

Edge of the Couch
Jordan Pickell and Alison McCleary
Two good friends and experienced therapists explore the topics that were either shied away from or dismissed because they were too big, too nuanced, too risky, or too uncomfortable to address in school or even in supervision. We want to inspire and encourage therapists to think more deeply, show up more fully, and find humour and self-compassion in navigating the messier parts of being a therapist.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jun 9, 2021 • 18min
Can therapists say "I'm proud of you" to clients?
In this BONUS episode, we answer a listener question: "Is it okay to tell clients we are proud of them?" We'd love to hear from you. Send us an email at connect@edgeofthecouch.com to tell us what you think, ask a question or let us know what type of episode you'd love to hear. You can even send us a voice note for us to play in a future episode. You can support us by giving us a review on Apple Podcasts, sharing the show with a friend, or supporting us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouchAlison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on InstagramJoin us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch or share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram @edgeofthecouchpod, email at connect@edgeofthecouch.com, or voice note at speakpipe.com/edgeofthecouch.We have partnered with Janeapp, an all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth. Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign up.Alison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

Jun 2, 2021 • 28min
Q+A Part 2 Dealing with a racist client, processing our own "stuff", and thoughts on homework
We answer listener questions. 1) In a recent episode, you spoke about clients that have said they have feelings for you. How do you handle that? Has it ever ruptured the relationship? 2) What to do when clients say racist or sexist things? 3) How does a therapist not think about clients they really care about outside of sessions? 4) I'm worried I still have too much of my own stuff to process, but I'm starting an MFT program soon. 5) How do you navigate when someone doesn't rebook? 6) How do you navigate when a client doesn't do homework? We'd love to hear from you. Send us an email at connect@edgeofthecouch.com to tell us what you think, ask a question or let us know what type of episode you'd love to hear. You can even send us a voice note for us to play in a future episode. You can support us by giving us a review on Apple Podcasts, sharing the show with a friend, or supporting us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouchAlison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on InstagramJoin us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch or share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram @edgeofthecouchpod, email at connect@edgeofthecouch.com, or voice note at speakpipe.com/edgeofthecouch.We have partnered with Janeapp, an all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth. Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign up.Alison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

May 26, 2021 • 29min
Q+A Part 1 Breaking up with a supervisor, using jargon, and a client says "You're pretty"
We answer listener questions. 1) Do either of you offer supervision? Yes, book or contact us through our practice websites. 2) Tips for therapists in therapy. Notice when you are doing "split brain". Notice when you are holding back. You can shop around. You can try out different modalities. 3) Are you both psychologists or another type of therapist? We are both Master-level therapists, Registered Clinical Counsellor is the designation where we live, British Columbia, Canada. Alison will be a registered psychologist after receiving her doctorate. 4) How to break up with a supervisor? You can have the difficult conversation, or you can disappear into the bushes. 5) What have been some of your mannerisms or therapeutic phrases that you had to try to be aware of, especially when you were training? Jargon, nodding, tapping my foot, moving too much, "totally". 6) How do you respond when a client comments on your looks- "you're really pretty", for example. Depending on context, you might just say "thanks" and move on. If there is energy around it, you might have to have a conversation about it. We plan to put together a full episode on this in the future.We'd love to hear from you. Send us an email at connect@edgeofthecouch.com to tell us what you think, ask a question or let us know what type of episode you'd love to hear. You can even send us a voice note for us to play in a future episode. You can support us by giving us a review on Apple Podcasts, sharing the show with a friend, or supporting us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouchAlison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on InstagramJoin us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch or share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram @edgeofthecouchpod, email at connect@edgeofthecouch.com, or voice note at speakpipe.com/edgeofthecouch.We have partnered with Janeapp, an all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth. Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign up.Alison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

May 19, 2021 • 28min
The therapeutic relationship is a place of experimentation and affirmation - Interview with Co-host Jordan Pickell
In this special episode, Alison interviews her co-host, Jordan. We talk about how she shows up in therapy, how being a therapist has changed her, and her fear of clients seeing her on the street in a difficult parenting moment. We'd love to hear from you. Send us an email at connect@edgeofthecouch.com to tell us what you think, ask a question or let us know what type of episode you'd love to hear. You can even send us a voice note for us to play in a future episode. You can support us by giving us a review on Apple Podcasts, sharing the show with a friend, or supporting us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouchAlison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on InstagramJoin us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch or share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram @edgeofthecouchpod, email at connect@edgeofthecouch.com, or voice note at speakpipe.com/edgeofthecouch.We have partnered with Janeapp, an all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth. Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign up.Alison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

May 12, 2021 • 29min
We're all going to die someday - Interview with Co-host Alison McCleary
In this special episode, Jordan interviews her co-host Alison. We talk about how she shows up in therapy, what she has learned from her clients, and the powerful metaphors she uses regularly and other Alison-isms. We'd love to hear from you. Send us an email at connect@edgeofthecouch.com to tell us what you think, ask a question or let us know what type of episode you'd love to hear. You can even send us a voice note for us to play in a future episode. You can support us by giving us a review on Apple Podcasts, sharing the show with a friend, or supporting us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouchAlison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on InstagramJoin us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch or share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram @edgeofthecouchpod, email at connect@edgeofthecouch.com, or voice note at speakpipe.com/edgeofthecouch.We have partnered with Janeapp, an all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth. Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign up.Alison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

