69. I Dissent
It can be challenging to advocate for clients using our voice, but advocacy is an essential aspect of our work as therapists. Laura Reagan of the Trauma Therapist Network and Therapy Chat Podcast shares a pivotal experience right out of graduate school where she used her voice. While it didn't go as planned, it did help her in the long run. Join us this week as we explore the nuances of advocating for clients and the difficulties that come with it.
68. Sober Curious
Alcohol is a topic that is often discussed in our society, but it can be a divisive issue. People are often seen as either alcoholics or sober, with no in-between. However, Alana highlights the sometimes difficult transition from college to graduate school and the role of alcohol in our personal and professional lives.
67. Do You Need CPR?
If there are over 100 deaths by suicide each day in America, how many therapists lose a client to suicide each day? While we don't have the exact answer, we must keep discussing suicide. Listen with care and join us as we hear from Emily about an experience she had losing a client to suicide and how she's processing it.
66. Death By Suicide
If there are over 100 deaths by suicide each day in America, how many therapists lose a client to suicide each day? While we don't have the exact answer, we must keep discussing suicide. Listen with care and join us as we hear from Emily about an experience she had losing a client to suicide and how she's processing it.
65. Decolonize Your Practice
Have you ever felt like the systems you learned in grad school didn't actually fit or support the populations you see? We're going to learn all about finding your own style of treatment, decolonizing your practice, and why working harder is not necessarily better in your private practice.
64. Pay Your Dues, Kid
Can therapists work in private practice right away, or is there an unwritten rule that we have to first pay our dues in community mental health? Joanna shares her goal of working in private practice right out of graduate school and how our field sometimes makes us feel like we have to "pay our dues" in community mental health first. We explore why it's important to consider all settings when thinking about internship and practicum, what the phrase "boots on the ground" really means, and the helpful reminder that therapists are needed in all settings.
63. Fight, Flight, or End Session?
Join us as we hear from Alexa who has a pretty big trauma response in the middle of a family therapy session. She shares with us how she fails to practice what she preaches and how she managed her reaction without the family noticing. We round out the discussion with much-needed reminders about our humanity as therapists and how to manage our human responses, even if they're in the middle of a therapy session.
62. Are You a Bad Therapist or Are You Just Triggered?
Transference and countertransference - we learned about it in grad school and talk about it a lot as clinicians, but do we really break it down enough to understand the impact? Join us as we hear from Becca who shares her journey in understanding and using transference and countertransference in the therapy room. Transference might feel like a familiar topic, but the conversation will go differently than you think!
61. Addicted Therapist
Many of us learned a lot about ourselves during COVID, saw how we coped with different situations, and how that could even impact our work as therapists. Join us as we hear from Taylor who realized she had unhealthy coping skills and strategies during that time. Taylor also shares how she recognized when addiction was taking over her life outside of the clinical room, how it may have been impacting her inside the clinical room and what she did about it to manage her career throughout the process.
60. TikTok got me fired
A professional social media presence can sometimes be a double-edged sword. Join us as we hear from Justin who shares a story where *spoiler alert* TikTok might have led to him getting fired! Justin talks about how this experience had a silver lining and lead to tremendous growth in his career. With so many of us on social media, this is the start of a much-needed conversation for modern therapists.
59. Your Kid Hit My Kid
Can you avoid all dual relationships? Leah shares her experiences working and raising children in the same community, including a sparring match between her son and a client's family! Join us as we explore the nuances of dual relationships and parenthood as a therapist.
58. Don't I Know You From Pole Dancing?
Have your hobbies ever conflicted with your clinical work? Join us as we hear from Sam who had an anonymous complaint filed to her ethics board about her being a pole dancing instructor. You won't believe the major assumptions implied about her professionalism! Sam shares with us how she ethically maintains two rewarding careers as a therapist and pole dancing instructor, the double standards that exist in our field, and how she navigates it all.
57. Binary Bullsh*t
Have you ever been asked to change your gender identity at work?
Lou shares what happens when they're asked by their employer to deny their personhood and values to make a few clients feel more comfortable. We explore the systems of oppression that made this situation possible, the lack of communication and support they experienced, and all the bullshit that made us want to riot with Lou!
We are so honored that Lou shared their story with us, and we are proud to highlight this story during Pride Month. We on Am I a Bad Therapist? stand with the LGBTQIA+ community and are committed to making this field a safe place for all therapists and clients.
56. #therapytok
You log onto TikTok at the end of a clinical day to laugh and unwind, not to see a client talk about your work together come up on your FYP. Listen in to see how Kaylan handles the situation. You won't believe what happens before their next session with the client!
Fatal Attraction
Attraction in the therapy room isn't unusual, since our clients are often sharing their most vulnerable thoughts with us. Although each situation is different, one thing is common - therapists don't talk about it enough! Join us as we hear from returning guest, Ariana, as she shares her story of how she navigated when a client expressed their attraction to her.
54. An Actual Wild Goose Chase
Walk and talk therapy with a client by a beautiful pond sounds idyllic, until a gaggle of geese attack! Brandi shares a story that you will not believe, filled with so many twists and turns. Come laugh with us in this hilarious and unbelievable episode that has a surprisingly insightful ending.
53. Million Dollar Sellout
A lot of us want to own a thriving group practice, but do we actually understand what running a group practice entails? Gabrielle shares a cautionary tale of the perils that come with running a group practice, as well as how she became clear on the life she wanted to build which ultimately led to her selling her practice.
51. Crispy
Being burnt out is a far too common experience that many (if not all) of us therapists share, but have you ever been called out by a supervisor for it? Sarah shares how she went from a burned-out breakdown to a balanced therapist, and how she recognized she was burned out before she even started her career! Join us for all the tips, insights, and some amazingly thoughtful words we all need to hear.
50. Super Therapist Mode Activated
After a series of tragedies, Mikala finds herself operating in "super therapist mode" as a way to cope with the fear of making a mistake. She shares her insights into how she came to recognize her cycle of burnout and the steps she took to work towards a balanced and rewarding career.