In this week's episode my guests are Dr. Ann Kelley and Sue Marriott, LCSW, hosts of Therapist Uncensored podcast and authors of the upcoming book, Secure Relating: Holding Your Own In An Insecure World. They discuss the importance of spreading secure relating and changing society through understanding attachment. They describe how their book challenges traditional views of attachment and proposes a spectrum of attachment patterns. We had a great conversation that I know you'll find interesting!...
Mar 29, 2024•54 min
Today's Therapy Chat guest is Dr. Peter Levine, the developer of Somatic Experiencing, who speaks about his journey as a wounded healer. He shares that by being open about our experiences healing, our authenticity allows others to know they're not alone. None of us in the helping professions have been immune to suffering, it's a part of the universal experience of being human; and there's no shame in having experienced trauma, no matter who you are. In our conversation, Dr. Levine shares about h...
Mar 21, 2024•39 min
Welcome back to Therapy Chat! Betrayal comes in many forms. One of the most common ways we think of it is when a partner has a hidden life or a side relationship they're keeping secret from their partner. Secrecy and shame can lead to broken trust and overwhelming feelings of betrayal that are not easy to recover from. If you've ever experienced the pain of betrayal, you'll want to hear my conversation with LaDonna Carey, MA! In our conversation, we explored the topic of betrayal trauma and how ...
Mar 14, 2024•53 min
Welcome back to Therapy Chat! If you've ever thought, "I know I need to set a boundary, but I don't know how to do it," or "I know what I should do/say, but why can't I seem to make myself do it?" then you'll love this episode. This week's guest, Juliane Taylor Shore, wrote the book, "Setting Boundaries That Stick: How Neurobiology Can Help You Rewire Your Brain to Help You Feel Safe, Connected and Empowered," which addresses the challenge of setting boundaries, which so many of us find confusin...
Mar 08, 2024•47 min
Welcome back to Therapy Chat! In this episode, the last for now in the series on women's wellness in midlife, I spoke with Dr. Erin Kinney, a naturopathic doctor in Annapolis Maryland, to discuss the connection between chronic stress and women's wellness. Dr. Kinney explained the impact of chronic stress - like developmental/childhood trauma - on our endocrine systems, affecting our hormones. I talked a bit about how this happened in my life and created a health crisis for me just around the tim...
Mar 01, 2024•52 min
Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week's guest, Dr. Sara Poldmae is a licensed acupuncturist, Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner and Doctor of Chinese Medicine. Dr. Sara discusses her approach to healing, which combines Eastern and Western medicine to help women find wellness in midlife. She emphasizes the importance of treating the root cause of symptoms and the need for a holistic approach to patient care. Sara shares her expertise in addressing hormonal imbalances and menopause sympt...
Feb 23, 2024•34 min
Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week we're talking about a topic that has been relatively taboo until recently - but affects everyone with a uterus in some way. Welcome to a series on menopause! My guest today is Dr. Nazanin Moali, an internationally-recognized AASECT certified psychologist, educator, and host of Sexology Podcast. We talked about the impact of menopause on mental health and Nazanin shared from the sex therapist perspective. We discussed the hormonal, mood and libido-related s...
Feb 16, 2024•39 min
This week's episode includes a conversation with Jenn Fredette. We talked about how marketing doesn't have to be gross and make you feel ashamed of who you are. We discuss the role of attachment style in marketing and how therapists can show up authentically in their marketing efforts. We also explore the evolution of therapist influencers and the pressure to conform to certain marketing strategies. Jen emphasizes the importance of niching down and writing specifically to your ideal client. Over...
Feb 09, 2024•48 min
In this episode of Therapy Chat, host Laura interviews Dr. Marc Hauser about his book 'Vulnerable Minds: The Harm of Trauma and the Hope of Resilience'. The conversation explores childhood trauma, resilience, and the healing process. Marc Hauser shares his background in cognitive neuroscience and his work with at-risk children, including those with traumatic experiences. The book aims to bring scientific knowledge to practitioners and parents to help children living with trauma. The conversation...
Feb 02, 2024•1 hr 9 min
Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week I'm thrilled to bring you the last interview Linda Thai, LMSW, RYT-200, CLYL and I did in 2023. The previous three episodes with Linda were focused on my grief journey, and this one is different - though trauma, attachment and grief are woven in, of course. Linda teaches us about Psychodrama Structures, which is a method she has benefited from and uses to bring healing to many people. In our conversation we explore themes of healing when one's Family of Or...