May 5, 2021 • 40min
When you are attracted to the client
Finding yourself attracted to a client is a thing that happens! Even talking about it in hypotheticals is taboo. If you can’t acknowledge what is happening, even to yourself, it will absolutely impact the work and you are so much more likely to do harm. How do you know you are attracted to a client?In this episode, Jordan and Alison break down this taboo and talk about how they navigate this delicate dynamic.We'd love to hear from you. Send us an email at connect@edgeofthecouch.com to tell us what you think, ask a question or let us know what type of episode you'd love to hear. You can even send us a voice note for us to play in a future episode. You can support us by giving us a review on Apple Podcasts, sharing the show with a friend, or supporting us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouchAlison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on InstagramJoin us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch or share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram @edgeofthecouchpod, email at connect@edgeofthecouch.com, or voice note at speakpipe.com/edgeofthecouch.We have partnered with Janeapp, an all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth. Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign up.Alison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

Apr 28, 2021 • 29min
When you disagree with your school
Whether you speak back or just say it to yourself, sometimes you will disagree with your school. Sometimes you will disagree with your supervisor. Even though you are learning new concepts and skills, you come into the work with life experiences and values. How do you hold onto yourself through the process of learning? In this episode, Alison and Jordan delve into the biases and limitations of our training. We talk about how you might respond when one of your values contradicts with something that is said or asked of you in your training process. Let us know what you think!We'd love to hear from you. Send us an email at connect@edgeofthecouch.com to tell us what you think, ask a question or let us know what type of episode you'd love to hear. You can even send us a voice note for us to play in a future episode. You can support us by giving us a review on Apple Podcasts, sharing the show with a friend, or supporting us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouchAlison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on InstagramJoin us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch or share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram @edgeofthecouchpod, email at connect@edgeofthecouch.com, or voice note at speakpipe.com/edgeofthecouch.We have partnered with Janeapp, an all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth. Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign up.Alison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

Apr 21, 2021 • 35min
When the client wants to die
In this episode, Jordan and Alison explore what our training teaches us about how to respond when a client expresses suicidal intent, how problematic our training can be, and the understandable apprehension that exists in new therapists (maybe all therapists?) when tasked with holding space for conversations about suicide. We'd love to hear from you. Send us an email at connect@edgeofthecouch.com to tell us what you think, ask a question or let us know what type of episode you'd love to hear. You can even send us a voice note for us to play in a future episode. You can support us by giving us a review on Apple Podcasts, sharing the show with a friend, or supporting us on Patreon.Alison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on InstagramJoin us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch or share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram @edgeofthecouchpod, email at connect@edgeofthecouch.com, or voice note at speakpipe.com/edgeofthecouch.We have partnered with Janeapp, an all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth. Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign up.Alison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

Apr 14, 2021 • 26min
When you want to be friends with the client
Alison and Jordan discuss when therapists have friendship-y feelings about a client. What do you do when a client says that they want to be friends, that you are friends, or that you are their best friend?We'd love to hear from you. Send us an email at connect@edgeofthecouch.com to tell us what you think, ask a question or let us know what type of episode you'd love to hear. You can even send us a voice note for us to play in a future episode. You can support us by giving us a review on Apple Podcasts, sharing the show with a friend, or supporting us on Patreon.Alison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on InstagramJoin us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch or share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram @edgeofthecouchpod, email at connect@edgeofthecouch.com, or voice note at speakpipe.com/edgeofthecouch.We have partnered with Janeapp, an all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth. Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign up.Alison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram

Apr 7, 2021 • 27min
When you have lived experience - Interview with Mimi Cole
In an interview, Jordan talks with Mimi Cole, student therapist and educator and writer on OCD and eating disorders, about her experience in school and online with self-disclosure, and the implications for her future work with clients. We'd love to hear from you. Send us an email at connect@edgeofthecouch.com to tell us what you think, ask a question or let us know what type of episode you'd love to hear. You can even send us a voice note for us to play in a future episode. You can support us by giving us a review on Apple Podcasts, sharing the show with a friend, or supporting us on Patreon.You can find our guest Mimi Cole on Instagram @the.lovelybecoming or at her website www.mimi-cole.comMimi Cole cites her learning from:On the recovered clinician: Carolyn Costin https://www.carolyn-costin.com/recovered-eating-disorderprofessionOn being put on a pedestal: Dr. Maria Paredes https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/maria-paredes-greensboro-nc/297520On being human first, therapist second: Lisa Olivera https://www.instagram.com/_lisaolivera/?hl=enAlison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on InstagramJoin us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch or share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram @edgeofthecouchpod, email at connect@edgeofthecouch.com, or voice note at speakpipe.com/edgeofthecouch.We have partnered with Janeapp, an all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth. Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign up.Alison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram