from the 1970s. Dr. Belous tells us her model begins with ‘confusion,’ the stage where people discover they aren’t heterosexual. ‘Comparison,’ the stage where people decide to act straight or gay, is second. ‘Tolerance’ is the third step; which Chris describes as the stage when people acknowledge their sexuality without fully accepting it. He says that leads to ‘acceptance,’ when a person’s sexual identity is fully accepted, and people start coming out. He tells us the fifth step is called ‘identity pride,’ which is when people become activists, march in parades, and broadcast their sexuality. Her final stage, he explains, is ‘identity synthesis,’ when a person’s sexual identity is integrated with their everyday personality. Chris mentions that this model has many drawbacks, including its presumptions that straight people don’t have to go through sexual identity integration, and its presumption that gay people must believe they’re heterosexual before they realize they’re gay. A Multidimensional Model of Sexual Identity Formation Dr. Belous more often works with a multidimensional model of sexual identity formation rooted in social constructionism and developed by Horowitz and Newcomb. He explains that in their model sexual identity is more fluid, and their system is less linear. With the Cass model, people look at their behavior to see where they are on a very linear scale. However, Chris describes Horowitz and Newcomb’s model as referencing behaviors, desires, and experiences to form a coherent but temporary understanding of one’s sexual identity. The Minority Stress Theory Chris explains that the minority stress theory was initially developed by Ilan Meyer to describe LGBTQ+ identities, but has expanded to include other minorities like race, ethnicity, and culture. When used in the context of sexual identity it codifies the fact that being LGBTQ+ is more stressful than being cisgender and heterosexual. Dr. Belous relates that the crux of the matter is that gay people have to come out repeatedly and coming out always involves theoretical or actual threats to their emotional, physical, and social safety. Stress is also compounded, Chris tells us, by the need to constantly fight against assumptions due to their sexuality. Mental health concerns like anxiety and depression are much higher in the LGBTQ+ community, and Dr. Belous believes that this theory accounts for that disparity. Coming Out is More Stressful than Staying Closeted Chris tells us that research has proven coming out is more stressful than staying closeted. In many parts of the world, he reminds us, coming out means you’re risking your life, while it’s a minor issue elsewhere. He tells us deciding to come out is influenced by their family of origin, personal values, and beliefs, and the environment one lives in. In Dr. Belous’ research men often claimed they had to come out because of the depression, anxiety, irritability, and aggression that resulted from being closeted. Nearly half of the men he interviewed exhibited stereotypically gay traits that made people assume they were gay before they came out. How to Come Out Dr. Belous acknowledges that there is a lot of information online about coming out but reminds us that their information is usually based upon one person’s very good or very bad experience with coming out. He encourages people to watch the videos and consider the advice out there, but he reminds us that your own experience of coming out may be very different. His advice is to think about the people in your life to find the person it’s safest to come out to. He says you should look for someone who’s very supportive and an ally of the community. Chris warns that coming out is hardest the first time, and he encourages practicing first, but he emphasizes that you deserve to feel authentic and to be relieved of the weight of this secret. Coming Out Safely When helping people come out, Dr. Belous emphasizes safety. Coming out to the wrong parents can lead to being kicked out and starting a downward spiral that leads to drug use and sex work. Those risks mean Chris advises some minors to remain closeted while living with their parents. Waiting until you are taking care of yourself or you have another place to live and sleep if things go wrong is essential. Impact of Stereotypes on Sexual Identity Dr. Belous explains that people like to put others into simple, stereotyped categories. He says that when gay men come out, people expect them to fit feminine stereotypes. Similarly, lesbians are expected to be masculine, and women with masculine traits are assumed to be lesbians. He says stereotypes can hinder people’s desire to come out because they can make people feel like they don’t fit in as a gay person when they don’t fulfill those stereotypes. Chris points out that people who are bisexual, pansexual, demisexual, or any other sexual identity that doesn’t fit in the heterosexual or homosexual box often run into similar problems. They can be rejected by both communities for not choosing one or the other. Bisexuals also suffer from bi-erasure, which Dr. Belous illustrated by describing a bi man in a relationship with a woman. He also explains bi privilege, when happens when bi people are out with their different-sex significant other and have most people recognize their relationship and treat them appropriately, while homosexual men and women are often presumed to be friends or brothers. Advice for Parents He advises all parents to think about what values they want to communicate to their child, and what kind of person they want their child to become. Parents also need to identify things that are 100% unacceptable to them. When this happens, Chris says visiting a therapist to make a plan for when those things happen is a good idea, because if you don’t have a plan, you’re not going to react well. He suggests not under or overreacting if your child comes out as a homosexual. If you suspect your child is gay, be as supportive of the LGBTQ+ community as possible and talk about homosexuality and how it’s okay when it comes up. Those small changes can be enough to make children feel safe coming out. Chris also reminds us that there are completely heterosexual people who interact with the world in ways that mimic gay stereotypes. Those children will frequently be mistaken for homosexuals, and it’s important not to presume your child is homosexual because of stereotypes they personify. Resources for Christopher Belous: https://academics.pnw.edu/marriage-family-therapy/member/christopher-k-belous-phd-lmft/ http://www.thebsi.org https://www.instagram.com/chrisbelous/ More info:Link to the free guide – Talking About Sex: http://bettersexpodcast.com/talkJoin my email list here: http://bettersexpodcast.com/listBook and New Course – https://sexwithoutstress.comWeb – https://www.bettersexpodcast.com/Sex Health Quiz – http://sexhealthquiz.com/Better Sex with Jessa Zimmermanhttps://businessinnovatorsradio.com/better-sex/

Dr. Belous is an Associate Professor, the Director of the Couple and Family Therapy Center at Purdue University Northwest, and a practicing therapist. He is a certified sex therapist and educator, a certified family life educator, and a certified gay-affirmative psychotherapist. He is on the editorial board of the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy and the American Journal of Family Therapy. He is the founding chairperson of the Couples and Intimate Relationships Topical Interest Network and is the treasurer of the Queer and Trans Affirmative Network for the AAMFT. He is a sex and sexuality researcher focusing on social justice and couple and family therapy education and supervision. He has over 20 published works, has given more than 40 presentations at national and international conferences, and has completed 7 different research grants. The Cass Identity Formation Model Dr. Belous has done research on the process of coming out and helped people integrate their sexual identity into their holistic concept of themselves. He explains that science has worked to understand the coming out process for years. He gives The Cass Identity Formation Model as an example from the 1970s. Dr. Belous tells us her model begins with ‘confusion,’ the stage where people discover they aren’t heterosexual. ‘Comparison,’ the stage where people decide to act straight or gay, is second. ‘Tolerance’ is the third step; which Chris describes as the stage when people acknowledge their sexuality without fully accepting it. He says that leads to ‘acceptance,’ when a person’s sexual identity is fully accepted, and people start coming out. He tells us the fifth step is called ‘identity pride,’ which is when people become activists, march in parades, and broadcast their sexuality. Her final stage, he explains, is ‘identity synthesis,’ when a person’s sexual identity is integrated with their everyday personality. Chris mentions that this model has many drawbacks, including its presumptions that straight people don’t have to go through sexual identity integration, and its presumption that gay people must believe they’re heterosexual before they realize they’re gay. A Multidimensional Model of Sexual Identity Formation Dr. Belous more often works with a multidimensional model of sexual identity formation rooted in social constructionism and developed by Horowitz and Newcomb. He explains that in their model sexual identity is more fluid, and their system is less linear. With the Cass model, people look at their behavior to see where they are on a very linear scale. However, Chris describes Horowitz and Newcomb’s model as referencing behaviors, desires, and experiences to form a coherent but temporary understanding of one’s sexual identity. The Minority Stress Theory Chris explains that the minority stress theory was initially developed by Ilan Meyer to describe LGBTQ+ identities, but has expanded to include other minorities like race, ethnicity, and culture. When used in the context of sexual identity it codifies the fact that being LGBTQ+ is more stressful than being cisgender and heterosexual. Dr. Belous relates that the crux of the matter is that gay people have to come out repeatedly and coming out always involves theoretical or actual threats to their emotional, physical, and social safety. Stress is also compounded, Chris tells us, by the need to constantly fight against assumptions due to their sexuality. Mental health concerns like anxiety and depression are much higher in the LGBTQ+ community, and Dr. Belous believes that this theory accounts for that disparity. Coming Out is More Stressful than Staying Closeted Chris tells us that research has proven coming out is more stressful than staying closeted. In many parts of the world, he reminds us, coming out means you’re risking your life, while it’s a minor issue elsewhere. He tells us deciding to come out is influenced by their family of origin, personal values, and beliefs, and the environment one lives in. In Dr. Belous’ research men often claimed they had to come out because of the depression, anxiety, irritability, and aggression that resulted from being closeted. Nearly half of the men he interviewed exhibited stereotypically gay traits that made people assume they were gay before they came out. How to Come Out Dr. Belous acknowledges that there is a lot of information online about coming out but reminds us that their information is usually based upon one person’s very good or very bad experience with coming out. He encourages people to watch the videos and consider the advice out there, but he reminds us that your own experience of coming out may be very different. His advice is to think about the people in your life to find the person it’s safest to come out to. He says you should look for someone who’s very supportive and an ally of the community. Chris warns that coming out is hardest the first time, and he encourages practicing first, but he emphasizes that you deserve to feel authentic and to be relieved of the weight of this secret. Coming Out Safely When helping people come out, Dr. Belous emphasizes safety. Coming out to the wrong parents can lead to being kicked out and starting a downward spiral that leads to drug use and sex work. Those risks mean Chris advises some minors to remain closeted while living with their parents. Waiting until you are taking care of yourself or you have another place to live and sleep if things go wrong is essential. Impact of Stereotypes on Sexual Identity Dr. Belous explains that people like to put others into simple, stereotyped categories. He says that when gay men come out, people expect them to fit feminine stereotypes. Similarly, lesbians are expected to be masculine, and women with masculine traits are assumed to be lesbians. He says stereotypes can hinder people’s desire to come out because they can make people feel like they don’t fit in as a gay person when they don’t fulfill those stereotypes. Chris points out that people who are bisexual, pansexual, demisexual, or any other sexual identity that doesn’t fit in the heterosexual or homosexual box often run into similar problems. They can be rejected by both communities for not choosing one or the other. Bisexuals also suffer from bi-erasure, which Dr. Belous illustrated by describing a bi man in a relationship with a woman. He also explains bi privilege, when happens when bi people are out with their different-sex significant other and have most people recognize their relationship and treat them appropriately, while homosexual men and women are often presumed to be friends or brothers. Advice for Parents He advises all parents to think about what values they want to communicate to their child, and what kind of person they want their child to become. Parents also need to identify things that are 100% unacceptable to them. When this happens, Chris says visiting a therapist to make a plan for when those things happen is a good idea, because if you don’t have a plan, you’re not going to react well. He suggests not under or overreacting if your child comes out as a homosexual. If you suspect your child is gay, be as supportive of the LGBTQ+ community as possible and talk about homosexuality and how it’s okay when it comes up. Those small changes can be enough to make children feel safe coming out. Chris also reminds us that there are completely heterosexual people who interact with the world in ways that mimic gay stereotypes. Those children will frequently be mistaken for homosexuals, and it’s important not to presume your child is homosexual because of stereotypes they personify. Resources for Christopher Belous: https://academics.pnw.edu/marriage-family-therapy/member/christopher-k-belous-phd-lmft/ http://www.thebsi.org https://www.instagram.com/chrisbelous/ More info:Link to the free guide – Talking About Sex: http://bettersexpodcast.com/talkJoin my email list here: http://bettersexpodcast.com/listBook and New Course – https://sexwithoutstress.comWeb – https://www.bettersexpodcast.com/Sex Health Quiz – http://sexhealthquiz.com/Better Sex with Jessa Zimmermanhttps://businessinnovatorsradio.com/better-sex/

