The Therapist Thrival Guide

How much did graduate school *actually* teach you about culture and how to talk about culture in our sessions?  We are joined again by Xoel Gonzalez, LPCC to discuss this important topic, why this is hard to talk about, self-disclosure, and how to approach culture and religion in therapy sessions with clients. - Watch the video episode here. The Therapist Thrival Guide is a podcast from Ellie Mental Health. We want to take therapists from just surviving to thriving. This is everything you didn't learn in graduate school! This podcast is hosted by Miranda Barker, MSW LICSW and Dr. Lucas Volini, LMFT. We'll have a different therapist guest for each episode to talk about what they've learned and what they want to teach other therapists. This series will be covering topics like burn-out, client retention, session structure, and balancing professional relationships.        Dr. Lucas Volini, LMFT, has been practicing as a marriage and family therapist for over ten years. He has worked as a couple's therapist, a graduate and undergraduate professor, researcher, author, and now as the VP of Clinical Quality at Ellie Mental Health...But he mostly sees himself as a professional recreational golfer.        Miranda Barker, MSW, LICSW, has been practicing as a therapist for a little over a year. She previously worked as a child protection investigator, adoption social worker, and case manager. She's new to the therapy game and loves soaking up all of the knowledge from the expert therapists in her life. She's the Executive Producer at Ellie Mental Health and believes that creativity is an important aspect of mental health care.      Therapist THRIVAL Guide is one of many creative productions from Ellie Mental Health. Ellie is an outpatient mental health clinic that began in St. Paul, Minnesota and has continued to expand to over 20 clinics in Minnesota and a growing number of franchises across the country (we'll be opening over 500 locations in communities nationwide in the near future!!).  #normalizeit #therapists #mentalhealthawareness #therapists #therapy

Clients may often assume that therapists live a life of pristine, unwavering mental health. Anyone who knows a real-life therapist personally, knows the absurdity of this assumption. Therapists aren’t expected to reach an unattainable standard of mental health, but the personal psychological health of the therapist undeniably shows up in their clinical practice. This episode explores the dynamics circulating around the relationship between a therapist’s personal health and its impact on how they show up with clients. The Therapist Thrival Guide is a podcast from Ellie Mental Health. We want to take therapists from just surviving to thriving. This is everything you didn't learn in graduate school! This podcast is hosted by Miranda Barker, MSW LICSW and Dr. Lucas Volini, LMFT. We'll have a different therapist guest for each episode to talk about what they've learned and what they want to teach other therapists. This series will be covering topics like burn-out, client retention, session structure, and balancing professional relationships.      Dr. Lucas Volini, LMFT, has been practicing as a marriage and family therapist for over ten years. He has worked as a couple's therapist, a graduate and undergraduate professor, researcher, author, and now as the VP of Clinical Quality at Ellie Mental Health...But he mostly sees himself as a professional recreational golfer.      Miranda Barker, MSW, LICSW, has been practicing as a therapist for a little over a year. She previously worked as a child protection investigator, adoption social worker, and case manager. She's new to the therapy game and loves soaking up all of the knowledge from the expert therapists in her life. She's the Executive Producer at Ellie Mental Health and believes that creativity is an important aspect of mental health care.    LINKS:    * Find this episode on YouTube here.  Therapist THRIVAL Guide is one of many creative productions from Ellie Mental Health. Ellie is an outpatient mental health clinic that began in St. Paul, Minnesota and has continued to expand to over 20 clinics in Minnesota and a growing number of franchises across the country (we'll be opening over 500 locations in communities nationwide in the near future!!).  #normalizeit #therapists #mentalhealthawareness #therapists #therapy