Jan 26, 2024•1 hr 2 min
Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week I'm joined by a fellow trauma therapist who is also a colleague and friend, Dr. Jenny Hughes. In our conversation we explore themes of building trust through allowing vulnerability, the power of connection and co-regulation in healing, the process of metabolizing emotions, integration and healing, the transformative power of difficult times, grief, vicarious trauma and vicarious resilience, hope, finding supportive spaces, the beauty and joy of trauma work...
Jan 19, 2024•1 hr
Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week we have a returning guest, Brooke Randolph, LPC, LMHC, LPCC-S, an adoptive parent, therapist and advocate for the members of the adoption constellation, who is also the author of several books and a Brainspotting trainer. This conversation explores the complex and often overlooked aspects of adoption, focusing on the experiences of adoptees, adoptive parents, and birth parents. I talk about my journey of learning about adoption as a therapist, and we talk ...
Jan 12, 2024•1 hr 6 min
Welcome back to Therapy Chat! In this first episode of 2024 I'm so happy to bring you this interview recorded this past Fall, with Dr. Mariel Buqué, author of the new book, Break the Cycle: A Guide to Healing Intergenerational Trauma. We discussed intergenerational patterns of trauma, legacy burdens that were carried by our ancestors and are held in our bodies, showing up as patterns of tension, pain and illness. Tune in to our conversation and learn how you can break the cycles of those who cam...
Jan 05, 2024•47 min
Welcome back to Therapy Chat! As 2023 comes to an end I wanted to reflect upon the year and what I learned through my experiences. Life always includes highs and lows, light and darkness. This year in my personal and professional life (so basically my whole life), there was more darkness than light. Yet upon reflection, there were so many glimmers of light within the dark times. In this episode I share my personal journey dealing with grief and loss in my personal life and how it made it difficu...
Dec 29, 2023•1 hr 24 min
Welcome back to Therapy Chat. This week I interviewed author, EMDR-Certified therapist and Consultant In Training Marcken Volmy, LMHC about how EMDR can help with betrayal trauma and the impact of broken trust. We explored how betrayal by trusted figures and institutions can shatter one's sense of safety and trust in the world. We also discussed recent examples of betrayal within the mental health field, for example, the FTC settlement with BetterHelp, and other situations in our field which hav...
Dec 15, 2023•38 min
Welcome back to Therapy Chat! We all know people who'll do anything for others but never accept help for themselves. In fact, they never admit needing any help, despite being very attuned to how everyone around them is doing. These relationships feel out of balance, and limit both partners' ability to show up authentically. This is true in intimate partner relationships, friendships, work relationships and family relationships. This week host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews Michelle Farris, LMFT...
Dec 08, 2023•40 min
This week on Therapy Chat we are revisiting a conversation from a few years ago that will feel timely to many of us as we move through the holiday season. Whether you are a parent or an adult child, the holidays - which are supposed to be a time of family togetherness - can often feel very stressful. This week's guest is Tina Gilbertson. She specializes in supporting parents who are estranged from their adult children, and not by choice. Tina Gilbertson is a psychotherapist and author of Reconne...
Dec 01, 2023•46 min
Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week, in an interview that is timely as we're in the thick of the holiday season, I interviewed Dr. Lindsay Gibson for the second time. This time we're discussing the challenge of disentangling from emotionally immature people. In our conversation, you'll hear Lindsay describe the characteristics of Emotionally Immature People, how it feels to be in a relationship with them, and how to assert ourselves within those relationships. She discusses her newest book, ...
Nov 24, 2023•54 min
Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week we are continuing our exploration of the many ways to use EMDR. This week's guest is Rebecca Kase, a licensed clinical social worker and yoga instructor, living in Gig Harbor, WA. She is an EMDR Consultant & Basic Trainer, and owner of Kase & CO, an EMDR Training and Consulting company. She is the author of Polyvagal informed EMDR: A Neuro-informed Approach to Healing. In our conversation, you'll hear why a Polyvagal perspective is important when l...
Nov 18, 2023•52 min
Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week I'm honored to bring you another interview on the subject of religious trauma. My guest today is Dr. Mark G. Karris, a Marriage and Family Therapist in California who is the author of four books, including most recently, "The Diabolical Trinity: Healing Religious Trauma from a Wrathful God, Tormenting Hell, and a Sinful Self." He describes why he wrote this book, and how religious beliefs with these three components can be traumatic. This conversation is n...
Nov 10, 2023•44 min
Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week, we are talking about a topic we haven't covered before because I didn't know people were doing it! This week's guests are Ann Beckley Forest and Annie Monaco, two EMDR therapists who together make up Playful EMDR! Ann and Annie talk about how they use EMDR in combination with play therapy with children who have experienced disrupted attachment relationships and trauma. As always, I had many questions and they answered them all. If you found Robyn Gobbel's...
Nov 03, 2023•38 min
Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week I’m bringing you an episode which was recorded a few months ago as the third part of my series of somatic witnessing along my grief journey with Linda Thai. If you missed the first two episodes, they’re linked in the show notes. I had an unexpected loss of a family member early this year. The context is that I’ve been dealing with anticipatory grief related to my own parents’ health issues, which has opened the opportunity to explore deep healing of the at...
Oct 27, 2023•57 min
Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week, with all the hate and violence in the world, we are revisiting an episode which was originally recorded in 2020. My guest, Sarah Peyton, is a neuroscience educator and author of the wonderful book, "Your Resonant Self," and the accompanying workbook. I'm replaying this episode this week because Sarah shared such interesting and surprising information about how it makes us feel good to unite against a common enemy. Though the newest war that is happening n...
Oct 20, 2023•1 hr 4 min
Welcome back to Therapy Chat! We've all heard the term "self regulation," and many of us are familiar with the concept of "co-regulation," but what is it, really? How do we do it? How do we know when we are in a ventral vagal nervous system state? If you heard my conversation with Dr. Stephen Porges a couple of weeks ago you may be curious what this would feel like and look like, for yourself and for therapy. Today's guest, Alyce Wellons, LCSW, has studied mind/body practices and used them in th...
Oct 12, 2023•43 min
Welcome back to Therapy Chat! Have you ever considered trying Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy (PAP)? If you're a therapist, is this something that you've been wondering about adding to your practice? Maybe you're just curious. Whether you're a therapist or someone who is interested in learning about psychedelics and trauma, you'll find something in this conversation that will inspire curiosity! This week I'm grateful to bring you my recent conversation with friend and colleague (and TTN membe...
Oct 06, 2023•53 min
Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week I'm thrilled to be speaking with Dr. Stephen Porges, who proposed the Polyvagal Theory back in the 90's and has continued to study, write and speak about this important work ever since. In our conversation you'll hear the story of Dr. Porges's work over the past decades; find out how the Polyvagal Theory relates to our felt sense of safety; learn about the Safe & Sound Protocol; learn about the positive impact of our individual and collective healing; ...
Sep 29, 2023•1 hr 9 min
Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week, in celebration of our 400th episode of Therapy Chat, I'm sharing my recent interview with Robyn Gobbel, a former therapist who now focuses her time on writing and educating about what she calls "big, baffling behaviors," and teaching children and families to understand their Owl, Watchdog and Possum brains. Robyn is demystifying child behavior by making neuroscience relatable. She shares about her work, the communities she hosts, and her new book, Raising...
Sep 22, 2023•1 hr 10 min
Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week I'm recovering from Covid (again) after being in England the past 2 weeks. I'm sharing an episode that I hope will resonate with you if you've ever wondered why it can be so hard to open up in therapy. There are the things we don't choose to share because we're not ready, and then there are the things we WANT to share, but can't seem to bring ourselves to speak out loud. I've experienced it myself, when I want to talk about something and my throat feels li...
Sep 15, 2023•1 hr 2 min
Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week I'm away at the Not Your Typical Psychotherapist Conference in London, I'm sharing an episode from 2021 about connecting with your inner resonance, with Sarah Peyton. Sarah Peyton, Certified Trainer of Nonviolent Communication, constellation facilitator and neuroscience educator, integrates brain science and the use of resonant language to heal trauma and nourish self-warmth with exquisite gentleness. She teaches and lectures internationally, and is the au...
Sep 08, 2023•59 min
Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week I'm away at the Master Series: Oxford trauma conference in England, and I'm sharing an episode which was originally recorded 5 years ago. This week we welcome Susan Pease Banitt, a now-retired trauma therapist who spoke with me about her second book, Wisdom, Attachment & Love in Trauma Therapy: Beyond Evidence Based Practice. Susan was the first person to educate me and provide a critical perspective on what "evidence based practice" really is, and who...
Sep 01, 2023•50 min
