Latest Episode:
Episode 141 - “Not All Christians…” (with Josh Foster, LCPC)
What is religious trauma, and why do some therapists refuse to work with clients who use that language? In today’s episode, Jeremy speaks about his experiences with therapists who felt the need to defend their faith in session, and we are joined by Josh Foster, LCPC to discuss the complicated intersection between evangelical Christianity and ethical psychotherapy.
Episode 139 - Politics in the Therapy Room (with Dr. Ben Caldwell)
Let’s get controversial! Is it a good idea for a therapist to project their own political views onto a client? For today’s guest Ruth, the answer is a resounding “no.” We hear her story of a therapist who took her political advocacy too far, and Dr. Ben Caldwell rejoins us to explore the ethics of discussing politics in therapy. Plus, how can therapists know if they are trauma-informed enough for their clients?
Episode 136 - Very Bad Group Therapy
What makes for effective group therapy? Cohesion, expectation setting, and as today’s guest Thomas can attest to, not having the therapist give the middle finger to a group member. We try to make sense of Thomas’ experience by looking into research on group therapy, and we also try to make sense of our own experience of failing to find a single group therapy expert.
Episode 134 - Neurodiversity and Diagnosis (with Halina Brooke, LAMFT)
What’s so important about a diagnosis? For neurodivergent clients, it can mean affirmation, community support, and access to much-needed services…if the diagnosis is correct. In today’s episode, we talk to Harley about her challenges in seeking diagnoses of autism and ADHD, and Halina Brooke rejoins us to discuss some of the best practices (and controversies) in supporting autistic clients.
Episode 132 - Some Bad Parts (with Dr. Sheila Addison)
“No bad parts” is a common mantra in therapy – the various parts of ourselves are always working to serve some beneficial purpose. But what happens when a therapist communicates to a client that significant parts of who they are aren’t welcome in the therapy room? Today’s guest Adam describes having to compartmentalize aspects of his identity with his therapist, and Dr. Sheila Addison joins us to discuss how to provide affirming services to all parts of a client.
Episode 130 - Gambling Therapy
Is good therapy as simple as whatever activity makes a client feel better? What if that activity is a singular focus on sports betting strategy? In today’s episode, we talk with Christine to learn from her experience of “gambling therapy” and answer the question of whether or not it’s a good thing to be friends with your therapist (spoiler: no, no it is not).
Episode 127 - Enlightenment is Not a Treatment Goal (with Dr. Jim Jobin)
Many clients want a spiritual component to their therapy, but what happens when a therapist acts more like a theologian than a mental health professional? Today’s guest Kelsey describes her experience of having spirituality weaponized against her in sessions, and Dr. Jim Jobin joins us to discuss how religion can be ethically and effectively incorporated into the therapeutic environment.
Episode 125 - So You’ve Stereotyped Your Client (with Deanna Fierman, LPC)
Stereotypes aren’t always a bad thing. That may not be true in therapy, especially when a client is made to feel like they are representing an entire group of people. That’s what we explore with today’s guest Jess, and we’re also joined by Deanna Fierman, LPC, to talk about what therapists should do after their biases about identity lead to clinical errors. Plus, Ben finds a therapist and Carrie gets a mammogram.
Episode 123 - Catching Feelings (with Dr. Ben Caldwell)
It’s not unusual for clients to develop feelings for their therapist. It’s also not unusual for therapists to develop feelings for their clients. So why is it such a bad idea for a therapist to share (or act) on those feelings? Today’s guest Kate shares a story that illustrates exactly why, and Dr. Ben Caldwell rejoins us to talk about what should happen when clients and therapists develop feelings for one another.
Episode 120 - Hard Conversations
What happens when a therapist doesn’t want to work with a client? What should happen? Tom shares his experience with a therapist who chose avoidance over honesty, and we discuss ten types of hard conversations that frequently give therapists anxiety. Plus, is Steve Carrell a good enough TV therapist to avoid getting murdered?
