

The Therapist Thrival Guide
Ellie Mental Health
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, LICSW and rotating therapists. We'll have a different therapist guest for each episode to cover topics like burn-out, client retention, finding your niche, session structure, and balancing professional relationships.
Find the video podcasts here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE1KQgI5Dc4Kkjvlzm1GtuA
Find the video podcasts here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE1KQgI5Dc4Kkjvlzm1GtuA
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 15, 2023 • 49min
48. The Whole Brain Child Book Review
In this episode, we are discussing "The Whole Brain Child" book by Dr. Dan Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson. Link to the book: https://amzn.to/46fSGWGOUR HOSTS:Miranda Barker, MSW, LICSW, has been practicing as a therapist for several years. She previously worked as a child protection investigator, adoption social worker, case manager, and the Director of Brand Content at Ellie Mental Health. Follow her on LinkedIn.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 the Senior Director of Innovation at Ellie Mental Health...But he mostly sees himself as a professional recreational golfer.The Therapist Thrival Guide is a podcast by Ellie Mental Health. We want to move therapists beyond surviving and into the realm of thriving by covering all the things that graduate school didn't teach you! This mental health podcast is hosted by Miranda Barker, LICSW and a rotating cast of seasoned therapists. Each episode features a therapist speaking to their areas of expertise to help us learn how to thrive as therapists.Ellie is a national mental health brand organized around community-based outpatient mental health clinics. It all began with a single office in St. Paul, Minnesota back in 2015, and has expanded to an explosive number of locations across the country.

Nov 8, 2023 • 55min
47. Can Men Have Postpartum Depression?
This month we are discussing men's mental health stigma, and in this episode we are specifically diving into postpartum depression in men. Subscribe for every episode!Laura Lammar-Binder, MA is a community based and outpatient therapist. Laura loves working with children of all ages and their families, and has special interests in maternal/paternal mental health, grief therapy, and working with the LBGTQ+ community. Check out Laura's previous episode about miscarriage and infant loss here: https://youtu.be/90Qw1-u2l4EOUR HOSTS:Miranda Barker, MSW, LICSW, has been practicing as a therapist for several years. She previously worked as a child protection investigator, adoption social worker, case manager, and the Director of Brand Content at Ellie Mental Health. Follow her on LinkedIn.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 the Senior Director of Innovation at Ellie Mental Health...But he mostly sees himself as a professional recreational golfer.The Therapist Thrival Guide is a podcast by Ellie Mental Health. We want to move therapists beyond surviving and into the realm of thriving by covering all the things that graduate school didn't teach you! This mental health podcast is hosted by Miranda Barker, LICSW and a rotating cast of seasoned therapists. Each episode features a therapist speaking to their areas of expertise to help us learn how to thrive as therapists.Ellie is a national mental health brand organized around community-based outpatient mental health clinics. It all began with a single office in St. Paul, Minnesota back in 2015, and has expanded to an explosive number of locations across the country.

Nov 1, 2023 • 1h 12min
46. Discussing Men's Mental Health Stigma + Being a Male Therapist
Over the next few weeks we are discussing men's mental health stigma: where this sigma comes from, what it's like to be a male therapist, and how to model emotional attunement. Subscribe for every episode!Matt Reed, MA has been a therapist for several years and has experience working in corrections and is our resident expert in anger management. Zach Eichler, MS, LPCC has spent time working in outpatient positions and has worked with many different ages, as well as many different mental health difficulties. Both therapists are passionate about the topic of men's mental health stigma and making mental health care more accessible for everyone.OUR HOSTS:Miranda Barker, MSW, LICSW, has been practicing as a therapist for several years. She previously worked as a child protection investigator, adoption social worker, case manager, and the Director of Brand Content at Ellie Mental Health. Follow her on LinkedIn.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 the Senior Director of Innovation at Ellie Mental Health...But he mostly sees himself as a professional recreational golfer.The Therapist Thrival Guide is a podcast by Ellie Mental Health. We want to move therapists beyond surviving and into the realm of thriving by covering all the things that graduate school didn't teach you! This mental health podcast is hosted by Miranda Barker, LICSW and a rotating cast of seasoned therapists. Each episode features a therapist speaking to their areas of expertise to help us learn how to thrive as therapists.Ellie is a national mental health brand organized around community-based outpatient mental health clinics. It all began with a single office in St. Paul, Minnesota back in 2015, and has expanded to an explosive number of locations across the country.

Oct 25, 2023 • 48min
45. Working with Polyamorous & Non-Monogamous Clients
All month we are discussing everything about couple's therapy: methods, research, skills, and tools. Subscribe for every episode! This week we are diving into working with polyamorous and non-monogamous clients with John Lyon, MSW, LICSW. John specializes in the following areas: Anger management, relationship issues, Anxiety management, Depression, Complex PTSD, Consensual Non-monogamy, Attachment theory. He is client centered, well versed in both clinician driven techniques like EMDR for PTSD, but also very good with both psycho-educational techniques for things like Anger management. CBT is a core technique used to address problematic thinking and to help clients develop alternative coping strategies. John has been practicing as a therapist for several years and works out of the Moorhead, Minnesota Ellie clinic.OUR HOSTS:Miranda Barker, MSW, LICSW, has been practicing as a therapist for several years. She previously worked as a child protection investigator, adoption social worker, case manager, and the Director of Brand Content at Ellie Mental Health. Follow her on LinkedIn.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 the Senior Director of Innovation at Ellie Mental Health...But he mostly sees himself as a professional recreational golfer.The Therapist Thrival Guide is a podcast by Ellie Mental Health. We want to move therapists beyond surviving and into the realm of thriving by covering all the things that graduate school didn't teach you! This mental health podcast is hosted by Miranda Barker, LICSW and a rotating cast of seasoned therapists. Each episode features a therapist speaking to their areas of expertise to help us learn how to thrive as therapists.Ellie is a national mental health brand organized around community-based outpatient mental health clinics. It all began with a single office in St. Paul, Minnesota back in 2015, and has expanded to an explosive number of locations across the country.

Oct 18, 2023 • 56min
44. Couple's Therapy, Intimacy, and Communication
All month we are discussing everything about couple's therapy: methods, research, skills, and tools. Subscribe for every episode! Erin Pash, LMFT (Founder of Ellie Mental Health) and Heather Reidinger, LMFT are back on the podcast this week to talk with Miranda about couples therapy, sex, intimacy, and communication. OUR HOSTS:Miranda Barker, MSW, LICSW, has been practicing as a therapist for several years. She previously worked as a child protection investigator, adoption social worker, case manager, and the Director of Brand Content at Ellie Mental Health. Follow her on LinkedIn.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 the Senior Director of Innovation at Ellie Mental Health...But he mostly sees himself as a professional recreational golfer.The Therapist Thrival Guide is a podcast by Ellie Mental Health. We want to move therapists beyond surviving and into the realm of thriving by covering all the things that graduate school didn't teach you! This mental health podcast is hosted by Miranda Barker, LICSW and a rotating cast of seasoned therapists. Each episode features a therapist speaking to their areas of expertise to help us learn how to thrive as therapists.Ellie is a national mental health brand organized around community-based outpatient mental health clinics. It all began with a single office in St. Paul, Minnesota back in 2015, and has expanded to an explosive number of locations across the country.

Oct 11, 2023 • 46min
43. Gottman's Research + Methods for Couple's Therapy
All month we are discussing everything about couple's therapy: methods, research, skills, and tools. Subscribe for every episode! This week we are diving into John and Julie Gottman's research and methods for couples therapy. Eva Greenwell, MA, CMHC, LPC, LCDC-I joins this episode to share her wisdom and experience as a Gottman Level 3 trained couple's therapist. What Makes Love Last book: https://amzn.to/3PCco9j7 Principles for Making Marriage Work: https://amzn.to/3rcT0GJOUR HOSTS:Miranda Barker, MSW, LICSW, has been practicing as a therapist for several years. She previously worked as a child protection investigator, adoption social worker, case manager, and the Director of Brand Content at Ellie Mental Health. Follow her on LinkedIn.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 the Senior Director of Innovation at Ellie Mental Health...But he mostly sees himself as a professional recreational golfer.The Therapist Thrival Guide is a podcast by Ellie Mental Health. We want to move therapists beyond surviving and into the realm of thriving by covering all the things that graduate school didn't teach you! This mental health podcast is hosted by Miranda Barker, LICSW and a rotating cast of seasoned therapists. Each episode features a therapist speaking to their areas of expertise to help us learn how to thrive as therapists.Ellie is a national mental health brand organized around community-based outpatient mental health clinics. It all began with a single office in St. Paul, Minnesota back in 2015, and has expanded to an explosive number of locations across the country.

Oct 4, 2023 • 48min
42. How to Be a Kick-@$% Couple's Therapist
Founder of Ellie Mental Health, Erin Pash, LMFT is back this week to discuss the nitty-gritty of couple's therapy and how to be a kick-@$# couple's therapist. Erin has more than ten years of experience working with couples in therapy, and she discussed what brings couples to see her, tools every therapist should know, and how to work with couples that are thinking about getting divorced.OUR HOSTS:Miranda Barker, MSW, LICSW, has been practicing as a therapist for several years. She previously worked as a child protection investigator, adoption social worker, case manager, and the Director of Brand Content at Ellie Mental Health. Follow her on LinkedIn.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 the Senior Director of Innovation at Ellie Mental Health...But he mostly sees himself as a professional recreational golfer.The Therapist Thrival Guide is a podcast by Ellie Mental Health. We want to move therapists beyond surviving and into the realm of thriving by covering all the things that graduate school didn't teach you! This mental health podcast is hosted by Miranda Barker, LICSW and a rotating cast of seasoned therapists. Each episode features a therapist speaking to their areas of expertise to help us learn how to thrive as therapists.Ellie is a national mental health brand organized around community-based outpatient mental health clinics. It all began with a single office in St. Paul, Minnesota back in 2015, and has expanded to an explosive number of locations across the country.

Sep 27, 2023 • 37min
41. Early Intervention, Suicide Loss, + Making Mental Health Care Accessible
Saroni Kandu joins this episode to discuss how her difficult experiences with navigating the mental health system for her family and then the loss of her sister after suicide drove her to open an Ellie Mental Health location in her community. Saroni's franchise is located in Concord, MO.September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and we are highlighting this important topic throughout the podcast this month. As we work together to de-stigmatize the societal beliefs around therapy and increase access to outpatient care, we recognize there's a LOT we can do to bring this often taboo topic into a new light while raising awareness about suicide as a public health concern, educating about prevention, and by supporting the healing of those affected by suicide.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. RESOURCES:- Podcast episode about talking about suicide with clients- Three Tips for Asking Someone about Suicide Blog Post- Episode about how to cope when you lose a client or supervisee to suicide here.- Why is Ellie franchising and what does that mean? Check out our episode with founder and CEO, Erin Pash, LMFT, here.OUR HOSTS:Miranda Barker, MSW, LICSW, has been practicing as a therapist for several years. She previously worked as a child protection investigator, adoption social worker, case manager, and the Director of Brand Content at Ellie Mental Health. Follow her on LinkedIn.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 the Senior Director of Innovation at Ellie Mental Health...But he mostly sees himself as a professional recreational golfer.The Therapist Thrival Guide is a podcast by Ellie Mental Health. We want to move therapists beyond surviving and into the realm of thriving by covering all the things that graduate school didn't teach you! This mental health podcast is hosted by Miranda Barker, LICSW and a rotating cast of seasoned therapists. Each episode features a therapist speaking to their areas of expertise to help us learn how to thrive as therapists.Ellie is a national mental health brand organized around community-based outpatient mental health clinics. It all began with a single office in St. Paul, Minnesota back in 2015, and has expanded to an explosive number of locations across the country.

Sep 20, 2023 • 48min
40. How to Talk About Suicide with Therapy Clients + Safety Plan (Rerun)
This episode is a re-release for Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. 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 it3. 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 this blog post: https://elliementalhealth.com/three-easy-steps-to-asking-someone-about-suicide/OUR HOSTS:Miranda Barker, MSW, LICSW, has been practicing as a therapist for several years. She previously worked as a child protection investigator, adoption social worker, case manager, and the Director of Brand Content at Ellie Mental Health. Follow her on LinkedIn.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 the Senior Director of Innovation at Ellie Mental Health...But he mostly sees himself as a professional recreational golfer.The Therapist Thrival Guide is a podcast by Ellie Mental Health. We want to move therapists beyond surviving and into the realm of thriving by covering all the things that graduate school didn't teach you! This mental health podcast is hosted by Miranda Barker, LICSW and a rotating cast of seasoned therapists. Each episode features a therapist speaking to their areas of expertise to help us learn how to thrive as therapists.Ellie is a national mental health brand organized around community-based outpatient mental health clinics. It all began with a single office in St. Paul, Minnesota back in 2015, and has expanded to an explosive number of locations across the country.

Sep 13, 2023 • 48min
39. Complicated Grief and Suicide Loss
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and we are highlighting this important topic throughout the podcast this month. As we work together to de-stigmatize the societal beliefs around therapy and increase access to outpatient care, we recognize there's a LOT we can do to bring this often taboo topic into a new light while raising awareness about suicide as a public health concern, educating about prevention, and by supporting the healing of those affected by suicide.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.ABOUT OUR GUEST:Erin Opoku, LMFT obtained her Master’s degree in Adlerian Psychotherapy with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from the Adler Graduate School. Erin has worked in multiple different mental health settings over the years and has found herself loving the balance of therapeutic and director work at Ellie since 2017. Erin enjoys specializes in grief and loss with her clients.Jennifer Keehn, LPCC has worked in the human services field for over 15 years providing care to children, adolescents, adults and families in a variety of settings including schools, hospitals, treatment programs, and outpatient clinic. Her main areas of focus have been with grief/loss and supporting families through challenging times.RESOURCES:- Episode about talking about suicide with clients: https://youtu.be/Uqc9Xm3qOdA- Three Tips for Asking Someone about Suicide Blog Post: https://elliementalhealth.com/three-easy-steps-to-asking-someone-about-suicide/- Episode about how to cope when you lose a client or supervisee to suicide: https://youtu.be/xOlkZS6hIko - "The Dinner Party" organization that Erin shared: https://www.thedinnerparty.org/OUR HOSTS:Miranda Barker, MSW, LICSW, has been practicing as a therapist for several years. She previously worked as a child protection investigator, adoption social worker, case manager, and the Director of Brand Content at Ellie Mental Health. Follow her on LinkedIn.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 the Senior Director of Innovation at Ellie Mental Health...But he mostly sees himself as a professional recreational golfer.The Therapist Thrival Guide is a podcast by Ellie Mental Health. We want to move therapists beyond surviving and into the realm of thriving by covering all the things that graduate school didn't teach you! This mental health podcast is hosted by Miranda Barker, LICSW and a rotating cast of seasoned therapists. Each episode features a therapist speaking to their areas of expertise to help us learn how to thrive as therapists.Ellie is a national mental health brand organized around community-based outpatient mental health clinics. It all began with a single office in St. Paul, Minnesota back in 2015, and has expanded to an explosive number of locations across the country.