It can be scary to think about diving into group work and having so many clients in the room at one time, but it can be really powerful! Groups give clients the opportunity to support one another and practice skills or process together. We brought back Dr. Brittany Miskowiec, LICSW and are joined for the first time by Brad Crnobrna, LICSW LADC to discuss how to facilitate support groups and therapy treatment groups. They address common fears that therapists have about facilitating groups and even share about previous groups that have failed.   In this video, Brad shares about the ROPES strategy for structuring therapy groups:   - R: Review  - O: Overview  - P: Presentation  - E: Exercise  - S: Summary   Dr. Lucas Volini, LMFT, has been practicing as a marriage and family therapist for over ten years. He has worked as a couple's therapist, a graduate and undergraduate professor, researcher, author, and now as the VP of Clinical Quality at Ellie Mental Health...But he mostly sees himself as a professional recreational golfer.    Miranda Barker, MSW, LICSW, has been practicing as a therapist for a little over a year. She previously worked as a child protection investigator, adoption social worker, and case manager. She's new to the therapy game and loves soaking up all of the knowledge from the expert therapists in her life. She's the Executive Producer at Ellie Mental Health and believes that creativity is an important aspect of mental health care.  LINKS:  * Lucas' favorite book, Irvin Yalom's The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy  * Ellie's Psychedelic Therapy Program, Intero  * Find this episode on YouTube here * Virtual Conversation Cards for Groups: Link here Use the code VCC-THRIVAL20 for 20% off your membership!! The Therapist Thrival Guide is a podcast from Ellie Mental Health. We want to take therapists from just surviving to thriving. This is everything you didn't learn in graduate school! This podcast is hosted by Miranda Barker, MSW LICSW and Dr. Lucas Volini, LMFT. We'll have a different therapist guest for each episode to talk about what they've learned and what they want to teach other therapists. This series will be covering topics like burn-out, client retention, session structure, and balancing professional relationships.    Therapist THRIVAL Guide is one of many creative productions from Ellie Mental Health. Ellie is an outpatient mental health clinic that began in St. Paul, Minnesota and has continued to expand to over 20 clinics in Minnesota and a growing number of franchises across the country (we'll be opening over 500 locations in communities nationwide in the near future!!).  #normalizeit #grouptherapy #mentalhealthawareness #therapists #supportgroup

Suicide is a topic that can be difficult to talk about-- and sometimes it's even hard for therapists to talk about this with their clients! Instead of shying away from this topic, we brought suicidologist Brittany Miskowiec, LICSW on as a guest to discuss how to talk about this with clients and what to do if a client says that they are suicidal.   If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.   TIPS FOR ASKING ABOUT SUICIDE: 1. Show them the evidence: Tell them what you’ve noticed and why you’re asking about suicide.  2. Normalize it 3. Ask them directly: When asking someone about suicide, it’s important to be direct. We want to show the person that we’re comfortable talking about suicide and that we’re there to listen. This is why it’s important to be direct and say “Are you thinking about suicide?” or “Are you thinking about killing yourself?”   To read more tips and examples, check out Brittany's blog post: https://elliementalhealth.com/three-easy-steps-to-asking-someone-about-suicide/ The Therapist Thrival Guide is a podcast from Ellie Mental Health, hosted by Miranda Barker, MSW LICSW and Dr. Lucas Volini, LMFT. We want to take therapists from just surviving to thriving, and this is everything you didn't learn in graduate school! We'll have a different therapist guest for each episode to talk about what they've learned and what they want to teach other therapists. This series will be covering topics like burn-out, client retention, session structure, and balancing professional relationships.    Find this episode on your favorite podcast platform here: https://anchor.fm/therapist-thrival-g...    Dr. Lucas Volini, LMFT, has been practicing as a marriage and family therapist for over ten years. He has worked as a couple's therapist, a graduate and undergraduate professor, researcher, author, and now as the VP of Clinical Quality at Ellie Mental Health...But he mostly sees himself as a professional recreational golfer.    Miranda Barker, MSW, LICSW, has been practicing as a therapist for a little over a year. She previously worked as a child protection investigator, adoption social worker, and case manager. She's new to the therapy game and loves soaking up all of the knowledge from the expert therapists in her life. She's the Executive Producer at Ellie Mental Health and believes that creativity is an important aspect of mental health care.  LINKS:  - Common myths and facts about suicide, another video from Brittany: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIF3BbpI-p8   - Ellie Mental Health: https://elliementalhealth.com/   - Mental Health Crisis Line: https://988lifeline.org/    Therapist THRIVAL Guide is one of many creative productions from Ellie Mental Health. Ellie is an outpatient mental health clinic that began in St. Paul, Minnesota and has continued to expand to over 20 clinics in Minnesota and a growing number of franchises across the country (we'll be opening over 500 locations in communities nationwide in the near future!!).  #normalizeit #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #therapists

Today we are diving into what compassionate accountability looks like from a therapist's perspective, a client's perspective, and a supervisor's perspective. We are joined with Kathryn Jargo, LPCC to discuss how to navigate tough conversations and holding people accountable. When we hold people accountable in a compassionate way, it should motivate, inspire, and make them to feel cared for: so how do we do this?  The Therapist Thrival Guide is a podcast from Ellie Mental Health. We want to take therapists from just surviving to thriving. This is everything you didn't learn in graduate school! This podcast is hosted by Miranda Barker, MSW LICSW and Dr. Lucas Volini, LMFT. We'll have a different therapist guest for each episode to talk about what they've learned and what they want to teach other therapists. This series will be covering topics like burn-out, client retention, session structure, and balancing professional relationships.  Watch the video version on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE1KQgI5Dc4Kkjvlzm1GtuA  Dr. Lucas Volini, LMFT, has been practicing as a marriage and family therapist for over ten years. He has worked as a couple's therapist, a graduate and undergraduate professor, researcher, author, and now as the Senior Director of Innovation at Ellie Mental Health...But he mostly sees himself as a professional recreational golfer.  Miranda Barker, MSW, LICSW, has been practicing as a therapist for a little over a year. She previously worked as a child protection investigator, adoption social worker, and case manager. She's new to the therapy game and loves soaking up all of the knowledge from the expert therapists in her life. She's the Executive Producer at Ellie Mental Health and believes that creativity is an important aspect of mental health care.  Therapist THRIVAL Guide is one of many creative productions from Ellie Mental Health. Ellie is an outpatient mental health clinic that began in St. Paul, Minnesota and has continued to expand to over 20 clinics in Minnesota and a growing number of franchises across the country (we'll be opening over 500 locations in communities nationwide in the near future!!).

In this episode, we are joined by Deb Link, a licensed marriage and family therapist and professional clinical counselor specializing in high-conflict family therapy and reunification therapy. She is also a mediator, early neutral evaluator, parenting coach, parenting consultant, and custody evaluator. She works most often with parents to help them better the lives of their children through a safe a cooperative co-parenting relationship. She is THE expert when it comes to working with these families! We are diving into everything you need to know about working with court-involved families: what to do if you receive a subpoenas, important terminology, and how to keep yourself out of the triangulation while keeping the kids' needs center.  LINKS: How To Deal With Divorce: 10 Helpful Books AFCC Practice Guides Bridging Parental Conflict Class Divorce and the Five Stages of Grief The Therapist Thrival Guide is a podcast from Ellie Mental Health. We want to take therapists from just surviving to thriving. This is everything you didn't learn in graduate school! This podcast is hosted by Miranda Barker, MSW LICSW and Dr. Lucas Volini, LMFT. We'll have a different therapist guest for each episode to talk about what they've learned and what they want to teach other therapists. This series will be covering topics like burn-out, client retention, session structure, and balancing professional relationships.  Watch the video version on YouTube here! Dr. Lucas Volini, LMFT, has been practicing as a marriage and family therapist for over ten years. He has worked as a couple's therapist, a graduate and undergraduate professor, researcher, author, and now as the Senior Director of Innovation at Ellie Mental Health...But he mostly sees himself as a professional recreational golfer.  Miranda Barker, MSW, LICSW, has been practicing as a therapist for a little over a year. She previously worked as a child protection investigator, adoption social worker, and case manager. She's new to the therapy game and loves soaking up all of the knowledge from the expert therapists in her life. She's currently the Executive Producer at Ellie Mental Health and believes that creativity is an important aspect of mental health care.  Therapist THRIVAL Guide is one of many creative productions from Ellie Mental Health. Ellie is an outpatient mental health clinic that began in St. Paul, Minnesota and has continued to expand to over 20 clinics in Minnesota and a growing number of franchises across the country (we'll be opening over 500 locations in communities nationwide in the near future!!).

Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you’ll get to a point of enjoying clinical documentation. We get it, documentation is NOT why you became a therapist! Convincing yourself to love documentation is not required in order to love your job, but it does require becoming more efficient. This episode breaks down how you can get there with guests Erin Opoku, LMFT and Alicia Exsted, LPCC.  The Therapist Thrival Guide is a podcast from Ellie Mental Health. We want to take therapists from just surviving to thriving. This is everything you didn't learn in graduate school! This podcast is hosted by Miranda Barker, MSW LICSW and Dr. Lucas Volini, LMFT. We'll have a different therapist guest for each episode to talk about what they've learned and what they want to teach other therapists. This series will be covering topics like burn-out, client retention, session structure, and balancing professional relationships. Watch the video version on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE1KQgI5Dc4Kkjvlzm1GtuA  Dr. Lucas Volini, LMFT, has been practicing as a marriage and family therapist for over ten years. He has worked as a couple's therapist, a graduate and undergraduate professor, researcher, author, and now as the Senior Director of Innovation at Ellie Mental Health...But he mostly sees himself as a professional recreational golfer. Miranda Barker, MSW, LICSW, has been practicing as a therapist for a little over a year. She previously worked as a child protection investigator, adoption social worker, and case manager. She's new to the therapy game and loves soaking up all of the knowledge from the expert therapists in her life. She's currently the Executive Producer at Ellie Mental Health and believes that creativity is an important aspect of mental health care. Therapist THRIVAL Guide is one of many creative productions from Ellie Mental Health. Ellie is an outpatient mental health clinic that began in St. Paul, Minnesota and has continued to expand to over 20 clinics in Minnesota and a growing number of franchises across the country (we'll be opening over 500 locations in communities nationwide in the near future!!).

In this podcast episode, we interrupt our regularly scheduled episodes to discuss Jonah Hill's new film, Stutz. We are joined with Licensed Clinical Psychologist and movie-lover, Dr. Terri Bly. What do therapists think of this film and Stutz's unconventional way of doing therapy? Watch to find out!  Terri's brand-new podcast, When Therapists Watch TV, will be premiering in January 2023.    Find the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9NEKU8Al2k  The Therapist Thrival Guide is a podcast from Ellie Mental Health. We want to take therapists from just surviving to thriving. This is everything you didn't learn in graduate school! This podcast is hosted by Miranda Barker, MSW LICSW and Dr. Lucas Volini, LMFT. We'll have a different therapist guest for each episode to talk about what they've learned and what they want to teach other therapists. This series will be covering topics like burn-out, client retention, session structure, and balancing professional relationships.      Dr. Lucas Volini, LMFT, has been practicing as a marriage and family therapist for over ten years. He has worked as a couple's therapist, a graduate and undergraduate professor, researcher, author, and now as the Senior Director of Innovation at Ellie Mental Health...But he mostly sees himself as a professional recreational golfer.      Miranda Barker, MSW, LICSW, has been practicing as a therapist for a little over a year. She previously worked as a child protection investigator, adoption social worker, and case manager. She's new to the therapy game and loves soaking up all of the knowledge from the expert therapists in her life. She's currently the Executive Producer at Ellie Mental Health and believes that creativity is an important aspect of mental health care.      Therapist THRIVAL Guide is one of many creative productions from Ellie Mental Health. Ellie is an outpatient mental health clinic that began in St. Paul, Minnesota and has continued to expand to over 20 clinics in Minnesota and a growing number of franchises across the country (we'll be opening over 500 locations in communities nationwide in the near future!!).