Dr. Belous is an Associate Professor, the Director of the Couple and Family Therapy Center at Purdue University Northwest, and a practicing therapist. He is a certified sex therapist and educator, a certified family life educator, and a certified gay-affirmative psychotherapist. He is on the editorial board of the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy and the American Journal of Family Therapy. He is the founding chairperson of the Couples and Intimate Relationships Topical Interest Network and is the treasurer of the Queer and Trans Affirmative Network for the AAMFT. He is a sex and sexuality researcher focusing on social justice and couple and family therapy education and supervision. He has over 20 published works, has given more than 40 presentations at national and international conferences, and has completed 7 different research grants. The Cass Identity Formation Model Dr. Belous has done research on the process of coming out and helped people integrate their sexual identity into their holistic concept of themselves. He explains that science has worked to understand the coming out process for years. He gives The Cass Identity Formation Model as an example from the 1970s. Dr. Belous tells us her model begins with ‘confusion,’ the stage where people discover they aren’t heterosexual. ‘Comparison,’ the stage where people decide to act straight or gay, is second. ‘Tolerance’ is the third step; which Chris describes as the stage when people acknowledge their sexuality without fully accepting it. He says that leads to ‘acceptance,’ when a person’s sexual identity is fully accepted, and people start coming out. He tells us the fifth step is called ‘identity pride,’ which is when people become activists, march in parades, and broadcast their sexuality. Her final stage, he explains, is ‘identity synthesis,’ when a person’s sexual identity is integrated with their everyday personality. Chris mentions that this model has many drawbacks, including its presumptions that straight people don’t have to go through sexual identity integration, and its presumption that gay people must believe they’re heterosexual before they realize they’re gay. A Multidimensional Model of Sexual Identity Formation Dr. Belous more often works with a multidimensional model of sexual identity formation rooted in social constructionism and developed by Horowitz and Newcomb. He explains that in their model sexual identity is more fluid, and their system is less linear. With the Cass model, people look at their behavior to see where they are on a very linear scale. However, Chris describes Horowitz and Newcomb’s model as referencing behaviors, desires, and experiences to form a coherent but temporary understanding of one’s sexual identity. The Minority Stress Theory Chris explains that the minority stress theory was initially developed by Ilan Meyer to describe LGBTQ+ identities, but has expanded to include other minorities like race, ethnicity, and culture. When used in the context of sexual identity it codifies the fact that being LGBTQ+ is more stressful than being cisgender and heterosexual. Dr. Belous relates that the crux of the matter is that gay people have to come out repeatedly and coming out always involves theoretical or actual threats to their emotional, physical, and social safety. Stress is also compounded, Chris tells us, by the need to constantly fight against assumptions due to their sexuality. Mental health concerns like anxiety and depression are much higher in the LGBTQ+ community, and Dr. Belous believes that this theory accounts for that disparity. Coming Out is More Stressful than Staying Closeted Chris tells us that research has proven coming out is more stressful than staying closeted. In many parts of the world, he reminds us, coming out means you’re risking your life, while it’s a minor issue elsewhere. He tells us deciding to come out is influenced by their family of origin, personal values, and beliefs, and the environment one lives in. In Dr. Belous’ research men often claimed they had to come out because of the depression, anxiety, irritability, and aggression that resulted from being closeted. Nearly half of the men he interviewed exhibited stereotypically gay traits that made people assume they were gay before they came out. How to Come Out Dr. Belous acknowledges that there is a lot of information online about coming out but reminds us that their information is usually based upon one person’s very good or very bad experience with coming out. He encourages people to watch the videos and consider the advice out there, but he reminds us that your own experience of coming out may be very different. His advice is to think about the people in your life to find the person it’s safest to come out to. He says you should look for someone who’s very supportive and an ally of the community. Chris warns that coming out is hardest the first time, and he encourages practicing first, but he emphasizes that you deserve to feel authentic and to be relieved of the weight of this secret. Coming Out Safely When helping people come out, Dr. Belous emphasizes safety. Coming out to the wrong parents can lead to being kicked out and starting a downward spiral that leads to drug use and sex work. Those risks mean Chris advises some minors to remain closeted while living with their parents. Waiting until you are taking care of yourself or you have another place to live and sleep if things go wrong is essential. Impact of Stereotypes on Sexual Identity Dr. Belous explains that people like to put others into simple, stereotyped categories. He says that when gay men come out, people expect them to fit feminine stereotypes. Similarly, lesbians are expected to be masculine, and women with masculine traits are assumed to be lesbians. He says stereotypes can hinder people’s desire to come out because they can make people feel like they don’t fit in as a gay person when they don’t fulfill those stereotypes. Chris points out that people who are bisexual, pansexual, demisexual, or any other sexual identity that doesn’t fit in the heterosexual or homosexual box often run into similar problems. They can be rejected by both communities for not choosing one or the other. Bisexuals also suffer from bi-erasure, which Dr. Belous illustrated by describing a bi man in a relationship with a woman. He also explains bi privilege, when happens when bi people are out with their different-sex significant other and have most people recognize their relationship and treat them appropriately, while homosexual men and women are often presumed to be friends or brothers. Advice for Parents He advises all parents to think about what values they want to communicate to their child, and what kind of person they want their child to become. Parents also need to identify things that are 100% unacceptable to them. When this happens, Chris says visiting a therapist to make a plan for when those things happen is a good idea, because if you don’t have a plan, you’re not going to react well. He suggests not under or overreacting if your child comes out as a homosexual. If you suspect your child is gay, be as supportive of the LGBTQ+ community as possible and talk about homosexuality and how it’s okay when it comes up. Those small changes can be enough to make children feel safe coming out. Chris also reminds us that there are completely heterosexual people who interact with the world in ways that mimic gay stereotypes. Those children will frequently be mistaken for homosexuals, and it’s important not to presume your child is homosexual because of stereotypes they personify. Resources for Christopher Belous: https://academics.pnw.edu/marriage-family-therapy/member/christopher-k-belous-phd-lmft/ http://www.thebsi.org https://www.instagram.com/chrisbelous/ More info:Link to the free guide – Talking About Sex: http://bettersexpodcast.com/talkJoin my email list here: http://bettersexpodcast.com/listBook and New Course – https://sexwithoutstress.comWeb – https://www.bettersexpodcast.com/Sex Health Quiz – http://sexhealthquiz.com/Better Sex with Jessa Zimmermanhttps://businessinnovatorsradio.com/better-sex/

Dr. Belous is an Associate Professor, the Director of the Couple and Family Therapy Center at Purdue University Northwest, and a practicing therapist. He is a certified sex therapist and educator, a certified family life educator, and a certified gay-affirmative psychotherapist. He is on the editorial board of the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy and the American Journal of Family Therapy. He is the founding chairperson of the Couples and Intimate Relationships Topical Interest Network and is the treasurer of the Queer and Trans Affirmative Network for the AAMFT. He is a sex and sexuality researcher focusing on social justice and couple and family therapy education and supervision. He has over 20 published works, has given more than 40 presentations at national and international conferences, and has completed 7 different research grants. The Cass Identity Formation Model Dr. Belous has done research on the process of coming out and helped people integrate their sexual identity into their holistic concept of themselves. He explains that science has worked to understand the coming out process for years. He gives The Cass Identity Formation Model as an example from the 1970s. Dr. Belous tells us her model begins with ‘confusion,’ the stage where people discover they aren’t heterosexual. ‘Comparison,’ the stage where people decide to act straight or gay, is second. ‘Tolerance’ is the third step; which Chris describes as the stage when people acknowledge their sexuality without fully accepting it. He says that leads to ‘acceptance,’ when a person’s sexual identity is fully accepted, and people start coming out. He tells us the fifth step is called ‘identity pride,’ which is when people become activists, march in parades, and broadcast their sexuality. Her final stage, he explains, is ‘identity synthesis,’ when a person’s sexual identity is integrated with their everyday personality. Chris mentions that this model has many drawbacks, including its presumptions that straight people don’t have to go through sexual identity integration, and its presumption that gay people must believe they’re heterosexual before they realize they’re gay. A Multidimensional Model of Sexual Identity Formation Dr. Belous more often works with a multidimensional model of sexual identity formation rooted in social constructionism and developed by Horowitz and Newcomb. He explains that in their model sexual identity is more fluid, and their system is less linear. With the Cass model, people look at their behavior to see where they are on a very linear scale. However, Chris describes Horowitz and Newcomb’s model as referencing behaviors, desires, and experiences to form a coherent but temporary understanding of one’s sexual identity. The Minority Stress Theory Chris explains that the minority stress theory was initially developed by Ilan Meyer to describe LGBTQ+ identities, but has expanded to include other minorities like race, ethnicity, and culture. When used in the context of sexual identity it codifies the fact that being LGBTQ+ is more stressful than being cisgender and heterosexual. Dr. Belous relates that the crux of the matter is that gay people have to come out repeatedly and coming out always involves theoretical or actual threats to their emotional, physical, and social safety. Stress is also compounded, Chris tells us, by the need to constantly fight against assumptions due to their sexuality. Mental health concerns like anxiety and depression are much higher in the LGBTQ+ community, and Dr. Belous believes that this theory accounts for that disparity. Coming Out is More Stressful than Staying Closeted Chris tells us that research has proven coming out is more stressful than staying closeted. In many parts of the world, he reminds us, coming out means you’re risking your life, while it’s a minor issue elsewhere. He tells us deciding to come out is influenced by their family of origin, personal values, and beliefs, and the environment one lives in. In Dr. Belous’ research men often claimed they had to come out because of the depression, anxiety, irritability, and aggression that resulted from being closeted. Nearly half of the men he interviewed exhibited stereotypically gay traits that made people assume they were gay before they came out. How to Come Out Dr. Belous acknowledges that there is a lot of information online about coming out but reminds us that their information is usually based upon one person’s very good or very bad experience with coming out. He encourages people to watch the videos and consider the advice out there, but he reminds us that your own experience of coming out may be very different. His advice is to think about the people in your life to find the person it’s safest to come out to. He says you should look for someone who’s very supportive and an ally of the community. Chris warns that coming out is hardest the first time, and he encourages practicing first, but he emphasizes that you deserve to feel authentic and to be relieved of the weight of this secret. Coming Out Safely When helping people come out, Dr. Belous emphasizes safety. Coming out to the wrong parents can lead to being kicked out and starting a downward spiral that leads to drug use and sex work. Those risks mean Chris advises some minors to remain closeted while living with their parents. Waiting until you are taking care of yourself or you have another place to live and sleep if things go wrong is essential. Impact of Stereotypes on Sexual Identity Dr. Belous explains that people like to put others into simple, stereotyped categories. He says that when gay men come out, people expect them to fit feminine stereotypes. Similarly, lesbians are expected to be masculine, and women with masculine traits are assumed to be lesbians. He says stereotypes can hinder people’s desire to come out because they can make people feel like they don’t fit in as a gay person when they don’t fulfill those stereotypes. Chris points out that people who are bisexual, pansexual, demisexual, or any other sexual identity that doesn’t fit in the heterosexual or homosexual box often run into similar problems. They can be rejected by both communities for not choosing one or the other. Bisexuals also suffer from bi-erasure, which Dr. Belous illustrated by describing a bi man in a relationship with a woman. He also explains bi privilege, when happens when bi people are out with their different-sex significant other and have most people recognize their relationship and treat them appropriately, while homosexual men and women are often presumed to be friends or brothers. Advice for Parents He advises all parents to think about what values they want to communicate to their child, and what kind of person they want their child to become. Parents also need to identify things that are 100% unacceptable to them. When this happens, Chris says visiting a therapist to make a plan for when those things happen is a good idea, because if you don’t have a plan, you’re not going to react well. He suggests not under or overreacting if your child comes out as a homosexual. If you suspect your child is gay, be as supportive of the LGBTQ+ community as possible and talk about homosexuality and how it’s okay when it comes up. Those small changes can be enough to make children feel safe coming out. Chris also reminds us that there are completely heterosexual people who interact with the world in ways that mimic gay stereotypes. Those children will frequently be mistaken for homosexuals, and it’s important not to presume your child is homosexual because of stereotypes they personify. Resources for Christopher Belous: https://academics.pnw.edu/marriage-family-therapy/member/christopher-k-belous-phd-lmft/ http://www.thebsi.org https://www.instagram.com/chrisbelous/ More info:Link to the free guide – Talking About Sex: http://bettersexpodcast.com/talkJoin my email list here: http://bettersexpodcast.com/listBook and New Course – https://sexwithoutstress.comWeb – https://www.bettersexpodcast.com/Sex Health Quiz – http://sexhealthquiz.com/Better Sex with Jessa Zimmermanhttps://businessinnovatorsradio.com/better-sex/

Stefanie Carnes, Ph.D. is the President of the International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals, a training institute and professional organization for addiction professionals, and a senior fellow for Meadows Behavioral Healthcare where she works with sexually addicted clients and their families. Dr. Carnes is the clinical architect for Willow House: Relationship Healing for Women struggling with sex, love and intimacy disorders and works closely with the staff of Willow House and Gentle Path to bring her unique expertise to the programs and to aid the clients who suffer from intimacy and relationship disorders. She is a licensed marriage and family therapist and an AAMFT approved supervisor. Dr. Carnes is also a clinical sexologist and certified sex addiction therapist and supervisor, specializing in therapy for couples and families struggling with sexual addiction. She presents regularly at conferences at both the state and national levels. She is also the author of numerous publications including her books, Mending a Shattered Heart: A Guide for Partners of Sex Addicts, and Facing Heartbreak: Steps to Recovery for Partners of Sex Addicts, and Facing Addiction: Starting Recovery from Alcohol and Drugs. Her new book, scheduled to be released in may is titled “Courageous Love: A Guide for Couples Conquering Betrayal”. We are glad you found our season 3 episodes where we share some of our most advanced learnings and bring amazing experts on when it comes to relationships, and the challenges of healing both sides of the relationship after sex addiction and infidelity. Our journey has taken us a long ways from the time we recorded these episodes, but many have still found help and hope for healing in the information. We hope you always seek healing first for yourself, and where possible for the relationship, though staying together or choosing divorce or separation can occur at the point of betrayal and at times even after healing from betrayal and addictions. If you would like support in healing from betrayal we'd invite you to look at our program https://www.beyond-enough.com/beyondbetrayal It is not a program about staying together or leaving your partner, but rather finding the healing we need as an individual who has been made aware of our partner cheating. If you would like support from a licensed therapist contact Brannon's office at www.utahtherapy.org To find out about Ashlynn's groups https://www.thisisashlynn.com/mentoring To get support from Coby check out www.growwithcoby.com Thanks for your continued support for the podcast throughout all of our journey.

Stefanie Carnes, Ph.D. is the President of the International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals, a training institute and professional organization for addiction professionals, and a senior fellow for Meadows Behavioral Healthcare where she works with sexually addicted clients and their families.  Dr. Carnes is the clinical architect for Willow House: Relationship Healing for Women struggling with sex, love and intimacy disorders and works closely with the staff of Willow House and Gentle Path to bring her unique expertise to the programs and to aid the clients who suffer from intimacy and relationship disorders. She is a licensed marriage and family therapist and an AAMFT approved supervisor. Dr. Carnes is also a clinical sexologist and certified sex addiction therapist and supervisor, specializing in therapy for couples and families struggling with sexual addiction.  She presents regularly at conferences at both the state and national levels.  She is also the author of numerous publications including her books, Mending a Shattered Heart: A Guide for Partners of Sex Addicts, and Facing Heartbreak: Steps to Recovery for Partners of Sex Addicts, and Facing Addiction: Starting Recovery from Alcohol and Drugs. Her new book, scheduled to be released in may is titled “Courageous Love: A Guide for Couples Conquering Betrayal”.

Leslie Anderson, LMFT, and Sheeza Mohsin, LMFT, talk about their experiences as MFT minority students and instructors. They discuss diversity, inclusion, and dialogues about race dynamics in the classroom, how majority groups can model inclusion and use privilege to benefit marginalized communities, and how the profession can attract more minority candidates. Finally, Jermaine Lowery, Director of AAMFT's Minority Fellowship Program talks about opportunities and eligibility for the fellowship program. 

Dr. Toni Zimmerman is an expert on all things AAMFT Supervision. She has directed the CSU Family Therapy program for almost 25 years. She has won many awards in her academic career and she is a staple in the Fundamentals of Supervision training program at AAMFT. Eli sits down with Toni to discuss the trends in MFT Supervision and her impact in the field. She first discusses her origin story and some of the biggest changes in the field since she started, including a discussion about video supervision. She gives advice to supervisees on how to have difficult conversations with their supervisor when there may be an issue. And she provides tips on how to interview potential Supervisors.Lastly, Toni goes into to details about the AAMFT Approved Supervisor Designation and how it excels over other programs.