Episode 118 - Testing Patients (with Rachel Simon, LCSW)
Psychological testing can be complicated. It shouldn’t have to be hostile, even if the evaluation is not intended to be in a client’s best interest. In today’s episode, Jacob shares his experience of a truly ridiculous psych assessment, and we speak with Rachel Simon, LCSW MEd about how assessors can minimize the harmful impact of their own biases – and the biases built into the psych tests themselves.
Episode 115 - What is Bad Therapy, and Who Gets to Provide It? (with Dr. Ben Caldwell)
Today’s guest Marie shares her thought-provoking story about a preoccupied telehealth therapist, and we drag Dr. Ben Caldwell into another one of our philosophical crises about what constitutes very bad therapy. Is it not following a treatment plan? Having young children show up in session? Ignoring ruptures? Regularly showing up late? And while we’re at it, what even is therapy? Who should get to be a therapist during the pandemic? Join us on the struggle bus as we try to parse out issues related to telehealth, laws, ethics, clinical practices, privilege, social systems…and bullshit.
Episode 113 - Psychedelics and Therapy (with Ben Hearn, LPCC-S)
Consciousness-altering psychedelic drugs have shown tremendous promise in mental health treatment. The future of psychedelic-assisted therapy is uncertain, but one thing seems clear: the psychedelics are for the client, not the therapist. Today’s guest Matthew shares his peculiar experience with a not-quite-levelheaded therapist, and Ben Hearn joins us to discuss everything you ever wanted to know about this emerging pathway to psychological healing.
Episode 111 - Talking About Antisemitism (with Halina Brooke, LAMFT)
The field of psychotherapy has increasingly prioritized discussions about issues of oppression and marginalization. This is, of course, a sign of progress. But who gets left out of these conversations? Today’s guest Kaley shares her experience of antisemitism in therapy, and Halina Brooke rejoins us to talk about how Jewish clients are impacted when therapist education reinforces harmful narratives.
Episode 108 - The Inevitable CBT Episode (with Alyssa Davis, LMFT)
Of course we were going to end up doing an episode about CBT eventually. Emily describes visiting a CBT therapist who seemed uninterested in doing any real work, and Alyssa Davis joins us to cognitively restructure our beliefs about therapy models. Plus, some notes on EMDR, common factors, and deliberate practice. This episode has a bit of everything.
Episode 106 - Psycho, Education
What happens when a therapist and client have two very different conversational styles? Therapists can try to build rapport in many ways, which unfortunately is reflected in our guest Ben’s experience of being given terrible advice mislabeled as psychoeducation. Whether a client is talkative or reserved, one thing is for sure: randomly praising Donald Trump as a paragon of confidence is curious at best.
Episode 104 - Crises in the Time of Intake (with Dr. Ben Caldwell)
When does somebody officially become a client of therapy? And what happens if, before that distinction is made, crises occur and the therapeutic relationship unravels? Our guest Neith shares her experience navigating this scenario, and Dr. Ben Caldwell explains why little of this is clear cut, but some of it is clearly bad. Plus, we introduce a new segment: Is It Bad Therapy?
Episode 102 - The Good and Bad of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (with Fred Kutnick, LMSW)
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is considered the front-line treatment for borderline personality disorder. What exactly is DBT, and why is it nothing like the invalidating experience that Amy describes in today’s episode? To accept and change the reality of bad DBT, we speak with Fred Kutnick, LMSW about the propositions of good DBT.
Episode 99 - Conversations With a Therapy Failure Expert
Beth is a self-described therapy failure expert. She joins us for the whole episode (and more!) as we discuss her personal bad therapy experiences, what therapists think of clients who disclose their stories of bad therapy, why therapists often struggle to provide specialized services, and the fact that some therapists simply aren’t good at making their clients feel understood.
Episode 98 - Incurable Diseases Are Not Problems to Solve (with Jill Johnson-Young, LCSW)
A therapist’s job is to help their clients. But what does “help” mean when a client has been diagnosed with an incurable disease? In this episode, Cassie shares her story of seeking emotional support for her diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer only to receive unhelpful fixes instead. Plus, Jill Johnson-Young returns to talk about supporting clients who are experiencing the grief of having to say goodbye.