Ethics aren’t the enemy—they’re our friend. And when properly understood and utilized as a guiding framework in our clinical practice, they ultimately serve the bilateral of function of protecting the public from harm, as well as protecting the therapist from lawsuits. Mark Wilde, LMFT joins Lucas and Miranda to discuss how we can move from a fear-based view of regulatory boards and making the wrong decisions, to practicing ethically and with confidence. In this episode we dive into the most common ethical mistakes, plus the pros and cons of telehealth practice. Find the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/@therapistTHRIVALguide The Therapist Thrival Guide is a podcast from Ellie Mental Health. We want to take therapists from just surviving to thriving. This is everything you didn't learn in graduate school! This podcast is hosted by Miranda Barker, MSW LICSW and Dr. Lucas Volini, LMFT. We'll have a different therapist guest for each episode to talk about what they've learned and what they want to teach other therapists. This series will be covering topics like burn-out, client retention, session structure, and balancing professional relationships.    Dr. Lucas Volini, LMFT, has been practicing as a marriage and family therapist for over ten years. He has worked as a couple's therapist, a graduate and undergraduate professor, researcher, author, and now as the Senior Director of Innovation at Ellie Mental Health...But he mostly sees himself as a professional recreational golfer.    Miranda Barker, MSW, LICSW, has been practicing as a therapist for a little over a year. She previously worked as a child protection investigator, adoption social worker, and case manager. She's new to the therapy game and loves soaking up all of the knowledge from the expert therapists in her life. She's currently the Executive Producer at Ellie Mental Health and believes that creativity is an important aspect of mental health care.    Therapist THRIVAL Guide is one of many creative productions from Ellie Mental Health. Ellie is an outpatient mental health clinic that began in St. Paul, Minnesota and has continued to expand to over 20 clinics in Minnesota and a growing number of franchises across the country (we'll be opening over 500 locations in communities nationwide in the near future!!).

In this podcast episode, we are joined by Kyle Ross, LPCC to discuss navigating tragedies with clients as a therapist and in our personal lives. Therapy is an environment intended to solicit the disclosure of people’s most painful experiences, but tragedies don’t always occur prior to the first session. How do therapists manage an acute tragedy that happened in the off-week of therapy? More so, how do therapists manage tragedies in their personal lives that may likely challenge their ability to stay present with clients? This episode breaks down the complexity of tragedy across aspects of the therapeutic process.  Find the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/@therapistTHRIVALguide The Therapist Thrival Guide is a podcast from Ellie Mental Health. We want to take therapists from just surviving to thriving. This is everything you didn't learn in graduate school! This podcast is hosted by Miranda Barker, MSW LICSW and Dr. Lucas Volini, LMFT. We'll have a different therapist guest for each episode to talk about what they've learned and what they want to teach other therapists. This series will be covering topics like burn-out, client retention, session structure, and balancing professional relationships.    Dr. Lucas Volini, LMFT, has been practicing as a marriage and family therapist for over ten years. He has worked as a couple's therapist, a graduate and undergraduate professor, researcher, author, and now as the Senior Director of Innovation at Ellie Mental Health...But he mostly sees himself as a professional recreational golfer.    Miranda Barker, MSW, LICSW, has been practicing as a therapist for a little over a year. She previously worked as a child protection investigator, adoption social worker, and case manager. She's new to the therapy game and loves soaking up all of the knowledge from the expert therapists in her life. She's currently the Executive Producer at Ellie Mental Health and believes that creativity is an important aspect of mental health care.    Therapist THRIVAL Guide is one of many creative productions from Ellie Mental Health. Ellie is an outpatient mental health clinic that began in St. Paul, Minnesota and has continued to expand to over 20 clinics in Minnesota and a growing number of franchises across the country (we'll be opening over 500 locations in communities nationwide in the near future!!).