Dr. Ben Caldwell is part of the faculty at California State Northridge, an author of five books, and the chair of the Legislative and Advocacy Committee for the California division of AAMFT.In a discussion about advocacy and his thoughts on the MFT profession, Eli and Ben talk about his origin story as an MFT and how he started his work in advocacy. He expresses why advocacy should be important to students and young professionals, and discusses how MFTs can help change the stigma of going to therapy. Lastly, he talks about the biggest changes and trends in the field.

In this episode, Eli interviews Tim Dwyer, President of AAMFT, and Steve Harris, Editor of JMFT about their background and journey through the field. They discuss their visions for the future of AAMFT and the Journal, and how their work benefits the members of AAMFT and the field of marriage and family therapy. First to be interviewed is, Dr. Steve Harris. He discusses the topics he would like to add to the JMFT catalog and the excitement of the upcoming edition of effectiveness. He provides ways for members to get more involved in the journal especially students. Later, Dr. Tim Dwyer describes his trajectory of leadership under AAMFT and the leadership qualities that he brings to the table. He goes into detail about what he does as the president of AAMFT and the things he is excited to see in the future. Get to know more about these two leaders in the field.  

This episode's guest is Dr. Tracy Todd. With years of experience as an MFT and the current CEO of AAMFT, Tracy and Eli discuss the future of AAMFT and the new programs we are introducing to benefit the advancement of the profession. He describes how MFTs can benefit from mixed-reality simulation training, new Topical Interest Networks, future-building events like the Leadership Symposium, and the Disruptive Innovation Challenge. Tracy shares how AAMFT's new initiatives allow us to stay current and continuously evolve within the growing field, and highlights the significance of providing opportunities for members to become involved and engaged with their profession.  

Thank you for listening to Mormon Sex Info. This episode is an archived episode and is only now becoming publicly available. Mormon Sex Info relies on contributions. To contribute, please visit:  mormonsex.info Please enjoy the episode. Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. Neil Cannon, an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist and Supervisor of Sex Therapy, on the topic of Erectile Dysfunction (ED). They cover the many factors that go into the ability to get or maintain an erection for penetrative sexuality... but it doesn't stop there. They also discuss the many messages men receive about their sexuality, men's sexual health, what most people assume it means to be sexually successful, relational dynamics. Both physiological and psychological factors are addressed, including a discussion on the various ways ED can be successfully treated.    Dr. Cannon has a private practice in Denver, Colorado, received his PhD in Human Sexuality, is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and Clinical Fellow of AAMFT. Dr. Cannon teaches both graduate and post-graduate students of psychology, counseling and social work at The University of Denver, The University of Colorado, and Regis and Metropolitan State University. He is also an instructor at the University of Michigan, School of Social Work Sexual Health Certificate Program. The University of Michigan is known in the field of sex therapy for being one of the leading programs in the world for clinicians on a path towards becoming sex therapists. Dr. Cannon is a published author, professional speaker, supervisor, mentor, and nationally recognized expert on sex, intimacy and relationships.   Links to resources that are covered during the podcast:   Dr. Cannon mentioned some hypnotherapy audio resources that are available at: https://audiocounseling.com audiocounseling.com

Welcome to episode 112 of the Sexology Podcast! Today I am delighted to welcome Martha Kauppi, LMFT to the podcast. In this conversation, Martha speaks to me about polyamorous relationships, the common misconceptions people have around polyamory, how therapists can work with polyamory from a differentiation perspective?    Martha Kauppi, LMFT, is an educator, AASECT-certified sex therapist and supervisor, and AAMFT-approved supervisor. She specializes in relational sex therapy, including alternative family structures, and trains therapists to work effectively at the intersection of sex issues and relationship challenges.     Martha’s mission is to make sex a safe topic in therapy rooms everywhere by developing unique educational experiences and immediately-applicable learning materials for therapists.    In this episode, you will hear:     The alternative relationship structures Martha has worked with   How she became interested in polyamory   The challenges people face in polyamorous relationships   How Martha’s research showed polyamorous relationships can last for 26 years   The sense of community and support polyamory can provide   The common misconceptions people have around polyamory   How not every polyamorous relationship is sexual   The fear and intimidation people still face around this issue   The role that jealousy can play in polyamory   How therapists can work with polyamory from a differentiation perspective?      Resources  https://instituteforrelationalintimacy.com  http://www.sexologypodcast.com/2018/06/12/ep75-polyamory-and-finding-loves/ https://www.facebook.com/oasis2care   https://www.instagram.com/oasis2care   https://twitter.com/oasis2care    https://oasis2care.clientsecure.me/client_portal     Podcast Produced by Pete Bailey - http://petebailey.net/audio 

It’s time to reimagine therapy and what it means to be a therapist. We are human beings who can now present ourselves as whole people, with authenticity, purpose, and connection. Especially now, when therapists must develop a personal brand to market their practices. To support you as a whole person and a therapist, your hosts, Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy talk about how to approach the role of therapist in the modern age. Interview with Benjamin E. Caldwell, Psy.D. Dr. Benjamin Caldwell is the author of five books, including Basics of California Law for LMFTs, LPCCs, and LCSWs, which is now on its fourth edition, and Saving Psychotherapy, which has been the focus of several invited conference presentations. He serves as adjunct faculty for California State University Northridge and The Wright Institute in Berkeley, CA. In his role as Chair of the Legislative and Advocacy Committee for the California Division of AAMFT, he has been directly involved in California's first-in-the-nation ban on reparative therapy for minors, and he drove the change in title from "intern" to "associate" for prelicensed MFTs and PCCs. For his advocacy work, he was awarded the AAMFT Division Contribution Award in 2013. He is a California licensed marriage and family therapist (#42723) and maintains a private practice in Los Angeles, specializing in working with couples. In this episode we talk about: Why psychotherapy needs to be saved, looking at the huge financial barriers to entering the profession and the diminishing amount of money spent on treatment. The advocacy needed to address training requirements, outdated laws and ethical codes, etc. The importance of being clear in communicating what we do, how we’re different from each other, and why we do what we do Why people don’t like or trust therapists How Evidence Based Practices are impacting the field Why we’ve not become more effective as a profession The need to improve therapists, not treatment protocols The “way of being” of a therapist is more important than the clinical interventions used Deliberate Practice How to improve workplaces to take better care of therapists How to advocate at each stage of your career Resources mentioned: We’ve pulled together any resources mentioned in this episode and put together some handy-dandy links. Curt’s almost weekly mention of Scott Miller and his work (and Ben chimes in a lot this time) The Evolution of Psychotherapy Conference Saving Psychotherapy by Benjamin E. Caldwell Basics of California Law for LMFTs, LPCCs, and LCSWs by Benjamin E. Caldwell Ben Caldwell Labs Psychotherapy Notes Our events: The Brand Called “You”: Legal and Ethical Issues in Developing Your Personal Brand The Therapy Reimagined Conference in Los Angeles in October 2018!! Who we are: Curt Widhalm is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in private practice in the Los Angeles area. He is a Board Member at Large for the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, a Subject Matter Expert for the California Board of Behavioral Sciences, Adjunct Faculty at Pepperdine University, and a loving husband and father. He is 1/2 great person, 1/2 provocateur, and 1/2 geek, in that order. He dabbles in the dark art of making "dad jokes" and usually has a half-empty cup of coffee somewhere nearby. Learn more about Curt at www.curtwidhalm.com. Katie Vernoy is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, coach, and consultant. As a helping professional for two decades, she’s navigated the ups and downs of our unique line of work. She’s run her own solo therapy practice, designed innovative clinical programs, built and managed large, thriving teams of service providers, and consulted hundreds of helping professionals on how to build meaningful AND sustainable practices. In her spare time, Katie is secretly siphoning off Curt's youthful energy, so that she can take over the world. Learn more about Katie at www.katievernoy.com. A Quick Note: Our opinions are our own. We are only speaking for ourselves – except when we speak for each other, or over each other. We’re working on it. Our guests are also only speaking for themselves and have their own opinions. We aren’t trying to take their voice, and no one speaks for us either. Mostly because they don’t want to, but hey. Stay in Touch: www.mtsgpodcast.com https://www.facebook.com/therapyreimagined/ https://twitter.com/therapymovement https://www.instagram.com/therapyreimagined/ Credits: Voice Over by DW McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/ Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano http://www.crystalmangano.com/

Tracy Todd and Jillian Bashore of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy join us on Through the Noise in their respective roles as Executive Director and Communication Manager. Tracy Todd brings 20 years of experience as a licensed marriage and family therapist to the role of Executive Director and brings a critical understanding of the profession to the association that works to advance the profession. Like many associations, the staff of the AAMFT struggle with the problem of "selling" the membership to potential members and creating a value for those who support the organization -- if the work is being done anyway -- what's the point of joining? Tune into this episode for their own take on this ubiquitous problem. Have you faced this problem within your own organization? Would you like to share stories of your struggles and successes with Through the Noise listeners and share the wealth of knowledge? Get in touch! We're always booking future guests who have valuable lessons to offer our listeners. The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy is the professional association for the field of marriage and family therapy. We represent the professional interests of more than 50,000 marriage and family therapists throughout the United States, Canada and abroad. PhD has been the CEO of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy since 2013. Prior, he was a marriage and family therapist in Westminster, Colorado where he saw individuals, couples, and families for nearly twenty years.

My guest on the podcast this week features Coreen Haym, Coreen is a visiting faculty member in the marriage and family therapy program, at the university of Nevada, Las Vegas, teaching for UNLV since 2007. She has considerable experience presenting and instructing on clinical work with non-traditional families as well as sex therapy, sexual issues, crisis suicide risk assessment, language and diversity diagnosis, LGBTQ studies, kink friendly psychotherapy and gender & sexuality. She is a clinical fellow and a proved supervisor with of the AAMFT and is also a member of the American counseling association. Currently, Coreen is pursuing her Ph.D. in counselor education at Adam State University and is also a licensed marriage and family therapist with a small private practice in Las Vegas, Nevada. You can read the full show notes at www.lourdesviado.com

This Week's Show Archives - Mind Body Spirit Living The relationships with those we are most intimately linked can have some of the powerful highs and lows of emotions.  When we experience these strong feelings, it can lead us to create stories that we think can explain, justify, or rationalize another’s thoughts or behaviors.  But these stories we tell ourselves can also exaggerate untruths about another, and only make challenging circumstances and mis-communications worse!  How can we learn to be more aware of our tendency to create untrue or misleading stories that harm our relationships? Our guest this week shares her best advice from her many years as a licensed marriage and family therapist. Mary Steege is a licensed marriage and family therapist, a certified Internal Family Systems therapist, and a pastor in the Presbyterian Church, USA. Currently in private practice at the Therapy House in Racine, WI, she has also served as a parish pastor and a hospital and hospice chaplain. Mary is a member of the AAMFT and author of a book on psycho-spiritual healing called: “The Spirit-led Life: A Christian Encounter with Internal Family Systems.” She conducts her own workshops on healing and has been a presenter at the International Internal Family Systems conference. You can learn more about Mary at http://www.thetherapyhouse.org/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=22554  

  If you only listen to one episode of this podcast – this is the one! A complicating factor for doing online counseling in the United States is the fact that each state has different regulations that govern who can practice tele-mental health with their citizens. Also, each professional organization (APA, NASW, AMA, AAMFT, ACA, etc) have their own guidelines. So to look at the guidelines for 5 different professions in 50 different states – you quickly would be looking at 250 different issues. Wouldn't it be nice if someone did that research for you? Well someone did. Amy Lerman, senior counsel at Epstein Becker and Green is the co-author of “50 State Survey of Telemental / Telebehavioral Health (2016)”. It is a 600 + page, comprehensive report that breaks down each state's regulations to the 6 different professions who are licensed to do online counseling. It is gold. Any question that you could possible have – they have the answer. It is a must read and I am thrilled to welcome Amy on the podcast to talk about it. Want to see the report your self? Hint: we should all have this in our files!! Head over to the Therapist Toolbox at The Online Counselling Directory ( www.onlinecounselling.com/therapisttoolbox ) or go to Epstein Becker and Green at the link below.   http://www.epsteinbeckergreen.net/Telemental/EPSTEIN-BECKER-GREEN-50-STATE-TELEMENTAL-HEALTH-SURVEY.pdf   “This survey was created by Epstein Becker Green. For additional information about Epstein Becker Green, you can visit their Telehealth & Telemedicine webpage."

35 I reached out to Ben because I needed to learn about what it means to be an advocate in our field. Sure, I advocate for our businesses to grow because that means more people get help and more therapists stay in the field in which they're gifted. But I knew there had to be more. So this is my interview, learning from Ben and hoping you'll learn something new, too. There are some minor expletives, so you may want to put in some headphones. To check out Ben and his work, as well as his book, go to https://www.bencaldwell.com/ (https://www.bencaldwell.com/), and of course, if you're going to the AAMFT conference, you should check out his presentations! Thank you, Ben, for teaching me. I'm inspired. :)

I reached out to Ben because I needed to learn about what it means to be an advocate in our field. Sure, I advocate for our businesses to grow because that means more people get help and more therapists stay in the field in which they are gifted. But I knew there had to be more. So this is my interview, learning from Ben and hoping you will learn too.There are some minor expletives so you may want to put in some headphones. To check out Ben and his work, as well as his book, go to https://www.bencaldwell.com/ and of course if you are going to the AAMFT conference you should check out his presentations!Thank you Ben for teaching me. I am inspired.

Finding Personal Growth Through Relationships with Mary Steege – 2-27-16 | Mind Body Spirit Living The relationships around us may range in the depth of their intimacy, but within each is an invitation to grow.  Our relationships allow us to understand ourselves better, and to raise our awareness of the places within us that are in need of healing. In the midst of things that strain our relationships, it may not be as easy to see these opportunities, but if we choose to accept this philosophy, it can change how we see every conversation as well as every conflict.  What can we do to see our relationships as a place for our own personal growth?  Our guest this week is a therapist who works with clients to find these gifts amidst the challenges. Mary Steege is a licensed marriage and family therapist, a certified Internal Family Systems therapist, and a pastor in the Presbyterian Church, USA. Currently in private practice at the Therapy House in Racine, WI, she has also served as a parish pastor and a hospital and hospice chaplain. Mary is a member of the AAMFT and author of a book on psycho-spiritual healing called: “The Spirit-led Life: A Christian Encounter with Internal Family Systems.” She conducts her own workshops on healing and has been a presenter at the International Internal Family Systems conference.  

Do you feel the stress of working in an office, huddled over a computer is taking a toll on your body? Or worry about that old running injury that keeps flaring up? Today's guest, Michael Bowers of the American Physical Therapy Association has some ideas for you -- and 95,000 people at his fingertips that can help you address problems of your physical body so that your mind can work freely without worry. He has seen the wonders that physical therapy can offer to people of all ages through the tremendous success the therapy has had with his three year old granddaughter who was born prematurely. First developed to treat wounded warriors during World War I, physical therapy has grown and evolved, and continues to improve dramatically as a non-invasive way to treat people's injuries and maintain health throughout the aging process. After listening to this inspiring episode, you might find yourself calling one of the members of the American Physical Therapy Association. Your body would probably appreciate it. Bowers, is the recently appointed chief executive officer for the American Physical Therapy Association.  He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Harding University in Seacry, Arkansas, as well as having prior experience as a therapist in the justice system and as a minister. His most recent experience is that of CEO at the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). Bowers worked for AAMFT for over 25 years in a variety of leadership positions where he developed expertise in many aspects of association management, including advocacy, governance, volunteer development, financial management, and member relations. The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) is an individual membership professional organization representing more than 90,000 member physical therapists (PTs), physical therapist assistants (PTAs), and students of physical therapy. APTA seeks to improve the health and quality of life of individuals in society by advancing physical therapist practice, education, and research, and by increasing the awareness and understanding of physical therapy's role in the nation's health care system.

Distinguished professor, Certified Love Educator, Pat Love, Ed.D. is known for warmth, humor and commitment to learning. For more than twenty-five years, she has contributed to relationship education and personal development through her books, articles, training programs, speaking and media appearances. Dr. Love has published several professional articles, been featured in many professional books and developed relationships education media and materials being used nationally and internationally. Her ever-popular books Hot Monogamy and The Truth About Love have literally taken her around the world spreading the good news about marriage and committed relationships. She released her new book in February 2007,, co-authored with Dr. Steven Stosny, and entitled How to Improve Your Marriage Without Talking About It. Pat is in demand as an expert presenter at national and international conferences. She has appeared numerous times on Oprah, The Today Show and CNN. Pat also has a new university level Love Education DVD course Love: What Everyone Needs to Know. She is a regular contributor to popular magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Men's Health, Good Housekeeping, Men's Magazine and Woman's World. Pat has co-hosted two video training programs: Living Love and Parenting with the Experts. She is faculty Emeritus, Imago Institute for Relationship Therapy and a recipient of the Smart Marriages Impact Award. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, an Approved Supervisor in AAMFT, and a past president of the International Association for Marriage and Family Counseling.